Beautiful Regret

by MJ Nightingale

  Gio briefly though about Albert as he approached the defense table. He wasn't surprised that Albert Rasmussen hadn't shown up for this, or any of the other blue bloods in his clan. Too good for this type of thing, and his family definitely wouldn't want to rub elbows with the lowly at such a proceeding. They'd show for a trial, that's for sure. They'd take turns and provide plenty of damning evidence at testimony to seal Lisa's fate, put the nails in her coffin one at a time. They'd also give the press perfectly crafted speeches and express shock and disappointment at all the right times. That's who they were. But secretly, Gio had been hoping to run into Albert. He knew seeing him would have put a damper on his plans to destroy his soon to be ex-wife.

  But alas, Albert hadn't shown his face. He was probably waiting for just the right moment to make his appearance.

  The defense attorney snapped his brief case shut and looked up just as Gio and Vinnie stepped beside his table.

  "Hello. Can I help you?" he asked smoothly cocking his head to the side and lifting one eyebrow. He was young, Gio noticed, probably his own age. Tall too. He looked eye to eye on Gio, raising an eyebrow to remind Gio he was waiting for an answer. Gio assessed the man in front of him before speaking. His suit and manners spoke quality, but Go sensed something off. He couldn’t put his finger on it, yet.

  "I'm Gio Marino." He offered the attorney his hand which he clasped firmly.

  "Ah, yes. I got your message. Sorry you were delayed. I should have recognized you. I took some classes with Blaze. I’m Alex Rodriguez, Lisa’s attorney."

  "Thank you,” Gio acknowledged the apology, but continued. He was hoping that the attorney had asked the judge for concessions, since the bondsmen was on the way. “I am ready to take care of the bond though."

  "Are you?" The attorney's eyebrow arched.

  Uh-oh. That did not bode well. Gio recognized the sign and the gleam in the attorney's eyes. He just nodded preparing himself for the worse. "How much?"

  "A million."

  Gio didn't flinch. He didn't ask questions either. He and his brothers would need to put up ten percent. He would make a call and have the money wired over. They'd need to make sure Lisa didn't run either. He went to turn when a hand on his arm stopped him. It was the Lisa’s attorney.

  "Yes?" Now it was Gio’s turn to arch his eyebrow.

  The attorney smiled and lifted his briefcase back to the table. "Mrs. Rasmussen gave me a check to give to you. Please," he encouraged Gio to wait.

  "She gave you enough to post the bond?” he questioned.

  "Mrs. Rasmussen gave me a blank check. Told me to give it to you, and you were to fill it out in the amount you would need." Gio had a million questions now, but he'd need to ask them of Lisa. He took the proffered check and again began to leave with Vinnie on his heels.

  Again the attorney stopped him with an arm on his shoulder. “Please Mr. Marino. A word.” Gio turned and faced him. He didn’t want to dally, was hoping to catch Lisa before she was transferred. “I told the judge, you were on the way, and they are holding her across the street for one hour. The judge was delighted to hear that you were posting the bond, it seemed. She gave specific instructions.”

  Gio was relieved he wouldn’t have extra paperwork to do, but these special instructions from a female judge, well, he knew that was not good.

  Alex noticed Gio wince, but continued. “The judge, well, she left unusual instructions.” Gio winced again confirming Alex’s suspicions. Gio had quite the reputation, and Alex knew from his research and stories that he’d heard from Blaze, that Gio had been involved with his client. His own interest in Lisa had been piqued years ago, and he had hoped for more. But she had shut him down. Now they kept their relationship on a professional level.

  Gio knew two female judges. He had slept with one. “And they are?” Gio asked, seeing the smirk on the attorney’s face getting larger at his discomfort.

  The attorney clarified. He cleared his throat first. "Well, because Mrs. Rasmussen is a woman of means, although the bulk of her assets will be frozen at midnight per the judge’s orders, part of the court order and guarantee of bail was that Mrs. Rasmussen be in your sole custody and be restricted from going near Rasmussen properties or Johnny Rasmussen, the minor child. The judge directed me to tell you this personally. It seems,” again with the voice clearing, “she knew you?" Alex tried to play it cool, but couldn’t help but add, “A very strange request.”

