[ WP ] Faking Your Demise ( replies must be 1,000 words or more )

“ She wore the red dress, maybe because she knew it was my favourite, maybe because that was the only one she had left. You guys gave her a pretty good run around near the end. ” The unfortunately monikered, Harry Ball, clasped his cuffed hands around the room temperature paper cup off coffee in front of him. 
 
 On the other side of the table detectives Gauche and Droit sat doing their absolute best to kill Harry with their glares waited for him to continue. Harry sipped his coffee, appearing for all the world as if he was sitting in his local Starbucks chatting with two friends. 
 
 He set the cup down and audibly exhaled “ That ’ s a perfect coffee boys. Just the way I like. Room temperature, black, with just a touch more water than there ought to be. ” He leaned back in the chair, much as his cuffs would let him and made to fold his hands. He grunted, almost surprised when he couldn ’ t. 
 
 “ Anyway, ” he drawled, “ she was wearing the red dress. At the café where we met. They knew how to make coffee there. ” 
 
 ***** 
 
 Marilyn sat in the corner table and watched Harry stand in the doorway searching for her. His odd little head bobbed ever so slightly as he scanned the room. Finally, he decided to move into the café. Marilyn ’ s newly blue eyes tracked him over the lip of her coffee cup as he made his way toward the patio door where he finally spotted her. 
 
 The portly little bastard made his way over to her with his little shuffling gait and sat down in the chair across from her. 
 
 “ Almost didn ’ t recognize you without the dress. ” He smiled, showing too many yellowing teeth “ You ’ ve had some work done I see. Eyes are a new colour, but you can ’ t hide the malice behind ‘ em can you? ” 
 
 “ Where are the children? ” Marilyn took another sip of her coffee. 
 
 “ They ’ re with their nanny. Not that you care. ” 
 
 Marilyn set the coffee cup down, but kept the tips of her long, lacquered red nails, resting on the side “ Come Harry. That ’ s hardly the way a man who ’ s about to get everything he wants acts. ” 
 
 Harry leaned forward “ Everything I want? How can that possibly be? You ’ ve taken everything from me. ” His pitched whisper became more of a shout and attracted a waiter with too much acne and ill-fitting glasses. 
 
 Harry hastily ordered to dismiss the boy and turned back to Marilyn “ What do you want? ” 
 
 Marilyn sipped from her coffee, tapping her nails against the cup “ To ask a favour. ” 
 
 Harry laughed “ A favour- “ 
 
 ***** 
 
 “ Was it the favour that made you kill her Ball? ” Droit leaned forward, clearly becoming impatient with the process “ Get to the part where you shoot her. ” 
 
 Harry showed off his yellowed teeth again “ All in good time detective. Unless you have somewhere to be. ” He sipped his coffee. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Harry set the coffee cup down, wincing at the heat. He ’ d drank too much too quickly. 
 
 Marilyn smiled, a wide predatory smile that showed off her pearly canines “ Would you like me to repeat myself. ” 
 
 Harry shook his head, visibly disturbed “ Do you have a cigarette? I left mine in the car. ” Marilyn reached into her purse and tossed a pack onto the table. 
 
 Harry lit one hastily, took a long drag and watched the traffic. “ How would I do it? ” 
 
 “ Right here. Right now. In the chest. ” 
 
 “ You want me to shoot you in the chest? In broad day light. In this café? ” Harry laughed “ Marilyn I ’ ve done a lot of fucked up things over the years, killed a lot of people. For both of us. But I ’ m not going to murder you in front of all these witnesses. I ’ m not going to rot in a cell while you rot in the ground and leave our children with nothing. ” 
 
 “ Junior and Sandra will both be taken care of. ” Marilyn leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs. Her movements lazy and graceful, like a cat. A lion. 
 
 Harry snorted “ By who? ” 
 
 “ By you. ” 
 
 “ I can ’ t care for our children from a jail cell Marilyn. God damn, has being on the run all these years really fucked you up that badly? ” 
 
 “ Harry listen to me. This is how it ’ s going to work. ” 
 
 ***** 
 
 “ So she wanted you to kill her? ” Gauche looked down at his notepad, as if reading the details a second time would help. 
 
 “ That ’ s right. ” Harry stared into his empty coffee cup and frowned “ Can I get a top up. ” 
 
 “ Later. ” This from Droit, still leaning on the table like he was moments from jumping over it and strangling Harry. 
 
 Harry sighed and laid his hands on the table. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Across from him, Marilyn had laid a small six-shooter revolver. 
 
 “ Everyone here has been taken care of. Café staff has been paid off. Streets are clear. ” Marilyn gestured behind her “ The last of my money. ” She paused and smiled “ Our money. Has been used to pay off the café staff and patrons. Everyone is already expecting you to do it. I ’ ve got Marvin on retainer, you remember Marvin, the DA who got Tommy and Bill off? He ’ s going to help you out with the police. You ’ ll be out in a few hours. ” 
 
 Harry looked around, indeed they were alone on the patio and the street was empty. Marilyn slid the gun closer to Harry. “ Will you tell me why? Why now Marilyn? After all these years. ” 
 
 Marilyn glanced away, she watched the sun shine off the windows one the building across the street and she shrugged “ It ’ s time. ” 
 
 Bang. Bang. 
 
 Marilyn ’ s body jerked twice as she was thrown backward out of her chair to the ground. Patrons and staff in the café screamed and fled. 
 
 Harry sat numbly across from his ex-wife ’ s body and waited for the cops to come get him. 
 
 ***** 
 
 “ So you shot her. ” Gauche had put his pen down and was staring directly at Harry. 
 
 “ I didn ’ t say that. ” Harry grinned at them “ Now if you don ’ t mind. I believe my lawyer is probably waiting to hear from me. ” 
 
 There came a knock at the door. 
 
 Gauche and Droit exchanged glances, before Droit stood and opened the door. A uniformed officer waited on the other side. Droit frowned at him and exited the room. 
 
 The door slammed as it shut. 
 
 ***** 
 
 On the other side of the world, in a private airport hanger two children stood with their nanny as a small jet taxied into the hangar. A boy of seven and a girl of thirteen could hardly contain their excitement as they watched a woman in a red dress debark from the aircraft. 
 
 “ Mommy! ” cried the boy and he sped toward her. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Droit re-entered the interrogation room, looking none too pleased. “ Well Ball, bad day for you. ” 
 
 Harry frowned “ What d ’ ya mean? You two aren ’ t bad company. Little cagey, but we can worked through that. ” 
 
 Droit “ There was no answer at your lawyer ’ s office. Number belonged to a dry clearner on 5th. ” 
 
 Harry felt a cold sweat settle over him. 
 
 “ More to the point. We ’ ve got a line up of people outside the station claiming they were at the café at witnessed the shooting. ” 
 
 Droit sat on the table and rested his forearms on his knees “ Care to explain that Ball. ” 
 
 “ Bitch. ” Harry muttered. 
 
 ***** 
 
 Marilyn released her two children and smiled at the woman who had been with them. She stood and crossed the short distance toward her. They embraced and shared a warm kiss. 
 
 “ The switch went well? ” she murmured, resting her face on Marilyn ’ s shoulder. 
 
 “ Jose had someone waiting in the ambulance when they showed up. ” Marilyn kissed her again. 
 
 “ So we are free? ” 
 
 Marilyn nodded “ Marilyn Ball, nee Alberts, is dead and her husband will spend the rest of his miserable life rotting in a cell. ” 
 
 They kissed again, and were interrupted by the feel of tiny hands around their waists. Laughing, the happy family exited the hangar. 
 
 ***** 
 
 **edit: **scene breaks
