Second Time's the Charm

by Knight, Vanessa

  “Really? You're going to take me out of the house?” She wrapped her arm around his neck as he nodded. “Thank you!”

  “You're easy to please.” He smiled.

  “I'm just so sick of being cooped up here. I miss driving, I miss civilization, I miss good tea.”

  “What?” He asked with mock horror. “Are you saying my tea's no good? I hope you know I got that from the best tea shop in Phoenix.”

  “No, I'm saying keep your day job. A barista you are not.”

  “You're lucky I agree or I'd be mildly offended.” He brought his hands to his ironic, wounded heart.

  “Sure you would. Can we head over to the condo? I need to start making room for my stuff. It was nice of your mom to put all my stuff in storage, but it's silly when there is a perfectly good condo waiting to be filled.”

  “Are you sure you're ready to go back there?” He wasn’t sure she was ready, but that did work nicely into his plans. He could keep an eye on her and search the condo.

  “I'm not going to let someone scare me away from my home.”

  “All right. Let's go get your condo ready for habitation.” He smiled and kissed her nose.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Joe Perretti glared at the paperwork in front of him. It looked like a typhoon had hit his laminate desk. The metal drawers hung open, and papers sat in in stacks, mimicking organization. He stared at a picture from the Byrnes case and slammed it down in disgust. What was he missing?

  He looked around the bland police station. Plain, dirty walls stared back. Not one of them giving him the answers he needed.

  “Any luck?” Shay asked as she sat at her desk. The desks were butted up against each other, each one overflowing with paperwork. “Wow, you look like crap.” Her lip curled at his wrinkled jeans and stained T-shirt. He knew he looked like hell, she didn’t need to remind him. She couldn’t possibly think that her jeans and T-shirt combination was that much better. However, they were clean. He had to admit there was something to be said for soap. “Did you go home last night?”

  “I did. I just wanted to get a jump on this. I can’t shake this feeling we’re missing something.” He leaned back in the chair. He stretched out his long legs and chewed on the pen in his hand.

  “Stop that. You're going to get ink poisoning. I have yet to see pen in the food pyramid, so get it out of your mouth.”

  “Bite me.” He continued to chew and then looked at the pen. The thought of ink poising, no matter how unlikely, made his stomach clench. He threw the writing implement into a shallow center drawer. He slammed it and looked at Shay in disgust.

  “I will not bite you. I have yet to see you in the food pyramid, either.” She looked down at the mountain of paper.

  “Where do we stand?” Captain Humphries suddenly stood over the officers’ desks. The middle-aged man had a ninja ability that allowed him to sneak up and scare the crap out of everyone in the Chicago precinct. It was annoying, especially when they were doing something wrong. Joe had lost track of how many times he got caught picking squares in the football pool or talking about his latest conquest only to find the captain staring at him in exasperation.

  The annoyance clouding the captain’s features told Joe he’d overheard their conversation—bite me’s and all. “I’m hoping this mess isn’t an indication of your status.”

  Joe exhaled, hard. “We’re working on it.”

  “Well, work harder.” The Captain threw up his hands and pulled a chair from the next desk. He yanked the chair around and sat, crossing his arms on the back of the chair. “Okay, so what do we know?”

  Shay broke it down as she sifted through the paperwork. “We know Herb was murdered by medication concealed in something he ate or drank. So it must have been someone close to him, or at the least, someone who had easy access to him. We have Julie, who tore apart the apartment, and Dale, who was denied a bailout by Daddy. We can’t forget Ben, who would love for Byrnes and Company to fail. There’s a better chance of that happening without its leader. Somewhere in all of this, the Russian mob might have a hand.”

  “Yeah, but does this all connect or not? And how?” Joe plucked a pen from his desk and twirled it between his fingers, fighting the urge to put the implement in his mouth. Damn Shay and her ink poisoning. Before she mentioned the possibility of ink explosion, he was perfectly happy chewing on the stick.

