by Lynn, JB
“Can we play in the toy room?” Dominic asked.
“Of course.” His grandfather bestowed a benevolent smile on him, looking nothing like someone the Feds would want to take down.
Grabbing each other’s hands, the kids moved as a single unit out of the kitchen.
“She’s adjusting well,” Delveccio remarked after they were gone.
I nodded. “She follows Katie’s lead.”
“You’re going to need to do something about Griswald,” he said, abruptly returning the conversation to its original track.
I swallowed nervously, wondering if “do something about” was mob code for kill. I couldn’t, no, I wouldn’t kill Griswald. He was a good man and had been kind to my family. He didn’t deserve to die.
My hand shook slightly as I took a slow, deliberate sip of the coffee Gino had given me. I winced at the burnt bitterness of it. I had no idea what the punishment would be for disobeying the mobster, but I wasn’t going to kill Aunt Susan’s husband. “I can’t—“ I began.
“Sorry,” Gino interjected. “I forgot you take sugar.”
I blinked at him. He had to know that I don’t.
“You’re accustomed to American coffee.” He busied himself with getting a container out of a cabinet.
Delveccio leaned closer and I held my breath, prepared for whatever threat he was going to lob at me. “Italians do a lot of things well, and many people love our dark roasts, but I’ll tell you a secret: you can get away with cheaper beans if you roast it darker. Bet you didn’t know that.”
“I didn’t,” I admitted. “I guess that explains Starbucks.”
He threw back his head and laughed.
Gino put a sugar bowl and spoon down in front of me. “Your visitor’s here, boss.”
I followed Delveccio’s gaze to the monitor that displayed the image of the front door and watched as a man, dressed like he was ready to play a round of golf, climb out of a sports car. He looked just as out of place visiting a mobster’s home as I did.
“Save a brownie for me,” Delveccio ordered, sliding off his stool and lumbering out of the room.
Gino, following closely behind, glanced over his shoulder at me. “This won’t take long.”
I nodded and watched them go. The moment they were gone, I hopped off my seat. This was my chance to find the bear!
Snatching up my bag, I hurried out of the kitchen. If anyone asked, I would just say I was going to check on the kids and had gotten turned around.
“Griswald’s in trouble,” God said from my bra.
“Yeah,” I muttered, “I’ve picked up on those subtle signs.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“At this moment?” I peered into the room the kids had first been playing in. There were no stuffed animals in sight. “At this moment, I’m going to concentrate on doing the thing that will make Whitehat happy. Hopefully, by doing that, she’ll keep Griswald safe.”
I heard the girls’ laughter in the distance and slowly began to make my way toward them, peeking into every room I passed. If Gino watched the playback of the video of my travels, I figured I could tell him that God had gotten loose, and I was searching for him.
Following the sound of the children’s voices, I started to climb the ornate marble staircase. Then, I remembered the balloons.
Turning around, I hurried outside and retrieved the three smiling helium balloons from the trunk of my car.
“What on earth are you doing?” God asked.
“They’ll block the cameras when I take the bear,” I explained.
“Oh,” he murmured, his surprise evident. “That’s actually a good plan. Who suggested it?”
“I thought of it on my own,” I told him as I re-entered the house.
“You?” Now, he was just outright shocked.
“I’m not a total idiot,” I muttered, climbing the staircase again.
“Not total, no,” he agreed.
For a brief, ungenerous moment, I considered what dropping him on the marble staircase would do to his sensitive skin.
I’d almost reached the room the kids were playing in when I spotted the bear in Dominic’s bedroom. I knew it was his, because the sign on the door, spelled out in dinosaurs twisted into unnatural positions, said Dominic.
“Found it,” I muttered.
The love-worn stuffed animal sat on the bed, propped up against the pillows.
I frowned, realizing that it was obviously important to the boy. I felt a surge of guilt, realizing I was going to steal a prized possession of a child who was already struggling with loss. I’ve done some lousy things, but none felt worse than this.
