by C Paradee
Looking in the mirror once more, Megan answered, "Yes," and walked out of the bathroom.
"You look nice," Tony said, smiling at her partner.
Megan was wearing a pair of wine colored slacks and an off-white blouse. She had put on a pair of gold earrings with a matching rope style necklace.
Tony had donned a pair of white slacks and a teal V-neck pullover. A silver chain adorned her neck. She would have rather worn jeans, but Megan wanted to wear something a little less casual to meet her mother in, and knowing how nervous she was Tony had decided to dress in kind.
Megan smiled at the compliment before her thoughts turned once again to the upcoming evening. "Well… I guess we should get going," Megan said after looking at the clock. The last thing she wanted to do was be late.
Arriving promptly at 5pm, Rosa opened the door and invited them in.
"Mom, this is Megan. Megan, this is my mother, Rosa," Tony said smiling, while unobtrusively watching her mother.
"Hi," Megan said smiling. Looking at Tony’s mother she could see the family resemblance. Both had blue eyes and black hair, but there the similarity ended. Tony had high cheekbones, fuller lips and a smaller nose. Rosa was quite attractive in her own way, though.
"Hi Megan." Rosa smiled at her guest. She took in the beautiful woman with blonde hair highlighted with red, and soft hazel eyes. She was a little thing, but well proportioned and there was a warm smile on her face.
"Why don’t you both have a seat? Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes."
"Need any help?" Tony asked.
"No. I’ve got everything under control. Do you two want something to drink while you’re waiting?" asked Rosa.
"No thank you," Megan said followed by "No thanks," from Tony.
Rosa went back to the kitchen leaving her guests to entertain themselves for a few minutes.
"Your mother’s pretty," Megan said to Tony.
Tony smiled, "I think so too, but I may be a little prejudiced."
Tony noticed Megan’s hands clasped in her lap. Putting her hand over Megan’s she said, "Hey, relax."
Megan smiled at her partner. "I’m trying. I’m just a little nervous," Megan said and thought, yeah right. Try very nervous.
"There’s no need to be," Tony said reassuringly.
Tony was surprised at how comfortable she was. It just seemed right to be here at her mother’s house with her partner. A few months ago if anyone had said there was ever any possibility of this, she would have laughed it off. Life is strange sometimes, she acknowledged silently. But this time in a good way.
Megan looked around the living room. It was decorated simply, but felt warm and cozy. The furniture was old but well cared for. There were little knickknacks in a shadowbox on the wall. On a shelf across the room there were three pictures. Focusing on them, Megan recognized a younger version of Tony and two boys. She knew they had to be Tony’s brothers. All three were quite different in appearance, yet the family resemblance was apparent.
Rosa bustled around the kitchen. Taking the lasagna out of the oven, she placed it on the table on a couple of hotplates. She had already set the table and prepared the salad ahead of time. She was looking forward to chatting with her daughter and her friend. Taking out a couple bottles of salad dressing, she called out, "It’s ready," and waited for her guests to join her at the table.
"This is really good," Megan said smiling over at Rosa.
"Sure is," Tony agreed.
"Thank you," Rosa said. Directing her attention to Megan she said, "Tony tells me you’re the Assistant Coroner in Cleveland. How did you get interested in that line of work?"
"One of my classmates was murdered when I was in college. That’s when I decided that I wanted to do my part to help stop the senseless violence. I felt I could do that in forensic pathology."
Rosa listened to Megan and heard the passion in her voice when she spoke about her job. It was obvious she had a good heart. She seemed so young for a job like that.
"Do you come from a large family?"
"Well… I have two sisters and one brother. I never thought of our family as large though."
"They must be very impressed to have a sister who is a doctor," Rosa commented.
Megan blushed. "No, not really. Charles is an attorney just like Dad, Ashley is a CPA and Taylor has an MBA."
Tony looked at her partner and said, "I think Megan’s being a little modest. She was credited with finding out how a serial killer was murdering his victims. No one else had been able to figure it out."
