Stories by Kiera Dellacroix

by Dellacroix, Kiera

  He grinned. "Consider it done. So tell me, what would you like to talk about?"

  "I just need to know one thing."

  "And you think I'm the person to provide you with an education?"

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "Because I want to know where Sabrina went the night Salvotore died."

  "Hmmm."

  "Will you tell me?"

  "It's unwise to ask questions about Sabrina. I thought I made that clear the first time we spoke."

  "We both know why I want the answer."

  "True."

  "Well?"

  "I hope you're not digging yourself a grave, Matilda."

  "Tell me."

  III

  I spent the night in my car and in the morning, made Joey's parlor my first stop. When I walked in, Jimmy was the only one visible and he shot me a friendly wave from across the room. I didn't return it, and just stared at him through my sunglasses. He looked at me for a moment and then rose to slip into the back without a word. I waited less than a minute for Joey to appear. He opened the door and studied me with narrowed eyes.

  "Get on back here."

  I obeyed and he spoke as soon as we had some privacy. "Whatcha need?"

  I tried a grin, but he saw through it.

  "Let's hear it, Maddie. When you stop talking, I know you're super pissed."

  I sighed. "I need to see the old man."

  He grunted. "Wanna tell me why?"

  "I'd rather just say it once."

  A hand came up and he scratched the hair behind an ear in agitation. He didn't like being in the dark anymore than I did. "Alright, Maddie," he grumbled, walking over to seat himself in front of a phone.

  I didn't bother to listen; I knew what the answer would be. He stood after he hung up and walked toward the door. "Let's go."

  He didn't speak to me once in the half hour it took to get there. I guess he might have been a little upset that I wouldn't confide in him. That, and he knew me well enough to know that I wouldn't talk about it until I was ready.

  Angelo Sirico lived in a house that resembled a castle. It wasn't as pretentious as you'd expect, but it wasn't hard to spot big money. The last time I visited Sirico's home had been when I returned from the war. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Sirico's shadow greeted us at the door and led us inside.

  "Maddie, what a pleasure," Angelo boomed as he came down the stairs to meet us. In his mid sixties and powerfully energetic, Sirico was a handsome little man with eyes that could be both charming and menacing.

  "Hi, Angie."

  He smiled. "You know you're the only one I let get away with calling me that?"

  "You still think it's cute."

  "You're right, of course," he chuckled, taking my hand. "Come on, let's go jabber. Can I get you anything?"

  "No, thank you."

  "Joe?"

  "I'm fine, thanks."

  "Hmmm, something's up," he whispered in my ear as he led us into the study. "Joe never refuses a drink."

  Joey took a seat next to the door and I slipped into a chair in front of his desk, waiting patiently for him to get settled. His shadow remained standing next to the window. Finally, he seated himself and gave me a serious look.

  "I'm very sorry about Gus, Maddie. I miss him often. I don't know if you're aware of it, but he and I argued many times in the past."

  "I didn't know that."

  "Oh yes, but he always held his ground and wouldn't let me corrupt him," he said fondly. "I respected him greatly for that, although I never told him. I like to think he knew anyway."

  "I'm sure he did."

  "I'm sorry I couldn't convey my personal condolences to you earlier. The funeral wasn't the right time and afterward, Joe informed me that you wouldn't be available."

  "It…it was a bad day."

  "Of course," he said with an understanding nod. "Now, what is it that brings you here so early in the morning?"

  I cleared my throat. "I'd like to talk to you about Sabrina DiCarlo."

  He leaned forward in his chair. "Indeed?"

  "Yes."

  "I'm listening."

  "I'm going to put an end to your vendetta."

  He narrowed his eyes. "That is not your responsibility."

  "I'm making it my responsibility."

  "I won't allow it. Tell me what you know."

  "You'll allow it or I'll kill you right now," I said, going for my gun and extending it toward him over the desk.

