He tries to say something in response but I cut him off.
“Now, we need to talk about what happens after. Where do we go? How do we disappear?”
“I have a guy working on our passports and driver’s licenses. We will have them tomorrow along with the money. The only thing we have to do is decide where we want to go.”
Owen lets out a long sigh of defeat.
“What do you mean?” he asks, finishing his beer and opening another.
I am not sure if we have avoided this topic on purpose or maybe just didn’t want to press our luck in case something went wrong with the first part of the plan, but none of us have actually talked about where we would like to go to start our new lives.
Silence falls for a few moments.
I try to think of my ideal place if there is such a thing.
I never did much traveling but I’ve always loved the idea of it.
Being with new people, experiencing new cultures, eating new food.
But what we are about to embark on isn’t exactly travel.
It’s more like choosing a new place to begin a new life.
“This isn’t a permanent situation,” Nicholas says, reading my mind. “It’s not like we have to get jobs and live undercover.”
“So, we can just travel for a bit?” I ask, my voice rising at the top with the possibility.
Owen clears his throat.
Oh, yes, of course.
There are three of us in this and I doubt that he will want to tag along on a tour of Europe or Australia.
Or maybe he would?
“You did say you always wanted to see the world,” I point out.
“Not a good idea,” Owen says categorically.
I bite the inside of my cheek.
“Why?” I ask.
“If I disappear and don’t report to my parole officer, I’m a fugitive. If they find me then they’ll tack on those remaining years and I’ll have to serve them in prison on top of the additional charges. The less I travel, or rather the less I use a passport for international travel, the better. Maybe it would be a good idea to travel around the US though, but I’m not sure.”
I look down at my hands and twist my sterling silver infinity ring around my right ring finger.
I’m not sure what to say to him or the best way to deal with this.
“So, what are you thinking?” I ask.
He shrugs.
“Are you thinking of staying here?” Nicholas asks.
“You can’t stay here. What if they try to kill you again?” I cut in.
Owen exhales deeply.
“I don’t know,” he whispers under his breath.
The celebration is cut short, not by their incessant arguing but by the slow dawning of reality.
What do we do? Suddenly, the thoughts of flying to Paris first class and visiting Versailles and then having breakfast on a patio overlooking the Eiffel Tower vanish.
I want to bring them back.
I need to have them with me but these fantasies are quickly replaced with worries and the possibilities of what might happen if Owen were to get caught.
“I just feel like there’s no way out,” he says after a moment. “If I stay here, they’re going to kill me. If I run, the cops are going to find me and send me back to prison.”
The defeat on his face makes my heart break.
I reach over to him and wrap my arms around him.
He tilts his head down and places it softly on my shoulder.
“I don’t know what to do either,” I whisper into his ear.
27
Olive
When we are alone…
Without reaching much of a resolution or a decision, Owen leaves us to go to his room for the night.
I give him a brief hug and promise that nothing is going to happen to the painting.
I am sure that he still has his doubts but thankfully he keeps them to himself.
“Finally!” Nicholas says, his voice exploding in excitement.
Reaching into the minibar he pulls out a small bottle of tequila and a candy bar.
Leaning over the TV stand, he leafs through the little binder with the room service menu. “I’m starving,” he adds, “but I didn’t want to have dinner with him. No offense.”
I shrug.
No offense taken but I still find his statement a bit rude.
“I hate this,” I blurt out and immediately regret it.
“What’s wrong?”
“I hate this…feud you two have. I wish you would be friends.”
“I’m trying,” he points out.
And I see it.
It’s really mainly Owen who isn’t trying very hard, yet I can’t help but see his position.
Nicholas slept with his girlfriend and then she ended up dead.
He thinks he had something to do with it.
It’s probably a miracle that every interaction they’ve had hasn’t resulted in a full-blown fight.
“Yes, I know you are,” I agree, putting my hand on his.
“You want me to try harder?” he asks, pulling himself a little closer.
I press my lips onto his, but when he opens his mouth, I put my head on his shoulder.
I want to kiss him but I want to feel better about this first.
“I have something that might cheer you up,” Nicholas suddenly says, standing up and reaching behind the dresser.
A moment later he pulls out the Monet.
I stare at him unable to believe my eyes.
I look at him and then back at the painting and then back at him.
“How? Wait, but I was with you…” The words come out as fragments as I try to organize a coherent thought.
“You took it?” I finally ask.
He nods.
“But why?”
“Why else? It’s worth a ton and it was there.”
“Yes, of course.” I shrug.
“Olive, frankly, I thought you would be a lot more excited about this,” he says, propping the painting up against the wall.
I think I should be, too, but I’m also taken aback.
I thought that we would talk about it first.
And then something else occurs to me.
“Why didn’t you show it to Owen when he was here?” I ask.
Nicholas turns away from me, ostensibly to fix the way the painting is leaning on the wall, but not really.
“Nicholas?” I press.
“Why do you think?” he asks, turning to face me.
He crosses his arms over his chest and withdraws somewhere far away.
“You’re not planning on telling Owen?” I challenge him.
“I don’t know what I’m planning to do but I didn’t want to tell him then. I wanted to talk to you about it first.”
This isn’t a ridiculous notion but it still makes me angry.
“I just don’t think you two will ever get along,” I finally say.
“No kidding,” he agrees. “But don’t you see? He’s the one who is making it so hard.”
I do see that but I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it.
He’s my brother. He’s family and he needs my help.
But in order to help him, I need Nicholas’ help.
“Where do you want to go?” I ask.
“With or without Owen?”