Images of five bodies covered in black canvas are shown on the TV. The faces of several girls standing nearby are blacked out.
As the newscaster moves on to an unrelated story, Nicole looks at Nick. “It’s even hard for me to believe just how far your reach extends.”
She gets up and walks away as Nick pays the bartender who remarks, “Can you believe this type of shit takes place in this country?”
Nick shakes his head and gets into the elevator with Nicole. “I had very little to do with any of this,” he says to a disbelieving Nicole.
“Of course not! What, did you have Frank provide them with all the information?”
“I would never get Frank involved with any of this, especially not with Ava and Gina to take care of.”
“So … what, did you outsource the story?”
“I simply made sure that neither you nor I would ever be involved. You’re free, Nicole.”
“Strange, I thought if anyone would understand it would be you. I could never be free. I’ll always be a prisoner.”
Twenty-One
Back in their hotel room, Nicole opens the minibar, takes out a bottle of bourbon and hands Nick a beer. She pours the bourbon into a glass and remarks, “At first, you made me feel no different than the whore … I mean, sex slave, I was for the last seven years … paying for everything, handing me ten thousand dollars like it was nothing. The only difference was that you didn’t ask for anything in return … at least not physically.”
She sits down on the bed, arranges a number of pillows behind her and leans back as she sips her drink. “Wow … never have I been so wrong about a person.”
“What’s your point?”
She shakes her head. “I really don’t know. Why don’t you help me out? After all, that’s what you do best … you help people … you save people … even when it puts you in danger.”
She takes another sip of her drink. “When do I get to do something for you? Surely, there has to be some type of reward you’re expecting at the end of all this?”
“I’ve already received my reward, and in many ways it exceeded all expectations.”
“Please, stop talking in riddles. Surely, your reward can’t be saving the hooker with the heart of gold who’s in distress. That’s a story that’s been written and rewritten too many times and only takes place in the make-believe world of books and movies. The make-believe world that has caused your family so much pain and grief.” Nicole’s speech is interrupted by a long string of email alerts on her phone.
“Why don’t you look at your emails? You might find the answer to your question in the uncensored comments of your little friend. And later when you look into the mirror, look really close, and for once try not to see a whore in distress.”
Nicole finishes her drink, reaches into her purse, and takes out her phone to review the day’s emails from Ava. The little genius has outdone herself; Nicole’s inbox is filled with newsy notes about life at home, a funny, made-up story about Nicole’s future wedding to Nick, with Snoopy and the gang serving as their attendants, a Charlie Brown meme, and one email filled with nothing but hearts. Nicole laughs and shakes her head as she marvels at the strength of her attachment to this precocious little girl who is constantly forgetting about her own struggles and making others happy. It strikes her that Ava has already begun to feel more like a daughter than the daughter of new friends.
Later, when Nicole stares into the bathroom mirror, she sees for the first time the person she has evolved into since she met Nick. The beautiful lady energized by the people who have entered her life and bestowed upon her an unconditional love and respect that she had only experienced with Elizabeth. Yes, the shackles have been removed, and it’s time to spread her wings and squawk happily like a seagull and enjoy her newfound freedom. She changes into her Bugs Bunny pajamas, opens the bathroom door, and pirouettes like a ballerina and kneels down before Nick who lies on the couch. “Would the handsome gentleman be so kind as to dance with the lady?” Nick chortles and shoots her a look like she’s the biggest, sweetest dork in the world, but stands up and replies, “I would be honored.”
They’re laughing and dancing as Nick turns her round and round, dexterously maneuvering her around the furniture and finally into her arms. “And do you approve of the attire?”
“Bugs has never looked better.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“And would the lovely lady give me the honor of marrying her?”
Nicole catches her breath and almost falls out of step, then recovers.
“The lady would love nothing better, but has the handsome gentlemen thought of the consequences? My past could pop up anywhere, in the supermarket, in a restaurant…” Nick rests a finger against her lips and replies, “Yes, and the gentleman is unconcerned with silly whims and fancies frantic.” Tears well up in Nicole’s eyes as they dance cheek to cheek. “And what about the beautiful lady? Can she live with my limitations?” Nicole puts a finger to his mouth and says, “The lady only requires a loving kiss before we go to sleep and for the gentleman to hold her lovingly throughout the night.”
“And does that mean a yes to my proposal?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” She throws her arms around Nick and they kiss passionately.
Nick holds Nicole as he affectionately caresses her hair while admiring her Bugs Bunny pajamas.
“Would tomorrow be too early for you?”
“You want to get married tomorrow?”
“Yes. In Independence, Missouri, at the Little Brown Church not far from the home of President Truman.”
“Is President Truman one of your heroes?”
“Yes.”
She turns and looks up at him and smiles. “At times you are so predictable. Of course he’s one of your heroes. Besides President Lincoln, no president has been so generous toward a defeated enemy.”
“You’re so much more than just a beautiful, breathtaking, and stunning lady.”
“Thank you. And how about your mother and sister, and Ava? They might not be so happy about us eloping.”
“They’ll be the most happy. Just give them a call and tell them. If they sound even a little unhappy, we can wait until we get back.”