  He reared back as if he'd been slapped and Joey bolted to his feet. "Maddie, what the fuck are you doing?" he yelled, but with the same breath, he turned and addressed Sirico's bodyguard. "Chris, you keep your hands where I can see them. If you move on her, I'll tear your goddamn head off."

  "Do you want to talk about it, Angie? Or should I pull the trigger?"

  He stared at me, all traces of kindness gone from his eyes. "I'd ask you if you had any idea what the consequences are for your actions here today, but you know exactly what you're doing, don't you?"

  "Yep."

  He settled back into his chair. "Obviously, I'd be a fool not to hear what you have to say."

  "You're not a fool, Angie."

  He chuckled. "Chris, please wait outside."

  The shadow spoke for the first time. "Are you…?"

  "Wait outside."

  He reluctantly made his way out of the room and Joey slowly sat back down. I holstered my weapon.

  "Alright, Maddie. What's the story?"

  ----------

  I endured a painful, irate lecture in the car, and then suffered though a full-blown tirade as soon as Joey and I returned to his shop. Eventually, he worked himself out of his lather and sat down with a sigh, looking at me expectantly and wanting an explanation. He got one and I told him everything, giving him the details I'd carefully omitted with Sirico. His reaction wasn't disappointing. We spoke for over an hour before I took my leave. I had things to do.

  I made three calls, one to Woody, and one to Sidney Binkowski. The last required a payphone and I didn't have to speak; I just needed confirmation. I hung up as soon as I had it.

  I visited the post office to return Lance's pistol and to drop him a note before heading to a flower shop for roses and finally, I bought a Valentine for Julie Booker that I stamped and tossed in a mailbox.

  My preparations complete, I drove across town and parked three blocks away from the house. It started to rain as I walked up the sidewalk and I flipped my cigarette into the gutter. The front door was locked, but a window in the backyard was easy to break. I stomped my feet and shook the rain from my jacket after I clamored inside.

  I had a few hours before company arrived so I headed for the living room and made myself busy. The gun was surprisingly easy to find. It sat within an antique box decorating a display shelf of assorted knickknacks. A wave of anger washed over me as I stared at the revolver that had killed Gus. I picked it up, ejecting the rounds into my hand.

  I studied the bullets with a quiet rage as I noted the grooves carefully filed into the nose of each one. I put the gun back where I found it and closed the lid. The ammunition I arranged in front of the box, positioning them on the shelf like toy soldiers standing in formation. I wanted them to be noticed.

  The tapes took longer to find, but I knew I'd locate them. The entertainment center held a vast collection of videos, and they were hidden inside the covers of 'Home Alone' and 'Home Alone 2'. They were difficult and heartrending to watch, but I ignored my tears and forced myself to sit through both of them. They found a home on the coffee table when I was finished.

  With nothing left to do, I settled into an armchair and waited. I didn't smoke, and I didn't move, I just waited. I waited for the killer. It wouldn't be long now. I sat there for two hours but the time went by in a seamless blur, it only felt like minutes before I heard the sound of a key unlocking the front door. Footsteps approached and she dumped her purse on the sofa absentmindedly while she browsed through
her mail. It was time to be noticed.

  "Good evening."

  She jumped at the sound of my voice, gasping when her eyes found me seated in her living room. The color drained from her face, but she smiled. It was hard to see it as anything but genuine.

  "Maddie!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

  "Save it, I know everything."

  Her eyes widened and her face paled to a deathly white. I could see her mind racing. She shot a glance at the shelf where her gun lay hidden and cringed at finding my little display. There wasn't an easy out and she knew it, I was curious to see what she would come up with.

  "Sarah, do you know Sabrina DiCarlo?"

  She shook her head.

  "Sabrina is the head of one the most powerful crime families in the country. Seven years ago, she visited your halfway house. You see, she had just lost her father and was the target of a vendetta. She couldn't disappear right away and she needed a few days, what better place to hide than a homeless shelter? She had power and she had wealth, it was the last place anyone would look for a mafia princess."