“Block the camera,” God reminded me.
Taking a deep breath, I let go of the ribbons of the balloons, letting them float into the corner, blocking the camera. I rushed into the room, grabbed the bear, stuffed it into my bag, and was back out and retrieving the balloons in less than ten seconds.
Then, I went to where the kids were playing. The “toy room” pretty much had everything a kid could desire, a plethora of toys, an indoor jungle gym, and an arts-and-crafts section. That’s where they all sat, giggling while playing with some kind of neon slime.
“Is it brownie time, Aunt Maggie?” Katie asked when she saw me standing in the doorway watching them.
“Yay!” Dominic yelled. “Best day ever!”
I offered a weak smile, my heart heavy. I knew when he went to bed, he wouldn’t be feeling the same way.
It’s easier to kill a man than to steal from a child.
13
Exhausted from their playtime, both girls napped on the way home. I was pleased that Alicia had enjoyed herself. It seemed like a good sign that she was becoming more comfortable.
While they slept, I called Zeke.
“Hey,” he answered on the first ring.
“I’ve got it.”
“Really?” He sounded surprised. “I’ll come get it.”
I glanced in the rearview mirror at the sleeping children. “You can’t.”
“But—”
“I’ve got a family dinner. My brother is coming and everything.”
“But—”
“I’ll bring it when the dinner is done,” I promised.
He hesitated a moment and then said, “Whitehat will be happy.”
“Uh huh.”
“You don’t sound happy,” he pointed out.
“I stole from a child,” I muttered. “Not one of my finest moments.”
“You’ve saved lives, Maggie. That’s the important thing.”
That, and Whitehat telling me what I needed to know. But I still wasn’t sure it was worth what I’d done to an innocent boy. “I’ll call you when dinner is over,” I replied.
“Or I could come, too,” he suggested.
“No!” I winced, hearing the sharpness of my tone.
“Oh, okay.” He sounded confused and hurt.
“It’s just that everyone thinks we’re dating, and I don’t want to give them the wrong impression.” Remembering the suggestion that I could be leading Zeke on, I added, “I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression.”
Zeke chuckled. “Yeah, I can see how you’d want to avoid that. Call me when you’re ready.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, grateful for his understanding.
He hung up just as I pulled into the driveway. As I pulled up to the house, I spotted Marlene, Armani, and Ian sitting on the porch, chatting away.
Marlene and Ian came to the car and carried the sleepy girls inside. Armani waited for me impatiently on the porch, gesturing for me to join her even as I double-checked to make sure the bag with the bear was safely locked in the trunk.
“O.C. O.C. O.C!” she declared excitedly as I climbed the stairs.
“What?”
“The tiles. I think you have to go to O.C.” She nodded emphatically, looking like a bobble-head on crack. “Ocean County.”
“As in, California?” I asked
hopfefully, even though I didn’t think such a place existed.
She shook her head. “As in, Great Adventure. You need to go down the shore.”
I frowned. There are two kinds of people in N.J. Those who love The Shore (the tourist trap beaches lining the Atlantic Ocean) and those who love The City (New York…unless you live in South Jersey, then it’s Philadelphia). As someone opposed to the great outdoors, I consider myself a city girl. And I certainly didn’t need any more adventures, great or otherwise.
“Oh, come on!” Armani chastised. “Great Adventure is the greatest.”
“At what?” I’m not a fan of the Six Flags amusement park.
“It has more rollercoasters than any other theme park in the U.S.,” Armani stated proudly.
“Whoop-de-doo,” I muttered, flopping into a chair. “What am I supposed to do in Ocean County?”
She shrugged. “Don’t know, but it must be important if it was conveyed three times.”
I rolled my eyes. “That, or there are only two blanks in a Scrabble game.”
She squinted at me. “Did you have a bad time at the mobster’s mansion?”
