Chapter XIX
"Well, took long enough."
A dull thudding sound followed this affirmation, and Phoebe finally dared to look back. She found Saul bending over Fredo's limp form. "Saul?" She questioned incredulously. She'd always thought the lieutenant was untrustworthy, but she never imagined he intended to kill his boss. At best, she believed he was skimming Fredo's earnings.
"I guess I should thank you and your new squeeze for that one, Lara. Although at first I was mad as hell at that boy. Turner messed up that perfect plan," While talking, Saul emptied the gun he was holding in his gloved hands and he quickly grabbed the weapon Fredo was still clutching in his own lifeless hand. "I'd spent months working out a plan. All the time it took to find the right patsies to do the job for me. All those times I had to endure this old geezer's reproaches and his disgusting weaknesses. Everything was perfect and then this idiot," he added, indicating Cole dejectedly, "had to come and save the day. Heroes! What are you gonna do with them?" Saul spat on the ground and then he looked back with a cruel smirk. "But since he gave me an even better idea, I can't stay mad at him." Saul came slowly towards them, probably fearing that they were armed. When he got near and saw they weren't, he casually dropped the empty gun by their sides before pursuing his sinister monologue. "Well, it's been fun, but all good things must come to an end. Now, it's time to say good night Lara. Take comfort in the fact that you gave the performance of your life before you had to call it quits."
Phoebe almost tried to beg for their lives but she knew it was useless and she didn't want to give Saul the satisfaction. She saw that he was expecting her to do it. He was watching her so intensely, she believed he would get a hard on from her begging. When he understood she wouldn't beg, he shrugged and stepped back slowly, still obviously relishing the fear he saw in Phoebe's eyes. "Yes, little girl. You should've known better than to cross me," he taunted again as he cocked the gun and aimed at Phoebe's head. Behind her, Cole stirred and then he grabbed her hand weakly, but all she could do was squeeze in response and then again, she waited for the inevitable.
Robbie's voice startled both Phoebe and Saul. "Saul, what the hell is going on," the young gangster uttered nervously when he spotted Fredo's inert body.
"Those two killed the boss and I'm about to avenge him." Saul replied calmly.
Robbie seemed uncertain. "They didn't have a gun," he uttered hesitantly. Robbie was holding his own gun which he found on the ground next to him as he came to.
"Obviously, you were mistaken about that," Saul continued.
Robbie still appeared unconvinced and Phoebe made a last ditch attempt. "He's lying, Robbie. He killed Fredo and he's trying to stick it on us." When she saw that Robbie wasn't reacting, she added, "He'll kill you too. He can't have anyone doubting his story."
This got a reaction out of the young man. He turned suspicious eyes toward Saul as he trained his gun on the lieutenant. "Is this true?"
Saul glared angrily at Phoebe as he answered. "You can't believe anything this tramp is saying, Robbie. She's just trying to save her skin."
Robbie kept his gun aimed at Saul, even as he seemed to be more unsure by the moment. "She can't expect I'd let her go, Saul. I know she's not that stupid. She's got nothing to gain…" In the background to their conversation, mixing with the screams of panic they could hear coming from the front of the club, sirens began to resound increasingly louder.
"She's just buying herself some time. She probably thinks the cavalry is on its way to save her in extremis. Now, you hear the sirens like I do. We've got to end this and leave before the cops get here." Saul replied with a hint of impatience.
Robbie glanced undecidedly from Saul to Phoebe and back before he spoke again. "You promised me I'd get her to play with."
Saul glared at him at this, but he seemed to change his mind quickly. "True enough, I did. Why don't you go get your prize and I'll take care of finishing off Turner?"
The groan Cole uttered behind her told Phoebe that he was holding on and she suddenly found some fight left in her as well. The sirens had indeed given her a small glimmer of hope and she prepared to fight off Robbie, hoping it would gain her and Cole some time. Unfortunately, her predictions about Saul's intentions had been right on the mark. As soon as Robbie dropped his suspicions along with his aim on Saul, he turned toward them with a lurid smirk. It was obvious that Robbie's lust was more powerful than his brains because he headed toward Phoebe right away. Before he could reach her however, Saul shot him in the back and Robbie fell almost in slow motion, with a look of utter surprise spreading across his features. He was dead before he hit the ground. "I don't know how many times I told him that curiosity was unhealthy. Some people never learn," Saul quipped with a self-satisfied tone of voice. As soon as he was certain that Robbie was dead too, he returned his attention toward Phoebe and Cole. "Where were we? Oh right, you were saying good bye…"
"Drop the gun," suddenly came Paul's loud and angry shout.