Megan thought, I’m gonna kill her. Looking at Rosa, she said, "Your daughter was credited with solving the case and made the front page of the newspaper."
"So did you," Tony retorted.
Rosa looked from one to the other and started chuckling. It had been so long since young people had been around. It felt good.
Tony and Megan looked at Rosa. "What are you laughing at?" Tony asked.
"You two," Rosa said smiling.
Megan and Tony answered a multitude of questions during the meal. Megan found Rosa easy to talk to, and had relaxed enjoying the dinner. Her outgoing nature reasserted itself and she often gave elaborate answers to Rosa’s delight.
When they were finished eating, Rosa said, "I made cannolis for dessert. Anyone want one?"
Tony’s mouth watered. Not only had her mother made her favorite meal but also her favorite dessert. "I do."
Rosa smiled when she saw the delighted look on Tony’s face. It was so good to have her daughter back again.
Megan had never had a cannoli and had no idea exactly what it was other than a dessert, but judging by Tony’s reaction, she was willing to try it. She had a weakness for desserts anyway. "I’d like one too, please."
Megan took a bite of the Italian delicacy. It was delicious. The pastry shell was filled with a blend of cheese, chocolate and fruit.
She and Tony both consumed two of them before helping Rosa clear the table and retiring to the living room.
Rosa sat in her favorite chair facing Megan and Tony on the couch. She had decided to be blunt. This was a personality trait her daughter shared.
"Tony said you took care of her when she was injured. What happened?" Rosa asked.
Megan glanced over at Tony who just shrugged her shoulders. Ok, where to start. "We were working on a serial murder case together. Tony had only been in Cleveland a few days and she was stabbed when we were investigating the area the murders occurred in," Megan said, trying to be honest but not wanting to embarrass Tony.
Rosa turned her attention to her daughter, "You were stabbed?"
"It was just a fluke. The guy got lucky," Tony hedged. "It was no big deal."
Rosa looked pointedly at her daughter. "No big deal huh? Have you been wounded before?"
Oh God. How do I get out of this one? "A couple of times, but never anything serious," Tony said knowing her comment was not entirely accurate, but she’d come out ok, so her mother really didn’t need to know the details.
Rosa had a feeling Tony was down playing her answer but decided to let it slide for now. Turning to Megan, she said, "Tony tells me she loves you."
Tony’s eyes widened and she had to stop her mouth from dropping open. "Mom," she said in a cautioning voice.
"Tony, I want to talk to Megan about this. You told me you love her." Directing her attention back to Megan, she asked, "Do you love Tony?"
Megan had become very uncomfortable. It just seemed so strange to be talking to Tony’s mother about her feelings. But this was a question she could answer easily.
Meeting Rosa’s eyes, she said, "Yes I do. More than I ever believed possible." Glancing at Tony, she continued, "I can’t imagine life without her."
Tony smiled at Megan and relaxed a little. Even though she and her mother had already had this conversation, she had not wanted her partner to feel uncomfortable. But it looked like Megan was handling it just fine.
Rosa met Megan’s eyes and what sh
e saw there wiped any doubt about this woman’s commitment to Tony from her mind. She was also surprised to find that she liked Megan. She had been prepared not to.
Rosa was a religious woman, but she knew that God would never condemn two people for loving each other. Setting aside years of religious indoctrination, she made a decision.
"Well then I’m happy for both of you. But you do know you have chosen a path that will not be easy."
Megan and Tony both nodded, acknowledging the truth of the words. "We know that and we’ve talked about it," Tony said to her mother. "But it’s the right path for us and that’s what really matters."
"Yes it is," Rosa agreed.
"So Tony… how about telling me about some of your adventures?"
The rest of the evening passed quickly.
Tony looked at her mother and said, "The cab is probably here. We should get going." She had insisted on calling a cab because of the late hour.
