by Lynn, JB
He shook his head. “I don’t even want a party.”
“Have you told Susan that?”
“She wants the party,” he said. “And who am I to deny my wife the simple pleasure of putting together a celebration in my honor?” He said the last part in the same tone I’m sure his wife had used on him when making the same exact little speech.
“Does that mean I don’t have to come?” I asked hopefully.
He chuckled. “Not unless you want to bring Susan’s wrath down upon you. I didn’t want to talk to you about my retirement. Well, actually, it’s tied to that, but that’s not what I wanted the focus of this conversation to be.”
I fought the urge to curl my hands into fists. I could tell that he was going to ask me to do something. I’d really been hoping I could enjoy the little bit of downtime that I currently had. I didn’t have a job to do for Delveccio, Ms. Whitehat hadn’t asked anything of me recently, despite the fact she’d saved my entire family from the woman who’d wanted us all dead, and besides Patrick asking me to tail his partner, I had nothing on my plate. Considering all that had been going on lately, how I’d been running myself ragged trying to protect the family, I’d really wanted a few days off. And maybe a real date with Gino.
“My mentor, Gabriel, died yesterday,” Griswald announced.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured reflexively.
“When I started, we worked a case together. One that we were never able to close,” Griswald admitted.
I eyed him suspiciously. “That must have been a while ago,” I said carefully. Considering he was on the verge of retiring, it had to have been ancient history.
“More than thirty years,” he agreed.
The last time Griswald had revisited a part of his past, involving his father, he’d almost ended up dead. So had I. I’d been forced to go so far as to kill his would-be murderer in front of the U.S. Marshal. Whatever this old business was, I didn’t want a part of it. I shook my head, trying to silently get him to back off.
“We couldn’t find who killed a judge,” Griswald said, ignoring my cue.
I looked away. “No offense, but isn’t this what’s called a cold case?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nodding.
“So it’s practically impossible to solve.”
“I know it’s a long shot.”
I turned and stared at him incredulously. “A long shot?” I mocked. “Nobody’s been able to crack this case for over thirty years and now you’re in a rush to do it?”
“Before I retire in four days,” he added. He gave me a crooked smile. “Not that there’s any pressure or anything.”
“Perhaps the reason you’ve done so well becoming a part of this family, is that you’re just as crazy as everybody else in it,” I snapped. I was only half-kidding.
“So does that mean you won’t help me?”
I shrugged. “What do you want me to do?”
“I need you to attend a funeral,” he said.
“A funeral?” I shivered. In general, I’m not a fan of funerals. Except for weddings, I couldn’t think of an instance where emotions run higher. Emotional people did crazy, stupid things. I had enough of that in my life, I didn’t need to make it a point to attend a session of chaos. Besides, the last time I’d been in a cemetery, someone had tried to kill both Griswald and my dad.
“I’ll be there, too,” Griswald explained. “It’s for Gabriel.”
“Your boss who died?”
“More like a mentor,” he corrected.
I hesitated, trying to come up with an excuse to not help him. I’m not psychic like my friend Armani, but I had a bad feeling about this. “And what do you want me to do there?”
“Keep an eye out,” he said. “Brian will be there also, but we could really use an extra set of eyes on the crowd.”
“Well, Brian’s got a better idea of what he’s looking for,” I said at the mention of his nephew, Detective Brian Griswald. Latching on to that as my out, I added, “He’s much more qualified.”
“You have great instincts, Maggie,” Griswald said. “I love my nephew, but you might be able to spot something that he doesn’t see.”
I didn’t know if I should feel proud of his assessment of me, or if I should feel like I was being played. For all he knows, I’m a rank amateur. He has no idea of the myriad of skills I’ve developed as a paid assassin.
On the other hand, at least he seemed more confident in my abilities than Patrick Mulligan had.
“Just an hour or two of your time,” Griswald practically begged. “I really want to put this to bed before I hand in my credentials.”
I nodded slowly. I owed Griswald a debt. He’d been very good to my family. He’d even helped Marlene recover her daughter. (But I was still kind of angry that he’d used me in order to pull off that particular plan.) Still, he treated us decently and deserved my help.
“It would be great if you didn’t attract attention,” he said. “So maybe, no jeans?”
I threw back my head and laughed.
“That’s funny?”
“Maybe I’ll buy something that I can wear to a funeral and to your retirement party,” I told him. “Since Susan already asked me not to wear jeans to that.”
He winced. “We’re not trying to tell you what to do.”
“Sure, you are,” I replied. “You’re just a little bit nicer about it than she is.”
“She means well,” he said, automatically defending his wife.
“I know that,” I told him. “What I don’t understand is why both of you think that I wouldn’t dress appropriately for either of those occasions.”
He shrugged defensively. “I didn’t mean any harm.”
“I know,” I said tiredly. “Maybe I’m just in a mood. I’m really not looking forward to taking Katie shopping.”
“Do you need money?” he asked, starting to pull his wallet from his pocket.
“No,” I said too sharply as he echoed the concern Susan had had earlier.
