The Life - Rebirth (The Life 4)

Even here, a million miles away, she plagues me. Gianna! Maybe this is part of my penance; this suffering is worse than any death. It’s like dying slowly, bit by bit every day—sort of like what I’d done to Felice and what I plan to do to the others. So maybe I was paying for my sins while here, so I won’t have to pay for them in my next life. Please find me in your next life, Gianna! I’ll wait for you there.

I listened through the night to the footsteps that ran back and forth and the sudden outbreaks of screams that came from Ricci’s suite of rooms down the corridor every once in a while. I could’ve watched through the little camera I’d left hidden in their room, but hearing and imagining her agony was just as satisfying. Besides, I was tired. Emotionally and physically, both from riding earlier and my little outing this afternoon. And also, from being this close to the enemy and not being able to snap his neck.

There’s nothing anyone can do for her. I’m almost certain that the doctor they’d called in wouldn’t find the source of her pain since my method isn’t one readily known unless you’re familiar with Australia or the forests of Indonesia, which I’m pretty sure he’s not. I’d attacked both her vanity and her mind, and if she keeps using that cream, she’d be dead within a year or less, but not before going completely insane, which I intend to make happen.

Next up, Antonio and Teresa. Taking care of those two will be easy; in fact, the hardest one of all is Luna, and that’s only because of the shit she was involved in. If it were just her, it wouldn’t be so hard; speaking of which, I need to contact Memnon, see if he’d made any progress in his search.

As to my plans for Antonio and his Bella figura wife, I’d just sent her their death in a bottle. It won’t happen right away, and there will be no symptoms for some time; I didn’t want everything happening at once like I said, so as to avoid suspicion, but if chaos follows one behind the other and from different directions, it’s sometimes hard to pinpoint the source.

When it comes to Carlo and Michele, another couple that came out of that night, I just have to let the more studious but hot-tempered Carlo know that his wife is fucking his good friend, Bruno, three birds with one stone. For them, I don’t even need to get my hands dirty. I’ll just throw that stick of dynamite and sit back and watch the aftermath. But not yet!

I know they’d all contacted Ricci at some point since the party, and he’d given them the same story, that my mother had told me nothing about that night, but now Sal knew. I’m not sure what Sal has planned for them since he’s been doing all he could to find out what part each of them played that night since Felice had thrown them under the proverbial bus, but I do know that his money has backed most of them in some business venture or another.

That was the payoff from Ricci for that night, I guess, then again, I’m sure they’ve done worse to others over the years, but just like Ma, no one else has come forward to blow the whistle and probably never will, because of their prestige. That’s why I plan to strip Ricci of his first before giving him the final blow.

Even though I didn’t plan on bringing them all down together, there’s nothing stopping me from tormenting the shit out of the lot of them while they await their turn, but I don’t plan on doing that until I return home.

The next morning, bodies were scarce around the breakfast table, just as they had been the night before at dinner. At least then, the kids had shown up, but now it was just Sal, Martin, and I. Both men looked somber and as if lost in thought. Sal did perk up when he saw me coming and indicated the place next to him. He may have been preoccupied because of his daughter-in-law because the place he indicated was Alonzo’s. Even Martin seemed to notice but said nothing.

I made a big show of not taking that seat and reminded him that it was his son’s, which he ignored. “Sit, sit, have your fruit with coffee.” Was that a dig at my American palate? Sal seemed very distracted and has been since the night before. I’m beginning to think he really does think that Felice was paying the price for her sins against my mother now that I was here.

I’d learned a bit about his superstitious nature, in fact, a lot, but for some reason, I never expected it to come into play here. Not that it’s a bad thing, in fact, it’s superb. I’m leaning towards thinking that my being here, in this place, looking like his own father, and going out 0f my way to show him how much like the other man I am, have somehow tripped Sal’s switch.