Storms of Change

by Radclyffe

  “It would be a lie, Papa. I can’t live that way for the rest of my life.”

  “Why are you telling me this now?”

  It was a fair question and one that Rica had thought about for hours—no, for weeks. Ever since meeting Carter. “Because I don’t want secrets between us. And because Enzo needs to understand once and for all that I will never marry him.”

  “Enzo. Yes, he thought…we both thought…that would be the natural course of things.”

  Rica detected an edge to her father’s voice that hadn’t been there before, even when she’d said she was a lesbian. It surprised her that he hadn’t had more of a reaction then, but now she could sense his anger. “I never gave him cause to believe that, but he always has considered me his.”

  “I admit, I gave him cause to believe I supported that idea. I had believed he would make a worthy son-in-law.” Alfonse’s face in the moonlight was as immobile as the statues scattered throughout his gardens. “I realize now that was a mistake.”

  “I should have said something much sooner—”

  “There’s a bruise on your cheek, cara. Were there other times he struck you and you hid the marks from me?”

  Rica’s hand flew to her face. Before leaving Provincetown, she had carefully applied her makeup and had been certain that he would not notice the bruises. They had already faded considerably, and she was shocked that he had detected them, especially in the subdued light. “No. I…I would have told you, but how—”

  “A messenger arrived early this evening and brought me an envelope. Inside was a photograph of you—not a very good one, but it was clear enough for me to see that someone had struck you in the face. Your cheek was still swollen and discolored.” Alfonse regarded her steadily. “I do not know who sent it, but you may tell whoever did that I am in their debt.”

  “I…I don’t know who…” Rica tried to make sense of what her father had just told her. No one had taken her photograph. No one even knew what had happened except Carter and the doctor. Then she remembered waking up the morning after Carter had brought her home to discover that Carter was already up. She’d had no memory of Carter getting out of bed or moving around the room, but Carter could easily have photographed her then. “I might know who took it. A woman.” She held her father’s inquiring gaze. “A woman who loves me.”

  “I believe that, if she is the one who sent the photo. And you. Do you love her?”

  “Yes,” Rica whispered.

  “I want you to do something for me without asking any questions, because I’m your father.”

  Rica waited.

  “I’ve arranged for you and Angela to take a cruise. Just a week of relaxing in the sun because you’ve both been working hard.”

  “When?” Rica asked, wondering why he wanted her far away from Boston.

  “In the morning. We’ve already contacted Angela and she’ll meet you at the airport. The tickets will be waiting there for you.”

  “I can’t,” Rica said softly. “I can’t without knowing why.”

  Alfonse drew on his cigar, then turned it between his fingers, apparently studying the bright red tip as it flared in the darkness. “All I can tell you is that you are in danger and until I have corrected my part in placing you in jeopardy, I want you somewhere safe.”

  “I need your word on something, Papa, or I won’t go.”

  “Tell me.”

  “The women I’ve fallen in love with. I don’t want her harmed, no matter what you might learn about her. Promise me that.”

  “If she means you no harm, Rica, then she will have none from me. What is her name?”

  “Carter Wayne.”

  Alfonse Pareto grunted softly. “The lawyer friend of Rizzo’s. I remember meeting her. Are you quite sure of her feelings for you?”

  “Yes. More than that, I trust her, Papa.”

  “Then I will trust you. You have my word, cara.”

  “I’ll be ready to leave in the morning.”

  *

  “Reese, there’s someone at the door,” Tory called as she hurried past Reggie’s bedroom on her way to the stairs. Reggie was standing up in her crib and demanding to be free in no uncertain terms. “I’ll see who it is. Just keep an eye on her but don’t lift her.”

  “Okay, I’ve got it,” Reese replied.

  Tory finished buttoning her blouse on the way downstairs and hurried to the door. It could only be Bri at eight in the morning. When she opened the door, she stared in surprise at Carter Wayne, noting absently that the bruises were improved.

  “Sorry to bother you, Doctor,” Carter said quietly. “I was wondering if I might speak to Sheriff Conlon.”

  “Reese is on a leave of absence,” Tory snapped. At the sound of her own anger, she closed her eyes for a second. “I’m sorry. She’s not working just now. If there’s something you need, you should probably check with Chief Parker.”

  “This is on the personal side, ma’am. I won’t take up much of her time.”

  “How did you even know she was here?”

  “I had breakfast at the diner in town. It came up in conversation.”

  “Of course.” Tory sighed. The whole town was probably talking about Reese’s precipitous return. “It’s eight in the morning, Detective.”

  Carter reddened. “Sorry. I’m still on cop time. I’ll come back.”

  “No, wait,” Tory said as Carter turned to leave. “Come inside and have some coffee. I’ll get Reese.” Tory directed Carter to the kitchen. “Help yourself. The mugs are in the first cabinet above the sink.”

  “Thanks. Can I pour any for you?”

  “Make that two.”

  Five minutes later, Reese appeared in blue jeans, a short-sleeve khaki shirt, and loafers without socks. She regarded Carter pensively as she picked up a cup of coffee and sipped. “I don’t usually do business in my home.”

