Page 120 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
“Fuck,” whispered Percy.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
JOE MAKES THE APPALLING DISCOVERY
The faintest orange glow of candlelight danced across Joe’s furious features. The full moon streamed between cracks in the wood, leaving Percy in no doubt he had really, truly, thoroughly fucked up this time. He rushed out a frantic, “I can explain.”
Joe had hoped he might be stronger, but his voice broke the second he spoke. “How could you?”
All Percy offered in return was, “You weren’t supposed to find out like this.” Joe looked like he wanted to speak, but no sound came out of the perturbed lips, so Percy quickly added, with a nervous laugh, “Well, you weren’t supposed to find out at all. Obviously.”
Joe tried to blink back the tears forcing their way to the surface, but he was unable to hide the heartbreak in his tone. “Of all the things I’ve seen you do, I never thought you’d do something like this. I thought you were it, Percy. The one. And I cannot believe I could be so stupid.”
Unprecedented panic swept over Percy as he grabbed for Joe’s hand, which was wrenched away. He desperately flungout the first excuse that came to mind. “The guy’s an asshole, anyway!”
Wrong thing to say? The way Joe’s mouth dropped open suggested it was. It became more apparent still when Joe whisper-screamed, “How can you talk about him like that after what you just did?”
“Well,” Percy shrugged, “it’s not as though he can hear me.”
“Do you really think that makes it any better?” Joe snapped. “That is so disrespectful. And you imagine that’s going to make me okay with this?”
“It’s better than if he was nice, though, isn’t it?” Percy insisted. “I mean,” he wet his dry lips, trying to reason his way out, “I could have done his wife instead, but I thought that would be worse.”
Joe’s eyes were roughly the size of saucepans by now. “How could that possibly be worse?” he yelled. “I didn’t even know he had a wife until now. But you know what? I’m going to tell her what you did. I’m going straight over there?—”
Percy moved his hands to Joe’s arms this time, only to have them shoved off again. He tried a placating, “I already told her everything. This afternoon when I snuck out during coffee. She was fine with it, by the way. She gave me her complete blessing.”
“When you snuck out from the cafe you were with his wife? And what… The rest of that time… Every time you disappeared… Were you withhim? All night?”
“He…” How to explain it? Best come straight out with it. “It took a lot more time and energy to finish him than I thought it would.”
With a heartbroken gasp of disbelief, Joe pointed his beautiful finger that Percy loved so much right in his face and shouted, “You utter bastard,Percy!”
“Darling!”
Joe barged straight past him and into the room. The large, empty room with nothing but a few candles, Percy’s new satchel, and a large black sack in the corner. He turned back to Percy, eyes searching frantically. “Where is he?”
“Just there,” said Percy, with a nod to the black heap.
“Percy, for Christ’s sake.” Joe flung his head back in exhaustion. “Stop playing games. Where is he?”
“No, he’s just, sort of, curled up. Look.” With a resigned kick, Percy pushed the mound over and Elio rolled out onto the floor, quite pale, quite dead, with a bullet in his brain.
“Percy, what the fuck!” yelled Joe, jumping back in alarm.
“You wanted to see him!” Percy yelled back.
“Giordano!” Joe shouted. “Where the fuck is Giordano?”
“What?”
“What?”
“Did you…” Quickly, quickly, Percy replayed their entire conversation in his mind. They stared at one another, each coming to their own terrible conclusions at the same time. “Joe!” Percy shouted. “How dare you suggest such a thing!”
“Did you kill him?”
“Do you think I have no morals at all? I would never cheat on you!”
