The Songbird with Sapphire Eyes

by Anna Brentwood

  “No. You sure it’s there?”

  She nodded carefully. “I don’t like that you decided it was okay to hurt people.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Get over it, Hannah. I stayed away and you’ve had enough time to brood. It ain’t really something a dame understands or your business and I want—”

  “Not my business that my boyfriend beats people up or kills them and lies?”Anger turned her rigid.

  The phone rang.

  She froze. “We hafta talk.”

  Johnny looked at her and then at it. His eyes narrowed wickedly as he glanced at his watch. “It’s almost nine o’clock. I gave orders not to be disturbed. Who the hell is callin’ here so late?”

  Fear settled in her belly like bread dough swallowed raw. She could only hope it wasn’t Joey. He’d taken to checking to see if she got home okay, calling even though she told him not to. Trying to act non-chalant she ignored the persistent ringing. She prayed it would cease, that Johnny would ignore it. She slowly unwrapped a salt water taffy, popped it into her mouth.

  “Why ain’t you answerin’ the telephone?” His voice was gruff.

  She shrugged, smiled and paled. “Like you said you’re here so why should I.”

  He stood; grabbed it and walked over to her. Standing behind her he held the phone and the receiver up to her ear. His groin was pressed firmly against her bottom trapping her. She could feel his hot breath on her neck, his lips and his heat. She didn’t dare flinch as he stood anchored behind her waiting. Tense as a tightrope she cringed when the voice on the other end came through, loud, male and clear.

  “Hey babes, Joey here. Just checking in.”

  She licked her suddenly dry lips. She tried to stop the frenzied clatter of her heart. Johnny’s tanned face had become taunt. His hand tightened on the phone. The other one was digging into her shoulder blade. He quietly mouthed into her ear. “Talk.”

  Terrified he misunderstood; she shook her head. He tightened his grip, hurting her.

  Her voice was faint. “Thanks, but I told you there was no need to call.”

  “I know, but that’s the cop in me, babes. I worry about ya bein’ there all alone.”

  Johnny pulled the phone away from her ear so fast she flinched. “It’s real touching to know you coppers take such an interest in the citizens of this town, but guess what Romeo. Hannah ain’t alone. She won’t ever be alone. And she sure don’t need you or anyone else to worry about her because she’s got me. You hear that? You ever call here or bother her again you sonofabitch I’ll have your badge or worse!” With that, he hung up. Turning, he threw the phone down hard. The base cracked, the floor rattled and the receiver bounced wildly like a lurid snake dance.

  “That was unnecessary. He was just being nice.” She was angry.

  “How nice has he been or maybe I should ask, how nice have you been to him?” The implication and the tone were nasty, as was the look in his eye.

  “Maybe as nice as you think I was.”

  He came at her like a storm, shaking her like a mop. He slapped her hard across the face with his open palm several times before turning her. He pushed her hard against the counter, pointing into her face with a finger each time he enunciated. “You bitch. If that’s true I’ll gut him alive and then kill you. You’re so worried I’m a killer. Well, if I am it’s because of you. By the way, funny you say the ring is in the box when this just turned up.” He threw something to the floor hard. It was her diamond ring. “Whose telling the lies now?”

  Danger lived in his tone. She licked her lip, tasting blood. She stared right back at him. Her cheek stung, her back hurt but she refused to cry, refused to let him win. Steady. She clenched her hands into fists so they’d stop shaking. “You are crazy, do you know that? Accusing me of deceit, of being a liar when that’s your deal. So what, I lost it, maybe on purpose but I won’t marry you, Johnny. I won’t marry a killer.” Facing him, hands on her hips, chin up she glared at him. “And, you don’t own me. I want you to leave right now.”

  He looked shocked. “Like hell I will. I’m staying right here where I belong with you, my house, my girl, mine. This bullshit has gone on long enough. I’m tired and I am real itchy. Do us both a favor. Cut the chatter and go get ready for bed while I still have some patience left to be civil. It’s been far too long and I want to fuck tonight.”

