Ghostly Serenade

by Colleen Helme

  “Oh… okay,” I said, hoping to pull him back from his musings. “But not in a weird way, right?”

  “Uh… no… not at all.” He didn’t want to insult me. I was a huge help to him, and he wanted me to keep helping. Maybe he should be more complimentary. “What you do is amazing.”

  “Uh… thanks. So what now?” I asked, amused by his thoughts.

  The elevator doors opened, and we stepped into the lobby. “I guess I take you back to the museum.”

  “Okay. Sorry I couldn’t help.”

  “What? You saved her life.”

  “Oh… yeah. I meant that we didn’t get any information from her.”

  “Yeah, well, there’s always tomorrow.” He wondered if I’d consider going to the pier with him. I might be able to pick up some kind of latent energy there. That way, he wouldn’t have to call all the boat companies, which was bound to take a buttload of time. He opened his mouth to ask, but my narrowed eyes and pursed lips reminded him that I was on vacation. “Uh… can I call you again?”

  “Of course. Next time she wakes up, let me know.”

  “Okay.”

  I made it back to the museum in time to meet everyone for lunch. After that, we decided to head back to the hotel, since Miguel had to leave. I felt bad he didn’t get to go to the baseball game, but he’d been a few times with Uncle Joey already, so he didn’t seem to mind.

  With time to rest up before the game, we headed back to our room. After the kids got settled in front of the TV, I pulled Chris into our bedroom and shut the door so I could finally tell him all about the meeting with Milo, along with his secret that he’d killed Uncle Joey’s grandparents. “What do you think I should do?”

  “I don’t know.” Shock that I’d picked up something so terrible made his head spin, and he hated being in this situation.

  “I thought about asking Maggie for her advice.”

  Chris shook his head. “Not a good idea. Didn’t he kill her fiancé too? That would be hard for her to know, don’t you think?”

  “Oh yeah, I guess so. But she’s a Sister, she’d be on my side.”

  “It sounds like you already decided not to tell him.”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. This is so hard.” Then I remembered the music I’d heard in this very room last night, and I told Chris all about that too.

  “You should look it up. Maybe it’s a message. Was there a word you heard more than once?”

  “Well… yes, come to think of it. Rigoletto. I heard that word once or twice.”

  “That’s the name of an Italian opera.”

  “Oh yeah… I thought I’d heard it before. Do you know what it’s about?”

  “I haven’t got a clue.”

  I spent the next half an hour on my phone, reading up on the opera.

  At first, the story was hard to follow; but once the hitman was introduced, I perked up. From what I gathered, it was a story of revenge, with Rigoletto hiring a hitman to kill a duke. But, in the end, the only person killed was Rigoletto’s own daughter.

  Yikes. Does that mean Uncle Joey’s ghost grandfather was saying that Miguel will die if Uncle Joey seeks revenge on Milo Bilotti? Or maybe it just means that revenge is bad, and Uncle Joey should leave Milo alone?

  Based on that, I should probably keep Milo’s secret from Uncle Joey. Revenge never works out well. But it also wasn’t right for a killer to get away with murder. Still, it had happened so long ago that killing Milo wouldn’t change anything, so maybe it was best to deal with the present circumstances and hope for the best.

  Where did that leave me? Keeping Milo’s secret. At least, for now.

  CHAPTER 6

  Chris and Josh left for the Yankee’s game with Syd instead of Uncle Joey.

  “Something’s come up, and he needs to take care of it,” Syd explained. “I hope you don’t mind.” Syd was thinking that Uncle Joey had to prepare for the meeting tonight with Bilotti, and he couldn’t spare the time for the game.

  “No, not at all,” Chris said. They both enjoyed Syd’s company and were happy to go with him. Also, as much as Chris hated to admit it, hanging out with Uncle Joey like he was part of the family was a little weird.

  I was okay with the change, mostly because I knew Syd was going to keep an eye on them and make sure they were safe. In light of that, I was grateful for the meeting tonight. Hopefully, Uncle Joey’s plan would take care of Milo Bilotti once and for all, so I could quit worrying about him. I had no idea what Uncle Joey’s plans entailed, but I trusted that he knew what he was doing.

