For Love of Livvy

by J. M. Griffin

  The waiter led us to our table and we studied the menus when both our cell phones rang. I glanced at Aaron as he read the number that scrolled across the screen. With a grimace, he rose from his seat.

  "I'll take this outside since you've got a call as well.” He smiled and left.

  I whipped my phone open. My mother was waiting with news.

  "I hope I'm not interrupting you dear, but I just returned from my visit with Josephine. She doesn't know much about the boys’ business, but she did tell me she overheard them talking about Livvy. Some kind of deal was supposed to happen that didn't work out to their satisfaction. Josephine is rather disappointed in them, but blames their father for leading Frankie and Kenny astray. I wonder if you might show them that invoice you have and see where it takes you. I know you don't care to deal with them, but like you said, there's no proof they've done anything wrong. Just be careful Lavinia, please."

  "Thanks for the information, Mom, but I don't think I'll approach the two dummies."

  She disconnected, and I tucked the phone away when Aaron strolled across the room toward me. A disgruntled grimace lingered on his features as he stared at me.

  I smiled at him, but he didn't return the smile with his usual charm. Something had gone awry and I hoped it had nothing to do with me. I watched him try to shake off the attitude as he approached and assume his former mood. Whatever the call was about had taken the joy from the evening.

  We ordered dinner and stared at the spectacular view from the second floor. Seagulls drifted on air currents over the bay and pelicans dive bombed the water for food. The sun set and grey fog rolled over the shoreline. I knew it would make travel difficult until we got inland.

  Conversation was sparse while we waited for our meal to arrive. Spanish fare is always good, no matter what dish is ordered. I had Spanish rice with mussels that were so scrumptious, I couldn't eat them fast enough. Aaron laughed at me and then sobered slightly.

  "What's up? Did you get bad news or something? You've been quiet since you came back to the table."

  He stared at me for a moment and then nodded. “It's a work related matter. I don't want to spoil things by discussing it. I hope you're not offended, I'd just rather not talk about it."

  "Sure, that's fine. I'm a good listener though, so just remember that, okay? In fact, I got the best listener of the year award in college,” I joked.

  "Really? What other awards did you get? Best legs? Best looks? Tell me?"

  I laughed over the question and joked about Lola, her good looks, and how she found him quite attractive.

  "I hadn't noticed. She's cute, but short, huh?"

  "Yeah, but she makes up for the height thing. Lola owns the deli at the corner where you bought the muffins. She's the best cook I've ever known-besides my father, that is. He's a retired chef and taught her just about everything she knows about cooking."

  "How long have you two been friends?"

  "Years and years. We hung out whenever I visited Aunt Livvy in Scituate. Why?"

  "I just wondered, that's all. She opted not to stay with you last night?"

  "No, I told her I'd be fine. You gave me a heck of a scare though. I never saw the lights on when we drove up to the house."

  "I do apologize for that, but I'd been putting things away and the curtains were all closed, so of course you wouldn't see any lights. Tell you what, I'll bang on the floor three times when I come in, okay?"

  Chuckling, I told him that was unnecessary. After we finished the meal, we drove inland toward home. I found I was more tired than I thought. The day had been a welcome break in routine until my mother's and Aaron's phone calls. I sure was curious about his. The call took the light from him and the smile from his face. A different sort of look lay hidden deep within those dark brown eyes. His sense of humor was gone. It piqued my curiosity and I had to satisfy that one way or another.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 12

  Drawn up before the garage, Aaron parked the black truck next to the house and we got out. He unlocked the door as I dragged my carryall bag from the vehicle and headed inside. At my door, he smiled, thanked me for a fun time and kissed me before he turned to tread up the stairs.

  Inside my apartment, I stood with my back against the door for several moments. The day with Aaron Grant had drawn to an early close. I wondered why as I wandered into the kitchen. The upstairs door slammed, feet rumbled down the stairs.