  “How dare you come back here demanding sex after…I can’t even begin to think about letting you touch me.” She knew it was dangerous to argue yet couldn’t help herself.

  “Letting me…that’s amusing.” Strutting, he moved past her to open the cabinet door. He pulled out a glass and a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself some. Downed it. Poured another. “It’s a good thing you amuse me, Hannah. Go be a good girl and get ready for bed, will ya. Or would you rather me take you here on the floor? I will, you know.”

  She was so mad she could spit wooden nickels. “That’s disgusting. You make me sick.” She clamped her hand around the bottle opener. He’d hit her, lied to her and treated her like a possession without any feelings and had the nerve to demand they go to bed.

  His eyes were glittering hard stones. “We both know that’s not true now, don’t we? Once I’m between your legs as always you will be screaming, singing and it won’t be the blues.”

  “Go to hell.” She threw the metal opener towards him, disgusted.

  “After you.” He ducked just in time and started after her.

  Quickly managing to sail right by him she reached the bedroom first. Panting, charged by adrenalin she slammed the door hard. She quickly turned the key, locking it.

  He banged on the door. “Hannah, don’t be stupid. Open the door—now.” His tone was savage.

  “No, go away. I’m not…I’m furious at you.” she said, terrified.

  “Don’t make me kick down this fucking door, Hannah.”

  Unsure of what to do next, she debated whether to open the door when without warning, he charged, splintering it. Panicked, she rushed to unlock the door and begged him to calm down.

  “I am calm.” With a twisted smile he sauntered into the room, a conquering marauder bent on destruction—hers.

  She tried to back away, but he reached out yanking her hard by her collar. Pulling her to him he ordered her to get undressed and quick. His breath was like a lash across her face. “Don’t dare ever tell me no again or try to deny me my rights.”

  He punctuated each sentence emphatically. “I expect a proper welcome each and every time I come here, capeche? You don’t tell me no—ever! Don’t marry me, don’t wear the ring, but I do own you!” He threw her, pushed her so she fell on the bed. Ignoring her, he started unbuttoning his shirt and his pants.

  Livid, she didn’t trust herself to speak. She knew anything she said right now would send him completely over the edge. Rather than risk a savage beating she did what she had to. She unbuttoned her dress and slipped out of it simmering with resentment and something new, something she’d never felt towards Johnny before, hatred. She kept her eyes veiled as she got into the bed.

  Despite the heavy brocade draperies, the morning sunlight filtered into the bedroom as Johnny half dressed and happily whistling moved about the room. Hannah nude, half covered by a silken sheet, lay limp upon the bed staring with feverish intensity at the ceiling.

  Freshly shaved and showered, Johnny glanced down at her adjusting his tie. “One thing for sure. We got passion. Ya gotta admit all that fire sure makes us good together, don’t it, Han?”

  “Glad you’re happy, Johnny.” She felt devoid of feeling, wrung dry of all emotions except burning anger.

  “Too bad, I gotta leave again. Just for a few days, but don’t worry. I’ll be back. Don’t let me hear you talked to that copper again. I expect he’ll stay away now. Just go to work and come right home, capeche?”

  She remained silent, lips tight, eyes fixed straight ahead, seething.

  “Damn you, answer me.”

  “Fine.”

&
nbsp; “I mean it, Han.”

  “I know Johnny.” She tried to keep her voice level as he bent to kiss her cheek.

  “You trying to piss me off again?”

  She turned her face, smiled. “No, I’m just exhausted.”

  He studied her and headed for the door finger pointing. “Don’t forget what I said.”

  Pulse pounding, she waited until he left. When the door closed, she got up. She poured herself a big, tall glass of whiskey. Screw him! She drank quickly, enjoying the burn. This wasn’t working. She wasn’t happy. And, it was becoming harder and harder to fake it, to smile, to live.

  She headed to the bathroom to shower.

  She was startled when she looked in the mirror and saw smudges of sleeplessness under her eyes, strained lines around her mouth and bruises. Damn him.

  She took time dressing, applying cosmetics liberally, artfully. Because of him she had to dip into the foundation and the rouge pot generously. She couldn’t find her shoes.

