Ghostly Serenade

by Colleen Helme

  Crap. If I told the truth, did that mean I’d sentence Enzo to death? “Uh… he might have some issues.”

  Uncle Joey nodded, expecting that answer. I caught a grin from Ramos. He knew this was difficult for me, but he was thinking I was doing great, and I shouldn’t worry so much about these guys.

  “Go on,” Uncle Joey said.

  I shrugged. “He’s sure that you’ll never find out if he lies, so he’ll take it for a few years, but he’s planning to kick your… uh… ass when the time is right.”

  Uncle Joey glanced back at Enzo with narrowed eyes and a set jaw. I picked up that it was mostly for show, because he wouldn’t have expected any less from a mob boss’s son. Still, from the shock on Enzo’s face, it looked like I’d done enough to scare him a little.

  I smiled, picking up that Uncle Joey thought those things for my sake. He had no intention of killing Enzo right now, but I was the only person who needed to know that.

  “Is that what you intend to do?” Uncle Joey asked. “Kick my ass?”

  Enzo could hardly believe I knew his deepest thoughts. How? It was like I’d read his mind. Shock washed over him. I was a real live lie detector. No wonder Manetto was so confident. Enzo’s stomach turned queasy with dread. He didn’t stand a chance against Manetto. Maybe what Manetto offered wasn’t so bad after all.

  “Ramos, take him back to the cage. I’m afraid he’s not going to work out.”

  “Wait… no. I’m sure we can work together. I’ll do what you want. I’ll even get the others on board with it. They’ll listen to me.”

  Ramos hesitated, and Uncle Joey glanced my way. “What do you say Shelby? Is he telling the truth this time?”

  I twisted my lips and gave Enzo a hard glare, beginning to enjoy my part for a change. Enzo held his breath, thinking that his life rested in my hands. What if I didn’t believe him? Would I send him to his death?

  “He’s telling the truth… for now. But I think we should see how convincing he can be with the rest of the family before we decide.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Uncle Joey agreed. “Ramos. Take him back to the cage, and let him talk to the others.” He studied Enzo. “We’ll give you ten minutes to make your case.”

  After they left, Uncle Joey glanced at Milo sitting quietly in the corner. “Would you like to help your son convince the others, or do you want to stay here?”

  “I’ll stay.” Milo’s tone held contempt, but he knew when to keep quiet. He couldn’t help being impressed with Uncle Joey, although he had made one mistake. His youngest son wasn’t here. Not that it mattered. He wouldn’t want Luca to know anything about this.

  Milo’s youngest son was nothing like his other children. Luca had caused him more trouble and grief than a parent could bear. That’s why Milo had cut him out of the business. The boy had even insisted on changing his name to Lucas, just to spite Milo.

  Lucas would probably gloat over this. He’d be happy to see his father and the family business fail. He’d probably be even happier if Manetto killed him. That’s why he could never find out.

  He glanced my way. He knew I was important, but it was obvious that there was more to me than met the eye. It astounded him that I knew when someone was lying. How did I do it? What I did was uncanny, almost like I could read minds… as strange as that sounded. I was Manetto’s ace in the hole. Without me, Manetto wouldn’t be so successful. He’d heard of people who’d been trained for that. Maybe that was how I did it.

  He’d have to look into getting someone like me to work for him. The advantages to his organization would be worth every penny. If he had someone trained in reading people at his disposal, he’d know if a business associate was lying to him. The possibilities were endless.

  His thoughts shifted to Enzo, and anger rose inside him. He’d wanted Enzo to defy Manetto more fervently before giving in. But… he couldn’t be too upset. Enzo had wanted him to retire five years ago. Maybe he should have.

  He’d see this through, and give Enzo the reins, before Manetto had a chance to kill him. But first, he’d find some way to get revenge on Manetto for this humiliation. He’d just have to make sure someone else got the blame so Manetto wouldn’t come after him. Maybe someone in the Manetto family could have an ‘accident.’ At least that would assuage some of his anger.

