"Fedeltà" drabbles by Neville Hunt

nevillehunt avatar

Hope from ignorance

Fedeltà #600

Tony wasn’t sure if he should grieve or whether Terry was alive somewhere and he, Tony, should be putting all his resources into finding him. He’d already been responsible for executing two men, wrongly if his current instinct about Terry was correct. But then those two men were killed on Tony’s instincts... so maybe his instincts weren’t so good.

His current instinct could easily have been checked had he been prepared to go and identify Terry’s body. He didn’t trust Livia to tell him the truth... and somehow, if he didn’t see Terry’s body, he still had hope.

Odd thinking.

nevillehunt avatar

Guilt

Fedeltà #599

While Livia and Mary were finishing lunch, Tony was brooding. Livia had been right; Tony was behaving quite oddly. He’d lost his twin... and his edge. Good!... all part of the plan to make him suffer that the two wives and Sofia had agreed. He was suffering.

Not a particularly social animal, Tony occasionally met people for lunch, if only to oil the wheels. But now he kept himself locked in his office. He felt guilty about his twin Terry’s death. What more could he have done?

Was Terry actually dead? Tony felt he might not be! He wasn’t sure.

nevillehunt avatar

Given the nod

Fedeltà #598

This was incredible, thought Livia, a fantastical plot developed and given credence before her eyes. She realised that the less she said, the more convincing a fabrication this woman Mary was building for her. Why, Livia could almost have believed it herself. The remaining question for her was how best to use it... and maybe use Mary Flaherty too! For the first time since her convent school, Livia was starting to appreciate the potential of the Bible.

“Has he ever tried it on with you Livia?”

With saying less making more, Livia simply nodded.

“I knew it... the morderin’ fecker!”

nevillehunt avatar

Me!

Fedeltà #597

This suggestion of Mary’s was a revelation. Manna from heaven no less for Livia. Tony murdered his twin brother. But why?

Mary provided the answer again with a reminder from the Bible.

“It all about feckin’ jealousy y’see. What would Tony possibly be jealous of Terry for? What had Terry got that Tony hadn’t?”

Livia was genuinely racking her brain for a credible answer. The pause in her response resulted in a drama that was completely unintended, but serendipitous.

“Me!” she offered.

“Aha!” exclaimed Mary. “ That’s it, that’s feckin’ it! And you looking so gorgeous. Now there’s your motive!”

nevillehunt avatar

Biblical

Fedeltà #596

“Donal’s based in Brentwood. Near enough, but far enough if ya know what I mean! But why are you organising it? Being twins, I thought his brother Tony would be sorting that out?”

“Oh Tony....” Livia paused. “I probably shouldn’t say this on account of the rivalry between your Ronan and Tony, but he’s not handling this well at all. Gone a bit odd. Maybe he feels guilty. I can’t imagine why. He didn’t kill his brother after all!”

“Maybe he did!” suggested Mary, “Maybe he feckin’ did!” she repeated. “You’ve read the Bible... Cain and Abel and all that...”

nevillehunt avatar

Sensitive undertaking

Fedeltà #595

This latest revelation prompted creative thinking from Livia. She would need an undertaker as soon as the police released Terry’s body.

“Where’s he based, this undertaker brother?”

“Thinking of bumping some fecker off then?” asked Mary with a smile on her face.

“No, it’s just that Terry’s still in the morgue. He hasn't been released for burial yet. I’d rather use someone ‘sensitive’” Livia emphasised the word ‘sensitive’ to see if Mary reacted. She did.

“Got some evidence to go to Hell with him?” Mary’s smile was strangely conspiratorial.

“Oh, he’s already there! Probably getting kicked shitless by your Ronan!”

nevillehunt avatar

A body of evidence

Fedeltà #594

“I see what you mean,” said Livia thinking through how useful each and every one of Mary’s brothers could be if they’d a mind to. “Guess your younger brother will be burying Ronan soon?”

