by Lynn, JB
He frowned. “I’m not sure I want you involved with this.”
“You should have thought of that before you had me set up your meeting with Griswald,” I snapped. “I am involved. What’s the video of?”
He scowled. “It’s not safe, Maggie.”
“Griswald’s in danger. Either you tell me, or I go ask his nephews.”
“Lada’s murder.”
I sat back in my seat. “Did they even have surveillance cameras back then?”
“It was taken by some spoiled twenty-year-old with a camcorder who envisioned himself as a filmmaker.”
“And he never came forward with it?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
“Because when your father is a lawyer for the Russian mob, you’re told to destroy the evidence and keep your mouth shut.”
“Oh.”
“He kept his mouth shut but didn’t destroy it.”
“And you know this how?”
He looked away guiltily.
I huffed my exasperation. “Tell me you’ve had it in your storage unit all this time.”
“No, well yeah, but yes.”
“That’s crystal clear,” God drawled from my bra.
I smirked, glad to know that he wasn’t able to maintain his silence indefinitely.
Dad looked back at me.
“No, well yeah, but yes,” I mocked.
“I didn’t know I had it,” he admitted. “I’d done a job a while ago, a quickie, lifted a backpack. Pawned the camera.”
He paused, waiting for me to call him a thief, but considering I’d just stolen a teddy bear, I wasn’t one to cast aspersions.
“I didn’t look at the box that contained the actual tape until recently.” He leaned toward me, grabbing my hand across the table. “I was trying to do right by Griswald, I swear. I’m trying to do right by you all.”
The desperation in his tone brought a lump to my throat. “I know, Dad,” I choked out.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble for him,” he continued. “He’s done right by me and all of you.”
I nodded my understanding. “What’s on the tape, Dad?”
“Lada’s murder.”
“And who really did it?”
He bit his lower lip. “You can’t go after them, Maggie. You can’t.”
“Of course not.” The promise, the lie, was uttered easily. I am, in some ways, very much my conman father’s daughter.
“Nikolai Anatov.”
I gasped. “He killed his sister? Why?”
“I’m guessing Jerry was building a case against him. No better way to destroy that than to send the cop to prison.”
“But killing his sister?”
“There was a rumor about her,” he admitted grudgingly.
“Worth killing her over?” I, who would literally do anything to protect my family, couldn’t imagine what that would be.
He sighed. “It’s complicated, Maggie. More than you know.”
“Tell me.”
He looked away, rubbing his hands together nervously.
“Dad?” I prompted.
“She was said to be having a fling with a member of a rival organized crime family.”
A shiver ran down my spine. “Tell me it wasn’t a Delveccio.”
20
“You’re speeding,” God complained. “It’s not smart to attract the attention of the police.”
Glancing at the speedometer, I realized he was right and eased off the gas.
I’d just about finished my conversation with my father when Aunt Susan called. Anticipating she’d probably found out about the mess at Griswald’s place, I answered. Sure enough, she was hysterical.
As I assured her I’d be right back, my father ushered me out of the house, muttering, “For God’s sake, be careful, Maggie.”
“Yes,” God had said. “For my sake, be careful.”
Now, I was rushing back to Herschel’s place to try to comfort my aunt. I called Gino as I drove.
“Hey, extraordinary,” he answered with a smile in his voice.
I’m pretty sure I heard God gag, but the greeting made me grin.
“I’m heading home,” I told him. “Apparently, all hell has broken loose about Griswald.”
“Yeah. Cops are swarming his place now.”
“I need to see your bosses.”
“Both?”
“Yes.” My tires squealed as I took a turn a little too tightly.
“Can I ask why?”
“It has to do with the Anatovs.”
“I don’t know, Maggie,” he warned. “That’s a touchy subject with them.”
“I bet it is,” I muttered. “Either you arrange it or I’ll just show up at the house.”
“That’s a very bad idea.”
His tone was so sharp, my head snapped back like I’d been slapped.
“One does not, under any circumstances, show up at the Delveccios’ uninvited,” he continued grimly.
“Then, get me an invite.”
“Telling them what, exactly?” Gino sounded frustrated with a tinge of alarm.
“Let them know that I know who killed Lada Anatov.”
“Geez, Maggie,” he muttered. “Are you sure you want to open that can of worms? It’s way before my time, but I’ve heard the stories…”
“Tell them,” I said. “I’ve got to go.”
Turning into the driveway, I disconnected the call before he could protest anymore.
“What are you going to do?” God wanted to know. “Ask which one was sleeping with your mother and which was dating Lada?”
“Time’s running out and I need to get into the house to get the damn bear,” I reminded him. “This awkward conversation will be the perfect excuse.”
“Oh!” he exclaimed, shocked. “Oh, that’s clever.”
“And I thought of it all by myself,” I added drily.
“But how do you propose to steal the toy if you’re talking to them?”
“I’m not going to,” I said smugly. “You are.”
We didn’t get to discuss it any further because Aunt Leslie, arm-in-arm with Lorraine Lassalan, was waiting outside the house.
