Straight Up Interfererence

by Rose von Barnsley

  "Oh, baby girl, I'm so sorry." She pulled me into a tight hug, after she parked in front of my house.

  "I loved him. I really loved him," I confessed one last time, before I jumped out of the car and ran into the house.

  My heart was broken all over again.

  Chapter 8 – Family

  The first week of the spring semester, Mr. Ramos was out sick. He was replaced by Mrs. Cassidy indefinitely. She seemed to sense there was a rift between Marky and I. She gave assigned seats to learn our names and moved him far away from me.

  Frankie followed me everywhere, and I knew it was Marky's doing. Even if we couldn't be together, he was still watching over me.

  Frankie would squeeze my shoulder once in a while, trying to comfort me. After weeks of following me around, he could tell I was still a mess. He gave me worried glances and finally whispered that he was sorry about what had happened with Marky.

  "Don't, please, don't say his name." I fought back tears and took off to the bathroom to avoid any more conversation.

  I had made a huge mistake when I went in there. It was full of bitches who hated me, because Marky wasn't fucking around anymore…well, not with them, but I was sure he was still fucking the maid. They started in on me, but Frankie shocked us all, when he came right into the girls’ bathroom and told them to shut up. He pulled me out of the door and into a hug. I couldn't help it, I cried. I couldn't hold it back, and I was ashamed that I was crying there in public, letting it all out unrestrained.

  Someone pulled me away from Frankie. I knew who it was as soon as I felt his arms around me. I gathered myself together as fast as I could and pushed away from Marky. "I can't do this." I finally gained the courage to look him in the eyes. "I can't."

  I ran out of the school and went straight home. I hated that I had let myself get wrapped up in someone who could never be what I wanted, or worse, someone for whom I knew I would never be enough.

  I hadn't been home from school long, when there was a knock on my door, and I didn't think twice about answering it. I should have looked before I did.

  There were two men in suits who held up some cuffs. "You can come quietly, or we can restrain you. It's your choice, Ms. Salvecchio."

  "Who are you? What's this about?"

  "I'm Agent Ortega, and this is Agent Richards. We're with the FBI."

  My mother came up behind me and glared at the pair of them. My father pulled up in the driveway, looking confused. "What's going on?"

  "We believe your daughter interfered with a Federal investigation. We're taking her in for questioning." Agent Richards turned to me, still dangling the cuffs. "Do I have to use these?"

  I shook my head no and followed him to the car. The other agent told my parents to follow them down to the police station, where they were borrowing an interrogation room.

  As we were walking up the stairs, my father decided to speak up. "What's this concerning, what investigation?"

  "The Valente investigation, taking place at her school two months ago, we have it on good authority that she and Marcello Valente are estranged, and she might be compelled to talk."

  I shook my head no, but that didn't seem to stop them from pulling me into the police station. I was surprised, when a familiar-looking stranger I couldn't place held the door opened for us to go in. He nodded at me and walked away in a different direction than we were headed.

  "Would you like a drink before we get started?" Agent Richards asked.

  "You have a shot of whiskey?" my mother requested. I kept my eyes on the table, not wanting to see their reaction to that.

  They slid an open folder with a bunch of pictures across the table to me. "As you can see here, Ms. Salvecchio, you were looking right at the cameras we had in the bushes. It was obvious before you came into our trap that you recognized them. You look awfully worried in this one. Here, you walked straight up to Mr. Valente, trying to distract him from Agent Robert Jamison."

  I just looked away. "He was my project partner in history. Besides, what did you plan for Robert to do? He was antagonizing him, he called Marky's mother a whore. The bastard needed a good beating."

  "Ms. Salvecchio…"

  "No, you see this?" I held out my arms that had pink scars from my burns. "That bastard burned me. If you expect me to say anything to help him, you're insane."

  "Agent Jamison has been terminated. The facts still point to you covering for Mr. Valente. You must know something."

  I just shook my head no.