  Gio’s eyebrows arched. Please not Ronda, please not Ronda, Gio thought before asking, "Who was the judge?"

  "I believe her name was O'Malley. The Honorable Ronda O'Malley."

  As much as Gio didn't want to reveal too much, Ronda fucking O’Malley was a ball-breaker, and it just slipped out. "Fuck!" Fuck was right. Could his day get any worse?

  Gio headed to the police station right across the street, and he was there within ten minutes. In fact, it was where he and Andreas had worked together. Lisa was being held at the lock up until a transfer could be arranged back to Rikers. He hoped to get to her before the transfer happened.

  Walking into his old station was like a blast from the past, and he recognized many of the faces; it had been only two years after all. The desk sergeant smiled broadly as he approached. Bobby Gunn was a good guy. Forty years on the job, and twenty since he'd been shot and assigned to the desk. His arm had never fully recovered full range of motion, but Bobby never let that get him down. He was just happy to be of use.

  "Whoa, look what the cat dragged in?" Bobby's surprised expression was mirrored by his boisterous booming voice as he came around the counter, lifting part of the front desk to make his way through. Others in the precinct looked up and called out their own greetings.

  "It's nice to see you, Bobby. When the hell are you going to retire?" Gio laughed as the man gave him a very strong one armed bear hug slapping him on the back.

  "Oh God, never. The grand kids get dropped off nearly every day. This job keeps me sane."

  "Right!" Gio laughed again. Other employees passing by called out to the duo in front of the massive desk, but most scurried on their way to their desks and went right back to work as Gio waved hello in their directions or as they passed. Andreas’ old partner, before Gio made detective winked, and went back to questioning someone sitting at his desk. Gio knew from his years here that this was very much a working precinct. Their old captain ran a tight ship, and they had one of the best records in the city.

  "Listen, Bobby," Gio interrupted Bobby's tale about one of his grand kids, "Sorry to cut this short, but I'm actually here to post bail for Lisa Rasmussen. Her lawyer said she was brought here waiting for transport to Rikers."

  "Oh shit. I just called that in. I'll cancel it." He rushed behind the desk closing the gate behind him and picked up the desk phone. His fingers flew across a key board at the same time tapping out numbers Gio couldn't see from this angle.

  "Yup, it's me again. Listen, cancel the transport for the Rasmussen woman. She's making bail and we can release her here . . . Ok thanks. Yup, you got it." He hung up the phone and began pulling out papers that were in front of him in hidden cubby holes. "All set. Here is the paperwork you'll need to fill out, then it's gotta be sent to the clerk’s office. I can fax it for you, but you'll need to hoof it to the comptrollers with the check."

  "Same place?" Gio asked, grabbing the papers from Bobby's out stretched hands.

  "Yup, same place. You can fill those out over there.” He pointed to a desk across the atrium and Gio began to head that way.

  It took Gio nearly thirty minutes to get all the paperwork filled out, and Bobby was dealing with someone when he was finished. He waited as patiently as he could while Bobby talked down an angry mother who was there to claim her son who'd been thrown in the drunk tank.

  When an officer came to get her, Bobby apologized for the delay. But he took Gio’s papers and told him to go on ahead to the comptrollers. He'd have the papers faxed and taken care of before Gio made the ten minute trek.
It was in the building next door, but they were attached by a walk way on the third floor. He just needed to walk through an incessant number of corridors to get there. The clerk’s office was a maze of intricate turns in the monolithic building. "Thanks, Bobby." Gio nodded and set off.

  "Just head back over here with the receipt, and I'll have the release papers ready for you when you return," Bobby called out to Gio’s already retreating back.

  "Thanks," he called back over his shoulder.

  Gio had some time to kill while waiting for Lisa. It hadn't gone as quickly as he hoped, but once he got word from Bobby that all the paperwork was in, he still had some time to wait. Lisa was being informed of her release now and she would be brought to a room to change into her personal belongings.