I unceremoniously snatched God off the dashboard as I jumped out of the car. Instead of placing him on my shoulder or dumping him in my bra, I cradled him in my palm as Aunt Leslie charged toward me.
“It’s so awful!” she wailed.
“It is,” I agreed.
“They said there was blood. Susan’s beside herself. You’ve got to do something, Maggie.” My aunt’s words tumbled out in a panicked rush.
I gave her a quick hug. “I’m going to see Susan, now.” I gently pushed her back into Lorraine’s waiting embrace and bounded up the stairs.
Before I got in the door, Piss crossed my path. “It’s bad, sugar,” she purred softly.
“I need you to take God and make a plan,” I told her.
She looked at me with her one good eye like I was crazy.
Under the guise of petting the cat, I placed the lizard on her back.
“A good plan,” I urged.
“To the barn, my trusty steed,” God commanded.
It must have been due to the stress of the situation, but for once, Piss didn’t complain or reprimand him. She just raced toward the barn.
I headed inside.
“Do you think he’s being tortured in the OC?” Armani asked the moment I got into the house.
“I hope not,” I muttered, wondering why she was lurking by the door.
“Maggie, is that you?” Aunt Loretta called from the living room sofa.
For once, I believed she might not actually know it was me, considering the rivers of tears and mascara flowing down her face.
“Of course, it’s her,” Templeton, sitting beside her, snapped. “Susan’s in the kitchen,” he told me.
I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders before stepping into the kitchen.
Aunt Susan sat alone at the table, polishin
g cutlery with a dishtowel. Before the Bed & Breakfast had been blown up, one of her primary hobbies had been polishing all the silver items in the place. At one point, it seemed to be something that she and Griswald had bonded over, so it made a strange kind of sense that she was repeating the activity now. Even if it was only stainless steel utensils she could pretend-polish.
“Hi,” I said awkwardly when she didn’t acknowledge my presence.
“Hello, Margaret,” she replied in a strange, stilted speech pattern. “Your friend is helping me.”
I glanced around but saw nobody else in the room. Panic churned in my gut as I imagined that she’d gone off the deep end like her sister…my mom.
“Help,” DeeDee panted.
Bending down, I saw that she had her chin and one paw resting on Susan’s lap.
“She’s quite the comfort,” Susan said.
“Good,” I murmured, unnerved by her way of speaking. “Maybe I can help you, too.”
Susan handed me a teaspoon and a dishtowel. “Water spots.”
“Water spots,” I agreed, sitting down beside her. I didn’t know which was worse, her hyperventilating sobs when she’d called me, or this strange preternatural calm. “Have you heard anything new?”
She focused on scrubbing the butter knife she held. “He promised me he’d come back.”
“And he meant it,” I assured her.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, they slowly rolled down her face, dripping onto the cutlery. I used my towel to blot her cheeks, feeling incapable of doing anything else to help her.
Piss raced in. “We need you, DeeDee. We’re making a plan!”
“Plan?” the Doberman barked excitedly.
Aunt Susan flinched.
“Go outside,” I ordered the dog, secretly glad of the excuse to send her to the others. I stood up and ushered both animals out the kitchen door. Then, I stood behind Susan and wrapped her in a hug. “It’s going to be okay.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Margaret,” she sobbed softly.
I felt like I was drowning in my own helplessness. I swallowed my own tears, wishing I could tell her that I was going to do everything in my power to bring Griswald home to her. But in order to do that, I had to leave her, and I couldn’t figure out a way to just abandon her in the kitchen alone.
Then, he walked in.
The surge of gratitude I felt as Ian entered the room chased away my feeling of being powerless.
“I came as soon as I heard,” he said, his gaze jumping from me to Susan.
“Ian.” She held out her arms to him.
I released her and stepped back as they embraced. “Stay with her?” I begged.
He nodded as she sobbed in his arms.
I escaped out the kitchen door, taking off at a dead run for the barn.
21
I expected to find God, Piss, and DeeDee making the great plan there, but instead, when I rushed in, I encountered Herschel, Irma, and Matilda.
“Maggie!” Matilda oinked excitedly.
“He’s dead?” Herschel asked.
I blinked, swaying weakly. “What?”
“Is Lawrence dead?”
“Not that I know,” I said, confused.
“You’re crying,” my grandfather pointed out.
“Susan’s upset,” I replied.
“Everyone’s upset,” he said.
“Not the children,” Irma brayed. “They’re happily watching a movie about a talking snowman.”
I glanced at the classroom part of the barn and realized she was right. Both girls were watching a movie playing on a computer screen with rapt attention.
“The teacher’s idea,” Herschel explained. “Suggested keeping them distracted.”
“We’re probably not paying her enough,” I muttered.
“I think she’s doing well with the perks of the job,” Herschel countered.
I looked at him sharply, trying to figure out if he was saying what I thought he was.
He looked away, making it impossible to get a read on him. “I hope they don’t keep Marlene too long. It would be better if she got back before the end of the school day.”