  Curious to know as much as I could about him, I answered the door when he knocked. He strode inside, grasped me by the arms and dragged me to him. Warm lips covered mine. My eyes grew wide with surprise.

  What was this about? I wondered, in a muddled state. He let me go, stepped back a bit and peered at my expression. His lips played over mine again and I moved in for more. It wasn't the same as when Marcus kissed me, but darned close. He finally pulled away and stared into my eyes.

  "Are you really a good listener?” he asked, his face serious.

  "Yes, I am. Sit down and I'll make coffee or drinks.” Rattled, I watched his big frame settle into a chair at the counter while I put the coffee on to perk.

  "I'm sorry if I shocked you just now.” His lips twitched as a half smile tilted his mouth.

  "Um, that's okay. It was a bit of a surprise, but nice all the same."

  "I apologize for putting you off earlier. I'm not used to sharing my business with anyone."

  It was apparent he struggled over whether to discuss his secrets with me. After all, I'm a newfound friend. I sat across from him with folded hands and waited patiently.

  "When we were on Federal Hill for dinner, there was conversation that concerned my move to the village. Do you remember?"

  I nodded and waited in silence for him to continue.

  "For a moment, I thought one of my friends would mention why I'd moved on with my life. I truly held my breath, worried that you'd flee. You did, but at least it wasn't because you got the dirt on me."

  "So, tell me about your dirt filled life. We all have some dirt, you know."

  "I don't work for the gaming commission. I work for someone else, though I can't say who. My friends think I've given it up, but that's not so. Instead, I've given up my whole life to do this job and let everyone think otherwise. When the remark was made about time and change, it was because last year I sustained a serious injury. It was nearly the end of me, but I was determined enough to get back on my feet. It was at that time I decided to allow my friends to think I had quit the job and went to work for the gaming commission.” Deep chocolate eyes gazed steadily into my face.

  My heart raced as I stared back at this handsome man. “I don't understand. Does this have anything to do with me?"

  "In a roundabout way, it does. Now that you've had two intruders and found packages of gems, I figured I should come clean and tell you the truth so you won't be nervous."

  "Packages? How do you know I found more than one package of gems?"

  He didn't answer right away. As my eyes widened, he said, “It's just part of an inquiry I'm making, that's all it is."

  Anger gnawed at the pit of my stomach over the deception. Had he wiggled his way into my life with dinner invitations and whatnot so he could spy on me? For what? Were his romantic advances a way of using me for information on the gems? I slid off the stool, poured coffee and tried to think of ways to ask without pitching a fit. A loss of temper was definitely not the way to go.

  Tired to the bone from the fresh air and surf, I juggled the coffee cups and my anger at the same time.

  "So are you using me for information to further your inquiry? And you're not going to tell me who you work for? Is it a cartel of some sort or the government?"

  "No, I'm not on the first two counts. Initially, I thought it would be all right to worm my way into your confidence, but now, well I realize it's not fair to keep you in the dark. I'm sorry if I've hurt you, Vinnie, I care about you."

  The paper napkin next to my cup scr
unched and unscrunched in my hand while I considered what he said. The look on his face was hopeful as I glared at him.

  "You still haven't answered the third question, but I guess you're not going to. It would seem I've become the center of everyone's attention over a matter I had no clue of until it smacked me in the face.” I leaned back in the chair and sighed heavily. “It's late, I'm tired and I need some time to assimilate what you've told me. We'll talk again, okay?"

  Disappointment crossed his features as I watched him nod. I couldn't figure out if he realized the impact his story had on me. His thoughts were a mystery that I'd consider later.

  I walked him to the door, slid the bolt and turned the handle lock. Making my way through the rest of the apartment, I checked all the other locks and turned the lights off.

  I sat in the dark living room for a while until the phone rang. I fumbled to answer the call. When I heard the scratchy voice, I wondered if it was a dream. A shaky hand ran across my forehead and I flung tousled hair back off my face.

  "Hello? Who's this?"