  I pulled away from Milo’s thoughts, feeling a little dirty. Milo’s pride had been greatly damaged by Uncle Joey, and a deep need for vengeance filled his soul with darkness. I felt nothing good inside his black heart, and I couldn’t wait to be away from him.

  It also concerned me that he had a son whom Uncle Joey had missed. But, if he wasn’t part of the organization, it made sense. Still, I’d have to warn Uncle Joey about him.

  After enduring several more minutes of Milo’s angry countenance, Ramos finally brought Enzo back. Enzo assured us that the others were on board. They’d come to realize that, when it came right down to it, they had nothing to lose. “We have a deal,” Enzo said.

  “Good.” Uncle Joey stood, offering his chair to Enzo. “Please come and sit down.”

  Enzo wasn’t sure what was going on, but he did as Uncle Joey asked. “Ramos, bring Milo over here to sit by his son.”

  Enzo hadn’t known his father was in the room, and his heart rate spiked with worry. Milo got to his feet, and Ramos picked up his chair and brought it over, setting it down next to Enzo. He sat down, presenting a united front, and Uncle Joey stood behind me.

  “That’s good. Now bring in the rest of them, one at a time.”

  The next half hour passed quickly, with each member of the family agreeing to Uncle Joey’s conditions, while I listened to make sure none of them were lying. With Enzo and Milo sitting in front of them, they could hardly defy their wishes. After each had finished, they were escorted out of the building to find their own way home.

  In the end, I thought Uncle Joey had handled his takedown brilliantly. He had them over a barrel, and not one ounce of blood had been shed.

  Ramos escorted Milo and Enzo upstairs to Milo’s office, and we followed behind. In the office, Uncle Joey left the photos on the table, as a reminder of his power, and took his briefcase with the gun. “I’m glad we’ve come to an acceptable arrangement,” he told them. “And I wish your family continued health and happiness.”

  Milo nodded, unable to say anything, so Enzo spoke up. “And you as well.”

  “Thank you. I’ll take my people and leave you to your business.” We left, surrounded by Flint and his contingent of Uncle Joey’s men, reminding me of a diplomat with secret service protection.

  The limo waited on the curb, and I slid inside. Uncle Joey nodded at Flint, and thanked him for a job well done, before he slid in beside me. Ramos came around the car and sat on the other side of me.

  As the car pulled away, I let out a sigh. “Wow. That was something. Remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  Uncle Joey smiled. “I hope they didn’t realize you were reading their minds.”

  “No, but they knew I was different. Milo reasoned that I was professionally trained to read people’s expressions and mannerisms. He’s considering getting someone like me on his payroll so he can be like you.”

  Uncle Joey chuckled. “Good luck with that.” He continued, “Did you find someone who’d be a good spy for me?”

  “Yes. That was easy. His name is Tony, and he’s Milo’s nephew.”

  Uncle Joey nodded, putting the right face to the name. “Yes. I remember him. After we drop you off at the hotel, I believe Ramos and I will pay him a visit.” I nodded, and he continued, “Did you pick up anything else I need to know?”

  “Enzo is more ambitious than you might think. He might decide to use you as a wedge to get what he wants from his father. It’s not a bad thing, but I doubt that Milo will like it much.”

  Uncle Joey shrugged. “That makes sense. It will help to have Tony on our side. What about Milo? He seemed to handle it pretty well once he understood the situat
ion. Does he have anything on his mind I should know?”

  “Yeah. You totally humiliated him. He’s not going to let that slide. He hasn’t figured it out yet, but he will seek revenge for this. He was thinking that someone in the family could have an ‘accident,’ and you’d never know he was the one behind it.”

  “I suspected as much, but it’s good to know.”

  “There’s one more thing. He has another son. His name is Lucas, and Milo’s cut him out of the business. I guess Lucas has caused Milo a lot of grief. He’s the youngest child, so he’s probably been spoiled rotten.

  “But Milo was thinking that he didn’t want Lucas to know about this agreement between the two of you, because Lucas would be happy to see the family business fail… and even happier if you killed Milo. It doesn’t sound like he’s involved in the business anymore, so he shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Uncle Joey nodded, thinking this was a complication he hadn’t expected. “That’s strange. My investigator didn’t find out about that. I guess we’d better check into it, just to be on the safe side.”

