Vice City : The Bud

Chapter 15 - The Falling Bricks

"Whatcan I do for you ?"

Hetries to wait for her reply but he is altogether still overwhelmed byher generous gesture and knowing that he has yet to thank herproperly sends him in a rant of considerable proportion.

"SorryI know you called for a reason but let me just say something first. Iwill never be able to thank you enough for what you've given me.Not only was it a loan of money but you lent me some of your faith.You've taken a chance on me and I promise you that I will repay it.In all of Vice, Agatha you are the only person who has shown me thecompassion deserving of any human being. You said so yourself that weare the same in our tragedies, in our struggles. Now you've givenme a second chance to prove to all of Vice that the poor canprevail."

Hefeels a lump in his throat. It's for this reason alone that hestops.

"Ican only apologise Michael," she says with the same catch in herthroat.

"Apologise?" He asks as the smile sinks from his cheeks.

"Forwhat ?"

"Ididn't know until now. I called you as soon as I found out," shesniffs.

"Agatha?"

"Mr.Well, he's um..."

Michaelalready knows how her sentence is going to end. The tears havestarted and rapidly begin to fall to the wooden panel of the floor.She stumbles to get the last of her sentence out as if every syllableshe brings forth is a struggle of the mind to choose if the next wordis really the right one to use.

"AngelDolls. Michael. He's tearing it down as we speak."

Thewords strike like bullets. Each one leaves him with less air in hislungs until there's nothing left but to brace himself against thenearest wall and claw for the air all around him. It leaves him inshock first, then the idea dances in front of him like a mockingjester until finally he concedes to the truth that Agatha would notlie to him like this. His silence is only as long as is needed tocompose himself, however it lasts longer than Agatha can bare andsoon she begins to worry that something may have happened.

"Michaelare you there ? Are you alright ?"

Hisfingers grow weak and soon the phone slips out of their hold. It hitsthe floor with a crash. After that all that can be heard is the faintcall as she shouts for him. But he is already grabbing his coat andheading out the door. Angel Dolls is tumbling to the ground and theleast that can be done is for Michael to stand by its side at theend. Preparing for the worst he takes whatever may come in handy andthat can be carried with him. It's unfortunate that his does notamount to much.

"Notime. There's no time. Always need more. Never anymore to give,"he mumbles like a madman as he steps through the threshold, slammingand simultaneously locking the door.

"Wealways wish for more than can be given. Can't take it back though,no, not a single second. It's..."

Histrain of thought is ripped asunder, derailed by the spying ofsomething that catches his eye. It comes somewhat as a saving graceas it takes his mind away from the image of Angel Dolls being torn torubble. With mouth hung open like a towel flapping dry in the breezehe saunters over to the point of interest. Laying across the carpetin front of his neighbour's door is a scarlet rose just like thebeautiful flowers that grow in the window box in Michael'sapartment. There's a moment of questioning as he asks himself if heis the one to have left it here for Lilly to find.

"It'spossible..." He mutters while inspecting it with a keen detective'svision.

"...Iknow of no one else who can grow roses as faultless as this. But whendid I bring it here ? Was there a reason for it ? Was it all done inmy sleep ?"