The cell was small and cramped. A quick look around would say that it was made for four people with the two double deck beds as evidence. Eddie looked around and counted it's occupants. Eight all in all. Eddie along with the other four new prisoners were sitting on the floor. Two were near the iron bars, one was sitting on the left lower bunk, massaging a middle aged man, while Eddie was sitting near the toilet at the left corner. The other three beds were occupied. It has been five hours since Eddie was brought inside and as his custom, he observed and checked out everyone.

He didn't bother introducing his self and he didn't give a fuck about their names. He gave them names to whatever jumps into his mind. Like the occupant of the left upper bunk, he called him Peter. The man was missing an ear which reminded Eddie of the apostle Peter. And the man who was being massaged on the left lower bunk, he simply called the Boss. If he was getting a free massage in prison, he probably is the Boss of the cell. Eddie was deep in thought trying to figure out how the fuck he ended up in prison when the man he labelled as the Boss waved off the Duck. Eddie named him that because he made this duck like sound every once in a while like he was wheezing or something. It probably didn't sound anywhere near a duck but that was the first thing that came into Eddie's mind.

The Boss then sits on the edge of his bed while the Duck sat on the floor at the center of the cell.

"What brings you here." The Duck asked Eddie. He was looking bored and sounded like he didn't expect to be answered. Eddie decided to ignore him. He reckoned if the Duck tried to muscle him he would be able to beat the shit out of him.

"Fucking answer his question." The Boss tells him, and he sounded even more bored. But Eddie knew this was a command he needs to comply with. If a fight breaks out, Eddie could overpower both the Duck and the Boss but he knew that if a fight did start, the other occupants would surely join in. And true to what he has in mind, the other inmates stirred from what they were doing and began listening, looking at Eddie and waiting how he would respond.

"Murder. I killed the husband of my girlfriend.... Or somthwy say." He tells the Boss then he directs his gaze towards his feet.

"Hmmm, now that sounds interesting. Tell me what happened, leave out the romantic parts." The Boss commanded once more then signals for the Duck to get over and massage his back. Having no choice, Eddie decided to tell the Boss his story. So he faced him and started his tale.

I got arrested for the murder of Juan Miguel Zubiri, the husband of my girlfriend Ana. Ana woke up to find her husband missing. The Zubiri's were my neighbors for ten years now. They don't have any children. Juan Miguel was a retired army sergeant and got his balls shot during a military exercise before they got married. Ana didn't mind since she couldn't picture herself being a mother. Both were friends to me and my wife, that was until my wife died to tuberculosis three years ago. After that, I just kept turning down their invitations for dinner and decided to focus myself with work.

Until a couple of months ago, Ana visited me and asked if she could Come up for a drink. She and her husband had a nasty fight and Ana got beaten. She was sporting a black eye and a cut on her right cheek. I invited her in and tended to her wound. After which we had drinks in the living room while she told me all her troubles. She told me about the numerous times Juan physically assaulted her. And I don't know why but her story sparked something more than pity in me that made me sit beside her and I started to... "

Fuck it, skip the romance you shit!" The Boss yelled at Eddie who jerked in surprise. "Ok!" Eddie replied then continued his story.

So to cut the story, something happened between us and that something did not end that day. We started seeing each other. She would stay over whenever her husband went out of town for business. He was engaged in real estate. I guess the neighbors started noticing because a couple of nights ago, Ana came to me, her face black and blue, telling me that Juan Miguel knows about the affair and was planning to take Ana away to Canada. Ana also said that Juan Miguel knew about my connection to the mob. He would have gone over and confronted me but he was afraid he would end up dead. They were leaving in four days and she wanted me to take her from him.

"Please Eddie, I can't take it anymore. He will kill me one of these days I'm sure of it! Take me away please!" Ana told me, pleading with me. I promised her that I'll make plans and told her to come back the next day. "Don't bring anything, just come here tomorrow."

