Queen Of Green Dahlia

Six

I shook under Edwina's hard glare after having telling her the tale of how I had inadvertently saved the leader of the Black Dahlia's leader, Raphael Vitale's, life from an enemy family's goons. I didn't dare turn my head to look up at her as I was pretty positive that if I did I'd melt under her disapproving eyeballs. I hoped that telling her that I turned down the money Raphael had offered me because he refused to give it to her instead, but it didn't seem to sway her either way of making her more or less angry with me.

I had placed the clothes Raphael had given me in the corner of the room that I slept on, putting my spray and taser back in my pockets and putting my shoes back on. Once I had settled back in, Edwina had me sit down on a milk crate and had me explain myself as if I was under interrogation. I fiddled with the zipper of my jacket while waiting for her response to my story. Each moment of silence passing between us was another rise in my anxiety. I worried that she would throw me out of the factory and have me fend for myself again, refusing to even let me go near where she would beg for money and food.

Finally, the silence that was so thick you could cut it with a knife was met with a loud groan that escaped Edwina's lips. She snatched another milk crate and dragged it over closer to me, dropping herself down on to the top of it. She put her head in her hands, rubbing her eyes as she began mumbling something to herself before flipping her head back and running her fingers over her shaved head.

"You should have taken the money, kid," she told me, glaring back at me, "I ain't worth turning down the ability to live in a better place than this shit hole. Hell, you could have used that money for the first flight out of this shitty city. You may not be able to escape the Black Dahlia, but at least you could erase yourself completely from Villisca."

I fiddled with my zipper shyly. "But then what would happen to you?"

"Kid, I've spent years out here surviving on my own," Edwina explained, "and as you can see, that ain't no life to be living for an old woman."

"I didn't want to take their money," I reminded her, "with what you've told me, I don't want drug, sex, or murder money just for saving a life."

Another wave of silence was shared between us. Edwina glared at the flower in my hair as if hoping that it would burst into flames the longer she stared at it. My anxiety was rising, but I remained where I was, waiting for Edwina to just kick me out and have me fend for myself again. I wouldn't mind if she did kick me out of her factory home. I had survived just fine on my own before meeting her and if what Raphael had told me was true, then I would be safe for a while so long as I held on to the flower he had given me. Still, I didn't like the idea of having to sleep outside when winter came. I wasn't sure of the city's climate yet and if it snowed, I feared I'd have no choice but to beg Raphael for a place in his house. I wouldn't want to, but I wasn't ready to die just yet.

"You're a dumb ass," Edwina finally spoke after the longest moment of silence I had ever been through, "I hope you realize that being under the 'safety' of the Black Dahlia puts a huge target on your back from their enemies now. The gang Jade Moth has killed people for less of a connection to the Black Dahlia; they'll do anything to make the Vitale family suffer."

"Why?" I asked.

"How the fuck should I know?" Edwina retorted as she jumped to her feet. "While the Black Dahlia keeps their victims discreet and make it near impossible to know who the unlucky bastard was, but the Jade Moths make it pretty damn clear who they've killed so that the Black Dahlia know who's death they're responsible for. If anyone of that group sees you with that flower, they'll kill you and splatter your name all over the city so that the Black Dahlia knows that you're the one who's blood is now on their hands!"