Laced In Lies

by Colleen Helme

  “Both my grandfather and my uncle were heartbroken, and they pledged revenge against the family who had done this. It didn’t take long before they traced the hit to the Bilottis, and that was the beginning of the war between the Manettos and the Bilottis that basically wiped out both families.

  “That war began not too long after Stan’s funeral. I was so oppressed with grief that I spent most of my time in the cemetery next to Stan’s grave, so I didn’t pay much attention to what was going on around me.”

  She caught my gaze. “I wished I had died with him, and I spent a lot of time talking to God and asking why he would do this to me. I soon realized it wasn’t His fault, and I finally began to feel peace. I even thought that maybe I could go on with my life after all.

  “But the worst was yet to come.” She swallowed and glanced at me, then at her hands before taking a breath to continue. “I came home later that day to find my grandparents… both of them had been murdered. Shot down in cold blood. And the worst thing was… I would have died too if I’d been there.”

  I inhaled sharply, catching the scene from her thoughts of her grandparents’ bullet riddled bodies and sightless eyes opened in death. No wonder she’d left the family and become a nun.

  “I retreated from life after that day. I found myself back at the church. I told them I never wanted to leave, and that I would dedicate my life to God if they would let me stay. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. I had to prove it wasn’t just because I feared for my life. They let me stay and, over time, I proved my desire to serve God.

  “To be honest, it took me a long time to forgive myself… and my family, for living the kind of lifestyle that killed Stan, my grandparents, and so many other family members. I guess you could say that I’m still trying to make up for it by being a Sister in the church, but I’ve also learned a lot about human suffering, and I’m at peace.”

  She smiled at me, thinking that if Stan hadn’t died that day, I could have been her real daughter. But it wasn’t meant to be, and she was okay with that.

  “After everything that happened back then, my cousin Frank and his family are all that’s left of the New York Manettos. As far as I know, they’re not in the mob business anymore, so that’s good. And they’ve been able to keep the hotel, which has meant everything to them.”

  “Um… well that’s mostly right,” I answered. “I mean… at least it’s still in the family, but not quite how you’re thinking.”

  Maggie’s eyes widened. “What happened?”

  “Apparently, several years ago, Frank was headed into bankruptcy, and he asked Uncle Joey for help. Uncle Joey bought the hotel, and Frank’s family is running it. I don’t know all the arrangements, but it looks like they’re working together again.”

  Her brows rose in surprise. “Oh, I didn’t know. Joey must be doing rather well.”

  “Uh… yeah.” I shrugged. “He seems pretty well off. I mean… we flew here in his private jet. He also wants to talk to you. Would it be all right if I called him?”

  The light went out of her eyes, and she glanced away. Being involved with the family again went against her better judgement.

  “I understand if you don’t want to, but talking to him doesn’t mean you’re rejoining the family. It can mean as little, or as much, as you want. Besides, he can’t tell his big sister what to do, especially when you’ve caught him lying about you and me. You could even put the fear of God into him if you want.”

  She smiled, thinking that might be good for him, since it didn’t look like anyone else was willing to do it. Wasn’t that what big sisters were for? “All right. I’ll do it.”

  I smiled and took out my phone, then called Uncle Joey’s cell. He picked up pretty quick. “Hey Uncle Joey… it’s Shelby. Uh… Maggie’s here and she’s willing to talk to you.” I handed her the phone.

  After taking a deep breath, she brought the phone to her ear. “Hello Joey. It’s been a long time.”

  Wanting to give them a little privacy, I left my spot on the bench and wandered around the garden. I could still pick up bits and pieces of their conversation, but I didn’t listen too closely. This was private, and I didn’t want to intrude.

  I had circled around the garden a couple of times before Maggie found me. Whatever they’d said to each other must have agreed with her, because her face had a happy flush to it.

  “Thanks Shelby. It was good to talk to him.” She was thinking that maybe the time had come for her to be more involved with the family. Not in an official capacity, but she could have a positive influence in their lives. Knowing Miguel was her nephew helped. And the fact that Miguel might be moving to New York definitely made a difference. He was a good kid, and she didn’t want him corrupted by her brother.

