by JB Lynn
She nodded. “Does this mean I don’t get a cupcake?”
Taken aback by her question, I broke into laughter.
“Everything okay?” a male voice asked.
My niece and I looked over and found Angel, carrying a couple of shopping bags, watching us with concern. Anwen, she of the melodic peaceful voice, stood beside him, holding enough heart-shaped helium balloons for every kid in the class.
“We’re fine,” I assured him, standing up.
“Hi Anwen. Nice to see you again.”
She smiled benevolently. “The pleasure is mine.”
“What have you got?” Katie asked Angel curiously.
Angel grinned. “Ice cream.”
“Gluten-free?” I asked, worriedly.
He nodded.
“Where’d you find it?”
“Sometimes my family connections come in handy.” He focused on Katie. “Want to help me pass this out to your classmates?”
She nodded excitedly and accompanied him back to the classroom.
I held the door open so that Anwen could get her massive balloon collection inside the room.
The kids oohed and aahed at the sight of the balloons. Megan scowled.
While Anwen and her daughter Sindhu passed out a balloon to each child, Angel and Katie started making the rounds.
I watched in amazement as, together, the strong, big man and the weak little girl handed out ice cream cups.
Cam, who’d finished distributing the cupcakes strolled over to my side. “You okay?”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I watched Megan looking annoyed as the kids dug in to their delicious food.
“Your niece okay?”
I shrugged. “I never know from one day to the next.”
I watched as Katie sat back down at her desk and Angel affectionately ruffled her hair and was rewarded with a sweet smile.
“She’s got good people watching over her,” Cam opined. “It’ll take time, but she’ll be okay.”
“Look,” I apologized. “I know I dropped the ball on this whole thing.”
“Don’t worry about it. You gave me my shot when others wouldn’t and I appreciate it.”
“Which one is your kid?” I asked, realizing I didn’t know.
She pointed at a curly-headed boy who looked like he had a knack for mischief in the back row. He waved at her. She flashed him a thumbs-up.
Angel strolled over to us, extending his hand to Cam. “Hi. I’m Angel.”
“Cam.” She shook his hand. “So you two…?”
“No,” I hurried to tell her. “Angel is Katie’s physical therapist.”
“And manny,” he added with a good-natured grin.
“Takes a confident guy to admit that,” Cam said with an impressed grin.
“Okay children,” Megan called out, clapping her hands. “Let’s clean up so that we can hand out our Valentines.”
Katie glanced over at me worriedly.
I winked at her, even while asking Cam, “Did you…?”
“It’s gonna be epic,” she promised. “Get ready to watch that bitch go down.”
My stomach soured a little, wondering what I’d gotten myself and niece into when I’d agreed to Cam’s plan for revenge. I knew it was too late to back out, but I found I wanted to run away.
When the kids had finished cleaning up, Megan had her daughter, who happened to sit in the front corner of the classroom, hand out her Valentines first. The cards were attached to little cellophane bags tied with red ribbons and filled with candy and stickers.
The kids were all appropriately impressed.
“Oh this will take forever, everyone hand out their Valentines,” Megan ordered after her daughter had her moment in the spotlight.
All the other kids jumped out of their seats and began rushing around. Only Katie remained seated. She turned to look at me uncertainly.
“Have her stay there,” Cam said.
I held up a finger, indicating Katie should wait a minute.
Pointing at the luggage cart, Cam said, “They’re personalized and boxed according to the seating chart. Start with Megan’s daughter and work your way around the room.”
I stared at the cart that still contained six boxes, each designed to hold a case of printer paper.
“I’ll push it,” Cam assured me as the kids trickled back to their seats. “Maybe the manny can help unload?”
I looked to Angel who’d been listening in.
“Sure,” he said with a shrug, like me, having no idea what he was getting himself into.
“Isn’t Katie passing anything out?” Megan asked with a sweet smile that was anything but.
I grabbed Katie’s hand as I marched toward the front of the classroom. Angel walked behind us. Cam pushed the cart bringing up the rear.
I stopped in front of the desk of Megan’s daughter. Angel opened the top box. His eyes widened a little as he saw the contents of the box.
My stomach roiled as I wondered what Cam had done.
He pulled out a silver backpack with “Diane” embroidered across it and handed it to me. It was filled with unknown stuff that didn’t feel like packing material. I gave it to Katie. She looked at me uncertainly.
