The Sauna Part 228

Richie entered the café where Elaine was sitting alone, typing away on her laptop. He made eye contact with the PI who was sitting nearby at another table, sipping a latte and pretending to read the paper. She never even noticed his approach as he pulled out a chair and sat down. She looked up with annoyance, her features suddenly shifting as she recognized who had sat down without invitation.

“I think that it’s time that we talked” he said quietly.

“Richie?” she whispered, her eyes filled with shock and surprise.

“Elaine” he said simply.

Richie was struck by the overwhelming feeling of calm that enveloped him as he sat across from her, studying her face. He’d expected to feel anger, even rage, when he set eyes on her, but he didn’t. What he felt was a mixture of sadness and regret, but also resolution, when he looked at her as he knew that he could never love her again. The questions he’d wrestled with for so many days and nights no longer seemed to matter. He really had little to say.

“Richie! How did you … oh, never mind! I’m so glad you’re here! There’s so much I’ve needed to tell you. It was all Jon …” she began, but he held up his hand to stop her.

“Don’t go there, Elaine. I’m not a fool, although I sure acted like one when I let you convince me to elope. But I came to my senses, so please save your breath and spare me the lies. I’m not here to discuss what happened” he said.

Elaine was completely undone as she stared into his eyes and realized there was no hint of warmth left in them. He’s not gonna buy it, she thought to herself. Jon got to him first and he trusts him too much to believe he’d betray him. It is really over, but he’s not gonna get away lightly. I might not be able to get what I’d hoped for, but I’m not walking away for a bloody song, either, mister rock star.

“Richie, I made a mistake; I admit that. I know I can’t undo what I’ve done, but I still love you and I want us to be friends” she tried, smiling sweetly.

“I wanted to love you, Elaine, I really did. I wanted us to share the joy and peace I saw grow between Trish and Jon. But we don’t always get what we want and the fantasy’s over now. It’s time we moved on” he said coolly.

“Richie, I still love you and I know that I hurt you …” she tried again, reaching out to rekindle his affection.

“You betrayed me and nearly destroyed me, Elaine. I loved what I wanted to see in you, what I believed was buried deep down inside, and that faith nearly cost me the best friend I’ve ever had. You taught me that wishing won’t make it so and I came here to tell you that it’s over and that I never want to see you again. Am I making myself clear enough?” he said firmly.

“Richie, please. I don’t want to lose you …” she pleaded tearfully, almost convincing herself it was true.

She was desperately fighting the fact that she was losing ground with every word from her lips. He’d always responded to tears, she’d seen it before and she’d learned to produce whatever emotion she needed to show. Surely she could move him to forgiveness if she appeared remorseful enough.

Richie saw through the act and wondered how he’d been so deceived. She was good, he’d give her that. She was a consummate con artist, a master manipulator. Why hadn’t he seen it before?

“Stop it, just stop the charade. I’m willing to discuss a settlement with you, but the relationship’s over and I want no further contact after today. That’s a condition of any agreement we reach. Is that understood?” he persisted, beginning to lose patience.

“Fine, if that’s what you want. What are you offering, then?” she responded, her tone changing completely.

Elaine finally realized that Richie wasn’t going to be swayed by her words or her tears. Jon and Trish had obviously done their job well and poisoned him against her and she had run out of tricks. He wasn’t biting, so she might as well get down to business and see what he was willing to pay to be free of her.

Richie smiled with some satisfaction as he locked onto her eyes. He’d held firm and she’d actually dropped the act and he now had the confirmation he needed to put any lingering doubts about her to rest. She really was what he’d finally come to accept; a cold, heartless bitch who was incapable of any genuine feelings for others. God, what a fool I’ve been, he thought to himself. Maybe I just wasn’t watching her closely enough or maybe I just needed to believe in something or someone.

“I’m offering you more than you deserve, but less than my lawyer initially proposed. I’ll give you two million dollars to just walk away, but absolutely no support. That’s more than you’re likely to ever see me offer again and I suggest that you take it before I change my mind” he replied smoothly.

“Two million! What, are you kidding me? I’ve seen you spend more than that without blinking an eye! That’s fucking pocket change and I’m not settling for crumbs from your table! You’ve ruined my reputation, reduced me to poverty and interfered with my ability to even defend myself in the press with your injunctions! You owe me, you bloody bastard!” she screeched like a banshee.

“Take it or leave it, you she-devil” he replied with a smirk. “Twenty seconds and counting” he added, glancing at his watch.

Elaine stood up from the table in a rage, spilling her coffee and slamming her laptop shut. There weren’t many people in the café now, but the customers that were there were all watching with interest. Richie remained in his seat, hiding the smile on his face as he quietly counted down the seconds like a ticking time bomb.