I was planning to take her away and bring her to my family's home in Seattle. I got everything planned out. Feeling a sudden twist in my life, I opened a bottle of scotch and almost emptied it at around midnight when I crawled to my bed. The next day, the police was knocking on my door and the next thing I knew I was being arrested.

When Ana saw that her husband was not their house, she decided to go over to mine as I had previously instructed her to do. See, me and Ana were literally neighbors. A hedge separates my property from theirs. But on the far north tip of the hedge, there was a space, a foot wide gap that would allow anyone to pass through. That's where she found Juan Miguel, sprawled on that space, naked, with a hole on the back of his head.  Police said even his face was totally mushed. She called the police who came moments later and started interviewing her and the neighbors. A few hours later, they were arresting me. Someone came forward as a witness and said that she saw Juan Miguel coming out of my house at 5 in the morning. I was still asleep at that time. I was fucking drunk the night before. The police brought me here and I kept telling them that I did not kill Juan Miguel. They told me that they have a witness, they have a motive since they know my relationship with Ana and they know I was home all night up to the time they arrested me. So now, I'm here and I'm still waiting for a chance to talk to my lawyer.

"So who the fuck killed him?" the Boss asked Eddie, breaking the silence that prevailed for more than aminute after he finished his tale. He was now sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I really don't know but I'm sure it wasn't me." Eddie tells them, almost pleading his innocence. He then looks up at them one by one. "

Maybe you guys can help me solve this. I can give you more details if you need it. My lawyer is his taking his time coming here. We can discuss my case if you guys are willing." Eddie then waits for any questions they would ask to help him get out of the mess he was into.

Eddie tried to think back about the night before it happened. After Ana left, he opened a bottle of Jack and played some music on the phonograph. He had these new single of a man named Robert Johnson. Eddie loved the Blues and he used to travel to Chicago just to listen to the best of the players. He also thought about who would have wanted to kill Juan Miguel. Well, he was a real estate agent, probably a disgruntled client. But what about the witness who saw Juan Miguel coming out of Eddie's house? Now that was a big question. He wondered though why no one heard a gun fire. How about Ana, didn't she tell the police of their plans to get out of town? Or did she tell the police that's why Eddie was their prime suspect. Eddie cradled his head on both hands wishing someone would help him. He looked up and told his cellmates..

"Questions are mostly welcome. I think it would be really helpful if we talked about it."

The Cell Boss then rummaged for something under his bed and came up with sheets of paper and a pencil. He wrote furiously for a minute or two then looks up at Eddie.

"How drunk were you? I mean, were you dead drunk and woke up with a bad hangover? I'm sure you won a gun, what type? Did Ana have access to the bottle of scotch that you drunk that night?" He asked Eddie, with pencil poised on the paper.

Eddie thought about it for awhile before answering the Boss's question. 

"I was dead drunk and my head hurt like hell when I woke up. It's like my arteries in the head are throbbing till now. I vomited on the way here, and the cops were not too happy about it. As to guns, I have a revolver hidden under my bed. That's it." Eddie stood up and was about to walk when he remembered how cramped it was inside the cell. 

"I forgot to mention, I asked Ana to pour the both of us a glass of red wine while we talked." He was scratching his chin thinking if Ana added something to his drink.

"Get up Garcia! Your lawyer's here!" The guard hollered through the rails. He opened the gates and let Eddie pass through. He escorted him towards a corner room where his lawyer was waiting for him. A bald and squat man was waiting for him. After exchanging pleasantries, Eddie sat down in front of him.

"What the fuck took you so long?" He asked, irritation in his voice. 

"Ana is my client too. They arrested her a few hours ago. She confessed to the whole crime. They found the shot gun she used to blast her husband's face in her car. They're letting you free." His lawyer stood up and took his leather brief case.

"NO! SHE DIDN'T DO THIS!" Eddie shouted at his lawyer who raised his hands to calm him down.

