A Change for the Good

by Melanie Jayne

  “I’ll think about it. I do hear you.”

  There was a long pause, both men were silent.

  “Hey, did I lose you? You’ve gone quiet. Such a rare happening Big Brother,” Tony added in a teasing tone.

  “It was good that she didn’t balk at having you at the meeting. I need you on this.”

  Tony switched to professional mode, calculating and quick to process information. “Zoe said she walked away from the divorce.”

  “It was more like she gave him a final parting gift. He settled most of his legal problems with the monies from the sale of the marital assets. Took guts for her to do that. According to her attorney, she wanted to sever all connections with Baxter in the most efficient way. She lost out on about twenty million by my best guess, but according to her attorney she was satisfied, even happy with the decision. Her attorney was impressed that she kept such a cool head when deciding her future. She didn’t make extra trouble for Baxter during the criminal investigation. In fact I heard, that she cooperated and although upset, she worked with the authorities efficiently. Don’t know of too many in that position that wouldn’t have put up a stinking war, stalling and throwing up as many roadblocks as possible. She just worked through it so that she could walk away from everything associated with Baxter and her marriage.”

  Tony let that sink in for a few beats then switched gears. “So any leads on the break-in?”

  “Working on it, have some feelers out locally. Her attorney said he would put something together for me from his end. Copies of hate mail she received from some victims of the asshole’s theft. I will go through those and see if anything pings.”

  “That’ll be fun work.”

  “Patience, research, and vigilance are what we do right now. Something will break and we will get a lead, always happens. Tell Zoe I am working and will keep you both updated. She can call if she has any questions. Enjoy your date.” Geno clicked off.

  Tony had just finished with Geno’s call when the house phone rang. He answered so that it would not disturb Zoe’s sleep. “Hello?”

  “Well, hello. Would Zoe be available?” A female voice purred.

  “Who’s calling?”

  “Why this is Anna, and you are?”

  “Zoe isn’t available right now. Can I take a message?”

  “Is this Tony?”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “Zoe is my best friend. My husband is her attorney in Denver. I’ve been hearing a lot about you. So it is good to finally speak with you.”

  Uh oh, Tony’s instincts told him that he was about to be questioned. “I’ve heard Zoe speak of you too.”

  “Good. I’m glad she isn’t around. I wanted to talk to you. How is she doing? I heard about the break-in and that she hired a P.I.”

  “She’s doing fine.”

  “I gather that you believe this was no accident?”

  “I’m not sure that I should be discussing this with you,” he answered cautiously.

  “Either my husband will give me answers or you can. Was the attack an accident?”

  “I don’t think so. Zoe took my advice and hired my brother. Geno’s good at his job, we are working on it.”

  “So you are staying with her? To keep her safe, of course.”

  “I thought it would be a good idea, with the concussion and all.”

  “My husband claims that you can keep her safe. Can you?”

  “I’m not sure what you are asking?”

  “What are your qualifications? I want my friend protected, but if you are just sitting on the sofa with a butter knife, I will be on the next flight out there to bring her back to Denver or somewhere where I know that she will be protected.”

  “I am on medical leave from the A.T.F., I know what I’m doing.” His voice was ice cold.

  Laughter sounded from the receiver. “Good. You pass. I like it that you are so protective, even with information. Now here are few things you need to know. Zoe is smart, but her confidence was shaken to the core with the divorce and Nate’s criminal behavior. She spends too much time questioning herself. Be patient and don’t give up. Secondly, she is grounded. Don’t let her money scare you off. And third, don’t you dare hurt her heart. She deserves a good man, but if you hurt her, I’m not sure she will recover. Are we clear?”

  Tony liked Anna’s straight forward nature. “Yes, we are. For the record, I will do everything in my power never to hurt Zoe.” Just how much money does Zoe have? Maybe I don’t even want to know.

  “Jot down my number and if you need my help, just ask.”

  “Thanks Anna. I will tell Zoe that you called.”

  “Please do, and tell her that I gave you sound advice.”

  “Will do.” Tony chuckled.

