Seduced by the Badge

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Danni shook her head once again. “No. I just...well...some of the girls...they...”

  Carlo held up a hand. “It’s okay. I understand. You’re just worried. And you should be. But trust me when I tell you most of these girls can take care of themselves. Ginger’s like you, though. She went through her own hard time, so she wants to save the world, one runaway at a time.”

  He stood up abruptly. “I’ve got someone covering the shop tonight. Why don’t I give you a ride home as soon as he gets here and you can show me what has you so concerned?”

  Danni gave him her brightest smile. “Thank you,” she said.

  Carlo winked an eye at her. “No, thank you. I appreciate your looking out for Pie.”

  * * *

  They’d become masters of small talk, chatting about everything from artistic impression to zabaglione, the custard-like dessert best served warm. It was all idle chatter to cover a loud silence neither was interested in falling into. Carlo talked and Danni listened, pausing to ask questions she already knew the answers to. It made the ride from the coffee shop to Pie’s home less painful.

  Danni took a deep breath as they pulled into an empty space in front of the home. The house was glowing, a light shining through the windows from every room. Danni couldn’t begin to imagine why everything was suddenly so bright when the norm under that roof seemed to be dark and secretive. Carlo brushed a hand against her back, seeming to sense her sudden discomfort.

  “You okay?” he asked, his brows raised in concern.

  “I’m fine,” Danni said with a slight nod. “I just...” She hesitated as she took a deep breath.

  “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “Let’s just go inside so I can see this criminal enterprise you were telling me about.”

  Danni wrapped her arms tightly around her torso. Carlo’s tone was teasing, like he thought it was all a joke. She suddenly regretted having said anything. Clearly, what Carlo thought he knew about his brother wasn’t what she knew. After asking the question, she hadn’t expected him to be so lighthearted about it all, barely concerned that something might be amiss. Although she expected him to be surprised when he stepped inside, she wondered if he’d try to justify his brother’s behavior or if he’d call the police like he’d said.

  He pushed the door open without knocking or ringing the bell. He called out in greeting. “Hello! Pie? Ginger? Anyone home?”

  Pie suddenly appeared from the dining room. “Hey,” he said, looking from Carlo to her and back. “You staying for dinner?”

  Carlo shot Danni a look and a smile. “Who cooked?”

  “Mama Teresa. Grandfather is here, too.” Pie sauntered past the two of them, barely glancing in her direction as he moved through the foyer toward the living room.

  Danni was immediately taken by the quiet in the home and the smell of garlic and tomatoes that billowed from the kitchen. Gone were the usual rush of bodies in and out and the women lounging in wait to earn their keep. She cast her gaze up as Ginger came bounding down the stairs.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?”

  “I gave Danni a ride and thought I’d pop in to say hello. Didn’t know we’d be here in time for dinner.”

  Ginger nodded, her flaming-red hair waving like she’d stepped out of a shampoo commercial. “How was your day, Danni? Did you find that job you were looking for?”

  The two women locked eyes. Danni shrugged ever so slightly. “Still looking,” she said softly.

  “I’m sure you’ll find something soon,” Ginger replied, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “You should go say hello to Mr. Balducci. But first, you need to change for dinner. I left a dress upstairs on the bed for you.”

  Carlo reached out his hand to trail his palm along her arm. “Go change while I look around,” he said, his voice dropping an octave.

  Confusion wafted over Danni’s face. She moved to the dining room and looked inside. The space had been transformed, the computers from that morning gone. The sizable oak table that sat in the center of the room suddenly had matching chairs, a tablecloth and a simple floral arrangement and had been set with heavy stoneware plates and silverware.

  An older woman was beginning to set platters of food out to be served. She was small in stature and slightly hunched forward, her shoulders rounded from age. She wore black pants and a white tailored blouse with a ruffled collar, and pink bedroom slippers adorned her feet. She looked up as Danni moved toward her. Her smile was welcoming.