I shook my head.
“Cuz you seem kinda negative,” she pointed out.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.” And I was carrying the guilt of having taken Dominic’s toy.
“Yeah, well, maybe you and Susan shouldn’t be allowed steak knives,” Armani said. “Her mood is even worse than yours.”
“She’s worried about her husband,” I excused with a wave of my hand.
“She should be.” She leaned over to whisper the dramatic reminder, “After all, he is going to be tortured.”
Aunt Leslie burst out the front door. “Dinner’s ready.”
I jumped to my feet, glad to be free of the conversation revolving around Armani’s predictions.
“Wash your hands before coming to the table, Margaret,” Susan lectured as I walked into the house. She was wearing an apron and pointing a carving knife as she spoke from the kitchen doorway.
I gulped. It occurred to me that Armani might be right about not allowing her sharp objects.
Nodding my compliance, I hurried toward my room.
“Now out?” DeeDee barked excitedly as I entered.
“Her little canine brain probably doesn’t even remember why she was being punished,” the lizard declared.
“Dog bad,” DeeDee whined, lowering her head in remembered shame.
“I’ll let you out but keep away from the kitchen and Susan and Leslie,” I told her. “And stay out of trouble.”
“Dog good!” she promised, ears perking up and wagging her stub of a tail.
I let her out of the room, and she bounded away.
“I want to be there for the bear handoff,” God told me as I put him in his terrarium.
“Okay,” I agreed tiredly.
“And I don’t like sand,” he reminded me. “It’s bad for my skin. Last time we were at the beach, you almost killed me.”
I nodded, remembering our long-ago adventure in Atlantic City. “I’m not convinced Armani’s right about the O.C. thing.”
“She’s usually right,” he pointed out, “just not in the way anyone anticipates.”
“I’ll get you after dinner,” I pledged.
“Don’t forget to wash your hands,” he reminded me.
I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. The face of a thief stared back at me.
“Save us all from Susan’s wrath and come to the table,” Templeton pleaded. I hadn’t closed the bathroom door and he reached in and turned the sink’s running water off. “Hurry, hurry.”
I reached for a towel to dry my hands.
“No time for that.” He grabbed my elbow and hustled me down the hall.
“What’s going on?”
“She’s in a mood.”
“Since when does that bother you?” I asked, drying my hands on the front of my jeans.
“She’s scary,” he whispered, gently shoving me into the dining room in front of him, like I was his human shield.
Susan glared at us. “We’ve been waiting.”
“I was washing my hands,” I replied drily. I slipped into the seat across from Ian as Templeton sat next to Loretta. Ian appeared distinctly nervous. I couldn’t blame him. Family dinners could be nerve-wracking.
“Shall we say grace?” someone asked.
I looked down the table to see that Lorraine, the girls’ teacher, was sandwiched between Aunt Leslie and Marlene’s boyfriend Doc.
Susan clasped her hands and bowed her head.
“Good bread, good meat, good gosh, let’s eat,” Templeton proclaimed with a wink.
Susan nodded, I shot him a grateful grin, and everyone started passing food around the table.
“I can’t believe you let the girls stuff themselves before dinner, Margaret,” Susan complained.
“It was a party,” I replied, refraining from pointing out that it had been Leslie and Lorraine’s idea to bake the brownies they’d gorged themselves on.
“They must have had fun,” Marlene said, in a feeble attempt to back me up. “They’re exhausted and Alicia seems happy.”
“Well, of course they had fun,” Susan began. “But—”
“Alicia needed a chance to play,” I interjected. I held my aunt’s gaze steadily, silently daring her to make an argument.
She frowned and looked away.
“This is delicious,” Ian said. “Thank you, Aunt Susan.”
She offered him a grudging smile. “You’re welcome.”
“Is that nutmeg that makes the mashed potatoes so special?” he asked.
Her smile turned wide and genuine. “Clever boy!”
