Crumbled to Pieces

by Catherine Bruns

  "She asked about me?"

  Lena laughed. "Yeah, she said she had a chance to rent an apartment over a bakery to start her candy business. She asked me questions about a tenant's rights, and if I knew of any situations where the landlord had been sued for threatening a tenant with bodily harm. Hello, do I look like a real estate attorney? Guess she planned to play you for a chump all along."

  I fumed in silence at her words. It was hard to believe anyone could be so rotten to the core.

  Lena went on. "I tell you, the old bat was part dragon and part psychic. I had the photos taped to the underside of my desk drawer. Martin would never think to look for them there. Allegra must have been snooping around while she waited for me and found them."

  "Allegra already knew about the pictures?" I asked.

  "She might have. Martin may have told Violet about them and then she in turn told her mother. Hey, whatever. But Allegra had the audacity to lift them from my study—in my house! A couple of days later, I started getting texts and orders to deposit sums of cash into her bank account." Lena shook her head in apparent disgust. "My own aunt. I mean, how could someone do something so despicable? She was my flesh and blood!"

  Incredulous, I stared at her. "I can't believe you're saying that. You deliberately ran her over. You planned ahead of time to kill her. That's premeditated murder."

  "You don't understand," she said angrily. "I didn't have a choice. I needed those photos. They were my only chance—my only leverage against Martin and the only way to gain the power I need. I crave power like a drug addict craves crack. Like a vampire craves blood. Like a—"

  Jeez Louise. "Okay, I get it," I snapped.

  "Would you believe that dear old Auntie had the audacity to hit Martin up for money when I stopped paying? Hello? Where did she think I was getting the money from to begin with?"

  "So that explains why he went to Nicoletta's house to confront Allegra."

  Lena let out a giggle reminiscent of a little girl's. "That woman had real nerve, that's for sure. I guess she thought she'd double her funds. Martin and I don't agree on a lot of things these days, but we both like power and how it makes us feel."

  "So Martin was in on the scheme to kill her too?" I asked.

  "Go straight here." Lena shook her head. "Nope, I take credit for that. Martin didn't know about my plan. When he learned of Aunt Allegra's accident, he called it a stroke of good luck. The devil was interfering in our lives. She had to go."

  Somehow I found it difficult to believe that Lena had only married Martin to advance her career and vice versa. How could these people have no respect for the institution of marriage? "You really didn't care that he was sleeping with other women? I mean, with your own cousin?"

  "Okay, that part bothered me a little," she confessed. "But like I said, we both had our reasons."

  I still didn't understand. "He's your husband. I once had a cheating husband. He's dead now, and I've moved on, but the pain never goes away."

  She looked at me, confused. "Who cares about that? I only married Martin to get ahead. He married me to help keep his reputation as an honest, standup politician and to get reelected. Everyone loves those sappy stories. You know, the girl who comes from a very modest background. Her poor parents immigrated from Italy, gave birth to a daughter in America, and this girl, with nothing but a dream and drive to succeed, meets the dashing, rich, and powerful senator. People eat that crap up. God, when are they going to wake up and smell the Amaretto?"

  We started along the long, paved driveway that sloped gently toward Lena's house. "Stop," she commanded. "I gave the security guard the afternoon off, so I'll have to open the gate myself."

  "Oh, okay." I gripped the steering wheel between my hands, waiting for her to get out of the car.

  She barked out a laugh. "You really must think I'm dumb. Move it, Nancy Drew. You're coming with me."

  I remained sitting there until the cold tip of the gun's barrel connected with my temple.

  "I said to move!" she yelled. "Or I can kill you now and stuff your body into the trunk. No biggee. I can always figure out what to do with it later. That's right, toward me now."

  Trying to stay calm, I slid across the passenger seat and out the opened door. She pushed me around to the front of vehicle and kept me by her side as she attempted to open the gate. It was heavy wrought iron, and she struggled with the latch.

  "Damn thing," she hissed. "I told that stupid idiot to leave it unlocked and opened. God, it's so hard to find good help these days."

