Queen Of Green Dahlia

Five

I stared at Raphael in a surprised silence before shaking my head in response, ridding my mind of the idea. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I can't accept that either," I replied, looking away from him, "I do want a job, but because I got it on my own, not because... Well, honestly, not because the Black Dhalia gave it to me. And I would rather get my own place with the money I earn over just staying in someone else's home for free."

Raphael sighed once again, running his fingers through his hair. "Isn't there anything you would like?" he asked. "There has to be something I can do for you for all your trouble."

I began to tell him that there wasn't anything he had to do for me. That there was nothing troublesome about saving a mafia boss's life and waking up in his house where he tries pushing his thanks on you instead of just letting you go. Nothing troubling about any of this at all.

That's when a thought crossed my mind and I stopped myself before speaking. "Well, I mean there is one thing I guess," Raphael looked to me expectantly, "there's a homeless woman who's been helping me get by and she seems to know a lot about you, I was wondering if you could help her instead?"

Raphael's face went from a soft stare to an unreadable glare. "What's her name?" he asked, his voice hardened.

"Edwina," I answered, suddenly fearing that I may have unintentionally crossed a line he wouldn't take mercy on.

The man I had saved sat back in his chair and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but no," he grunted, "Edwina has a long history with us and we have long ago decided to stay as far away from one another." he had a strange faraway look on his face as he spoke, but he immediately shook it away as he looked back to me with his stare. "However, should you take the money I can't stop you from using it as you'd like."

He had made a point. Even if he refused to help Edwina, that money would now be mine and I would be free to do whatever I wanted with it. I could get us both an apartment and everything else we'd need to survive in a better life than one on the streets. We could get better food, better clothing, jobs where we could get the money that we've actually earned. We wouldn't have to live in fear of other homeless people trying to steal our food. I could probably even get her out of Villisca to start a whole new life.

I'd be taking advantage of this man's kindness. All I had done was jump into a situation that originally had had nothing to do with me. I'd be his money to help someone his family clearly had a negative light over. Even if he inadvertently told me that I could use the money to help Edwina, Raphael, and I would know that I didn't use it the way he and his family had intentioned. Not to mention the possibility that he could always turn around and say that Edwina owed him for the money that I had given her. He was the mafia and if I had learned anything about the Black Dahlia from Edwina, they weren't afraid to turn the tables to hurt people they originally "helped."

"I... I can't," I struggled to get the words out, "it's not that I don't appreciate what it is you're trying to do for me, but I don't think there's anything you can offer me that I won't reject. The only reward I need is to know that someone gets to live to see another day."

Raphael looked me over in silence for a moment. His eyes seemed to examine every inch of my face and body making me feel uncomfortable and shift in my seat as I gripped my jeans. I was terrified that he was trying to find the best place to begin torturing me. I had to have insulted him for refusing his money and there had to be something horrible for people who insulted the Black Dahlia.

He then stood from his chair and walked around to stand behind the open briefcase, placing his hand on the top. "I see; are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?" he asked. When I nodded, he closed the briefcase. "Should you ever change your mind, my doors will always be open to you."