S2W17: “Too Many Questions”

© 2022 Phylicia Joannis

Ryan watched Zinnia leave, leaning against the gate as she pulled off. As soon as she was out of sight, he circled around to the side entrance, keying in the code to unlock the gate as questions bounced around in his head. He walked in, passing the delivery door by the kitchen on his way to the garage.

“Greg here yet?” He asked one of the staff as she passed by. Carmen, her name was.

“N-not yet,” she stammered.

She was such a nervous little thing. Definitely working in the wrong place. Ryan guessed she wouldn’t last too much longer here. “If you see him, let him know I’m looking for him.”

She nodded her head before ducking inside the kitchen.

Ryan heard the rear gate opening and walked over. Mrs. Ellison’s right hand man, Philip, pulled up in one of the black town cars. He rarely drove, the Ellisons had someone else for that, so seeing him behind the wheel was rare. Something was up.

Philip pulled into the garage and got out, nodding curtly to Ryan as he passed by. He looked decidedly pale, but Ryan didn’t say anything. The higher ranking staff were just as bad as the Ellisons. They didn’t care for small talk with the riff raff. He’d mention Philip’s errand to Greg, though.

“Heard you were lookin’ for me.”

Speak of the devil. Greg walked towards Ryan with a sour look on his face. He was Irish, or perhaps Australian? Ryan could never remember. His accent was thick, and his face always flushed from his drinking habits. Greg also had a twisted passion for making people bleed. A useful skill in a house like this. But the Ellisons would never allow him to work for them officially. So he came and went, like an errand boy paid under the table.

Ryan fiddled with something on the work table. “What’s with Philip? He running errands now?”

“What do you mean?” Greg asked.

“Just came back from somewhere. He didn’t bring anything with him, though.”

“Meh, I saw him taking something out earlier. Big pile of rubbish. Asked if he needed help, and he got skittish.”

“Philip doesn’t get skittish.” Ryan raised an eyebrow. “He generally doesn’t take out the trash, either. And since when do they drive their garbage elsewhere?”

“What would you do with garbage you don’t want nobody to find?” Greg mused. “Best not to ask too many questions, Ryan. Philip’s a wily one.”

Ryan paused a moment. “Hey, anything strange happen today?”

Greg walked over to a work bench and grabbed a pair of pliers, wiping them down with an oily towel. “Strange like what?”

Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. Everyone kinda seemed on edge when I walked in. You heard anything?”

“No.” Greg stated the word sharply.

He was hiding something, but Ryan thought it best not to push. He’d corner Carmen later on and see what he could learn.

“While we’re chit-chattin, I heard you called the missus with some distressing news, earlier.” Though Greg’s accent was hard to understand, his menacing tone was not.

“It was an emergency.” Ryan gave Greg a sideways glance. “Couldn’t get a hold of you, so I called her. I handled it, though.”

“No, I handled it.” Greg tossed the pliers on the table. “You’re soft, Ryan. You’ve always been soft. Your little friend at the jail thought a bloody nose was bad? Just wait ‘til he gets a taste of what I’ve got planned for him. He won’t dig no more. He won’t talk no more. He won’t breathe no more. That’s how you do it. And don’t think you can get in good with fancy pants Ellison by going around me. She don’t want to be dealing with a lowlife like you. She needs to keep clean and blameless, and getting calls from you don’t make her look clean and blameless, now does it?”

“What did you do?” Ryan asked, hairs raising on his neck.

“Don’t you worry about it.” Greg shrugged. “So long as you covered yourself, no one will know you’re involved.”

“What did you do?” Ryan repeated himself.

Greg took a long look at Ryan, then picked up the pliers again. “People die all the time in prison. All the time. And guess what? Nobody cares.”

Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat. “I’m out, Greg.”

“What you say to me?” Greg glared at him.

“I did what you asked me to. We’re squared on my debt, and I’m out.”

“You’re out when I say you’re out!” Greg spit as he spoke. “I’m not done with you. I’ve got a few more jobs that need doing.”

Ryan shook his head. “I won’t kill anybody.”

Greg laughed and cracked his knuckles. “You must have forgot how deep you are in this game. One way or the other, you’re gonna do what I tell you.” He sniffed. “Having your teeth ain’t required.”

“I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re bluffing.” Ryan scoffed. “I’m not afraid of you, Greg.” Ryan walked past him towards the kitchen.

Greg let him walk away, but Ryan couldn’t shake the words Greg whispered as he passed.

“You should be.”