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I decide now is as good a time as any to work out the details. I sit on the armchair across from him and tap my fingers on the edge of the armrest. I ask, "What's it going to take, Malachy?"
He squints. "What do ya mean?"
"How much money do ya need to never again contact Maeve and stay far away? Because there's only two options here. Either I drop ya off somewhere kilometers away, or I kill ya. Which one do ya prefer?"
His eyes widen. "If ya kill me, Maeve will be pissed. She'll never forgive ya."
"It's your choice, old man. What's it going to be? Relocate or die?" I reiterate.
He shakes his head. "You're not good enough for her."
I grunt. "And ya are?"
He says nothing.
I lean closer. "Let me tell ya something. You've never done anything good for her. You're lucky she kept ya alive this long. Now, how much money do ya want?"
His expression still shows his disgust, but his eyes light up. It's just as I expected. He'll do anything for money.
I offer, "What do ya want? Fifty grand?"
Excitement fills his face. It's the same expression every gambling junkie has. I know it well.
I do everything I can to keep my cool, declaring, "Fifty grand. That's what I'll give ya."
He shakes his head. "No."
"What do ya mean no?"
"It's not enough."
"Sure it is," I claim, but I was ready for him to request more. I add, "Fifty grand will get ya a lot. It's more than you'll ever have in your hands."
"I won last night," he claims.
"And how much did ya lose after?" I question.
He snaps his mouth shut and turns toward the window.
I restate, "Fifty grand."
He meets my eye. "No, I need a hundred."
It's lower than I thought he'd request, but I don't want to give in too easily.
"No, I said fifty."
A calmness washes over him. "Ya want me to disappear from my daughter's life and never contact her again. I need a hundred grand for that, especially if you're making me move somewhere far away."
I'm sure it's not the first time someone's wanted him to move away, but this time he's going to stay away.
"I'll give ya seventy-five," I offer.
He shakes his head. "No, a hundred."
"You're not getting a hundred, Malachy. Take the seventy-five. It's the most money you've ever come across."
He keeps shaking his head, insisting, "I need a hundred."