  “Just go to work, come home, capeche? Be good!”

  His orders echoed in her head. Thwarting him was dangerous, even dumb, but she was so mad she felt like she’d rather die than live like this. Determined she spotted her heels lying by the door and slipped them on. She picked up the telephone. She dialed the number he’d given her, waited. He answered on the first ring.

  She forced her voice to sound light, cheery. “Hi there, it’s me, Hannah. Yeah, I’m real sorry about that, but I did warn you not to call.”

  “Yeah, you did. You okay?” He sounded concerned.

  “Yeah.” She sat down and closed her eyes hard before opening them again to answer his questions. The man always had questions. “No, he left again. Said he’ll be gone for a few days. I thought about—”

  “Yeah?”

  The words came slow, but with purpose. She didn’t belong to anyone but herself. Johnny didn’t own her and living like this, with such a terrible secret was killing her. She knew she had to do something but didn’t know what to do or if she could do anything. Maybe talking to Joey would help her figure something out. If nothing else, he was a cop and Johnny couldn’t dispose of him as easily as he had of Josie and probably Jimmy. “Well, you remember that offer you made me recently?” Nervous, she used her other hand to toy with her shoe.

  “The one involving makin’ love?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No, the other offer…to talk.” The shoe dropped in more ways than one when her heel slipped off. She picked it up, put it back on, rubbed her heel.

  “Sure, any time.”

  She laughed, not sure if she met him what she’d say or do, but wanting to do something, needing to try at least. “Confidentially and off the record, I mean.”

  “I’ll take whatever you’re willin’ to share.”

  “When do you have to be at work?”

  “As I told ya babycakes, I’m a flexible sort of guy.”

  “Good.” She told him to meet her at noon in her dressing room at The Domino. “There’s a lock on my door and no one comes in without an invitation.”

  Hanging up, she felt bad, but not enough to back down. After all, she was sick and tired of being scared and despised being an unwilling accessory to murder. And, she refused to live being ordered around. She had wanted to tell Johnny she was through with being bullied by him, and Johnny had bullied her. He forced her to have sex with him when she wasn’t in the mood and told her to go to work, come home and not to talk to the cop anymore. Well, maybe she wouldn’t talk to the cop, but then again, maybe she would. A girl had to take a stand sometime and she just hoped when push came to shove, she’d find the courage to do the right thing, whatever the right thing was.

  25 CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  “I ain’t worried about what strings he pulled.” Joey said. He told her he’d been warned by his chief to stay away from her. He locked the door behind himself, looked sheepish. “Uh, oh, that fella Pappy just saw me sneakin’ in here again.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about him,” she said. She was sitting in front of the mirror in a loosely tied slinky peach colored robe taking a nip from her flask. “Are you sure it was Johnny’s doing?”

  “He’s ringin’ someone’s bells.” He took the flask from her hand and ran his fingers down her arm. He tried to embrace her.

  She batted him away. “Stop, I didn’t invite you here for that.”

  He smiled and shrugged. “Darn, I was hoping. Turns out we’re workin’ a new case and I can’t talk to you today anyways, but I got an idea. How about we take a little drive down the shore tomorrow? We can talk on the way with no one the wiser.”

  His breath smelled like Black Jack gum, the same brand Johnny favored. If she talked to him about Josie everything she knew could change irrevocably. She didn’t know what she was going to do. She didn’t know if she could rat Johnny out but she felt so burdened by what she’d seen it was eating her up alive. A body had never been found and officially Josie wasn’t missing. Part of her hoped Johnny had done the right thing while another part of her feared he hadn’t. The doubt was killing her and it would feel so good to confide in someone but that someone was a cop and even if he gave her his word that he’d keep whatever she said under his hat, she didn’t know if he could really be trusted to do that. “I guess I can get away for a few hours.”

  “Good, let’s plan on tomorrow, babes. Bring a change of clothes and a swimsuit too.”