  “I don’t blame you, and I apologize. I didn’t want to go to the station.” Carter shrugged. “And it’s mostly personal.”

  “Just the same, let’s take it outside.” Reese indicated the deck, and she and Carter carried their coffee outside and closed the sliding glass doors. “Looks like somebody kicked the hell out of you.”

  Carter fingered her sore jaw. “Kick’s the word for it. Your wife was nice enough to patch me up.”

  Reese smiled. “That would explain why she’s pissed at you.”

  “I don’t follow.”

  “She doesn’t like patching up cops. Figures we take too many chances and overestimate our own skills.”

  Carter grinned. “She’s right.”

  “Almost all the time.” Reese tensed as a shadow flickered in the corner of her vision, and then she relaxed again when Tory passed through the living room carrying Reggie on her way into the kitchen. “What’s the problem? Something to do with that undercover case you were telling the chief and me about a couple of months ago?”

  “Yeah.” Carter wished she could sit down. Her back still bothered her when she stood for long, but the sheriff looked just as bad as she felt, and if she was standing, Carter would too. “My assignment was to get close to the daughter of a Boston crime boss. The daughter has a place here. Turns out, she’s clean, and now I think she might be in trouble. I need your help with that.”

  “Who is it?”

  Carter hesitated. It went against her every instinct to share information, but she had no choice, and after thinking about it all night, she decided that if she were ever going to trust anyone with this information, it would be Reese Conlon. “Ricarda Grechi. She owns a gallery in town and lives on Pilgrim Heights.”

  “I don’t recognize the name.”

  “Her father is Alfonse Pareto.”

  Reese whistled. “It would’ve been nice for us to know this earlier.”

  “Rica is not part of her father’s business.”

  “You’re sure?” Reese studied Carter’s face as she took another sip of coffee.

  “Positive. But I’m afraid the
guys who tuned me up might go after her next.” Carter jammed her hands in the pockets of her khaki pants. Admitting she couldn’t protect Rica was eating holes in her. “I was hoping you’d look after her.”

  “I don’t know when I’ll get back to active duty. Someone else is going to need to know about this.”

  “But they don’t need to know all of it. If you just ask your people to do ride-bys on her house and the gallery. Tell them she’s got a crazy boyfriend or something, and you just want to keep an eye on her.” Carter grimaced. “Christ, that’s practically true.”

  “Why are these guys coming after her if she’s not part of the business?”

  Carter flushed but kept her eyes level with Reese’s. “Because of me. I got in between her and a guy who thought she was his property.”

  “You got personally involved with the subject you were investigating?” Reese asked mildly.

  “Not exactly.” Carter looked out over the harbor, imagining how this must sound to a by-the-book cop like Conlon. “I fell in love with her. She doesn’t feel the same.”

  “Christ.” Reese turned to face the water and their shoulders touched very lightly. “Let me see if I’ve got this straight. You went undercover to get evidence on the daughter of one of the most powerful men in organized crime. Instead, you ended up involved with her and managed to piss off some other guy who considered her his. He sent a couple of enforcers to work you over, and now he might be coming after her.”

  “That’s about right.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Lorenzo Brassi.”

  “Not small-time either.” Reese shook her head. “I see your problem, but why don’t you have some of your people keep an eye on her?”

  “One of the task force leaders is convinced Rica is dirty. I can’t trust any of them to see what’s really going on. My partner backs me, but he’s only one guy.”

  “So there’s two of you who believe she’s clean.”

  Carter gripped the rail hard with the hand that wasn’t holding her coffee cup. “Not anymore. I turned in my shield.”

  “You quit,” Reese said flatly.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why?”

  Carter faced Reese. “Because I crossed a line.”

  “Do you think you’re the first cop who ever did that?”

  “Maybe not. But I’m still on the other side of the line, and I don’t think I’m coming back.”

  “Because of her.”

  Carter nodded. “Yeah. Because of Rica.”

  “Even if she doesn’t love you.”

  “That doesn’t really matter, does it?”

  Reese shook her head. “No. It doesn’t.” She thought about Tory and the Marine Corps and the war and her daughter. She thought about her responsibility to all of them and understood that some choices were made just because they were right. “What are you going to do now?”

  “I’m not sure. I own a place here in town, but I don’t think Rica is going to want me around. It’s too small a community for us not to bump into each other.”

  “Maybe you’ll want to go back on the job after things settle down a bit.”

  Carter smiled. “I think I burned my bridges there. I’ll figure something out.”

  “I’ll do what I can to see that Ms. Grechi is safe. I don’t want you trying to do it yourself. You’re not a cop in this town.”

  “It’s mostly my fault she’s in this situation.”

  “Nothing is ever that simple. You know that.”

  “Maybe it is, and we just don’t want to admit it.” Carter picked up her coffee cup and gestured toward the house. “I should go. I’ve bothered you and your family enough.”

  “Let me have a number where I can reach you—and keep me informed of developments.”

  “Will you call me if there’s a problem with Rica?”

  Reese studied her. “I don’t know. It depends on what the circumstances are. Like I said, cop or not, you took yourself out of the equation when you fell in love with her.”