  “You must be Danielle,” the old woman said, a light cackle in her singsong tone.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I’m Teresa Balducci,” she said as she swiped her hands against a printed apron tied around her waist. “But everyone calls me Mama.”

  Danni forced herself to smile back. “It’s very nice to meet you,” she said softly.

  “Well, dinner’s ready. Why don’t you go wash up and get ready? I hope you’re hungry!” she exclaimed. “I cooked lasagna!”

  Carlo suddenly hurried past Danni, sweeping the matriarch up into his arms. He kissed her cheek as she giggled with glee.

  “Put me down, boy!” she exclaimed as she patted him warmly against the back.

  “I wasn’t expecting to find you here,” he said as he greeted the woman warmly.

  “I had to come check on that brother of yours. There was nothing in the refrigerator, so you know I had to do something about that.”

  Carlo laughed warmly. “I came to check up on him, too. Glad I did. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on your famous lasagna.”

  “Come see me more and you can have my cooking anytime you want.”

  Mama Teresa turned back to give Danni a look. She fanned her hand at the young woman. “Hurry up, now. We don’t want the food to get cold,” she said.

  “I’ll give you a hand,” Ginger suddenly said from the doorway, locking gazes with Danni for the second time. “We don’t want to keep Mr. B waiting.”

  Danni nodded as she followed Ginger out of the room. Behind her, Carlo and the woman they called Mama were still laughing warmly together as he caught her up on his doings.

  As the two women bounded up the stairs, Danni whispered loudly, “Where did everybody go?”

  Missing from the hallway and the other rooms were the bunk beds. Two twin beds now decorated the room where Danni had slept, her duffel bag resting at the foot of one. Nothing was as it had been when she’d left that morning.

  “Where are Angel and the rest of the girls?” Danni asked as they moved into the space and Ginger closed the door.

  Ginger suddenly slammed her hard against the wall, knocking the breath from her. Danni grabbed her shoulder, pressing her palm to the rising bruise she knew would bloom there.

  “What the hell...!”

  Ginger hissed between clenched teeth. “Shut up! I brought you here to help you. Now you got Pius looking at me like I’m crazy. I told you to mind your own business and don’t ask questions, didn’t I?”

  “I didn’t...”

  “You did. You had the girls talking about things they shouldn’t have been talking about. Like Pius wouldn’t find out. He knows everything, you stupid fool, because he has eyes and ears everywhere! Now the grandfather’s here, and that’s never a good thing!” She threw her hands up in frustration. “So he moved everyone. I was able to keep Angel and them safe here. Now I don’t know what’s going to happen to them, and it’s all your fault.” Tears suddenly rained down over her cheeks. She turned, dropping down against the corner of the bed.

  Danni stammered, her eyes skating back and forth as she tried to make sense of it all. “I’m sorry... I didn’t...”

  “That’s right. You didn’t think. You were too busy acting all superior, like you were better than the rest of us. Nosing around in everyone’s business, asking questions about what we do instead of just minding your
own damn business like I told you to do.”

  “I just wanted to understand,” Danni whispered, fighting back her own tears.

  “Well, understand this. Get yourself changed. Go downstairs and pretend like we’re all one big happy family, and keep your damn mouth shut. Can you do that?”

  Danni nodded. Ginger stood back up and moved to the dresser mirror to touch up her makeup.

  “Pius won’t hurt the other girls, will he?” Danni asked.

  Ginger turned and eyed her with a narrow gaze. Her face was red with ire. She stared at Danni for a lengthy moment before she answered. “Pius will kill them and not think twice about it. Don’t let him fool you. And the rest of his crazy family wouldn’t blink an eye, not even that old lady. So, if you don’t want to turn up dead or get me killed, too, shut up! And tomorrow you need to find someplace else to stay. You can’t stay here.”