  That gave Gio at least ten minutes, and he decided to catch up with Andreas's old partner, Ricky Sylvester. Although they had only been partnered together for three years, they had still worked in the same department, and had maintained a close relationship and friendship. Ricky still worked vice. He brought up the old case involving Gio’s parents, and the Rosedale Romeo. He informed Gio that he still spent some time each month looking at unsolved crimes in the nation to see if the murderer would become active again. So far he was still coming up empty. The Romeo had gone cold turkey since he had managed to escape their clutches when they had tightened the noose around him.

  "Yeah, Andreas still looks too." Gio nodded. His brother would never completely give up his attempt to solve that crime. It was his one obsession.

  One piece of new knowledge that Ricky revealed to Gio was that he’d just remarried. Ricky and his previous wife had divorced five years ago. Lack of time at home had put a strain on their marriage. But his new wife was also a detective and got him, he smiled in the telling. She was also his new partner. They'd been working together for a year now. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon. Gio congratulated him and asked him if Andreas knew.

  "Nah, I haven't told him yet. Me and Penny have been keeping it on the down low for quite some time. It just kind of happened." Gio was just finishing congratulating Ricky when the door behind the Sergeant’s desk opened. And there she was, Lisa, with her fiery hair coming to rest past her shoulders. That hair, like silk, still took his breath away.

  Ricky noticed Gio’s sudden quiet, and shook his head. He knew Gio had gone to hell and back with Lisa once upon a time. He hoped him helping her out of this mess didn't get him all tangled up emotionally again.

  "Okay buddy, I see you got your hands full, but give my best to Andreas and the others. I'll let you get on with it. I know you got a lot to do. But if you need anything just give me a call."

  "Will do. Thanks, Ricky." Gio gave Ricky his hand and they shook briefly before Gio turned and made his way towards Lisa.

  Lisa had already spotted him, but she remained rooted to the spot waiting for him to approach her. Despite the noise and activity going on in the precinct, it felt like she was in a vacuum, and at the end of the tunnel was Gio. He still looked good, better in fact. He was no longer the boy she once loved. He was bigger, broader. And even more devastatingly handsome. The only difference in his face were a few small lines and the dour expression. Happy go lucky Gio, it seemed, didn't exist anymore. And she knew she was a big reason for that haunted look upon his face. She hated having to put him into this legal mess and calling him for help. But she had no choice. Johnny's life was on the line, and so was hers. And for that matter Gio’s could be too, once Albert found out he was helping her. She vowed to herself that she would try desperately to rectify at least some of the past.

  "Lisa." Gio’s one word of greeting was done with a brief curt nod.

  "Thank you, Gio. You've never let me down." The words sounded trite but they were true. When he hadn’t been in the courtroom she panicked, but then the message came that he was coming, but would just be late. Relief swept through her. She needed to be out of jail, not only to build her case and prove her innocence, but she needed to get Johnny out of Albert’s clutches. He never spent much time with her son, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try something now. She also had a lot more to tell Gio. Working up the courage to do just that was difficult. Her apologies would be sincere, but even if he never forgave her, she knew she could at least finally give him the truth. That's all that mattered now.

  "Well, let's go.” Gio spoke the words, and turned expecting her to follow. He called over his shoulder as she caught up with him, “I haven't been able to rent a car yet, so we'll have to take the train."

  Lisa nodded. "Where we headed?" she asked. She'd been in the courtroom when the judge had issued her special instructions. She was to be taken charge of by Gio. Yet another reason for him to resent her. She didn't bring that up. When the judge had spoken those words, and her lawyer looked at her funny, Lisa sat quietly. Judge O’Malley, she knew, had been one of Gio’s conquests after she had married Albert. He had quite a long list from the rumors she had heard. And although it had pained her each time someone dropped a name in her presence, she understood. She had no rights to him anymore, held no claim on his heart.

