Night Games Pt. 15

"Tracy's got an obsession with me. That she'd go through with this when she knew I knew she was coming makes that clear. But the closest she's ever gotten to me was when I happened to be at home in another part of the building while she took the tour. Like Susan told the cops long ago, you don't develop something like that overnight. So, she got it somewhere. And she decided she wanted a piece of me. Something important. Something that mattered and that I'd miss. If she's that obsessed, she's studied me. When you didn't really know me, Susan, of course you read up on me. How'd you go about it?"

"Well," Susan thought. "Google was my first step. Then Wikipedia. Read that biography where you, to me anyway, obviously used The Thing to make the biographer leave Troy & Julie out of the story. Couple news articles, that's it."

"But you didn't have any deep psychological need to learn everything you could, so you stopped around there. I'm sure Tracy's done all you did and more. She probably reads every tabloid that mentions my name. Never misses me on a talk show. Possibly even takes pictures of me and puts them together into a psycho shrine like Morgan's fake one. Except she probably calls it something else. And how many times do you think she's watched that video of me outside the club in Seattle? And if you're looking at pictures of me all day, what will you always see?"

"You're smoking one now." Julie answered. The water in the other room turned off.

"Something within the past couple years."

"Vincenzo's pendant." Susan answered differently. Helen nodded to indicate that she'd gotten it right.

"She knows that Helen Parker is the criminal, but Contessa Helena de San Finzione is who keeps her awake at night. And since the attack, she hasn't seen La Contessa in public without it. But yes, Julie, the thought DID occur to me that she might be after my cigarette case."

"She'd burn herself trying to do that 'take one out of the case, put it in your mouth, and light it with the built-in lighter in one fluid move' thing you do." Julie concluded. "Well, when we get them, she's yours, Helena. I want that Walker fucker. We'll talk later about your pulling that 'Order JE1' shit on me, you fucking cunt."

Helen didn't react to that. Sometimes, Julie used the term to insult her, and sometimes, it was just what she called her. Helen's response worked the same way.

"It's only because I care, you skanky cow."

Troy walked into the room, wearing a pair of briefs and Propappou's smoking jacket. Helen set the cigarette in the ash tray, walked over to him, and hugged him.

"Are you ok?" She asked, squeezing him.

"I'm seeing in color again." He answered. "That's a positive. Think I'm past the worst of it."

Helen looked into his red, bloodshot eyes, certain that hers still looked the same.

"We're going to get these fucks." Helen assured him.

"How's everyone else?" He asked. "Has Maria heard?"

"She's probably asleep at Stavro's. It'll wait until morning."

Based on Helen's recommendation, the current Contessa-In-Reggenza de San Finzione chose to stay with her boyfriend that night. Maria had offered to take the twins with her to keep them safe, but Helen had insisted that their parents were going to keep them safe while they defend the boys' home.

Thinking about Vincenzo and Byroni again caused her to explore what was nagging at her about the two of them. They came close to losing their mother occasionally, but Helen always told herself that they had two more as backup if anything happened to her. She looked into Troy's eyes again and concern over their losing him filled her. That was the thought she needed to remember what had been bothering her. She picked up the phone and called Mander.

"Mander," She asked him. "Are you still in the Study?"

"Yeah," The mercenary answered. "Generalissimo's still here too, overseeing mopping up."

"Can you go to the safe and see if there's anything left in there? Like an envelope sealed with wax."

Mander walked over to the open safe and checked inside.

"Nothing. Looks like they cleaned Your Countessness out."

Helen's eyes widened and she dropped the phone. Troy wasn't holding a phone, but Julie and Susan saw his eyes get bigger as well. He and Helen looked at each other.

"Helen, Troy?" Susan asked. "It looks like there's something wrong and you both know what it is."

Tears started forming in Helen's eyes and she wrapped her arms around Troy again as tightly as she could.

"I didn't think of it." She started sobbing. "I'm so fucking sorry!"

Troy looked glumly at Susan.

"There was something in the safe besides money." He explained. "Their mother lives a life full of risks. And one night, we talked and decided that if anything happens to Helen, the boys can't just disappear to our house until they're older. So, I'll do what a father does for his children; the thing that scares me most in the world. I'll come forth and reveal myself to the public as the boys' father so our family can stay together."

Susan and Julie followed along. This was a subject they'd all touched upon in conversation before, but never wanted to seriously explore. Julie had the next question.

"So, the envelope in the safe?"

Helen's tears stopped. She turned to look Julie in the eye.

"Contains the documents that prove Troy's their father, yes."