Chapter 10

Matilda's eyes darted between Leon's dead body and the gun in her hand. She stared at her hand, raising it slowly. It was steady. Not a hint of a tremble. She replaced the pistol in the suitcase and took a long, hot shower.

Re-entering the bedroom, Matilda kept glancing at Leon's blood-soaked body as she donned a pair of jeans and black tee-shirt. She had not been truthful with him. Her plan had been done in haste, not well thought out as he had taught her. The killing part was planned well, but Leon had told her again and again that it was not over when the mark was dead. You had to plan for what happened afterwards.

She returned to the living room with her hands shoved deep inside her pockets and her shoulders slumped. Dragging her feet as she walked back and forth, she wondered what her next step would be. Being only fourteen had many disadvantages. She abruptly stopped and tilted her head. Her eyes opened wide and she slapped her thigh.

Rushing to the bedroom, she knelt at Leon's discarded clothing. Digging into his pants pocket, she pulled out his keys and hurried to the closet. She dragged one suitcase out and unlocked it, lifting the lid. She grabbed a stack of bills held together with a rubber band and stuffed it into the front of her panties. Then she re-locked the suitcase, sliding it back in place alongside the others. She did not bother looking back as she dashed out of the apartment.

Matilda walked towards Big Tony's but stopped in front of Crash's apartment building. She skipped up the few steps and entered the lobby. Scanning the mailboxes brought a frown. None were labeled "Crash." What's his real name? she wondered, covering her face in one hand and shaking her head.

She left the building, leaping the four steps and running the couple of blocks to Big Tony's. Dodging the front door as it swung open by skirting to the left, she apologized to the startled customers leaving the restaurant as she ran by them. She ducked into the alley, finally slowing her pace to a walk. Music and sounds of clanking plates came from the open side door. She peeked into the kitchen.

"Pssst."

Crash looked over his shoulder. His arms were elbow-deep in dishwater. A smile formed on his face as he grabbed a towel, drying his hands and arms as he walked to the door.

"Hey, cutie, what's up?" he asked.

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"

Crash glanced over his shoulder and turned back. "I gotta work. I need this job."

"I can offer you a better job."

"Yeah right!"

"I mean it. I really can."

"Look, if that big French guy--"

"He's dead."

Crash's jaw dropped. "I'm sorry. He was your old man, right?"

"He was my teacher." Crash stared at her blankly. "Do you know what Leon did for Big Tony?"

"Ain't got a clue. I don't put my nose in no one's business."

"Leon was a hitman," she said in a hushed voice. "And he taught me how to be a hitman."

"Get outta here. I can't play silly games. I got work to do."

Matilda grabbed Crash's arm as he turned to walk away. "Please, I need your help. I need a driver and a place to stay."

"I ain't got no car."

"I'll buy you one."

"Yeah right! Look, you're gonna get me fired."

Matilda shoved her hand into the front of her jeans and came out with the stack of one-hundred dollar bills. "See! I have money," she said waving it in front of Crash's face. "Lots of it. I will buy you a car."

Crash stared at her with his mouth open. "How much ya got?" he asked after composing himself.

"A lot."

"Then why do you need me?"

"I'm only fourteen. I can't drive. I can't get an apartment. I can't do a lot of stuff I need to do. I need a partner."

"So you're a hitman and need a partner 'cause someone bumped off your old man."

"He wasn't my old man. He killed my family so I killed him."

Crash's mouth fell open again. "You killed the French guy?"

"He killed my baby brother. I got even."

"Was he the first person you killed?"

Matilda hung her head. "No."

"And you wanna go on killing people? You wanna be like him?"

Matilda looked up. "That's all I know how to do."

"Look, I need--"

"Hey, jerk-off, whatcha doing over there?" Big Tony screamed in his gruff voice.

Crash turned, bringing Matilda into view. Big Tony glanced at her and then looked back at Crash. "What are you talking to that little cunt for?" Big Tony yelled. "The fuckin' dishes are piling up. Get pussy on your own time."

"I'm sorry," Crash said. "She just--"

"She just what? She wants your cock. That little whore's been banging Leon like there's no tomorrow." Looking at Matilda, he spread his legs with bent knees, grabbed his crotch, and humped his pelvis. "Hey, cunt, want some of this?"

Crash turned to Matilda. She was wiping the tears off her cheeks. He spun around and took two steps towards Big Tony and stopped. "You want your dishes washed? Do it yourself." He threw the towel at Big Tony. It flew about five feet before suddenly stopping in mid-air and floating to the floor.

"Fuck you!" Big Tony screamed.

"No, fuck you!" Crash yelled back.

Crash walked up to Matilda and grabbed her hand. He tugged hard. She stumbled after him as he rushed down the alley. All the while Big Tony yelled obscenities. When they reached the street, Matilda pulled her hand free and stopped, looking up at Crash.

