CHAPTER TWELVE - HAVE I GOT A SHOCK FOR YOU!

Hey, this writing lark's pretty easy.  You just sit down in front of the keyboard and you find that you just can't stop yourself.  Honest Injun - basic plot aside, I'm just writing each chapter as I go along - no notes to refer to or any kind of prompt.  Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

****** 

Chapter Twelve:

As Ted jumped into his car, he pondered how his plan had gone awry;  he'd only assumed his brother's identity in order to prevent further attempts on his own life, but it hadn't worked out that way and he was puzzled as to who was behind these continued attacks on him - and why.  The world thought him dead, so anyone with a grudge against him had no reason to target Ben - unless he'd wanted not only to kill Ted, but wipe out all those close to him too.  If so, Mary and Karen's lives were also in danger, but he found himself more concerned about Karen than Mary.  Perhaps that was only natural;  after all, Mary, like his brother, had betrayed him, whereas Karen had never done him any harm.  A bit of earache now and again maybe, but that was fair exchange for the 'perks' he was now enjoying, and he realised he had grown fond of Karen - perhaps even loved her.  However, he'd work out how he was going to resolve his personal life later, because right now he had a date with Angelo Benedetto, and one of them wasn't going to enjoy what was about to happen.  Ted was determined that it wasn't going to be him.

******

Every day at one p.m. precisely, Angelo Benedetto sat down to enjoy his favourite meal at a secluded table in an Italian eaterie he owned called 'Hasta La Vista', which means, approximately, 'See You Later'.  It had originally operated under the name of 'Bella Italiano', but had changed, on Benedetto's instruction, when he was put away for two years as a result of his criminal activities being exposed by "On The Spot".  On the first day of his incarceration, Ted had received through the mail a personal invitation to the newly-christened restaurant, and its significance wasn't lost on him.  It was Angelo's way of letting him know that he'd be seeing him again, but Ted viewed it as empty posturing on the part of someone trying to put a scare into him, and that there was no solid threat behind it.  Benedetto had just wanted to keep Ted looking over his shoulder - he wouldn't risk further trouble by actually doing anything.  At least that's what Ted had thought, but he now knew he'd been wrong and Ben had died as a result.

As he pulled up several yards along from Benedetto's place, he mentally prepared himself for what he was about to do.  He slid the briefcase out from under his seat, and attached it to his wrist by means of a pair of handcuffs he'd found under Karen's side of the bed.  Then he got out of the car and started to walk over to the restaurant, when he suddenly heard someone calling Ben's name in a way that was meant to be not much more than a whisper, but was not quite low enough to qualify.  "Ben... Ben... over here, Ben... over here!"  A man stood at the far side of a news-vendor's kiosk, beckoning him over.  Intrigued, and sensing no obvious threat from the man, Ted walked over to him.  "What's up, fella?" he said, in a friendly way, as clearly the individual knew him... or knew Ben to be precise, but Ted was 'in character'.

"What in hell are you doin' here, Ben?  Are you crazy?  What happened to the plan, man, what happened to the plan?  Have you abandoned it?  Why?  I saw on the news... he's dead, man, he's dead - why ain't you him?"  Ted had a bad feeling about what he was hearing, but he couldn't yet isolate the reason as to why.  "The plan?  Oh, yeah, the plan?  Just remind me again," he said.

"You're shittin' me man, you're shittin' me!  I even got the 'item' for you an' everythin'.  You said you was gonna off him and take his place to take the heat offa you, but here you are about to walk into Benny's place.  Are you crazy?  You doin' drugs, man?"

Things were falling into place, and it wasn't a good place to be in.  The meaning of the man's words was beginning to penetrate.  Ted's senses reeled;  his mouth was as dry as an Egyptian mummy's anus, and he felt as if he was going to be sick... for the third time in three weeks.  The man spoke again.  "Lissen, you can walk in there and get yoursel' kilt if you wanna, but I don't want no part of it.  If he learns I helped you steal from him, I'll be dead too - and that ain't no part of my plan, man."  He looked at the briefcase handcuffed to Ted's wrist.  "Is that his money, man, is that his money?  I've spent my share, man, I've spent my share... there ain't no point in you askin' for it back - it's gone, man, gone.  Just don't mention my name to him, I'm beggin' you, please.  No point in both of us gettin' kilt on account of you havin' a death wish, man."

By an iron effort of will, Ted concealed his bubbling emotions and simply said "Better get out of here then.  Things are about to go down - maybe even up - so better get your f cking tent off the grass and get yourself to f ck!"  The man gaped at him for a second in grateful disbelief... and then scurried around a street corner and out of sight.

For the moment, Ted would let him think he was home-free in his involvement in Ben's death, but either he or the police could deal with him later.  Let him talk all he wants - the tale was too fantastic - nobody would believe him anyway.  By some ironic twist of fate, Ted was doing exactly what Ben had planned on doing himself.  The only difference was that it had never been Ted's intention to murder his brother.

He went back to his car to sit and think for a few minutes and iron out everything in his head.  The 'item' the man had referred to was obviously a bomb.  Ben must have driven Ted's car up to the front of the garage and planted the bomb under the hood, probably wiring it to his ignition.  Something must've gone wrong though - Ben had never been much good with any kind of gizmo - couldn't even programme the Tivo - and blown himself to Kingdom Come.  Perhaps he'd accidentally turned the ignition key slightly when he was removing it and it had set off the device.  He'd never know the exact details, but it would've been pretty much like that.  Ben had stolen his wife and had planned to steal his life... literally.

"I'm glad the bastard's dead!" he thought.

Now it was time to turn his attention to Mr. Benedetto.  Ted hoped he was enjoying his meal... it would increase Ben's pleasure in spoiling it.

******

Betcha didn't see that coming, did ya?  See you in chapter thirteen.  Unlucky for whom?             

Posted in: Cartoons