Poisoned Son

Chapters 2, 3 & 4

CHAPTER TWO - Gabriel

     Gabriel called April the following morning. 

    They chatted briefly about the weather and their plans for the day. Gabriel disliked talking on the phone, so he kept the conversation brief. "May I take you to dinner tomorrow night?"

     "I'd love that," she replied. "Where do you have in mind?"

     "Café Luna?"

     "Perfect. I haven't been there, but my best friend says it's wonderful."

     "She has excellent taste then. Their ratatouille is superb," Gabriel said. "Pick you up at seven?"

     "Seven it is."

     "I know it's short notice," he added. "Are there arrangements you need to make?  Do you have children?"  

     He was curious to know if April was encumbered—he already suspected she was not.

     "No," she said.

     Gabriel jotted down her address and they hung up. He wondered if he'd been abrupt. But it was no use pretending he enjoyed hours of phone prattle. He preferred face to face interactions. 

* * *

  The following evening, he pulled up to April's condominium. He crumpled the piece of paper with her address and tossed it in the glove box. He had cleared the front seat of sheet music and stacked it neatly in the back. He'd also wiped down the dashboard and vacuumed the interior.

     Dressed in gray slacks, black loafers, and a dark, short-sleeved polo shirt, Gabriel realized he hadn't worn a tie in over a decade; not since working for a catering service in Manhattan—his struggling musician years.

     His thick, wavy hair was combed back and just barely controlled. After a few unconscious strokes of his hand, it would do what it wished.

     Gabriel was looking forward to tonight. It was a beautiful spring evening and he'd spend it at one of his favorite restaurants with an attractive companion. He was weak for beautiful women. April was much to his liking. She seemed to have a cynical side, even a chip on her shoulder—there was a hint of it in her tone, just beneath the surface. He'd always been attracted to angry, passionate women. 

     His last lover, Adele, moved to London two months earlier. (Adele was neither angry nor passionate) and he hadn't dated since. Not for lack of options; with his striking looks finding bedmates was never a problem. He also had family money. His mother supplied a steady stream of funds into their joint bank account. She was well-off due to savvy financial investments. 

     So far, Gabriel liked what he knew of April. She lived alone, worked full-time, and didn't have children. He'd chosen not to bring descendants into the world, and it was imperative that the women he date feel the same. She was an artist and probably independent in spirit. She seemed articulate and intelligent. Having her on his arm would appeal to his vanity. 

     Gabriel didn't like to think about tomorrow. He lived in the moment. What happened with this woman after tonight was of no consequence. Like a child anticipating a sweet confection, he ascended the staircase of her condo with a spring in his step, and the simple hope that their evening would be enjoyable.

CHAPTER THREE – Gabriel's Prelude

     The boy was two years old. His family lived in a small apartment in a grimy, working-class suburb of Newport, Rhode Island. The boy was aware of three things that were crucial to his existence. First, his physical surroundings were pale and colorless. As his mother carried him from room to room, he saw walls of white, devoid of clutter, and soothing to his senses.