Saul looked up in disbelief. "You can't be here," he said as he spotted the journalist with a gun trained on him. "I sent men to kill you!"
"Obviously, you need to get yourself a more efficient staff. Maybe it would help if you weren't killing your own," Paul added, nodding toward Fredo and Robbie's bodies. "Now," he added, "I said, drop the gun asshole!"
Rather than obeying the order, Saul redirected his aim toward Paul and shot in his direction. Paul barely had time to duck and hide around the corner. He was about to try taking a shot at Saul, when he heard another weapon go off. For a second he feared that Saul shot at Phoebe and Cole, but when he dared a quick glance, he saw Phoebe holding a smoking gun and Saul vacillating while his own weapon fell out of his hands.
"Die, you son of a bitch," Phoebe exclaimed, albeit in a shaky voice. She kept the weapon trained on Saul with a trembling hand until this one dropped to the ground, and even afterward as Paul came back toward them hurriedly.
Paul cautiously took Robbie's gun out of Phoebe's hand, which she had time to retrieve thanks to Paul's interruption, and then he bent toward her worriedly. "Are you ok?" he questioned before turning his attention toward Cole without waiting for an answer. "Cole!"
By then, Cole was unconscious and unable to respond. "Cole," Paul screamed again, with a desperate note to his voice which shook Phoebe out of her trance.
"You've gotta do something!"
Paul only hesitated a moment and then he rushed away without another word.
"Hang on, Cole," Phoebe said then, trusting that Paul was going to get some help. She lifted his head onto her lap and she caressed his forehead while her tears began flowing again. "Please, don't leave me…" she whispered.
~~~~~~
Their steps echoed loudly in the poorly lit hallway. Paul accompanied Phoebe, who wore dark sunglasses in spite of the semi-darkness. She had on a dark dress and a scarf covering her head and rolled around her neck. They were following an orderly who finally stopped in front of a door marked "Morgue". Phoebe suddenly halted with a short intake of breath as the orderly opened the door and held it for them.
Paul solicitously wrapped his arm around Phoebe's shoulders. "Are you sure you're up to this?"
Phoebe didn't answer, but she nodded weakly in the affirmative before slowly entering the room. She was assaulted by the cold air coming from inside and a chill coursed through her. However, Phoebe wasn't certain if it was the cold that caused her chill or the thought of being in this place. On both sides were rows of metal doors with big latches. In the middle of the room stood a bare gurney beside a table covered with instruments that could have been found in a torture chamber. All in all, the whole place had a creepy feel about it. She jumped when she heard the loud sound of metal sliding on metal as the orderly slowly pulled a large tray on which rested a body covered with a shroud. Phoebe recoiled at the sight and Paul noticed. "You don't have to do this now. I'm sure they can…"
"No!" Phoebe interrupted. "I want to. Then it'll truly be over." She managed shakily as she slowly headed toward the body. The orderly waited until she stopped beside him before he uncovered the face of Fredo Turello.
"Is that him?" He asked calmly.
"That's Fredo Turello." Phoebe confirmed.
The orderly looked up at this. "I know this seems useless, but the law is the law. Thank you for coming."
"That's ok," Phoebe uttered in a little voice before decidedly turning her back to her former lover for good. Paul nodded toward the orderly and this one reinserted the drawer inside the wall while Phoebe headed out, soon followed by Paul.
As soon as the door closed behind them, Phoebe turned to Paul with a grimace. "I need a drink!"
"I'll see what I can do, but you know it's against the law…"
"Don't give me that!" Phoebe replied with the beginning of a grin. "Plus you owe me. You got me sent to prison!"
"Hey, don't bite the messenger and besides, you only stayed there a few days." Paul looked back at the morgue at this. "And really, it's a good thing. I think his body was getting ripe in spite of the fridge."
Phoebe made a gagging sound and started walking away.
"Anyway," Paul pursued as he caught up with her, "I had to give Leo something. He found out about you and he was so pissed they didn't get anything against the other gangs."
"So, you thought, "Why not give him a little reward", and who cares that I had to go back in prison?"
"No offence, Phoebe, but you brought it on yourself. I'm not the one who escaped from a Reform School years ago."
