He shrugged, uncomfortable under the scrutiny. "There's not going to be any charges, if that's what you mean. An investigation. Standard procedure."
"Well, of course. I mean, you saved everybody's life. Frankie's, Amber's." Then she started to cry. His strong girl was crying. The sound ripped through him. She pounded her fists against him. "You jerk. I told you not to do anything."
He didn't try to defend himself, just let her hit him, let her work through all the stuff inside her. Besides, he deserved it.
It was some time later when she finally calmed down.
"Feeling better?" he asked.
She sniffed, took off her glasses and wiped her eyes. "I'm fine. Forget what you saw. I'm just hormonal."
It was bull and he knew it, but he wasn't going to argue. "Michelle, we need to talk. Why don't you sit down?"
Instantly her eyes went alert. Maybe it was the words, maybe it was the tone. She walked over to the chair and sat down, her arms folded across her chest. "Sure, go ahead."
He plunged right in. "I need to get my life in order. There's things I need to do, things I need to fix. I need some space for a while."
She bunked. "You need space? You want to call things off, is that what you're saying?"
He didn't want to, but he would if he had to, if he couldn't be the man she deserved. "No," he lied to her, because he didn't think he'd ever be the man she deserved. "I need time , Michelle."
"You're just all freaked out because of Saturday. Look at me, I cried. Twice. You can't make big decisions until you calm down."
Dominic's hand went to the chain at his neck, but it was gone. "I can learn to live with what I did on Saturday, but I'm not the sharpest tool when it comes to judgment. I shouldn't have set that up on Saturday, but I wanted the case too badly. I let that get in the way of my brain. Now, this isn't a problem that you have, but me? I'm not any good when it comes to making choices."
Her feet hit the floor and she shot up. "I will not let you trash our relationship just because of one mistake."
He looked around the room, avoiding her eyes. Everywhere there were plantsliving, breathing, healthy. plants.
How to make her understand? Helplessly he ran a hand through his hair. "That's not the worst of it. It's not one. It's two, or four. God, I've stopped counting them all. You know, when it's just mewhen I'm not responsible for anybody elseI do okay. But when somebody depends on me, when I need to look out for somebody, my head gets all weird. Please, sit down."
She sat, her eyes blinking quickly. She was starting to get it. "You're just being hard on yourself," she said quietly.
She thought he was being too hard on himself? God's truth, he had never been hard enough. She still thought he was somebody else. Time to open her eyes and show her what twenty-twenty meant. "I'm going to tell you a story that nobody else in this world has heard. It's not leaving this room. You understand?"
Silently she nodded, and he prepared himself. The words rose inside him, battling with the anger. Penitence won.
He swallowed and started to talk. "When I was seventeen, I wasn't the sterling character you see before you. Most of the guys in my neighborhood weren't. I never got caught. I was always too good. And cautious. Other saps took too many risks. Not me." He glanced up, she was watching him. He couldn't face her, so he turned around and started to pace.
"I had these two brothers. Christopher, he was the baby. No trouble at all. And then there was Antonio. Antonio was the middle brother. He was always trying to fit in. He wanted to be tough like me, but he wasn't. He was sharp like you, but he didn't have my street smarts. Anyway, he wanted to learn to hot-wire cars. Wanted to do some joyriding to show off. I taught him. I showed him every goddamned thing I knew. It took two weeks. For two freaking weeks I played the mentor, thinking this was stuff he should know. Kept him from looking like a wimp, you know? I wanted him to fit in. Like me. So, it was all of two nights laterless than forty-eight hours, that's how long it tookfor him to take his very first joyride solo. Unfortunately, a cop spotted him and Antonio ran. He got shot. Antonio Beppe Cordano died in the hospital two days later."
Dominic sank down in the chair across from her and looked at her square-on. He had done right to tell her. To finally confess.
