The Window

40 Hours After...

My hands shook slightly as I imbibed his words.

Some twisted individual had been spying on us the entire time we were burying the body, and we didn't even realize it!

Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"There's also this." Manik said in a controlled voice as he handed me a chit of paper.

I forced myself to look at the chit even though I was afraid of its contents.

It read-

I know all about you and your little girlfriend's cover up. My demands are simple. I want $2.5 million cash delivered in person to room number 321 of Joe's Motel on I-87. The girl comes alone with the money. You have two days to meet my demands.

If you refuse, the next address I mail the flash drive to will be the police precinct. And I'm guessing that you want to keep this as far away from the cops as possible.

I crushed the note slightly after reading it, and my teeth began to clatter to a certain degree.

2.5 million dollars? Where the hell would we get so much money?! I barely had $300,000 in my bank account!

I couldn't believe that we were being blackmailed! And why did the blackmailer want me to deliver the money in person? What sort of disgusting ulterior motive did this person have?

"Hey! What the hell are you doing? The note could be useful!" Manik yelled urgently, as he confiscated it from me.

"Do you have 2.5 million dollars in your bank account?" I mumbled nervously, as I rubbed my palms together, agitatedly.

"Stop mumbling. It's annoying." He said, offhandedly.

That was the last straw. He was back to his state of indifference and I couldn't take it any longer!

"I thought you had it all figured out! Now, where the fuck are we going to get the money from?!! Or do you just have $2.5 million lying around as spare change?" I screamed, at the highest decibel possible without causing damage to my larynx.

I meant it to come out more like a growl, but due to the pitch of my voice it sounded more like a shriek.

The shriek seemed to have served its purpose, however. Manik definitely seemed more alert.

"Just calm down...It's just a minor snag." He tried to say, but I wasn't ready to listen to it.

"A minor snag?! I trusted you and went along with your stupid idea! I should never have done so! You're clearly out of your depth here! If we don't arrange for the money, we'll both be screwed!" I roared.

"Are you honestly stupid enough to believe that this extortionist will leave us alone once we pay him the money? I thought you were smarter than that!" Manik yelled.

"Well, that's just brilliant, isn't it?! Now we have to spend our whole lives in fear of being outed as murderers!" I screamed.

"Would you just calm down? Your hysteria isn't helping me think!" He hissed.

Ever since we buried the body, I'd been as calm and composed as possible. All the suppressed fear, anger and frustration seemed to be bubbling inside me like volcanic lava, itching to explode. And sure enough, in that second, I erupted violently.

"Hysteria?! This is all a joke to you, isn't it?! Of course Mr. shady-pants thinks it's okay that we're being blackmailed!" I screeched.

"Nandini, you're losing it...I need you to calm down..." Manik said quietly.