Katherine wrapped her coat around her throat in an unconscious attempt to hide the bruises that were just beginning to blossom into a nightshade hue of shame.  Her heels made an uneven sound on the wet pavement and she briefly considered taking them both off, but this end of town was filthy and the shattered glass and promises that littered the streets were more dangerous than walking with a broken heel.  She was almost to her apartment building when she heard measured steps behind her.  She stopped under the portico and waited.

"Tom."  Her voice was measured, her hands tucked into her coat for warmth.

"Katherine, my God. What happened to you?"  His dirty jade eyes flicked up and down, taking in the damage.  "You went to the club again, didn't you?"  His voice was cold and accusing.  His gloved hand moved with precision, lighting a cigarette and slipping the lighter in his pocket in a practiced motion.  

"It's MY club."  Katherine breathed in through her nose, the crisp smell of the rain ruined by a cloud of smoke blown in her face.  She clenched her hands in her pockets and sighed.  "Tommy, I thought we'd agree you'd stay out of my business life."  The sound of the slap was muffled by Tom's leather glove.  

"It stopped being your club when you said 'I do.'  We agreed to this.  You wouldn't go down there, especially not alone.  How can I protect you if you can't even do something as simple as listen to me?"

Katherine tore open her coat and showed off her bruised neck and ripped bodice.  "You call this protection Tommy? You replaced all of my bouncers with straight up thugs.  The club was dead, and when I tried to push through your guys they did this to me.  I don't care WHAT you say, the lease is still in my name." 

Tommy stood there with an amused expression on his face, his lips curling around the cigarette.  "You sure are stupid Kitten.  I made sure all of your assets were signed over to me the day we got hitched.  You are worth nothing without me." 

The calm that settled over Katherine was the same calm that comes over a person when they have faced something horrible and survived.  Tommy did not feel the same thing.  

"Katherine no! Katherine what are you doing?!

The first shot went into his knee, muffled slightly by the thick wool of Katherine’s coat. The second shot was slightly higher.  He fell hard and Katherine pulled her coat off and swaddled him with it, the gun now replaced with a knife.  “Oh Thomas, I wish you’d been kinder to me, I wish you’d waited just a bit longer to tell me this.”  The paper thin edge of the knife drew bloody lines along his face.  “Your brother said you were an inpatient man, a violent man and I know I should have listened to him. But with him becoming a priest and giving up the family fortunes I knew it had to be you.”  Her smile was serene as she slowly cut his throat.  “You wanted my money and I would have shared.  If only you has asked politely.” 

Once the blood had stopped gushing Katherine took off her wedding ring and put it on Tommy’s tongue. 

The next day Tommy’s right hand man came to the bar to find the whole thing had burnt down and all through the next day charred black matchsticks of the men who had been in the club were taken away by the coroner.  There was a small search for Tommy’s wife which ended when the chief of police suggested Tommy had killed her and thrown her in the river. There wasn’t a funeral for Katherine or Tommy but two months after the murder a banker from Detroit Mutual disappeared, his desk and apartment left totally empty. 

“Katherine, I have a car and license for you, certificates and bonds and...” the older man paused, a sour look on his face. “Your wedding ring.”  His smile was strained but there were tears in his eyes.  “I don’t know what I’m going to do with out you.”  

Katherine pulled him into a hug and wiped away his tears.  “You’re going to go to all of those places you dreamed about when you were young.  You’re going to have fun and never look back on this old steel trap.”  She tried to smile.  “Be safe papa.”  

She waited to make sure he was on the train then went to the far end of the rail yard where he had said the car would be.  A tall man in a driver’s cap greeted her and handed her the keys.  

“Your trunk and bags are in the back, your papers are in the glove compartment and the key you’ll need in Chicago is on this keychain. Will there be anything else Miss Katherine?”  As Katherine took the keys a thought bounced around in her head.  

“Kittie, my name is Kittie.” She gave a little laugh and tossed a tip at the driver.  “And that will be all.”