by Ingrid Thoft
“Sure. Let’s go into my room.”
Fifteen minutes later, Fina was headed out the door wearing a purple silk top, chunky earrings with amethysts, and wedge sandals. She cleaned up good.
• • •
Juliana was waiting for her at the bar wearing a deep orange shift dress that showed off her tan and toned body to maximum effect.
Fina climbed up onto the bar stool next to her and asked the bartender for a mojito. Juliana was sipping a martini.
“Is that allowed in your training regimen?” Fina asked, nodding toward the glass.
“You bet. There are some things I’m unwilling to give up.”
The bar was filled with hushed conversation, and more than half the cocktail tables were occupied. A couple got up from one by a window, and Juliana picked up her drink. “Let’s go over there. We’ll have a little more privacy.”
The bartender acknowledged their move, and Fina followed Juliana. They sat down in large upholstered chairs that looked out onto Boylston Street. Across the street in the Public Garden, Fina could see men in suits and women in business attire heading home for the day.
“I think I owe you an apology,” Juliana said, sitting back in her seat. Fina was quiet. “I’m very protective of Michael and even Hank. I know we were divorced, but you don’t just shut those feelings off after twenty-four years.”
“Of course not. I wouldn’t expect you to.”
A waiter came over and placed a mojito on the table in front of Fina. It was swimming with crushed mint and ice. He also set down a plate. “These are seared ahi tuna bites with Oriental dipping sauce.”
“Thank you,” Juliana said, and waited for him to walk away. “I was having a bad day yesterday. I don’t want you to take that out on Michael.”
Fina narrowed her gaze. “I don’t follow. Why would I take anything out on Michael? And how?”
“Well, he mentioned that you were upset with me and, therefore, upset with him.”
Wow. That guy could be a real brat.
“No,” Fina said. “I just reiterated that it was hard to investigate if you two are anything less than forthcoming. I don’t understand why he would hire me, only to tie my hands behind my back.” Fina stirred her drink and took a sip with the straw. It was like summer in a glass.
“That wasn’t his intent. He’s just protective of me and his father. You can understand that.”
“Sure.” Fina took another sip. “So does a do-over mean you’re willing to answer some more questions?”
“If I have anything to add, I’d be happy to.”
Fina didn’t understand where this was going. That was hardly an offer to spill the beans, and yet it seemed important to Juliana that Fina view her as being helpful.
“The fight you had with Hank?”
“That was a misunderstanding, compounded by Bud’s lack of context. We weren’t arguing about the funding itself but rather the distribution of it.”
“So the center was going to get the same amount it usually does?”
Juliana reached over and plucked one of the ahi bites off the plate. “Essentially.” She popped it into her mouth.
“Does that mean it was the same amount or it wasn’t?”
“It was.”
Fina didn’t believe her, but sometimes you learned more by keeping up the charade. She was curious to hear what Juliana wanted her to.
“So there wasn’t going to be any disruption to the center or its services?”
“Nope. Have one of these; they’re delicious.” She pushed the plate toward Fina.
“What about Forty-four Oak Street?” Fina asked before eating the ahi.
Juliana was bringing her drink to her mouth, and there was the slightest hiccup in the motion. “What do you mean?”
“Buying a big house in Cambridge is extremely expensive. I would think you would need significantly more cash than usual to make a purchase of that size.”
“Expansion has always been part of our plan. I believe in dreaming big; your only limit should be your imagination.”
Fina sucked on her drink and mentally bit her tongue. It was like happy hour in the Hallmark store.
“Did Hank have any health issues that you were aware of?”
Juliana looked surprised. “Not to my knowledge. Why? Was he sick?”
“No, I just wondered if there was anything that might not be obvious or a family history.”
“His dad died of a heart attack, but that was part of the reason he took good care of himself. He didn’t want to drop dead prematurely.” When the words were out of her mouth, she gaped as if trying to give them a place to return to. “That came out wrong.”
“I know what you meant,” Fina said. “He didn’t want to die from something that could be avoided.”
Juliana nodded and drained her drink.
“Have you ever heard of a young man named Brett Linder?” Fina asked.
Juliana shook her head. “Doesn’t ring a bell. Why?”
“He claims he’s one of Hank’s.”
Juliana rolled her eyes. “I always told him the shit would hit the fan one of these days.”
“What do you mean?” Fina asked, trying to free the crushed mint embedded in her straw.
“The sperm donations. I told him it would come back to haunt him.”
“When did you have this conversation?”
“I don’t know. Twenty years ago?”
“Wait—so you knew about the sperm bank?”
“Not when it happened, but he told me a few years into our marriage. We were having fertility issues, and it came up.”
“You weren’t upset?”
“Of course I was upset, but we’d been broken up at the time. There was nothing I could do about it.”
“But Michael never knew?”
“No. There’s really no good time to tell your child he might have dozens of half-siblings, and until one of them materialized, there didn’t seem to be any point.” Juliana stood and grasped an expensive leather handbag by its handles. “I’m glad we were able to clear the air.”
