Episode Nine

Del and Tash get ready to exchange the money for Suze

Photo by Cottonbro

"Um, what are you wearing?" Tash blurts out as she opens the door to Del, who’s dressed all in black.

Del frowns, looking down at himself. "Well, I didn't know what to wear, so I thought this made sense."

Tash laughs, deepening the hurt look on Del’s face.

"It's okay. Sorry, People tell me I have no filter. Let me start over. Hi, Del, come on into my humble abode." Tash holds her hand out as Del clasps it and walks into her small bungalow's living room/dining room.

She follows his eye as he looks around her living room. Suddenly, every nick in her furniture and hole in the carpet became glaring. She knows he notices, too. His eyes linger on the second-hand furniture. Tash runs her hand through her hair.

"I'm sure it's not up to your standards, but it's my little slice of life." She has no idea what Del or anyone else sees when they enter her home. She didn't invite many people in. She hurriedly cleaned about an hour ago when she realized Del might expect to come in. Especially considering he was giving her a lot of money, why wouldn’t he expect to come in?

“Is that it?" she asked, eyeing the gym bag he'd set near the door as he walked in.

"It is. All $40,000." He pats the side of the bag.

"Wow. Can I?" She reaches for the bag before Del responds.

"Sure. It's all there, but if you want to count it, go ahead," Del picks up the bag and hands it to Tash.

"No, it’s just, I've never seen that much money before."

Tash looks down at the floor, realizing her fuzzy sock has a hole in the toe.

Del chuckles. "Not many people have. Not even me."

Tash looks up, her jaw dropping open.

“How do you not just swim around in all of your money?” She laughs, thinking of Scrooge McDuck.

"What, you think I’m Scrooge McDuck? Swimming around in my silo of money? That’s not a very responsible way to handle money.” He walks further into the small living room. “Contrary to what most people think, most wealthy people don't have this kind of cash on hand.”

Tash's laugh takes on a high-pitched quality as she hides her foot with the holey sock behind her other leg. She looks down at his sneaker-clad feet. Del probably doesn’t have any socks with holes.

“I do have one question before this clandestine operation begins,” Del clears his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, “why would you be at an ATM if the people who have Suze asked for $40,000? Last time I checked, ATMs had a withdrawal limit.”

Tash looks at him as if she knew this question would come up. She puts the bag on the table before turning back to Del.

“Well, it wasn’t for that much, not initially. They were willing to accept a down payment, but when I didn’t show,” she shrugs, “they figured I’d brought the cops. So, they upped the ante. I think to show that they hold all of the cards. Which they do."

Del nods, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “But how did they think you would get $40,000? I mean, you’re an out-of-work ex-cop. No offense, but that doesn’t scream, ‘I have $40,000 lying around.’ Where did they think that money would come from?”

“I’ve asked myself the same question,” she peers up at Del, then narrows her eyes at him. “Why were you in that part of town? It’s not the safest, no matter the time of day, but especially at that time.”

“Why do I get the feeling you're deflecting my question?” Del moves closer to the bag of money. Tash’s hand twitches like she’s involuntarily going to grab the bag full of cash but stills her hand at the last moment.

“I’m not.” Tash rubs her forehead as she starts pacing back and forth. “I just don’t have any answers. I’ve been asking myself that same question – why Suze? Why me? And at least ten additional questions like, why would this group kidnap a junkie whose entire family has disowned her? And whose ex-cop girlfriend doesn’t have the connections she used to? So why Suze? Why her? And by extension, why me?” Tash’s breath becomes ragged, struggling to inhale when she sags against the small dining table. She pulls the chair out. The legs squeal across the linoleum floor.

Del grabs her arm, helping her into the chair. She puts her head down and mumbles into her elbow.

“Um, are you okay? I didn’t mean to cause –” He moves to the chair opposite Tash, pulling it out to sit, moving a stack of unpaid bills from it first. He puts the pile on the table where it had been earlier.

Tash peers over her arm, her breath still coming in ragged bursts.

“Now, who’s not answering questions,” the words come out faint and choppy as she tries to regain a regular breathing pattern.

“No, it’s just that, well, there’s someone I was visiting, and I didn’t have the money I said I’d give her,” he looks down at the table, absentmindedly picking up one of the many past-due notices.

Tash watches him while practicing her box breathing. Inhale for four, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. Her breathing becomes calmer.

“I’m not a prude, Del. I know what happens in that part of town,” Tash glances at her watch.

Del blushes. “I, well, I’m,” he clears his throat, “not so great with dating—” his shoulders slump.

“Please don’t tell anyone. If the tabloids get a hold of this, my publicist will be really mad. It would tarnish my reputation.” He folds and unfolds the piece of mail he’d picked up.

“So the forty grand isn’t just a repayment for saving your life? It’s hush money?” Tash snatches the Overdue bill from his hand, placing it back on the pile.

“I should have figured. No one does anything for good reasons anymore.” What did she expect? That someone would do something nice.

Through clenched teeth, Tash pushes herself away from the table. “Let’s get going. I don’t want to be late again,” she says. Standing, she quickly leans on the table, shaking her head as if to clear it.

“Do you need me to –” Del stands, reaching for her across the table.

She shakes off his offered hand. “No, I’m good. Let’s go,” Tash slowly walks over to the door and grabs her jacket, then after pausing a moment, she grabs Suze’s jacket. Suze’ll want it when she brings her home.