As told by Mathew Serig:
‘When I heard how much Tom owed Mineeo and how he ended up owing the money I thought I would kill Tom right then and there. Now, I don’t mean that like when you say you’re gonna kill someone because you’re a little frustrated with them. No. I meant I was going to have Senford secure the interrogation room door and I would beat Tom with a chair until there was nothing left but a bloody paste on the floor. This stupid, mother-fucker had done . . . fuck I still get wound up thinking about it. This stupid, mother-fucker. He was gonna bring all down. Everything we had worked so hard for, were lucky ta have. He was gonna bring all down.
Actually, Tom wasn’t stupid as in low intelligence. If he had been of low intelligence that would have actually made the situation . . . I would have been sympathetic to his plight. Tom is actually, I think, of better-than-average intelligence. Not a genius by any means, but smarter than average. That’s not the problem. The problem or problems with Tom are the same damn things they’ve always been: Tom bows to temporary satisfaction; Tom thinks he knows more than he actually does. Tom thinks he knows more than everybody else or he knows some special thing, he’s come up with some new idea that nobody else in the history of the world has ever thought up. I would also throw in that he’s not very self aware, not very analytical, and he tends to jump into things. I thought that before we ended up in this country he had reined those things in, had finally grown up. I suppose the opportunities money gave him in this city were just too attractive for him to pass on.
As far as the gambling went, Tom actually is a pretty decent player. He knows when to call it quits and not try to win it all back in some highly emotional last attempt where he puts the deeds to the restaurants on the table. But like he said, they slowly reeled him in. He was a whale and they reeled him in slowly and surely. It was insidious and actually quite brilliant how they did it. How they bit by bit by bit got him. I said to Tom calmly, “That’s how lots of people get taken.” It was so slow and steady, and spread over so many establishments and private games and for so many items and services that it probably didn’t feel like a mountain of debt was growing behind him. And of course that was the idea. And they also built him up emotionally. He was part of the “club”, an exclusive club. He was somebody special. Somebody important. Not just your run of the mill businessperson. Oh no. He was beyond that. They played to his ego. It was a great long con. It was very much the same as what I was doing to a couple of dumb-shit nobles.
I had heard about Tom’s debts, but I didn’t know to what extent, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to pay them. Anne knew too, and she wasn’t gonna pay them. Anne, “He’s gonna fuck it all up, Matt. He’s gonna fuck it all up.” I had to agree. So with that in mind, and the idea that we may have to flee the city for whatever reason some day, I started putting money and supplies away in little caches or hidey-holes in an outside the city. We were not in a safe place. Especially when I learned that elves target Gifted humans, and I happened to be one. ‘Fuck me’.
Back in the interrogation room after Tom told me and Senford about the debt, whilst thinking about turning Tom into meat paste, I stayed calm and said that Senford and I would get the financial things squared away as much as we could, would more than likely have some things for him to sign, to sit tight as his 72 hours was almost up, and not worry.
Within a few days of this conversation Tom was out of jail, we had sold four of the five restaurants off, kept Old Fallon’s; sold Tom’s apartment; I sold some land; a few other odds and ends were sold; and Senford delivered the monies to Mineeo.
Me, Tom, and Anne, after all this shit was sorted and done, were sitting in the safe room in my home off Old Market Square. I was exhausted from lack of sleep and let myself seep into my usual recliner. Anne was curled up in her usual chair, drink by her side. She was wearing relatively plain and comfortable clothes. Tom had gotten himself cleaned up after his few days in the clink and seemed very comfortable and even happy sitting in his chair and poured himself a drink. I tried not to look at him.
Mathew, “I know I always say this, but in light of recent events I think it is worth repeating: I do not know for sure how ‘secure’ this room is so mind what you say.”
A bit of silence.
Tom, “So, wanna go to a club, I know a place?” He said it with a smile and laugh, and it of course was meant to be a good-spirited ice breaker.
Anne, “Really, Tom.” Tom, still with a smile on his face turned to me. I was tired. He was still trying to laugh things off and play around to try and diffuse the tension. I don’t know what the look on my face was but Tom’s smile faded and he looked away.
Anne, “You really fucked up, Tom.”
Tom, “Yeah, I know.”
Anne, “You were gonna marry that whore, weren’tcha?
Tom, “I didn’t know she was in some cult.”
Anne, “You knew she sucked guys’ dicks for a living.”
Tom, a bit quietly, “So what.”
Anne, “Whattaya stupid? Gonna marry a whore?”
Tom, “What about you, you’ve been fuckin’ every guy you see the past few years.”
Anne, “Excuse me?”
Tom, “You heard me, you ain’t no saint.”
Anne, “Say it again, bitch, and I’ll come over there and punch ya in the fuckin’ throat.”
Mathew, “Enough.” Anne calms down a bit.
Mathew, “For future reference, Tom, if you plan on marrying marry up, across if you have to, never down.”
Tom, “Is that why you won’t marry Melinda?” I glare at him. Tom, “Hey I’m just . . .” In my head, ‘You were going to marry someone straight out of the gutter.’ Instead I said,
Mathew, “You’re just trying to get out of the hot seat you put yourself in. What did you actually know about her?”
Anne, “Apparently not much.”
Tom, “How the fuck was I suppose to know she was in a cult!?”
Mathew, in an inquiring tone, no sarcasm, “What did you know about her?”
Tom, “She said she came from the South Downs. That was about it.” I nod a few times.
Mathew, “There will be more security for all of us – due to both the cult issue and possible issues going forward with Mineeo.”
Anne, “Do you think they’re connected?”
Mathew, “I dunno. We have to take the possibility into account. Maybe he was just looking for another good investment and figured that Tom’s debt was a way to get the restaurants. I don’t wanna take any chances with someone like him.”
Bit of silence.
Tom, to both of us, “Look . . . I know I screwed up. I’m not gonna bullshit that. I’ll pay you both back for what I cost you.”
Bit of silence.
Mathew, “I don’t know if you can.”
Tom, “I know it’ll take time.”
Mathew, “It’s not just the money or the stuff, it’s our family’s reputation. We came here as refugees with nothing but the clothes on our backs and the shoes on our feet. Peasants. And within several years became one of the richest families in the nation. A lot of people don’t like that and would like to see us fall. There’s . . .”
Tom, “You won’t get the knighthood.”
Mathew, “Bother the knighthood.”
Bit of silence.
Anne, “It’s been kind of warm outside lately. Do you think the bugs will be out again soon?” Tom perks up a bit.
Mathew, “ . . . I think we’ll have to wait and see. Wouldn’t be a bad idea to get ready for them though. They can be pretty annoying.” Anne nods.
Mathew, “This could just be, will be, juicy gossip for a couple of weeks or so, maybe a month. I think once the police and the Academy put the evidence out for the public that will satisfy most. We just need to be patient.”
Silence.
Tom, “I’m sorry.”
Anne, “Sorry won’t fix this. I’m tired,” and Anne quickly leaves the room.
Mathew, “I’m tired, too . . . go get some sleep. The world will look better tomorrow.” I say this mostly to myself, and some to Tom, and I step out of the room.
There was so much more I wanted to say. A lot of swearing . . . a lot of swearing. I know so much more Anne wanted to say. But I think we had said enough and I know I wanted this day to end. To myself, ‘What a mother-fucker this is.’