"I guess ... you don't want ... to be my friend ... now," she said between sniffles.

Crash leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then he wiped one wet cheek and then the other. He smiled and took her hand.

"Let's go, friend," he said and began walking.

Matilda walked with him, silently, with her head down. She would glance up at him from time to time but then look back down. When they stopped in front of his apartment building she stared at him.

"What are we doing here?" she asked, yanking her hand away.

"You wanted to talk. Let's talk." He sat on the stoop, leaning forward with his forearms resting on his spread knees, staring at her.

Matilda stood with her chin pressed to her chest and her hands clasped in front of her, shifting from foot to foot. "I'm not a whore," she said to her toes.

"I never said you were."

Matilda's head shot up. "But that fat pig said--!"

"Who cares what he said," Crash interrupted. "We're friends."

Fresh tears ran down her cheeks, but they were joyous tears. She leapt at Crash, crashing into him so hard he started to fall over backwards. She wrapped her arms around his neck. He went to hold her, but hesitated with his hands suspended behind her. Then he lowered them onto her back. She hugged him tighter.

Crash whispered in her ear, "Let's talk."

Matilda sat down next to him. Once she started, she talked non-stop. She told him about her family and how much she loved her little brother. She told him about coming home and finding them dead and how Leon took her in under the condition she would have sex with him. She did not mention that she had fallen in love with Leon. She skipped over killing the security guard and Detective Grafton, simply telling Crash that Leon trained her to be a hitman and she helped him a few times. Then she went into more detail about discovering that Leon had killed her family so she killed him.

"Now I need a place to stay," she said, somewhat out of breath from her oration. "I can't stay at Leon's place because his body is there."

"You can stay with me," Crash said.

"I need help moving my stuff and..." Matilda looked down.

Crash waited and then said, "What?"

"I need help moving a bunch of suitcases. One has the weapons and the others the money. Will you help me?"

"Where do you live?"

"About five blocks that way." She pointed.

"That's a long way to carry all that stuff."

"Let's go buy a car!" Matilda exclaimed. The pitch of her voice rose with her excitement.

"How much you got on you?"

"I don't know."

Crash looked around and then said, "We can't count it here. Let's go inside."

He jumped up from the stoop and went into the lobby. Matilda followed. He looked out onto the street and said, "Go on, count it."

Matilda hesitated. She looked at Crash and blushed, then turned around. Only then did she reach inside her panties to retrieve the money. With her back to the front door and Crash watching the street, she counted fifty one-hundred dollar bills.

"Holy shit!" Crash hollered. "That's five thousand dollars!"

"Shhh."

Crash clamped his hand over his mouth and then said, "Sorry. I never saw that much money."

"Is it enough to buy a car?" Matilda asked.

"A used one. I'll call a taxi. Wait here."

Crash disappeared in a flash as he bolted up the stairs. Matilda waited, for the first time nervous about carrying the money. She breathed a sigh of relief when he returned.

The taxi took them to a nearby car lot. Like a little kid, Crash ran from vehicle to vehicle, looking inside each, sitting in the driver's seat with both hands on the steering wheel, checking under the hood, and even kicking a few tires. Most prices, however, were more than they had. He lingered on a black 1998 Mustang with 85,237 miles that was listed at $3,995.

Matilda walked up to him. "What's the matter?"

With a hand holding the hood up and looking at the engine, he said, "It's only a six."

"A six what?"

Crash turned to Matilda. He stared at her but immediately realized she was not teasing him. "It only has six cylinders. I wanted eight."

"Why?"

"It's faster."

"Oh. Then pick one with eight."

"We can afford this one."

"Let's go back for more money," Matilda said.

"No, this will be fine. It will use less gas and..."

Matilda waited and then asked, "And what?"

"It's your money."

"So?"

"I feel like a heel spending your money."

"I want to give you a present. What's wrong with that?"

"It's just weird. I should be buying you a present. I'm the guy and you're the girl."

"I don't care about that. Please let me buy you the car. Or if you want a faster one, let's get more money."

Just then a man in a bright blue sports coat with black pants walked up to them. "What do you kids want?"

"We want to buy this car," Matilda said.

"Is your father here?"

"My parents are dead. My, um, brother here is the man of the house. He's eighteen so he can drive and wants this car."

"Really? And how is he going to pay for it?"

"Cash," Crash said, holding up the $5,000 he had stuffed inside his front pocket.

The salesman's eyes opened wide.

"I wanna test drive it and put it on a lift to check it out," Crash said.

They drove the car and then put it on a lift in the dealer's garage. Crash borrowed some tools and went to work.

When Crash was done and washed his hands, Matilda asked, "What were you doing to the car?"

"Looking for leaks and worn parts. I know a lot about cars and can fix almost anything."