  “I say you start at the beginning. This shouldn’t be this hard. It’s got to be about the money, or at the least money must be involved. I bet if you start at the beginning and follow the money trail, you’ll find our makeshift pharmacist.” The captain walked back toward his office and shut the door. Joe pulled a file from Mount St. Dead-End and tossed it on Shay’s desk. “Well, here we go again.”

  * * *

  The musical stylings of the local easy listening station drifted from the speakers in the master bedroom as Allison looked at the extravagant king-size bed. The ornate carvings brought the bed to life, but she was really looking forward to sleeping in her own bed. The sooner she could pack up Herb’s possessions, the sooner she would get her own bed out of storage.

  She wandered around her new bedroom. The difference between her new room and the old one were staggering. Her old bedroom had been small, cozy and utilitarian, while the new bedroom was large, and currently dressed for English monarchy. The large dark wood bed, draped in white and gold, stood against the far wall. She wrapped her good hand around the bulbous post, her broken arm still in a cast but the sling long forgotten. It truly was a beautiful bed, and the matching period dresser, armoire, and leaded glass lamps added to the splendor of the set.

  Hopefully, Loraine wanted it at the house. Allison couldn’t see keeping this furniture at the condo—it just wasn't her taste, even if it was truly a beautiful set. Her own king-size bed with its contemporary black frame was more her style. The sleek lines and simple design helped her relax after a stressful day.

  She looked in the sitting room off the main bedroom. She just couldn’t see herself relaxing in the hard, ornate Glastonbury chair. She had visions of hot chocolate, comfy slippers, and a small fire in the fireplace. She saw herself curling up in her bowl chair, reading a book by the warm glow of an overhead floor lamp.

  Adam sauntered into the bedroom carrying additional boxes. “I put the full boxes in the fourth bedroom. Are you sure you don’t want to keep some of this stuff? It is yours, per the will.”

  “I’m sure. I want your mom to choose what she wants. After all, I wouldn’t appreciate it the way she might.”

  “You could always sell it.”

  “I’d rather your mom have a chance to go through it first. If she wants to get rid of it, I can see if my sister wants it. She loves antique furniture. It’s silly for this to go to waste.”

  “I also made room in there for the bed. Are you sure you want to get rid of it? It looks sturdy enough to survive a nuclear bomb.” He smiled and walked over to Allison. He placed his hand on the post next to hers. She leaned in and rested her cheek above it.

  “Luckily, we haven’t had a whole lot of nuclear attacks in the city of Chicago.

  Otherwise I might be tempted to keep this Victorian behemoth.”

  “Yeah.” He scowled and inclined toward Allison. He stopped inches from Allison’s lips. Her heart skipped as his breath tickled her cheek. Adam gradually pulled her hand around the post. “Keeping this would be rather tragic.”

  “I’m surprised you don’t like it. I thought all golden boys loved expensive things.”

  He smiled a wicked grin and pushed her onto the bed. She playfully squirmed as he held her hips down. His intentions rose as he straddled her body, his hands pushing up her shirt, exposing her black lace bra. He leaned into her and whispered, “I’ll admit it has its usefulness.”

  Her body burned and her head spun as he kissed her neck. “We can’t do this here,” she whispered, as his hands roamed her stiff nipples.

  “Why? Do you have something a
gainst golden boys all of a sudden? Or are you against expensive things?”

  “No, but it’s your dad’s bed.”

  He sighed and moved away, standing just in front of the bed. He reached for her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s get this thing out of here and get your bed in before I explode.”

  “Explode? Isn’t that a little dramatic?” She laughed, but she understood the sentiment. She felt the fireworks rumble deep in her stomach, frustration taking over. She adjusted her T-shirt, re-covering her throbbing breasts.

  “Haven’t you heard men can die without it?”

  “Honestly? Not since I was sixteen.” She rolled her eyes and headed over to the closet, where she began filling boxes and placing them by the door. Adam helped, removing the boxes and putting them in a room down the hall.