  “I think I like you, Tony. Take care of my friend.”

  Hmmm, that went better than I had hoped. Sounds like I have the best friend on my side. Now if I could just convince Zoe that we are the real thing.

  ****

  As the days passed, Zoe felt like she was improving. The headaches were now few and far between and her body had stopped aching. She suggested that they rearrange her living-room, moving a few pieces of furniture. She hoped to make room so that Tony could work out. She was allowed to supervise him through a series of stretches and isometric exercises. Some days his limp had become more pronounced as the muscles were tightening, so he needed the workout space. Zoe had encouraged him to go to the gym, but he refused to leave her at home. He maintained that by keeping their excursions to a minimum that it was safer.

  Tony was on the floor stretching.

  “Time for push-ups.”

  “Bossy, aren’t you? I will remember that for future dealings.” He lifted his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.

  “I want you in top condition for when I’m cleared. Plus I know you went to the gym every day religiously. You said yourself that you were ahead of schedule with your rehab due to the killer routine. I don’t want you falling behind due to the demands I have put on your time. I have a vested interest in your body.”

  “Bossy, beautiful, and smart. The total package.” He grabbed her for a kiss but then his cell rang breaking the couple apart. “Geno has terrible timing,” Tony snarled.

  Tony ended the call. “We need to shower. Geno wants to meet at a coffee shop at four, said he has updates and some more questions.”

  “You hit the shower first since you are the one that takes the longest to get pretty,” Zoe teased and in response Tony swatted her ass. She loved the playful banter they shared.

  They were ten minutes late as they pulled into the coffee shop’s parking lot. It was empty except for Geno’s black Lexus. Tony had been cautious, taking a circuitous route to this meeting. “I wish there was street parking in front. I don’t like the exposure from the lot to the front door.” Zoe had noticed that when Tony was being professional his eyes and voice turned cold.

  Inside Geno was seated along the back wall, away from the windows. He stood to greet the couple, giving Zoe a hug and Tony a hug with a slap on the back. Soon they were settled, drinks ordered, then Geno turned serious. “Some contacts have reported and I’m not thrilled with what I am hearing.” He paused to take a drink of coffee.

  “Go on,” Tony’s body was tense and his thigh was plastered to Zoe’s as if he could keep her caged in the corner of the booth by their connection.

  Geno had their complete attention as he continued. “I have learned that two men out of Indianapolis were hired a few weeks ago. I am working on the names, but my contact seems to think that they are still in the area.”

  At the pause Tony commented, “So this was an out of town contract?”

  Geno shifted in the booth and started to doodle on the pad to his right. “I’m thinking along those lines. This is the why I wanted to meet, an informant says that the duo are concerned that the woman got a good look at them. They are facing a list of charges. A pushy prosecutor could go for attempted murder and that cou
ld mean a long stretch for the duo. I’m confident they are in the system and this wasn’t their first job.”

  As the silence stretched, Zoe sensed the brothers were doing some form of silent communicating, and she didn’t like being left out. “And that means what?”

  Tony answered grimly. “It could mean several things, either they will disappear along with the problem, and whoever hired this team will hire another one to start up again. The worst case scenario, the duo will try to cut their losses and take care of you.”

  “You mean try to kill me? I haven’t done anything to anyone. Why would someone want to do this to me?” Her voice shook and she took a couple of deep breathes to calm herself.

  She sat very still, trying to fit the puzzle pieces together. “Hold On! If I were to die I might be worth something. I think Nate had an insurance policy on me. I don’t know what he did about it. I mean, he could have cancelled it after the divorce but if he didn’t then …. Can you find out if policy is still good? All of that information has to be buried in some financial document or deposition.”

  “So how reliable is this source?” Tony was focused on Geno, the muscle in his jaw jumping.

  “In the past he has been solid, but I would feel better if I had names for the duo,” Geno answered.

  On the inside Zoe was shaking with unease. “So what’s the plan? Do I stay under lock and key? I can’t live like this forever. What about Tony? Does he ever get his life back?” The last bit came out with a hysterical edge. It wasn’t every day that a woman was told that someone might want to kill her.

