Roman Holiday

by Pamela G Hobbs

  Caro rose to intercept another turn about the room.

  “Nick, hold on. I’m sure the accident was thoroughly investigated, but if we go asking and the police have in fact covered something up, we’ll be stonewalled. Let me talk to Flynn.” She put her hand flat against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of sheer anger and agitation in his breathing. “I know you’re frustrated and upset, I am too, but I’d be way happier knowing my brother was looking into things for us.”

  “What can he do? He’s an Irish policeman.”

  Maybe Nick didn’t mean to scoff but Caro took offence.

  “Actually, he’s a lot more than that. He does some serious stuff for Interpol and has even been involved in cases with the FBI – honestly, if we want an ‘in’ with the police in Rome, we need to go through Flynn.”

  Nick stared at her for a moment, taking it in, his body practically vibrating with impatience. He took hold of Caro’s shoulders, his touch gentle despite his obvious tension. He lowered his forehead, touching it to hers, and simply breathed.

  “Okay,” he said, his tone resigned but firm, “we’ll talk to your brother.” He turned his wrist to check his watch. “It’s too late now to call. We’ll do it first thing in the morning. And we should probably change our flights and get back to Rome, asap.”

  He took a step back to look into her face and she smiled wanly at him.

  “Yeah, the party’s over, I suppose. So much for Happy New Year.”

  Nick grimaced. “I’ve always thought New Year was overrated myself. But I do think we should go through these documents with a fine-tooth comb. Toni sent all these insurance claims here for a reason. Now, we know there might be a clue tied in there, too. Are you game to keep looking tonight?”

  Caro laughed. It wasn’t really a laugh but it was all she could muster.

  “Well, it’s not like we had anything else planned, now is it?” She indicated the half-empty wine bottle and surrounds.

  “I’ll make it up to you,” Nick promised as he scooped up the soggy ice-cream carton. “This better go in the trash, I’m afraid,” he said and he headed to the kitchen.

  Caro plopped down on the couch once more, her head spinning. What the actual fuck? Suddenly the incident Toby had a few weeks back, where he was almost run over having been jostled badly in a crowd, and her own brush with nasty mushrooms didn’t seem so outlandishly arcane. She broached the subject with Nick when he returned to the couch with two brandies.

  “Jesus,” he said when she told him her theory, “we need these for sure.” He took a long drink from his and focused his gaze directly on her. “So, you’re telling me you think whoever killed Toni, and attempted to kill him before, may still be at large in Rome?” He shoved a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Who, though? And why now? No one knew about Toby and you till a few months ago, so why try to kill Toni three years ago and why harass you now?”

  “Maybe there’s evidence in these packages that Toni knew, something he shouldn’t.” Caro shrugged helplessly. “But I think the incidents must be connected somehow – we just need to dig deeper.”

  A wan smile touched Nick’s lips. “You’re quite tenacious, aren’t you?” He touched a finger to her cheek, making her shiver in response.

  “I can be,” she agreed, smiling slightly back at him. “I do rather a lot of research on various artists and once I get my teeth into something, well, there’s no stopping me. And,” she continued, suddenly fierce, “anyone messes with my child and they’d better get out of my way when I come gunning for them!”

  “Mama Bear,” he said softly, “I really like that in a woman I’m dating.”

  “Are we? Dating, I mean?”

  Caro was curious as to what his answer might be and she told herself she was daring to ask because Toby needed to know.

  “Yes,” he said, his voice sure, committed, “we are. Any objections?”

  Caro leaned into his broad chest and strong shoulders. She brushed her mouth softly against his, loving the catch of his breath as she did so.

  “None,” she said, “none whatsoever.”

  Midnight came and went. It was a new year and Nick and Caro didn’t even notice. Papers were scattered around them, with only one sealed envelope left. They had switched to coffee to help with concentration and Caro was beginning to get jittery when she reached forwards and tore it open. She shook out the contents and again another envelope fell out, this one already slit across the top. It looked vaguely familiar as Caro peered at the postage to see the date, which was about six months before Toni’s death.

