Authors: J.M. Griffin
The Altima eased into a parking spot, the one and only spot I could find on the street outside the social club. I snuggled the car up to the curb and hoped nobody peeked out the windows. Scooting from the car into the bakery, I stood just inside the door. The sweet smell of whipped cream, sugar, and fresh baked pastries hung in the air. It was heavenly and my waistline grew without so much as a taste of the succulent delights stored in the glass cases.
Marianna Patroni stepped to the counter. With her hand on her ample hip, she said, “What’ll it be, Vinnie?”
Now Marianna is a big woman. Not just big, she’s huge. Her breasts hang in front of a wide girth, and she needed a B-52 ‘silver bullet’ bra to hold them up. Marianna’s demeanor was always harsh, but I suspected a heart beat inside the broad-chested, square-shouldered woman. Gray hair and large hands that were red from too much washing, were the two other things one noticed first about Marianna.
She had a crush on my father when they were young and she still had a soft spot for him. Her musings over the old times filled me with curiosity for a time I’d never know. As well it raised questions about what my father was like in those days – certainly not the same man he was today.
“I’m here for pastry. With guests coming this weekend, I need to feed them something spectacular.”
Hearty laughter filled the small bakery, and she slid trays of wrapped Italian cookies, rich pastries, and baklava toward me.
“Your father called today and said you’d need these for the weekend. Wait here, I have more out back for you.”
Incredulous, I stood in silence for a moment. The bell jingled over the door as someone stepped inside. Without thinking, I turned to see who waited behind me. Two huge brutes stood in the doorway, hands clasped in front of their expensive-looking overcoats. Man, this was bad, I thought, and gulped. Aside from these two stood another man in a rich tan cashmere overcoat. He stepped forward and whispered in my ear. My gut tightened and I froze in place. Fear riddled my senses as I listened to his words.
“Lavinia, you shouldn’t be here. Get your stuff and leave, understand?”
“Yes sir, I-I do, and I w-will,” I stammered, sweat breaking out under my armpits.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the ham hocks that passed for the hands of the two ‘enforcers.’ God knows I nearly shit myself from fear right there in the bakery. The two men had shoulders as wide as refrigerators, and from the looks of their faces they’d taken one punch too many. Cold flat eyes stared at me, and my stomach curled into itself.
Oh, yeah, I was leaving, uh huh.
No problem.
“Your father asked that I make sure you were unharmed when you came by. I can only do that once, so make this the only trip here, will you?”
I nodded, dumbfounded that my father not only anticipated my stop, but he’d ordered the pastry and requested protection by the mob – from the mob.
Good grief, what the hell was going on?
And where did Gino Esposito get that power, I might ask? I intended to find out.
From the back room, I heard the clatter of pans and raised voices speaking Italian. Marianna strode through the door laden with a wide box of delicacies – my name was scrawled across the plastic wrap. I paid her an unholy sum of money and proceeded to gather my packages. The two thugs stepped forward, took them from me and handled the box as well. After bidding Marianna farewell, I hustled through the door and to the car as fast as my feet would carry me.
The trunk sprang open, and while I considered what ghastly thing I might find stuffed inside, I found it was devoid of anything. The packages were transferred to the space and the trunk lid closed. The threesome nodded and waited for me to leave. I sped down De Pasquale Avenue, hooked a turn onto the highway, and raced home. My shaking parts quieted a bit more with each passing mile.
With the sweets packed into the fridge, I warmed up leftovers and settled in the living room to eat. I’d scooped the mail from the post office before coming in to roost, and flipped through the envelopes while I ate. There weren’t any earth shattering messages, so I pulled the newspaper open and caught up on local happenings. I just finished supper when a rap sounded on the door. Folding the newspaper, I tossed it aside and answered the summons.
Muffy stood in the hallway. I stared at her, my mouth gaping open. What could she want? Why was she here?
I deserved this how?
“Come in, Auntie,” I said. “Can I get you something?”
“Just some coffee, if you will.” Plainly, something was on her mind.
While the fresh brew perked I put two cups, milk, and sugar on the counter. Auntie hiked her short stature onto the stool across from me. Her legs dangled from the stool like she lived in the land of the little people. Suddenly she opened her mouth.