"I've been waiting ten years for someone to condemn me for what I did. I can see it there sitting in your eyes. I kept quiet, because I was scared. I knew I was going to lose everything I had, and I deserved to. I took off for Chicago, not because I was so keen on being an officer of the law. I was just afraid of getting caught."
She sat there, frozen, not giving anything away. Finally, she cut through the icy silence. "Why are you a cop?"
It was an odd question, but he knew the answer. "To make things right. I have to make things right."
"You hate your job?"
"I don't know. I never really thought about it much. It was something I had to do."
"Did you ever think that maybe you were just meant to be a cop?"
"No. And nobody who knew me would think that, either." She was grasping at straws. Not that he didn't understand that, he'd done it, too. "It doesn't matter. I've got things I've got to do. I have to tell my father. I have to fix my screwup with the case."
"You didn't screw up."
"That's your opinion, you're entitled to it. Anyway, it needs to be fixed."
"You'll be back?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said, giving her his best reassuring smile. "Give me time."
He had to come clean with his parents. Fix ten years of lies. He needed to finish the case. Tie up the loose ends of his life. Ends that were starting to unravel on him. He needed to prove to himself that he'd gotten so far entangled in deception that he couldn't find the right way out.
She shot him that arrogant look, but he wasn't fooled. "Don't take too long, Dominic. I won't wait forever. Even for you."
He opened the door, not daring to touch her again. "I know. You remember when you asked me what I was scared of? It's this. I want to be good, I want to do the right things, but I don't know what kind of man I really am. I want to be that man I see when you look at me, Michelle. I have to prove it to myself and to you. But I'm terrified that I'm not that guy. That's what I'm afraid of."
Then he closed the door and left.
Tuesday was hell-day. Mickey didn't want to be there, she wanted to be at home. In bed. With her covers pulled tight over her head. But she had the presentation to get ready for.
One more day.
However, she was a Coleman and could shut her emotions down when necessary.
Right.
She stayed chained to her desk, pounding at her keyboard. Typing up the last of her notes, wishing she could forget.
She kept on typing, pushing herself until she stopped thinking about him, until she could lose herself in the stars, until she was so tired she couldn't move. Only then did she rise from her chair, stiff and sore. As a reward for actually being productive while suffering from severe depression, she called Beth.
"Where are you?" Mickey asked, noting the background noise.
"I'm with Cassandra at Brick's."
"I'll be over there in half an hour. Save me a seat, huh?"
She didn't bother to change. She wasn't going to meet men, wasn't going to drink herself into oblivion. She was only going to convince herself that all life as she had known it was not completely over.
As she walked in the door, she heard the loud voices, the heavy bass music. So far, so good. Life was carrying on. If all these people were having such a good time, so could she.
Beth and Cassandra had a table in the corner.
"Where's Jessica?" asked Mickey, even though she knew the answer.
"She had to get in bed early tonight," answered Cassandra with an elegant shrug.
Mickey felt that long sword of jealousy rip through her. She thought she'd found her own true love, but no, he had to go find himself.
"How was the dinner on Saturday?" asked
Beth.
"Good," lied Mickey, because she couldn't tell them. Somewhere between Saturday and today she had changed. Now she was a little harder, a little stronger, and a lot less dependent on anybody else.
So she smiled a tight smile and everybody bought it.
The waitress came by and asked Mickey what she wanted to drink. She considered all options, thinking that 110-proof oblivion was exactly what she needed, but she had given Dominic her word.
Did she owe him her loyalty?
"Just some tonic water with lime."
Beth raised her eyebrows. "Going a little lightweight, aren't we?"
"I made a promise," said Mickey. And for another two excruciating hours, she suffered through the pain of pretending that everything was fine. That life was wonderful and rosy.
Finally she couldn't do it anymore, so she faked a yawn, talked about the big day she had tomorrow and went home to sleep in her bed. All alone.
On Wednesday, she avoided calling her father. If he showed, great. If not, what did it matter? Although she kept her cell phone set on loud, just in case.