“I know that I’ve taken up some of your time, especially with the Hallangen job,” he said. “She still hasn’t paid me yet.”
I shook my head. “I doubt she will.” We had been hired to find the ashes of Mrs. Hallangen’s husband, but we had been fired before I’d solved that particular mystery. We’d never let her know that he’d been converted into smoky eye makeup.
“I could give you an advance on your salary,” Griswald offered.
I blinked, surprised. We’d never really discussed the specifics of a salary. “Cash isn’t the problem. I’m just feeling really out of my depth taking Katie for clothes.”
He chuckled. “You blew a man away, Maggie. I think you can handle clothes shopping.”
Together, we walked back to the compound in silence. As soon as we drew near the house, Katie came running out.
“Aunt Maggie! Aunt Maggie!” She ran up to us at full speed. “Are you ready?”
“I just need to change my shirt,” I told her so that I had a chance to get Benny for the outing.
“This is going to be the best day ever,” she declared.
I nodded weakly. Her expectations were a lot higher than my own.
4
“Aunt Susan says I need something to wear to Uncle Larry’s party,” Katie reminded me. We’d already gone through getting her some new clothes for every day. That hadn’t been too difficult, but our shoe buying experience had left us both near tears. Finally, we’d compromised on getting her a pair of “boring” sneakers and the pair of glitter sandals that she really wanted.
“What color dress would you like to wear to the party?” I asked, trying to give her a say in the situation.
“I don’t want to wear a dress.” For emphasis, she stamped her foot.
I imagined Aunt Susan’s look of disapproval and snide remark if Katie didn’t show up in a dress. Looking away, watching a line of shoppers trudging along with their collection of bags, paying homage to the retail gods, I
took a deep breath. “This is going to be fancy,” I told her. “It’s a chance to get dressed up.”
She squinted at me suspiciously. “Are you wearing a dress?”
“Yes,” I lied automatically. I’d wear anything if it meant that she wouldn’t fight me on choosing something that Aunt Susan would find appropriate. I had enough conflicts in my life, arguing with my aunt about my niece’s clothing choices did not need to be one of them.
“Green,” she said excitedly. “I want to wear green.”
I nodded. I didn’t care at all what color she wore, as long as it was in dress form.
“What color are you going to wear, Aunt Maggie?”
I shrugged. “I haven’t gotten my dress yet.”
“You first, then,” she said bossily.
I considered arguing with her, pulling the whole “I’m the adult, you’re the child” card, but it didn’t seem worth the fight. “Okay,” I agreed.
She smirked at my capitulation, and I wondered how close I was to having my adulting card revoked.
“What color do you think I should wear?” I asked her.
“Brown,” she said quickly.
I winced. “I don’t really look good in brown, honey,” I told her. I’m not sure that anyone actually does. Something about the beige/tan/sand family leaves most people looking lifeless.
Her eyes filled with tears and her lower lip began to tremble. Afraid that she was going to have a full-on meltdown here in the middle of the store, I knelt in front of her. “Okay,” I promised. “I’ll wear brown.”
I know that I was not going to win any parent of the year award indulging her demand, but I just couldn’t handle a public temper tantrum.
“Really?” she asked through her sniffles.
I nodded. “Really.”
“Yay!” she yelled excitedly. “You can be the tree trunk and I’ll be the leaf.”
I stared at her for a long moment, trying to make sense of what she’d said.
“Cute, cute, cute!” Benny squeaked from his hiding place in my purse. I glanced around nervously to make sure no one had heard the talkative rodent. Nobody was paying us the slightest bit of attention, probably. I chalked that up to the fact I’d avoided Katie crying and throwing a fit. I could hold on to my adulting card for a little while longer.
“Cute,” I murmured weakly, taking my cue from the mouse.
“We’ll match that way,” Katie elaborated.
“If I look like a tree and you look like a leaf?”
She nodded. “Won’t it be great?”
“Great,” I said with fake enthusiasm.
“Let’s go find it,” she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the exit of the children’s store and into the heart of the mall. The salty-greasy-sweet scent of the food court tickled my nose. She dragged me toward a department store, chattering on about what she’d learned in school the day before. I wasn’t really paying attention, but I completely tuned out when I saw the woman in an ivory pantsuit striding toward me.
My entire body went cold as Ms. Whitehat approached. I’ve tried to keep all the different aspects of my life separate; my family, my work for Delveccio, and my relationship with Ms. Whitehat. She seemed intent on crossing those lines. First, I’d spotted her talking to Griswald not long ago, and now she was coming up to me in the mall when I had my niece with me. I frowned at her, trying to convey that this was not the time or place for us to have a conversation.
“Maggie!” she called out in the friendliest tone I’d ever heard her use. Usually, she refers to me as Miss Lee, so it sounded strange to hear my first name coming out of her mouth.
I stopped, practically jerking poor Katie off her feet at my sudden halt. I held my ground, not sure of how to react to this situation.
“It’s so good to see you, Maggie,” Ms. Whitehat gushed. She glanced down at the little girl who held my hand. “And you must be Katie.”