I nodded with more confidence than I felt.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Katie said handing the bag to Megan’s daughter.
The recipient beamed. “Thanks, Katie.”
And that’s the way it went as we travelled around the room. Every child received a stuffed bag with their name on it. The excited roar in the classroom had nothing to do with sugar highs and everything to do with the contents of the bags, which held an assortment of cool school supplies, books, art supplies, and toys.
By the time we reached the last student, the kids were delirious and Megan was furious.
“Last box is for her,” Cam said nodding toward the scowling woman who looked miserable in the face of the joy in the room.
Angel pulled out two bunches of pink roses and handed them to me. I looked to Cam.
“Kill her with kindness,” she whispered.
I presented one to the teacher who’d sat in an out of the way corner the whole time watching the proceedings with a weary surrender. She perked up when I gave her the flowers and looked even happier when Angel rushed a leftover ice cream cup to her.
I gave the other flowers to Megan with what should have been a kind smile, but probably came across as a victorious grin.
I could tell from her frozen expression that she’d never ask me again to help out at a function.
I’m pretty sure I heard Anwen’s tinkling laughter.
Cam winked at me as I turned back and mouthed, “Epic!”
Chapter Twenty-four
When the party was over, I took Katie, who’d declared it “the best day ever”, out of school.
“Can we bring Dominic a Valentine?” Katie asked as I buckled her into her car seat.
I would have been happy if I never saw a Valentine again, but I couldn’t discourage her spontaneous act of kindness so we stopped at the nearest drug store, bought a card, a heart-shaped helium balloon, and a teddy bear for Dominic and headed over to the hospital.
Gino was sitting outside Dominic’s room as I strode through the hospital corridor carrying Katie and all the loot we’d bought for the little boy.
Putting down the crossword puzzle he was working on, he smiled at Katie. “Here to see your boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” She wagged her finger at the man who was teasing her.
He stood up. “Company, boss,” he called into the room before pushing the door open so that we could enter.
The pale little boy’s eyes lit up when he saw us. He waved excitedly.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” Katie yelled.
Delveccio vacated the seat he’d been occupying, indicating Katie could have it. I put her in it carefully.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” she yelled again, thrusting the card an
d bear at Dominic.
While he opened the card, I tied the balloon to his bed.
As Katie told the boy all about the party at school, I moved to stand beside his grandfather.
“Nice of you,” he said gruffly.
“She wanted to do something nice for him.”
“You didn’t have to let her,” he countered.
I shrugged. “What can I say? He’s stolen a bit of my heart too.”
Delveccio grinned.
“I delivered the package,” I whispered.
He nodded. “What about Cupid? Anything new on him?”
“Not yet.” I chose not to tell him that the man had broken into Kevin Belgard’s place.
The mobster frowned. “I’ve been trying to figure out how Fern was a target. Belgard had a lot of enemies, but not Fern.”
“Maybe,” I said slowly, thinking about how Cam’s revenge had centered on kindness, “it wasn’t about who his enemies were, but his friends.”
“Meaning what?”
“Who was affected by his death?”
“You mean besides me?”
“How were you affected?”
“Well,” he cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable, “he was my friend. I’m grieving.”
I nodded and thought about that for a moment. “Did you do anything differently as a result of your friend’s death?”
“Nope.”
“The police think my father killed Belgard,” I admitted.
“Yeah. I heard they pinched him for that.”
“He didn’t do it.”
The mob boss chuckled. “Of course he didn’t. Archie Lee doesn’t have the balls.”
I couldn’t disagree with him.
Delveccio glanced over at me. “Which makes me wonder where you got yours from, because you are one ballsy chick.” There was no mistaking the respect in his voice.
“Necessity is the mother of invention,” I quipped back.
He nodded. “I get that. Kill or be killed.”
I looked over at Dominic, remembering the first time I’d ever seen him. Delveccio’s son-in-law had been trying to smother him with a pillow.
That was the first time I’d gotten physically violent with someone. It wasn’t the last.
“What about Belgard? Was he affected by your friend’s death?”
Delveccio shook his head. “They had nothing in common.”
“Except you,” I guessed.
He shrugged. “I had the rare business dealing with the cop.”
“Did any of them concern my father?”
Delveccio looked at me sharply. “Why would you think that?”
