Victoria

by Laura Marie Henion

  She wondered if he read the pain in her eyes, the pain he caused her by the information he gave her. Their gazes locked before he slowly embraced her.

  She allowed the emotions to get the best of her although she had to admit that she felt the comfort in Tod's arms. Feeling his muscular physique beneath his dress shirt caused her pulse to increase. Slowly, she pulled away, but Tod didn't release her. His hands lay entwined behind her back.

  Instinctively, she held his forearms.

  "I haven't told the rest of your family yet. I'll talk to your uncle Patrick first, only because I'll see him back at the station. Detective Phelps and I are going to try to keep this information quiet, especially with the memorial ceremony only days away."

  Victoria jerked her head up to look at Tod, who was a good six inches taller.

  "Oh God, Tod. My mother. What am I going to tell my mother? This will kill her."

  Victoria cringed and his hug tightened.

  "Your mom is very strong, Tory. If it's not true..."

  She tried to push back from Tod and distance herself from his embrace.

  "What do you mean if it's not true? Of course, it's not true, damn it. It can't be!” She pulled away from him, but Tod held her hands.

  "I'm here for you, Tory. You know that I am, right?"

  He stepped closer to her, placed his hand under her chin, and gently rubbed her bottom lip with his thumb before their gazes locked again.

  Instantly feeling the tightness in her chest, recognizing the look of passion in Tod's eyes, she felt the conflict within. An attractive man, the second in two days, and she found herself desiring his touch. What had come over her?

  His head moved forward as his tone decreased in volume.

  "I'm here."

  Before he could move close enough to steal a kiss, she stepped back; although, she admitted she was more then curious to taste his kiss.

  "Yes. I'm sorry, Tod. Please tell me everything.” She took his coffee cup and brought it to the kitchen to make him a new cup. Then she poured one for herself.

  Thinking about what almost occurred between her and Tod in the living room, she decided to sit as far from him as possible. In twenty-four hours, did I turn into some kind of hussy? The thought both scared her and excited her. Could she finally put her past behind her and move on? Should she listen to her best friend Celina and just sleep with Tod?

  The thought of falling into such a comforting, masculine embrace brought on a slight feeling of heat between her thighs. Over a year without a man and she was ready to fling her body at two different men at once? Surely, the stress appeared to be strangling her better judgment.

  Thoughts of Steven flashed in her mind. Her first lover, her only lover, how could there ever be another.

  "Victoria, sit down, you don't look so good. Information like this is not easy, and I'm sorry for blurting it out."

  "I'm okay, Tod, please explain everything to me and tell me what happens next?"

  * * * *

  "Hey, Dad, what's going on?” Connor asked Patrick as he entered the office, closing the door behind him.

  "Have you heard from Victoria?” Patrick sat at his desk fiddling with some paperwork.

  "No, why do you ask?” Connor hoped his father hadn't heard about Victoria and Bret Collins. The shit would truly hit the fan. Connor knew Bret and Uncle Danny were kind of enemies. Apparently, Victoria had no idea.

  "I know you already know what's going on, son, so take that blank look off your face. What the hell is she thinking?"

  "She doesn't know that Uncle Danny and Collins hated one another. How could she know their past when she's not on the job and is, what, twelve years younger than him? I don't know what she's thinking."

  "This is bad. He's no good for her and.... “Patrick didn't finish his sentence.

  "What? What are you not telling me?"

  "Detective Phelps called me first thing this morning. Apparently, they found a connection between the Delaney woman and Danny. They think they were having an affair."

  "What? No way, not Uncle Danny. This can't be true."

  "I hear you, son, but Phelps and Kafrey are working the case and this is their latest lead. Kafrey hasn't stopped in to see me yet, but I'm sure he will before the end of the day."

  "Oh shit, the memorial service is only three days away. What is Aunt Sherry going to do? How about the rest of the family, never mind if this information leaks to the public? They'll rip Uncle Danny apart."

  "I know, Connor. That's exactly what I'm worried about. There's something else, too."

  "What is it, Dad?"

  "I know who the secret new weapon is that's coming to improve the SWAT team task force. I actually spoke to him myself."

  Connor sat forward in his seat. He knew how secretive the department had been about this, and by his father's facial expression, the name was surely going to shock him.

  "Steven Soranno."

  "What? He's alive? Does Victoria know?” Connor asked.

  "Slow down, son, I've known about this for a while. Steven called me a couple of months ago. He asked me not to tell Victoria that he was alive and coming home yet. He was working on getting the position at the department and wanted everything to be perfect. He had no idea about Danny."

  "Well, where the hell has he been for over a year? Why didn't he contact Tory? Does he know the hell he put her through? Holy shit, this is crazy.” Connor stood up with his hands on his hips as he thought about his precious cousin, Victoria. What would she do when she saw Steven? How involved was she with Collins and what about the new information on the case? This was going to be hell for her.

  "I know, son. I had a million questions of my own. What we need to do is find Victoria before noontime tomorrow.

  That's when Steven is going to arrive at the SWAT team command center. I think it's better if she finds out from us instead of Steven or the grapevine."

