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“Hello, there,” he starts, his face that of a man who is certainly very happy to see us both, and for a split second, I wonder which one of us is his favorite, then I quickly put the foolishness away.
After the salutations, Father O’Malley wastes no time bringing our attention to the happenings in the world around him.
"According to Sarah's report, which is backed by all the news stations," Father O'Malley continues, "a nine-year-old boy brought a loaded gun to school for show and tell yesterday here in Miami."
"Jesus Christ," I mutter, my heart racing at the thought. What would possess a child to do such a thing? My thoughts are interrupted as Father O'Malley resumes his reporting.
"Apparently, the boy is proud of his father and wanted to show off his gun. In an unfortunate display of bravado, the father lied to the child, saying he was an FBI agent. The boy is so proud of his father; his dream for when he grows up is to be an FBI agent, just like his dad . . . only the dad is not an FBI agent . . . he is a thug for hire.
The boy’s mother was supposed to give him something else for show and tell, but she overslept, so the kid took matters into his own hands. He went to his dad's office and found the safe open, and well, you can guess what happened next."
"God, that's awful," I say, my stomach twisting in knots. The image of a frightened teacher and terrified children fills my mind. "What happened at the school?"
"Sarah says that when the boy pulled out the gun, the teacher panicked and tried to take it away. That's when it accidentally discharged. The bullet grazed her shoulder. Thankfully, she's expected to recover."
"Thank God for that," I say, relieved that no one was killed. But it doesn't make the situation any less horrifying.
"Sarah's report goes on to describe how the paramedics rushed to the scene, along with local law enforcement. They secured the perimeter, checked the entire school for any other threats, and began contacting parents to let them know what happened. The school followed their standard lockdown procedures, keeping everyone in their classrooms until the situation was under control."
"Sounds like they handled it well, all things considered," I comment, trying to find a silver lining in this nightmare.
"Indeed," Father O'Malley agrees. "The boy was taken to the police station, and his parents were brought in for questioning. Sarah managed to get ahold of the transcript from the interrogation."
"Let's hear it then," I say, leaning forward in my chair, eager for any information that might help me understand why this happened.
"During the questioning," Father O'Malley reads, "the father admitted that he left the safe open by accident that morning. The mother expressed deep regret for not waking up in timeto give her son something for show and tell. Both parents were distraught and cooperative with the investigation."
"Any idea what happens to them now?" I ask, feeling a pang of sympathy for the parents who made a terrible mistake.
"Sarah says it's unclear at this point. They may face charges for negligence, but that will be up to the authorities to decide."
"Right," I nod. "So what does all this have to do with me? Why is Sarah invested in this?"
"Ah, yes," Father O'Malley says, turning to the final page of the report. "This is where things get interesting. When the crime scene investigators tested the bullet casing and remaining live round from the gun, they discovered that it matched the one used to kill Max. The very same weapon that was meant to take your life, Liam."
“Urrrrrrrgh.” Tony releases a guttural cry as the darkness descends upon us both, and we cling to each other, Tony holding me tight as if using her own body to shield me from unseen bullets
My heart feels like it’s stopped for a moment before turning back on, then pounding furiously in my chest. The room seems to close in around me as I process the shocking revelation, still unable to connect so many dots.
"Are you sure?" I ask, barely able to speak.
"According to Sarah's report, there's no doubt about it. The gun used in that accidental school shooting yesterday is the same one that killed Max and was meant to kill you."
I lean back in my chair, my mind racing with unanswered questions. It sounds like Sarah has reliable contact with the cops or the investigating team. If all this checks out, and Sarah is right, this man, Mr. Castello, is a gun for hire, but who hired him . . . who hired him to kill me?
"Keep me updated on any new information, Father," I say, my voice shaking slightly.
"Of course, Liam," he replies, his eyes filled with concern. "We'll get to the bottom of this, I promise."
As I sit there, lost in my thoughts, I can only hope that Father O'Malley is right.
Three days later, I reach out to Father O’Malley again, unable to sit still.
"Father," I say, "is there any more information about Mr. Castello and his family? How did he happen to be in possession of the gun that killed Max?"
"Sarah is working on it," Father O'Malley replies, his voice steady and reassuring. "She's digging deep into their background and connections. They must have some tie to whoever wanted you dead."
“We can’t just assume that he was involved in Max’s killing and my attempted assassination. Guns in the black market exchange hands so frequently there is always the possibility that that gun might have exchanged hands several times before now.”