“Where is she?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Lawrence’s house? The police station? She’s the one that found the body.”
“Body?” I gasped.
“In his house,” Herschel confirmed.
“That can’t be—” I cut myself off, realizing I’d almost admitted to being at Griswald’s place earlier.
“No,” my grandfather agreed. “It can’t be good.” He coughed and leaned weakly against Irma’s stall.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“It’s been a week,” he complained. “First, this cold and my daughters vying to take care of me, then, the unexpected house inspection, that guy poking around everywhere, and now all this.”
“It’s a lot,” I agreed. “Sorry we all moved in?”
He shook his head. “Biggest mistake of my life, not doing whatever it took to keep my family. I’m glad you’re all here.”
“Intruder alert! Intruder alert!” a voice screeched.
I ran out of the barn to find Percy the Peacock charging Zeke, who had his arms raised defensively.
“Percy, stop!” I ordered.
“Who goes there?” the blind peacock screamed.
“Leave him alone, Percy,” Herschel said tiredly from behind me. “Come keep me company.”
The bird accompanied him into the barn, and I hurried toward Zeke.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
He nodded, wide-eyed. He appeared shaken, having never been attacked by a peacock before.
“Now isn’t the best time,” I told him. “Can whatever it is wait?”
“You’ve heard about Griswald?” he asked, walking over to me.
I nodded, wondering how he had learned the news.
He pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear, “She said to tell you that getting him back takes priority over the bear.”
“Tell her not to storm the place,” I whispered back. “I have a plan to get the bear.”
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked, stepping back and releasing me.
“I don’t suppose you’re up to trying to keep my aunts calm?”
He smiled. “After all they’ve done for me, it’s the least I can do.” He grew serious. “Be careful, Maggie.”
“I will.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said with a rueful grin. Then, he headed toward the house.
I spun around in a circle, looking for my pets.
“This way, toots,” Mike cawed from above.
I followed the crow up the driveway and quickly found the dog, cat, and lizard deep in conversation.
“My Zeke is here,” Piss meowed.
“I saw him,” I replied. “Do we have a plan?”
“We do,” God confirmed. “But we may need Benny’s help.”
“I’ll get him. Anything else?”
“A little luck,” Piss said.
“More like a lot,” God agreed.
I retrieved Benny, double-checked I had Dominic’s bear in the trunk, and we all piled into my car.
“This will be a precision tactical operation,” God declared.
“Like that ever happens,” Piss meowed.
“Plan!” DeeDee barked.
Before he could elaborate, my phone rang.
I answered mid-ring. “Gino, I—”
“The bosses want to see you,” he interrupted.
“Great. I’ll head to the house now.”
“No. Not there. They’re playing Skee-Ball.”
“But—” I protested. I needed to get to the house to steal the bear.
“Hurry, Maggie,” he urged. “This thing is going sideways fast.”
I sighed. “On my way.”
I drove toward the place where the Delveccio brothers have their own private Skee-Ball setup.
“It’s going to be hard to s
teal the bear if we’re not even in the right vicinity,” God pointed out.
“I know,” I muttered. “There’s nothing I can do about that now. It’s just bad luck that they’re not at the house.”
“Bad luck. Bad luck. Bad luck,” Benny opined from the tissue box where I’d placed him.
“At least Whitehat said Griswald is the priority,” God said quietly. “If we don’t get the bear, it won’t be the end of the world.”
“Except for those affected by the whole deadly gas thing if whoever knows about the chip gets ahold of the bear,” I reminded him.
“You can’t save everyone, Maggie,” he pointed out.
“But I can damn well try.”
22
I slipped God into my bra but left the other animals in the car when I arrived at the meeting place.
Gino, looking grim, ushered me inside without a word. His expression made everything in me tense up.
Tony and Anthony Delveccio, I’ve never learned which is which, were playing dueling games of Skee-Ball, the wooden orbs clattering inside the machines. To anyone else, they’d look like a pair of older twin brothers engaging in a childhood pastime, but I knew from Gino’s attitude and their intensity of play, that something else was going on.
“She’s here,” Gino announced.
First one, then the other, mobster turned to face me. Neither looked pleased to see me.
I swallowed convulsively as nervous butterflies sprang to life in my gut. I wasn’t usually the one on the one wrong side of the Delveccios. It was a scary place to be.
“This Griswald thing is going to come down on us,” the one closest to me complained.
The other brother shot Gino an accusing look. “You said that wouldn’t happen.”
“It hasn’t happened yet, boss,” Gino said in a deferential tone.
A flash of fear shot through me as I realized that his attempt to protect my family had resulted in Gino ending up in his bosses’ crosshairs.
“Which one of you slept with Lada Anatov?” I blurted out, wanting to take some of the heat off Gino.
Both brothers turned their laser-like stares on me. I fought the urge to flinch, forcing myself to stand my ground.
“What did you say?” they asked in unison.
My mouth suddenly dry, I licked my lips before repeating, “Which one of you slept with Lada Anatov?”