For The Love Of Chéri (CHAPTERS 1-112 REWRITTEN)

Chapter 177 : Mozart's Requiem

Chéri and Ethan walked down the red lit corridor in the main complex.

"There are radio docks In the cleaning supply room by the spare fridges. I need a drink after all this fucking around." Chéri said.

"Cool. I'm down for a cold drink, myself." Ethan said before he stopped walking and looked ahead.

"What's up Ethan?" Chéri asked.

"Look!" Ethan said as he pointed with his baseball bat, "Some of the shutters are up here."

"Oh yeah.. so they are." Chéri replied, thinking nothing of it.

They walked into the store room and Ethan checked the radio docks, but they were all empty. He opened one of the fridges, taking out some cold water bottles. He held the cold bottle against his forehead for a moment, enjoying the feeling of the cold condensation, when he heard Chéri screaming.

Chéri had an extremely high pitched and ear-piercing scream, which had a hysteria to it that made Ethan think that Chéri was being attacked.

Ethan dropped the bottle and ran quickly in the direction of the loud shrieking. He ran around the cornor while holding the baseball bat to find Chéri still screaming over the blue, and bruised body of Pippo.

"Holy fuck!" Ethan exclaimed as he stared at the slightly bloated body.

"He's dead! He's dead!" Chéri repeated hysterically.

"Yeah, I can see that!" Ethan replied.

Chéri kept screaming as Ethan grabbed his trembling wrists and tried to console him, "It's okay! It's alright!"

"He's dead! He's been shot in the head!" Chéri shrieked as he cried.

"Listen! Stop looking! Cher! Calm down! You're okay!" Ethan said calmly.

Chéri shivered as he tried to contain himself, "Only Lenny calls me Cher."

"Yeah, yeah! Think of Lenny." Ethan said, trying to calm Chéri, as he turned him away from the body.

"I want my Lenny!" Chéri cried out.

"Yeah, I'm trying to get you to him." Ethan said as he pulled Chéri over to a chair and sat him down, "Look, drink some water."

Ethan held the bottle up to Chéri's mouth and tipped it slightly so he could have a drink.

Chéri sat still a moment, then looked to Ethan before he spoke slowly, "Pippo was killed.. by a gunshot wound to the top of the forehead..."

"Yeah, he was." Ethan said, glancing at the body for a second.

"My mother never gave the order for that..." Chéri said, his voice trembling.

"I don't understand. What makes you think this was ordered?" Ethan said.

"Can't you see, Ethan?! He was shot, execution style, in the head! Pippo was on his knees!" Chéri mumbled inbetween sobs and hysterical cries.

"What does that prove?" Ethan asked.

"The Spanish don't shoot people on their knees like that." Chéri said quietly.

"You're right there. This is the calling card of some Italian Mafia bullshit. But, the only organised crime member here is Kenzo. He's in the Triads.. but he doesn't do stuff like this." Ethan said.

Chéri stared at the floor, "Marcel does.. he used to run with the Italian mob in Paris until..."

"Marcel? You think he killed Pippo?" Ethan asked.