Phoebe shot an irate glance at Paul, but he didn't flinch. "Anyway, you should count yourself lucky I found this Sandy. Now, you really are free. No one will ever come after you."
Phoebe became thoughtful for a moment and Paul wondered about it. "Did you get a chance to talk to her? I know she was very upset about the past. I guess it took a lot of courage for her to tell her story."
"I know it did," Phoebe trailed. "I made sure she would at least be compensated. It's only money but…"
"Money? What money," Paul questioned curiously, as he opened the door leading to a flight of stairs.
Phoebe's lack of response, as she started up the stairs, gave Paul renewed suspicion. "That wouldn't be dirty money, would it? The stuff Leo couldn't find?" After the major players in Fredo's gang were killed, including the boss himself, exhaustive searches only uncovered small pieces of evidence, but what was prominently missing was the profits from the racketeering. To Leo and his bosses' dismay, nothing was found. The few of Fredo's men who were interrogated all said they had no idea where Fredo hid his stash. Now, Paul began to suspect Phoebe knew exactly where it was, but he decided against insisting about it. "Forget I asked," he dismissed as he opened another door onto a bright corridor two stories up from the morgue.
Phoebe gave him a knowing smile before heading out of the staircase.
~~~~~~
Sandy opened the door to grab her mail and was surprised to find a brown paper package sitting on her porch. A note was attached to it that only said, "I'm sorry for the pain my family caused you. Take this with my eternal gratitude for your sacrifice." It was simply signed P.H.
Uncertainly, Sandy picked up the package and she went back inside without even bothering to pick up the mail she had gone out for. Once inside, she deposited the package on her worn out kitchen table and she sat heavily on a rickety chair. Then she stared at it for long minutes before gingerly undoing the wrapping. When she saw the stacks of money of all denominations, Sandy was grateful she was sitting as she became dizzy. "Oh my god," she exclaimed, attracting the attention of a boy about twelve years of age, who came in the kitchen at this moment. The boy had sweet hazelnut eyes unlike his mother's blue ones.
"What's wrong mom?"
"Nothing! Nothing is wrong," Sandy uttered shakily as she indicated the contents of the package to her son who opened wide eyes at the sight.
~~~~~~
Phoebe and Paul stopped in front of a room with the number 204 painted on the door. Paul saw her hesitating and he sensed she was a little worried about what she would find inside. "It's fine. He couldn't wait for you to get back. You have no idea what Leo had to endure after Cole found out what he'd done," Paul added with a big grin.
Phoebe smiled weakly before she slowly pushed the door open. The last time she saw Cole, he was barely conscious and he had tubes coming out of him. The cops had come for her just after Cole got out of surgery and it had been torture for her to wait in prison in spite of Paul's regular updates. Now after almost a week, Phoebe wondered if things could have changed. She had a lot of time to think and mostly to worry about Cole's possible change of heart. She worried that after things calmed down he might see her in a different light. Phoebe also wondered if he had the same concerns about her. However, when she saw him asleep in the hospital bed with only the bandage across his chest as a reminder of his wound, Phoebe forgot all about her fears as her heart swelled with affection. She took a few steps and then stopped, staring at him in silence until Paul questioned her attitude. "Hey I thought you were impatient to see him?"
"I thought you said he was too," she said with a hint of amusement to her voice.
"Who said I wasn't," Cole uttered while still keeping his eyes closed. "Took you long enough," he added for Paul, as he opened his eyes and a bright smile spread over his lips.
"We had a little unpleasant business to take care of," Paul explained quite uselessly as neither Cole nor Phoebe, were paying him any attention. "Alright," he said at last, "I guess I'll leave you two alone. Be good children…"
Cole only nodded without answering or looking toward his friend and Paul grinned before heading out of the room.
"How are you?" Phoebe finally asked hesitantly.
"I'll be much better if you come closer," Cole answered.
Phoebe came to sit on the bed somewhat stiffly and Cole frowned. "Is there something the matter Phoebe? I thought…"
"Hey, nothing's the matter," Phoebe interrupted quickly.
"You look nervous…"
"I was just thinking that…"
"You were wondering if my feelings changed…"
Phoebe was taken aback by his direct comment. She finally met his eyes and these had a spark that reassured her immediately. "Yeah, I did…"
"You really didn't have to be…There's nothing in heaven or hell that will change the way I feel about you, but…"
"I love you," Phoebe interrupted softly.
