The Assassin's Tree

( 21 )

It was a little past 9:30 when I pulled into a crumbled parking lot that sat in front of the saddest apartment building I had ever seen. The truck looked wildly out of place in a lot that largely resembled a junkyard.

I had an awful feeling about this. But of course... I was curious. Even if curiosity was known to kill the cat.

I killed the engine, stepping down from the truck and retrieving my bag from the backseat. I slung the bag over my shoulder once again, locking the doors with the fob. I dialed up Mother again, and again she picked up almost immediately. "I'm outside the building. Should I come in...?"

"I'll come out and meet you, give me a minute..." Her voice seemed tense as she spoke. It certainly put me on edge.

"Alright." I hung up, my gaze sweeping the parking lot a bit more closely. Among the bent up and rusty cars, two caught my eye. A sleek black convertible was parked near the entrance, and a large grey van with dark windows was parked not far from where I parked. That was rather unsettling.

I cautiously moved towards the main entrance of the building. To me, those cars weren't a good sign. My hand instinctively went to rest on the handgun tucked away inside my coat. I was hoping I wouldn't need it, but better safe than sorry.

A woman appeared at the entrance not long after. My Mother. A smile lit up on her face when she laid eyes on me. I couldn't say the same about myself. I was still on edge about this entire meeting. "Mother." My voice was low as I approached her. I extended my hand, but she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Oh God, Leonardo... Leon, now?... It's been so long." She pulled back, holding my shoulders as she studied my face. I could see her eyes welling up with tears. My hand slowly fell away from the handgun, and I began to let my guard down ever so slightly. "You're so handsome!... you look just like your father..." Her voice dropped off, and her smile faltered. "Come on in, we shouldn't stand around outside for too long." She took me by the arm and led me into the building.

The smell of cigarette smoke hit me instantly. I coughed to clear my throat, and a look of embarrassment crossed her face. "I should've warned you about that. Sorry."

I just shrugged, following her up the stairs to the second floor. At the end of the hall, she cracked open a door to a rather small apartment. From what I could see, though, it was still wellkept. She hurried me inside, and I caught a glimpse of the worried look on her face.

She's hiding something.

"Nice place you got here," I commented softly, taking note of the blankets and pillows on the couch. Someone else lived here. She beamed at me. "It's nothing compared to your place, I can't even believe it, my boy lives right on the coast in such a lovely area." I shrugged it off, moving over to the living room area and setting my bag down on the floor.

"So... who lives with you?" I motioned towards the makeshift bed, leaning against the back of the couch. She was in the kitchen now, rummaging through an upper cabinet.

"Oh... My boyfriend. And his son." She paused, shaking her head as she pulled a cutting board down from the cabinet. "They won't be here tonight. So you don't have to worry about them."

"Boyfriend?" I wandered into the kitchen, taking a seat at the counter. "What's his name?" I began to tap my fingers against the counter. I couldn't seem to settle my nerves.

"Paul. He's a sweet guy. His son's real sweet too. Just a tad younger than you. His name's Joseph, he'll be turning 18 soon. I'm sure you two will get along fine." She flashed me a quick smile over her shoulder before going back to work, opening the fridge and bringing out a bag of mixed vegetables.