“Sure... keeping it in the family! Although Donal never liked the fecker, despite having quite a few ‘interesting’, well-paid jobs from him. Thought he was scary and worried Ronan might knock about his older sis.’

“When you say ‘interesting’ jobs, what might that mean?” Livia was very interested heself.

“Heard the expression ‘a body of evidence’, Livia? Sometimes the evidence might go with the body!”

nevillehunt avatar

Serious undertaking

Fedeltà #593

“Well y’see Livia, I’m rather lucky with me family. I’ve five brothers. The surgeon, as was, is the oldest, although his surgery days are long gone after an unfortunate incident with a scalpel... best not to ask what! The other brothers are a butcher, an accountant, a solicitor, all older than me and me little brother Donal is an undertaker - you wouldn’t think it to look at him, but he’s a bit of a tinker! A pretty good contact list to support me in our kind of work and it does mean I literally know where the bodies are buried!

nevillehunt avatar

Sexistential

Fedeltà #592

Livia did like this amazing woman who had been such a surprising breath of fresh air. Unsurprisingly, with the business done, lunch devoured and champagne empty, Mary jumped up to wash up the plates. Livia protested only to prompt a response of “Oh, go on wid ya!”

As Mary busied herself doing the modest amount of washing up, Livia dried up. Her turn to quiz her guest.

“I gather from what you said earlier, you’re taking over from Ronan now. I don’t want to be sexist, but how prepared are you? There will be lots of challenges for a woman.”

nevillehunt avatar

Helping

Fedeltà #591

“So how can I help?” The tonal change had been quite marked. Livia had little option but to pose the question to Mary, who by rights should have been under the table by now from the amount of alcohol she’d consumed.... but was bright as a button and quite businesslike.

Well... you could start by keeping your eyes and ears open for anyone showing off a big new diamond, or bragging about something a bit special ‘downstairs’ if y’know what I mean. Maybe asking discreetly about my Ronan’s death.”

“And why should I?”

“Because you like me!”

“Yes I do!”

nevillehunt avatar

Why me?

Fedeltà #590

Then Livia headed into uncharted waters. The whole point of Mary making contact was part of her search for the missing large diamond, recently adorning the genitals of her late husband’s mistress. Mary must think that one of the Monelli organisation might be responsible or at least know something about the disappearance. Livia decided to tackle it head on.

“So Mary, you must think one of the Monelli crowd took the diamond... or even the lives of Ronan and his friend... or at the very least, knows who did?”

“I can’t feckin’ argue with that!”

“But why contact me?”

“Instinct!”

nevillehunt avatar

Someone’s fingers in the tart?

Fedeltà #589

“So, let me get this straight, your husband’s girlfriend...”

“Scabby tart!”

“OK, your husband gave his tartfriend a diamond clitoral ring, probably so nobody but him would see it, or to avoid it ending up on her finger. She would’ve been wearing it on the night they died... exact circumstances unknown, but police treating it as a lover’s tiff turned violent and closing the case. When the tart was found, dead, under Ronan, also dead, there was no sign of the diamond ring?”

“Correct!” said Mary. The shortest speech she’d made.

“And you want the diamond back?”

“Correct!” Equally short.

nevillehunt avatar

De-stoned

Fedeltà #588

Livia thought she knew what Mary was saying, but asked for clarification.

“Stuck it on her fanny? How’s that?”

“Have you been living in a feckin’ convent, Livia? Stuck it on her fanny... y’know, like some people have earrings, some have nose rings, or belly button rings, or in this tart’s case, a feckin’ cont ring... in her clit... a ring with a feckin’ great diamond in it!”

Now Livia understood. “So I guess nobody would see it except him... or maybe so you wouldn’t see it?”

“But it wasn’t feckin’ there! Some other cont had made off with it!”

nevillehunt avatar

Outasight

Fedeltà #587

“Now, can I feckin’ tell you what else I found out, or what?” Mary wanted to avoid any more interruptions. Livia was contrite.

“Sorry!”