“Me too,” Fina said, standing and offering her hand.
“Don’t hesitate to contact me if I can answer more questions.” She strode out of the bar, and Fina dropped down into her seat.
More questions?
That would suggest she’d answered any.
• • •
She and Milloy ordered Greek takeout later that night and sat on the couch eating and watching I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.
“I don’t buy it,” Fina said, popping a stuffed grape leaf into her mouth. “How do you not know?”
“Don’t ask me.”
“But, seriously: Ask any pregnant woman, and she’ll tell you it’s like having an alien onboard. If you mistake that for indigestion, you should be seeing a lot of specialists, not just an ob-gyn.”
As the credits rolled, Fina muted the TV. “I think I might need to hire some protection for Haley.”
Milloy dipped a triangle of pita into some taramosalata. “But you’re on the fence?”
“Completely. If I do, then I have to tell her and tell my dad and on and on.”
“But it would probably keep her safe.”
“Safer than not having protection.” Fina munched on a corner of pita bread. “How is this kid ever going to have a normal life?”
“Her life is never going to be normal, and unless you’re willing to get a new job, there’s not much you can do.” Milloy stretched his arms over his head. “Has anyone considered boarding school for her?”
“It came up briefly, but she wasn’t enthusiastic, and we all have high hopes for the Patty and Scotty arrangement.”
“Which seems to be going well.”
“It is. It’s the threats to her personal sa
fety that are posing a problem.”
“You don’t have to figure it out this minute. Sleep on it,” Milloy suggested.
Fina looked at him. “You wanna stay over?”
Milloy raised an eyebrow.
“For company,” Fina clarified. “No promises on the nooky front.”
“Company’s good,” he said, and stood up. He reached out his hand and pulled her off the couch.
Nestling next to Milloy in bed felt good. She breathed deeply and inhaled his scent, which was a mélange of soap, clean cotton, and a hint of sweat. He fell asleep quickly, and the rhythm of his quiet breathing soon helped her do the same.
They parted company the next morning in the garage. Milloy backed out of a visitor parking space as Fina ducked into her car. She was putting the key into the ignition when her door was flung open and she was pulled out and tossed onto the cement floor. Before she could formulate a cogent thought, her assailant punched her in the face. Fina kneed him in the groin, and as he pulled back in pain, she punched him in his windpipe. This bought her enough time to roll over and start scrambling away, but not enough time to cover much distance. He was on her again, and they grappled, a maelstrom of nails, fists, and elbows.
It felt like they spent an eternity in this violent embrace before he miraculously pulled away from her. Fina crab-walked away from him, her palms scraping the rough surface of the garage, before realizing it wasn’t a miracle at all. Milloy had the man in a headlock and proceeded to punch him in the face and body until he succumbed and collapsed into a heap.
Fina fought to slow her breathing and looked at Milloy. He massaged his knuckles.
“I forgot my phone,” he told her.
“Good,” Fina said in a daze. “That’s good.”
• • •
Fina sat in the open bay of the ambulance, an ice pack pressed to her face. She watched Cristian and Milloy engaged in conversation in the alley behind the building. Fina’s assailant was getting medical care in a second ambulance.
The blow to her face had caught the edge of her eye and her temple, and there was dirt and blood matted in her hair. Fina’s palms were cut and bleeding, and she’d torn through the leg of her pants. She plucked off a small stone that was stuck to her bloody knee.
Pitney strolled over and climbed into the ambulance beside her.
“What’s the verdict?” Pitney asked the young EMT who was tending to Fina. JOE was stitched onto his uniform shirt.
“She’ll live,” he said. “We’re going to take her in, though. They’ll want to run some tests.” He hopped out of the ambulance and started conferring with a colleague.
“I’m surprised you agreed to that,” Pitney commented. She was wearing a pantsuit the color of cranberries with a green top. Fina must have sustained a head injury since her impression of the outfit wasn’t one of total visual dissonance.
“Documentation,” Fina said, and pulled the ice away from her face. “It’s the Ludlow holy grail.”
“Of course.” Pitney nodded. “And if they think you need to go”—she gestured at the EMTs—“you should.”
“Is he saying anything?” Fina sat back against the bench seat. The EMT had tried to convince her to lie down on the gurney, but she wasn’t that injured.
“Not yet. We’ll get him back to the station. That might make him more talkative.”
Fina and Pitney were quiet. They watched Cristian and Milloy across the street.
“Can you imagine the conversation?” Pitney mused, grinning.
Fina glared at her.
The two men walked across the alley toward them.
“We’re all set,” Cristian said.
“Do you want me to ride with you?” Milloy asked.
“No, and you don’t need to come. It’s just routine stuff. I’m fine.”
Milloy tilted his head in question. “Okay,” he said after a moment. “I called the office, though.”
“Thanks.”