  When the closet was empty, she looked around the almost barren bedroom as her stomach growled. Her hand and eyes flew to her snarling belly. Her shirt was filthy. There was no way she could go out in public like this. She rummaged in the closet and found an old sweatshirt, pulling it on over her head.

  Adam cleared the last of the heavy bedframe from the room, leaving a big Turkish rug covering the floor. Although it tied the room together, Allison couldn’t help but laugh at the delicate designs on the Turkish rug intermixed with the heavy Victorian fare.

  Adam returned and they began to roll the giant carpet. They carried the hundred-pound monstrosity to the spare bedroom, dropping the dust magnet onto the floor. Adam moved the furniture around, creating pathways, while Allison grabbed a broom and walked back to the empty master bedroom.

  She swished the bristles back and forth, thinking of the pizza she planned on talking Adam into getting for lunch. Her mouth watered as she thought about Chicago deep dish pizza.

  She moved the broom, and one of the coarse fibers stuck to the floor. What the… She leaned down, and followed a set of quarter-inch-wide lines in the floor with her finger. The lines outlined as square about the size of a large binder. She pushed the center of the square, but nothing happened. She bent over and pushed her narrow fingers in the line and tried to pull up on the floor. Nothing. Adam entered the room with his phone to his ear.

  “Yes, Mom, the moving company will be there tomorrow afternoon to drop off the furniture and the rest of Dad’s stuff. No she doesn’t want to keep anything… I asked her... Yes, I explained it's hers...” He smiled at Allison and lowered himself to Allison’s level. “Okay. I have to go now… Yes… Okay…’bye”.

  “Good conversation?”

  “She thinks I coerced you into giving her the furniture. For what purpose, I have no idea.”

  “Why would she think you coerced me?”

  “Apparently, she's seen your furniture and can't believe you don't want to keep the stuff that's here.”

  Allison shook her head. She could just imagine how things would go from now on. Now that Loraine didn't have to save Allison from her awful apartment, she would try to save her from cheap furniture. Oh, the horror.

  “What are you doing?” He knocked on the floor.

  “I'm trying to figure out what this is. I’ve poked it, prodded it, and pulled it, and nothing happens.”

  Adam pushed on the center. He then attempted to put his fingers in the lines, same as she had, but his fingers were too large.

  “I tried that already.” She smiled the same grin she saved for people who insisted upon pushing the elevator button after it had already been pressed.

  He took his hand away, and she tried pushing on the right side of the bit of flooring, and then the left. Something clicked, and the piece of floor popped open, revealing a small steel door with a keypad.

  “Okay, well, I guess it’s something.” She tapped the face of the safe. “What do you think the combination is?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe his birthday.” He pressed the keys. He twisted the handle. Nothing.

  “What about your mom’s birthday?” she offered. He entered the digits, but again, nothing happened.

  “How about your birthday, or Dale’s? Parent’s anniversary?”

  She started throwing out important milestones, hoping one would stick. He entered another round of dates and stared at Allison. His eyes lit up and he pushed in a set of numbers. He turned the handle and the door opened, giving way as the interior shelves rose from the floor.

  “That is one cool safe.” She stared in awe as the final lighted shelf ascended, running parallel with the floor.

  Adam nodded. “It’s an auto-lift safe. The safe comes to you so you don’t have to go digging around the floor.” “What was the combination?” she asked.

  “Your birthday.”

  “My birthday?”

  “You always were the favorite.” He bumped her shoulder. “You remember my birth date?”

  “Yeah.”

  She smiled as a warm feeling flowed through to her toes. He remembered her birthday. She didn’t think he even knew when her birthday was. She rolled her eyes. When did I become a teenager? He remembered my birthday? Pretty soon she’d be writing his name on her notebook. Ugh!

