Color Photographs, Chapter Seven

Meyer wasn’t having kids. He decided that as he buckled Ronny into the seat beside him and started toward the back road he needed, listening to the kid bellyache the entire time. A girl might be easier, he didn’t know—but Meyer certainly wasn’t going to take the chance.

“Uncle Karl—”

“Is going to kill me, yes, I know,” Meyer said irritably. “Do you have anything new to say?”

“Where are you taking me?”

“Guess not.”

“I don’t know who you think you are, but I promise you will regret this. My uncle already has a price on your head—”

“Yeah, I heard you going on about that. Seven grand, eh?”

“Yes,” Ronny hissed. “And it will probably go up now that you’ve done this.”

“Alright!” Meyer said with a smirk. “I used to only be worth three grand.”

“You’re insane.” Ronny looked like a small child that’d retreated to nurse his wounds.

“Maybe, but my value is going up in your uncle’s eyes.”

“As his opinion of you sinks lower.”

“Naturally. What caused the jump in price?”

“I’m guessing a match.”

Meyer chuckled. The previous year Mr. Resnick asked him to burn an entire patch of Reneve’s weed. Meyer enjoyed it. Reneve and Meyer had been at odds for many years— they liked causing each other difficulty, especially when that resulted in a loss of cash.

“Why am I in your car?” Ronny demanded. “I think I at least deserve to know what your plan is.”

“If I tell you, will you shut up?”

“Yes.”

“Fine,” Meyer said. He just wanted a few minutes of silence so he could think. “Plan is getting your uncle to help me with a project that’s bigger than I can tackle alone.”

“And so you kidnapped me… why?”

“You said yourself your uncle hates me—”

“And you think this will make him hate you less?”

Meyer looked at him flatly. “I think this’ll keep him from shooting me the instant he sees me, so I can do some talking.”

“Aw, you’re scared of my uncle. That’s cute,” Ronny said mockingly.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s a lot better at killing people than your little friends are.”

Ronny fell into a brooding silence, glaring at the side of Meyer’s head. Meyer took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He hoped taking Ronny captive would work how he thought it would. If Reneve lost his temper and killed Meyer anyway, he could easily go after Sadie next.

“So you plan on waltzing into his office with a gun to my head?”

“I’m not telling you the details,” Meyer answered tiredly.

“Look, I think—”

“I don’t care what you think. Shut up.”

“Uncle Karl—”

“It’s not too late to put you in the trunk.”

Sadie glanced her iPhone every few moments as she stood in the kitchen, stirring a pitcher of lemonade she’d made from a mix. It was starting to get dark and she hadn’t heard from Meyer since noon, when he texted her to ask how everything was at their house. She wished he’d just call, even for a few moments, so she could hear his voice again and know everything would be alright.

“I don’t see why we can’t get just get a pizza,” Sadie said with a sigh. She poured two glasses of lemonade then turned and set the pitcher in the fridge.

“Because it’s not safe.” Karson walked over to the kitchen and took the sandwich and glass of lemonade that she held out to him. “Thanks.”

“When is Meyer coming back?”

“I don’t know.” Karson sat down on the couch.

“Where did he go?”

“Dunno.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Karson shrugged, taking a bite of his sandwich. “I don’t care… this is good.”

“Karson,” Sadie said irritably. “Meyer’s been gone for over twelve hours.”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t concern you at all?”

“Not as much as it seems to worry you,” Karson said tiredly. “We’ve been over this.”

“And we’ll keep going over it until you give me an answer.” Sadie sat down on the chair and glared at Karson. She appreciated that he’d acted as her body guard all day, being sure she stayed safe, but she didn’t appreciate that he’d practically put her under house arrest. And she definitely appreciate that he still refused to tell her what Meyer was doing.

“Sades, you know I can’t tell you.”

“You can,” Sadie growled. “And you will. Now.”

Karson looked at her with a sympathetic smile and a shrug. Sadie sprang to her feet, suddenly extremely angry. She wanted to know where her husband was. She took several threatening steps toward him, until she was looming over the couch. She kicked his leg.

“Sadie--”

“Tell me where my husband is!”

“No.”

