Love, Anger, Madness

contact.

“I see,” he said, after listening to Normil, “you wish to sell land that once belonged to your father. You are currently in possession of papers that show you have the right to dispose of said property through an inter vivos transfer? Is that correct?”

“Yes. This land is situated on the Turgeau heights and is of untold value. In all, I have a dozen lots planted with fruit trees, at an estimated value of a thousand dollars each. This gentleman,” he said, indicating the Gorilla, “is the only one who didn’t balk at my asking price.”

“He’s an expert in these matters and is quite aware that you could get a lot more than that,” the notary added in a neutral tone, “but in times like these times, a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush.”

The Gorilla cracked his long hairy fingers with growing impatience. He scowled at the notary and said:

“Get to it. I have no time to waste.”

“All is ready, Commandant, I’ve seen to everything in advance.”

The notary frowned slightly, put on his glasses and opened a folder.

The title of commandant, which the notary had slapped onto the little man, startled Louis Normil, who couldn’t help staring at the decorations hanging on his black shirt. The notary smiled at that and stubbornly kept his eyes down.

“And are there actually any buyers who are hesitant?” he asked without changing his expression.

The Gorilla took a wad of bills from his pocket and handed it to the notary. The latter counted them, and then held out the folder:

“Sign here, if you would, Commandant.”

The eleven other uniformed men were talking among themselves at the other end of the room.

“Gentlemen,” Louis Normil said as he got up, “I don’t mean to pressure you, but I swear you’re passing up a terrific opportunity to become property owners in one of the nicest parts of the country.”

They rushed over all at once, grumbling, put down their money and signed.

“There now, that’s done,” the notary said with a sigh of relief. “It’s all for the best. Gentlemen, you’ll come by again to pick up the deeds to your property.”

“That’s all?” the Gorilla asked, standing up abruptly.

“That’s all, Commandant,” replied the notary.

“Why not give us those papers right now?” one of the buyers asked shyly.

“Because, simply put, they are not ready,” the notary answered. “Come, come, gentlemen, let’s not be so suspicious. Look at how your own boss has every confidence in us.”

“Fall out!” cried the Gorilla, stiff as a post. The men in uniform stood at attention with their heads down. The notary then took the fat wad of bills and handed it to Louis Normil.

“Goodbye, sir, goodbye Commandant, always at your service, Commandant,” he said, carrying himself like an actor onstage.

Putting the money in his pocket, Louis Normil tried to make eye contact with the notary and saw that his amused and sardonic glance was now fixed on the Gorilla.

“Who is he?” Normil asked the Gorilla once they were outside.

“Oh! A great man, a most worthy gentleman. My father was once his servant. Now he is at my service. He has the reputation of never betraying a professional secret, and thanks to him I’ve closed quite a few deals.”

“Deals like this one?” Louis Normil asked with an innocent smile.

“Like this one,” the Gorilla answered cynically. “One has to make a living, right? But to go back to the notary, he’s a masterly fellow. Smart, very smart, and he knows where the bodies are buried. One of these days, I fear he’ll regret having been so accommodating.”

Louis Normil shuddered.

“Should I return the money to you?” he asked, putting his hand in his pocket.

“Are you crazy?” the little man nearly screamed. “Wait until we’re in a safe place. Here’s my car. Come.”

As he opened the door, the Boxer, who had been waiting in the area, put his hand on his shoulder and said:

“I guarded that land day and night. I want my share.”

“Take your hand off my shoulder,” the Gorilla cried in fury as he shook free and reached for his weapon.

The Boxer took three quick steps back and with the skill of a cowboy, took out his gun and fired. The Gorilla collapsed.

My work here is done, Louis Normil told himself. And, taking advantage of the general panic, he made his way through the crowd and disappeared.

The most urgent thing was to put the money in a safe place. So he went home and this time hid it in the drawer of his night table, under a stack of books. Then he went back to the office, where he found M. Zura in a state.

“Have you heard the news, Normil?” the latter asked him. “Your friend was assassinated.”

“By whom?” Louis Normil exclaimed, feigning surprise.

M. Zura rolled his worried eyes and lowered his voice:

“By one of his henchmen, and they’re going to execute him to set an example.”

“Such an extreme measure won’t revive our poor friend,” Louis Normil added, looking devastated.

“What a horrible misfortune! Isn’t it?” M. Zura added. “And now, they’ll be on their guard. Look at all these trucks full of armed men. They know who did it, but they still have to deploy in all their gear just to give us a good scare.”

Louis Normil looked at M. Zura’s shaking hands, took his hat, excused himself and decided to go straight to the immigration office while he was still popular there.

“It’s Monsieur Normil,” said an employee respectfully when he saw him. “Why don’t you go ahead and take care of Monsieur Normil.”

“Let’s make sure Monsieur Normil doesn’t have to wait,” another cried.

“Long live the leader of the Blackshirts!” the first employee shouted.

“Long live the leader of the Blackshirts!” the others repeated in chorus.

“Long live the leader of the Blackshirts!” Louis Normil affirmed obligingly.

What do I care! he thought, as long as I’m able to save my children, the rest doesn’t matter!

We’ll remain, the rest of us, to pay whatever it is there is to pay, he also told himself as he got the passports. I’ll stop at nothing to save Rose and Paul. He went home and found his wife in their bedroom.

“Everything is ready” he announced. “The children will leave tomorrow.”

“My God!… How did you do that?”

He opened the drawer of the night table, lifted the books and took out the money.

“This money will never pay for what we’ve lost morally,” he whispered in a choked voice. “Never, even if they were to let us live, we’ll never be the same. Do you understand?”

She closed her eyes.

“And us?” she asked. “What will happen to us?”

“Us!”

He got up from the bed where they had been sitting side by side and went to the window. He looked at the black stains of the uniforms beyond the stakes and frowned.

“Us!” he began again.

And unwilling to lie to her, he said nothing. Did she understand the meaning of his silence? She stood behind him with a hand on his shoulder:

“Have you told Rose and Paul?” she asked, to tear him from the dreadful thoughts he dared not utter.

“No. Where’s Rose?”

“She hasn’t left her room.”

“Let her rest.”

At lunch, there were only four of them sitting at the table. Rose had locked herself up in her room. No one spoke of the Gorilla’s murder. There was an unusual commotion on their property, with a significant number of uniformed men pacing around, armed to the teeth. Most of the houses in the neighborhood were sealed and silent