  The door suddenly swung open, Pie standing on the other side staring at them. Ginger took a deep breath. “We’re coming, Pie,” she said as she forced a smile to her face. “I just needed to fix my makeup.”

  “You look pretty,” he said, the comment unexpected.

  Ginger nodded. “Thank you, Pie.”

  He gave Danni a glance before turning his focus back to Ginger. “Dinner’s ready. He said come down now.” And then he turned, moving swiftly back down the stairs.

  Danni snatched the dress from the bed, pulling at her sweats at the same time. In the blink of an eye, she was changed, her hair pulled into a high ponytail, and Ginger had dusted her face with foundation and a light lip gloss.

  “Remember what I said,” Ginger hissed one last time. “Just keep your mouth shut and stay out of their business.”

  * * *

  Alexander Balducci sat at the head of the table, Carlo in the seat on the opposite end. Pie sat beside his grandmother, who had already begun dishing food onto their plates. Danni and Ginger dropped into the two remaining chairs.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Ginger said softly.

  “I apologize,” Danni offered. “It was all my fault.”

  Alexander nodded, his hands clasped together as his elbows rested against the tabletop. “It’s good to see you again, Ms. Porter.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Danni answered.

  “It’s been a while since we were here at your table, Paul,” Alexander said as he turned toward his grandson, calling Pie by his given name. “Carlo had some concerns that things might not have been well with you all here.”

  Pie shot Danni a look before he answered. Ginger’s leg brushed against hers, the gesture meant to be a warning. Danni took a deep breath and held it.

  “Everything’s fine,” Pie answered.

  “And business is good?” his grandfather asked. “Nothing I need to be concerned about?”

  Pie nodded. “Yes, sir, business is fine. You don’t need to worry.”

  Alexander suddenly shifted his attention back to Danni. “Ms. Porter, I understand that you’ve been worried about some of Ginger’s friends. Concerned about their well-being while they had been staying here?”

  The moment was suddenly more uncomfortable than it had already been. Danni felt everyone staring at her as they waited for her to respond.

  She exhaled the breath that she had been holding. “No, sir. I think I just misunderstood something one of the girls said.”

  “Which young lady was that?” he asked.

  Danni shook her head. “I don’t remember her name.”

  He paused, his gaze narrowing ever so slightly. “You were concerned about something this young woman said and now you can’t remember her name?”

  “No, sir. I can’t remember her name. I’ve met a lot of girls recently.” There was just the faintest hint of defiance in Danni’s tone.

  Alexander suddenly smiled. “Then I guess there’s nothing for us to worry about,” he said. He lifted his glass of wine to his lips and took a sip.

  The conversation changed gears as the family caught up with each other’s doings. Carlo commanded his grandfather’s attention as he updated him with details about the coffee shop and a realty venture he was considering. Danni listened with only half an ear. She forced herself to finish the food on her plate, that lasagna like cardboard and dust in her mouth. She had no appetite. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she may have done. She needed to get a message to Armstrong. They needed to find Angel and the other girls before it was too late. She was fairly certain that Alexander was controlling the strings that moved Pie. His grandson was nothing but a puppet doing his bidding. Now she just needed to prove it.

  She pushed her plate aside. “May I be excused?” she asked, sliding into the role the family seemed to want her to play.

  “That will be fine,” Alexander answered. “I’m sure Mama could use your help washing up the dishes.”

  “Danni and I will take care of the dishes,” Carlo said as he stood, beginning to gather the plates from the table. “Pie, why don’t you go show Grandfather what you and Ginger have been working on?”

  Rising from her own seat, Danni reached for the dishes Carlo missed and moved swiftly into the kitchen, dropping them all into the sink. She clutched the edge of the counter as she took a deep breath and then another, fighting to still her nerves.

  “I tried to tell you, Danni,” Carlo said as he moved into the room behind her. He dropped the pile of dishes he carried into the sink. “This wasn’t where you needed to be. My family aren’t all good people.”

