Where There's a Will ....There's Murder

by Julie Ramson

  “That’s splitting it a bit fine, Jimbo,” Sean grinned, “but I’m game to go that way if you all are.” He looked around the table.

  Digs fiddled with his coffee cup. “Something is off here. I’m not surprised that there’s a task force and I’m even less surprised that Olivia Stavros is in charge of it. She’s been hungry for this kind of assignment for a long time. But.....”

  “You know her?” Jimmy asked. He and Sean exchanged looks.

  Digs blew out a breath. “Yeah. I worked for her for about two years a few years back. She’s smart, tough and ambitious. She’ll push hard on this. It’s a way for her to make her name in the agency.”

  I gave Digs a speculative look. “What agency was that, Digs?”

  “An allied group of the FBI. We were kind of our own little adjunct. This was just after you and I worked that mob killing on the south side, Sean. Olivia was my boss in the group and I reported to her. Brice was above her.”

  You were a lot more than a subordinate, I thought, but didn’t say it out loud.

  “Why did you leave?” Jimmy asked.

  Digs shrugged. “After we solved the case, I got tapped for some additional mob work in out east. Olivia and I were a couple by then but it wasn’t working out very well. It seemed like a good time to go.”

  This wasn’t a whole lot more information than I had had before. None of the juicy details I needed - like how together were they? Living together? Why wasn’t it working and who decided that? Olivia? Digs? What was the ‘fight’ that Olivia had referred to earlier that morning? Yeah, I know, none of this was related to the missing will or the murders but it sure related to me. Too bad I couldn’t ask about any of it.

  We all sat in our private thoughts for a few minutes. Then Jimmy spoke. “I’ve been thinking about the ring and the murders, the skeleton. All of it.” He paused. “Herbert killed Tony back in the 80's. We're all pretty sure that Herbert's gun we found will match the bullet found in that box. And I think Vito, or one of Vito’s boys, figured that out too and wanted his money back. That person is Lily’s killer, Louie’s killer and probably Victor Castelletti’s killer. I don’t know how Castelletti figures into this yet, but he does.” He stopped. “So does Maggie's attack and the calls to Emily.”

  Sean nodded. “I’m there too, Jimmy. I think we better find whatever it is that guy is looking for or Emily won’t ever be safe.”

  I looked at Digs, then Sean and Jimmy. “We haven’t even had a chance to tell you what happened last night,” I said. Sean and Jimmy looked up.

  Digs nodded. “Someone broke into Maggie’s apartment. We both heard him but he got away. He didn’t take anything but it seemed like he was looking for something.”

  “We didn't want to say anything in front of Emily,” I added.

  Digs very carefully didn’t say where he had been sleeping at the time of this break in and, after a quick look at me, Sean very carefully didn’t ask. He had to wonder why the intruder hadn’t happened on Digs if he was sleeping on the couch.....6' 5" of Digs would be hard to miss. I don’t think Jimmy even thought about it. Digs deflected the obvious questions by a hilarious account of Killer knocking into him in the hall, throwing his shot off and almost breaking his neck. By the time he was finished both Jimmy and Sean were laughing.

  Sean got serious then and shook his head. “Funny, but not really. Someone broke into Maggie’s. Twice if we believe it's the same person who left the raccoon heart. What are we missing? What?” He looked around at us.

  I frowned. “Sean, someone came in specifically to check the boxes we had from Lily’s. That means someone knew they were there. Either he’s watching Lily’s house - or mine.” We all chewed on that for a minute.

  “She’s right.” Jimmy spoke up. “This guy has broken into Lily’s house, Emily’s apartment, now Maggie’s. Probably twice. I think we need to go back through the boxes we already have and see if we can figure out what we have been missing.” He stirred his coffee. “And I agree that we shouldn't tell Emily about this. She’s had enough and we know she’s safe in the police apartment. This would really upset her.” He looked up.

  Sean, Digs and I looked at each other. Jimmy was in deeper than we had realized. That might not be so bad for the case but I was worried that it might not be good for Jimmy’s heart. I put my hand on his arm. “Jimmy, do you think that you’re getting a little too close to Emily?” I asked. “She’s an adult and she’s been working on this with us. At some point she's entitled to know everything.”