  “God!” Caro dropped it as if she were scalded.

  Nick’s head flew up from his pile.

  “What’s the matter? What have you found? Christ, are you okay?”

  Caro’s hands were trembling as she picked the offending article back up and thrust it towards Nick.

  “It’s from Ireland,” she said flatly.

  He took it and reached inside, casting a dubious glance her way. He scanned the contents quickly, his mouth tightening, eyebrows drawn together.

  “Well, fuck,” he said quietly.

  Caro was on edge.

  “What? What does it say? Tell me, Nick, you’re scaring me!”

  “It’s from a private detective agency in Dublin,” he said, looking straight into her worried eyes. He reached forwards and took one of her hands in his, lifting her knuckles for a tender kiss. “It’s a report on you,” he said, “and Toby.”

  “He knew. He knew he had a son.” Caroline’s voice was stunned.

  She was, Nick thought, going into shock as she held two photographs in her hands, her gaze riveted as if held by an invisible wire. One was of the two of them getting into her car outside Toby’s school and the other was of Toby, obviously from a distance, playing in the front garden of his grandparents’ home in Dalkey.

  What they could gather from the report was that Toni had hired the agency to track Caroline down. He’d given them whatever information he’d found about her from his Google search, but there was no personal information online about her on purpose – she’d always kept off social media to ensure hers and Toby’s privacy. The detective had simply gone to her college and followed up all the leads there. It can’t have been hard and what puzzled Caroline was why Toni didn’t come over himself and look her up.

  Why, indeed. Nor did they know what prompted Toni to search after all these years. What made him google her. Maybe they’d never know, but it was all too damned odd that all these things happened just before he died – there had to be a connection.

  Nick’s phone interrupted their musings with an insistent buzz.

  “What’s up?” he said, seeing it was Sal as he swiped his finger across the screen.

  His brother’s garbled voice came at him in a rush.

  “Wait, slow down. Start again – slowly. Toby what now?” Nick shoved a hand through his hair, listening intently.

  Caroline leaped from her perch.

  “Is Toby okay? What’s happened?”

  Nick spoke, listened some more and shut off the call. He reached over and took Caroline’s hand.

  “First of all, he’s fine. But . . . ” He paused for a beat. “He’s in the hospital.”

  Before he could even finish, Caroline had sagged to the chair, her face drained of colour.

  “Tell me. Tell me what’s happened. No, wait, don’t say a thing, let’s get going! We need to get to the hospital. Now! Jesus, Nick, we need to go!”

  Nick hauled her back up and wrapped his arms about her quivering frame.

  “We will. Take a breath. I’m going to grab you a jacket and a helmet and we’re going by motorbike.” At her gasp, he continued, “It’ll be the quickest – it being New Year, the roads could well be blocked off.” Her urgent questions would have to wait. Nick placed a finger gently over her lips. “All I know is that he’s fine, this is a precaution. I don’t know what happened, but I know he’s at the emergency centre in Midtown Manh
atten and that’s where we’re headed now.”

  He handed her a helmet as he dragged her through the kitchen to the back door.

  “Here.” He shoved an oversized leather jacket at her. “Put this on and let’s go.”

  Nick’s stomach was tight, his nerves on edge as he dragged his old 750 Honda from the shed. He hoped his father had been true to his promise to keep it in running order.

  Swinging a leg over, he indicated that Caroline do the same. She appeared shell-shocked, as well she might. They’d just been discussing all the odd and crazy incidents that had happened to them and now this. Her mind must be in overdrive. He could empathise. He really liked the kid, had actually grown to care about him, and that had nothing to do with heritage or lineage.

  He was just a decent boy who’d been dealt a bad break in the dad department and still stood up. That was the kind of character that grew into a decent man. Caroline had sure raised him right. Now, Nick’s immediate purpose was to get them to the medical centre as quickly and as safely as possible. And shit, he hadn’t even thought to ask how Gia or Louise were.

