CHAPTER FIVE
 

"So, Kieran, even after I asked you NOT to read the letter you went ahead and did it anyway.   That shows just how much you can be trusted.  Josh, I figured that I could at least count on you."  Rollie lectured his two younger cousins as he closed the door behind him.   "You don’t think that I am not going to like what  is in the letter….Why??  I mean why wouldn’t I; I mean the letter was written by someone who is  supposed to dead and as far as I know, dead people can’t write letters.  So, the letter was written  before…why wouldn’t I like it??  Give me the letter."
 

"Um…Rollie, I don’t think that is a good idea" Kieran hesitated and tried to stall his cousin.  "I mean, you’re right.  If it was written all that time ago, another couple of days or weeks won’t matter, will it??  We could leave it for a time when …."
 

"A time for when??…A time when I might be better able to handle it? A time when it might not bother me??  No such thing….GIVE     ME     THE     LETTER." Rollie stated in such a way that it brooked no argument. Slowly, Kieran handed over the letter that had now become more than just a letter.  It became of vital interest to Rollie; it was his only link to that accident.  The accident that took Angela…….
 
 
 

Seven months earlier
 

Det. Gatti had knocked on the door but since it was ajar, he came in without notice.  He really didn’t like doing that to Rollie and Angela since they work here and in Rollie’s case live here, but since yesterday  when the two Fx wizards argued, he wanted to apologize.  "Hello?!?!  Anyone here??  It’s me; Frank.  Hey, Rollie, you here??"
 

"Hey, Francis.  How are you today? What brings you by?"
 

"Um…just around, ya know, checking things out."
 

" Oh, ’checking things out’, hmm; would that include to see if both us made it out alive from the other day?" Rollie questioned the police officer.
 

"Well, you guys did get a little bit loud with each other and that rarely happens.  So, I got a little nervous.  Is everything ok with the two of you?"
 

"Nope.  She is not talking to me and I don’t  think that she will be talking to you either any time soon.  Sorry…." Rollie apologized in advance.
 

"Oh.  But I don’t understand…."  The two men heard the door open and turned around to see Angie enter.   With barely a look towards Rollie, she sailed past both men and went directly to her workstation to get started. Rollie gave Francis a look that said ‘What did I tell you?’, just shook his head and went back to his work.  "Um…Angie, I’m sorry about yesterday" Det. Gatti started.
 

"Sorry?"
 

"Yeah, I mean while me and Mira were here and well…what we started.  I didn’t mean…"
 

"Francis, there is no need for it.  You didn’t do anything wrong, don’t worry about." Angie comforted  him and then proceeded to the kitchen to get a cup of tea.  At that, Rollie slammed down his fist on the desk that he was working on in utter disbelief.
 

"Um…uh…if you say so, Ange. I just wanted to be sure that you weren’t still mad at me, for the other day.  We got someone from the stationhouse to do the job, so we won’t be bothering you two for awhile.  Well, gotta run and help Mira with the paper work.  Later" and the detective left.
 

"I don’t believe this!!  How come he gets ‘Don’t worry about it’ and all I get are dirty looks from you?!?!  What did I do that was SO horrible, huh?!?!" Rollie bellowed the moment Gatti vacated the loft.
 

"Francis doesn’t treat me like a kid or a simpleton; deciding what is ‘best’ for me. He regards me as an equal or at the very least someone with a brain. And he doesn’t yell", she emphasized.
 

"What!?  I try to keep you from doing something dumb….!"
 

"Tyler, there are times when you make me want to scream!!!  You can run around this city pretending to be a cop and that’s fine; but if I do it, all of sudden it is a dumb thing to do?!  I want to know how that works!!"
 

"I am not going over this again.  I told you yesterday why I didn’t think you could handle it.  I mean, here you are saying how Francis treats you and yet you were willing to let him die in that blast just so he could save you.  God, Ange he has a family to think of…."
 

"Oh, I see" by this point she was seething and could barely contain her anger, "YOU con me into doing that job for Mira…so SHE didn’t have to go in and yet Francis does and the blame is mine.  Maybe you should rethink this…if anything would have happened it would’ve been your fault for dragging me there.  As for
the family bit….you’re right, I don’t have ANY family to think of…like you should talk, you don’t have much of one either.  But then again, I didn’t see YOU running in, did I?" she ended  maliciously.
 

"I’m going out for a walk.  Please do not be here when I get back!!"
 

"Fine!!  I wouldn’t want to be here!!!" she screamed to the slamming door.
 
 

‘Great’, she thought dejectedly, ‘the only one I have in this world and I just alienated him.  Good job’ and proceeded to sit at her work bench and cry.  She wasn’t sure how long she had been crying when the phone rang.  She was tempted not to answer it because her head, eyes, and throat hurt from crying; but
figured she owed Rollie at least that much.  "Tyler FX. Angie speaking, can I help you?"
 

"Angie,  you may not remember me. I’m Elena Serrano with the FBI.  Is Rollie there?  I need to ask him for a favor?"
 

"I remember you.  No, sorry.  He just stepped out.  Want me to take a message for you and have him call you back?"
 

"No, thanks. Just him tell I called and will call again."  "OK, bye."   Angie noticed the time and decided to do some work before Rollie came back; she didn’t want to be here for Round 3.
 
 

It was two hours later when the door sounded. ‘Couldn’t be Rollie.  He would have used his keys’ she theorized as she was answering the doorbell.  "Elena? I’m surprised to see you here.  Sorry, but Rollie hasn’t come back yet.  If you want, you can wait.  I’m just on my way out."
 

"Damn!  I really needed his help. Do you know when he will be back?"  Her answer was a quick shake of Angie’s head.  "I wasn’t  counting on this; I really need his help. Thanks anyway…"
 

The blonde turned to look at the Federal agent because of her tone, "Is there something else?"
 

"You work with Rollie, so you know most of what he knows?"
 

"Some of it.  Depends on the subject.  Why?" she asked cautiously.
 

"I’m in a bind and I really need some of your expertise.  Do you think maybe you could help me?"
 

"What kind of help?  I mean, I don’t know what he knows and I’m not all that good with cops and…."
 

"It’s not  that bad, really.  I just need you to do a little scare into someone…legally of course."
 

"Hmm-mm.   I dunno; if it’s pyrotechnics you want, Rollie is better at than I am.  I usually just help him out with it."
 

"I really could use your help here.  I don’t want a big thing actually.  I need a boat to be blown up…"
 

"Not a big thing?!  Blowing a boat up in my book is a big thing.  Wait for Rollie."
 

"No,no…we have it all worked out.  I just need someone to be there when it goes off..."
 

"Like I said, wait for Rollie."
 

"Angie I need someone who knows this stuff to be on the boat when it goes off; to let the officers and the FBI know how close to be to it and just to go over ‘rules’ of the pyrotechnics.  I wouldn’t take up much of your time" Elena added shrewdly.
 

"How much time?? Because we have a huge movie that is going to be IT for Tyler FX and I need to spend a lot of time on it."
 

"I promise no more than two days.  In fact, this weekend is all that I would need. OK?"
 

"Can I think about it?"
 

"I really need an answer now, otherwise the whole operation is a bust."
 

"Um…uh…sure, why not?  If he can do it, so can I."
 

"Great!!; let me make a few calls and then  we can work on all the details. You won’t regret this, Angie. I promise."
 

‘Then why do I have the feeling that I am making a huge mistake?’ she thought to herself.