  Jimmy shook his head. “Not yet. Right now, she’s barely holding on. Her aunt was murdered! She found her! Emily’s not like you, Maggie. She’s not as tough.”

  So there. Digs covered a smile. At any other time I would have either been flattered by this description or considered decking Jimmy for it. It’s true, but I was getting a little tired of Emily being fragile. I swear in my next life, I am going to be a fragile woman. A woman who can’t cope. I figure that if I make it clear as a child that I can't cope with anything unpleasant, then no one will ever expect me to cope as an adult. People will pamper me, take care of me, protect my tender feelings, not tell me anything bad....... I was starting to gag.

  Maybe it was better to be a woman who copes after all.

  “Jimmy, don’t underestimate Emily. She’s tougher than you think. But fine, for the moment, I’ll agree not to mention the intruder last night.” I shrugged at Sean.

  On that note, we paid our bill and left. It was after two by the time we got to Lily’s. I suggested that Sam and Emily take a break and get some lunch while we continued working. They thought that was a great idea and headed out. We split up with Jimmy and Sean finishing up the second floor and Digs and I working to finish Lily’s bedroom on the first floor. By the time Sam and Emily got back, we had gotten most of it done. There were a couple of more boxes that we hauled to the cars for further examination. It was late afternoon and we were all beat.

  Sam headed home to looked at the notebooks some more, Jimmy and Sean were on their way back to the precinct and Digs, Killer and I were headed back to my house. I suggested burgers but Digs declined. “Enough junk food!” He gave me the sideways glance. “I don’t suppose you cook?” He sounded hopeful.

  “Nope. I can make a few things reasonably well, but unless you want a tour of the local Emergency Rooms after dinner, I suggest we pick something up.” I made a face at him.

  He gave an elaborate sigh. “Fine. I’ll cook,” he said.

  “You cook?” I was surprised.

  He gave me a look from beneath lowered lips. “Yeah, but if you tell anyone, I will have to kill you.” He looked back at the road. I grinned.

  “Lips are sealed. Maybe. But I see some good blackmail fodder in this.” I wiggled my eyebrows at him. He swatted my arm and pulled into a grocery store parking lot. I followed him from aisle to aisle as he picked up chicken, vegetables, potatoes and spices. He got rolls and cheese and milk. Butter and fresh dill. I was amazed. I picked out the dessert - chocolate cake.

  “Smell this fresh basil, Mag. What do you think?” He shoved a sprig of something under my nose.

  “Like I would know.” I rolled my eyes. He grinned and, giving me the wicked eye, picked up wine and a couple of candles.

  We loaded everything into the back of the car and threatened Killer with his life if he touched it. He looked insulted. When we got home, we trudged upstairs.

  “You go take a shower while I open the wine to breathe and start dinner.” He hooked his arm around my waist. “And use that great bath gel and some perfume, honey. I don’t cook for nothing. No reward, no chicken.” I laughed as he leaned down and kissed me.

  I could get used to this, I thought as I stepped into the shower. Man, could I get used to this! I did the bath gel, perfume thing and even the mascara and hair thing. I left the bathroom in a cloud of perfume and walked into the dining area.

  Wow! The table was set. Candles were burning and he even had soft music on. He was
standing at the stove and had a towel over his shoulder. Not a bad look on him at all! I could smell the herbs and spices and the rolls in the oven. My stomach let out a huge growl.

  “Nice romantic touch, Mag.” Digs turned down the heat under a couple of pans then turned and hugged me up against him. Then that kiss again. Whoa. The man was Trouble.

  He turned back to the stove. “Almost ready. Go sit down. My turn for the shower.” He checked the burners then gave me a mock glare. “Don’t touch a thing! Nothing! Got that?” I just smiled.

  “No promises. On anything.” I said archly. He shuddered and went into the bathroom. I was good for a few minutes, putting out wine glasses and getting the coffee ready. Finally, I couldn’t stand it any longer. Killer and I crept up to the stove. It smelled wonderful! “Oh, Killer, you and I are in for a treat tonight for sure.” I picked up the lid on the chicken. Oh, man. I felt arms slide around me.

  “What did I tell you? No touching?” Digs growled in my ear.