“Your mother and I were at the seniors’ center today. Antonio came in while I was there. I hid in the closet of the office since I couldn’t get out the door without him seeing me.” She stopped, took a deep breath, and then glanced at me.
The coffee was ready and I poured two cups. I slid one toward Muffy and added milk and sugar to mine while I waited for her to continue. Surprise topped my list of reactions. Not only for her showing up on my doorstep, but for the fact that she’d tell me about Antonio.
“Is this a bad time, Lavinia? I can leave if it is.”
“No, not at all, Auntie. Just go ahead and tell me what happened.”
How did I get stuck with this shit?
“I wanted to avoid him after he left me at the mercy of the cops and now that he’s in so much trouble. Anyway, I hid in the office closet before he entered the room. He sat at the desk and rummaged through the books like he owned the place. I could see him through the crack of the door. It wasn’t closed completely.” She sipped her black coffee.
“What happened then?” I asked.
The man with him closed the door to the office and then shut the closet door tight. I couldn’t see, but I could hear. You know how the Ciano’s have excellent hearing.”
Yeah, I knew. My mother could hear a fly buzzing at two hundred yards. That hearing got Gio and me in a lot of jams as kids. She would hear us conspiring and nip our plans in the bud. We’d become more adroit in keeping our schemes secret after that.
“Uh huh, then what happened?”
“I heard him tell the man to pick up the bag and take it to the bank for deposit. A woman entered the room and he said the laundry was done for now. I know it was a woman because she answered him with a smart-ass remark and he got mean about her attitude.”
“Stay away from the seniors’ center. Go somewhere else for your community service. The judge won’t mind, and you’ll feel better about it.”
“Do you think they’re laundering money through the center, Lavinia?”
“It sounds that way, but let’s not jump to any conclusions. Let me see what I can find out. In the meantime, distance yourself from the center.”
Aunt Mafalda nodded and sighed in relief, or maybe despair – hard to say. She scooted off the stool, grabbed her purse, and strutted toward the door. I was right behind her and kissed her cheek before she left.
Once the outer door closed, I leaned against the wall and banged my head against it.
How do I get into these things?
Chapter 18
Dirty trouble seemed to follow me wherever I went. I collected it like a magnet. No other way to describe my affliction with problems, no sir. In an effort to lighten my mood, I slipped a jacket on and headed out the back door.
The rain had ceased and crisp, cold air swirled through the neighborhood. Soggy leaves littered the yard as I scooped the empty paper plate off the deck and tucked it into the trash bin. Since Evergreen hadn’t made another appearance I guessed he found better accommodations. I shrugged and stepped off the deck, heading toward the street.
Silk Lane, a short road that led around the block, lay across the street to the left of the post office. I strode through the quiet neighborhood and headed down the lane. Lights filtered from the windows of homes huddled close to one another. Few overhead lights illuminated the lane, but I could see well enough and had a tiny Maglite stuffed in my jacket pocket. With a few quick strides, I ended up back on my own street.
The red light on the corner changed to green as I approached. I stood on the sidewalk waiting to cross over to Lola’s deli. The deli was closed, but I could see the kitchen lights were on and knew she was working. Before I stepped into the crosswalk, a black truck slowed and the window slid down.
“Do you need a lift, Vinnie?” Aaron smiled.
“No thanks, I’m heading to see Lola.” I hedged my answer, uncomfortable with the knowledge of him and Lou Anne.
Dark brows hiked up and he nodded. The window closed, and the Yukon rolled away on quiet wheels. I watched the truck pull into the driveway of my house before I crossed over to the deli.
I rapped on the front door and waited for Lola to answer. It took a minute or two for her to unbolt the locks and let me in. Glancing around the street, I quickly stepped through the door.
With nerves wound tight, accompanied by a stomach in knots, I greeted Lola.
“Got any tea? I could use some right about now.”
“Yeah, sure, come into the back room. What’s going on, Vin?”
“I’m sorry. I should have asked how the meeting with your publisher went. It’s just that my life is out of control, again,” I said and swiped my hands through my already tousled hair.
