I go closer. “I thought I’d check in on you to see how you were doing.” My smile is mocking. “Apparently, not so well.”
The cane shakes in his hand, but he doesn’t say anything because he can’t form words without his tongue. The unintelligible sound that comes from his mouth is the best he can do.
“Don’t worry.” I push the cane away. “I didn’t come here to kill you.”
He steps back, loses his footing, and drops down on the chair.
“I just wanted to see for myself how low you’ve fallen.”
Reino opens an adjoining door that leads to a closet bathroom with a moldy shower cubicle and a dirt-brown toilet.
Sticking his head around the jamb, he mutters, “Nice place.”
From the smell wafting from the bathroom, Teszner isn’t big on cleaning. I bet he never cleaned his own shit from his toilet before.
Even with a bandage covering his eyes, the helpless anger on his chubby features is clear.
Unable to resist, I go closer. At the sound of my footsteps, he leans back.
I cup his nape and hold him in place so that I can look into his eyeless face. “How does it feel? Crushing your windpipe and letting you choke on your own blood will be a merciful end compared to what you’re suffering now, but you don’t deserve mercy, do you?”
Sweat beads on his forehead as he strains in my hold.
“I could step on your face and pin you to the floor as I cut off your dick.”
He shudders.
“It’s a pity you wouldn’t be able to see that.” I tighten my hold. “I guess it’s a good thing you can still feel.”
“Dante.” Reino touches my arm. “Let’s go.”
An uncontrollable urge to squash the pathetic man in front of me like that cockroach under his clothes compels me to keep him in place.
“Dante.”
I look at Reino.
He tilts his head to the door. “Let’s go.”
I release Teszner with a shove. “I think I’ll let you rot. It’ll be more fun.” Turning my back on him, I follow Reino to the doorway. On the threshold, I stop and look back at the man cowering like a shivering poodle on the chair. “And don’t bother to lock your door. I’ll drop in often.”
The day breaks over the rooftops when we leave the shabby house.
Reino walks quietly next to me to the car. He only speaks when he’s steering the vehicle into the street. “I’m not going to say I told you so.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“But you wanted to.”
My phone rings. I take it out of my pocket. It’s Sav. He knows I’m always up early.
I swipe the button to take the call. “Morning.”
“You need to come see me.”
“I can be there before breakfast.”
“I’ll get croissants.”