  "Here are some more pictures from your school surveillance. You read the names on the letters you were supposed to be delivering, and instead of doing so, you put them in your locker. After you conferred with Marcello, you took them out of the school to a waiting vehicle, which stopped them from reaching their intended targets."

  "The letters were for his family. Once I told him I had them, he said he could have them picked up. As far as I know, they were delivered to his family as addressed on the envelope. What do those letters have to do with anything?"

  They grimaced.

  "On several occasions, Marcello proved that his connection to you was much stronger than you'd willingly admit to Agent Jamison." They slid several pictures of Marky kissing my head and cheek, with his arm around me or hugging me.

  I looked away, not able to handle it.

  "Your tears say there was more to your relationship, Ms. Salvecchio," Agent Richards spoke softly. "Could you tell us about the paper your report was made on? Do you know where he got it?"

  "No, I asked him to get the paper for the report, but he didn't. I remembered making murals at school on long strips of butcher paper. I was the one who got it from the grocery store," I lied smoothly. That paper was the only piece of damning evidence they had. I didn't know why the Valente's had it at their house, but I wasn't going to let Marky get in trouble for helping with the report.

  "Stop lying for that criminal, Gabriella. Just tell them what you know!" my mother snapped at me.

  "I don't know anything!"

  "Gabby, if you don't tell them, I swear, I'll kick you out of the house. I won't have anyone in my family helping the likes of the Valente’s!" my father threatened.

  I shook my head, disgusted. "You'd be doing me a favor."

  "Enough! Tell them the damn truth! Where the hell did you get that paper?" he stood up and punched the table.

  I was surprised, when the interrogation room door flew open. The man who had held the door open for me when we had arrived at the station stood there, filling up the doorway and glaring everyone down.

  "Who the hell are you?" my father snapped.

  "I'm Ms. Salvecchio's lawyer."

  "Like hell you are, I'm not paying you a damn dime. She's my daughter. I'm not letting you anywhere near her, she's gonna open her damn mouth and get this over with!"

  "Well, that's not up to you." He walked over and pulled the chair out for me. "Ms. Salvecchio is eighteen and is no longer a minor. I'm working pro-bono, so if you'll excuse us, I believe you only have circumstantial evidence and are harassing my client about a time that was very traumatizing to her. I don't believe any judge would rule in your favor." He turned to me and took my hand, pulling me out of the office. I had no idea who he was, but I would follow Satan at this point just to get out of there.

  He led me to his car, and considering it was a Porsche, I was guessing he really was a lawyer. We pulled up to the Bartoli and Bartoli law firm, and I followed him into his office. Once inside, he gave me a bottle of water and pulled out a thick file with my name on it. I looked at him confused.

  "I represented you against Robert Jamison and Karen Harmon. With the testimony of my brother, Joey, and the school surveillance, we were able to get Jamison terminated and convicted. I'm also setting up a trust from the settlement you've been awarded. I'll get the papers to you once it's ready."

  He sat down and opened to the back of the file. "Now, can you tell me how much you really do know?"

  I clammed
up fast. "I don't know you. I'm not talking. You want to get the Feds off my ass, that's fine, but I'm not saying anything."

  He smiled widely and picked up the phone. "I need you to come down here. She isn't talking. I need you to let her know it's alright to speak with me." He hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair. "You know, there's been a lot of talk around you. My brother, Joey, was impressed with you, when he treated you in the hospital that day. My other brother, Tony, thought it was sweet of you to get the envelopes to him without question. My sister, Ann Marie, really loves you. She was so upset by the way things turned out with Marky."

  When he said Marky's name, I looked away from him.

  I was surprised, when Mrs. Valente walked into his office. She pulled me up into a hug and then cupped my cheeks. "After everything, you're still looking out for us." She sat down next to me, holding my hand. "This is my brother, Victor. He's safe to talk to, honey. He wants to make sure they can't hurt you for protecting our family."

  "Can you tell me what you know now?" Victor asked smiling.

  I looked to Mrs. Valente worried. She nodded at me, encouraging me to speak.