“I’ll see you in court” she screamed menacingly and raced for the exit.

Richie was staring at the overturned coffee cup, knowing her threats were impotent. His lawyer had already told him that she wasn’t entitled to that much given the short duration of the marriage and he wasn’t worried. He began to mop up the spilt coffee when suddenly there was a screech from outside. His head whipped around and he saw people rushing outside where a crowd was beginning to gather. He stood up and ran to the door.

Elaine lay in the street, her purse and her laptop scattered nearby, and blood draining onto the pavement. A stunned driver stood by the car that had squealed to a halt only moments too late. Richie knelt by the unmoving figure that lay in the street and gazed down at the woman who’d tried to destroy him.

“Call an ambulance, for God’s sake” he bellowed as his heart threatened to beat out of his chest.

Suddenly he was paralyzed and time seemed to stand still. Traffic whizzed by on the other side of the road as people crowded around the two figures in the street. A young man in a suit knelt beside Richie and placed two fingers on Elaine’s neck, checking her pulse.

“It’s too late” he pronounced and Richie sank to the ground in a heap as Elaine’s blood pooled around him.


******************


We were waiting in Richie’s room, trying to keep ourselves occupied while we waited for news. Jon had called all the guys to give them a head’s up and like the brothers they were, they had all come to join us as we kept our vigil. There was little conversation and the atmosphere was charged with uneasiness as we concentrated on our own thoughts. Jon paced by the window, silently willing Richie to stay strong, and cursing his inability to rescue his friend.

I fervently prayed to the Goddess and God to keep Richie in their safe keeping and Tico sat with his arms on his knees and a frozen look of concentration on his face. Hugh appeared to be praying as well as he sat motionless with his hands folded together. David was squeezing an orange he’d taken from the basket of fruit in the room and I gathered he was imagining it was Elaine’s throat. Jon’s cell phone rang and we all jumped, startled by the familiar sound.

“Richie?” Jon said, holding his breath unconsciously as he stopped pacing.

“Jesus, Jon, it’s all over. Elaine’s gone” Richie’s voice trembled and broke as he spoke.

“Gone? What the fuck do you mean she’s gone?” Jon asked, panic gripping his belly, but more because of the strangled sound he heard coming from Richie.

We all got to our feet, surrounding Jon, who clearly wanted to pace but was trapped by the group of us who were listening attentively. I studied his face, trying to guess what it meant.

“She’s dead, Jon. There was an accident” Richie cried, tears streaming down his face.

“Dead? Richie, man, where the fuck are you? We’ll be right there” Jon said, sounding alarmed.

“I’m still at the café” he answered tonelessly, numbness beginning to set in again.

“Okay, bro, we’re on our way” Jon said reassuringly as he kept talking to Richie and got the name of the place.

“October Café” he whispered to me as he motioned for us to follow him.

David was already ahead of Jon and had raced down the hall to the elevator and pressed the button. We crowded into the lift and descended into the lobby and I ran to the front desk.

“We need a cab fast! The October Café. How far away is it?” I said breathlessly.

“It’s only a block away. You could probably walk there a bit faster” the clerk told me, motioning to the door and pointing to the left. “It’ll take you ten minutes.”

The guys were outside the hotel on the sidewalk, waiting anxiously for the cab when I met them.

“C’mon! It’s just down the block. We can run!” I cried as I streaked by them.

We ran the short distance towards the café, another ambulance screaming by us in the same direction. We were there in less than ten minutes and we piled into the coffee shop, never even stopping to witness the scene in the street. Richie was our only concern.

I spotted him first, slumped at a table with his back to the melee. He was sitting at the same table he’d shared less than an hour ago with Elaine. I ran to his side and wrapped my arms around him, stooping to hold him against me.

“Oh Trish, it was awful. There’s so much blood…” he said in a whisper.

“It’s okay, Richie, we’re here. We’re all here, baby” I said, stroking his back and trying to comfort him.

He was traumatized and his eyes looked glassy as he raised his head from my chest and realized we were all there by his side. No one knew what to say, but Jon needed the details. He was on auto pilot himself now and he responded to every crisis by first assessing the facts.

“Richie, what happened?” he asked, looking around as though the empty restaurant held some sort of clues.

“She ran out the door. She didn’t see the car …” Richie said, still trying to absorb the events.

Jon breathed a sigh of relief. It really had been an accident and clearly there were witnesses. He hated to admit that for one brief moment he’d worried that Richie had lost it and struck her. He sat down next to his best friend and the pain in Jon’s eyes spoke volumes about how well he knew Richie. How could he minimize the damage and should he cancel the show?