Word Game

  On the third day that she was imprisoned in that room, Anna was looking at the cars passing by below, interested in actually throwing herself out of that window, when she heard angry voices coming from inside the house. After a while, she realized that they must be in the next room, and she put her ear to the wall to hear what they were saying. That maid hadn't come back, and she needed to distract herself with something.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Stop any lawyer from having access to him!” said an older woman's voice.

  “And what exactly am I supposed to do? Have the legs of every lawyer who presses the doorbell broken?”

  “You know more effective ways of stopping people...”

  There was a silence and Anna was livid. They really were dangerous. In those seven months, she hadn't heard All relate to her business in any direct way, and perhaps this had created a false illusion in her that he was a good man.

  “Even if I killed all the lawyers in our country, I couldn't kill all the lawyers in the world.” The man's voice said with a certain resignation.

  Anna heard the sound of a chair being dragged and imagined that one of the two had stood up.

  “There's another solution...” The woman's voice said as if hesitating to say the solution out loud.

  “I'm listening.”

  “Only one person would have to die, if you accept...”

  “No, Mom! I can't do that to him! All is my father and I don't want him to spend the last days or months of his life thinking that I stole his joy!”

  “Then maybe you're ready for this proposal.” She said and the sound of a drawer opening piqued Anna's curiosity. “I've presented you with all the solutions I could think of for an emergency...”

  He took such a deep breath that Anna imagined the man was about to suffer a heart attack.

  “What about your eldest son?”

  “He says he won't get involved.”

  “He's hiding something from us.”

  “That could be a problem for later.”

   They were silent. Anna imagined that they must be staring at each other. Until the man's voice came back menacingly.

  “You know what the firstborn's secret is.” He said angrily.

  “I don't. I've never seen him act as if he's hiding something from us. You became very sensitive after you discovered that you can't give him commands, like you do with everyone else. Isn't having everyone enough for you?”

  “It's not my ego that's hurt, woman! I feel something strange in his presence.”

  “That's called jealousy.”

   “It's not that simple... I've never seen him be like one of us.”

  Anna squeezed her eyes shut. What were they talking about?”

  “He doesn't need to transform to prove himself, my son. You are mistaken for twins. You are both biological sons of the same father, no doubt about it. And even if he's not my biological son, I love him as much as I love you. Maybe more than I love you.” She said in a teasing voice.

  “Doesn't that make him even stranger? He's thirty and looks my age.”

  “Are you accusing your brother of something? Be more objective, please.”

  “I suspect something, yes. But I'm going to investigate before... You're right about one thing. He's definitely my blood.”

  Anna heard a knock on the door and another, more jovial voice come in to greet them.

    “So, cousin. You sent for me. You know we've gone two years without our usual distraction and I get annoyed when you force me to abandon my adventures for no apparent reason.”

  “My father is in hospital.”

  “What happened?”

  “He's having some tests...”

  “Well... He's still young, soon he'll be traveling again with that whore of his... Sorry, auntie.”

   Anna was furious. But she couldn't stop listening to that strange conversation. Was Allister young? A man of 64? Or were they talking about someone else?

  “Don't worry, I was just leaving. I like that you see her like this, you won't have any trouble doing what needs to be done.”

  The sound of chairs dragging again and the sound of high heels walking through the next room.

  “My son... You have to decide soon. He's being discharged from hospital today.” She said and after a kiss, the door opened and closed carefully.

   “I don't think we should refer to our next product like that.” Her son's voice said, but Anna realized that there was no recrimination in it, but amusement.

  “You called me because something bad is happening, right?”

  “I don't know if my father will survive.”

  “And you want to cry on my shoulder?”

  Anna heard the sound of laughter that she was trying to contain.

  “Don't be an idiot. I want all the arrangements to be made.”

  “Arrangements?”

  “My father got weak, cousin. He's in hospital now, because he abandoned the constant vigilance we must maintain. Even if he survives, I will no longer leave any part of the business in his hands.”

  “That means...”

  “That I want you to hand over to me the part of my father that is in your father's control.”

  “Has my father done anything wrong?”

  “No. But... Dester is Allister's friend, not mine. He's not going to look after my business so closely. I feel him trying to resist my authority every time I use it with him.”

  “Give me your computer and I'll ask him in an email to send you all the reports.”

  Anna realized that they had been silent for almost five minutes.

 “Okay, cousin. The reports will reach you soon. But now let's talk about more... spicier matters. Should we wait to take the product home?”

  “I have plans for it. But I can't do anything to upset my father.”

  Anna heard the sound of chairs being dragged and shoes being kicked out of the room and the door opening.

  Anna ran back to the window. What were they planning? Were they thinking of killing her? They probably were. The part where the man talked about making All suffer... They had to be talking about her. But why didn't they want to see the lawyers?

  Lunch was served like every day and this time they left their clothes too. Anna felt grateful. She was tired of wearing men's pyjamas that were too big and baggy on her body.