  "Timing and coincidence is the bitch of it all because around that same time, LaTisha Moreland also came to you for help. But she didn't get it, did she?"

  She could only gawk, the wheels turning furiously behind her eyes.

  "Gus was Sabrina's friend and he just wanted to know if you knew about her, but that's not what you thought. You thought he was digging around after Tish, and when he invited you to his house, you must've panicked when you found Tish as one of the guests. After removing Gus, you decided to eliminate the only other people that could finger you."

  She was getting grip on her fear; I could see it in her eyes.

  "How many women besides Tish, Clarice, and Monica came to you for help, only to be forced into prostitution, Sarah? You don't need nor want the money they earned on their backs. You just wanted power over them. You wanted to use them and keep them broken. You enjoyed their indignity. You get off on it, don't you?"

  I gestured to the tapes on the coffee table. "I've seen your movies. You're a twisted cunt, Sarah. Were you planning on using me the same way?"

  Her mouth opened and closed several times as she struggled for words, they finally came out in hiss. "How?"

  "Tish's real name was Julie Booker, but you knew that. She grew up with an incestuous father, married a brutal prick that wasn't much better, and ended up running away from all of it. She came to you for a helping hand and got nothing but a few more years of abuse."

  "How?" she demanded.

  "When she left her husband, she stayed overnight in Wisconsin. She checked into a room under the name of Marissa Fiore. The name of the stray you gave me when I visited you for the first time. You probably thought it was safe to mention, but how could you know that in the basement of a hotel in Madison, there's a ledger with that name in it. If I hadn't found it, I might never have identified you. Tish was on the run, she was hiding her tracks, but you knew that and used it to your advantage."

  "I have an excellent lawyer, Maddie."

  I chuckled. "You're a killer, Sarah."

  "So?" she yelled. "How many have you killed, Maddie? You probably slaughtered dozens in the war. How many bodies did you fly over?"

  I rose to my feet. "You're right, but what makes a soldier sad, makes a killer smile. I didn't gut shoot anyone and watch as they died painfully with me laughing at them. I did my duty and I didn't enjoy it."

  I let her chew on that as my hand found the small of my back.

  "I spent the first seven years of my life in a French orphanage and the next five in a boarding school. My father was a merchant seaman, a drunk, and a drug addict. I was lucky if he visited me once a year. When he died, I don't think I even managed a frown."

  Moisture stung my eyes. "Gus came for me soon after. He loved me, Sarah. He gave me everything, a home, a family, and a father. He was my Dad, and you took him away from me."

  My hand reappeared holding the little gun and I pointed it at her belly, advancing on her slowly. There was terror in her eyes now, the terror of suddenly knowing that the only jury she was going to see was standing in front of her. There would be no appeal, no pardon, and no escape.

  "He was my hero, you sick bitch."

  I lashed out with all of my strength, using the butt of the gun to strike her in the mouth. She fell to the floor with a cry of pain, holding both hands over her injury. Tears began to stream from her eyes, but she cast a look at me that was nothing if not vicious.

  "You gonna shoot me now, Maddie?" she asked, talking around a mouthful of blood. "Will you be sad when it's done, or will you smile? Which one will you be, the soldier or the killer?"

  "Both," I said, turning my back on her and striding for the door. I undid the locks and opened it a crack before I returned to stand over her.

  "I dreamed about killing you, Sarah. I fantasized about it. I wanted nothing more than to watch as you took your last breath. I wanted to revel in it, savor it. But you know what?"

  She responded by waving a hand in the air; the other was busy wiping blood from her face.

  "If I pulled the trigger on you, I wouldn't be the person that I want to be. Nor would I be the person others want me to be."

  Surprisingly, she laughed. "You're nothing but bullshit, Maddie."

  I arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

  "All your pretty words, and you don't have the guts to follow through. You had me scared for a second there, but I should've known better. You're not sure about anything, even yourself."

  I chuckled. "Until recently, I might have agreed with you."

