Our Contract of Distrust

-- 18 --

Trin pushes a steaming cup towards me across the table.

We're in her house, a homey place comprised of cottage vibes speckled with the occasional dash of modernity. Somehow it works well. It seems like Trin.

Eddie had to head out to work. I never asked what it is she does now.

She'd cast a feeble smile over her shoulder telling me she felt guilty about leaving. But the world doesn't revolve around me, and I don't want it to, so I shooed her on her way.

I sigh and lift the cup to my lips. Even this feels taxing on my heavy limbs.

I sip the herbal concoction. I think there's ginger in it, but with what I couldn't say.

Somehow it's sweet and soothing. As if I'm drinking a magic potion, I feel my body relaxing.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't really... I don't know what-"

"Everything's still all jumbled for you too, yeah?"

I nod.

"We can try and work through it together." She pauses, "If you want."

"Okay."

I tell her about Sully. The name and the face worse than any horror movie.

I tell her about my vague recollections of being tied down. Poked and prodded. Injected.

About the odd snippets of conversations. About the Henry voice, and the one which I now know belongs to Sully.

I tell her everything.

About the metal box.

Even about knowing there was a reason I had to get married.

"So you think Feodor was involved in all that somehow?"

I nod. "He'd have to be, right? Why else would I be involved with him? I mean, I told my workmates I met him in the supermarket because I couldn't think of any other plausible explanation."

"Yeesh, for real? How'd that go down?"

"Somehow I got around it."

"You could've said he was a friend of Eddie's or mine."

"I guess so. But anyway, what's done is done."

Trin nods. It's almost like a switch is flicked as she visibly changes back into her pensive mode.

"So you think Feodor is working for them – whoever they are, that worked at Sully's?"

"Nnn. Why else would he marry me? And he's always, like, eyeing me."

"But why would you agree to such a marriage?"

"I dunno. Maybe I was blackmailed. Or it was the lesser of two evils or something."

"I dunno. Something seems strange."

"All of it's strange."

"Well, yeah... that's true. But I mean that... well I dunno. I need to meet him first I think."

"You want to... meet Feodor?"

"Yeah."

"You can't be serious."

"Why not? You've presented me with a problem, and to solve it I need more info. Like I know he freaked you out enough for you to ask me about poisons and all, but I still wanna see firsthand what this kid is playing at. Can't I?"