The life of an Indefinite Playerr

Chapter 32

I stood red faced in front of everyone. Far left stood James,he shot eyes that held a grudge. Then next to him was Joel, the wimp who was just never important. Then the mistress, Amanda, standing side by side with Rashin. Then Mr Kedron, then Zed, then finally Mark. They seemed to be waiting for me, the panic had stopped.

"Quite the appearance, son," Mr K complimented under his hoarse voice. He was not really old, around his late 30s but life had done a great deal with him. He looked twice age, his eyes held something sharp that reminded me of my own on days I got mad. "Search him" He turned to Mark.

 Under the sweatshirt Rashin gave me a few days back, (he had given me a couple of baggy things to wear and his contact were working just fine for me), the detective had suggested I wear a special wire that was supposed to transmit our conversations to the disguise minivan that was parked a few hundred metres away from the shed I had gone in to meet the gang.  Seeing how nervous I was, a mental breakdown that lasted two minutes, convinced them I was not ready for such an exercise. "How about I just record everything on my phone, they would expect it," I had said and they nodded in agreement.

Mark slid his hands around my sides then focused on my waist. He then moved up to search my abdomen, he moved his hands slowly as if willing to feel something. "He is clean boss, no wire or weapons."

"So you people order me to sell your drugs, bail me out to the cops then expect to come here with guns and stupid wires, now that I think of it I should have agreed to help the cops. You people lack trust!" I started my rant. " You should have been first to bail me out knowing I carry grave secrets about your little drug operation."

"But now we know you did not, and actually glad you are here!" Rashin tried to smile through his words. 

"Fuck you," I replied. "You guys are just shit!"

"Quite down, Patrick." Mr K said softly, "Here, light a cigarette and enjoy the moment of freedom."

"I am not off the hook yet, Clarkson said he wants to lay strong charges against me."

"Strong charges indeed, I mean you publicly announced a party with drugs. To silence him, you need us." He offered me a cigarette.

"You are going to kill him?" I asked as I pulled hard on the cigarette. A half of me hoped would have agreed then I would have concrete evidence on tape.

"I am not the killing type," he laughed. "He is an insurance claims officer, and he has gotten his hands dirty a couple of times, enough to keep him behind bars for at least a decade. If you could get your hands on his laptop, we could help you blackmail him."

"How the hell is Starr going to do that?" James mocked, "he can barely pickpocket a blind man." Laughter started brewing in the room, it filled it such that everyone was laughing except for Mr K who just vaguely looked at me.

"A house break in." Silence.

"That is actually a good idea," Mr K smirked coldly.

"What?!" They all said in unison, except for Amanda who gave me a cold judgmental look. "How is that a good idea?" How is that  a good idea?" 

"I lost a good amount of money with that failure of a party, time to empty your boots and get your courage on. I need you getting my money back. You are hitting the Clarkson house, and that is final."

Silence swimmed around the shed, meeting them today was not even supposed to happen. The pressure the detective was putting on me was way more than me being sick and dying in a few weeks. I had to live my life as properly as I could, yet I sensed there were mysterious to be unsolved. I knew ny father had dodgy dealings with the doctor, but deep down I knew it was in the best interest for me. Mr Kedron, this scary gangster in front of me knew more than he should have, I was quite sure that bullet on my doorstep had something to do with him.

"But are we going to do this??" Joel asked in panic.

"I now have to leave," I said. "Let us use my house as a base from now own, plan everything there, my sickness does not allow me the luxury of trips." I did not wait for their answer, I went out the door and sent a text on my phone to the detective, sending him the recording I did.

"Didn't get much, I will send the recording in a few. They are following, don't come to my house."

I walked for a few blocks then I arrived at my house. I started to revise my thoughts, starting with the matter that bothered me a lot, my father rubbing shoulders with a doctor and an insurance claims officer. What could that mean? I know my mother had just died, so claiming her dividends would take time and they surely had to come straight to my  account. Unless... Unless he was finding a way to redirect them to his account, but what did Moreno have to do with it. The heist would really, help me calm my mind. A soft knock.

"Come in." Amanda strolled in.

"Hey, are you busy? I want to make sure you're okay?"

"Why would you care?" I asked. I really did wanted her to go. She caused so much trouble already

"I wanted to apologize, and confess some things."

"Well, speak."

"Sorry about Macarena, I did it to spite you cause ... let us get to that later. First, I was the one placed a bullet at your doorstep, I got it from Mr K to give it to you." Of course my insticts had been right. "I also told them about you being sick, I was basically sent to spy on you but the minute they knew I..." She paused.

"Why are pausing? I think you, okay, I think you deserve all the bad words I'd say but my concern is why are you telling me all of this" I  said furiously, "...because you are with them and I am sure it is not because today is a Sunday. Feeling like a saint isn't?"

"It is because, Patrick, Starr, whatever... I am in love with you."

"Love? Why do you choose to lie even after your blunt confession? Why are you even bothering yourself?"

"It was wrong from the beginning."

"How was it wrong? How was being with me wrong?"

"You dated my sister, and Rashin started getting jealous and everything was a mess. I could not tell you all this and I am..." she sighed.

"Well..." I kissed her. She gasped a heavy breath as I took her by surprise. We kissed for a while, tasting the filter from the cigarette she smoked earlier. She stopped for a minute.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked softly.

"If they kill me for this, I will make it worth it." I started to rub my hands against her skin, feeling a little pimple by her stomach. I moved, lifting her up and heading for the kitchen. I laid her on the kitchen counter and let her legs rest on my shoulders, my head around her thighs. I went closer. Nope, that is enough detail.

...

"Sheesh," Amanda said after a while of silence. 

"Is this the part where you leave? Like leave out the door?" I said.

"Nope, we gotta talk about these feelings we have."

"Feelings you have."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Can we do that after the heist," I asked.

"That is like in a month!"

"Yes, I gotta focus on school and the break in, then we can talk about whatever you or we feel Amanda. I got other priorities currently."

"I kinda feel like you are being a jerk right now," Amanda countered.

"I am not, besides there is a lot I have to process, and Rashin could barge in any minute now, try to kill me."

"Forget about him!"

"I am sorry I cannot do that. I cannot forget about my life."

"You know what, I will leave. I gotta help Maca pack for boarding school, Easter weekend is over." She stood up, got dressed and then gave me that odd eye from earlier.

"Amanda wait." The door slammed and I was left uttering nothing but silence.