The Spia Family Presses On

by Mary Leo

  I looked around for a nod of acceptance, a wink of hope, something that told me they weren’t going to unilaterally shun her for the rest of time, but all I got were blank stares. No expressions. No tells. Not even a twitch, which, for my family, wasn’t completely bad news.

  She leaned in and whispered, “Thank you for that. Up until now I thought I was merely an eye witness to the aftermath of a crime, but now that I’m a suspect I’ll sleep easier.”

  “Sorry, but I had to defend you,” I told her.

  “Is that what that was?”

  I nodded, shrugged and gave her a little smile.

  Uncle Ray said, “I only talked to Dickey once all night when he was lookin’ for a wine opener. He told me he couldn’t stick around long. He had one thing to do and once that was done he was headin’ back to the city in the morning.”

  “What time was that?” I asked thinking I should get some kind of timeline going.

  “I don’t know. I gave up watchin’ the clock when I retired,” he growled. “But I was glad to hear it. I didn’t want him hanging around here any longer than necessary.”

  “Are we talking daylight or night?” I asked.

  “Still daylight. That I can say for sure. Those little lights wasn’t on yet, ‘cause I remember lookin’ at ‘em thinkin’ how we should hang some more.”

  “I opened his wine bottle. Russo’s Pinot Noir,” Aunt Babe said, the sound of her heels clicking up behind Uncle Ray. “Poured out two glasses, one for him and one for me. I was figuring on getting him to spill on what he wanted by coming here, but all he could talk about was how sorry he was for two-timing me. Crazy to see him so sappy over the past. Never thought the day would come.”

  “How long did you two chat?”

  “Two glasses worth. Honey, when a goodfella is spilling his guts a dame aughta listen.”

  “That bastard was playing you, Babe. Men like that ain’t never sorry about what they done,” Valerie said. “I saw the two of you talking and I knew just by watching the prick that he didn’t mean nothing he was saying. He was born mean, and there wasn’t nothing that could change that. Don’t forget he bit off his own mother’s nipple when her milk went dry. He was bad to the bone, Babe, and all that sorry shit he was feeding you was just bullshit, plain and simple.”

  “You’re still carrying your own grudge against him, Val. Won’t do you any good now. He’s dead,” Aunt Babe said.

  “About time. I was thinking about burning him myself, but somebody beat me to it. Good thing, too, ‘cause I wasn’t looking forward to makin’ that decision.”

  “What was the grudge?” I asked Val.

  “That’s something better left with the dead,” she answered, tossing me a dismissive look.

  “Don’t tread on the past, Mia,” Federico warned in a quiet voice, leaning into me. “It can lead where you don’t want to go. Especially in this family.”

  He gave me a wink and a friendly smile, but I couldn’t make out if he was talking about our family or giving me some kind of warning about Valerie.

  Then just when I was about to ask Benny about the evening, my mother’s voice rang through the barn. “Mia, honey,” she yelled sounding phony sweet. “You might want to come out here, like right away. Leonardo is here and he brought that nice young man from the Sheriff’s Department, Nick Zeleski.”

  “Cops!” Uncle Ray spit out, and my family scattered like roaches in a spotlight, each taking their own route to the nearest exit.

  My stomach clenched and I actually contemplated running out with them. Lisa grabbed my arm, firmly. Her eyes went wide, the only indication that she might be anxious. “We need to remember to breathe,” she said, taking in a deep breath then slowly letting it out. “In times of strife it’s best to remain calm.”

  “Are you quoting yourself?”

  “Yes. The introduction to my first book: your survival depends on a clear head, and you can’t have one if you don’t take in enough oxygen.”

  We filled our lungs with a combination of cigar smoke and fear. The toxic combination caused a chain reaction and we both coughed at the same time as we quickly headed toward the opposite door from where my family had escaped from, toward my mom, Leo and Nick Zeleski—the mouth of the dragon.

  “Mia, did you hear me, dear? Are you coming out soon? Because the boys are coming in if you don’t?” I could hear the edge to my mom’s voice.