  “Whatever,” she muttered as she began to rinse the plates to set into the dishwasher.

  “You’re angry.”

  Danni shot him a look. “I just need to get my things and get out of here.”

  “Come stay with me,” he said, pressing a hand to her forearm. “I told you I would take care of you. Let me!”

  Danni leaned back against the counter, stepping away from his touch. She wrapped her arms tightly around her torso. She was on emotional overload and really needed a minute of peace and quiet to think. “I don’t know,” she said softly, meeting his stare.

  “Well, you shouldn’t stay here. Obviously, you don’t feel safe.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Ginger said, suddenly appearing in the doorway. “Nothing is going to happen to her here.”

  “You sure about that?” Carlo snapped, a hint of anger in his tone.

  “I’m positive.” Ginger moved to Danni’s side, the gesture feeling very protective. “She’ll be fine.”

  “I agree,” Alexander suddenly added, surprising them all as he joined in the conversation. “Danni will be just fine here. Won’t you, Danni?”

  She nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Good. Carlo, we need to have a conversation, son. Why don’t you follow me back to the house?” he said, the comment clearly meant to be a command and not a request. “Pie can ride with you!”

  Carlo nodded. “Whatever you need from me, sir.” His eyes were still locked tightly on Danni’s face as she returned the look he was giving her.

  Alexander tapped his grandson on his back. “Wonderful!” He gave both women a bright smile. “Well, Ms. Porter, Ms. Taylor, it’s been a pleasure. I look forward to seeing both of you ladies again very soon.”

  Knowing they’d been dismissed, Danni and Ginger both turned at the same time, moving out the door. Carlo called her name before she could disappear from view.

  “Think about what I said, Danni. Please.”

  Danni hesitated and nodded as she forced her lips to bend into a slight smile.

  “We can talk more tomorrow at the coffee shop,” Carlo concluded.

  “Good night,” Danni said softly.

  * * *

  An hour later, the house was suddenly quiet. Danni peeked out the window and watched as the two cars pulled out of their parking spaces and disappeared down the street.
Ginger must have been doing the same thing because it was barely a minute later before she knocked and opened the room door.

  “I’m sorry,” Danni said as they locked gazes. “I didn’t mean for anything to happen to the girls.”

  Ginger dropped down onto the side of the bed. “I know you didn’t mean it,” she said. She heaved a deep sigh, her whole body seeming to deflate from the gesture.

  “What’s going to happen now?” Danni asked, dropping onto the bed beside her.

  “Business will go on as usual. All of this—” she gestured with her hands “—was to prove how quickly they can make it go away if they want it to. They can pack and move business in minutes and make it like it never existed.”

  “And they did it because I was asking questions?”

  “They did it because the girls were still talking, even when you weren’t asking questions.”

  “How can I help? What can I do?”

  “You’re going to disappear, preferably voluntarily, and Pius will keep doing what he always does. I’m going to do whatever I need to do to keep Pie happy and Mr. Balducci off my ass until I can find my way out of this unholy mess.” She blew another deep sigh.

  “It doesn’t have to be this way, Ginny. You can go to the police! You don’t have to keep doing this. I’ll go with you!”

  “You really are trying to get us both killed,” Ginny quipped. “Don’t you know the Balducci family has the police in their pockets? How do you think they get away with half the business they do? We’d never get out of the station alive, and I don’t know about you, but I really want to live to see another few years.”

  “Do you know who the bad cops are?”

  “As far as I’m concerned, they’re all bad. I know I can’t trust any of them, and I’m not willing to take that risk.”

  “Do you know where they took the girls?” Danni asked.

  A tear suddenly rained down Ginger’s cheek. She nodded. “Most of them went to the house on Morgan Street, I think. They have places all over Chicago. But Pius said he was going to send Angel to the tombs for talking to you and the other girls. I tried to change his mind but...” Her voice trailed.