  The limo pulled up to the hotel, and the doorman rushed to open our door. Since Ramos and Uncle Joey had another stop to make, I told them goodnight. “Good luck with Tony,” I said. “Guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Wait, and I’ll walk you in,” Ramos said. He followed me out of the car and into the lobby. At the elevator, he pushed the call button and waited until the doors opened before telling me goodnight. “You did great tonight.”

  “Thanks.” I smiled, mostly because he was thinking that I’d handled myself like a real mob boss’s niece. “Goodnight.”

  The doors swished shut on his smiling face, and I let out my breath. Whew. What an experience. Uncle Joey was like your worst nightmare. I would have felt sorry for Milo if he had a heart. Instead, I was happy to see him humiliated. He was a cold-blooded killer, and he deserved worse than that.

  Then it hit me that if Uncle Joey knew that Milo had killed his grandparents, Milo would be dead right now, so it was probably for the best that I hadn’t told him. I’d also picked up enough to know that Uncle Joey was far from done with the Milo.

  But, whatever his plans, and however much Milo may deserve it, I just didn’t want to know.

  CHAPTER 7

  I opened the door to my hotel room and tiptoed inside, finding Josh asleep on the pull-out couch. I glanced inside Savannah’s room and saw two shapes lying on her king-size bed. Maggie must have fallen asleep in there. Since there was plenty of room, I didn’t want to disturb her and quietly shut the door.

  Inside my room, Chris lay sound asleep and snoring a little. I got ready for bed in the bathroom and soon slipped under the covers. What a night. Uncle Joey had schooled Milo, and I’d enjoyed every minute of it, especially since I knew Milo had killed Uncle Joey’s grandparents.

  It reminded me of Ramos’s thoughts that I had acted like a true mob boss’s niece. I guess I really had turned to the dark side but, since Milo deserved it, it wasn’t something I regretted. This was one of those times when taking a stand and pushing back was warranted.

  I hoped that would satisfy Grandfather Manetto. I didn’t want to hear that sad song again tonight, because, if I did, that might mean Grandfather Manetto had wanted Uncle Joey to kill Bilotti, and I’d been wrong. He didn’t seem like a vengeful ghost, but he was a mob boss who’d been murdered, so what did I know?

  Pushing those thoughts away, I concentrated on my breathing and did my best to relax all my tense muscles. As I let my troubles go, the comforting sounds of a lullaby filled my mind. It sent peace through me and I slipped into sleep, knowing I’d done the right thing after all.

  Morning came way too fast. I hardly had time to shower and get dressed before we needed to leave. I briefly explained what had happened at the meeting to Chris, and he could only shake his head in awe, thinking that Uncle Joey really was as bad as his reputation.

  Maggie had slipped out sometime in the night and met us downstairs for breakfast. I picked up her concern about the meeting, so I pulled her aside as we left the hotel.

  “The meeting last night was a success, so everything’s good,” I told her.

  “Did anyone die?” she asked.

  “No. Uncle Joey did a great job working everything out. I’ll have to tell you about it. He’s brilliant.”

  Her brows rose. “Really? Then I’ll look forward to hearing it.”

  After everything she’d been through, she deserved to know how Uncle Joey had brought the Bilottis to their knees. It would probably make her feel better, so who was I to deny her the pleasure?

  Because we only had the morning with Miguel, we had purchased the early-access tour to the Statue of Liberty and got to miss all the lines. Along with Maggie and Syd, Jackie also joined us, briefly mentioning that Uncle Joey had business to attend to. That didn’t surprise me, and I wished him luck. Hmm… I guess that made me a true Manetto after all.

  We met our guide at the front entrance of Pier A Harbor House and boarded our ferry to the statue. The brisk, morning breeze felt good on my face, and I enjoyed the ferry ride. Disembarking, the tour guide led us around the island, explaining the history as we went along.