  They sat on the floor, pulling paperwork from the safe. Adam snatched a large stack of papers but remained focused on the first item. Allison grabbed a box of chocolate and a manila envelope. Herb had told her to toss the box of mints before Loraine found it, but she hated to waste expensive chocolate. She put the box to the side and flipped the envelope over in her hand.

  “It’s sealed.” She played with the flap of the envelope. “So open it.” He stared at the contracts in his hand.

  Allison opened the envelope. Her brows furrowed, first in concentration then in shock. “Do you know what this is?”

  “Do you know how much he left you in stock? It’s amazing. You are set for life.” His eyes rounded.

  “Can you please put that down and pay attention?” she said, a bit too harshly. “I need you to focus.”

  He looked at her with humor in his eyes. “You really don’t care about how much money you have here?”

  “No, I’m sure it’s not mine, look at this.” She handed over the envelope. He looked over the paperwork and began reading. His eyes slowly narrowed and his grip tightened, probably as he read the words “DNA Result Report”. He looked over to Allison. “Did you know about this?”

  “No. Julie always told us Cody’s father was out of the picture. I take it you didn’t know, either.”

  “No. How could she keep something like this from all of us? We need to talk to her.” He stood up and headed for the door. Allison chased after him.

  “Are you sure that’s what you want to do? Maybe you should wait until you’ve calmed down. We can talk to her anytime.”

  “I’m going now. You can stay here if you’d like.”

  She ran back to the floor and yanked the paperwork from the safe. She ran toward the front of the condo and followed Adam to the elevator. “I’m going with you.”

  * * *

  Edward Connolly stood in his study and reached for the pain reliever in the top drawer. Why were things always so damn complicated? It had all started out innocently enough. He’d started helping Paul Mörder with a few legal issues. A few legal issues that somehow transformed into bribery and extortion.

  With all of the media attention these days, it was just a matter of time before he somehow got roped into the media shitstorm. He was hoping the journalists would drop the story, but apparently there were multiple slow news days, so Paul had remained front and center.

  He knew the Feds had been after Paul for years due to his organized crime connection—the crazy Kraut managed to weasel his way into the Kolosov crime family at an early age. Edward hadn’t been doing all that much for the man in the beginning, but recently, however, his role had changed.

  He had gone from pretending that he didn’t know the judges, lawyers, and jurors were getting paid off, to actually handing over the envelopes filled with cash. He’d had the political and legal connections to
get close to the necessary people and the pay was great.

  Edward crossed the room and stared out the window. Why had Herb gotten involved? Edward warned him to stop looking into those damn books. If he just would have let it go—his friend would still be alive.

  The doorbell broke him out of his stupor. He walked to the door and greeted his unexpected visitors. “Adam, Allison, what a nice surprise.” He motioned for them to enter. “To what do I owe this honor?”

  Adam pulled out some paperwork and handed it to Edward. “Did you know about this?”

  Edward read the document in disbelief. How had they found this paperwork? Herb had said it was in a safe place. They must have found his hiding spot. What else had they found in there?

  “Unfortunately, I did, but I just found out recently. Where did you find this?”

  “It was in my dad’s safe at the condo. Does Dale know?”

  “I don’t think he knows yet. Julie was very adamant about him not finding out.

  She was afraid he’d try to take Cody away from her.” “That’s absurd. Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I discovered this recently,” he lied, “and with your father’s passing, I thought this was an inappropriate time to bring it up. Come, sit down.”

  “No. I want to talk to Julie.” Adam ran a hand through his hair.

  “She’s at her boyfriend’s house.” He smiled. With them chasing Julie, he would have time to check the safe at the condo. “I can get you the address.”

  “Please do.”

  He spun the Rolodex on his desk. He located Ben’s address and wrote it down on a small piece of paper. He escorted them out the door and watched as they left the driveway.

  Then he wrenched his keys from the desk and headed for the condo.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Adam sped down the Eisenhower Expressway toward the suburbs, while Allison sifted through the contracts and miscellaneous documents in front of her. She pulled out a dog-eared set of pages and sighed.