Tony paused and then added, "Mom, I want to go to the cemetery while we’re here. Would you come with us?"
Rosa looked at Tony and said warmly, "Of course I will."
"We could meet you here at 9am," Tony said.
"How about if I pick you up from the hotel at 9am?" Rosa asked. "There’s no reason for you to have to take a cab here first."
"Ok. Thanks."
Tony and Megan stood up and walked to the door. Turning around Tony hugged her Mom and said, "Thanks. Dinner was great. We’ll see you in the morning."
Megan said, "It was nice meeting you. Thanks for dinner." Before she had a chance to turn around, she found herself being hugged by Tony’s mother.
Rosa said, "It was nice meeting you too, Megan. See you both in the morning."
* * *
Barbara was frustrated. Every time she called Megan’s number the answering machine picked up. It was 10pm, and it didn’t make sense that she wasn’t home yet. And it didn’t help matters that Charles kept insisting she keep trying.
Knowing that Megan and Ashley kept in close contact, Barbara decided to call her oldest daughter.
."Hello," Ashley said, placing the phone between her shoulder and her ear while taking the twins’ clothes out of the dryer.
Sitting down, Barbara said, "Hi. How are the kids?"
Surprised to her from her mother this late, Ashley said, "Hi Mom. They’re fine. Let me tell you bedtime didn’t come soon enough tonight. I don’t know where they get all their energy from."
Barbara laughed and said, "They take after their mother. You were quite a handful yourself."
Ashley snorted, "Yeah right. Why is it that all mothers love to tell their daughters that?"
Still chuckling, Barbara said, "Because it’s true. But the reason I called is because I have been trying to get a hold of Megan all evening and there’s no answer."
So that's why she's calling now. "She’s on vacation. She’ll be back tomorrow or the next day. I forget which."
Barbara was surprised. "Megan actually took a vacation? I can’t believe it. She hasn’t taken vacation since she started that job."
"I know. It’s about time she took some time off," Ashley agreed, preparing herself for the questions that were sure to follow.
"Where’d she go?" Barbara couldn't believe Megan hadn't even mentioned taking a vacation to her.
"She went to D.C. with a friend of hers," Ashley said, still expertly holding the phone while folding clothes.
"What friend? Has she met someone finally? It’s about time." Barbara said pleased.
Ashley smiled to herself, thinking, Oh yeah Mom. She sure has. But you’re going to go off the deep end when you find out.
"She went with the FBI agent she met while working on that murder case. What did you want her for anyway?" Ashley said, attempting to redirect the focus of the conversation.
"Your father wants her to come over for dinner. I showed him the articles in the paper. He’s really proud of her."
Ashley rolled her eyes. Yeah right. "You mean she finally did something he approves of? I can’t believe it."
"Ashley!" Her oldest daughter could be so impertinent.
The way Ashley saw it, she was only stating a known fact. "Well it’s true."
Deciding to ignore the last comment, Barbara said, "Well if you talk to her before I do, tell her I’ve been trying to get a hold of her."
"Ok. Mom." Ashley said. Once she finished with the clothes, she planned to call and leave a message for Megan so she could give her fair warning.
"Bye."
"Bye," Ashley said before laying down the phone. Her thoughts turned briefly to her younger sister and she smiled remembering how happy Megan had been when she told her they were going on vacation.
* * *
Sherman walked into the Renaissance Hotel carrying his suitcase and approached the desk in the lobby.
"Can I help you?" the desk clerk asked looking up.
"Yes. I have reservations for Scott O’Malley," Sherman said. He took a Visa card out of his wallet and handed it to the woman assisting him.
Once the paperwork was completed, he took the key he was given and headed for the second floor. Entering the room, he laid the suitcase on the bed and began unpacking his clothes. Finishing, he took out a map he had picked up before exiting the turnpike. Sitting at the table, he unfolded it and began locating the streets he had written down in his notes from Viglioni’s file.