  "Marky got the paper from the clean room in his house. It's much wider than normal butcher paper, most likely to cover a large space. Robert said that room is to hurt people in." I curled in on myself and felt Mrs. Valente rub my back. "I didn't tell them that. I said I got it myself. I wouldn't give up Marky for anything." I looked up at Mrs. Valente with pleading eyes, hoping she would believe me. I still loved Marky, even if it hurt.

  "I know you didn't. I watched from the two-way mirror. You did good. They really have nothing on you, but I want to keep them from gathering any more evidence. You need to disappear for a while. Would you be open to that?" the attorney asked.

  I thought about how hard it was to see Marky every day and stay away. I hated the pitiful looks his friends gave me and the glares from the bitches. My parents turning on me was the icing on the cake. I looked over at Mrs. Valente. "I think getting away from everything might help it not hurt so much."

  She stood up, pulling me into her arms again. "I'm so sorry, baby. I really am. I'm going to send you to our baby brother, Daniel. He'll look after you. He lives in a nice quiet cabin. Maybe a little nature will help you out."

  I really didn't care at this point.

  Another large man walked into the room. "Is she ready to go?"

  "This is my brother, Sergio. He's the one taking you to Daniel's house."

  I just followed him out the door, thinking of all the names of her brothers. There were several Bartoli's. Victor, Tony, Joey, and now Sergio, they were all Mrs. Valente's siblings, and now I was going to meet another one, Daniel. They all seemed very nice, so I hoped Daniel would be, too.

  When we climbed into his SUV, I realized I didn't have any clothes with me. I wasn't sure if my parents would let me get any, either. "I don't have any clothes."

  He gave me a soft smile. "Don't worry, my sisters, Teresa and Dora, know you need some clothes and will be sending some up to Daniel's place tomorrow. I'm sure he can find you something to wear tonight."

  The Bartoli family just seemed to get bigger and bigger. "How many kids are in your family?"

  He grinned. "You noticed it's a bit large, huh? There are twelve of us kids. My parents wanted to prove they were good Catholics."

  "Well, I'd say they succeeded. Where do you fall in the bunch?"

  "I'm fourth from the oldest. Ann Marie is the oldest and helped my mother looked after us. You'll be staying with our baby brother, Daniel. He's pretty cool, maybe a little weird, if not distant. That's why he keeps to himself in that cabin of his."

  "Is he going to be mad about me being there?"

  "Nah, one little girl won't hurt him. He could use the company to liven things up."

  Those weren't very comforting words.

  After driving for what seemed like hours, we turned off the main highway and followed a dirt road for a good thirty minutes, before we pulled up to a little cabin. A man stepped out on the porch, toting a shotgun. He wore a flannel shirt and jeans, but the thing that grabbed my attention the most was his hair. It was all over the place, even his beard was insane. I nearly expected him to be wielding an ax and a bottle of moonshine.

  He frowned, shaking his head. He obviously wasn't happy to see us.

  "What are you doing here, Sergio?" the man glared at him and downright scowled at me. "Don't tell me you kidnapped this girl. You know I want no part of this."

  "No, I didn't kidnap her."

  "Why'd you bring her, then? Are you getting into human trafficking now?" He was really pissed and was advancing on Sergio. I looked into his eyes and was stunned by the bright copper color.

  "Nah, she just needs some cover until some shit blows over."

  He looked at me confused. "What'd she do?"

  "She was looking out for your nephew, and the Feds are after her now. Victor will take care of that, but she needs a place to stay until it cools down."

  Sergio put a hand on my shoulder and walked me past the angry man and into the cabin. It was small and had one wide-open room that was the living room, dining room and kitchen. There was an archway to the side that looked like a study of some sort, and a door I could only assume went to the bedroom, because there were no halls or anything else in this place.

  "Where's her stuff?"

  "Teresa and Dora will bring it out tomorrow. She's only got what she has on at the moment."

  He yanked on his crazy hair. "Fine, now get out of here. I don't want to hear any more about this mess."