  “Doesn’t seem right, does it?” Through the glass, Carter watched Tory play with Reggie on the living room floor and spoke almost to herself. “That the one thing that should bring you the closest keeps you apart.”

  “If you’re lucky, that’s not the way it works out. Give it time. Things might change.”

  “Yeah.” Carter grinned sadly at Reese. “Anything can happen, right?”

  *

  After Carter and Reese exchanged numbers, Carter apologized once again to Tory for interrupting their morning and left.

  Tory settled on the couch with Reggie. “You’re not getting involved in anything with her, are you?”

  “I’m just passing on information to the squads. I won't be doing anything myself.”

  “Whatever she’s involved with, I saw the results. Both she and her girlfriend have been assaulted in the last few days.”

  Reese frowned. “You saw her girlfriend, too?”

  “Yes. Um…Grechi. Ricarda Grechi. Someone assaulted her. And then went after Carter.”

  “You saw them both at the clinic?”

  “Yes.”

  “As emergencies?”

  “That’s what it was, both times.” Tory bent down to retrieve the toy Reggie threw on the floor and then regarded Reese speculatively. “You’re using that tone of voice like I’m a suspect. What’s on your mind, Sheriff?”

  “Sorry.” Reese sat on the couch on the opposite side of Reggie. “Those two are involved with some seriously bad people. I just don’t want you anywhere near it.”

  “I’m a doctor, darling. I have to do my job.”

  “I know. But if either one of them ever calls you because of another emergency, I need to know right away. And I don’t want you to see them at the clinic alone.”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “You don’t need to worry.” Tory leaned across the baby and kissed Reese softly. “We’ve had all the excitement we can stand in this family for quite some time. I’ll be careful.”

  “Thanks.” Reese smiled as Reggie climbed into her lap.

  “Not so fast. I need you to promise that you won’t get in the middle of Carter’s problem. I saw what they did to her, and you are in no condition to fight anyone.”

  Reese reached for Tory’s hand. “I’m not looking for trouble. I’ll pass the information on, and I’ll be out of it. The only thing I care about is being here with you and Reggie.”

  Tory kissed her again. She believed her, but she knew that as soon as Reese’s body had healed, she would need to go back to work. Until she did, her mind and her heart would never be well. “And we’re very glad you’re here. So very glad.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Carter dug her cell phone out from under a pile of unfolded laundry. “Wayne.”

  “Where are you?” Kevin asked.

  “On the Cape.” Carter perched on the end of the sofa and surveyed the disaster of her apartment. Half-packed boxes of dishes stood open on the kitchen floor, two suitcases bulging with clothes leaned against the wall by the front door, and the remains of the pizza that had been both lunch and dinner rested in the center of the coffee table next to an empty bottle of wine.

  “Got a TV?”

  A trickle of foreboding crawled up her spine. “What’s going on, Kevin? I’m not in the mood for games.”

  “Breaking news on the local station. A ‘well-known’ crime figure just went up in flames. Car crash on some back road outside the city.”

  “Who?” Carter’s hand tightened on the phone.

  “First reports are sketchy, but it looks like Enzo Brassi.”

  “Jesus.”

  “In spades,” Kevin said. “You don’t happen to know anything about it, do you?”

  “I’m a couple hundred miles away, Kevin.” Carter rummaged through several boxes until she found an unopened bottle of wine, then tucked the phone between her shoulder and ear while she searched t
he kitchen for a corkscrew. “And I don’t know anything about blowing up cars.”

  “Where’s Rica?”

  Carter’s voice went cold. “I don’t know. She’s not in town—at least the gallery’s been closed for almost a week. Just what are you suggesting?”

  “Ah, hell. I don’t know. I was about to call you about something else when I heard the news report. There was a fire at Rica’s gallery in SoHo just after four this morning. That’s a little bit of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

  “Was she there?” Carter asked urgently.

  “Place was empty. Most of the damage was in the back offices.”

  “Professional job?”

  “Most likely.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you call me sooner?” Carter growled.

  “I didn’t call you because I didn’t hear about it until just about an hour ago when Allen decided to share the information with the rest of the team. Seems that gallery’s been closed all week, too.”

  Carter digested the information as she poured the wine. “If both galleries are closed, Rica’s probably out of town somewhere.”

  “I suppose you checked around there for her?”

  “I’m not stalking her, Kevin. I’m clearing out my apartment right now.” Carter sighed. He knew her too well. “Okay, I drove by her house a couple times and the gallery a few more than that, just to see if anyone was watching her places. Nothing.”

  “Allen’s about ready to go postal over here. With Brassi dead and the records in Rica’s gallery destroyed, she doesn’t have a case. At least not from the angle she was working.”

  Carter had to smile. “Now there’s a shame.”

  “She’s not stupid, Carter. She’s gonna be looking hard at you for this.”

  “Let her. She won’t find anything.”

  “It sure looks like someone tipped Pareto about Brassi running a little sideline at that gallery.”

  “You think?” Carter took a healthy swallow of wine and hoped the satisfaction didn’t show in her voice.

  “I guess you’re not going to tell me anything, are you?”