  She struggled with the latch with one hand, the other pointing the revolver at me. As she continued to curse, my eyes darted around in hopes of an escape. We were too far off the main road. If I tried to run, there was no doubt in my mind she'd shoot me. This was a private estate, and the chance of another car coming onto the property was slim.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted movement and realized my car was slowly edging forward. For a split second, I continued to stare at the vehicle, immobilized with fear. If I didn't make a run for it, we'd both end up pinned between the vehicle and the gate. Lena might still try to shoot me, but it was a chance I had to take.

  The car crept forward, its motor rumbling. I inched farther away from Lena.

  She lifted the latch and clicked the barrel on the gun. "Move any farther and you're dead, Nancy."

  "Look out!" I shouted and dove across the driveway as the car smashed into the gate. Lena screamed as she fired the gun, but the shot went wild. I looked up from my fetal position on the grass, but all I could see were Lena's legs sticking out from underneath the car, in a manner eerily similar to the Wicked Witch of the East from the Wizard of Oz.

  If Allegra was watching from heaven—or perhaps that other, fiery place—I knew she must be smiling and thinking it was about time her niece got her just desserts.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  The sharp clacking of heels against the linoleum floor grew louder by the second. I looked up from the message I was texting to Josie and saw my sister approaching. Her face was a sickly gray color, and she stopped for a moment to catch her breath.

  "Is—is she okay?" Gianna asked nervously.

  I rose to my feet. "Grandma's fine. She has a concussion, and they want her to stay the night to be on the safe side."

  She nodded, not saying anything further as her large, chocolate-colored eyes filled with tears.

  I swallowed around the gigantic lump building in my throat and threw my arms around her. "Gi, I'm so sorry."

  "No, I'm the one who's sorry," Gianna choked out as she wept into my shoulder. "I didn't know—I mean, what was going on with you. My timing was awful."

  I released her and drew back. She had to mean the pregnancy test, but I wanted to be certain first. "What are you talking about?"

  Before she could reply, Johnny came over to us and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm going to call Gram and fill her in on what's happening with Rosa."

  "How is she?" I asked.

  "Feeling better," Johnny said. "She's back at her house, and Ronald's with her. I told her to stay there. The last thing we need right now is Gram wandering the halls, shouting for Rosa at the top of her lungs." He glanced around the waiting area. "Is Mike with you?"

  "He went down to the cafeteria for some coffee," I said.

  "I'll go see if I can catch up with him." Johnny gave Gianna a light peck on the lips, and I saw a genuine look of affection pass between the two of them, making me wonder if Johnny knew about the baby. He quietly strode out of the waiting room and left us alone.

  We both sat down and faced each other while holding hands. "What happened with Lena? Is she going to survive?" Gianna asked.

  I nodded. "Brian called and told me she's got two broken legs, a shattered pelvis, and some other injuries. She's actually here in the hospital somewhere, but I'm sure there's a police officer guarding her room." With the injury to her pelvis, it wasn't likely she'd be much of a threat. "Lena confessed to running Allegr
a down, and she'll be going away for a long time."

  Gianna exhaled sharply. "I never would have dreamed it was her. It sounded like Martin had more to lose. Was he involved too?"

  "Lena told me no, and Brian said the police don't think so either. Martin swore to them that he had no idea what Lena was planning. She blackmailed him with the photos of him and Violet so that he'd give her a partnership. It was all about power for them but she took it a step too far."

  Gianna raised an eyebrow at me. "They were both obsessed. People like that give lawyers a bad name. Remember, I did tell you she failed the bar six times. She was nothing if not persistent, I guess."

  I put my phone away in my purse. "The crime was clearly premeditated. Lena knew that Allegra's kids would all be in town that day and figured it would be a great time to get rid of her then blame it on one of them."

  Gianna's eyes widened in horror. "She could have killed you. God, Sal, how many times has someone held a gun to your head?"