After he located the street the hotel was on, Sherman circled it and began looking for Edgewater Drive. He found it in a suburb called Lakewood and circled it. Taking a yellow highlighter, he marked the route from his hotel to the newly marked street on the map, carefully noting that it could be reached off the Route 2 expressway. Next he looked at the downtown area searching for East 9th Street. The Federal Building was located on this street and Sherman knew this housed the local FBI office. He marked the shortest route from the hotel to the Federal Building mentally noting it was within walking distance. Committing the directions to memory, he folded up the map and put it in his rear pocket. It would be handy to keep in the car just in case he needed it.
It was still early and not wanting to waste time, Sherman decided to check out both places and become familiar with the routes.
Glancing at the lake while driving down the scenic route, he saw the waves breaking against the shoreline, an indicator that the weather report predicting thunderstorms was probably correct. He loved thunderstorms. The devastating power of lightening had intrigued him since he was a boy. It reminded him of himself. It destroyed what it hit.
Finding the exit for Edgewater, he exited the freeway. At the end of the exit he bore to the right following the well-marked route. The address he was looking for was a half-mile from the exit. Parallel parking on the crowded street, he sat in the car and looked at the apartment building. It was situated between two other apartment buildings and another complex was on the same side of the street he was parked on.
Getting out of the car he sauntered across the street entering the middle building. It had a security system that required you to ring the apartment of the tenant you were visiting. Sherman had already ascertained from the apartment number 412, that it should be on the fourth floor.
He rang the buzzers for two different tenants. He wasn’t surprised when neither answered. Most of the tenants would be a work during the day. He arbitrarily rang two others and smiled at his quick success when the door buzzer released. As was the case in most apartment buildings people often just released the door without checking whom it was.
Entering the lobby, he walked over to the mailboxes. Locating the box for 412 he noticed that in addition to the name he was expecting, Megan Donnovan was also listed on it. This was surprising considering Viglioni hadn’t even been in Cleveland for two months. Sherman decided this could actually work to his advantage.
The operative casually walked over to the elevators. He gave every indication of belonging in the building. Stopping on the fourth floor he walked down the
hallway to 412 and stopped. It was the second to the last apartment and faced the north side of the building. This would be perfect if the apartment complex across the street had any vacancies. Smiling at his luck Sherman walked back to the elevator. This job just might turn out to be much easier than he expected.
Sherman took the elevator down to the basement. Looking around to make sure there was no one observing him, he took the electronic pick gun out of his pocket and unlocked the door that gave him access to the telephone and electrical lines. He didn’t expect to need to use anything here, but experience had taught him it was better to cover all contingencies. After checking out how the lines were routed to the various apartments, he returned to the lobby and left the building.
* * *
Tony cleared the table and threw out the empty Chinese food containers. After wiping off the table and putting the dishes in the dishwater she opened the cupboard. Raising her voice so Megan could hear her, she asked, "Want something to drink?"
"Iced tea would be great," Megan answered. She was listening to the messages on the answering machine. The first three were from her mother, and the next one was from Ashley.
Playing the last message, she heard, "If you are a homeowner…" quickly pressing the erase button, Megan thought, what’s the use of having an unlisted number? It never stops the telemarketers.
Tony opened the freezer and placed several ice cubes in each glass. Getting the iced tea out of the refrigerator, she filled both glasses and carried them into the living room.
Megan looked up when Tony walked into the room. She unabashedly watched her partner walk across the room with the feline grace that was integral to her.
Tony set the two glasses down on the coffee table before joining Megan on the couch. Leaning over she placed a fleeting kiss on Megan’s lips and said, "You shouldn’t look at me like that. We’ll never get anything done."
"It’s your fault for wearing those short shorts and showing off your legs," Megan said smiling.
"Well I guess I could put on some jeans," Tony said and started to stand. Megan grabbed her arm chuckling and said, "No you don’t. Laying her hand on Tony’s thigh, she continued, "I like what you’re wearing just fine."