I shrugged. “Maybe he’s being framed.”
“Maybe he just has a knack for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Noticing that Katie was blinking sleepily, I said, “I think we should go. She had a long day.”
“It was good of you to stop by.”
As I picked Katie up, Gino announced, “Nurse.”
A nurse walked in. She smiled at Dominic. “Look what you got!” Then she looked to the boy’s grandfather. “I just wanted to let you know that the Love Parade is on its way.”
“Love Parade?” Delveccio asked.
“A bunch of volunteers dress up as clowns and hearts and dancing teddy bears and hand out goodies to the patients so that they know they’re loved. They do it every year,” she explained before walking out of the room.
I followed, saying to Dominic, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
I could tell from the way Katie was growing heavier in my arms by the moment that she was almost asleep so I hurried down the hall and rushed around the corner, hoping to make it to the elevator.
Then I saw the wave of people heading for us and I knew I couldn’t outrun the parade.
“They’re like a tidal wave of good cheer,” Aunt Leslie opined from the loved one’s waiting lounge.
“What?” I asked, surprised to see her.
“A tsunami of good will,” she elaborated.
I squinted at her, trying to decide whether she was high or just nursing the bad mood she’d been in earlier. Noticing that she was wearing her hospital volunteer uniform, I decided it was the latter. At least that’s what I hoped it was.
She opened her arms, indicating she wanted to hold the sleeping child. I carefully handed Katie over, amazed she could nap through the yelling and cheering of the Love Parade.
I watched as they filed past, handing roses to staff, goodie bags to patients, and doling out hugs to family members. A pair of giant hearts, four dancing bears, a plethora of clowns, and a posse of cherubs rambled past.
Their good cheer was infectious and everyone was laughing and smiling, even me.
Everyone, but one of the cherubs, a chubby guy dressed in red.
As the crowd turned the corner, I saw him reach back to draw an arrow from his quiver.
And I knew that Delveccio was in danger.
“Stay here,” I told my aunt who was weighted down with the sleeping child.
I ran after the Cupid Killer, but it was hard to fight through the crowd to reach him.
As I drew closer to Dominic’s room, I saw that Delveccio was standing in the doorway, holding his grandson.
Fear that the little boy was as much a target as his grandfather made me jump in the air in a desperate attempt to warn them of the danger.
Delveccio didn’t see me.
I pushed forward, desperate to reach Cupid before he could fire a shot. I saw him notch the arrow, but couldn’t reach him.
I screamed as he pulled the arrow back and let it fly, but my cries were lost in the cheers of the crowd.
The cheers turned to screams as the crowd realized what had happened.
The parade ground to a halt as people gasped and pointed.
An arrow stuck out of a body and blood stained his shirt.
I felt sick to my stomach.
And yet relieved too.
Delveccio and Dominic were safe.
It was Gino who’d been shot.
Chapter Twenty-five
As soon as I realized it was the bodyguard who’d been hit, I turned around and hustled Katie and Aunt Leslie out of the hospital. It wasn’t like there was anything I could do to help and I wanted to avoid any investigation that would take place.
Leaving Katie with Angel to work on some of her exercises, I scooped up God and headed back to the blonde woman’s house.
Just like my earlier visit, I parked down the street so that I could observe her house.
Placing the lizard on the dashboard, I mused, “She must be important. Belgard visited her regularly.”
“Maybe you should ask the redhead who she is,” God suggested.
“Maybe.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
“I got the impression Patrick didn’t want to talk about her.”
“That doesn’t mean you’re not entitled to some answers,” the lizard countered.
I nodded, even though I didn’t think I’d be broaching the subject of the mysterious woman any time soon.
Showed what I knew.
A sharp rap against the passenger window made me jump. I bumped against the car’s horn, making it give off a short toot.
I turned to find Patrick bending down to watch me. He didn’t look happy.
My finger trembled as I pushed the button to unlock the door.
“Which part of stay away was so difficult to understand?” He climbed into the car, filling it with the frustration that seeped from every cell in his body.
I grabbed the steering wheel and squeezed, needing to feel anchored during the conversation. “She was important to Belgard. Maybe she’s important to me. I’m not going to give up on a lead just because you say to.”
When he didn’t respond, I risked a sideways glance in his direction.
His jaw was clenched and he stared at the blonde’s house with icy hostility.