"I know, but she confessed. I was against it. Look.." He held Eddie by the arm and tells him in a low voice, "Just walk away. The Mayor of Seattle is heavily involved in this. He personally came in to listen to Ana's confession. He wouldn't believe you were involved but Ana insisted that you were innocent. He asked the DA to get the maximum penalty." 

Eddie stepped back and was perplexed. Why the fuck would the Mayor get involved. Who the fuck was Juan Miguel really. 

He was seated in a shabby bar in Pioneer, Seattle. Eddie didn't know what to do with all the info he got from Thrasher, a cop the family had on the payroll. As soon as Eddie got home from prison, he called Thrasher for a meeting. He needed to know what the fuck was going on. And he needed to know what the police knows about the case.

“I'm telling you, the mayor and Juan Miguel are business partners. Juan Miguel is representing a group of South Americans that are planning to build a casino and hotel here in Seattle.”

Thrasher started narrating while eating his huge burger and drinking his beer.

Juan Miguel brokered a deal with the city as represented by the mayor for the permit to build and operate a casino here in our city. The Mayor agreed ofcourse with a cut from the profits and even offered his land as the site for the new casino. The local mob like the people you are  associated with aren’t too happy with this. They have been trying to get to run their own casino as you probably know but the Mayor constantly turns them down, which you also know. They’re chalking this up to gang war with Juan Miguel as the first casualty. Now they had you as their initial suspect because of your connection to the Video crime family, but Ana confessed so you’re off the hook. Apparently, she just couldn’t take the beating of her late husband so she whacked him.

Thrasher then continued drinking his beer while Eddie was more confused with all the details. He was wondering where Ana fit in all this mess. Eddie believed that Ana didn’t have what it takes to kill anyone. He needs to talk to her. First thing though, he needs to get her out of prison.

Eddie’s lawyer was able to get Ana out. Apparently, the confession was bogus and coerced. It was a good thing Ana did not sign any of it. The cops were furious but what could they do. Ana was now sitting in Eddie’s living room, sipping a cup of coffee.

“So you’re telling me, Juan Miguel was killed by the Mayor’s men because the Mayor found out that Juan was going public with the Mayor’s connection to the South American gang?”  Ana nodded her head to Eddie’s question. 

She then adds, And not only that, Juan Miguel was squeezing the Mayor for money. Lot’s of money. He was also playing the South Americans. He had no intention of building a casino. He just waited to get their money, then he was planning to disappear. Who knows who killed him. As you can see now, a lot of angry men were after him.

Ana then stood up and walked towards where Eddie was sitting. She then sat on his lap.

We’re free now Eddie. Let’s go away. Let’s go far away....

Eddie thought about the threat to Ana’s life.

He then tells her, I’ll smuggle you out and you’ll head to Europe. I’ll follow you in a week. I’ll have to finish some business here first.

Actually, Eddie needed to get Godfather Video’s blessing before he could leave.

It has been a week since Ana left and he had no word on her whereabouts. Until a letter came in the mail postmarked from Thailand.

Dearest Eddie,

       I’m sorry darling but I have come to realized that now I’m totally free. You are a great man and I am not worthy of your love. Don’t try to find me. I’ll be leaving this beautiful oriental city today.

Loving you forever,

Ana

Eddie crumpled the letter and threw it infront of him. So Thrasher was right. A day after Ana left, Thrasher told Eddie that the prints found on the shot gun was Ana’s. He also discovered that Ana cleaned out her husband’s bank account and the safe in her house was empty. Apparently, she was planning to kill her husband for some time now but didn’t have the courage to do it. After finding out that her husband was in possesion of millions of dollars, she decided to make her move. She planned to pin it all on Eddie. But what Eddie couldn’t understand was why she saved him from being jailed. Eddie knew he’d been played. And Eddie knew he would die one day without getting any answers. 

Just when I thought it was the real thing.... Eddie muttered to himself which was followed by laughter.