  She glanced at me with a gleam in her eyes. “So tell me about Miguel. What do your premonitions say his chances are for getting a part in the play?”

  “Uh… that they’re pretty darn good. In fact…” I glanced at my watch. “I should probably get back. After the play last night, the director invited Miguel to sing for a second audition at eleven this morning, and this time the man who wrote the whole freakin’ thing is going to be there.”

  “Wow. That’s impressive. I guess we’d better get going. Um… Shelby… there is one more thing.” She caught my hands in hers. “I was thinking… I don’t mind pretending to be your mom, if that’s okay with you.” Her hopeful gaze caught mine. “I mean… only when you’re in New York, of course. But if Miguel gets the part, you might come more often.”

  I squeezed her hands before letting go. “I think that would be great. I wouldn’t mind talking more often either. You’re the first person, besides my husband, whom I’ve talked with about this whole thing, and you understand what it’s like to be part of a mob family. I have a feeling I might need your advice.”

  She smiled and lifted her brow. “That’s true. I don’t know what help I could be, but I used to babysit Joey. I might be able to come to your defense if you need it.”

  I laughed at the idea of having her on my side. “That would be awesome!”

  We made our way through the church, and she walked with me back to the hotel. On the way, she asked me about my family, so I told her about my husband and kids. In front of the hotel, I gave her my card so she’d have my phone number. With a teasing smile, she pulled out her cell phone and entered my number into her contacts list.

  “Oh,” I said, not realizing Sisters had cell phones. I put her number into my contact list, and we said our goodbyes.

  “And let me know how it goes with my nephew,” she said, smiling brightly.

  “I will.”

  Chapter 8

  M iguel and I arrived at the theatre ten minutes early. We’d left Syd behind since he was busy, and we knew how to get there on our own. On the way, I’d picked up that Miguel wasn’t as nervous today. But if he knew that Alan Menken was going to play the piano for him, it would be a whole different story. Good thing I’d kept that little tidbit to myself.

  After checking in at the office, we were shown to a downstairs rehearsal room with hardwood floors and sound proof panels on the walls, which were also covered by framed posters of the plays that had been performed on the stage above us. A leather couch nestled along one side, with a grand piano on the other, along with a few musical instruments and a set of drums.

  We only waited for a few minutes before the director and Alan came in. While the director greeted Miguel, Alan took his place at the piano, just like an ordinary accompanist. Miguel didn’t think anything of it. In fact, if I hadn’t picked it up from the director’s thoughts, I wouldn’t have figured out who he was either.

  The director asked Miguel if he’d like to sing Proud of Your Boy, and Miguel nodded his agreement. Alan played the introduction and, when Miguel came in, I picked up that Alan was blown away by Miguel’s voice.

  As the song continued, I heard Alan thinking how impressed he was with the feeling Miguel put into the song. H
ow could such a young person relate to this so well? It was apparent that Miguel knew something of life, and it piqued Alan’s interest.

  The song ended, and Alan asked Miguel where he grew up. I was afraid Miguel wouldn’t want to answer with the truth, but he candidly told Alan his story of growing up without a father in Mexico. Then he explained how his father had unexpectedly come back into the picture, saving him and his mother from a bad situation.

  Described in such a way by Miguel made it sound like something from a fairytale. I’d never really thought of how Uncle Joey had taken on a drug cartel for his son. Of course, Miguel didn’t go into the details, but it was easy to pick up that Miguel had lived a hard life… kind of like Aladdin.

  Alan made up his mind that instant. Miguel was the one. Besides looking the part, along with his incredible voice, Miguel was earnest and humble, not like some of the others who knew they were good and deserved it. Miguel was a diamond in the rough, exactly what they needed.

  I smiled to hear that thought. Still, my eyes filled up with tears. How cool was that? I just hoped Miguel could take care of himself in this world. Of course, he had the street smarts from his former life, and there was always Uncle Joey, so maybe he’d be okay.