Laughter tinkled from across the room as Lola put the kettle on to boil. She grabbed our tea mugs and a tray filled with Danish pastries. She set them in front of me, continuing to grin while she stared at me for a moment.
“The day was great and thanks for asking. So, when isn’t your life out of control? I don’t remember a time when it wasn’t, Vin. Why all the stress about it now?” She smiled.
I filled her in on the events of the day and the note card. I also explained about protection from the mob, by the mob. Her eyes crinkled with humor, and it was apparent that I’d taken this whole situation much too seriously. Either that or Lola had some good drugs in her purse – the result being, everything tickled her funny bone.
“I’m glad you find this so hilarious,” I said and picked at the pastry then licked honey from my fingers. “I’m getting absolutely nowhere with finding out who is calling me and hanging up, why someone ran me off the road, how my father has the power to select a judge and command the mob guys, and now I find out that Aaron had been engaged to someone.”
“Hey, you left out the Aaron thing. Tell me more.” She leaned closer.
The tea was strong and hot, scalding my tongue as I sipped it. I set the cup down.
“There isn’t much to tell. He was involved with a woman he met at the Gaming Commission, got engaged, and it ended. That’s all. I know nothing more. He’s kind of edgy right now, though. I’m not sure if it’s the investigation or if he realizes that I know about Lou Anne.”
“Lou Anne who?” Her dark chocolate eyes widened.
“I don’t know. Kinda makes you curious, though, huh?” I chuckled at the expression on the freckled face before me.
She nodded and Lola’s halo of rich auburn curls settled past her shoulders.
“Uh huh, it does. If I had a last name, my brother could run her through the system and we’d find out more. When Jesse comes to work on your garage, why don’t you ask him?”
“If you insist,” I said and grinned.
We finished the tea, locked up, and Lola gave me a ride to the house. With a beep of the horn, her MINI Cooper sped away from the sidewalk. I turned away and walked to the house.
The door swung open as I put my hand on the handle. Face to face, Aaron and I stared at one another.
“Can you come upstairs for a minute?” he asked.
“Sure, no problem. Is everything all right, Aaron?” I asked with a sense of impending doom.
Was he going to move out? Would he tell me he had resumed his relationship with Lou Anne and was getting married?
My mind flew over the possibilities.
Did he know my father had mysterious powers over mob guys and judges?
We entered the brightly lit room, and I took a seat at the counter. His kitchen was similar to mine in many ways, just a bit smaller. Counters gleamed and the appliances sparkled. They should, I thought. The man never ate at home, or cooked either. It was usually a case of his having leftovers in my apartment. I’d have to look into possible tax deductions.
“I guess you know that I was engaged, huh?” he asked bluntly.
“It was mentioned. You know, it’s none of my business, Aaron. You don’t owe me an explanation.” I was dying for one, though.
“I know that. I’m not going to explain my life to you, but I wanted to tell you that it’s over. Last summer, when I rented this place from you, I said I was unencumbered. I meant it.”
“Oh, well, fine then. I had wondered, but now that you’ve put me straight, that’s fine.” What else could I say?
Tell me what her last name is so I can run her through the National Crime Information Center?
The NCIC would tell me if she had any offenses. But if she was an innocent, then I’d find out nothing. Yeah, right, he was about to tell me nada – nothing at all.
Dang, doesn’t that just toast my oats?
Yep, it does.
“Is that all you wanted to say?” I asked, with intentions to escape. He wasn’t in his usual friendly mood, and I didn’t know what to expect.
“No, it isn’t. There’s definitely more.” The brown eyes glued me to the seat. “You were on the Hill today, were you not?”
“Ah, yes, I was. I went to En Croute for pastry. I know there’ll be people dropping by this weekend.”
“You couldn’t go elsewhere? Lola couldn’t supply you with refreshments? Did I not ask you to stay off the Hill?”
He was in a snit and now I knew why – how he found out. Spies are everywhere. His spies. Dammit.
“Lola has her own stuff to do for the weekend crowd. I like En Croute’s pastry and I figured I would only be there for a moment, which I was. I apologize for not staying off the Hill,” I said with a brave front that was far from what I felt. I’m not ten years old and I refuse to be treated as such, though I realized this man was concerned for my safety so I made allowances.