“I need to know … why so quickly?”
“Besides being madly in love with you, I want your sister to have no doubts that she is entering into a union that is strong, united and filled with love and support for her.”
Nicole smiles. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m way too excited to go to sleep. And if we plan on getting married in Independence, Missouri tomorrow, I think we should get on the road, like, right now.”
Nick reaches down, looks deep into her eyes and kisses her sweet mouth until they forget where they are.
Twenty-Two
Nick sits in the passenger seat of the car and watches Nicole walk toward him with her cell phone in hand and a huge smile on her face.
“And how did it go?” he asks when she gets in the car.
“They were so excited and happy, and all Ava could tell me was ‘I told you, I told you he was in love with you.’ I’m supposed to take as many pictures as humanly possible and to immediately email them to her. Also, she told me to kiss you a hundred times but we don’t have time for that so this will just have to do for now…” She reaches over and kisses him.
Nicole starts the car, turns on the radio and the Rascals “How Can I be Sure” comes on. She starts to sing to the song as Nick looks at her and thinks that this is the first time he could say with certainty that she was truly and undeniably happy.
Twelve hours later, after driving the whole night and most of the morning, they enter Independence, Missouri. They stop at the President’s house where he and his wife Bess lived during their whole, long marriage … except when Mr. Truman served in the Senate, as Vice President, and during his term as President in the White House.
The house, which has been turned into a museum, is closed, but Nick takes Nicol
e by the hand and they walk around the entire property, marveling at its small size. Nick points out that the Truman home is smaller than the house that he, Natalie, and their mom lived in in the Bronx. Before getting into their car, Nick stops before a large oak tree beside the house and places his hand on it for a long moment. “Leaving the house to go on his long strolls he would always touch this tree and say, keep up the good work.”
Nicole parks in front of the Little Brown Church and turns to Nick and says, “Last chance to come to your senses.”
“Not a chance, but I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t have a ring for you … once the ceremony is over that’ll be the first thing we do.”
Nicole reaches into her purse and takes out a simple gold ring with an inscription engraved in the interior: Love always, Nicole and Elizabeth. She hands it to Nick and asks, “Would you mind if I use this as my wedding ring, forever and forever? It would mean more to me than all the diamonds in the world.”
“I would be honored,” Nick replies as he takes off the only ring on his fingers and hands it to Nicole. “This was my father’s.”
“It’s perfect.”
They get out of the car and walk into the church. Apart from the preacher and an organist who serves also as a witness, the building is empty. After they introduce themselves and are led to their positions, the preacher starts the ceremony. When he comes to the exchange of rings he asks, “And have you prepared vows?” Nicole and Nick look at each other, confused, and then Nicole says, “I have something I would like to say and I am fairly certain that my soon-to-be husband will be able to join in. Nicole looks directly at Nick and recites the lines from Byron’s poem,
Our love is fix’d, I think we’ve proved it;
Nor time, nor place, nor art have mov’d it;
Then wherefore should we sigh and whine,
Nicole stops and Nick continues,
With groundless jealousy repine;
With silly whims, and fancies frantic,
Merely to make our love romantic?
Our love is fix’d, I think we’ve proved it;
Nor time, nor place, nor art have mov’d it
They exchange rings and the preacher pronounces them husband and wife.
The next day, Nick steps out of a limousine that Nicole parks at the peak of a hill — a limousine not much different than the one Madam Johnson took little Nicole away in. He takes a briefcase from the limo and walks down the hill where an old man and a young teenage girl sit on a rickety wooden bench. Nicole, who is behind the wheel of the car, watches her husband walk toward them. They had agreed that they wanted this arrangement to proceed just as the previous one had. It nauseated both of them to hand the money over, but they didn’t want to cause any problems that could jeopardize the operation. Finally, Nicole’s promise to her sister would be fulfilled and hopefully the feds would shut down this operation once and for all.
At the bottom of the hill, Nick approaches the bench and glares down at the old man, then hands him the briefcase. The old man opens it, looks at the stacks of money inside and nods his head. He closes it, and takes the papers Nick is holding out to him, signs them and hands them back.
“Go with the man,” he mutters to the girl next to him, waving his hand toward Nick. He doesn’t look at her. He’s already opening the briefcase again, his eyes brightening. Nick takes the girl’s hand and a small, beat-up suitcase, and walks back toward the limousine.
“Don’t be afraid. I have a really nice surprise for you,” Nick says as they walk up the hill. He opens the front passenger door of the limo and motions for the girl to climb in. As soon as she does, Nicole, behind the wheel of the car, reaches across the seat and grabs her sister, and hugs and kisses her. “I promised I would come back for you. I promised.”
Caroline, after a little hesitation, says, “Nicole! Nicole, is it really you?”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s really me. Oh my God, I have waited so long, so long. I love you so much.”
Nick buckles the youngster in and sits in the back. Nicole drives away as Nick looks at the two girls up front. He muses at how much they look alike. Looking into Caroline’s face was like looking at a younger version of Nicole.