  I kept an eye on Savannah, just in case she got a hankering to blurt the truth to Miguel, but I shouldn’t have worried. Everyone was enjoying the tour and hardly had a thought to spare about anything else. At the Statue of Liberty, we climbed the pedestal and took lots of pictures of the New York Skyline. Besides my family, this was Miguel’s first time there, so it was special to experience it all together.

  Soon it was time to head back, and we all trooped onto the ferry for the ride. Nearly back to the docks, my phone began to ring. It looked like a New York number, so I quickly answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey Shelby, it’s Hawk.”

  “Oh hey, how’s it going?”

  “I’m afraid I have some bad news. Taylor died early this morning.”

  “What?” Shock rippled through me. “That’s terrible. I thought she was doing so well. Did someone… kill her?”

  “That’s what we’ve spent the morning trying to piece together. As you can imagine, a lot of the hospital staff are pretty upset. I wondered if you could come to the hospital and see if you can pick up anything.”

  “Uh… yes, of course. Have you already questioned everyone involved?”

  “Most of them,” he answered. “But if it would help to talk to them again, I’m sure we can arrange it.”

  “Okay. I’m just getting back from the Statue of Liberty tour, so, once we dock, I’ll come right over.”

  “Thanks Shelby.”

  I told Chris the bad news. Then I had to explain to everyone what had happened, and that I was needed at the hospital. Since they all knew I’d been helping the police with this case, they understood why I had to go.

  “I’ll call you when I’m done, and we’ll meet up later.” I left them behind and hurried to the street to find a taxi. Luckily, I remembered the name of the hospital and arrived half an hour later.

  As I entered the hospital, dread and sorrow tightened my stomach. Now that I was here, I realized how awful this was going to be. I already felt terrible about it, but now I’d pick up how badly everyone else felt, and it wouldn’t be pleasant to feel those raw emotions.

  But if anyone had a hand in Taylor’s death, I would pick that up as well, so I didn’t have much of a choice. Still, how had it happened? Where was the police guard? What happened with the list? Was it an inside job, or did she die because of her wound?

  I exited the elevator and hurried toward the nurses’ station. The door to Taylor’s room was wide open and empty. I noticed that the white board still had Taylor’s name written on it, and my heart filled with anguish. She’d fought so hard to live. How had it come to this? I’d saved her from a killer yesterday only to have her die today.

  My eyes filled with tears. It was so unfair. As I wiped them away, I vowed to find her killer. I
t didn’t matter that I was here on vacation. This guy was going down, and I’d do everything I could to make sure it happened.

  “Shelby,” Hawk said. “Thanks for coming. I’m sorry I didn’t have better news.”

  “Yeah, me too.” I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath before catching his gaze. “Do you know what happened? Was she murdered?”

  He shook his head. “We’re still not sure about that. I guess she developed some complications that were life-threatening, most likely from the drug she was given yesterday, but it still seems suspicious to me.” He knew that the hospital had ruled that she’d died from her injuries and the incident yesterday, but his gut told him otherwise.

  He hoped the autopsy would show if it were anything else, but he wasn’t holding his breath. Maybe I’d be able to pick it up? It was all he had to go on. That’s why he’d asked me to come here. He hoped that being in the room would trigger a vision or something. Or maybe I’d see her ghost and find out that way.

  My brows rose. He didn’t know how close he’d come to the truth. Not the seeing-the-ghost part, but maybe I’d hear her voice. Closing my eyes, I opened my mind and called her name. Taylor, are you there? I waited several seconds but heard nothing in response.

  Glancing at Hawk, I shook my head. “I’m not picking up anything. Maybe we should talk to the nurses and doctors who were here.”

  He nodded, but his lips thinned with disappointment. “Sure. I’ll get them to come in here separately.” He’d already questioned them once, and he hoped they wouldn’t mind talking again. As he left to begin the process, I sat down on one of the remaining chairs.

  Ella entered first. Her eyes were slightly red from holding back her tears. I opened my mind up wide, hoping I’d hear her today, but I still couldn’t pick up a single thought. Why? What made her so different from everyone else?

  Hawk closed the door for privacy, and Ella sat in the empty chair across from mine, while Hawk remained standing.