  Yes, it was starting to get a little old. The scary part was that I hadn't been as phased by it as much this time around. Sure, I'd been frightened, but somehow had managed to stay calm during the process. Was I starting to get used to having my life in danger? A disturbing thought. Then again, I'd been more concerned about my grandmother's welfare than my own.

  I smiled at my sister. "The woman's missing a few nails upstairs, as Grandma would say. She killed her own aunt, assaulted our grandmother, and then kidnapped me."

  "Some people in this world are just born evil," Gianna agreed. "And you always seem to have a way of finding them."

  She had a valid point. "Even if Martin wasn't involved, the police have pictures of him and Violet, and they'll probably go public now. It looks like his reputation will be tarnished after all."

  Gianna wearily leaned her head back against the seat. "It's sad to say, but I've never met a totally clean politician. I've always had my doubts about him. What's going on with Mom and Dad? Did you speak to them?"

  I shook out my leg, which had started to cramp, in front of me. "They're catching the red-eye back from Vegas tonight and should be home early tomorrow morning. They renewed their vows today, with an Elvis impersonator officiating."

  "Give me strength," Gianna muttered. "Can we go see Grandma now?"

  "Soon, I hope. I'm waiting for the nurse to come out of her room and give me the go-ahead."

  She stared down at the floor. Silence hung heavy in the air between us until she finally spoke. "Sal, about yesterday. I'm so sorry. I had no idea you'd just taken a pregnancy test when I came over."

  I drew my eyebrows together in confusion. "Who told you?"

  "Josie," Gianna said. "After I got done with work, I thought I'd reach out to her and see how you were doing. I wondered if you might have told her about our…argument. She was at the ballfield and told me to stop by. Josie mentioned what had happened—with your test. I guess she figured I already knew. Then I, in turn, told her about my pregnancy." Her face became grief stricken. "Sal, if I'd known, I never would have told you about the baby yesterday. It was so insensitive of me."

  Tears started to well in the corners of my eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry about. This is your baby, and whatever you decide to do, I'll support you. I don't want you to ever feel like there's anything you can't talk to me about."

  She squeezed my hand. "I've decided to have the baby."

  I reached out to hug her, relieved by the statement. "I'm so glad, Gi."

  Gianna blew out a breath. "I know there are choices, but for me, this seems like the right thing to do. It's going to take a while to come to terms with everything, but with Johnny's support, I'll be fine. The baby's due in March. When I finish my maternity leave, Johnny will be done with school for the year, and he can watch the baby the entire summer. Next fall, he may try to find a teaching job at night so that he can stay home with the baby during the day."

  Dang, she moved fast. "When did you tell him?"

  "This morning," she said, "I couldn't have made any major decisions without his knowledge, Sal. Like you said, it's his baby too. I guess I was in total shock yesterday when we first talked. After I left your house, I went to see Grandma, and that helped."

  Guilt overwhelmed me. I was her big sister and still felt like I'd failed her in her hour of need. "What did Johnny say?" Although I was pretty sure I already knew what his reaction would be.

  Gianna's eyes glowed with happiness. "Johnny's on cloud nine. He was so happy he even started to cry."

  We both paused to wipe our eyes, although probably for different reasons. She couldn't know how often I'd dreamed about Mike having the same reaction when I told him my wonderful news. But this was her moment, not mine. "You're both going to make terrific parents."

  "Thanks, Sal. That means more to me than you'll ever know. Fortunately, Nicoletta was sleeping when I broke the news to him but he was so excited that he rushed right upstairs to tell her."

  Oh boy. "Do I dare ask how that went over?"

  "Better than I expected," Gianna admitted. "She immediately started talking about weddings, and Johnny told her it was our child and we would do what we wanted. Well, she didn't like that one bit, swore at us in Italian, and went home." She laughed. "Now that the threat to her life is over, she'll stay there. I want her involved with the baby, but I could never stand living with her."

  "Yeah, I know. Going to Vegas with her was quite an experience."

