THE WAREHOUSE

          We were on I-95 when I noticed a black car two cars behind had been tailing us for the past ten miles.  I pulled off the highway and into a gas station.  They had followed me and parked across the street.  The one on the passenger side got out and approached me as I was pumping gas.  He said, ‘Get in the car.’  He got in the front seat next to Stella.  ‘I’m taking the girl and the brooch back to New York, see.  Mr. Bragiole is waiting.’

            ‘I don’t have the brooch.’ Stella said.

            ‘Turn the car around or the girl gets it,’ he said, poking Stella in the arm with the gun.  I figured I didn’t have a choice so I turned around and headed back.  They don’t know about the money.  Bragiole thinks it’s only worth a couple grand.

 

            ‘I’m telling you,’  she said. ‘I don’t have any brooch.’

            ‘Well, you can explain that to Mr. Bragiole yourself.’

 

 

            Bragiole was sitting at his desk when we got to his office.

 

            ‘So, Slade.  I hear that you’re skipping town with the broad.  I know she put you up to this.  Just give me the brooch and you can keep her.  We could forget about the whole thing.  I’ll even forget about Louie.  He was stealing from me anyway.’

 

            He opens the drawer and pulls out a gun and walks around the desk.  He has it pointed at me.  I grab his wrist and a struggle ensues.  We are grappling and the gun gets dislodged from his grip and rolls across the floor.  Stella grabs it, but Bragiole and I are still fighting.  He escapes my hold and lunges for Stella.  She is screaming then the gun goes off.  The screaming stops.  She slumps over Bragiole’s arm then falls to the floor.

            ‘No!’  I exclaim, and run to her.  She’s still alive.

            ‘It’s okay, baby.  You’ll be alright.  Just stay with me.’ I said.

            She pulls me close so my ear is to her lips, she whispers, ‘Take the money and go to Mexico.’ With that she slipped away.

 

            ‘Get up, Slade,’ he said to me.  I get up and he’s pointing the gun at me.  I came at him and knocked the gun out of his hand.  I cold-cocked him with it and he went down.  I went to Stella, knelt down and stroked her pretty blonde hair.

‘I’m so sorry doll.  You shouldn’t have gotten mixed up in all this.’

            I rushed out the back entrance and reached my car.  I looked in the trunk and saw the briefcase was still there.  I got in the car and started driving.  The cops will be after me for the murders of Louie Ragu and Stella Early.  I couldn’t afford to hang around so I took off and headed south.

 

 

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