Dr. Heidelman had arrived and was making the rounds, meeting with Dr. Romanowski and then Dr. Meyerson.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Romanowski had brought him by, making the introductions. This was her big moment, and she remembered her manners.
The day dragged on, but finally two o'clock came around. She scanned the huge auditorium, looking for the familiar face of her father. The discreetly balding pate, the stubborn chin, the arrogant eyes just like hers.
He wasn't there.
She decided to wait a few more minutes. Surely he would show. At two-fifteen, Dr. Romanowski hinted that she really needed to start, but then her cell phone vibrated. Caller ID showed UNAVAILABLE.
About time . She found a quiet place to take the call, but the only thing she heard was silence.
Frigging technology.
"Hello? Dad, can you hear me? I can't hear anything on your end. Where are you? You're supposed to be here. Remember? Not that I really care or anything Try and make it, okay?"
Then she hung up. Hopefully he got the message.
Dominic listened to the words, not daring to breathe. This was her big moment and she was all alone. He hadn't meant to call, but he wanted to say good luck. Wanted to tell her that he was sorry. Instead, he sat there like a moron, eating up the sound of her voice.
He checked his watch. Not much time left. One quick phone call to the station, and he was on his way.
So far, he hadn't fixed any of his own mistakes, but he sure as hell could fix somebody else's.
Things were going well for Mickey. Nobody had fallen asleepyetand Dr. Heidelman looked impressed.
Just when she got to the middle section, the doors in the back opened and her father walked in. She stumbled in midsentence, but recovered.
About time.
He went down to the front row and sat. Then he smiled at her, and she felt all of six years oldall over again. Sometimes a girl needed her father. Right now, Mickey didn't have anybody else.
So she focused on talking to him, explaining about the formulas that her team had derived for estimating the density of the different parts of the galaxy. Showed the charts of their work. The more she talked, the more he smiled.
Maybe astrophysics wasn't heart surgery, but it was her love.
She ended up with fifteen minutes for questions and answers, but no hands sprang up. Mickey coughed nervously. Finally, Chaobless herraised her hand in the back. Then Heidelman had two questions about the effect of Minkowski on their derivation, and she handled it flawlessly.
All in all, it could have been better, but everyone clapped at the end, including Heidelman. And her father was beaming. She took a little bow, pushed her glasses up on the ridge of her nose and smiled.
She had done good.
Dominic edged back out into the shadows. He shouldn't have stayed, but he wanted to see her. Wanted to hear her use all those big words, and describe concepts that he didn't have a clue about.
She loved what she did. It was there in the glow in her eyes, the vibrancy in her voice. She'd found her dreams. His heart warmed to that. She deserved to find them.
He took one last look at the lab, one last look at the place where the stars came to earth. Then he turned around and headed home. This wasn't where he belonged.
"You were late," Mickey told her father, not wanting it to sound like an accusation but, well, it was. She picked up the last of her notes from the podium.
He had the grace to blush. "I was remiss. Karen wanted me to look at a new couch. I didn't think it would take four hours. What woman takes four hours to buy a couch?"
Mickey decided to tackle the primary issue head-on. "Am I going to meet this Karen? You've been keeping secrets from me, Dad."
He quirked an eyebrow. "I'm not the only one keeping secrets. You didn't tell me you were seeing someone. An officer of the law?"
Mickey blinked. "How did you know?"
"I was nearly arrested this afternoon for not attending my daughter's presentation. I got a long lecture and a rather alarming ride in his car. But I certainly approve."
Dominic had been here . "What did he say?"
"Beyond the lecture?"
Mickey nodded, her heart thumping in her chest. Calm down, don't jump to conclusions.
"He said that you were friends."
Friends. The f-word. But that didn't make sense. "Why did you think we were involved?"
Her father shook his head knowingly, just like Mickey did sometimes when she wanted to show off her superior intellect.