  “I’m not touching. I’m smelling. Besides, no touching?” I leaned back into him. “Fine. You don’t want any touching tonight? Really?”

  He tightened his arms. “That’s not what I meant, Toots. No touching the chicken. Everything else is touchable. Very.” He kissed my neck and it traveled all the way down my spine. Down to the toes, in fact. He turned me around and pushed me toward the table. “Go. Sit.”

  Digs started bringing in the food while I poured the wine. Everything looked wonderful. Chicken in wine and herbs, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls. A good square meal. Killer got his share too.

  We dug in and I groaned. “Digs. Amazing.” After a week of fast food this was incredible. I can chomp and smile at the same time. So could Digs. We sat, chomping and grinning. A thought occurred to me. “Dammit, Digs! We forgot to ask Emily again if she’s called John!”

  “Hell. You’re right.” He reached for his cell phone in his pocket and dialed. “Sean, did you think to ask Emily if she’s called John yet?” He listened. “Yeah but let’s not forget,” he said. He snapped the cell closed and put it back in his pocket. “Tomorrow. For sure.” I rolled my eyes.

  Digs cleared the table while I got the coffee. He called Killer and took down the leash. While they were gone, I rinsed the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I put our cups and saucers on the table and waited for Digs to return. He came in, unleashed Killer and eyed the coffee cups on the dining table. He shook his head and picked them up again. He carried them into the living room and put them on the low table in front of the couch. He grabbed my hand and pulled me down with him. I rested my head on his shoulder and snuggled in. He turned me and we started in on some serious kissing. And groping. His hands were everywhere, all at the same time. We got hotter while the coffee got colder. I was really getting into the swing of this.

  “You are a great teacher, Toots, I can tell. But I need a lot of practice to get this right.” Actually, he didn’t need any but who was I to argue? I laughed softly against his lips. His assault with slow kisses went on and a few clothes came off. Oh yeah, this had merit.

  His cell phone rang and we both jumped. I clunked my head down on my chest and started laughing as he struggled to get his cell phone out. He was having a hard time of it, probably because his jeans had gotten tighter. I laughed harder. He glared at me. Tears started down my face. He finally got the cell phone out and flipped it open, never taking his eyes off my face.

  “What!” He growled. He listened and his head snapped up. His eyes changed and he wasn’t laughing. I stopped.

  “What? What now, Digs?”

  He frowned and said, “We’ll be right there.” He snapped the phone shut. “Honey,” he put his arm around me. “That was Sean. Mrs. O’Brien’s house has been broken into.”

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Oh, no! No, Digs!” I clutched his arm. “She went to San Diego to visit her daughter! When was she due back?” I frantically tried to remember what she had said. How long was she going for? I jumped up. “Let’s go, Digs. Did Sean say if anyone was home?” I grabbed my coat.

  Digs was pulling on his leather jacket. “He said he’d just gotten there. Jimmy’s on his way, too.” We ran for the elevator and the car. Digs’ hands gripped the steering wheel. I was leaning forward as if I could will the car to move faster.

  I pulled out my cell and dialed Sean. “Is Mrs. O’Brien okay? Was she home?” I could barely spit out the words.

  “I don’t think anyone was in the house, Maggie. Looks empty. It wasn’t even trashed! More when you get here.” He hung up. I turned to Digs.

  “Sean said the house seems empty. Oh, god, Digs! She is such a sweetheart! Nothing can have happened to her, nothing! Oh, please God!” I prayed like I hadn’t prayed in a long time, promising God I would never, ever sin again. I wouldn’t lie, or pull pranks, or eat chocolate during Lent. Never again.

  We finally arrived and I jumped out of the car. I ran right into Jimmy and grabbed his wrist. “Where's Mrs. O’Brien? How is she? What happened?” Jimmy put his arm around me just as Sean came up.

  “Looks like someone entered but didn’t stay. The house seems fine, not even destroyed. I don’t think they had time to do any damage and Mrs. O’Brien wasn't home. Her neighbor says she's still in San Diego.” He took my shoulders. “She wasn’t here, Maggie. She’s not hurt.”

  “Thank God, oh, thank God.” I breathed. Digs stood behind me, a hand at my waist.

  “What happened, Sean? Who called you?” I leaned back into Digs.

