with his knuckles.
###
Inside the tiny apartment, Billy Smith pushed open the bedroom door and walked over to the small blonde-headed girl sitting on the edge of the bed. He crouched down on the floor in front of her. “You sure are pretty, darlin’. You remember what Daddy told you?” he asked softly.
She nodded shyly and continued to play with the pink ruffle at the bottom of her flowery dress.
Billy laid his hand over hers. “These men are really important to Daddy, and I want you to be a good girl, okay? All right, I’ll be right back and then we can get some ice cream.” He left the room and walked back to the front door. He took a deep breath and opened it.
“It’s about damn time,” Big Tony said impatiently.
Billy ran his hand through a mass of greasy hair. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he said with a nervous laugh.
Big Tony brushed past him and walked into the filthy living room. “She better be worth it,” he said, glancing around. He looked at the kitchen and the sink full of dishes, crawling with cockroaches. He shook his head in disgust. “Where is she?” he asked.
“Uh, uh, this way,” Billy answered, leading the men to the little girl’s bedroom.
Big Tony pushed the door open and walked over to the bed. He reached down and lifted the girl’s chin. He turned her head from side to side. “How old is she?” he asked.
“She’ll be seven her next birthday.”
Big Tony looked at Sonny and grinned. “I’ve seen enough,” he said. He turned and walked out of the room with the two men following close behind.
Billy crammed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.
Sonny pulled out a yellow envelope from inside his breast pocket and handed it to Billy.
“Have her ready by noon. I’ll send someone for her. Make sure she’s wearing what she has on now,” Big Tony said as he and Sonny watched Billy open the envelope.
Billy’s eyes shifted nervously back and forth between the two men. “Uh … um, there’s only fifteen here.”
Big Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, so what?”
“Uh … the deal was for … for twenty thou,” Billy stammered.
Big Tony crossed the room in two steps. He shoved Billy, knocking him backward into a raggedy chair. He whipped out a gun from his waistband and crammed the muzzle against the side of Billy’s head. “You piece of shit. You’re lucky I gave you that much,” he snarled through clenched teeth.
“Uh … yeah. Uh … this is plenty. Please, please don’t hurt me,” Billy begged.
Big Tony pulled the gun away. He spit on the floor next to Billy’s chair and then laughed as he tucked the gun back inside his waistband. He jerked the door open and looked back at Billy. “You’re pathetic, but if she’s as good as you promised, I’ll give you a little bonus next time. If she’s not, you’ll be the one paying me and make sure she’s ready at noon.”
Billy waited for the door to close and then slumped back in the chair. He let out a huge sigh of relief, smiling broadly, as his dirty fingers skimmed over the stack of one-hundred-dollar bills.
###
The voice of a woman with a slight Italian accent came through the answering machine, waking Rheyna from a deep sleep. She had an idea of who the caller was and her suspicion was confirmed as the message played.
It was Terasa Castrucci asking if it would be possible for Rheyna to come out today to take their photos. She apologized for asking on such short notice, since the appointment was set for next week. She wouldn’t be asking, except her husband’s business would be taking him out of town on the scheduled date. She left her contact number and said goodbye.
Rheyna took a quick shower and poured a cup of coffee before returning Mrs. Castrucci’s call. Esther, the Castrucci’s housekeeper, answered the phone, told her that Mrs. Castrucci was at the hairdresser, and requested she come between one and two today, if possible.
###
Inside the tiny apartment, Billy Smith pushed open the bedroom door and walked over to the small blonde-headed girl sitting on the edge of the bed. He crouched down on the floor in front of her. “You sure are pretty, darlin’. You remember what Daddy told you?” he asked softly.
She nodded shyly and continued to play with the pink ruffle at the bottom of her flowery dress.
Billy laid his hand over hers. “These men are really important to Daddy, and I want you to be a good girl, okay? All right, I’ll be right back and then we can get some ice cream.” He left the room and walked back to the front door. He took a deep breath and opened it.
“It’s about damn time,” Big Tony said impatiently.
Billy ran his hand through a mass of greasy hair. “Sorry ‘bout that,” he said with a nervous laugh.
Big Tony brushed past him and walked into the filthy living room. “She better be worth it,” he said, glancing around. He looked at the kitchen and the sink full of dishes, crawling with cockroaches. He shook his head in disgust. “Where is she?” he asked.
“Uh, uh, this way,” Billy answered, leading the men to the little girl’s bedroom.
Big Tony pushed the door open and walked over to the bed. He reached down and lifted the girl’s chin. He turned her head from side to side. “How old is she?” he asked.
“She’ll be seven her next birthday.”
Big Tony looked at Sonny and grinned. “I’ve seen enough,” he said. He turned and walked out of the room with the two men following close behind.
Billy crammed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.
Sonny pulled out a yellow envelope from inside his breast pocket and handed it to Billy.
“Have her ready by noon. I’ll send someone for her. Make sure she’s wearing what she has on now,” Big Tony said as he and Sonny watched Billy open the envelope.
Billy’s eyes shifted nervously back and forth between the two men. “Uh … um, there’s only fifteen here.”
Big Tony shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah, so what?”
“Uh … the deal was for … for twenty thou,” Billy stammered.
Big Tony crossed the room in two steps. He shoved Billy, knocking him backward into a raggedy chair. He whipped out a gun from his waistband and crammed the muzzle against the side of Billy’s head. “You piece of shit. You’re lucky I gave you that much,” he snarled through clenched teeth.
“Uh … yeah. Uh … this is plenty. Please, please don’t hurt me,” Billy begged.
Big Tony pulled the gun away. He spit on the floor next to Billy’s chair and then laughed as he tucked the gun back inside his waistband. He jerked the door open and looked back at Billy. “You’re pathetic, but if she’s as good as you promised, I’ll give you a little bonus next time. If she’s not, you’ll be the one paying me and make sure she’s ready at noon.”
Billy waited for the door to close and then slumped back in the chair. He let out a huge sigh of relief, smiling broadly, as his dirty fingers skimmed over the stack of one-hundred-dollar bills.
###
The voice of a woman with a slight Italian accent came through the answering machine, waking Rheyna from a deep sleep. She had an idea of who the caller was and her suspicion was confirmed as the message played.
It was Terasa Castrucci asking if it would be possible for Rheyna to come out today to take their photos. She apologized for asking on such short notice, since the appointment was set for next week. She wouldn’t be asking, except her husband’s business would be taking him out of town on the scheduled date. She left her contact number and said goodbye.
Rheyna took a quick shower and poured a cup of coffee before returning Mrs. Castrucci’s call. Esther, the Castrucci’s housekeeper, answered the phone, told her that Mrs. Castrucci was at the hairdresser, and requested she come between one and two today, if possible.
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