  Maggie and Jackie joined Savannah and me for our little shopping spree. I was kind of surprised that we didn’t have a bodyguard following us, but then I picked up someone’s thoughts about us, and how he disliked the whole shopping thing. Still, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to us on his watch.

  After hearing that, I relaxed and enjoyed looking in the fun shops in the SoHo shopping district. Savannah was having the time of her life, thinking that being a “Manetto” was pretty awesome. I couldn’t fault her for that, but I also couldn’t help the worry that came with it. Getting a taste of this lifestyle could go to her head, and it wasn’t something I wanted her to get used to.

  Between shops, I slowed to walk beside Maggie, so I could ask her about the Bilottis. “Hey Maggie, I have a quick question about your grandparents. Did you ever find out the name of the guy who killed them?”

  Her eyes widened with surprise. Why was I asking about that? “Uh… no. We never found out, but we all knew it was tied to the Bilotti family.”

  “Was anyone ever arrested for it?”

  “No. At least not that I ever heard.” She shook her head. “Sorry, but I was in a state of shock back then, so everything’s a little fuzzy.” It wasn’t something she liked thinking about, even after all these years. It was such a sad time in her life. “Why?”

  I let out a breath. “Uncle Joey got a call to meet with the Bilotti mob boss last night. I went with him and met Milo Bilotti. He and Uncle Joey are working out a business arrangement, so I wondered if Uncle Joey knew much about the family.”

  “I’m sure he probably knows more than I do.”

  “Yeah. That makes sense. I’m just a little worried. Do you think that if Uncle Joey figures out who killed your grandparents that he’d want revenge?”

  Maggie caught my gaze, and the warmth left her eyes. Did I know who killed her fiancé and her grandparents? Had Joe told me? “If Joe ever finds out, I don’t want to know, because I wouldn’t lift a finger to stop him.”

  “Mom, come on!” Savannah called. “There’s something I want to show you.”

  I sent Maggie a nod before we joined Savannah and Jackie in the store. Maggie’s pain was still raw, and I couldn’t blame her for wanting justice. It still shocked me a little, but, if I were honest, I’d feel the same way if someone had killed Chris or one of my kids. So what was the message from Grandfather Manetto? Should I tell Uncle Joey or not?

  The rest of the day passed quickly. After walking until our feet were sore, we ate out, and didn’t get back to the hotel until after eight. Exhausted, Savannah and I flopped on the couch and kicked off our shoes, ready to relax and look through our purchases. I texted Chris and found out that he and Josh wouldn’t be home until late because of extra innings.

  Since I was leaving with Uncle Joey for our meeting at ten-fifteen tonight, I wasn’t sure I could leave Savannah there alone. “Isn’t Maggie staying here at the hotel?” Savannah asked. “Maybe she could come over?”

  “Oh, that’s a great idea. Let me give her a call.” After explaining to Maggie that I had a meeting with Uncle Joey tonight, she came right over. I opened the door to find her in some comfy pajamas and carrying a pillow.

  “I’m here for the party,” she said. Savannah smiled with pleasure, and they settled in to watch a show.

  I hurried to get ready, grateful Maggie and Savannah had hit it off so well. Luckily, during the day’s shopping trip, I�
�d found a new dress to wear. A quick shower helped revive me, and I slipped on the red dress, feeling a bit wicked wearing the low-backed, sleeveless-style sheath that clung to my curves.

  After touching up my makeup and lipstick, I slipped my cell phone into the new, black leather purse I’d found. It was perfect for going out, since it was only big enough to carry my cell phone, lipstick, credit card and driver’s license. It hardly took up any space at all, and I could wear it over my shoulder. There wasn’t room for my stun-flashlight inside, but, with Ramos there, I wouldn’t need it.

  Savannah and Maggie thought I looked great. “What kind of a meeting is it?” Savannah asked, wondering why I had to get all dressed up.

  “We’re meeting at a nightclub to work out a business arrangement, so I have to dress the part. But it’s not a big deal, and I shouldn’t be long.”