  He needed to work on his brotherly skills.

  Caro would never really remember that journey. Except the terror part – that, she definitely remembered. She’d clutched Nick about the waist and just hung on. Riding a motorbike wasn’t something she did. That was her sister Ali’s bag. Caro wondered, as they sped around a corner and a shriek escaped her, if she’d ever in her life try this again.

  Probably not. It was absolutely terrifying.

  A part of her was so unbelievably grateful that Nick was driving like a lunatic – they’d get to her boy sooner – but the other part? The part that was scared shitless? Not so much. But the real terror was Toby. Was he hurt? Scared? In pain? That boy of hers had been traumatised only last summer and the last thing he needed was more bloody drama. Oh, please, God, let him be okay, she prayed over and over as she blocked out the actual panic of being on a motorbike for the first time.

  They made it in under twenty-five minutes – a fact she’d later discover was crazy driving. She peeled herself from the back of the bike, her legs like jelly, her heart racing from so many emotions it was hard to prioritise. Nick slammed down the bike stand outside the glass doors and they strode through, straight to the craziness that was a New Year’s Eve nurses’ station.

  “Toby Fitzgerald, thirteen-year-old Caucasian boy – some kind of accident. We want to see him,” he demanded.

  Before the nurse could answer, Sal came striding down the hall.

  “Nick,” he called, “this way. The kid’s in here.”

  He walked backwards, beckoning them to a curtained cubicle a few metres away. Caro pulled back the fabric and hurried to the bedside. Toby was ashen-faced and black-and-blue at the same time. His arm was bandaged and in a sling, and he had steri-strips almost covering what looked like a series of stitches across his forehead. Below the cut, his left cheekbone was grazed and already colouring nicely.

  Caro swallowed the tightness in her throat.

  “Hey, brat, I can’t leave you alone for a few hours, huh? So attention-seeking!”

  Toby’s eyes flew open and filled with tears.

  “Mum,” he managed before she gathered him into her arms, holding firm.

  “Hey,” she whispered into his dark, matted hair. “It’s okay. Everything’s okay. I’ve got you, sweetheart. I’m here now.”

  And she rested her head on top of his, her eyes catching Sal’s, waiting for an explanation.

  “Jeez, Caroline, I’m so fucking sorry. One minute he was standing next to me, the next he was being dragged to the ground. Gia thinks some thugs tried to shove him into the traffic, but he was holding his ground, so he ended up being dragged on the sidewalk instead. He’s one tough kid, I tell you that.” He rubbed a frustrated hand over his jaw and on up to his bleary eyes.

  Nick spoke. “Where’s Louise? Is she okay? And Gia?”

  “I put Louise in a cab just a bit ago. Her back was acting up and Gia . . . ” He paused, looked over at Toby and Caro, then back to Nick. “Gia’s hurt, man. She’s been shot.”

  “What?” Nick roared. “How, why? Jesus, Sal, is she okay?”

  “Yeah, man, they said she’d be fine. It’s a through and through and she’s still sedated. I’ll go see her now that you’re here – I didn’t want to leave the kid.”

  Caro cleared her throat. “Thank you, Sal. You’ve been so kind. I’ve got this now. You two? Go see your sister.” She met Nick’s worried eyes. “Please. Go. I’ll be right here with Toby while you go find out what’s happening.”

  She smiled at the man who’d driven like a maniac so she could be with her son and now he had all this extra worry to deal with. She heaved a sigh and untangled herself from Toby to lay him gently back on the pillow.

  Nick took two steps that brought them face to face. He held her cheeks in his hands and studied her worried eyes intently.

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Do not leave this area until I get here. Promise me?”

  She nodded and before she could draw breath, he covered her mouth with his in a hard kiss. And then he and his brother were gone.

  Both Toby and Gia were in for an overnight stay, that much became clear. Sal returned to the cubicle a little later and said he’d stay with Toby, as Gia was awake and eager to talk to Caro. She left her son, albeit reluctantly, and headed down the hall, following Sal’s directions.

