I nodded my head vehemently as she spoke. I was afraid to ask about the involvement of her three sons, so I swallowed the question before it could jump out of my mouth. Three cookies remained on the plate and I selected one covered with chocolate frosting. I sniffed it first to see if it was chocolate, or melted Exlax before I bit into it. After the cat food sandwich affair, I remained leery of food that might look like one thing and end up being something else entirely.
“It’s chocolate, my dear. Honest.” Lena chuckled as though she had picked the thoughts off my head. “I have made arrangements for the art from your garage and also from Jill’s storage unit to be shipped back to their respective owners. I heard there were other investigators, besides the notorious FBI, who were searching for those pieces and we would have no rest otherwise. Thankfully, my husband had covered his tracks well or they’d have been here sooner. Honestly, Nate acted irrationally in those last two years of his life. It isn’t as though we didn’t have enough money to live two lifetimes, you know.”
It could have been that he wanted to provide for his paramour, though. I bit my tongue. With my hands up, I said, “Please don’t say anything else. I just want to make sure the art isn’t coming back to me.”
“It won’t be, so you have nothing to worry about. However, if you need any money, let me know. I appreciate how you’ve handled these unfortunate events, Lavinia.”
“No money, please. Just take your vacation and enjoy it.” I withdrew the cufflink from my pocket and showed it to her. “You can have this. Make sure it gets back to the person who dropped it on my garage step.”
Leaning forward, Lena grasped the link in her hand and stared at it. She glanced at me before she asked if I knew who owned it.
My head shook and I raised my hands again. “No, and I don’t want to know either.”
“All right, my dear. I’ll handle it.”
Relief swept through me on a wave. It had been ages since I’d felt this lightweight. The burden of anxiety peeled away like lemon skin. With a swift kiss to her cheek, I left Lena sitting in front of the fireplace holding the cufflink in her withered hand.
After I’d driven out of the cul-de-sac, I turned toward my mother’s house. The drive took about five minutes. A string of cars had backed up at the traffic light, bogged down by a vehicle stuck in the middle of the street. Everyone skirted the offending vehicle, moving forward at a snail’s pace.
Unsure of the reception I’d get from my brother, I was happy to see his car absent from the yard as I pulled to the curb. The car door locks clicked into place as I strode up the driveway. Strains of music drifted from the house, and I figured it had to be loud inside to be heard from here. Pavarotti sang as the orchestra played the final notes.
Stepping through the door to the kitchen, I watched my mother lick the frosting from her finger as she slipped the spatula into the sink. She turned back to sprinkle some confection on the top of the cake but jumped when she saw me.
“You startled me, Lavinia. What are you doing here, dear?”
“I wanted to come by and let you know that Marcus will be joining us for Thanksgiving. Do you mind?” Since the man stood on a pedestal the size of the Empire State Building, I knew it wouldn’t matter if he came to dinner every night, but I wanted to ask anyway.
“Oh dear, that’s wonderful. He and Giovanni get along so well, and your father likes him, too. The twins will be here, and Nonni is joining us as well. What about your tenant, Aaron? Where is he eating?”
Leave it to my mother to think she needed to care for everyone in my life. I grinned and said he’d be eating with his own family. It was clear she was disappointed, so I mentioned Lola would stop by for dessert. This placated my mother. She seemed pleased the house would be packed to capacity.
“Is Gio going home soon?” I asked in a nonchalant way.
“Yes, he’ll leave over the weekend to return to Nebraska. He and Jill must have worked things out. Your father said you’d shared the information about their problems with him. I’m glad they can come together again. Divorce is so messy these days. Besides, I’d like some grandchildren soon, and I know you aren’t ready for that.”
Oops, time to leave. Grandkids, huh? Not me, not now, maybe not ever. As I slid from the chair, my mother motioned for me to sit down again.
“I’m not going to ramble on about your life or disinterest in marriage, Lavinia. I merely meant that Giovanni and Jill want children, and they can’t do that if they are divorced. What did Gio really come here for besides the medical convention?”
“Beats me,” I lied. “He said the two of them wanted some space to work things out, and the medical convention was convenient. He got to see everyone, give Jill the space she needed, and attend the lectures he wanted.” That much was true anyway. My mother stared at me until I nearly squirmed in the chair.
The door opened and Giovanni marched into the kitchen, kissed Mom on the top of her head, and nodded at me. I nodded back as he wandered toward the stove to check out the contents of the pans.
“Mom tells me you’re leaving this weekend?”
“Yes,” he said, “Jill and I have made amends, and I need to get back to work.”
“Great, I’m glad to hear it. Everything has worked out, and that’s what counts, right?” It was my way of telling him that all was well with the artwork. His glance told me he understood the message.
“Right.”
“Marcus is joining us for dinner on Thursday. He’ll be glad to see you before you return to Nebraska.” Rising from the chair, I slipped my jacket on and readied to leave.
“I’ll walk you to your car. It’s getting dark out there,” Gio said as he joined me at the door.