"I'm a heart surgeon, Michelle. Nobody knows the human heart better than I. The man's in love with my daughter. And how can I hold that against him? I love her myself."
Mickey blinked twice, letting the words seep through her. Part of her wanted to hope, part of her knew better, but she was done listening to her heart. He wanted her?
He was going to have to prove it. She wasn't about to hurt that way again.
Then her dad threaded her arm through his and they went out to dinner together. They would never have one of the world's greatest father-daughter relationships, they were too much alike. But still, it was a start.
Dominic made another phone call and on Saturday night, he went back to the fountains at Grant Park.
Frankie watched him, his eyes cold. "People will think we're together."
Dominic sniffed. "That's crap. I would never be seen with somebody as butt-ugly as you. I need to tell you something, Frankie. I'm a cop."
And there it was. The truth. Lightning didn't strike him, the world didn't end.
As gambles went, it was a big one, but Dominic was still betting on his instincts, unwise as that might be.
"I knew you were a cop, right at the first moment I laid eyes on you."
The night was warm, and Dominic leaned over the railing, the overspray cooling his face. "No way. No way, man."
"Yup. It's that tight ass of yours. Only cops walk like that."
Dominic shot him a "like hell" look. "You didn't know until I told you."
"Screw you."
For a long time they were silent, but Dominic was there for a reason. "What are you going to do, Frankie? There's evidence. It's not great, but it'll stand up in court."
Frankie watched the water. "You going to testify against me, Dominic the Cop?"
"I don't want to."
"Then you shouldn't."
Maybe at one time Dominic could have cut corners, but not anymore. Now he was testing himself. So far, things were going okay. "I can't do that, either. Do me a favor and I'll do one for you."
"What do you want?"
"Give me the alderman. I want his name. It's the last piece of the case. I'll fix everything else for you. Witness protection. You give the Feds a few cigarette smugglers and an accountant and they'll be ready to kiss your ass."
Frankie laughed. "A pissant alderman? Why is that so important to you? AH
the politicoes, they're just chump change."
Dominic stuck his hands in his pocket and looked Frankie in the eye. "No, they're not. They're supposed to be doing right, supposed to be representing the good people of Chicago, not taking them. They've got to be punished."
Frankie sighed. "It's Malloy."
"You'll testify to that?"
"Yeah. He took some kickbacks on the highway construction project. Gave it to DeFalco's company for a fee. Now it's your turn. I want a place in Florida. On the beach. And you have to find a job for Amber. Maybe a librarian or something. I bet she's good at that."
"You going to start over?"
"You bet your tight ass."
Dominic held up a warning finger. "Don't be looking at my ass, Frankie. I don't like it when guys check out my ass."
Frankie rubbed his hands together and laughed. "Dominic, you are such a cop."
A new life . It sounded sweet, but Dominic didn't want a new life. He wanted his old one with some minor modifications. "You think guys can really start over?"
When Frankie looked over at Dominic, his eyes held something there. It was hope, and redemption. "I'm betting on it. I found something good. Ain't nobody going to rip it away from me. You know?"
Dominic nodded. "Yeah. I know."
Two days later he called. She had been expecting itmaybe. She'd even practiced keeping her voice calm and subdued, like she was okay with everything.
He wanted to meet her over on the abandoned ball field. She did set one condition. A challenge of sorts. She didn't have him slaying Hydras or stealing golden apples, but it was tough. If he wanted her, he was going to have to workand work hard.
She pulled out one of her bimbo outfits. The bustier and the miniskirt. Just to let him know what he'd been missing, because she wasn't stupid.
At nine-fifteen she found herself walkingactually struggling to walk in the tall heelsover to the abandoned field. She had made sure she was fifteen minutes late.
Tonight was just like the night she'd fallen in love with him. The early-summer wind blew from the east, the moon was just a silver sliver in the sky and the stars were winking like spilled glitter. It was perfect.
It Should Happen to You Page 16