My niece nodded.
“Your aunt has told me so much about you,” Ms. Whitehat said, squatting so that she was eye level with the little girl. “She loves you very much.”
Katie smiled shyly, looking from her to me. “I love her, too,” she confided.
Ms. Whitehat beamed. “I’m sure you do.”
The woman, who on occasion had blackmailed me to do her bidding, rose to her feet and met my gaze. She couldn’t have missed the animosity that was coming from me, but it didn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. “We need to talk.”
I looked down at Katie and shook my head. “Not now.”
“Now,” Whitehat insisted.
“Zeke!” Katie yelled suddenly. She pulled free of my grip and ran toward him.
My gut clenched. I knew it wasn’t a coincidence that my old friend, Zeke, was approaching us from the opposite direction that Whitehat had come from. Like me, he owed the mysterious woman a debt that he seemed incapable of paying off.
“Katie,” he said, scooping her up into a big hug and spinning her around in a circle. He looked to me, offering a weak, apologetic smile. “Is it okay if I take her to the little playground at the end of the hall?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell them both that they were interfering with my special bonding time with my niece. But I knew I couldn’t do that. I nodded tightly.
“Be good for Zeke, honey,” I told Katie.
“Can we get ice cream?” Katie asked. “Aunt Maggie never lets me get ice cream.”
“Yes, I do,” I told her. But the truth was, I’d developed an aversion to ice cream shops ever since I’d seen body parts mixed into soft serve. I guess I hadn’t taken her for ice cream for a long time. “Get her ice cream,” I told Zeke. I didn’t make it a polite request. If he was taking part in Whitehat’s plan, the least he could do was perform that minor task for me.
He nodded his understanding, and hand-in-hand they walked away.
I returned my attention to Ms. Whitehat. “Quite a public place for us to meet.”
She arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “That tells you how important the task at hand is.”
“You could have just had Zeke get me,” I told her. “You didn’t have to drag Katie into this.”
“No one dragged Katie into anything,” she assured me.
I sighed, knowing it wasn’t worth it to argue the point. “What do you want?”
“I need you to get a job,” she told me.
I chuckled. I was too busy to get a job because I kept doing too many things for too many people. “What kind of job?”
“Secretarial,” she said. “Specifically, medical billing in a dentist’s office.”
“Nine-to-five is not something I particularly excel at,” I told her.
“You’ll have support,” she promised.
“And why do you want me to get this job?”
She glanced around to make sure that no one was within hearing distance. “I need the combination of a safe.”
“You’ve got a team of ninjas at your disposal,” I told her. “Are you telling me you don’t have a safe cracker on your staff?”
A slight smile played at the edges of her lips. “I’ve told you before that they’re not really ninjas.”
I nodded. “But I like to pretend that they are. They show up, they’re all dressed in black, they’re quiet, and they’re deadly. Ninjas.”
“I can’t use a safe cracker,” she said. “I need you to get the combination.”
I nodded as though that somehow made sense. “And where is this job?”
She raised an eyebrow at me. “You’re not going to make some token argument about not doing it?”
I shrugged. “I owe you.”
We stared at each other for a long moment. Neither of us mentioned the thing that I owed her for. She’d “taken care of” Daphne, a cousin on Katie’s father’s side who had been out to get my family. Ms. Whitehat had done what I hadn’t been able to. She had kept my family safe. I had a debt to repay.
5
After I�
��d finished my business with Ms. Whitehat, I went in search of Katie and Zeke. I found them in the play area, Katie happily eating an ice cream cone and Zeke staring off into space. I sat down beside him. “No ice cream for you?”
“I’m lactose intolerant,” he said drily. I couldn’t tell from his tone whether he was being sarcastic or serious. “I hear you’re shopping for a dress,” Zeke said with a half-smile. “If you need any help getting into it…”
Ignoring his implication, I told him, “It’s for Griswald’s retirement party. Aunt Susan is very keen on my being dressed appropriately.”
Zeke nodded. “Do you need a date?”
I slid him a sideways gaze. “Why?”
“One,” he said seriously, “I’m very good at diffusing tensions amid your family.”
I nodded in agreement. He really was. Everybody in my family likes Zeke.
“And two,” he continued, “I never get to do anything fun. All I ever do is work, work, work.”
“And you think a party with my family would be fun?” I asked incredulously. To me, it sounded like its own special circle of hell.
“Sure,” he said. “The food will be great, if Susan is planning it,” he explained. “And there’s always something entertaining to watch.”
I nodded slowly. Both his points were valid.
“I’ll help you pick out a dress, even,” he offered. “And I know how to dress appropriately for a party.”
“Yay!” Katie said, finishing her ice cream cone. “Zeke will help us find a dress.”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to.”
He gave me a significant look. “Actually, I do.”
I squinted at him, trying to determine whether he was attempting to convey that Whitehat had told him to do this, or if he, like Aunt Susan and Griswald, didn’t trust that I was capable of picking out an appropriate outfit.