  Plus, I couldn’t rule out Maggie and the New York Manettos. They’d watch out for him, too. He’d be fine. Still, that mothering part of me worried about this big change in his life, and how he’d handle it.

  I also worried about how it would affect the family. A lump rose in my throat for what it would cost Uncle Joey to lose his son so soon after finding him. I’d known how much Uncle Joey wanted to turn the business over to his son, and now that wasn’t going to happen.

  On the other hand, wasn’t that was a good thing? So maybe it was okay. I took a deep breath and shook my head. What was I thinking? That almost sounded like it was my family I was worried about. I pursed my lips with dismay. I needed to get home to my normal life before I forgot where I belonged.

  The director thanked Miguel and told him they’d be in touch. I stood to leave and met Miguel at the door. He knew he’d done a good job and hoped he’d get some small part. As we walked down the hall, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  “Did I get a part?”

  “How should I know?”

  “Shelby… that’s why you’re here isn’t it? Because of your premonitions? At least tell me if I have a chance.”

  I smiled and nodded. “All right… there’s a pretty good chance, but wait until you know for sure before you tell anyone, okay?”

  He grinned, thinking like you’re waiting to tell my dad?

  I chuckled but wisely kept my mouth shut. Just then, the door to the rehearsal room opened, and the director stepped out. “Hey, can you come back for a minute?”

  “Sure,” Miguel said, thinking this was a good sign. He caught my gaze and wiggled his eyebrows.

  I smiled and followed him back. As we entered the room, the director introduced Miguel properly to Alan. Miguel’s eyes widened, and he stood there a little tongue-tied until Alan came forward with an outstretched hand.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t know who you were,” Miguel said.

  Alan waved it off. “That was part of the fun. So…” He glanced at the director, then at me, and finally at Miguel. “We’d like to offer you the part of… Aladdin.”

  Miguel’s eyes widened in shock, then excitement spiked through him. “Dios Mio! Oh sorry… I’m just so… overwhelmed.” He swallowed, then ran his fingers through his hair. “Uh… I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll take it,” Alan offered, clearly delighted with Miguel’s excitement.

  “Yes. Yes! Of course! I would be honored.” Miguel turned to me and, with great exuberance, caught me in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground and twirling us around in circles. He spoke several phrases in Spanish, then set me down and beamed from ear to ear.

  Once he had settled down, the director got down to business. “I’ll call your agent so we can work out the terms of your contract. Do you think you could stay one more night? We should be able to get everything put together this afternoon for you, but probably not before you have to leave.”

  “I’m sure that would work,” Miguel answered, then glanced my way. “Right, Shelby?”

  “Yes, of course. We can work with that.”

  “Great,” the director said. “We should have everything ready to sign later this afternoon.”

  “Thank you so much,” Miguel said. “I won’t let you down.”

  We spoke for a few more minutes, and Miguel thanked them again and again, then we left the room. Out in the hall, Miguel jumped up and down a few times. “I can’t believe it! This is so… amazing.” He continued his excited chatter all the way out the door. “I need to call my Mom… and my Dad!”

  “Yes, you do. Wait.” I stopped him. “Stand right there so I can take a picture of you.” He stood in front of the theatre with a big grin on his face, and I snapped several photos of him with my phone to mark the occasion. “Now you can send the picture too!”

  I took his arm, and we began walking back to the hotel while he punched in his mother’s number. As he told her the good news, I kept us moving in the right direction. Her response came back in Spanish, so I had no idea what she said, but he didn’t talk long, telling her he needed to call his dad next.

  Luckily, we weren’t too far from the hotel, and I convinced him to wait until he had more privacy to make the call. We entered the lobby to find Frank and Syd talking together at the desk. Syd took one look at Miguel and knew something big had happened.

  He rushed over to us, with Frank and Sylvie hot on his heels. “What’s happened?”

