A Necessary Evil(42)

Then came the morning Kurt was leaving for Army basic training. He was in his room packing his duffle bag when his mother had come to the door and told him Frankie was there to visit. Kurt had assumed Frankie was there to see his blood brother off, but when Frankie bounced into his room, full of nervous energy, looking like a cat who ate a canary, he knew there was more to it.



“What’s up, bro?” Kurt had asked.

At first, Frankie didn’t respond. He just kept nervously pacing Kurt’s room, bouncing on the balls of his feet, his fists clenched at his sides.

“Frankie, man. What’s going on? You’re making me nervous.”

Frankie stopped, turned to face Kurt, and smiled. “I did it, man. I did it.”

At first, Kurt didn’t attach any significance to this statement. “What did you do?”

“I got him.”

“Got who?”

“Him. That psycho who killed Addie.”

“How do you know who killed my sister?”

Frankie looked down at the floor. “I have my ways.”

“Well, if you know who killed Addie, we have to tell the police.”

Kurt started for the door, but Frankie blocked him with his body so forcefully, Kurt stumbled backward. When Kurt asked him what the hell he was doing, Frankie said it didn’t matter. And besides, if they let the police arrest the man, he’d probably get away with it. Kurt had insisted Frankie was wrong, but his friend wouldn’t listen to him. He just kept saying it was “too late.”

Kurt swallowed hard. His chest tightened, and his stomach felt heavy. “Frankie, what did you do?”

Frankie looked up, and Kurt felt a chill run down his spine. There was something very dark in Frankie’s eyes. A darkness Kurt had never seen before. “Like I said. I got him.”

“What on earth did you do to him?”

“I did what I had to do, Kurt. That sick sonofabitch will never hurt another girl.”

The world spun around Kurt. Was his best friend really confessing to what he thought he was confessing to? Had Frankie murdered Addie’s killer? Kurt had always known his friend had a dark side to him. But murder? Surely not. There was no way his best friend in the whole world could have killed anybody in cold blood. This had to be some kind of sick joke.

“Tell me you’re joking,” Kurt begged.

“I’m dead serious.”

“Frankie…you could go to prison if anyone finds out.”

“Don’t worry about it. No one’s going to find out. No one knows but you and me. Surely you’re not going to tell on me. Are you, brother?”

Kurt didn’t respond at first. He stood in his bedroom with his fists clenched at his sides. His heart and his mind both raced. For the first time in his life, Kurt was morally conflicted. Here was his best friend confessing to murder. Murder! And Kurt had no idea what to do. If he said nothing and got on the airplane to basic training, Frankie would remain free, but Kurt’s conscience would be forever weighed down with the knowledge that he’d helped someone get away with killing another human being.

But this was Frankie. The same boy he’d grown up with. The same boy who’d played with him and Addie near the river every day after school and on weekends. His blood brother. Could he really take away Frankie’s freedom, and maybe even his life?

Kurt slowly unclenched his fists and let out a deep sigh. “Of course, I won’t tell anyone. But I’m not okay with what you did. You know I want to be a cop one day. You killed someone, Frankie. No one deserves to die more than this man, whoever he was. But it’s not right.”

“Do you know what he did to her?” Frankie asked.

“Yeah, I know. He killed her. But that still doesn’t mean it’s okay to—”

“Wake up, man!” Frankie shouted as he took two long strides closer to Kurt. He was breathing heavily as if he’d run a marathon. “He didn’t just kill your sister. He beat her. He raped her. He—”

“Shut up, Frankie!” He shoved Frankie so hard he slammed into the dresser behind him. “Just shut up! You think I want to hear this?”

“It’s true, Kurt. The things he did to her. My old man heard it from the coroner. Now, you tell me that son of a bitch didn’t deserve to die.”

“That doesn’t give you the right!”

“Like hell it doesn’t. She was your sister, man. She was my girlfriend. One of us had to step up and do something.”

“I’ve heard enough.” Kurt brushed past Frankie and grabbed his duffle bag. “I’ve got to go. I’m going to be late.”

Frankie’s shoulders relaxed, and he let out a deep breath. “Come on, buddy. Don’t leave mad. I know you don’t approve, but—”

“You’re damn right I don’t approve.”

“Promise me you won’t tell anyone,” Frankie begged.

“I already said I won’t tell anyone. But I can’t be a part of this. I’m going to do my time in the Army, join the police force, and try to forget all about this.”

“What are you saying, Kurt?”

Kurt pulled his duffle bag up over his shoulder and shook his head. “I don’t know you anymore, Frankie. And I’m not sure I want to be friends with someone who’s capable of doing what you did. No matter how much he deserved it.”