For the Love of Tennis | ✅

Chapter 32

We get ready. I take my phone and start the recorder. Then I slip it into my pocket. If Andre says anything useful, the police ought to know.

Gabe positions himself at the door, knife hidden in his jacket. Amias stands at the door of the kitchen, tossing the gun up and down lazily in his hand. I stand behind him, then Mum behind me.

“If things get violent, you get away from here as quickly as possible. Don’t want any of you getting hurt,” Amias says to Mum and me. We both nod.

The doorbell rings and Gabe goes to open it. There are murmurs in the hallway. I catch some of them.

“Thanks for this,” comes Andre’s voice. “She stole money from my card. She must have placed it in a cheque. And that’s unacceptable. I can’t have that—”

He stops when he sees Amias and then me and Mum.

“Meet the lads,” Amias says with a grin.

Andre takes one look at us, spins round and heads for the door, only to find Gabe standing in front of it. He’d closed and locked it as soon as Andre entered.

“You’re cornered,” says Gabe.

“Nowhere to run to,” Amias sing-songs.

Andre glances at us and then he catches sight of Mum.

“Hi, rapist,” says Mum.

He goes pale.

“I never meant to—” he begins but he stops because Gabe is behind him.

“One more word,” Gabe whispers, “and this goes right through you.”

Andre looks physically sick.

“Denounce your crimes,” Amias says loudly. “Repeat after me... I, Andre Arenas.”

Andre just stares at him.

“Repeat,” Gabe snarls.

“I, Andre Arenas,” Andre repeats in a small voice.

“Raped Fiona Dixon,” continues Amias.

Andre closes his eyes. “Raped Fiona Dixon.”

“Six years ago, I organised for Fiona Dixon to be harmed.”

Andre repeats it, eyes closed. Amias goes through everything and everyone, a list of people I’ve never even heard of.

And then he says Dad’s name. My blood goes cold.

“You killed my father,” I whisper.

He rests his eyes on me but doesn’t say anything.

“I promise,” Amias says.

“I promise,” Andre repeats.

“Never to go to the gang again for assistance.”

“Never to...” He stops.

Gabe prods him. “Repeat.”

“Never to go to the gang again for assistance.”

“And I.”

“And I.”

“Confirm that these crimes are true."

Andre blows air out of his mouth.

“Confirm that these crimes are true,” he says.

There’s a pause.

And then Andre leaps at Amias.

They go backwards and Amias crashes into the kitchen counter. Andre is on top of him, flailing punches wherever he can. Amias grabs his hand, flips it in an unnatural way, causing Andre to screech in pain. Gabe comes forward, taking Andre in his grip, letting Amias get up from the counter.

And then Amias presses the muzzle of the gun to Andre’s head. He swivels back to my mother.

“Should I, Ma’am?” he asks.

Mum looks on calmly. She doesn’t reply to Amias. Instead, she walks up to him, face serene.

Then she punches him.

His head goes flying and when he comes back, his nose is bright red. Blood spurts down his clothes like a river.

“Don’t shoot him,” says Mum. “He’ll have a worse time rotting in prison.”

“As you wish.”

Mum takes her phone out and dials three numbers.

“No!” Gabe calls, stopping her. “If they arrive, they’ll know who I am. They’ll take me away! They’ll take your pretty Amias away!”

“I won’t let them,” Mum growls. “You can go but Amias has done nothing wrong. He’s only in this game because you murdered his parents for Christ’s sake.”

Gabe’s eyes narrow.

“It’s game over,” says Mum. “For both of you.”

And then she speaks into the phone. Gabe doesn’t stop her.

The police come a few minutes later. They round up Gabe and Andre in handcuffs. They approach Amias too, and he willingly puts his hands out.

“No,” Mum says. “It wasn’t him. It wasn’t!”

“Fiona,” Amias says softly. “My time is up. You know it. Take care of Chandy for me.”

And then they lock his hands like an animal.

“Amias,” I call.

This can’t be happening. He can’t be getting arrested. He can’t!

But I’m wrong.

“I love you, Chandy,” Amias calls back.

When the police took my sunshine away, I cried.