  Hannah tossed and turned in bed all night. Troubled, she’d vacillated between staying and leaving and now was feeling sorry she’d ever considered talking to Joey Romeo. Looking at the suitcase she’d left open and half packed by the bedroom door, she debated whether to empty it or wait until morning. A gold flash on the floor by the bed caught her eye. She bent down to see what it was and picked it up. She recognized the tiny trinket as one of the first gifts Johnny had ever given her, a gold songbird with diamonds and sapphire eyes. Johnny used to call her his songbird with sapphire eyes. She sat down on the bed as memories of their first days together flooded her.

  She’d adored him and if she was honest with herself, still loved him. Johnny had been so gallant and loving, so devoted. He’d rescued her when she’d needed rescuing and they’d had great times together but he was ruthless and when it suited him, a killer. How did one reconcile accepting and loving someone like that? How did one just stop? Deciding it was useless to attempt sleep, she got up. She glanced around the very crowded but very luxurious living room. Tapestries, velvet overstuffed furnishings, ornate wood tables and gold gilded frames showcased original paintings they’d picked out together. Beautiful things, expensive things, and all the things she’d wanted, desired and adored.

  In the Baroque étagère the rest of her pricey trinkets sat on display inside glass. Each held a story, a memory, but the tiny gold bird she held seemed the most special so she kept it in the palm of her hand, feeling warmed by it’s cool surface.

  How could something that had started out so right, turn so wrong? She went back into the bedroom. She sat on the end of the bed and pondered the events and her choices, no choice really.

  Coward. There was a dark pall over her heart and over her entire life as tears filled her eyes. While she had wanted to do right by Josie, she couldn’t if it meant betraying Johnny and everything they’d built together. She was tied to him and her things, tied to her work and this town and unable and unwilling to leave them behind. Nor would he let her just leave. She knew that with every fiber of her being. A noise in the hallway startled her out of her reverie.

  “Going somewhere?”

  She stood, startled by Johnny’s silent appearance. “I didn’t hear you come in. What are you doing back so soon?”

  “I asked you a question.” He nodded towards the suitcase sprawled open on the floor.

  She stammered. “I was thinking about going to the shore tomorrow for a swim. It’s supposed to be a warm, sunny day.”

  Wordlessly, they gazed at one another. Seconds that felt like h
ours.

  “Really. Alone?”

  “You said you’d be back tomorrow night.”

  “Alone?”

  “Of course.”

  Liar!

  Her blond hair was loose, wildly framing her face like a halo of heavenly light. She appeared too perfect for this world, angelic. It always intrigued him this image she projected, though he well knew how false it was. An illusion. Her innocence masked a demon that had become an intoxicating and dangerous addiction. And unfortunately a liability.

  Calculating and controlled, Johnny Gallo studied the woman standing in front of him, the woman he’d given everything to, had trusted and loved more than any other. The woman he refused to lose and yet, in a way already had.

  His mask must have slipped for he saw fear fix in her eyes. She knew he didn’t believe her. As if scorched by the certainty of the violence simmering in his soul she tried to move away from him. But, he was faster, stronger and very determined. With a sick, churning in his gut and a sort of detached determination he cornered her. “You betrayed me.”

  She flinched when she looked into his eyes, but denied doing anything of the sort. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

  “You never were any good at hiding things, Han.”

  “I didn’t do anything wrong, Johnny.”

  Just the idea of knowing she’d betrayed him or had thought about it made his anger simmer anew. He’d given her a test, several and she’d failed. If he had to lose her, it would be on his terms. Agonized for weeks, he suddenly knew there could be no other way. Not for her or for him.

  Her blue eyes widened as he hurled himself at her. He heard her breath expel when they hit the bed and felt her heart pick up speed. He rolled her until she was writhing beneath him. He secured her hands first, easily keeping her captive though she tried to kick him. He restrained her feet with his legs. It was no contest and she was soon effectively pinned beneath him, his prisoner, her eyes shooting blue flames.

  “You dishonored everything. Humiliated and betrayed me. I gave you anything you wanted and woulda done—did do everything for you. I loved you and you had to ruin everything, you dumb bitch. And, for what! A cheap roll in the hay with a friggin’ cop and a rare attack of conscience.”