Pitney climbed out of the back of the ambulance, accepting Milloy’s helping hand in the process. “We’re headed back to the station. I assume you’ll keep her updated?” she asked Cristian.
“I’ll call you,” he said to Fina.
The EMT returned, climbed up next to her, and pointed at the gurney. “Now you have to let me strap you in. It’s the law.”
“That’s not a compelling argument to her,” Cristian said.
“But I’m happy to do it for you, Joe,” Fina said, shifting over to the gurney and allowing the young man to fasten the seat belt low and snug around her hips.
Cristian slammed the back doors shut and pounded twice on the ambulance, which the driver interpreted as a signal to leave.
Fina rested her head against the thin pillow and closed her eyes.
It wasn’t the ideal way to get a catnap, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.
• • •
“I didn’t expect to see you,” Fina told Matthew when he strode into her curtained nook in the ER an hour later.
“Dad and Scotty were tied up.” Matthew pulled a chair over to the side of the bed and sat down. “So they got the guy?”
“Milloy got the guy. He was coming back to get his phone, thankfully.”
“You couldn’t have handled him?” Matthew grinned.
“I’m not bionic, Matthew, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”
“Are they going to keep you here?”
“I doubt it. I had a CAT scan and some X-rays. I’m waiting for the results, but you don’t have to wait. I know you’re busy.”
Matthew looked at his watch. “I have an hour before a meeting. I’ll stay until then.”
They killed the next half hour watching The Price Is Right, a game at which Matthew proved to be surprisingly adept.
“How do you know the price of a baker’s rack or a ten-person hot tub?” Fina asked him.
He grinned.
Fina tried to concentrate on the show, but her head was throbbing, and in the hallway outside, a phone rang incessantly.
“If someone doesn’t answer that goddamn phone, I’m going to rip it out of the wall,” Fina said, squeezing her fists in frustration.
“Take it easy, killer, and focus on the Showcase Showdown.”
Mary from Tulsa was overbidding on a trip to Japan when the curtain was thrown open and a young man in a white coat walked over to Fina’s bedside.
“Your films all look clear. You can go; just take it easy for a few days. We’ll give you some pain pills, so no alcohol.”
“Have we met?” Fina asked. “That’s a lot of directives from someone I don’t know.”
“Dr. Carlson,” he said.
“Right. Of course.”
“So nothing permanent?” Matthew asked.
“Nope. If she takes care of herself, she’ll be good as new in no time.”
“Clearly, they didn’t take a complete history,” Matthew said under his breath. Fina sat up and nudged him with her foot. “My clothes, please?” She nodded toward a plastic bag hanging on a hook on the wall.
“The discharge nurse will bring in the instructions and your prescription,” Dr. Carlson said before taking his leave.
Matthew waited in the hall while she got dressed, and Fina chased down a nurse to get her paperwork. She knew her situation was minor compared to her fellow patients, and it was a waste of time and a bed if she had to wait around to be told not to OD and to take it easy.
“So what should I report to Dad?” Matthew asked after ten minutes in the car, sitting in traffic.
Fina knew without asking that Matthew was referring to the case, not her health. “That obviously I’m making progress. Nobody beats you up if you’re on the wrong track.”
Matthew pulled over in front of the Boston PD headquarters. “I’ll pass that on.”
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“Thanks for the company at the hospital.” Fina put one foot out of the car and winced when she stood.
“You really should take it easy,” Matthew said, frowning.
“I have a few things to take care of, then I promise I’ll go home and lie down.”
He pulled away, and Fina climbed the building steps. She checked in with the desk sergeant and was fetched a few minutes later by a woman in uniform, who took her upstairs to the Major Crimes squad room.
Pitney beckoned to her, and Fina followed her into a space the size of a walk-in closet with a one-way mirror that looked into a second room. The man from the garage sat handcuffed to the table.
“I thought he’d look worse,” Fina commented. She settled down into a chair and gazed at the man on the other side of the glass.
“You should see his torso. Milloy did a job on him.”
Fina glared at Pitney. “He was just protecting me.”
“I know. Don’t be so defensive.”
“Sorry! I’m feeling a little touchy today,” Fina said sarcastically.
The man squirmed in his seat, searching for comfort that wouldn’t be found in the metal chair he occupied. He looked at the clock on the wall.
“Is this the one you had trouble with before?” Pitney asked. “Cristian said something about the elevator in your building.”
Fina leaned toward the glass and peered at him. His eyes seemed to rest on her for a moment, even though he couldn’t possibly see her through the glass.
“He’s the one. He may be the one from the street also, but I can’t be sure.”
“What are you talking about?”
Fina waved her off with a bandaged hand. “Nothing.”
“Well, he’s really got the hots for you,” Pitney commented. There was a knock on the door, and Cristian came in holding two cups of coffee with a folder tucked under his arm. He handed one to Pitney.
“Do you want a soda?” he asked Fina. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
“Just some water. I have to take some pills.” She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle, which she shook.
“Great,” Pitney said. “Narcotics.”