Crash and the salesman negotiated for a while. At one point, Crash grabbed Matilda's hand and pulled her out of the chair. Matilda complained, but he leaned over and whispered for her to shut up. The salesman ran after them and caught up at the door. He countered with a lower price. Crash hesitated. Matilda looked up at him with a "please, please" expression. He finally held his hand out which the salesman eagerly shook.

A phone call by the salesman got them insurance and, with temporary dealer license plates, they drove to Matilda's apartment building. Crash lagged behind Matilda when they entered her apartment and halted before going into the bedroom. Matilda turned around.

"He's in there, right?" Crash said.

"Yeah, but he's dead."

Crash wrinkled his nose.

"Wait a minute," Matilda said and ran into the bedroom.

She pulled out a spare sheet from the closet. With a flick of her wrists, it floated in the air and settled over Leon's body. She rushed back to the door.

"C'mon," Matilda said, "I don't want to be here."

"You don't wanna be here," Crash said with sarcasm.

He entered the room and could not resist looking at the bed. Leon's forearm and hand protruded from the sheet covering him. Crash shivered and looked at Matilda. She was stuffing her clothing into bags.

"That's the one with the weapons," Matilda said pointing to the suitcase next to the dresser. "It's real heavy. The ones with the money are in the closet."

Crash walked to the closet and opened it. "My god! All of these have money in them?!"

"Yeah."

"Shit! We should have bought a better car."

"I told you."

Crash stared at her in amazement and then smiled. "Yeah, you did. It's gonna take more than one trip to bring all this. Maybe we shouldda got a bigger car."

"No, that's the one you liked."

Crash looked around trying to decide what to take first. "Why's that bear upside down?"

Matilda grabbed Bobby's bear and hugged it to her chest. "That's my brother's. It made him laugh when it was upside down."

"Cool."

It took several trips, using the trunk and back seat to hold everything. Crash insisted that no more than two suitcases would go in the seat with each trip since he could only carry two at a time and did not want to leave them exposed in their neighborhood. After a lot of hard work and a lot of climbing stairs, they sat on the floor in his apartment with all of Matilda's belongings around them.

"Can I use your shower?" Matilda asked.

"Sure. You live here now so it's not my shower. It's our shower."

Matilda giggled and then got serious. "I need you to drive me someplace."

"That's why you hired me," he said lightheartedly. "Where?"

"A forger."

"What?!"

"I need a new name and id. You know, birth certificate and stuff. Then I can get a social security card and I'll be someone else.

"How will you find a--?"

"Leon took me to one. He'll do it for a price."

When Matilda got out of the shower and dried off she realized she had forgotten to bring a change of clothes. Not wanting to put her sweaty ones on, she wrapped herself in a large bath towel and went to the living room where her belongings were. Crash averted his eyes and turned around.

"Don't be a baby," she said, giggling. "We're going to be living together. Can't get embarrassed every time someone shows a little skin." She wiggled her leg for effect. The towel began to unravel. She slapped her hand on it. "Oops."

Later, after all the chores were done and a nice dinner out, Crash said, "I'm beat. I guess I'll sleep on the couch."

"No, it's your apartment. I'll take the couch."

"You're my guest. You get the bed."

"But I--"

Crash clamped his hand over Matilda's mouth. She looked up at him with big eyes. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead.

"It's settled," he said.

Without another word, Matilda washed up and climbed into Crash's bed. She lay on her side staring at Bobby's bear atop the dresser -- upside down. She smiled and whispered, "Goodnight, Bobby," before turning off the lamp and rolling onto her back. She stared up into the darkness.

Unable to fall asleep, Matilda turned the lamp on and rolled out of bed. She wore a long tee-shirt that came to mid-thigh. Opening the door as quietly as she could, she tiptoed towards the kitchen for a drink of water.

Matilda suddenly stopped. Groans and rustling came from the living room. She turned and walked there, the noises guiding her way. In the room, lit simply from the lamp in the bedroom, she looked over the back of the couch. Crash lay on his side. He grunted as he shifted onto his stomach. His feet kicked at the tangled bedcover which was mostly hanging off the couch. Flipping onto his back, his eyes met Matilda's.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, sitting up.

The sudden movement caused the blanket to slide onto the floor. He was bare-chested and wearing boxers.

"You're not comfortable, are you?" Matilda asked.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not! You take the bed and I'll sleep here."

"I thought we went through that already."

"Well, I'm a lot smaller than you so I will fit better on the couch."

"It's an old couch."

"So?"

"So the springs will dig into you."

Matilda crossed her arms over her chest and stamped her foot. "Then we'll both sleep in the bed."

"It's too small."

"I'm going to get a drink of water and then go to bed. If you're not there I'm going to sleep on the floor next to the couch. So don't be such a hard-ass."

Matilda peeked over the couch before returning to the bedroom. She entered and closed the door, walking slowly to the bed. She giggled.

"What's so funny?" Crash asked, looking over his shoulder. The cover was pulled up to his neck.