“Well this Aidan tells me that Ronan... curse his cheatin’ feckin’ soul... bought his tart a little present. Understandable... but this was a feckin’ big present... a feckin’ diamond almost as big as me little fingernail. Cost him feckin’ thousands. As his wife, half that’s my feckin’ thousands! OK, I guess if he loved her, he wanted to show it. But he didn’t feckin’ show it... he stuck it on her fanny! Or so they say.”

nevillehunt avatar

A question of faith

Fedeltà #586

With possible ambitions of a takeover herself, and despite delaying the next, significant revelation from Mary, Livia felt she had to ask.

“Don’t you find this all at odds with your faith?”

“Thought you moight ask,” said Mary, “and it’s a fair question. But I’ve been reading me scriptures, particularly the Ten Commandments which are my reference points, and whilst I accept I shouldn’t kill, I can’t fer the life of me find a Commandment I could interpret as ‘you can’t grab a feller by the bollocks, threaten him or dobb him in to the feckin’ pigs’. There ain’t one!”

nevillehunt avatar

Or else

Fedeltà #585

Even though it was a diversion, Livia had to ask. It was a question waiting to be asked.

“Or else what?”

“Very simple,” replied Mary, “I’ve got something on each and every one of the little shites; a dossier, and I’ve lodged it with my solicitor, who also happens to be one of me brothers. Anything happens to me or any of my family, not including feckin’ Ronan of course, he’ll send them to the police. Despite hating the pigs!”

“Also told em all that where they’d be sent, the other inmates would tear them a brand new arse hole!”

nevillehunt avatar

Cough please

Fedeltà #584

“Go on.” urged Livia.

“Well one of the little gobshites, Aidan, the one who puked when he saw my pictures, y’know... well he was keeping something from me. I knew it. I could see it on the little hamsterbollocks’s face. So I persuaded him to cough up...”

“How?” asked Livia, genuinely interested.

“I just grabbed him hard by his little bollocks and said ‘Cough! Tell me what else you feckin’ know... right now!’ Funny how that always seems to work.”

“Aren’t you worried about reprisals?” Livia queried.

“I tell em Ronan’s dead and I’m in charge now... or feckin’ else!”

nevillehunt avatar

Something more

Fedeltà #583

“Bodies? Literally? There are bodies to be found?” Maybe Livia was quizzing Mary too hard, but her guest didn’t seem bothered.

“A mere figure of feckin’ speech,” said Mary, “I’d known him a long time and a wife gets to know a thing or two... and use it! Bet you had a load of stuff on your late husband, Terry was it?”

“Terry.” confirmed Livia, but didn’t confirm or deny if she’d ‘had anything on’ him. She needed to clarify something with Mary.

“So if Paolo’s not an issue, what is it you’re after?”

“There’s something more... something much more!”

nevillehunt avatar

Immunity

Fedeltà #582

“So how come you didn’t find out about Ronan and that girl from your son? He must’ve been pretty pissed off with his dad!”

“Being pissed off with Ronan and doing something about it, particularly telling me, his mum, are two different things. If Conor had told me and if Ronan got to know... which he certainly feckin’ would have... he’d have got such a feckin’ beating he’d never have recovered. That’s the kind of man the shite was!”

“So how come you were immune from his beatings?” Livia asked.

“Me brothers... and I know where the bodies are buried!”

nevillehunt avatar

Gazumped

Fedeltà #581

“Apparently my boy, me son Conor, it was who took the tart off your Paolo...” Mary continued.

“He’s not my Paolo!” Livia quickly insisted.

“Whatever... seems Conor got gazumped when Ronan met her and the little tart decided to go for power, experience... and money! No feckin’ taste though if she’d settle for Ronan!”

Mary stopped, looking thoughtful for a moment before she continued.

“But hang on... what the feck does that say about me!” she started to laugh, which started Livia off and removed any slight tension she’d suddenly been experiencing.

“What the feck?” said Livia to more laughter.