The deafening silence that came after the gunshot could be described as annoying, giving the whole scene a dramatic flair that demanded in this situation. I didn't give her the satisfaction of my reaction other than blinking my eyes. She knew she was aiming above my head while firing.
I hoped she would aim anywhere other than on my body. Because, if nothing else she craves gossip. And a chance like this to tattletale her prowess...she would hardly miss it. I was counting on it and the angle of the gun, of course. As I know one thing about her...she thrives on sharing the information that no one guessed. That's the mentality of the person before me. That's... Rose for you.
'Aww... I know you are cardboard when I first saw you in the office. No emotions, no eagerness to share any juicy titbits... even when you started secretly seeing Raphael Sinclair. I have to give points to you on that stunt. How did you pull it off within a month? Anyways, you always treated us, mortals, like we are beneath you. As though you are holier-than -thou-know -it-all. How does it feel to realize that you are made a fool by us mortals?', Rose said waving the gun in the air.
My mind is only on one thing. I need her to talk. So that she won't see what my hands are doing.
'I counted you as a friend', I said showing the betrayal and hurt that she wants to see. At this point, I have to lure her with what she craves... my utter defeat at her cleverness.
'Please... you want a friend when it suits you. You came to my desk only when you needed information that only I could provide. Please don't coat it any other way'
Ok... that path shot to the drain with her fact. I changed my tactic. 'It was you, wasn't it? The one who tipped off that biker to scare me?'
'Well, what else could I do? You were starting to ask questions I don't like. You were getting closer to the truth. I have to do something about it. What is the phrase... Yes, it was all in a day's work?'
'You know they would rape me if given the chance, yet you sent them after me?'
'Ya about that...oopsie! They were sent to threaten you. Who knows what goes in their stupid brains? They took upon themselves to change my orders, and they paid their price. It cost me some good henchmen you know, because of that stunt your lover pulled. I had to offer them something in return for their retribution. You know... biker code and what not? Good thing they were only five guys. Just think what could have happened to you if they were ten or more!'
'You bitch... you knew they were going to beat me for five days. A day for each biker that was dead. A day of beatings for one of those assholes. That's why you never showed up till now!', I gritted each word out through my teeth. Swearing coming automatically to me after the hell I went through
'What can I say hon? You made their loss, now you bear the consequences. Or rather wear the consequences', she snickered.
'My lover... as you say, is Raphael Sinclair. He will come to me. What will happen to you then?', I said the lie to keep her talking. Doubt flickered on her face when I mentioned Raphael, but she quickly concealed it.
'Oh Erica, you are such a fool! He would have been here if what you say is true, wouldn't he? It's been what...five days!' She counted her fingers if it slipped my mind on how to count. 'For guys like Raphael Sinclair, a girl like you is a dime in dozen. Good for one thing... and when it stops from one source they could always go to the other. That's what being rich does to you', my heart resonated with the pain her words caused, even though she didn't know the depth of our relationship, reminding me of the fact that Raphael doesn't care about me. But I didn't let it distract me.
'I don't understand... Why all this Rose? What happened to you? Where was that cheery bubbly girl from the office?'
'That... that was just a facade. People could be so easily fooled. They just see what I show them. It's a child play'
Then I came to the heart of this whole thing. 'How do you know Sophie? About our relationship? Why did you kill her Rose? She was an innocent, just starting to live her life on her terms... Why did you do it? What did you gain? It doesn't make sense'
'Sophie... innocent? Oh my god, that was so funny', Rose gave a hearty laugh which by no means funny.
'You don't know anything about her', I almost shouted.
'No honey, you don't know anything about her. The sister you knew before was not the same girl who died. You don't believe me, do you? Well, it was your sister who told us about you. Don't you want to know why she told me? Well, for that, I have to tell you a story. You see, once upon a time, there was a woman, who had an affair with a rich guy. She thought she would be set for her life as a rich guy's wife if she bore him a child and she tricked to do exactly that. Alas, her plan terribly backfired when the rich guy took the child and threw her out of his life with a pittance. She would have held her trump card aka her son with a tight fist, if not for the rich guy threatening her with a lawsuit.
But she never forgets about her son. Not with affection, but with greed...with what she could have had and lost. And so, she told her remaining two children, who were born in between her string of affairs, all about their elder brother on her deathbed. The children were left shocked. They boiled with rage at life's unjust. They watched their half-brother living the life of luxury while they struggled with their expenses. They thought why couldn't they have it? And so they tried to do just that', Rose was engrossed in her storytelling, leaning on the wall with a faraway look that was engrossed in somewhere in her past.
I finally grasped what she was saying. 'You are... you are Raphael's sister?'
'Bingo. And we have a winner here, folks. Though I would say, half-sister', she applauded by clapping hands.
'You said children. Who is the other one? Where does Sophie fit in all this? What did you do to that family?'
'Tsk tsk. Patience my friend... patience. You were always the one to spring into action first then ask questions later'.