The sigh of relief he exhaled told Phoebe she had been right about his own concerns.
"I missed you so much Phoebe. I could have killed that prick Leo." Cole said then as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. Phoebe lay beside him and nested her face in his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his body like a balm that could quiet all of her worries. "He's lucky he saved Paul," Cole pursued, even as he began caressing her hair tenderly, "or I'd have whooped his ass, bullet or no bullet."
"It's ok," Phoebe sighed in utter contentment. "In a way, it was a good thing. Now, like Paul said, I'm really free." Phoebe closed her eyes, just happy to feel him beside her. However, when he didn't reply, she began to wonder about his silence. "What is it?"
"When you say free," Cole asked hesitantly as he stopped his caress momentarily.
"I meant free from the past…" Phoebe opened her eyes and she pulled away slightly to gaze into Cole's eyes. "But don't get your hopes up; you won't get rid of me so easily."
"I sure as hell hope not," Cole uttered huskily before pulling him to her and kissing her deeply. He so wanted to make sure she was for real. The past few days had been rather rough, but throughout his ordeal, the thought of not seeing her again had been the most painful. Soon, he was caressing her thighs, impatiently pulling at her dress while they both forgot where they were. Phoebe responded with just as much ardour, leaning heavily against him as she caressed his obviously naked buttocks through the thin hospital sheet. That's when Cole was reminded painfully that he had not fully recovered from his wound. As he pulled Phoebe almost on top of him, he emitted a loud grunt of pain and Phoebe pulled away fearfully. "Oh no, did I hurt you?"
"Please," Cole uttered with a grimace, "you're making me feel like a wimp."
"Nah," Phoebe protested softly while caressing his face tenderly, "I just prefer to have you in one piece."
Cole tried to bring her back to him, as his desire was still very much present, but Phoebe didn't let him. "Come on, we'll have plenty of time after…"
"After what," Cole questioned with a vague pout of disappointment.
"Well, first, why don't you tell me how Leo saved Paul," Phoebe asked instead of answering the question. There was something she had to tell him, but she wasn't ready just yet.
"Do we really have to do this now," Cole groaned, still caressing her thighs suggestively.
"Do I have to get up?"
Cole pouted anew but he relented. "Alright, your loss."
"I intend to use you for all you're worth when you're better…" Phoebe teased comically.
"Is that the after you just referred to," Cole questioned.
"Tell me about Leo," Phoebe said, side-stepping the question.
Cole frowned uncertainly, but he obliged. "Well, you know how Paul found himself in the alley playing hero… By the way, did I tell you how brave I think you are?" Cole cooed.
"Leo," Phoebe cut him insistently.
Cole sighed, before continuing, "Well, seems that one of Fredo's men had become a liability to Saul and when he almost got shot by Robbie, he decided that he might as well take his chances with the cops. Leo was called for this interrogation and when Marco got to his suspicions about Saul, Leo thought that he should warn us. Since there was no phone at the apartment where Paul brought Lydia and me, Leo went there himself. Thankfully, Paul had told him about it because when Leo got there, he was just in time to stop Saul's hit men. He shot one and the other surrendered. Then Paul and he got the second one to talk and Paul rushed to the Pharaoh Club while Leo called re-enforcements. They arrived there just in time to see the bonfire and save both our asses." Cole finished with a grin. When he saw that Phoebe seemed slightly uncomfortable, he pursued, "How's the Pharaoh by the way?"
"Nothing left but cinder. Thank god no one got hurt. Of course, I didn't tell anyone what I did…"
"Don't worry; we were quite desperate…"
"I wasn't thinking," Phoebe uttered remorsefully. "It could have gotten really ugly."
Phoebe fell silent again and Cole got the distinct impression there was something else on her mind. "Is the fire the only thing that bothers you," he questioned after a few seconds.
"Well…I…I received an offer…"
Her hesitation alarmed Cole, but he tried not to show it right away. "Really? From whom? Weren't you in prison?"
"One of the promoters that was present the other night sent a message to Fredo's the next day. Seems he didn't care about the outcome and he liked my performance so much, he offered me a tour. Paul passed on the message to me and I went to see him this morning…"
"A tour…" Cole asked reluctantly.
"In California…"
Cole's heart sank all at once. "California," he repeated forlornly.
"But not to worry," Phoebe continued quickly, "I told him I wouldn't decide anything before I discussed it with my husband."