  Tony ran his hand up and down her thigh, “Geno will continue on the street, he will update C.P.D., and I will stay with you.” Tony quickly added, “We have to be patient until something breaks.” The command in Tony’s voice allowed for no argument.

  “Zoe, do you know how to handle a handgun?” Geno asked.

  “Yes, but it has been a long time and I don’t own one.” Now she was really scared. This was spinning out of control.

  “We need to start the paperwork for a concealed carry permit today. What do you like to shoot?” Geno’s gentle tone surprised yet calmed her churning emotions.

  Zoe hoped the panic she felt didn’t show on her face. “A Glock, but I haven’t shot one in a long time. You guys are scaring me.”

  “You can use Patty’s for practice until we can get one for you.” Geno shifted pages on his yellow legal pad and continued. “I think it might be best if you”, he nodded to Tony, “paid a visit to the detectives, just a friendly inquiry into the status of the case. I am curious to see where they say they are. I plan on turning over my file to them in the next day or two, but I want to see if anything shakes free by then. If I hand it over with a pretty bow tied around it, then we know they can’t fuck it up.”

  Geno continued assigning tasks.

  Tony nodded in agreement. “You take Zoe to start the application paperwork. I’ll meet you back at your house in a couple of hours.”

  “Good, then I can get my hands on the Glock. It sounds like Nate is behind this, that fucking son of a bitch. I will use the gun on him. I let him off the hook to be rid of him and this is how he repays me… FUCKER.” Zoe was surprised at how enraged she felt, but anger was better than tears in her opinion. It helped her focus and at that moment tears would just be self-indulgent. There was no time for that.

  Tony grabbed her hand and gave it a good squeeze. “Hold on a second, my blood thirsty wench. Keep in mind these things can totally change in a matter of moments, so don’t be booking a trip to Denver for a showdown just yet.”

  Geno pulled money out of his wallet and started gathering his things, a clear signal it was time to break up the meeting. Tony kissed her with intensity and said, “See you at Geno’s. Remember to behave or Patty won’t invite us to stay for dinner.” He gave her a reassuring smile, nodded at Geno and took off for the door.

  “I gotta call home to fill Patty in, then we’ll take off.” After a short and to the point conversation, Geno told his wife he loved her and ended the call.

  Zoe felt that she should clarify what she meant during her outburst. “I would never fly to Denver to accuse Nate. I know that Tony would try to follow and I don’t want to drop any more of this mess on him. I’m upset because I know that I am putting him in danger, but he won’t give up. I want you to know I’ve given him that option several times.”

  “If Tony didn’t want to stay or be involved he would drop you off on my doorstep and be gone.” Geno gave her a stern look. “Here are my thoughts. You make my brother happy. You have no idea how important that is to me and Patty. This other shit will get cleaned up so you two can go back to regular living. You both deserve a shot at a happy life. Apart or together, you both are good people.” Geno sounded sincere and as he looked her in the eye.

  “Thank you, Geno.”

  Clearing his throat, Geno reverted back to business. “Now, when we walk out, I’ll go out the door first, you stay between me and the building. Get in the car and shut the door immediately. Seat belt on quick. If I tell you to get down, you get down. If I say run, you run. Let me see your phone. Keep it in your hand at all times when you go out. Now let’s go.”

  Without question, she followed Geno down the aisle. At the door, Geno paused and gave the reminder, “Between me and the building, remember?

  The distance to the Lexus seemed to be a mile, but Geno kept a quick pace. He constantly scanned the street and the parking lot. The car was just a few steps away and Zoe had just let out a sigh of relief, when she heard a “pop, pop, pop”. Geno yelled, “Down!” and Zoe hit the sidewalk face first.

  Zoe couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. Geno shifted off of her back and she heard him swear. She hit the emergency button on her cell for help. She tried to articulate the information to the dispatcher, but her thoughts were jumbled. The words coming out of her mouth slurred.

  Geno grabbed the phone and began to bark orders into it. “Zoe! Zoe look at me. Damn it, we got a head wound here. I don’t know if it’s from the impact with the parking lot or a bullet, just get the bus here, the victim’s responses are slow.”

