Pieces Part 1

Resolve

I was staring at photos when Mario cropped up behind me.

"Hey, boy toy, are you ready?" He quipped.

I replied, "Yeah," as I'd canceled the hotel reservations between Amber and me.

"Alright, good, let's go!" With a mighty pat on my back, I sprung off the couch.

As we drove off, my mind wandered to what Kali said.

Mario riveted me. "Hey, Mario. Have you ever had someone who wished you were dead?"

Mario lifted his chin to the sky. For some, the idea could be seen as a badge of honor. "Did you forget? Not only am I a doctor, but I'm also the director of a hospital."

"Oh yeah..." Sighing, I glanced at the passenger side window.

Mario glared at me. "Come on, please don't tell me you have mixed feelings. You brought Amber into your mess, and you've gotta fix it."

"I know, I know! It's not that. I stopped talking because I was just confused. What did I do to someone that would make them find resolve in murder?"

"Many people can't balance their emotions and the law." Mario tightened his grip on the wheel, preparing for a sharp curve.

I jerked slightly from the sweep. "Yeah, I know.... But I'm drawing a blank."

What could drive someone so far... was what I did so wrong that it justified this? Or was I dealing with a crazy person? Just how long had they held these feelings while I—

Mario cranked up the knob controlling his car radio, filling our eardrums with acoustic strums.

"Oh man, this is a classic," he remarked. Deep, heartfelt vocals floated from the stereo. "I love me some Otis Redding."

I'm sitting on the bay dock, watching the tides... roll away.

Sitting on the dock of the bay, wasting time.

I knew one thing, though—I was done sitting back. I caused this, and I was going to finish it. If they resorted to murder, this perpetrator needed to be stopped.

Amber, I'm coming.

Mario's headlights lit up the Port de Banc upon a steep ascent. The skies' navy overcast obfuscated the pier, but significant nautical silhouettes could still be made out from afar. At least three boats were roped to the balusters along the shore.

Mario swung out of his seat, idling by the hood of his car in anticipation of my exit. "Amber should be in the boat with a large big party. It shouldn't be hard to miss, easy-peasy." He said. I noted his arm's askance pose, one leg slightly bent over the other—there wasn't a trace of apprehension in his posture.

Someone to model myself after. If we were to do this successfully, I had to practice emulating something to the same effect.

I squared my shoulders and trailed after Mario, ignoring the wind that ghosted across my skin. Even the air could feel uninviting when you were about to dive into espionage.

As we approached the periphery of the dock, I noticed the three boats were buzzing with dozens of fist-pumping, heels-and-sneaks guests. The pop of a cork, followed by a blast of wine—reminiscent of a rainbow arching across the sky—intimated me to a christening on the rightmost boat.

I shoved my hands in my pockets regarding Mario. "Easy-peasy, huh?" The wryness in my voice did not go unnoticed.

Regardless of all the festivities, we had pressing business to embark on. Mario and I decided to split up, myself focusing on the leftmost boat and Mario on the newly christened. We would keep an eye on the middle party.