  “Oh. Okay.” She wasn’t sure she liked thinking of me in a nightclub with a mob boss. What kinds of bad things went on there?

  “I’ll be fine. You should go to bed after the movie. We’ve got another big day tomorrow.” We had tickets to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island the next morning.

  “That’s right,” Maggie agreed, thinking that she was getting worn out herself. She was also surprised that we were meeting with the Bilottis again so soon. After our talk earlier, she’d been thinking about the mob family, and what they might want with Joe.

  If we were meeting again tonight, it worried her. Joe had promised he’d stay out of the business, but this had getting involved with the mob written all over it. She wished for a moment alone with me so I could tell her.

  “It’s all good,” I said, hoping Maggie got the message. “Uh… I’ll fill you in later.”

  Maggie’s brows drew together. Had I picked up her worry? It sure seemed that way.

  Savannah had no idea what I was talking about. “You mean about the meeting? You’ll tell us all about it?” she asked, her voice full of hope.

  “Uh… no.” Oops. Now I had to come up with something that made sense. “I meant tomorrow… you know… the details… like what time we need get up in the morning, which will probably be around six-thirty, so don’t stay up too late.”

  “Oh.”

  “All right. I’m off… I’ll be back soon.” I hurried out before I got into more trouble. I knew better than to answer thoughts, so why did I keep doing it? I didn’t want Maggie to worry, but not at the expense of discovering my secret.

  Uncle Joey waited in the lobby, just like before, and smiled to see me all dressed up. He wore all black tonight and had a self-satisfied smirk on his face that made him look a little devilish. He thought Milo was going to be surprised in more ways than one, and he couldn’t wait to see the look of disappointment on his face.

  At my raised brows, he closed his thoughts. “Don’t worry Shelby. I have everything under control.”

  “Okay. But what’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’ll see.” He didn’t want me to know, mostly because he didn’t think I’d approve.

  Alarm spiked through me. “You’re not going to kill him are you?”

  “No.” He huffed out a breath, thinking I should give him some credit, and waited for me to get into the limo.

  I slid inside, catching sight of Ramos without bumping my head this time. He wore all black, just like Uncle Joey, and I felt bad that I wasn’t color coordinated with them. He smiled, thinking I looked tantalizing in my red dress. He approved of the power color, thinking it went perfectly with their plans tonight.

  What plans? Didn’t they think I should know? After the limo began to move, I turned to Uncle Joey. “Okay. What’s going on? Is it safe to talk in here?” The window was up between us and the driver, but I wanted to make sure he couldn’t hear us.

  Uncle Joey nodded. “Yes. Ramos made sure this limo was secure, but there’s not much to tell. We’re just making Milo an offer he can’t refuse.” He was thinking that nobody threatened him without suffering the consequences, especially when making threats against his family. “I don’t expect trouble, but I want you to stick with Ramos. Think you can do that?”

  “Sure.” This was the side of Uncle Joey that he kept from me. He was in full mob-boss mode, and I needed to act accordingly.

  I glanced at Ramos. He was thinking that I needed to follow his lead. The fact that I was involved made this whole operation more risky, but he would make sure I was safe, no matter what happened.

  If that was supposed to reassure me, he had it all wrong. “Is this a takeover?” I whispered.

  “Not at all,” Uncle Joey said. “It’s just a meeting between two businessmen. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Okay.” I nodded, but my heart wasn’t in it. He said it was nothing to worry about, but I caught his rush of excitement that everything had been set into motion and, so far, it was all going according to plan. I couldn’t pick up specific thoughts because he was blocking me, but he couldn’t hide his anticipation for the confrontation with Milo.

  Oh great. What was I getting into this time? Usually Uncle Joey was getting me out of trouble, not the other way around. Ramos felt sorry for me and was thinking that I needed to trust him and Uncle Joey. The plan would work, and Milo wouldn’t be a threat anymore. Just play along, and let us do what we do best.