  “I got the part!” Miguel shouted. “Aladdin!” They all exclaimed and congratulated him amid hugs and pats on the back. “I need to call my father.”

  “Here son,” Frank said. “Come into my office. You’ll have some privacy there.” Frank pulled Miguel away, and they disappeared into the room behind the front desk.

  A minute later, Frank came out wiping his eyes and thinking how proud he was of his cousin, and that this musical talent ran in the family. His grandfather had been a great singer, and now it had been passed on to Miguel.

  I glanced across the room to find Sylvie talking to Frank. She caught my gaze and quickly glanced away. So she was the one who’d figured out that Miguel was their cousin, but how? Did she overhear me talking to Syd? Before I could ask her, Miguel came out of the office, his face flushed with excitement.

  He caught my gaze and smiled, but Sylvie and Frank practically jumped all over him, both stating that they needed to have a celebration before we left. Syd took my arm and walked us over to their circle so we could be included in the planning.

  “We’ll have a special dinner tonight,” Sylvie said. She glanced at me and smiled, motioning me closer. “Miguel said you were staying another night, so this will be perfect. And let’s invite your mother. I’m sure she’ll want to come.”

  “Uh… sure,” I agreed.

  “We’ll set it all up. Where would you like to go for dinner?” She didn’t want to suggest the restaurant here, but going somewhere else would be twice as expensive.

  “Why not eat here? The food last night was amazing.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll make the arrangements.”

  Miguel’s phone rang at the same time as mine, and I knew it was either the agent, Chris, or Uncle Joey. “If you’ll excuse us,” I said, grabbing Miguel’s arm. “We need to answer these calls.” As they waved us off, I pulled Miguel toward the elevator and answered the phone. “Hello?”

  “Shelby?”

  “Oh, hi Uncle Joey. Hang on, I’m getting Miguel out of here.” We stepped into the elevator and I pushed the button for the twelfth floor. “Okay, we’re on the elevator, headed to our rooms.”

  “What’s going on?”

  I explained the commotion in the lobby, while listening with half an ear to figure out who Miguel was talking
to. We exited the elevator and hurried into our room. “Okay. We made it inside our rooms.” I let out a relieved sigh and sank into the couch. “So what do you think about all this? Pretty exciting, huh?”

  “Yes. I’m glad you warned me, or it would have been… more difficult to take in.”

  “Yeah… I understand. I think Miguel is talking to his agent right now.”

  “Yes… the agent called me right after Miguel did, and I told him to send Chris the contract as soon as it was drawn up so he could look it over. They should be finished with it sometime this afternoon.”

  “That’s great. Did Miguel tell you we needed to stay one more night?”

  “Yes. That should be fine, as long as you leave first thing in the morning.”

  Something in his tone didn’t sound quite right. “What’s up? Is something wrong?”

  “It can wait until you get here.”

  “What is it?”

  He let out a breath. “It’s this whole thing with Ramos. Things are getting complicated, and I think he could use your help. There’s something going down here that has me on edge, and I think Ramos might be taking the brunt of it. He’s too involved, and I don’t like it.”

  “You mean like he’s being used?”

  “Something like that.”

  “But… does he think so too?” My heart thumped faster in my chest, and dread rolled over me. “I thought… he said he could take care of it. So what’s happened?”

  “Look, we’re handling it for now, and I don’t want to ruin your fun. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be back tomorrow, and we’ll figure it out then.”

  “Are you sure it can wait?”

  “Yeah, no problem. Oh… there’s one more thing…”

  “Yes?” I braced to hear more bad news.

  “Thanks for getting Maggie to talk to me. I don’t know what you said to her but, whatever it was, it worked. It’s been so long, and I didn’t even realize that I’d missed her, but it was good to hear her voice. It also makes it easier for me to know she’s there for Miguel.”

  “I agree with you on that. And since we’re on the subject, Frank and Sylvie know he’s your son. I don’t know how they found out, but they’re pretty happy about it, so I don’t think you have anything to fear from them.”