Page 49 of The Fighter
Michael turned out to be a man in his mid-fifties with a story to tell. “I’ve wanted to share what happened for years, but no one would believe me, and back when it happened, I kept quiet because I was scared for my life. That’s why, when you called today, I knew it was the right time to share it.” He gestured for us to take a seat in his small living room.
Laura and I sat down and while her head turned in all directions, no doubt taking in the tired-looking wallpaper and the outdated entertainment center positioned like an altar in the middle of the room, I kept my focus on Michael, who had a weathered face and rough hands. “Who were you scared of?”
“The Ruler.”
“Who, Khan?”
“No, he was just a kid back then. It was Lord Marcus who had Henry killed, I’m sure of it.”
“How did you know Henry?”
“We knew each other from school. He was a construction worker like me and Daniel. Strong as an ox and a great warrior.”
“Who is Daniel?”
“He was a good friend of ours who was at the wedding too.”
“Is this Daniel?” I showed Michael the wedding photo.
“Yes.”
“Are you still in contact?”
“Daniel died a few months after Henry and Dina.”
“What happened?”
Michael crossed his arms. “He talked too much is what happened.”
I frowned. “What are you implying?”
“Daniel and I both speculated about Dina’s and Henry’s deaths, but the difference was that I was smart enough to keep my mouth shut in public.”
“How did Daniel die?”
“Shot in the head. They said it was random, that he got mugged that night, but I always knew it wasn’t.” Michael fiddled with the fabric of his pants. “I still miss them. Mostly Henry. We had fun together, but we were poor as fuck and that’s why we lived together in an apartment. Not that I’m rich now or anything.”
I jotted down a few notes as he added, “Lots of men do that; it doesn’t mean that we were more than just friends.”
“I know.”
“Anyway, the deal was that we would put our money together and save up for a tournament. Henry was the better fighter, so he would go first and with a prize of a million dollars, he could pay me back double what I’d lent him. I always knew he could win but that he would marry the Ruler’s daughter was unbelievable. It was like a fairytale and we celebrated thinking he would get both the princess and half the kingdom.” Michael’s head fell forward. “But it was a scam.”
That got Laura’s attention. “What do you mean it was a scam?”
“The day after the tournament, Henry received one hundred thousand dollars, but the other nine hundred thousand, he never got.”
“Why not?”
Michael threw up his hands. “He was told that winning the Ruler’s daughter was a reward worth more than money, but the problem was that he planned to buy her a nice house. I mean, we lived in an apartment on the third floor and to give him and Dina space, I had moved down here with a neighbor who was kind enough to allow it. There was no way he could offer her living in a small cramped apartment with two men. One hundred thousand dollars is a fair amount of money, but it’s nothing compared to the million he was promised.”
“How did Henry react to that?” I asked.
“He felt cheated and he complained about it. Dina was embarrassed too, and I know she called her parents many times begging for the money.”
“Do you think Henry took it out on her?”
Michael bit his lower lip. “He was stressed and disappointed, so sure, he might have.”
