Page 119 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
The possibility of theft that Joe had suggested earlier was a reasonable explanation, or…
There was the more likely and gut-wrenching prospect that Percy had someone else he wanted to see that night. Gut-wrenching because Joe could only think of one person alluring enough to steal Percy away from one of the best restaurants in the city, right in the middle of a long dinner, hours before he would be expected to go back to his hotel room with his partner.
Giordano.
Joe acted on instinct, and soon found himself sitting in the back of a taxi, instructing the driver to follow that car, but not too close. He had no idea what he was doing. He had no idea what he was going to do. He had no idea where he was going, or how he could think this of Percy. But there wasn’t another thing Joe could conceive of that Percy couldn’t tell him. If he was in trouble, Joe would help. Joe had seen him kill people. Joe had helped him go to Hell and back. Joe had and would always have Percy’s back, no matter what.
Unless whatever he was doing was just too awful for Joe to know about.
His anxiety increased with every passing street, but all in all, it was a very short ride. A minute or two, and Percy pulled over sharply outside a beautiful yellow house. It was dark inside and out, but Joe could see it was a large villa decorated with art nouveau embellishments on the exterior. It stood two storeys high, was surrounded by a tidy fence and clipped hedges, and looked opulent, to say the least.
It would be a lovely spot for an illicit affair.
He had the cab driver continue past Percy’s car and aroundthe corner, then walked back slowly. After all, what was the hurry?
The closer he came to Percy that night, the more he felt an aching sense of loneliness. Alone on the quiet street. Alone outside this house, where Percy wouldn’t be alone. Alone, wondering what the hell he was going to do when he found Percy with Giordano.
But as though driven automatically, the way one cannot resist looking under the bed at night, or sneaking a glance at the carnage of a car crash, Joe’s feet moved him forward, relentlessly, to his fate.
The gate hung slightly ajar. Percy hadn’t bothered to close it behind himself. Maybe he was in a hurry? Of course he was, if he’d been intending to meet Giordano, then come back to the restaurant with Joe none the wiser.
Joe moved through noiselessly, and placed one gentle foot after another, on one step after another, until he came to the front door.
Strange.
This house was… abandoned?
Now that he was past the high hedges, he could see the windows were boarded up, all of them, except the one to his right, the planks of which looked to have been broken very recently.
Very strange.
But then Joe heard it. He heard a grunt that could only have been Percy’s grunt.
Were they having sex already?
Then a laugh. That was definitely Percy’s laugh.
He should leave. He should definitely leave. But if he left, what would he say when he saw him again?
He had to know for certain.
With a deep breath, Joe moved to the broken window andpeeked through. Dark, except for a light somewhere deep in the house. A flickering sort of light.
Candlelight!
That did it.
This was premeditated. This was thoroughly planned. On top of that, it was romantic for them? They had made a romantic date knowing, both of them, Joe was waiting back at the restaurant like an idiot, and had the audacity to actually bring candles?
And Percy was laughing about it with his side piece.
The thought enraged Joe enough to propel him through the window, his feet hitting the floor hard, storming through the house, because why not? Where could they go?
Faster, faster he crossed the dusty floor, the broken chandelier tinkling dangerously above him, past the wilting silk wallpaper, up the beautifully carved ornate staircase, every rotten board creaking beneath his determined feet, faster and faster towards the light until he stepped onto the landing, turned a corner, and found a gun pointed right at his face.
He stared at Percy.
Percy stared at Joe.
