Oblivion

4| What's wrong with a gun?

THIRD PERSON

Contrary to what he said, Domenico didn't go straight to bed. First, he went into the guest room, locked the windows, removed all objects that could be used in a suicide attempt, and activated the security system. The little girl seemed genuinely horrified by her attempt, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. He was still surprised that she was able to pretend to be a boy for so long and fool him and Vito, and how quickly she reached for his gun. Truly a surprising child, he thought, interrupted by his phone.

[00:03] J
Have the names. Finish the job?

[00:04] Domenico
Yes.

[00:05] J
Done. Anything else?

[00:06] Domenico
No.
Wait. A beggar lived in one of the hallways.
Pack everything up and bring it to me. Not a word to anyone.

[00:07] J
Understood.

Domenico retired to his room and was very inclined to light a cigarette, although he never smoked in the house. However, this evening had been exciting enough to make an exception, even by his standards. He checked the video surveillance, which showed the whole room with their guest inside it. Hopefully, Vito remembered to bring the gun up with him. Domenico really didn't feel like walking back downstairs.

"Fuck it," he said to no one in particular and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag, let himself fall backward onto his bed, and stared at the ceiling. Then he laughed.

"I can't quite understand what you find so funny about the whole situation," came his brother's voice. "Besides, there is no smoking in the house!" Undeterred, Domenico took another drag and watched the smoke rising into the air.

"Did she say anything more?" He didn't even bother to sit up; Vito would sit in the armchair next to his bed anyway, cross his legs while looking incredibly serious. Vito had the gift of knowing exactly what people needed to see in order to do what he wanted. Domenico didn't have this gift, but that didn't bother him either. Most people who dealt with him knew what to expect, and with the few exceptions, he could be friendly. Could be.

Vito sighed. "No. She just ate, and I took her upstairs. Did you prepare everything?" Without a word, Domenico handed him his cell phone, where the video was playing from the guest room. Vito took it and watched for a while. Josephine stood in the middle of the room, looking around carefully.

"Ten bucks that she'll check the windows," Domenico said without looking at the phone. He puffed on the cigarette again, letting the smoke make a circle. Vito made a disapproving face but said nothing. The girl went to the adjoining bathroom and looked in without going inside. Then she went to the windows. Wordlessly, Vito reached for his wallet and threw the money at his brother. Domenico laughed while turning to Vito to watch along. "Always a pleasure doing business with you, brother. I told J to collect her things and bring them to us. The other thing is taken care of too."

"At least something's going according to plan today," Vito sighed. "What is she doing?" he asked curiously. The two brothers leaned closer to the cell phone. Josephine was pulling the blanket off the bed and walked across the room to the wall behind which was the bathroom. Then she lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, and didn't move anymore. Her small body almost completely disappeared under the covers. Vito didn't know what it was that made him feel sorry for her, but something eventually did. It annoyed him even more that he couldn't think of a satisfying solution to the problem. "I want to know what happened. It's not normal for a 12 or 13-year-old, or whatever age she is, to just run away and then live on the streets. There has to be more to it than an argument about pocket money, but I don't think she will tell us the truth," he continued while taking his brother's cigarette and inhaling.