  The scratchy thin voice said, “We want the jewels, nothing more. Get ‘em for us or you'll wish ya did."

  I sat up straight and tightened my grip on the phone. Pressing it close to my ear, I listened for any nuances in the voice.

  "What jewels are you talking about and why do you want them?” I sucked in a deep breath and held it for a second. False bravado swirled through me.

  "They're ours and we want ‘em. Get ‘em back from the cops and then I'll let you know where to drop ‘em off."

  "How am I supposed to get them back? The State Police have them in custody, and I doubt they'll give them up willingly."

  "Tell ‘em your life's in jeopardy,” the voice rasped.

  Okay, I was worried now. My false bravado left on swift wings. Both hands not only shook, but my whole body was on vibrate. Geez, wouldn't you know?

  "I'll do that. When will you let me know about the drop off?” I scrambled off the sofa in search of a pencil and paper. I found both atop the desk.

  "We'll be in touch. Don't forget, the jewels are ours, no one else's."

  The line went dead. In wonder, I stared at the phone. The paper in my hand shook a bit. I started to write the whole episode while it was fresh in my mind.

  After I wrote it all, I scribbled questions on the next sheet. What was the age of the person, old, young, middle aged? Was the voice disguised by a mechanical device? Questions flowed across my mind as my pencil raced across the paper. I flipped to the next page and kept writing. These were techniques I taught at the university, but I never thought I'd use them for myself.

  As I tried to answer some of the questions I realized it would be better to wait until morning. My mind would reveal all the information it had taken in without my knowing. I lifted the phone, glanced at the clock and decided I'd wait until morning to call Richmond. He'd be on the road and God knows where he was right now. It could be anywhere on the highway that traveled from the border of Massachusetts to the Connecticut state line.

  Interstate Route 95 wound through the small state of Rhode Island along with several other major routes. These roads were often covered by local police departments, but usually a state trooper was assigned to cover a specific area. Routines changed as did the assigned routes these Five-O's traveled.

  Most nights troopers traveled in pairs. I wasn't sure why Richmond was alone on the calls he'd made to my residence. Unaware of his rank other than the fact he was a Trooper, I wondered. Maybe Trooper was a rank, I didn't know for sure.

  As I leaned back against fluffy sofa pillows, my mind bounced all over the place. From Livvy's gift shops, to Livvy, to my cousins and then to the jewels, my mind zigzagged back and forth.

  The phone call left a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly, I remembered the unknown caller I'd had before leaving with Aaron in the morning.

  I tossed the papers aside and fled into the kitchen. Sure enough, the light blinked on and off, indicating there was a message. I hit the button and listened to the same raspy voice say I was in danger. It said that though I had a tenant and a trooper to help me, they couldn't save me. My hand shook as I hit the save button.

  Unable to make sense of the whole thing, I made a silent promise to call Marcus first thing in the morning. His reaction might be difficult to deal with, but if the jewels were to be released, I figured he could manage it for me.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 13

  Rain spattered against the windows. Grey wisps of mist layered the ground and everything appeared disconnected from the earth to hover just above it. A dreary day, to say the least, a day to re-examine the trunk contents.

  A yawn and long stretch of my body convinced me to lounge around a while longer. If only that could happen, I thought, when thunderous pounding on the back door sounded. I figured the door was about to break down if I didn't answer it. Geez, can't a person have a quiet day around here?

  It occurred to me that it might be my friend Lanky, but then I reflected on his personality and knew he'd never pound on anything. Never mind a door. Besides, what would he be doing here? In a bedraggled state, I slid off the sofa and ambled through the kitchen.

  I stepped into the hallway and secured the sash around my robe. I wasn't a pretty sight for anyone, but the noise at the outer door would wake the dead or Aaron if I didn't answer it. When the locks were undone, I flung the door wide and said in a snarky voice, “What do you think you're doing pounding the crap out of my door so early in the morning?"