  Gio’s response was a grunt and then an explanation. "My parents’ place in Rosedale. It's close enough to the city but far enough away from . . . Er, Albert."

  Lisa nodded, but Gio didn't see that. He was headed to the doors that led back out onto the street. Lisa followed.

  Wordlessly they slipped out of the precinct and down the flight of stairs onto the sidewalk below. She continued to follow Gio down the block to the corner, so they could catch the subway and then eventually the train leading out to the island. It wouldn't take long. Rosedale was just outside of the city.

  In the subway, Gio paid the ticket taker behind the bulletproof glass for two tickets also purchasing the train tickets at the same time. She was about to offer her own funds but he just indicated with a swish of his hand that he would take care of it. She had some money on her. She had plenty in the bank too, but had been informed by the judge that her assets would be frozen as she posed a flight risk.

  She'd known that was coming ahead of time. She had enough to cover the bail in one of her bank accounts and also her attorney’s fees which she had paid up front. She had also taken out as much cash as she could knowing she’d need some walking around money until her trial and her vindication. Her small purse carried all that she had. About $6000 in cash. She also had a few pieces of jewelry she could hock if she needed to. Her allowance, one hundred thousand a year during the course of her marriage, was now frozen. But that didn’t bother her. She had hardly touched the Rasmussen blood money preferring to live comfortably, but not ostentatiously either.

  The subway was crowded and they had to stand. But it was only four stops until they reached the train station.

  The wait for the train wasn't long either, only five minutes. Gio busied himself on his phone, and she stood silently not knowing what to say. When the train arrived, there were plenty of seats. The commuters wouldn't be heading home for another hour. It was just 4:30.

  The train ride into Rosedale she knew from long experience was less than half an hour. She was surprised when they got off the train, how quickly the time had passed. Again Gio was silent for the whole trip. He took the seat across from her on the aisle and busied himself on his phone. She reminded herself to pick up a charger for her own when she was able. She spent her time looking out the high-speed train windows watching the city fly by thinking about her son, their son, and she knew one of the first things she had to do was to tell Gio about Johnny. It was going to be a very painful conversation. And still she had no idea how to start.

  When the train reached their destination, Gio was up before the train stopped moving and got a dirty look from one of the conductors for those actions. Once the train finally stopped, Lisa got up with her small bag strapped over her shoulder. She followed Gio out the sliding doors and down the steps that lead to the parking area. It was a ten minute walk to Gio’s house from her
e.

  Gio walked briskly and she had to rush to keep up with his much longer strides. She wasn't short either. At five foot nine, her legs just managed to keep up with his brisk pace. Just before turning onto the block that Gio's parent’s house was on, and her own, there was a convenience store. Gio spoke to her for the first time. "We need to stop in here and get some supplies. I haven't had time to shop."

  Lisa nodded and then Gio turned once again with Lisa on his heels. They walked down the few aisles of grocery products this convenience store supplied and Gio threw staples into the basket he carried. Once he was able to rent a car tomorrow, he figured he do a better job of grocery shopping. They needed a few things for tonight and tomorrow morning. But getting a car was important, he reminded himself. He needed to bring Lisa by her attorney’s in the afternoon. That meant another trip back into Manhattan.

  He watched as Lisa grabbed a few items, as well as the personal products she would need, and he also noted she was carrying a basket of her own. He just shook his head and turned away not wanting to be caught staring.

  In his basket, he threw in pasta, canned tomatoes, sauce. Easy fixings for him. Lisa continued to trail behind him and he avoided looking at her or making small talk.

  "Let's get out of here. I'll come back tonight after I take stock of what we have," Gio muttered angrily. He hadn't meant the words to come out so harsh but just knowing that he was stuck with Lisa for however long was really beginning to get under his skin. Being alone with her also scared the hell out of him.

  "Okay," she replied, softly trailing behind Gio. He hadn't even bothered to turn back or make eye contact with her the whole time they had been shopping. She knew all the reasons why. And yet there was still so much more to tell him. She didn't expect his forgiveness, but hoped someday he would at least understand.