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I sigh and read the words that are blurred on the page. Maybe I am crying, I don’t know. I hear myself speak but is it even me? “Always remain obedient to furthering the mission.”
“Final question,” Dr. Mueller announces, pulling the mic in his direction. He nods to me.
I take a deep breath in and hold it. When I can manage, I exhale slowly. Dr. Mueller motions me forward. I lean in and speak into the mic. “State law fourteen please.”
I see Vanessa’s lips move, but nothing comes out. I will the words into her mind. I plead silently with her to say them. I feel numb. I feel on the edge of something I can’t stop.
“Go ahead with the shock please,” Dr. Mueller instructs.
“She’s too tired,” I tell him, pointing. “Look, she’s mumbling.”
“Please continue with the treatment.”
I shake my head. “She has a baby.”
“You are required to continue.”
“I don’t want to.” It’s not fun anymore.
“You have no other choice but to continue.”
“You do it,” I say.
Crossing my arms, I wait him out.
When he speaks, his voice is stern. “We are not leaving this room until you complete the task.”
I look up at Vanessa. She’s passed out. I’m hungry and I’m tired. I want out of here. “Fine,” I seethe. I flick the switch. Vanessa comes to life. I’ve never seen that much agony on a person’s face.
“Enough,” Dr. Mueller says, finally. “Now, law fourteen. Give her the answer.”
I can’t look at Vanessa. Maybe I’ve killed her. I don’t want to know. I bring the mic to my mouth, and I speak slowly, so she hears it. I speak so slowly that neither of us will ever forget it again. I make sure it is drilled into my very core. “Never fear harming another with just cause.”
Chapter Sixteen
Tom
To make a fair decision, I made a list of the things I like about my new wife. Criteria having to do with her appearance filled numbers one through fourteen. The fact that she was willing to marry me was number fifteen, and beyond that I was stumped. It’s no secret I hadn’t really known Melanie outside of between the sheets when I proposed. She was pregnant with my child, which put her in a vulnerable position. With June dead, I was without a wife. Marriage appeared to be a solution that would fit both our needs.
What I had failed to consider was the fact that I was not in love with her. I covered for this with the notion that arranged marriages have a greater success rate than do those who come by way of natural selection. This is due to many factors, including but not limited to cultural beliefs and stigma around divorce, as well as the financial status of the females in the partnership.
But I was not making the list to determine whether or not to divorce Melanie. Now that A) the pregnancy and resulting child were no longer factors in staying together and B) she had proven herself to be untrustworthy, I was determining whether or not to kill her.
To get a few things straight: I am not a murderer. While I have contemplated the act on many occasions, I have yet to act on the compulsion. And although I assume the skill involved would not be too difficult to acquire, there is one major problem: I would not be a good candidate for prison. I do not read social cues well enough to survive in that type of environment.
So, as one can imagine, given the choice between killing one person (my wife), or killing three (her previous lovers), the situation seems like a no-brainer. Killing one person is certainly less labor intensive than killing three. On the flip side, it’s easier to kill a person you haven’t had sex with. Generally speaking. Particularly, if you’re a fan of the sex, which I am, very much. My wife is incredibly cunning, and this creativity spills over, if you know what I mean.
In addition, the risk involved with killing Melanie and getting caught is far greater than killing men I have lesser or no ties to. Everyone knows when a woman is murdered, it’s always the husband. This doesn’t even take in to consideration that killing Melanie would mean having to replace her. The cost of acquiring a new wife would be substantial. Not only would I need to find a suitable candidate, which can be quite labor intensive, I’d have to find one with eq
ual or greater looks who would be willing to accept my proposal.
This makes finding a solution to the dilemma I face rather difficult. It’s important I ensure all factors are examined and analyzed before making a determination.
Which means I need more time. Time is not something Mark is particularly lenient about. He will kill Melanie—or rather, he will have her killed, just to prove a point. Problem solved. On one hand, that would make my decision easier. But who do you think the cops will come looking for when I’m presented with a second dead wife on my hands? It won’t be Mark.
As the saying goes, when you meet a swordsman, draw your sword. Do not recite poetry to one who is not a poet. In short, in order to buy time, I have to go around Mark, directly to the only source capable of stalling him. His wife.
I end up where most people go to research something when the internet isn’t safe. The library. I need to know the most efficient method to murder a person without getting caught, preferably without having to handle the clean up. As I mentioned, I do not do well where blood is concerned. I like things neat and tidy, and blood is the opposite of that.