  "Goodnight, little brother. Gabby, take care." Sergio left me standing there awkwardly, with my arms wrapped tightly around myself.

  "Did you eat dinner?" the bearded man asked from under the mess on his face, and I shook my head no. "I have some leftovers. I'll bring you some sweats to put on after your shower. You'll be sleeping on a hide-a-bed in my office. It's the only other bed I have."

  I nodded in answer.

  He set out some food. I didn't even bother trying to figure out what it was, I just ate it. He came back with some clothes, and then he walked me through his bedroom to the one bathroom in the house. I showered and washed my messed-up, tear-stained face. I had cried so much today. I didn't want to cry anymore.

  When I stepped out, he was ending a call on his phone. I saw him glance at my covered arms. I guess whoever he had talked to had told him what was going on. He didn't say anything to me, just grabbed a blanket from the closet and led me to his study. I only saw a chair in it, but he reached into it, opening it and somehow unfolding it into a bed.

  "It's only a twin. I hope that's okay."

  I gave the bearded man a small smile. He started to leave, when I decided I should say something to him. "Thank you."

  He nodded at me. "Goodnight, Gabriella."

  Chapter 9 - Underbrush

  The next morning, I woke to the smell of bacon. I sat up to see Daniel sitting at his desk, typing something out. When I shifted on the little bed, he turned and looked at me.

  "You're up. There's breakfast in the kitchen."

  I could hear him typing away as I ate. Once I was done, I pushed up my sleeves and started on the dishes. There really wasn't anything else to do. He didn't have a TV, and it looked like he only had the one computer, which he seemed to be working on.

  I had just finished cleaning the kitchen, when he came in with his plate, looking around confused. "What are you doing?"

  I shrugged.

  "Okay, well, you don't have to worry about that stuff. You're my guest." He looked around, like he was trying to find something for me to do. "On the back porch is a swing. I have some birdfeeders out there. They're cool to watch, or you can go for a walk, but be sure to stay on the trails. I don't want you getting lost." I was happy to find that the disgruntled Daniel from last night was gone.

  I headed out the back door to see what he was talking about. I laid down on the porch swing and lo
oked around, until I found the birdfeeders up high in the trees. He was right, there were several brightly colored birds swarming around them.

  I didn't know how long I had been out there, when I was distracted by tires crunching up the dirt road. I walked around the little cabin to see two women who looked a lot like Mrs. Valente. As soon as their eyes landed on me, they rushed over and hugged me.

  I hadn't realized Daniel had come out, until he took some bags out of the back of the car and headed into the house. The women were chatting a mile a minute, pulling me into Daniel's room. I was surprised, when he started hanging up my new clothes next to his.

  The women seemed to be excited about all the new things they had brought. They wanted me to put on something new and picked out an outfit. Daniel left the room, most likely going back to work on his computer stuff.

  The women weren't shy and only glanced at my scars for a moment as they changed me. Once they were satisfied, they both hugged me and left. I kind of wanted to be alone after that. Seeing them brought Marky to the forefront of my mind. I couldn't hate him. We hadn't officially been together, when he had gotten with the maid, and he had promised he would only be mine before shit hit the fan. I tried to shake it off. I had done so well at hiding from those thoughts. I needed to zone out and push everything away again.

  I stayed in Daniel's room, where it was quiet and peaceful. It was small and felt cozy. It seemed like a good hiding place, even if I was hiding from myself. He had a window seat, so I sat down and stared out the window. My mind went blissfully blank, as I watched the birds dance around a feeder. My focus thankfully shifted. I had done my best to clear my mind. The silence seemed to help. I knew as long as I didn't talk, I would be fine.

  I didn't hear him enter the room and startled when he spoke. "You're quiet." I looked at the floor, not wanting to talk to him. I wished I could forget this whole mess. He sat on the bed across from me. "I like the quiet, too. I guess it won't be so bad to have you here."

  He looked out the window and watched a red bird that was hopping around the feeder for a moment. Then he walked to the door, pausing. "I'll call you when lunch is ready."