“You’re welcome.” He said. “I brought you something else.” He had been carrying a bag with him and in my own rush to see Natasha I hadn’t even asked what was in it. He reached down and pulled out a stack of magazines, all kinds. There were tabloids, fashion magazines, cooking magazines, home decorating and crossword puzzles.
“I thought you’d need something to help pass the time when I wasn’t here.”
Those simple magazines lit up Diamond’s face. Now it was her turn to blush.
“I heard Natasha talking to the nurses.” Diamond said without taking her eyes off Ray. “You can probably go see her now.”
“Well, here’s your hat. What’s your hurry?” I teased.
Diamond rolled her eyes and looked at me.
“You know that isn’t what I meant. I just know that you are on your way to see her and why keep the poor girl in suspense any longer. That’s all I’m saying.”
“Well, maybe you are right. You guys…behave yourselves.”
I turned and walked out the door hearing Diamond giggle and Ray begin to tell her some story about how he had heard me say that same line at least a hundred times over the years we had been friends.
I pulled Diamond’s door closed and took a deep breath as I walked into Natasha’s room. She was lying awake in bed looking at the red roses on the table next to the bed. Her room was filled with so many vases of red roses we’d need a truck to get them all out when it was time to go. But I didn’t want her to be a staring at plain walls. Not in her condition.
Standing there for just a moment I saw how absolutely beautiful she was. To her, the flowers would have been enough. One vase would have been an indescribable gift that would have brought tears to her eyes. I loved her. I loved her so much it terrified me to think that I almost lost her.
I cleared my throat and she looked up at me.
“Hi, Marty.”
“Hi.” I said quietly. Walking to the bed I stood there for just a second o
ut of arms reach. “You feeling okay today?”
“Yeah. Hungry, though.”
“How about some ice cream?”
“That would be good.”
“Okay. Oh, but there is one thing I need to ask you first.” I stepped up to the bed. Pulling the little red box from my pocket I pulled open the lid. Natasha never even looked at the ring. She looked at me. Just me. Her beautiful eyes filled with tears and she smiled. I knew all that she saw was me.
JOSHUA
Of course, the police were going to listen to my brother first. He was the one who met them at the door like the gentleman he is. But being taken down to the police station wasn’t so bad. I was actually pleasantly surprised by the accommodations.
Being thrown into a cell with four other men would be enough to terrify an ordinary man, but not me. This was just a small detour. At any minute the Universe would reveal her plan and I’d be back on the street. But right now I would have to earn my stripes.
“What are you looking at?” I hissed immediately, upon hearing the bars lock behind me and the footsteps of the police officer recede down the hallway. “Do you have something you want to say to me?”
The man I was saying this too had to be about six feet tall and barrel chested. There were tattoos on his arms. He had probably been thrown in for public intoxication or something equally benign. Note to my future protégé: If you aren’t going to go big, go home.
He narrowed his eyes at me and began to stand up when I punched him in the larynx. Then I grabbed him by the hair as he was gasping for breath and slammed his face into the nearest concrete wall. The blood made a pattern like a butterfly.
He slumped to the floor. The other men watched him but said nothing. They didn’t call for help. They turned their backs. I was left alone. It’s that whole honor among thieves thing. They may hate my guts but they hate the police more.
I sat in that holding tank for about thirty minutes before my attorney showed up.
“I don’t care what you do. You need to get me out of here.” I said to Bernie Power, my attorney. He stood about five feet six inches tall. A real short shit. His suit had to cost about three thousand dollars and his shoes the same. He had been my attorney since my parents died and my brother tried to get me off the board of directors the first time. Bernie tied things up with so much red tape the suit looked like a Cristo work of art. His hair was white and naturally wavy and he had two huge dimples in his cheeks when he smiled, which wasn’t that often.
But right now he wasn’t helping. This was ridiculous that someone like me had to sit here on a metal seat talking into a phone that was covered with only God knew what kind of bacteria from this place.
“Joshua, I told you. You’re being charged with kidnapping and attempted murder.”