"What?" Cole exclaimed, flabbergasted. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Which is what I was getting to," Phoebe pursued as if there hadn't been any interruption.
"What husband?" Cole questioned curtly.
"The one I'll have if he answers yes."
Cole watched her with his mouth open but no sound came out of it. His expression was so comical that she couldn't stop herself from suddenly bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
Cole finally found his voice and he uttered grumpily, "I don't see what's funny…"
"If you could have seen your face…"
"Women don't ask men for marriage. My overblown male ego can't cope with that…"
"Hum… Are you afraid," Phoebe offered as her giggling barely gave signs of waning.
"I feel like a goddamn girly girl here," Cole protested, although barely able to contain a mounting hilarity. "Am I supposed to live off you too? Oh do you have an engagement ring for me?"
"Well, if your answer is no, you should just say so," Phoebe replied with faked indignity. She tried to get up at this point, but Cole didn't see it this way and he pulled her to him abruptly in spite of the tenderness in his chest. "I don't think I gave you an answer yet."
"So…" Phoebe questioned with an amused smile, although her breath visibly quickened at his proximity.
"If I say yes, will you still respect me in the morning," Cole whispered hoarsely.
"If we're married I guess I'll have to…"
"Hum..." Cole grumbled as his hands once again wandered to her lower back. "And will I get my reward?"
"What's your answer?"
"Can I have a moment to think about it?"
Phoebe pulled away with a growl, but he didn't let her, "Yes… my answer is yes," he grinned.
"I fully intend to get an engagement ring," Phoebe teased before kissing him softly.
The door to the room burst opened, startling both of them and Paul entered carrying a paper bag that looked very much like it contained a bottle. "Well, I see that it's time to celebrate…"
"How long have you been standing there," Cole questioned suspiciously while Paul unveiled a bottle of champagne.
"Long enough to know what I've always suspected… You're just a big softy…"
"If I wasn't just shot, Paul McKail!"
"I'm not worried," Paul shot back with an even wider grin. "I can take a girl any day of the week…"
"See what you've done," Cole told Phoebe with a falsely reproachful frown. "Now I'll never hear the end of this…"
Rather than answering this, Phoebe pulled him to her and kissed him while Paul blew the cork opened.
"Alright," Cole said with his eyes still closed when Phoebe broke the kiss. I guess I can live with that…"
Paul poured the champagne into glasses he pulled from his pockets.
"Well man, you were prepared…" Cole commented with a grin as he took the glass Paul handed him.
"Well, I was convinced there would be something to celebrate. If not the engagement, then your new career…"
"My new career?"
"You didn't tell him?" Paul asked Phoebe with a frown.
"I didn't have time."
"Hey you guys, I'm the one who almost died a week ago. Maybe you could stop the cryptic stuff and tell me what the hell you're talking about."
"You better get in shape soon," Phoebe said then, "The Turner-Halliwell act is expected in California two months from now."
"The what?"
"Yeah, son," Paul grinned. "No more excuses. You're gonna finally do what you were born to do ."
"Pardon me but did either one of you consider that I might not be interested?"
"Not for a moment," Paul affirmed.
~~~~~~
A year later, Paul and Lydia were being led inside the Crown Palace in San Francisco, ahead of a growing crowd. The billboard read, "Tonight Music to My Soul with Phoebe Halliwell and Cole Turner."
"Well, he did manage to get his name in big letters," Paul quipped as they were shown to a table near the stage.
"Stop being such as ass," Lydia reproached with a grin. "You're just jealous…"
"Hey I've got no reason to be. I got my story and all those awards and…"
Lydia interrupted his protestation with a soft kiss and Paul couldn't help a grin of his own. "Ok I walked into that one. A promise is a promise. No more shop talk."
Just then, the lights dimmed and they hurried to take their seat as the spotlight revealed Phoebe in a shiny full length dress, leaning against a white grand piano. Cole was already playing but he seemed to have eyes only for Phoebe and she returned his gaze with the same obvious love Paul had seen in their eyes a year ago; or even the same love he had recognized in Cole's eyes way back when. Then Phoebe began singing their song and for the next hour, Paul forgot altogether where he was as he realized that life had a strange way of bringing some people full circle. Throughout the performance, he reminisced about their past and for the first time, he could evoke the happy memories without the stigma that had plagued them until now.
Lydia watched her husband smiling with a warm feeling inside, as she caressed her unborn child with renewed confidence that they would all be happier from now on.
The End. :)