  "How come he hasn't contacted her himself? What the fuck is his problem?"

  "Son, you have no idea what he went through over there. He was involved with some pretty heavy shit, and if Victoria lets him explain everything, and if he tells her everything, then maybe, just maybe, they could work things out."

  "What about Collins?"

  "That's where we come in, son. We've got our work cut out for us, that's for sure."

  * * * *

  Victoria was irate at the information from Tod. She couldn't just sit there and not continue with her own investigation, never mind, believe her father actually cheated on her mother. There was no way it were true. Her parents were high school sweethearts, through and through. She made up her mind.

  She drove down the Garden State Parkway en route to Pascack, New Jersey and the place called Mallorie's. She had a plan in motion and would sit every employee down if need be to find out exactly what the deal was.

  Victoria hid her true identity, and with her impeccable acting skills, as well as her sexy appearance, she had the male bartenders talking a mile a minute. Soon, even the seasoned waitress who worked every Thursday talked up a storm. Victoria knew that a short skirt, long legs, and a bit of cleavage went a long way when doing undercover work.

  By the time she finished at the restaurant, she found out more than Tod and Detective Phelps had been able to. Much more than these people had been willing to tell the police.

  There had been someone else there that day who took the picture, a man, well dressed, in his late thirties or so. They couldn't remember too much because it had been such a long time ago. The three people knew one another. It was obvious.

  She racked her brain trying to figure out a way to identify the other man at the bar, the one who took the picture.

  Victoria thanked them for their time and made her way back to her car.

  Fiddling with her car keys, she glanced around out of habit, when she noticed some man she didn't recognize waiting by her car for her. She knew right away that he was in law enforcement of some kind, or possibly an attorney
. There was that look in his eyes. She had seen it many times before.

  He dressed rather nicely, wearing a good, expensive suit, not one from the local department store. There was a bulge near the bottom of his ankle. He was carrying a gun; she just knew it.

  The guy followed Victoria's gaze, and he quickly introduced himself.

  "Miss Mardullo, I'm Investigator Warren. May I have a moment of your time?"

  Warren was a tall, thin man, possibly in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair and a thin mustache. He offered her his business card.

  She was hesitant at first but decided to play the game as she refused the card and asked for identification. Warren seemed annoyed at this, apparently seeing right through Victoria's tactics.

  Victoria smiled after accepting Warren's identification as authentic.

  "Why would the River County District Attorney's office send an investigator to speak with me?” Victoria leaned against her car. A thousand things went through her mind. She knew her boss and the staff covered her ass in all her articles and assignments. They didn't want the hassle of a lawsuit, nor could they afford one.

  Her boss, John, and the other board members ran Search and Seizure by the book.

  "Miss Mardullo, maybe there's somewhere we can go to talk? This is a private matter and I would prefer to stay unnoticed."

  Victoria looked around. There was no one in sight and no windows on the side of the building where she parked.

  "What's wrong with right here? There's no one around, no windows on the building. Tell me what's going on?"

  He explained about the investigation the County DA's office was conducting in regards to some local political corruption that may have spread into the police department. One particular officer's name came up, but she hardly knew him.

  "What does this have to do with me?"

  "Well, we believe there's a connection with your father's murder. We also believe that we have a suspect, but are still investigating at this time."

  "What do you mean you have a suspect? Tod ... I mean, Detective Kafrey, didn't mention this to me."

  "The detectives are steps behind us. There's a bigger picture here, Miss Mardullo. You've been conducting your own investigation into your father's murder, and we believe that you just uncovered information that eluded the detectives. Information we already know about."

  "I don't understand. What is it that you want from me? Silence? I won't stay silent when everyone is accusing my father of adultery. This is going to destroy my family."

  "Victoria, we need you to help us out here. The corruption runs deep and we believe your father stumbled across it somehow. Also, there is a connection between Linda Delaney and our suspect."

  "Delaney was the one my father was with at the restaurant. Who is your suspect? Was he the one who took the picture at the restaurant?"

  "It's Bret Collins."

  "What? How could that be?"

  "I'm sure it's a shock to you, Miss Mardullo, but we've been investigating Mr. Collins for some time now. The FBI is involved. He's paid off a lot of people to cover his tracks. Your father was aware of this and we're assuming you had no idea that they disliked one another."

  "Oh, my God, no. I didn't even know that they knew one another. I know my uncle Patrick and most of my family doesn't support him politically, but I just thought it was due to the changes he wants to make if he becomes town supervisor. You think he murdered my father?” As the words passed through her lips, she became nauseous and dizzy. Warren reached for her as she grabbed at his arm for support.

  "Come sit down, Miss Mardullo. I'm sorry to have upset you. This must be a complete shock. Let's take a moment, just relax.” Warren helped Victoria take a seat on a nearby bench.

  Victoria was stunned. Did she just have dinner with the man who killed her own father? She kissed him, allowed him to hold her, seduce her, and lie to her. He didn't mention he knew her father. What did he want from her? A thousand questions ran through her mind.

  "Miss Mardullo, don't beat yourself up over this. Collins is very slick. He's a pro and that's why he's been able to evade capture for so long. We believe he killed your father out of jealousy. Linda Delaney is his cousin's daughter. You know Delaney Construction, don't you?"