  Gia looked awful, in spite of her natural beauty. Her skin was waxy and, like Toby, she had a gash on her forehead. Her arm was bandaged and lay unnaturally still against her body. She smiled wanly when Caro approached the bed.

  “I’m so sorry,” Gia began, but Nick interrupted her.

  “Stop, Gia. This is not your fault, for God’s sake. Tell her, Caroline.” He appealed to Caro, his brows drawn together in concern for the patient.

  Caro hurried to her side and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “Of course it’s not your fault. I’m so glad you’re going to be okay. Thank you for trying to protect Toby. That was really brave.”

  She sat on the chair beside the bed, her legs suddenly weak as the extent of Gia’s injury sank in. This woman was shot while saving Toby.

  “Yeah, trying being the operative word. I suck at being a cop,” she groaned in mock despair.

  Nick’s mouth twitched. “No more career changes, Angelica. Enough is enough,” he said sternly.

  “I’m with him.” Sal stepped into the space. “It’s okay,” he said quickly as Caro stood up anxiously, “the nurse is checking his dressing and vitals. He’s fine.” He jerked a thumb at his sister, “We’re all over with your job-juggling. You’re a great cop, sis. Shit, you even caught the bastards who did this. You deserve a fricking medal.”

  Caro’s head swivelled from one Sullivan to the next.

  “Seriously? You caught the guy who hurt Toby? And you . . . ?” She gaped at Gia. “Wow. You’re amazing! So why did they try to push him down? Do you know? Was it specific?”

  This was what was worrying Caro the most and if it was a targeted attack on Toby then, as the saying goes, shit just got real.

  The curtain pulled back and two police officers entered and exchanged greetings with Gia. Then they turned to Caro.

  “Ma’am, we need to ask you a few questions about the alleged attack on your son.”

  The taller officer spoke to her directly.

  “Alleged, my ass,” muttered Gia. “Is this an alleged bullet hole, Sergeant?” She gestured to her bandaged arm.

  The second officer grinned at her.

  “You’re a regular hero, Sully. But seriously, good job, you being off duty and all.”

  He gave her a mock salute and she flipped her finger at him cheekily.

  “Would somebody please tell me what happened?” Caro asked of the room in general. “And of course I’ll answer your questions – as long as you answer mine.” She folded her arms and looked the first of
ficer in the eye. “What happened?” she demanded. “Was he attacked on purpose? Did someone try to hurt Toby?”

  The officer made brief eye contact with Gia, who inclined her head and then looked gravely at Caro.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said seriously, “we believe these guys were hired to kill your son.”

  Chapter 23

  “I see.”

  “You see? I tell you your nephew’s been involved in an attempted murder and all you can say is ‘I see’? What the fuck, Flynn?”

  Caro dragged her hand through her hair and flopped to her seat, the phone clutched in her hand.

  “Getting agitated won’t help matters, Caro. Staying calm will.”

  His bloody calm voice spoke softly into her ear. Sometimes she really wanted to shake her brother, rattle his cage and get a reaction. Any reaction. He was too damn controlled for his own good.

  Caro took a deep breath.

  Not fair. Not fair at all. Flynn Fitzgerald was exactly who she wanted, needed, in her corner, day or night, in his wonderful calm and controlled way.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, “I’m just at the end of my tether.”

  “No, you’re not. You have plenty of tether left. I know you, Caro. You can deal with this and you can deal with a lot worse. Now,” he continued briskly, his obvious pandering to her minor hysteria over, “I’ll get in touch with the police in Rome and when those documents you scanned come through, I’ll study them and see what’s what.

  “Having the names of those two jackasses who tried to hurt Toby will help considerably. They sound like amateurs, hired on the hoof, so a bit of arm-bending from the New York end should give us a solid lead on who’s responsible. It was half-assed, Caro, take solace in that. If the player behind all this was a true professional, Toby would be dead.”