  “No!” I squeaked out. “We’ll be right out. We’re on our way right now.”

  Lisa followed close behind me as we hurried to the door. “Wait,” she said pulling on my arm. “Mia, we forgot your mom’s gun.”

  Dread raced through me. How could I have been so stupid! “I’ll run back and get it. Stall them,” I told her.

  “How? I don’t even like Leo, remember?”

  “Just tell him I’m bringing out a few bottles of oil for him, or tell him about your latest book. I don’t know. You’re the writer. Make something up.”

  She cocked her head, shrugged and spun around towards the door.

  I started to turn back, but it was too late.

  “Hey, kitten,” Leo said, suddenly appearing in front us, his voice all sexy and low, reminding me of how much I missed him.

  And that’s when it hit me—when I saw Leo standing next to a tall, curly haired stranger with the sapphire blue eyes. I flashed back on that afternoon, seeing Leo standing out on his veranda with another man, an older man, a man in a golden shirt, the man who had slapped Leo’s hand away. That man had been my cousin Dickey.

  The stranger said, “You hiding something from us in here or what?”

  Fainting is a curious thing. It comes upon you in a rush of darkness and in that instant before you lose consciousness you’re absolutely sure somebody has turned out all the lights.

  “Don’t! Stop! Don’t! Stop! Don’t stop! Don’t stop!—Olive Oyl, Gym Jam

  SEVEN

  Enter the Dragon

  The good news was I didn’t actually faint, at least not flat out on the floor. I merely lost my balance for an instant, slumped, and fell into Leo’s eager arms. If I had planned this moment of feminine weakness, the game couldn’t have gone better. My “episode,” as it would later be referred to, caused one of those turn of events that truly amazed me.

  “Let’s get her outside for some air,” Nick Zeleski said.

  And with that, my entire outlook brightened, plus it gave me a strong lesson in feminine wiles. A trait Aunt Babe had always professed as our strongest defense against male dominance.

  I played the part well, allowing Leo to slowly walk me out of the barn while I leaned into his fabulously muscled body. I felt safe and warm walking next to him surrounded by his familiar scent—a mixture of red wine, sweet grapes and a whole lotta trouble. The grape scent was even sweeter as I pressed my body up against his. I wanted to be swept up and taken off to his bed and made love to until my bones ached and I could no longer breathe.

  The truth was that whenever I saw Leo all I ever wanted was to be in his bed, part of my irrational Leonardo obsession, my therapists had said. Right now, separate from the desire to be naked with him, I wanted to tell him about dead cousin Dickey, and I wanted to ask him what went on during his conversation with Dickey that morning.

  But mostly, as I leaned into him and felt his arm around my waist, and his playful fingers pressing against my body, I wanted the two of us to be back together again.

  Lisa must have sensed what was swirling around inside my head because when I gazed over at her once we were out of the barn she threw me one of those “you can’t be serious” looks and it was then that reality hit me right between the eyes.

  “Thanks,” I mumbled, moving away from Leo and my momentary delusions. “I feel better. Must have been something I ate.”

  “Or drank,” he joked, but I didn’t react. My drinking problem wasn’t up for ridicule, especially not with him.

  “Always the wise guy,” Lisa quipped.

  “Hard
ly, I believe that title better suits some of the characters who just bugged out of the barn. I’m just a lowly wine maker who sometimes oversteps his bounds.” He turned to me. “Sorry, Mia, but you had me worried for a minute. I guess a bad joke is my way of breaking the tension. I can be a real ass, but then you already know that.”

  I gave him a guarded nod and let out the breath I’d been holding. That’s when I finally realized he was clean shaven. No beard or unkempt hair like I’d seen that morning. He was back to his usual, neat self.

  We were now standing in my mom’s front yard. Everyone had gone except for my mom, Uncle Benny and Aunt Babe who sat in white rocking chairs on my mom’s porch talking, laughing as if they were oblivious to the fact there was a murdered cousin in our barn and a cop standing not more than ten feet from the murder scene.

