The telephone booth

Chapter Sixty-one Josh Collins

Chapter Sixty-one
Josh Collins
 
     Josh Collins was driving nervously, thinking to himself: "I have no choice, I have to kill you. You have become a dangerous man, stepbrother. I have to do this for Peter and of course Anna. I will definitely do this today." He looked ahead, more precisely at the small dark bottle and a dropper that had no label on it. He was looking at it. Josh was nervous and the closer he got to his brother's place, the more nervous he became. When he parked his car, he put the small bottle in the inner pocket of his jacket and realized that he was sweating heavily and his heart was beating fast.
   Finally, Mr. Collins entered the reception room and saw that his stepbrother was comfortably lying on the couch, trying to calm himself down and keep it for a few moments. He stood in front of him and said: "Hello Martin."
   Martin Holland said: "Hello brother, it's been a long time since you came here to see me. Since Peter Miller works in the company, Peter is my nephew? The son of Amy and Scott?" He said this with a special smile and stared into Collins' eyes, wanting to see how he reacted.
   Mr. Collins was really scared of this talk and this scary smile and wanted to say something in response to these questions but instead laughed and said: "How do you know I didn't come here when neither you nor anyone else was here?"
   "So you realized that I was free during this time?"
   "Yes; and that's why I'm upset with James."
   "James Cobb is not my jailer."
   Josh said: "James is my friend and he was supposed to always watch you." Then there was silence.
   Martin took advantage of this silence and laughed loudly and said: "James was a friend of both of us and unlike you, he believes that I am right."
   Martin's laughter was very loud and this loud sound made Josh lose control and his hand started shaking. He said to himself: "Right! What right?" Then he quickly regained control and said: "Do you drink coffee? I'll make it myself." Then he went to the kitchen. It didn't take long for him to come back with a tall handle cup that had hot coffee in it, gave it to Martin Holland's hand and said: "It's hot, be careful."
   Martin looked at the steam coming out of the cup as if he was smiling and said: "Wow, it's so hot." Then he looked into Mr. Collins' eyes and said: "Why did you only bring coffee for me?" Then he brought the cup to his lips but suddenly emptied the coffee cup into the flowerpot next to him.
   Josh was surprised; he said to himself: "Are you really crazy or sane? You should have eaten that poison so that I could easily reach my goal." Then he said: "Why did you pour the coffee into the flowerpot?"
   Martin smiled and said: "Because this flowerpot really loves coffee." Then he got up from his place and said:    "Follow me brother."
   Mr. Collins followed his brother into a bedroom; someone was sleeping on the bed but it was not clear who it was because Martin Holland was standing in front of him; anyway, Josh Collins realized this but said nothing.
   Martin turned to his brother and took a revolver out of the honey-colored drawer next to the bed and while he was putting a bullet in the revolver and making it ready, he smiled at Mr. Collins, a terrifying smile.
   Mr. Collins, who was really terrified, said to himself: "Does he want to kill me?" To his surprise, Martin gave him the gun. Josh took the revolver but Martin still had the barrel in his hand; they did the same thing as two swordsmen who spin around an imaginary circle seemingly in vain to start a fight, but they only spun a quarter of a circle; this small amount was enough for Mr. Collins' eyes to lock on the man who was sleeping and he whispered: "Peter."
   Martin put the barrel on his chest and said: "Just pull the trigger."
   Mr. Collins said: "Is he okay?"
   Martin Holland laughed and said: "Oh, I forgot to say! If I die, he dies too because I gave him poison; by the time he gets to the hospital and the poison is identified, he's dead. Now it's up to you to shoot."
   Josh dropped the gun and left the room without saying a word.