  Sean shook his head. “Mrs. Gorman called. She was out walking the dog and thought she saw a light go on in Mrs. O’Brien’s house. She knew Mrs. O'Brien's in California and called us right away. Dispatch sent a squad and then called me. The intruder must have heard the squad’s siren and taken off.”

  Mrs. Gorman was standing off to the side with a group of the neighbors. I walked over to her and touched her arm. “Oh, Mrs. Gorman, thank God you saw that light!” She turned to me stricken.

  “I couldn’t believe my eyes,” she said. She was a tall, slim woman, probably in her late 60's. Fiona - Mrs. O’Brien - isn’t due back until tomorrow, thank God! I can’t imagine if she’d gotten back today!” Mrs. Gorman looked ill at the thought.

  I breathed out a huge sigh. “Well, I promise you this. We will be back tomorrow to put the best security system we can in her house!”

  Mrs. Gorman smiled. “No wonder she has been singing your praises, Maggie!” She sobered. “But what is going on around here?” Just then a man rushed up to us. Tall and thin, he looked frantic. His dark hair was unkempt and his clothes looked like they had been thrown on in haste.

  “Mom, this does it! You are coming home with me right now and staying with us until this neighborhood settles down!” He put his arm around her then gave her a huge hug. “I’m so glad you called me!”

  Mrs. Gorman looked at me. “Maggie, this is my son, Andrew. Andrew, this is a friend of Fee’s.” Andrew looked at me and nodded. He was about 5'9" and looked in his 40's. Digs was standing next to me and spoke up.

  “Mrs. Gorman, we will need your statement. Not right now, though, it’s cold and it's late. We can talk in the morning. Please just give us your son’s address and we’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

  Andrew pulled out a card and wrote his address down on the back. He handed it to Digs and said, “Thanks. We really appreciate it.” He shook Digs’ hand and, with one arm around his mother, headed off to his car. The other neighbors were also leaving. It was very cold and there wasn’t much to see.

  Digs and I headed back to Mrs. O’Brien’s. I walked in and it

  seemed strange not to have her with me. The house looked the same but had an empty feel. Maybe because for the first time there wasn’t the scent of baking cookies in the air.

  “Tomorrow, Digs. We call for Mrs. O’Brien and we make sure she gets an alarm system.” I clutched his coat. “Promise.”

  Sean had come up beside me. “Already taken
care of, Mag. Mrs. O’Brien’s son, Patrick is here.” He stepped aside. He was about 5' 10" and had thick light brown hair, disheveled at the moment.

  “Ah, you must be Mom’s wonderful Maggie!” he said with a small smile. “I’m her son Patrick and you can believe that there will be a new locksmith and a security company here before Mom even gets off the airplane tomorrow. But thanks for thinking of her.” The smile was gone. He sounded grim.

  “When does she get back?” I asked.

  “She lands about 4. I’m going to pick her up at O’Hare but by then the locks and alarm will be installed. I don’t care what it costs!” His lips were tight. “What could anyone possibly want in Mom’s house?” He looked at the three of us. “Do you think she should stay with us, my wife and me, for a while?”

  “Yeah, I do.” Sean said bluntly. “We don’t know what the hell is going on around here, but yeah, that’s a good idea. Sean was equally grim. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this, though, that I’ll promise. Just leave your phone number and address with me.” Like Andrew, Patrick pulled out a card and wrote on the back. He handed it to Sean, who also passed his card to Patrick.

  “Please call me when you know anything.” he said. Sean nodded. Digs handed Sean the card Andrew had given him too.

  “Sean, I think we should talk to Mrs. Gorman first thing.” He spoke quietly. Jimmy had come out of Mrs. O’Brien’s and joined us. He looked somber.

  “How’s Emily?” I asked.

  Jimmy shrugged. “All right, I guess. Shaken, though. I called her cell phone just now and told her what had happened. Frankly, she’s really spooked.” He sounded worried.

  Digs and I looked at each other. He put his arm around me. “Call me in the morning, Sean. Jimmy, are you going to go check on Emily? Let us know how she’s doing.” Digs eyed Jimmy with concern.

  Jimmy looked down. “Yeah. I promised her I’d stop in when I left here.” Sean was watching him, too. He clapped Jimmy on the back.