  Nick said, “I think the entire valley knows what an ass you are, but they tolerate you because your wine is so good. If you didn’t have that they’d have shunned you years ago.” He turned to Lisa and stuck out his hand. “Hi, I’m Nick. Don’t hold it against me that he’s my friend. It’s a childhood phenomenon. I’m an only child, and he’s the closest thing to a brother I’m ever going to have.”

  Lisa took his hand in hers and in that instant I could see the attraction in her eyes. They were always her one tell, at least for me. I didn’t think anyone else noticed, but I always could, especially when she was fascinated by a guy. It was as if an inner glow radiated from her eyes. Those almond eyes of hers actually sparkled and the smile she threw Nick was genuine.

  Problem was the man oozed law enforcement—from his clean-shaven face to his spit-shined black shoes. Not that he wasn’t easy to look at with those baby blues, and that dark blond hair flecked with golden highlights, a sharp nose and dark lashes that if, they were on a girl, they’d have to be fake. He wore a charcoal-gray knit shirt, black slacks and a smile that could melt even Lisa’s cynical heart.

  Still, his timing couldn’t be worse, and I had no idea why he and Leo would show up when Leo was never invited. But the real question of the moment was why the hell didn’t I ever hear about Nick before?

  “But Leo grew up here in the valley,” I said, then turned to Leo. “You never mentioned Nick before.”

  “Didn’t I?” He shrugged. “I must have mentioned the summers I spent with my aunt Sophia?”

  That I remembered. “Wasn’t she the one who forced you to learn Italian, and to cook, do your own laundry and essentially how to survive without the hired help?”

  “None other. She also never spoke English in her house. It drove me crazy. Half the time I didn’t know what the hell she was saying. Nick saved my ass. He and I would get lost every afternoon, after my endless chores were done and I’d memorized my daily allowance of Italian.”

  Lisa said, “My mother did that to me with Chinese. I hated it back then, but now I appreciate knowing the language.”

  But that didn’t explain Nick. This man was a dyed-in-the-wool cop. I could feel it. “So how did you two meet? I thought Sophia never let you out of her sight.”

  “She knew his dad from church, so I had an in. The good thing about Nick’s dad—he wasn’t anything like Sophia. The bad thing—he was the local Sheriff. We didn’t get away with anything. Probably what kept me out of real trouble and probably why my mom sent me to Wisconsin every summer, especially when I was a teenager. But that’s enough about us. We came here to see the man of the hour, Dickey. Where is he? I brought over a case of wine. A couple bottles of our Pinot included. But what’s up with the Spia clan? I’ve never seen them move so fast.”

  “Yeah,” Nick said. “I’d like to meet Dickey. Didn’t see him leave with the rest of the folks.”

  “Why?” I asked, desperately trying to remain calm. “Somehow I’d gotten the impression this was a social call.”

  Nick smiled, but it was more of a smirk than a smile. “No reason. Just wanted to ask him a few questions. Get to know the locals, that sort of thing. I’ve only been in the valley for a couple weeks and haven’t had a chance to get to meet many people. When Leo mentioned this party, I thought it would be a great opportunity.”

  “I bet you did,” I mumbled more to myself than to Nick.

  “Come again?”

  Fortunately, he didn’t hear me and I decided not to repeat myself. One absolute fact this family had taught me: never trust a cop when he/she gives an innocuous answer. Sure sign the cop was hiding something.

  “So, where’s Dickey?” Leo asked. He was all smiles, as if seeing Dickey—again—was some big deal.

  “He’s around here somewhere, I’m sure,” Lisa stated with all the coolness of a trained liar. I wondered where that trait had come from, but perhaps I didn’t really want to know.

  “Great,” Leo said. “I was thinking he might have slipped out with the rest of your family, but if you say he’s still around then we’ll wait. I’d like to finally meet the guy.”

  “I’m confused. You already met him. I’m sure that was you and Dickey out on the front porch of your tasting room this morning.”

  “You already know the guy?” Nick asked.