I kissed my mother, saying I’d see her on Thursday. She smiled and reminded me dinner was at one.
When we reached the driveway, I stared at Giovanni in silence. He returned the look, a sheepish grin on his lips.
“I take it that all went well with Lena?” he asked.
“It did. She’s taken care of everything with no trail to be found by anyone. The thugs who tried to extort money from me over the paintings have apologized, and been punished and threatened accordingly. Lena said her boys had a hand in the thefts. She assured my they wouldn’t be doing anything like that again. They should be ashamed of themselves.” I said. “I haven’t any further information than that and don’t want any either.” I snickered at the memory of Lena’s offer of money.
“What?” Gio asked.
“Aunt Lena offered me money if I needed it. Do I look poor to you?”
“Not by any means.” He chuckled. “Was it a joke or a payoff?”
“I’m not sure – it didn’t get that far. I refused.”
The car sat to my right and Gio took the keys from my hand to unlock the door. When he turned back to me, his hand lay upon my arm.
“I’m really sorry that I hurt you last night. I realize the situations you find yourself in are not of your doing. Dad gives you more credit than you think. He’s really proud of your accomplishments, you know. He told me so. It’s just ingrained in him to give you a hard time the way he does.” His smile peeked out and I smiled back.
“You’re forgiven,” I said and hugged my brother tightly.
As I drove away, I decided a trip to Detective Bellini’s office was next on the agenda. I snatched my phone from my handbag and dialed his private number.
“Bellini,” he barked.
“It’s Vinnie, Detective. Are you going to be in the office for a while?”
“Why? You plannin’ to come by?” he asked.
“I am.”
“See you shortly, then,” he said and the line went dead.
Traffic was nil as I rolled through Providence’s Federal Hill district onto a back street that led to the police department. Rolling up to a stop sign, I glanced in both
directions. I hadn’t noticed the approach of the car behind me.
A crunch and sudden jolt sent my car through the stop sign toward the opposite sidewalk and the pedestrian waiting to cross the street. The frail old man stood rooted to the spot while I slammed the brakes hard and skidded to a stop. Fighting off the airbag and disconnecting the seat belt, I swung the car door open.
Someone stepped close before I could leave the seat and suddenly I was face to face with the woman the police and I were trying to locate. Caught by surprise, I gasped.
Rage contorted her face, twisting it into a grimacing sneer. She grabbed my jacket lapel and dragged me from the car. I tried to gain my footing as my heel caught on the car door’s edge, sending me to my knees on the ground.
Swift pain swept through my cheekbone as her fist connected with my face.
Swearing, I shoved her backward. On my feet in an instant, my temper soared. We headed toward one another like bulls ready to butt heads.
Shorter in stature than me, the woman’s strength matched my own as we grappled in the middle of the street. Losing our footing, we landed hard on the ground, kicking and punching one another amid our cussing and yelling. I worked hard to block her punches. When she grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked, my head bent sideways, causing my fist to miss her face and strike her neck instead.
Sirens blared as cars screeched to a stop. Dragged off each other by police officers, my assailant and I struggled to reach out to land one more solid blow.
Lieutenant Donatelli roared my name as he stepped between us. “Stop it, both of you.”
“Arrest this bitch – she just assaulted me.” The woman had switched from savage animal to weeping and fearful in a heartbeat.
Donatelli glanced at her before he turned to me.
“Did you assault this woman?” he asked. A tiny sparkle glinted in his eyes. Guys enjoy a good cat fight for some reason.
The officer holding me loosened his grip when the lieutenant gave a slight nod.
My jacket askew, I shrugged it into place and shook my head.
“She slammed into the back of my car, dragged me from the seat, and started punching the crap out of me,” I said in a huff.
Donatelli turned to her and waited.
A glimmer of anger in her eyes, the woman said, “She slammed on her brakes and caused the accident. She’s a lying bitch.”
The officer held her arms so tightly she couldn’t move. She struggled to reach me, but couldn’t. I edged forward.
With his arms outstretched referee-style, Donatelli ordered we should both be hauled to the station and booked for disorderly conduct. I stood still, waiting as my assailant was dragged away kicking and screaming. She went on and on about revenge.
The officer who had restrained me stepped closer, his hand circling my arm. “Come on, Vinnie, I have to take you in.” So much for no jail time.
In disbelief I stood my ground staring at Donatelli.
“Don’t tell me that you believe her?” I burst out.
With a smirk, Donatelli muttered to the officer that he would escort me to the station, and that I wasn’t under arrest. The officer nodded, offering me a smile before entering his cruiser and driving away.
“The witness will give a statement as to what happened. I bet he had quite a fright when you headed straight for him.” Donatelli motioned for the elderly man to step forward.
The old fellow gingerly stepped off the sidewalk and scurried toward us.
“She didn’t do nothing wrong, officer.” The gentleman said to Donatelli. “It was that other one, the screamer. She was right nasty.”
