Ryan blinked and Jarrod grabbed a corner of the adhesive tape and tore it quickly from his mouth.
Ryan grimaced. “You son-of-a-bitch,” he began. “How can y… you think I had anything to do with this, uh…break-in of yours?” he stammered, his words shooting out like a jet of water from a high-pressure hose. He rushed to convey as much as possible before Jarrod replaced the tape on his mouth.
“I didn’t have anything to do with any break-in. You’re framing me. It’s you that vandalized the crane at my construction site,” he shouted. “You could have killed someone. I thought Virginia was a low blow, but this…Christ, man, you really are sick,” he said, straining forward in his seat, his eyes bulging as if he were possessed.
“Wait a second,” Jarrod replied, looking momentarily startled. “What are you talking about? I’ve never been anywhere near one of your construction sites. What possible reason would there be for me to tamper with your equipment? You, on the other hand, have a perfect motive for breaking into my office. You’re consumed with revenge-you can’t get past the practical joke I pulled in New York, which I know you enjoyed. Geez…I never thought Sarah would take it that seriously,” he argued, looking puzzled.
Ryan could see genuine confusion on his cousin’s face. It surprised him. He wasn’t prepared to consider the possibility that Jarrod hadn’t tampered with his crane.
“Don’t play dumb with me,” Ryan said. “I don’t know anyone else even remotely capable of murder. There’s no one in the high-steel business that would do something this low-down; it means certain death. You, on the other hand have a history of such things. You hired someone to collapse my crane. What’s your plan this time… strip away my business, discredit me, put me in jail? I know this is your doing, Cuz,” he emphasized, throwing Jarrod’s derogatory nickname back in his face. “Now untie me, you miserable ass.”
“Really, Ryan…you can’t be serious,” Jarrod laughed. “I’m not about to release you. Aside from your outlandish allegations, which are wildly imaginative, you’ll stay tied up until the police arrive. You left evidence at the scene; there’s a manhunt for you over three states. I just thought we’d chat a bit, catch up on old times, and maybe you’d tell me what provoked you to break into my office. If you cooperate, maybe it’ll help you later. But make no mistake…you’re going to pay for this, Ryan. Now tell me who has the equations…not that it matters; I have everything backed up. The machine won’t work without me,” Jarrod said smugly, crossing his arms.
“Listen to me carefully, Jarrod: I-didn’t-break-into-your-office. I-don’t-know-who-did!” Ryan yelled, pausing to emphasize each word. “Any evidence was obviously planted to make it look like I was there. Do tell…what’s this evidence?”
“You left a handwritten note on LSI stationary,” Jarrod said, shaking his head in wonder, perplexed that Ryan was able to sound so convincing. “I admit…it seems a bit amateurish, even by your standards, but there’s also a strand of hair, which I’ll bet anything will match your DNA. But the most damning evidence is your knowledge of my password: Amerigodivina, a combination of Nono and Nana’s first names. No one but you could have come up with that word. Your goose is cooked, Ryan,” he said, looking like a prosecuting attorney who had just delivered irrefutable evidence to a jury.
“Damnit, Jarrod, don’t you see what’s happening? I didn’t know your password!” Ryan exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be the smart one. Think about it…it’s a set-up. My construction site was vandalized the same time that your research was stolen. This is no coincidence. Someone’s pitting us against one another, and is using the thing we prize most as a means to that end. You need to think real hard about who might be willing to sell you out. Now, pleasssee… cut me loose. We’ve got to work this out together, whether we like it or not.”
“No, no, no…not so fast, mister,” Jarrod replied, massaging his temples. He was pacing now, trying to make sense of everything he was hearing. It was true; there did seem to be a conspiracy. But who would sell him out? By and large, his research was secret and proprietary, guarded by Quantum Dimensions. There were very few people who knew the extent of the antigravity research. Niles Penburton and he didn’t always see eye to eye, true, but Niles was also an astute businessman. He would never compromise the antigravity discovery before it was patented to Quantum, just as the partnership documents stipulated. Jarrod was dispirited by these thoughts, but had to admit his fool of a cousin did make good sense.
“Tell me more about what went down at the construction site,” he asked. “Why are you so sure I’m responsible?”
Ryan squirmed in his seat, looking incredulous, but took the time to fully describe what had occurred with the tower crane, and how he had come to decide it was time to confront the animosity between them.
“Don’t you see? Isn’t it obvious why I’d draw this conclusion?” Ryan asked. “We’ve been at each other’s throats all our lives. I’m sick of the way things have turned out between us, but there’s nothing I can do about the past. But the stunt you pulled with the prostitute was way over the top.” He hung his head at the memory of all that followed the fateful evening with Virginia. “I’ve wanted to kill you for losing Sarah, and it’s become an obsession. I have no peace. The only thing that keeps me sane is my business. When that cop showed up in Taos threatening my livelihood, I snapped…I knew it was you. But it appears that we’ve both been set up. For Christ’s sake, man, can’t you see what’s happening here?”
“Listen, Ryan,” Jarrod bitterly replied, his face etched with anger as he spoke. “You seem blissfully out of touch with the reason I arranged the whore in New York. Remember Ginner Torrez… Virginia Torrez, my high school girlfriend? You had the pick of any girl in school and yet you asked Ginner to the Junior prom? She only went with you because we’d had a fight, but that was the last straw. You started this vendetta between us, pal. Then you and Sarah conspired to break up my relationship with Sela, when you knew how I felt about her! You both had it coming. My little charade was as much an indictment against Sarah as it was you. You turned Sela against me with all the stories of our childhood rivalry. When you were through, she wouldn’t give me the time of day.”
Slamming a fist on the table, he took a deep breath and continued. “You talk about hatred? I’ve despised you from the day I learned you and Sarah undermined my relationship with Sela. I had no idea Sarah would react the way she did, but honestly…it came out better than I’d hoped. None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for you two. You’re dead to me now…regardless of our kinship.”
“Hold on just a damn minute,” Ryan barked back. “You can’t hold me responsible for what sisters share. Of course Sela knew about our rocky past, and yes…I may have acknowledged a few of the more outlandish stories, but it was never done maliciously or to influence Sela’s opinion of you. You’re my blood, Jarrod. Do you actually think I purposely sabotaged you? Whatever happened between you and Sela had nothing to do with me,” he said, staring straight into Jarrod’s eyes, making sure not to flinch, look away, or give any outward sign that might be interpreted as a lie. In fact, he was telling the absolute truth.
“Then how do you explain why Sela ended our relationship so abruptly? We were close all through college, and even though we ended up on opposite ends of the country, we had an understanding that once our circumstances changed, we’d commit to a real relationship. Then she suddenly became withdrawn and wouldn’t explain why except to say she’d discussed some things with Sarah and you, and decided a relationship would never work out between us. She claimed the hostility between us was a big reason behind her decision. How did you think that felt, Ryan? You betrayed me, and it was deliberate.”