  "Yes, I do, but she's his cousin, his family, that's sick."

  "Exactly. He was the one who took that picture. Linda did have a thing for your father, but he didn't entertain it. Collins has been spreading corruption and making promises to cops for years. We're pulling our evidence together, and so far, we've got him for money laundering, taking bribes, fixing his elections, tax evasion, and are close to pinning him for murder."

  "If you have so much evidence, what do you need me for? Can't you arrest him and interrogate the shit out of him?"

  "We plan on doing that, but you see, our evidence has loopholes that may not hold up in court. We need more proof and we don't think he's working alone. So far, the other person involved has stayed anonymous, covered his or her tracks really well,” Warren explained.

  "In all honesty, I don't think Collins pulled the trigger himself. He's too much of a coward. I think he has a partner, someone who's on the inside and taking kickbacks,"

  "What is it you want me to do? If he hated my father, he wouldn't confide in me. What does he want?"

  "It may be just simply extra votes that will ensure him winning the election. Your family is large and heavily involved with the police department, fire department, military, and local community. Your support would mean a great deal,” Warren told her.

  "Not if these accusations of my father having an affair are released. People don't like that kind of stuff. It turns them off whether it's true or not.

  "Once it's out there, it sticks in their minds. They'll be saying he deserved to die, that the killer was probably a jealous boyfriend. Oh, my God, this is crazy.” She covered her face with her hands.

  "The DA's office can't stop the detectives from conducting their investigation. We need to stay silent. They can't know we're on to all of this. We've risked telling you in the hopes that you'll help us.

  "First of all, there's a Detective Monroe working out of the Boulder Point Police Department. He's gone through the whole FBI training academy. He's the only person other than you that knows what's going on. He's our inside guy in the police department and is currently working on some cases with the River Point P.D. Monroe and I will be working with you to organize everything. If your paths cross, you are not to acknowledge one another. Monroe and I will continue to investigate Collins and some others."

  "What is it that you want me to do?"

  "We want you to continue to date Collins, no matter what your family says. We want you to get close to him, confide in him, and make him believe you. You're to tell him how bad things were in your family. You'll have to lie and make it believable. If he thinks you're out for revenge, or aren't so loyal to your family, then he'll confide in you, perhaps reveal the name of his secret partner."

  "I don't know if I can do this. How can I get close to a man who is somehow responsible for killing my father, whether he pulled the trigger himself or not?"

  "Because the end result will be clearing your father's name, capturing his killer, ending corruption in the department, and protecting your family. We're close, Victoria. Can you do this?"

  Victoria sat back and thought about everything the investigator told her.

  "Victoria, don't think for a minute that your father even considered an affair with the Delaney girl. He had his reasons for meeting her at this restaurant.” Warren motioned with his arm toward the building behind them.

  "So why was he meeting her? You know why?” Victoria needed to know everything.

  "Linda Delaney was an artist. She enjoyed creating paintings from photographs, mostly engagement or wedding pictures. She sold the idea to him, showed him other work she did. Your father hired her to paint a portrait of his and your mother's wedding picture. The unfinished work wasn't recovered
as of yet."

  "Why was Bret there if my father hated him so much?"

  "Bret and Linda did have a thing going on, but she wanted to call it quits. Your father had no idea about this. When Bret showed up that day and took the picture, he probably thought nothing of it. He disliked Bret, yes, but dealt with him while Linda finished her portrait."

  Victoria thought about it for a minute, relieved that her father had good reason for meeting the attractive young woman.

  Warren proceeded to tell her no one was to know about her decision, and that in the end, after hurting her family, they would understand and forgive her.

  * * * *

  Warren called Monroe then pulled his car out of the parking lot.

  "So do you think she's going to help us, or what?” Monroe asked.

  "My gut would say yes. She wants revenge badly."

  "You're not kidding. Who the hell wouldn't? I just wonder if she'll be able to handle her family. Besides that, where the hell did you come up with the story about the painting? She may ask to see that when everything is all over,” Monroe said.

  "Don't worry about it, Monroe—just follow my lead. We are conducting this investigation for the County District Attorney's office. Do you know what kind of publicity the DA and all of us will get from this, especially, if there's multiple murders connected? As sick as it sounds, people eat that kind of movie shit up."

  "It's crazy when you think about how this whole investigation got started."

  "Yeah, one call from Jack ‘Flip’ Walker to his town DA,” Warren added.

  "It would make a great story. A man who wanted the position as Town Supervisor had initiated the phone call to the District Attorney's Office. That call encouraged the District Attorney to take a deeper look at Bret Collins. Who would've known that the Highway Department Supervisor was onto something this big?"

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 5

  Victoria's tears threatened to escape. It would take a miracle for her to make it through the day without breaking down. The sense of foreboding, of the unknowing that lay before her, was enough to bring the most organized and strong person into a panic attack, but instead, she reluctantly entered her office. She had debated calling in sick, but she never did that. She did only once, two years ago, when she had the stomach flu and wound up dehydrated and in the hospital. That was before the murder of her father.