  As if on cue, the door opened and Jimmy let himself in. He gave me a nod as he approached, and my eyes dropped to see Sarah look at him in confusion.

  "I'd introduce you, but it would be pretty pointless."

  "I… I don't understand."

  I worked up a smile. "Justice doesn't need me to be the executioner, Sarah. I can live with being the emissary," I said, turning to Jimmy when I was finished. "Did Joey explain everything?"

  He opened his jacket and withdrew a heavy revolver. "It'll be done right."

  Her mouth moved to form words, but none were forthcoming. I gave her my full attention.

  "Gus stood up after you shot him. He got up and walked around his desk to get at you. Could you be half as strong or as brave? Tish died on the bathroom floor, a miserable end to a life that had only really just begun. Could you be half as courageous and resilient as she must've been?"

  She started to cry; the tears weak as the knowledge of what was to come washed over her.

  "You could talk to them about it, if only you were going to the same place," I said, holstering my gun and turning for the door. Leaving her alone with Jimmy and a .357 loaded with a single carved round.

  The cold air was a relief and I took a deep breath before heading back to my car. I took my time, driving around aimlessly until it was dark. It was still drizzling when I arrived at my spot on the lakefront, I got out of the car and walked into the long abandoned boathouse and sat down with my legs dangling over the water. This was my secret place. A place I visited when I wasn't sure about things or when I needed to cry and didn't want the comfort of others. I reached for my cell phone.

  "Winters."

  "Hi, Billy."

  "It's about fuckin' time! Where the hell are you?"

  "I'm in town."

  "So what did you learn?"

  "Consider this an anonymous call, Billy."

  A little pause. "Alright, Maddie."

  "At the residence of Sarah Caruso you'll find the murder weapon, the missing tapes, and a cadaver."

  He didn't immediately reply and I closed my eyes. When he did speak, the tears began.

  "Are you okay?"

  "I will be."

  "You ready to tell me about it?"

  "Come to Joey's tomorrow night for dinner. I'll fill you in then."

  "Okay. I'll have to take your gun, people will ask."
r />   "It's clean."

  "Do you need anything?"

  "Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow."

  "You sure?"

  "I'm sure. I'll see you at Joey's."

  "I'll be there, you take care."

  "Bye, Billy."

  I put the phone back in my jacket and buried my head in my hands. I cried for Gus, I cried for Tish, and I cried for me. Life had changed and I hadn't been ready for it.

  Epilogue

  The morning came without sleep and I reluctantly got to my feet, knowing that I had a few more things to look after. I made a phone call and traveled to the cemetery where Tish had been buried. I followed Sidney's instructions to her grave and placed a single rose on the tombstone, mumbled an apology and, feeling as if I were intruding, hurried back to the car.

  My final destination was another cemetery, and I arranged the rest of my flowers for Gus. When I was finished, I spread a blanket on the grass and sat down cross-legged. I took a deep breath and smiled.

  "Hi, Daddy," I said brightly. "I've gotta lot of stuff to talk about. A lot of things have happened since we last spoke..."

  I was still babbling an hour later when the sound of a car door being closed caught my attention. I looked up to see Anabel get out of a taxi and start walking toward me. I watched her approach. She'd be a little while.

  "…Anyway, Glen Porter offered me my old job back, but I'm not going to take it. I've learned that I'm a little too dirty to be a cop and a little too clean to be a good gangster. I guess I'll have to find something in the middle. Can you picture me working at a video store?"

  I chuckled at the image that produced.

  "I wish you had told me, Gus. It would've saved a lot of time. I had to figure it out the hard way..."

  Footsteps became audible and I lowered my voice to a whisper. "…She's almost here now so I guess I'm gonna have to cut this a little short, but you'll be happy to know that I'm gonna take your advice and finally follow my heart. I miss you. Got to go, here she is."

  "Maddie," she said. "Are you okay?"

  "I'm gettin' there. Sorry I was gone so long."

  "You look all worn out," she said, taking a seat next to me on the blanket and leaning over for a kiss.