FINCH

Pratt meets Finch from his childhood

     At around six fifteen, Pratt got out of the cab in front of the restaurant on 48th and 9th.  He entered the door and approached the host.  "I'm here to see Sabine.  It's Nimo Pratt."

     "Ah, yes.  She is expecting you.  Follow me."  He said.

     He lead him to the table where Sabine was sitting with her fiancee.  "Professor!  I'm so glad you could come.  This is my fiancee, Sam."

     The man stands up and shakes Pratt's hand.  "Nimo.  Nimo Pratt from Falsmouth?"

     "Yes."  Pratt replied.

     "It's me, Sammy Finch, from Holy Stigmata."

     Suddenly, Pratt got a flashback of a bully beating him up at recess and stealing his lunch money.  His throat gets dry.

     "Boy, you haven't changed a bit, Nimo Pratt." Finch stated.  Pratt knew this wasn't a compliment.  He could tell Finch hadn't changed either.  There was still that vulpine look in his eyes. "When Sabine told me about you, I thought your name sounded familiar.  Then it hit me."

     Pratt was shocked to see him here of all places and to be engaged to Sabine.  He tried to remember the last time he saw Sammy Finch.  It was the time around the accident when he was eleven years old.  Pratt had a lifetime of night terrors because he witnessed Finch's friend, Jimmy Cho, get killed, and the dubious circumstances surrounding his death.

     "So I hear you won the Nobel Prize.  That's great. Congratulations. You always were a nerd."  Finch piped in.

     "Thanks, Finch."

     "Let's make a toast.  Here's to a Nobel laureate and childhood friends."

     After coffee was served Finch asked Pratt to come to his office.  Sabine entertained the other guests while the two would go into the office to reminisce and smoke some cigars.

     "Have a seat, Pratt," as he offered him him a cigar.  He declined because he doesn't smoke.  He tells Finch that he's allergic so Finch lit one up for himself.

     "You know, Pratt.  Nobody really has any friends in this world.  The only thing a man can be sure about are his enemies.  You and I, we've never seen eye to eye as children.  I always did like you, Pratt," he said puffing on his cigar.

     "Sure."  Pratt said flatly.

     "What I'm trying to say is that although we may not be friends, we're certainly not enemies, you and I," he said looking Pratt straight in the eye, making him feel uncomfortable. 

     "Pratt. I know what happened all those years ago.  I know what happened to Jimmy Cho.  I saw it happen.  I was right there.  I saw what you did."  Finch explained.

     Pratt felt a blinding flash in his head.  He saw Jimmy Cho lying there staring at nothing.  And the blood that was seeping out of his head.  "It was you," echoed Finch in his head.

     Pratt began sweating and shaking.  Could this be true?  With a start Pratt began to hyperventilate.  He took his inhaler and sucked on it real hard.

     "Pratt, are you okay?" Finch asked concerned.

     "I'm just fine," he replied in a fit of coughing.

     Finch offered him a glass of water.  When he settled down, Sam began speaking to him again.  "You know, I don't believe there are any statute of limitations on murder..."

     Pratt just stared at him.

     "It was such a nice day that August.  I remember because the next day my family moved to New York.  I never breathed a word of it to anyone.  I was traumatized.  Jimmy was my best friend.  I pushed that down for many years until I hear Sabine say that she met the infamous Nimo Pratt,"  Finch said.  He took a sip of brandy studying Pratt's face.

     "But that's all in the past, right?  Listen, this conversation is between us.  No one has to know the truth," Finch confided.

     "It wasn't murder!"  Pratt exclaimed.  "It was an accident.  He hit his head on the rock."

     "No one is saying it is, Pratt.  How about we help each other out.  I need someone I could trust to do me a favor," Finch said.

     "What is it?"  Pratt asked.

     "I want you to kill Sabine."

Reviews

[Meat of Dog]

Finch is an interesting juxtaposition to Pratt, like his opposite in many ways. I’m interested to see how he develops in this story; I got a bad feeling about him from the beginning and it left me feeling a little worried for Pratt. A LOT of questions were raised in this chapter that I’m also curious to have answered! The ending hook was great, too. What a cliffhanger!

Suggestions:

“He lead him to” Led.

“as he offered him him” Repeated word.