MurderVerse

The kitchen phone started ringing at midnight

Gina hollered down the stairs not to pick it up

Bad boyfriend - let it ring

And ring and ring and ring

Then he'd hang up

I'd fall back to sleep

Five minutes later, suddenly more ringing

I hit the ceiling

I tried to sleep through it, no luck

Gina said, ignore it, he'll stop

But he didn't stop

More ringing

I said, "Gina if he thinks you're alone he isn't going to stop"

"You wanna talk to him, Johnny?"

"He hears my voice he knows your not alone, that's

enough sometimes to get a guy to settle down."

"Sure, Johnny if you think it'll work have a talk with him."

"I'll do that."

"But don't be mean, don't threaten. Don't get him mad at

me."

"Are you afraid of him, Gina?"

She shrugged and fidgeted, ran her fingers through her hair

"No of course not." Her voice cracked.

This guy was living rent-free in her head; not good.

"Half a me misses him half a me wants to run away."

"Emotionally conflicted is no way to live, Gina"

"I know. I can't...I just... I, I, I..." StutteringUnfinished

thoughts

Followed by tears, heaving sobs shakes

"When his wife came to the door I just wanted to crawl into

a hole and die."

"It's not your fault. He lied to you."

"Why do I feel like it's all my fault?"

"Because your the person who puts the noose around your

own neck in order to save someone else."

"Never heard it explained that way before."

Gina stepped closer and put her head on my chest

I took her in my arms, sat back down on the couch and

held her until the tears and sobs and shaking stopped.

Finally, sleep.

***

The next morning we both woke up at the same time

Gina said, "thanks for last night, Johnny."

"It's alright, sweet...I mean Gina. Least I can do"

"Sweetheart's alright."

Why am I suddenly bashful?

She smiled, took my hand in hers

"You talked me off the ledge, Johnny."

"I'll always be here to protect you Gina."

"I know."

***

Breakfast: Two slices of toast and a cup of coffee

Newports for Gina

She wrote something in a notebook then tore the page out,

Gave it to me.

This is what my mother was probably trying to tell you

Before she blew chunks all over the floor

I looked at it.

"This where he works?" I asked

Yes.

"Gina, you know who I am, this could get ugly."

"I know who you are and the special talents you possess."

"Are you sure you want to let the dog off the chain?"

"I can't go through this again."

What I went through last night.

"As you wish, my love."

"Make him wish he'd never met me."