  “Me? No. I’ve heard stories about him for years, but never met him. Besides I was in a meeting for most of the morning. That couldn’t have been me you saw. He was there, all right. Bought a case of our wine, but I never saw the guy.” He said this with a straight face, a face I’d seen many times before, but could never read. That was before our last breakup. I’d learned some things about him since then. I was sure this was his big-fat-lie face: calm, no expression other than a hint of surprise that a stranger could never pick up, but I was certain I saw it in his eyes now. That flicker of guilt. It was only there for a moment, but this time I’d caught it.

  That explained the Russo wine at the party. Dickey had brought it, proof positive that he’d been the man on the porch. But why would Leo lie about it? What was he hiding, and was he hiding it from me or from Nick? I had to know, but apparently I wasn’t going to get at the truth any time soon.

  At that point the only thing I could do was smile and lead them to the chairs on the front lawn, away from the barn. I’d have to think of how to sneak back into it later to retrieve the gun.

  Nick seemed like one of those cops who never went off duty, always carried a weapon and would turn in his own father at the hint of a crime. I wondered if he saw the lie in Leo’s eyes or was it just something I could see.

  And, did he suspect Lisa and I were hiding something?

  We’d have to be extra careful.

  Just as we reached the chairs Lisa gazed down at her diamond studded watch. “I better get going. I have to get up early for . . . something important.”

  “But—” I stammered.

  “Yeah,” she let out a phony little yawn. “Too bad. I really would like to stay and chat, but it’s getting late.” She looked at the guys. “Nice to meet you, Nick. I’m sure we’ll run into each other again.” She tossed Leo a cool nod. He returned the nod and added a sheepish grin. I could tell she wasn’t receptive to his affable gesture.

  “It’s not even nine o’clock. Since when is that late?” I asked.

  “Since I have to get up early and do that . . . thing.”

  “What thing?”

  “That thing we talked about in the barn. I have to go,” she said and walked toward her car.

  I left the guys and followed close behind her. When we were out of earshot I said, “Oh, no you don’t. You can’t just walk away from this and leave me here. Alone. With a dead cousin, a meddlesome cop and my human addiction. I need you. You’re my best friend and best friends stick together in sickness and in health, for better or worse, till death—” I stopped myself.

  She turned. “You have it right, sweetie. Till death and since there’s been a death that gives me an out, so I’m taking it.”

  She secured her bag over her shoulder and continued walking toward her car.

  “But you can’t go,” I demanded while
trying to think of a compelling reason other than I didn’t want to go through this without her. Then just as she was about to open the wooden gate to the private parking area next to the barn a chilling thought flew into my head. “It might be dangerous for you go off on your own.”

  That did it. She swung back around, and walked back toward me, a look of concern on her face. “Define dangerous.”

  “Isn’t that rather obvious?”

  “Not really. I’ve known your family my whole life. They wouldn’t hurt me.”

  “Collectively, no they probably wouldn’t, but one of them killed Dickey and since you were first on the scene that person doesn’t know what you saw. You may have spotted just the clue that could finger the killer.”

  “The killer wouldn’t even consider this if you hadn’t blabbed my finding Dickey to everyone.” She planted a hand on her hip, a sure sign she was angry.

  “The killer would’ve found out anyway once the police got involved.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “This is getting way too deep for my comfort zone.”

  “Oh, and it’s not too deep for me?”

  “You grew up with this kind of madness.”

  “Not up close and personal. I was always sheltered from the realities.”

  Which was basically a true statement. I always knew most of my family was mobbed up, but I never knew the exact extent of it. Still don’t, and from the looks of things, that fact might be changing rather quickly.

  “Well, you’re all grown up now and the family wants to bring you into its bosom. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m Chinese. I fit the job description. Your family and mine don’t quite mesh.”

  “You and I do. Always have, and I’m hoping always will. And besides, this will make the perfect survival book.” I thought I’d try to appeal to her artistic nature, or at the very least, her desire to remain on the best seller list. Her head twisted slightly, dark eyes peered out at me as if I’d hit a nerve. I knew I had. She was a sucker for good copy.