She balled up her fist threateningly. He stood, instantly towering over her, glaring down into her eyes. Her voice began to raise as she drew herself up to her full height. “You’re going to tell me.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are!” She nearly shouted.

“I’m—”

A knock at the door made them both fall instantly silent. Suddenly Sadie forgot how to breathe.

“In the bedroom,” Karson ordered.

“No.” Sadie grabbed her pistol from the coffee table and moved to the corner of the room where she would be hidden from the doorway. Karson opened his mouth to argue then seemed to think better of it and shook his head. He moved to the door and carefully opened it, being sure to keep his body hidden from sight.

“Let me in,” Meyer ordered as he pushed the door open. Karson pulled it the rest of the way open, allowing Meyer to wrestle Ronny into the living room.

“Meyer!” Sadie bolted from the corner.

Meyer pushed Ronny a few steps forward and turned to wrap his wife in a hug as she ran into his arms, pulling her close to his chest. “Sades!”

“I’m glad you’re okay.” She hugged him tightly, then suddenly pulled away and slapped him. “Don’t ever do that again, you big idiot.”

Meyer seemed startled. “What was that for?”

“I have been sitting here all day, worrying myself—dear god, I’m turning into my mother.” Sadie hugged him again. “Who’s the kid?”

“Ronny.”

Sadie looked at Ronny critically. “You don’t look like Reneve.”

“Don’t worry,” Meyer said. “He’s got an even worse mouth.”

“Wonderful,” Sadie said sarcastically. “Do you want some lemonade, kid?”

“Screw you.”

“No, I wasn’t offering that,” Sadie said, glaring. She glanced down at her hands, seeming started to realize she was still holding a gun. She held it awkwardly for a moment before setting it the nearby table. Sadie turned back to Meyer. “What now?”

“Now, I make a phone call,” Meyer answered.

“Uncle Karl—”

“I swear I will cut out your tongue and shove it down your throat if you don’t shut up,” Meyer said, sticking his finger in Ronny’s face. Meyer gestured at the couch. “Just go sit down and be quiet.”

“…I take it he’s been annoying you?” Sadie asked, as she grabbed Ronny’s arm and pushed him toward the couch. Ronny stiffened for a moment, then melted under the combined glares of Meyer and Karson and resentfully walked to the couch and sat down.

“You have no idea,” Meyer muttered. “We are never having kids.”

“Agreed.”

“Good.” Meyer pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, sighing as he searched through his contacts for Karl Reneve’s number.

Sadie bit her lip as she watched Meyer press his phone to his ear, waiting for Reneve to answer the phone. She focused on keeping her breathing steady. She looked at the skinny kid on her couch. She didn’t know what Meyer’s plan was, but she hoped the kid didn’t have to die in the process. He seemed like a jerk, but he was only a teenager. There was always time to outgrow personality flaws.

“Hey, Karl, this is Meyer Lovett,” Meyer said at long last. Sadie took a step nearer to Meyer so she could hear what Reneve had to say in response.

“What do you want, asshole?”

“To talk.”

“I’m not interested in talking to you.” The line suddenly went dead.

Meyer sighed, looking at Sadie. He had to make Reneve listen to him. Without his help there was no chance Meyer would be able to take vengeance on Resnick for what he did to Sadie. But he couldn’t let Sadie see how worried he was. He met her gaze then shrugged.

“What about the kid’s phone?” Sadie asked. She’d noticed that calling Ronny the kid made him set his jaw and glare at her, so she made sure that she did it as often as she could. He was only a few years younger than herself, but it was enough to be able to annoy him.

“Good idea, Babe,” Meyer said. He fished Ronny’s phone out of his own pocket where he’d put it to keep Ronny from calling Reneve. He walked over to where Ronny sat on the couch. “Unlock it.”

“Bite me.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Meyer smacked him in the head. “Stop being difficult.”

“Stop holding me captive.”

“The sooner you cooperate, the sooner we can get you back to your uncle.” Meyer said, taking another step closer to loom threateningly. “Trust me—we’re not keeping you here because any of us enjoy your personality. The sooner you can leave the better.”

Ronny glared harder. “Why should I help you?”

“So you can—I’m sorry. So I can go get killed by your uncle sooner.”

Ronny sighed loudly. “Whatever. Give it here.”