  We were interrupted by the arrival of the nurse, a middle-aged woman in pink scrubs and matching crocs. "You can go in to see your grandmother now," she told me. "Mrs. Belgacci is down the hall in room 566. Turn left at the nurse's station."

  "Thank you." I gestured at Gianna. "This is my sister. Can we both go?"

  "Of course." She smiled warmly. "Don't stay too long, though. She's tired and needs her rest."

  We started down the hallway together. The door to Grandma Rosa's room was partially open, and the television was on, but she wasn't watching it. She was lying in the bed with a large bandage wrapped around her head. Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open when we entered the room. Gianna and I each pulled up a chair and sat down on either side of the bed.

  Grandma Rosa stared up at us and smiled. "I am glad to see that everything is all right between my two beautiful granddaughters."

  "Please don't worry about us," I said. "How are you feeling?"

  She wiggled her hand back and forth. "My head hurts, and I am tired. Let's face it. I am no summer chicken."

  Gianna gave a small chuckle. "You mean spring, Grandma."

  "Bah. It is summertime, so it fits." My grandmother watched me thoughtfully. "But I feel a bit like an imbecile, for I did not even know that Lena was behind me in the alley. I always tell my granddaughters to take precautions, and look what happened to me. Cara mia, I am so glad you found out the truth. Now Allegra can rest easy."

  "What about Enzo and Anna?" Gianna asked.

  "Brian told me they were notified about Lena. They've already left for New Jersey." It angered me that they hadn't even stopped to see Nicoletta or so much as inquire about my grandmother's health before leaving.

  My grandmother made a tsk-tsk sound. "It is too bad that they did not care about their own mother. Then again, it was Allegra's fault too for the way she treated them. You reap what you sow, and a child must know they are loved." She reached for Gianna's hand. "Johnny knows about the baby?"

  Gianna smiled. "Yes, and he's thrilled."

  Grandma Rosa nodded in approval. "I knew he would be. Is he here?"

  "He went downstairs to the cafeteria with Mike," Gianna replied. "Do you want to see him?"

  "For a minute." She closed her eyes. "But I would like to talk to your sister alone first."

  Gianna looked wide-eyed from Grandma Rosa to me. "Of course. I'll go find him and Mike and give you guys some space." She patted my shoulder lightly and then left the room.

  Grandma Rosa reached for my hand. "I wanted to thank
you, my dear. You saved my life."

  "There's no need to thank me."

  "Yes, there is," she insisted. "I could not move, but I heard what you said to Lena in the bakery. It means more to me than you will ever know. I am very proud of you."

  I bit into my lower lip, afraid that I might cry. "Thank you. When you told me that you were disappointed in me yesterday"—I couldn't finish the sentence—"it hurt me so badly because I never want to let you down."

  She waved a hand in the air. "Bah. That does not mean I do not love you, cara mia. I know how difficult it must have been for you to hear those words from your sister. Sometimes in this life we must put our own personal hurt aside to help others. You are so much stronger than you think. You are a good girl, a good wife, and someday, you will be a wonderful mother."

  "But what if it never happens?" I blurted out.

  "It will happen," she insisted. "You must be there for Gianna first. She will have a beautiful baby, and then it will be your turn. Perhaps it will not happen like you want it to, though. Perhaps you must love a child that was born to another woman. But that part does not matter. You and Mike have enough love between you to care for any child. Remember, without faith there is no hope. Nothing in this life is fair, my dear. You should know this by now."

  "Yes." She had me on this one.

  "Your day will come, cara mia. And when it does, we will all rejoice for you."

  "Thank you, Grandma. I needed to hear that." I exhaled a long, steady breath. "Maybe we're not supposed to get everything we want in this life. Sometimes, though, I feel that I want this more than life itself. Does that even make sense?"

  She nodded in her understanding way. "Yes. You were meant to be a mother, cara mia. I remember as a little girl how every Christmas you asked your parents for a new baby doll. You must have had ten of them and always took such good care of each one. It will happen. Call it my sick sense."

  "You mean sixth sense, Grandma."