Her smile disappeared when Loretta piped up asking, “Where’s Lawrence? I thought he’d be here.”
14
I’d scooped up God and made sure the other animals were on patrol during dessert, so I was ready to walk Ian out to his car when it was time for him to leave.
“They’re not always that bad,” I told him as soon as we were outside.
“That was insane.” He shook his head. “Susan’s mood. Loretta and Armani going on about the drag queen singers. Leslie—”
“Soulful and Sinful are very talented,” I interrupted. “You should go see them sometime.”
“Oh yeah,” he muttered, climbing into his truck. “All I need is to have Loretta questioning me about my sex life in the middle of her shop. And speaking of sex lives…what’s the deal with Leslie and Lorraine?”
I shrugged. “I think they’re a victim of PMS.”
He arched his eyebrows.
“Armani’s Psychic Matchmaking Service,” I explained with a laugh.
“I thought she’s co-owner of The Corset.”
“She is.”
“And an interior decorator.”
I nodded. “And she does some Psychic Matchmaking on the side.”
“I guess that means she’s weird enough to fit in with the rest of our family,” he mused, shaking his head.
A lump rose in my throat as I noted he’d said, “our family” and not “your family”. I smiled at him. “It meant a lot that you were here.”
“Yeah, well, now I’ve got to head back to the bickering brothers.”
I nodded, understanding that listening to my dad and Thurston arguing couldn’t be easy. “You don’t have to worry about the men around your place.”
He cocked his head curiously. “Oh no?”
“They’re protection.”
“Feds?”
I shook my head.
“Cops?”
“Nope.”
He waited, forcing me to say it.
“They work for the Delveccios,” I admitted grudgingly.
Ian looked at me like I was crazy. “And you’re sure they’re protection and not just waiting to finish Archie off?”
“I’m sure.”
He searched my gaze for a long moment. “I’m guessing I don’t
want to know.”
“Clever boy,” I told him with a wink. I closed the truck’s door and watched him drive off.
Then, I called Zeke. It was time to deliver the bear.
“We’re meeting Whitehat for the handoff,” were the first words out of Zeke’s mouth.
“Okay.”
“I’ll pick you up in thirty seconds.” He disconnected the call before I could protest.
As I retrieved the bag with the bear out of the trunk of my car, Loretta and Templeton stepped out of the house. “Great,” I muttered under my breath.
“We’re going for a romantic stroll under the stars,” Loretta trilled, holding on to Templeton’s arm.
“Enjoy,” I replied with a tight smile.
Before they were even down the stairs, a car, headlights bouncing, barreled toward me.
Zeke rolled down his window to greet my aunt and her fiancé. “It’s a nice evening.”
“Taking our girl out?” Loretta asked.
“Just for a little while.” He flashed a charming smile. “I don’t want to keep her from her beauty sleep.”
“Did you hear that, Maggie?” Loretta beamed. “He thinks you’re beautiful.”
“Let’s leave the lovebirds alone, dear,” Templeton suggested, tugging her away from Zeke’s car.
I nodded my thanks to him and then got into Zeke’s car.
“Sorry,” he muttered, quickly throwing the engine into reverse and backing up the driveway before Loretta could ask us anything else. “I know you don’t want her to have the wrong idea about us.”
“I don’t want anyone to have the wrong idea,” I insisted. Especially not him. “Can I ask you something about Ms. Whitehat?”
“Sure,” he said, while tapping his ear twice and then waving a finger at the dashboard to remind me that his car was bugged. “Ask me whatever you want.”
I nodded my understanding, knowing I had to tread carefully. “Why’d she send the ninjas?”
“To keep your family from being slaughtered?” Zeke suggested.
“And I appreciate that,” I said, on the off-chance Whitehat was listening in. “But what did she get out of it?”
Zeke shrugged. “You owe her. Again.”
“What if it wasn’t me she was helping,” I murmured.