  She lifted her head trying to follow Geno’s voice. He was baking orders into his phone. She watched him pace back and forth with the phone glued to his ear. He seemed to be favoring his right leg. “Oh My God! Geno, you’re hurt,” Zoe cried. She tried to sit up but a wave of dizziness hit her and her vision darkened. She slumped to the ground as everything faded to black.

  Chapter Nine

  Waking slowly Zoe’s first thought was, fuck my head hurts. Again! Keeping her eyes closed and going back to sleep sounded like a good idea. In fact her entire body was hurting. She tried to shift, hoping that would alleviate some of the pain, but God, it sent a shockwave that made her moan.

  “You sure have an exciting life, Ms. Crawford. Then again, I don’t think it agrees with you much. Can you open your eyes? I need to test your pupils’ reaction.” Coincidentally, it was asked the same blonde E.R. nurse from her last visit.

  Zoe slowly complied. The overhead lights made her feel nauseous as she tried to follow the penlight. She could hear Tony’s angry voice in the distance. “Is that Tony, er Mr. Alessi?”

  “Yeah, it is.” She stopped to listen, also.

  “Could he come in?” she asked softly. She needed him.

  “Gladly, if you think that you can calm him down. We had to push him out while the surgeon was stitching your wound. He demanded a plastic surgeon for you and pissed off Dr. Antonucci, but he was right, facial stitching should be done by a specialist. I think he is at the end of his rope having both, you and his brother brought in at the same time.”

  “Oh my God, how is Geno?”

  “Hang on a moment, your Mr. Alessi can fill you in.” The nurse smiled and left the room.

  A few moments later, Tony stalked in, pausing by her bedside as his brown eyes raked her body. “Zoe, you scared the shit out of me.” He grabbed her outstretc
hed hand and she could feel the tremors coursing through his body. His face was drawn and lines of strain surrounded his mouth.

  She understood that his anger was not directed at her. He was scared. “How is Geno? I think I saw blood,” Zoe asked, emotion cracking her voice.

  Tony laughed, actually laughed. “He got shot in the ass.” He noticed Zoe’s tears. “No, honey, a bullet went through his ass cheek. He’s gonna be fine. Has to sit on one of those doughnut things for a couple of weeks until he heals.”

  “But he’s going to be okay?” Her brain raced to process everything that had happened.

  “Patty is giving him shit for being stupid enough to get shot in the ass. He’ll be fine. You on the other hand, gave us all a fright. Another concussion and twelve stitches along your hairline, plus assorted scrapes and bruises from Geno throwing you down. Now don’t get worked up, but you’re spending another night here for observation.”

  “I hurt like hell.” Suddenly, she couldn’t keep her eyes open. She attempted to lift Tony’s hand to her lips, but it was too heavy. He leaned in close and brushed a kiss on her cheek.

  “You did good, Zoe. Now close your eyes and rest. I’ll be right here.”

  “I know.” She fell asleep with a smile on her lips.

  ****

  Luckily, Geno and Zoe’s rooms were across the hall from one another, thanks to Patty’s connections with the hospital staff. She probably had them rearrange the entire floor to accommodate her family. This was turning into a clusterfuck, and even with two beefy guys in the hallway, Tony felt uneasy. Detective White from the C.P.D. had arrived and was in Geno’s room asking questions. Tony hoped that Geno wasn’t getting too tired because he wanted to strategize tonight. He planned on leaving town tomorrow. He had to get Zoe away.

  Tony worked into the early hours of the morning, making notes, sending texts with instructions and trying to put order to what had happened. Geno had grown tired while the detective ran through his questions. He joined in to save time and to clarify some points in hopes that C.P.D. would take over the leg work and start focusing on this case. He promised to take Zoe to the police station for her interview immediately after her release in the morning. He wanted the paperwork completed so that they were free to leave the city. In his gut, he worried that Zoe would be stubborn, although it was clear that the violence was escalating and her apartment unit would be difficult to defend.