“Hurry up in there,” Terese commanded through the door.
Jack ran water in the sink and washed his face. Using his index finger, he brushed his teeth. Then with a little water he smoothed his hair.
“It’s about time,” Terese said when Jack emerged.
Jack suppressed the urge to give a clever retort. He felt he was walking a tightrope with these people, and he didn’t want to push his luck. He hoped they wouldn’t lock him back to the kitchen drain, but the wish was in vain. He was marched right back to the sink and secured.
“We should eat something,” Richard said:
“I got cold cereal last night,” Terese said.
“Fine,” Richard said.
They sat at the table a mere four feet away from Jack. Terese ate very little. She again mentioned that she just wasn’t hungry. They didn’t offer any cereal to Jack.
“Have you thought about what we’re going to do?” Richard asked.
“What about those people who were supposed to kill Jack in the city?
Who were they?”
“It’s a gang from down where I live,” Richard said.
“How do you contact them?” Terese asked.
“I usually call them up or just go over to the building they occupy,” Richard said. “I’ve been dealing with a man called Twin.”
“Well, let’s get him the hell up here,” Terese said.
“He might come,” Richard said. “If the money is right.”
“Call him,” Terese said. “How much were you going to pay them?”
“Five hundred,” Richard said.
“Offer him a thousand if you have to,” Terese said. “But say it’s a rush job and that he’s got to come today.”
Richard scraped back his chair and went into the living room to get the phone. He brought it back to the kitchen table. He wanted her to listen in case they had to up the ante; he didn’t know how Twin would respond to the idea of coming all the way to the Catskills.
Richard dialed and Twin answered. Richard told him he wanted to talk once again about knocking off the doctor.
“Hey, man, we’re not interested,” Twin said.
“I know there was trouble in the past,” Richard said. “But this time it will be a snap. We have him handcuffed and hidden away outside the city.”
“If that’s the case, you don’t need us,” Twin said.
“Wait!” Richard said hastily. He’d sensed Twin was about to hang up.
“We still need you. In fact, to make it worth your while driving out here, we’ll pay double.”
“A thousand bucks?” Twin asked.
“You got it,” Richard said.
“Don’t come, Twin,” Jack shouted. “It’s a setup!”
“Shit!” Richard barked. He told Twin to hold the line for a second. In a fit of fury, Richard cracked Jack over the head with the butt of his gun.
Jack closed his eyes hard enough to bring tears. The pain in his head was intense. Again he felt blood drip down the side of his scalp. “Was that the doc?” Twin asked.
“Yeah, that was the doc,” Richard said angrily.
“What did he mean, ‘setup’?” Twin asked.
“Nothing,” Richard said. “He’s just running off at the mouth. We’ve got him handcuffed to the kitchen drainpipe.”
“Let me get this straight,” Twin said. “You’re paying a thousand bucks for us to come out and ice the doc while he’s chained to a pipe.”
“It’ll be a like a turkey shoot,” Richard assured him.
“Where are you?” Twin asked.
“About a hundred miles north of the city,” Richard said. “In the Catskills.”
There was a pause.
“What do you say?” Richard asked. “It’s easy money.”
“Why don’t you do it yourself?” Twin asked.
“That’s my business,” Richard said.
“All right,” Twin said. “Give me directions. But if there is any funny stuff, you’ll be one unhappy dude.”
Richard gave directions to get to the farmhouse and told Twin they’d be waiting for him.
Richard slowly replaced the receiver while he looked triumphantly at Terese.
“Well, thank God!” Terese said.
“I’d better call in sick,” Richard said, picking up the phone again. “I should have been at work already.”
After he finished his call Terese made a similar one to Colleen. Then she went to take a shower. Richard went to fill the wood box.