  I stood face to face with Marcus Richmond dressed in damp street clothes. His pickup truck sat parked behind my car and Aaron's truck was absent. We stared at one another. He smiled while I glared and considered what a sight I must be.

  "Testy this morning, are we?"

  "Well, gosh, it is the crack of dawn, ya know."

  "No, actually it isn't, Vin. It's nearly ten a.m. and time to rise and shine.” His cheeky smile told me he was right and I was not having a shining moment.

  "Come in, you'll get soaked standing in the rain,” I grumbled.

  "Can I take my clothes off and dry them in your dryer? We could do something to warm me up if you'd like.” His eyebrows waggled up and down as a hearty chuckle erupted from him.

  I turned away and walked into the bathroom while he waited in the kitchen. Geesh, I hadn't even peed yet and he wanted sex. I guess we all have our priorities. I glared at my mirrored reflection in horror.

  After I peed, washed my hands, brushed my teeth and combed my hair, I entered the kitchen. The smell of fresh brewed coffee caught my attention and I almost felt half human. Toasted bagels sat on plates with butter and jelly. I guess the food elves visited while I was asleep. The last bagel I had was consumed long ago, so Richmond must have brought these. I grinned, woofed half a bagel in less than a nano-second and washed it down with a slurp of coffee.

  "Not hungry, are you?” His grin was contagious and I smiled.

  "Have you found out anything since we last spoke?” he asked.

  "Yeah, several things actually. One of them you won't like so don't get all huffy and cop like when I tell you."

  His inscrutable expression accompanied a light shrug of one shoulder. Okay, this is it. Show time.

  The message light blinked for a second when I reached over, pressed it and then turned up the volume. A scratchy voice issued from the speaker and Richmond listened with rapt attention. When the voice ended, he stared at me in silence.

  "This came in yesterday morning when I was on my way out the door. I didn't play it until the wee hours of this morning."

  "Why did you wait so long? Were you out until the wee hours?"

  "I forgot that the phone had rung before I left and the only reason I remembered was because this same person called me late last night."

  I hustled into the bedroom and returned with the pad of paper. He caught the notepad as it slid across the counter. While he skimmed the
paper, I poured more coffee for both of us.

  After reading the pages of scribbled words, he glanced at me. I could see his mind at work. Any minute I'd get the third degree, so I took a deep breath and started talking.

  "The phone rang late last night. When I answered, this same voice told me to get the gems back. It said that they belong to them and that my life is in peril if I don't return the little darlings to them."

  "The voice said the jewels belonged to them, not him?"

  It wasn't the question or reaction I expected a flood of relief washed over me. It didn't last long.

  "Yeah, he, I think it was a man, said the jewels belonged to them. I asked how I was supposed to get the gems back from you guys. He said to ask for them and say my safety was at stake. I said I would and the call ended. It was then that I remembered the phone call yesterday morning around eleven o'clock. I checked my caller I.D., but the number was restricted so I couldn't call back. This person also said I'd be directed to a drop off point."

  His eyes glinted with anger and fixed on mine. Marcus shook his head, sighed and settled back in the chair.

  "Why didn't you call me last night?"

  "I figured it could wait until this morning. What would be accomplished by alerting you to a phone call, even if it was a threatening one?"

  "Uh huh, I see. What else have you got to tell me that could wait this long?"

  Dang, I knew I was in the crapper now. I fiddled with the coffee cup until his hand stole over mine. Our eyes met and he had this no nonsense look going on. I fessed up with reluctance.

  "You know when we were at Conclavia Inspirata? Well, Lola kind of found an invoice for gems. It was made out to Livvy and was marked on the bottom that the shipment never arrived. We, Lola and I, came up with several scenarios and I took the information to my mother so she could talk to Aunt Josephine."

  "What does your Aunt Josephine have to do with this?"

  "She's my mother's sister and her two sons are the dummies I told you about.” I explained Mom's visit with my aunt and about the two sons’ activities. All I got was a cool glare and more silence for my efforts. Some people just don't appreciate the lengths to which I will go.