I snickered at his descriptive term. She had screamed and screamed, so I guess it was apt. My anger receded as I remembered why I’d been headed to the station to begin with.
“I was on my way to see Bellini when she struck my car.” Within minutes I explained the situation.
Staring at me, Donatelli started to laugh. “Only you could have such luck. You believe this is the woman who murdered those three people associated with the clinic? Damn, Vinnie, how convenient for you to have her run into you.” The irony wasn’t lost on either of us and we both chuckled.
Thanking Donatelli for his handling of the situation, I inspected the car before we drove the remaining distance to the station. The bitch had smashed the fender, but hadn’t managed to inflict much other damage as far as I could see. I was relieved.
Parked in the first space available, I locked the doors and raced across the lot into the police station. The two security gates in the foyer lay silent and empty. No handbags rolled across the conveyor belt and no people shuffled through the gates. The cop at the desk watched me with a wide grin while Donatelli stepped past the gates and shuffled up the side stairs to write his report on the accident.
“Vin, how the hell are ya?” the patrolman bellowed across the foyer.
Patrolman Jacques had been my student two years prior. He’d managed to ace the two classes he’d taken in order to fulfill his degree. I smiled in return and asked how he was.
We chatted for a moment until the elevator door swung open and Detective Bellini stepped out. He waited for me to join him.
“I just met up with Donatelli. You had a mishap?” Bellini asked as the elevator door closed.
The folded sheet of paper lay in my pocket. I took it out and handed it to Bellini with a smirk.
“This is for you. This woman was just arrested for assaulting me and causing an accident. She also happens to be the murderer you’ve been searching for in those three clinic-related deaths.”
Placing his glasses on, Bellini scanned the information on the page. He smiled and looked at me. The elevator opened on the holding floor. A corridor led to the counter where prisoners were signed in before they were led to a cell to await arraignment. Bellini escorted me down the corridor.
A tall, muscular woman stood behind the counter. Her black skin held a shiny patina and the uniform fit perfectly, without any bulges other than muscular ones. I stared at the woman who stood at my height and wondered what it would take to bring her down.
She snapped to attention when Bellini stepped to the desk.
“Sir?” she asked in a husky voice.
“Bring the suspect into interrogation room four, Crane.” Bellini ordered. She nodded and disappeared from sight.
Taking my arm Bellini led me into the interrogation room. We settled on one side of the table and waited. Officer Crane brought the suspect into the room with her hand grasped around the woman’s arm. She indicated she should sit in the empty chair across from us.
The face of the woman who’d caused my cycling accident and haunted me for the past few weeks showed signs that I’d gotten my licks in during our altercation. Instantly she got to her feet and tried to scramble across the table – with a colorful expletive. An unladylike expletive, I might add. Bellini placed his hand on my arm as Crane hauled the woman back into the chair by her shoulders.
“You rotten bitch,” I said through clenched teeth.
“Vinnie,” Bellini snapped as though I was one of his own officers.
An instant later, I had myself under control and was staring at the prisoner. We glared at one another for a while until Bellini cleared his throat.
“Is this the woman who caused your accident and recommended the clinic?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes, she is.”
“Has this woman been terrorizing you?”
“Yes, she followed me and caused me to have a car accident a short while ago.”
“That’s a lie,” she yelled across the table. Starting to rise from the chair once more, Crane grasped her shoulders and slammed her back into the chair.
“Sit down, ma’am,” Crane ordered.
Bellini held the sheet of paper in his hand. Turning it toward the woman, he showed her the
contents.
“We have what we need to lock your ass up for a long time. We have evidence from the crime scene, and can even match your DNA to prove you murdered at least one of those victims. Make a deal now and save yourself from life in the women’s prison facility.”
“Screw you!” She sneered at all of us and said to me, “We had a good thing going until you interfered. This is all your fault. All this happened because my foolish idiot partners feared your brother, the doctor, would figure out what we were doing and turn the cops on us. Just scared for nothing, all of them. When you mentioned your brother, the word spread and before I knew it those stupid bastards were all jumping ship. I couldn’t let them get away, to leave me high and dry. They might even have turned me in.”
I stared at her as the pieces fell neatly into place. Gristle’s attitude had changed immediately upon receiving the news that Gio was a doctor. Why hadn’t I realized that before?
“Really? I thought it was odd that things suddenly changed,” I said. “You certainly made a large sum of money from my insurance company. Has insurance fraud always been your game? And why me? Why was I the chosen one?”
“That and a few other scams. I had read about how you were involved in one ridiculous incident after another, so I figured you’d be foolish enough to fall for the scam, and you didn’t disappoint me, either.” She smirked, glanced at Bellini, then settled a sneer on me. “You were next to be done away with, but I couldn’t catch up with you long enough to finish you off. Even on the sidewalk outside your place the other night – you spoiled everything. It all went wrong because of you.”
With a cold smile, I said, “Yes, it did. Thank God for that.”
“I’m not sayin’ another word until I see my lawyer,” she screamed across the table.
Dead Wrong Page 21