“You didn’t even like her! You were just making her miserable for your own sick entertainment.”
“You wanna see miserable?”
“Only if it’s you suffering.”
“Getting bold are we? Last time I checked I was the one with the bat, not the one in the chair.”
“Last time I checked beating someone with a bat is frowned upon by the police.”
“Screw the police. This is you and me. Not you, me, and the police. No need to get them involved.”
“I beg to differ. Whatever you do the police are bound to find out eventually.”
“Says who? If I get rid of you now no one has to know. I’ve got a shovel I don’t need and there’s lots of empty lots around here.”
“Unless you’re very good there will be evidence, evidence they trace back to you.”
“Oh, trust me, I’m good.”
“Done this before?”
James laughed. “That’s for me to know and you to never find out.”
“What happened to you? You used to be a good kid.”
“What happened to me? You happened to me!”
“We used to be best friends James, I did not do this.”
“Heh…you really believe that?”
“What did I do?”
“You…you’re good at everything. Too good. And I’m here…mediocre. Powerless.”
“James…” He knew James had been bothered by Mick’s natural ability to succeed, he just hadn’t realized how much.
“What Mick? You’re sorry? It’s too late for that!”
“Why didn’t you talk to me? I sat by as you changed into…this, and you never said a thing.”
“Why didn’t you have brain enough to realize what was happening and do something? Do you know hard it is to talk to a perfect person?”
“I’m not perfect…All you had to do was talk to me…”
“Well, that’s the past.”
“And what’s the future?”
“One without you in it.”
“James, please, let’s just talk about this.”
“I’ve done enough talking.”
“I’m sure you could talk a little more.”
James reached into Mick’s pocket and took his cell phone. “Let’s see what Em thinks of this whole thing.”
“Leave her out of this. You said yourself… this is between you and me.”
“But she’s the pivotal person in this don’t you see? The sort of…monkey in the middle.”
“She’s been through enough.”
Chapter Thirteen
Start from the beginning