Nick turns the limousine in at the rental shop as he looks across at Nicole fussing over Caroline … fixing her hair, straightening out her clothes and kissing and hugging her. Nick thinks back to the first time they met in Vegas. The confident, stylish, mysterious lady ordering mojitos did not seem to exist anymore … only her loveliness … and a spiritual reawakening of a lost soul.
Nick joins the ladies and Nicole remarks, “You know, handsome and courageous husband, that limo was quite comfortable and I would hate to think that Caroline will have to sit all crumpled up in the backseat of my car all way back to Los Angeles.”
“Are you sure you’re the same girl who couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel of my mother’s Ferrari?”
“Oh, I’m still that girl, but circumstances have changed and it’s not like the Ferrari won’t still be there when we get back.”
They get into Nicole’s car and drive to a dealership.
Twenty-Three
Nicole tearfully waves goodbye as her car is driven away. “Why are you crying, Nicole? Is it because of me?” Caroline asks, but Nicole quickly reassures her. “No! No! My sweet angel, when I look at you the only tears I shed are happy ones. I love you so much.” She hugs Caroline as Nick hands her the keys to a red Chevrolet Suburban truck. They get in and Nicole stretches her arms and legs.
“Wow! This feels more like a house.” She looks back at Caroline. “You have enough room back there, sweetie?”
Caroline looks around as though lost in a beautiful dream and nods. “It’s bigger than my bed back home.”
Nicole grabs Nick’s hand and kisses it over and over again. “Thank you. Thank you.” Nicole drives off and parks in the parking lot of a high-end steakhouse.
Inside the restaurant, Caroline lifts her elbows off the dark wood table as she digs into the bottom of a tall chocolate sundae. As a waitress starts to clear their plates, the girl asks Nicole if she can use the bathroom.
“I’ll show her where the bathrooms are … just down the hall,” the server offers kindly. She escorts Caroline to the restrooms as Nicole watches them with a worried look on her face.
“Maybe I should go with her?”
“She’ll be fine,” Nick reassures her as he gently takes her hand. “She’s your daughter, isn’t she?”
Nicole, taken aback, remains silent for a long moment and then replies, “Yes. Does that make a difference?”
“Not one bit.”
“She’s perfectly normal.”
“I have no doubt. A little shy, but after a couple of days with you, that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Do you really think it will take that long?”
“Probably not.”
She leans back against Nick and looks up at him. Her face goes paler than Nick has ever seen it as she forces the words out. “I was raped … by my uncle … on my thirteen birthday. He said it was his present to me, and naturally I, always being ahead of the curve, got pregnant. When my parents found out, they pulled me out of school and my mother pretended to be pregnant the whole time, using pillows as a disguise. I gave birth in the trailer we lived in with the help of the town’s only doctor, a drunken GP. I was told in no uncertain terms that I was not the mother of the child. I was not even allowed to feed the baby. I was scared and said nothing.” She suddenly stops, sighs, and wipes tears from her eyes.
“I recovered quickly from the pregnancy and within three months I was back at school looking as trim and fit and, well, as beautiful as ever. When Madam Johnson and her group of perverts started scouting for recruits they had no idea I had already given birth to a child. Caroline was nearly two by then and everyone just assumed she was my baby sister. When I found myself in the limousine with Madam Johnson and she did her examination she immediately was able to te
ll I had given birth. She asked, but even then I was too scared to tell the truth, and so I said nothing. She simply remarked that I was too beautiful to pass up and that I would be the exception. You must promise me Nicky that you will never tell anyone. Caroline has no idea, and it would destroy her.”
“Of course,” Nick promises quickly. “I promise, this will always remain between my wife and her husband.”
And she leans further back into the safety of his arms.
Epilogue
Two days later, they arrived back in Los Angeles and were greeted with an abundance of love, hugs and kisses, and constant reminders from Natalie that in just a few more weeks, her brother would be going back to work with her. Once again they would be a team, but with a wonderful addition to the lineup.
There was such joy on his mother’s face and happiness in his sister’s smile that Nick finally felt that the suffering and agony he’d caused both of them was now in the past.
The cold and empty house that Nick first brought Nicole into was now filled with the laughter of children and the gaiety of a large and extended family. Gina and Frank and of course, Ava, had decided that they were moving permanently to Los Angeles and would be living in the house … not that they had a choice. Ava insisted that they live there and the matter was settled without further discussion.
Ava and Caroline, despite the age difference, became great friends, akin to sisters. Under the tutelage of Miss Ava, Angie, Natalie, Nick and Nicole, Caroline blossomed into a studious and creative child … thirsty for knowledge.
In an ironic twist of fate, at the same time that Nicole placed Elizabeth’s urn on the mantle in the bedroom she shared with Nick, the Los Angeles Coroner’s Office cremated the remains of Evan Thomas and Anthony Mancuso and placed their ashes in metal cans and put them on a shelf with other unclaimed remains. The family of Evan Thomas declined to claim the remains. As for Anthony Mancuso, he had no relatives or friends. They were all blown up in an unsolved car explosion back in Chicago.
Per Verse Vengeance Page 13