I saw Medusa sitting alone at the end of the bar sipping on a drink. Rocco was at the other end filling a cooler with long necks. I pulled out a stool next to her and sat down.
She didn’t look up or say anything.
“That brandy?” I asked.
She looked at her glass, “I honestly don’t remember.” I stared at her for a moment.
Rocco stopped filling the cooler and walked over.
“Afternoon Max, you want a St. Remy’s?”
“Nah, I’ll take a Blatz draft. I’m not feeling that well.” Rocco nodded and went to pull a draft.
Medusa continued to stare at her drink.
“I’m surprised to see you up so early,” she said, swirling her drink around in her hands.
“I couldn’t sleep. I had too much on my mind.” She looked up in my direction, “Yeah, like what?”
“You and your family; some things just don’t seem to add up.” Rocco put down my beer along with a bowl of pretzel.
“It looks like you could use some breakfast too.”
I nodded at him. “Thanks, Rocco,” I picked up the Blatz and sipped off the head. “Nothing about my family ever added up,” she said.
I stared at her for a minute before telling her what I thought happened.
“My guess is that you knew when Christopher and Helene were killed, who was responsible and that they would have to come after Candi as well. You watched them draw a bead on Candi and you let it happen.”
I took another pull on my beer and put it down. I shook my head. I waited for her to say something. She didn’t, so I continued.
“A dangerous thing to do, Medusa, just to save you and solidify your connections. It caused Candi to lose her life. Was it worth it?”
She sat there staring down at her drink. She didn’t respond. I stared at her, waiting.
After a moment, she looked up at the ceiling and I could see the tears welling up in her eyes before spilling over and running down her cheeks.
“You know, the world sucks, just plain sucks.”
“If the world didn’t suck, we’d all fall off,” I said.
“You’re a laugh a minute Max; here’s a quarter,” she said sliding the coin in front of me, “buy yourself a clue.”
I wasn’t in a jocular mood, so I continued, “The one thing I hope is that you weren’t the one who tipped them off where Candi was hiding. Tell me it wasn’t you. Tell me you didn’t make the call so that they could send Hogjaw Johnson to kill her like that. She was your friend… and your sister.”
She looked at me, her eyes blazing, “They raped me and threatened to kill me if I didn’t give up Candi,” she screamed.
“Who is they?”
“Billy Bob Mason and Hogjaw Johnson; they raped me not once but multiple times over a period of a week while they held me captive, tied up naked in one of their fleabag whore houses that they pass off as a motel.
“It was after a week of having them stick their filthy cocks in me wherever and whenever they wanted, that I devised a plan. I could save my own skin and Candi’s and still get my revenge without them knowing. I told them that my mother might know where Candi was, but she wouldn’t tell anyone but me because she was protecting her. I told them that I would go up to Wisconsin and I’d find Candi and bring her to them and they could find out what she did with the tape.
“They both laughed at me and asked why I would do that. I told them money. I wanted ten grand and I would disappear. For good.
“They agreed but then raped me again, before they turned