  I nodded to let him know I’d heard that, sorry I didn’t have my big purse and my stun flashlight. Too bad Uncle Joey hadn’t warned me of the confrontation earlier, but it was easy to see that telling me was the last thing on his mind.

  We pulled up to the curb, and an attendant opened the limo door. After we got out, Ramos handed Uncle Joey a briefcase. He took it in one hand and offered me his other arm. Grasping his elbow, I plastered a serene smile on my face, hoping I looked as calm and collected as he did.

  I shouldn’t have worried. The attendant beside the entrance nodded at Uncle Joey and opened the door. “Flint,” Uncle Joey said. “I take it everything is ready?”

  “Yes sir,” Flint said. “We’re locked and loaded.”

  “Good. Let’s proceed,” Uncle Joey said. Flint nodded to Ramos and signaled to the other two attendants, who stood beside the outer doors, to follow him inside. The last attendant slipped the chain in front of the line and told the crowd of people waiting to get in that they were closing early.

  Without missing a beat, the attendant followed us inside and shut the door behind him. He motioned for one of the other attendants to stand as a sentry in front of it. Once the guy was in place, Flint moved in front of us and led us through the metal detectors without slowing.

  I expected to hear an alarm, or see flashing lights, but nothing happened, and I realized the device had been turned off. Whoa. Uncle Joey was good to pull this off. No wonder he was excited. Then it hit me that everyone with our group wore black except me, and I was the woman in the red dress.

  As we passed through the detectors, I had a surreal moment of déjà vu, reminding me of the movie with Neo and Trinity. As the third attendant joined Ramos to follow us into the club, I held my breath and waited for them all to pull out their machine guns. What can I say? I have a vivid imagination.

  We stepped inside the club, but no one drew out a gun, and a wave of relief flowed through me.

  The place was just as packed as the night before, with people dancing and having a good time. The DJ still did his thing above the bar, and nothing seemed out of place. A couple of servers noticed us, and I picked up nervous tension from them, but they quickly averted their gazes when I looked their way.

  The bartender nodded at Ramos, and I glanced around the room at the strong-armed security detail. They looked the same from last night, all wearing identical black shirts with the club logo across the front. As Ramos caught each of their gazes, every one of them gave Ramos a nod. Were these all Uncle Joey’s men? How had they infiltrated the club?

  Whoa. This was a bigger operation than I thought. It didn’t look like any of Bilotti’s people were there anymore.
Uncle Joey’s men must have taken them out. I couldn’t pick up anything from his mind, or Ramos’s, so I didn’t know how they’d done it. But I was definitely impressed.

  We took the same set of stairs to Milo’s office. Flint knocked on the door and poked his head inside. “Hey Boss. The Manettos are here.” He said it just like the attendant from the night before.

  “Send them in,” Milo answered, not even registering that it was a different guy.

  Milo stood in front of the window overlooking the street. He turned to face us, pleased to note that Uncle Joey had a briefcase, and thinking this deal could be one of the most lucrative he’d ever made. Through his resources, he’d discovered that Uncle Joey had a vast empire of wealth, contacts, and power, and he looked forward to taking a share of it.

  He’d also found out that no one had ever gotten to Uncle Joey before, because it was only recently discovered that he had a son. Having a son changed things and made him vulnerable. Luckily for Milo, he’d been in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the situation.

  Just hearing that sent a surge of disgust through me, and I couldn’t wait to see his face when he found out what Uncle Joey had done.

  “Manetto. Good to see you again,” he said. “Please come in and sit down.” He motioned us to a round table with cushioned chairs at the side of the room. Uncle Joey and I sat down while Ramos stood at the door. “I want to thank you for arranging my granddaughters’ meeting with Miguel. They were delighted to talk with him and get his autograph after the show tonight.”

  “My pleasure,” Uncle Joey said. “I hope they enjoyed it?”

  “Oh yes. I’m afraid they both have a crush on him now. I’m sure that happens a lot.”

  Uncle Joey nodded, sliding a quick glance my way before setting his briefcase on the table. Was he thinking about Savannah’s crush on Miguel? Before I got any more from his mind about that, he focused on Milo. “Shall we get started?”