Dead Wrong

by J. M. Griffin

  Confused, but intrigued, I turned when Elsie and Angelo entered the room.

  “You go ahead with Angelo, I’ll stay with Lena.” The round woman said with a kind smile.

  We sauntered across the floor toward the rear part of the house. Angelo guided me through every room on both levels, explaining his mother’s incompetence as we walked. The Oscar winning performance nearly convinced me that his mother was dotty, except, I was now certain she wasn’t.

  We arrived at the parlor once more and Angelo made his farewells to us. Lena appeared relieved when he’d left the house and turned toward me with a knowing smile.

  “Did he tell you how inept I’ve become? How they have to baby-sit me all the time?” She bobbed her head up and down. “He tried to coerce Elsie into testifying before a judge that I am off my rocker. I’ve made it worth her while to keep her trap shut about my life.”

  “He seemed concerned over your welfare, Auntie,” I said.

  “Sure, he’d like nothing better than to toss my ass out of this house and into some old folks home, or into an Alzheimer’s ward, but let me tell you, it ain’t happening.”

  “How long has this been going on, anyway?” I asked with real concern. I’d heard horror stories in the past about families who shoved their only parent aside so they could cash in. It made me sick to think about it.

  “Since Nate passed on,” she said. “He wasn’t even cold before the three boys started making noises. Their wives are barracudas, as well.” Her long dagger-like fingernails drummed the arm of the chair.

  Leaning back against the firm, ridged sofa, I imagined how alone she might feel now. Guilt ran rampant through me for having used her to gather information. It was on the tip of my tongue to say goodbye and never return when she leaned forward.

  “It isn’t really cat food, but pate, ‘French pate.’ ” Her eyes glittered with humor and she gave me a genuine smile. “Now why don’t you explain what you really want, Lavinia.”

  A sigh escaped me. She’d seen through the ruse and I felt rather foolish and guilty. No Oscar winner here, I’m afraid.

  “Giovanni found some artwork stored in a unit under Jill’s name in Nebraska. It was wrapped up and had Nate’s name on it. She denied any participation in fencing the work, however, she admitted she’d stored them for him. Then we cleaned out the garage loft at my house and found a couple more paintings.” Defeated, I stared at her and watched the grin widen and spread across her face.

  “So that’s where the old bastard hid the most recent stuff.” She chuckled. “No, Jill didn’t fence for him. She merely stored it, I guess. I know the fence. He’s local. It always goes to him. Nobody else. I’ll need that work she has and will contact her for it.”

  “Auntie, don’t tell me anything else. I don’t want to know, understand? I haven’t had this conversation with you and we never spoke of any stolen artwork.”

  “Right, I know the feds are outside watching me. I’m not stupid, Lavinia.” Her eyes gleamed and she smiled. “I can share my plans with you though. Nonni and I will cruise around the Caribbean. If I like it, I may stay onboard and live there as a guest or take up residence in an island hotel. An island without extradition laws. No house, no taxes, no kids, and no bullshit. Nonni says she must return here, so that’s that.”

  “When do you expect to take this cruise?”

  “Within the next few weeks. Why?”

  “I’d hurry it along if I were you. Will you stop over in the Grande Caymans? They are the most gorgeous islands you’ll ever lay your eyes on. Forget the artwork that Jill has hidden. You don’t need it and she can do without the problems that the pieces will rain down upon her. Understand?” Glad that she had a firm grip on her future, I still worried that the greed factor had moved in.

  Those black beady eyes stared at me for a very long time while we sat in silence.

  “You wired?”

  “Not a chance, Auntie.” I grinned. There was no way on God’s green earth that I would wear a wire to sandbag my elderly aunt.

  “Good, don’t go there. It isn’t a good thing to do to family, Lavinia. Now, go home. I’m sure you have better things to do than keep me company. I’m glad we have had this opportunity to chat.” She nodded and a tiny grin tipped the corners of her lips.

  Wondering if she’d speak to Aaron, I asked, “Have you spoken to any FBI agents?”

  “No, and I don’t intend to either. Now, go home.”

  Chapter 17

  Darkness had descended by the time I left Lena’s house. Backing the car into the street, I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Nearly five thirty, still time to get home and set the table before Gio arrived.

  I peered down the street where the vans had sat. Everyone was gone and I wondered if the FBI had taken residence in the huge house directly across from Lena’s. Could they hear our conversation with their spy dish satellite gizmo thingy, I wondered. That’s how they’d caught so many mafia dons who swaggered their way down New York City streets. The same dons who now resided with Bubba and his friends in prisons across the country.

  I whipped the car into my driveway. A rental car sat next to the Yukon. Gio had arrived early.

  I parked and strode into my home. My handbag and jacket hit the counter as I stepped to the oven and turned the temperature gauge up. A bottle of wine chilled in the fridge. I grasped it and headed up the stairs to Aaron’s apartment.

  Once inside, I glanced at the two men who laughed at my expression. Why? I couldn’t say.

  “What’s that look for, Vin?” Gio asked with a grin.

  “I don’t have a look on my face. I wondered why you were early, is all.” I handed the wine to Aaron and watched him open and pour the fragrant liquid into heavy crystal goblets.

  “Where’s dinner? I thought you’d cooked dinner,” Gio exclaimed.

  “It’s in the oven, goof. Are you starving or what?” I asked with a smirk.

  “Well, yeah. I figured you’d have something really special to feed me. After all, it isn’t everyday I’m in Rhode Island.” His cocky attitude would have fooled me if I wasn’t his twin and didn’t know his dilemma.

  “Why don’t you join us for dinner, Aaron?” I turned to the huge man and saw him smile.

  “Sure Beautiful, I’d love to,” he said.

  “Let’s go then. You guys can set the table while I throw a salad together,” I said and went down the stairs ahead of them.

  Aaron brought the wine bottle and Gio brought himself. It wasn’t long before the table was set and we were seated, the tasty casserole sitting between us. I tossed the salad the way Aunt Muffy had taught me and slid the bowl toward Gio. Aaron dug into the casserole, smiling as he breathed in the fragrant smell of beef medallions and diced potatoes underneath the crusty pastry top. Green beans and pearled onions graced the chunky mushroom gravy.

  We chatted over dinner, the conversation light and interesting. Giovanni talked of his life in Nebraska and football games, the University of Lincoln and mundane stuff. Aaron kept up with stories of his childhood and how we’d met. When he told of the paint bucket that had exploded all over me, I thought Giovanni would lose control of himself.

  “Only you would end up in a situation like that,” he said and held his sides as he laughed.

  It was good to see his humor, the light back in his eyes—he’d become so miserable over the Jill issue. I had all I could do not to spoil his good mood.

  “Yeah, I often find myself in untenable positions. Take today for instance,” I said with a smirk.

  Gio’s eyes turned serious as he watched me. I smiled and shared the story of my trip to the university. I spoke of how the woman had followed me until I became a paranoid wreck.

  “Are you sure she lives in that neighborhood?” Aaron asked, his face a mask of concern.

  “That’s what the trooper who
stopped her told Marcus.” I shrugged. “I found it a bit unbelievable that someone would follow me that far, and quite coincidental that she lived right down the road from the school. However, that’s what I was told.”

  “Huh, I guess you never know about people,” Giovanni said with a relieved smile. He’d undoubtedly thought I’d been about to blow the whistle on my visit with Lena. Stupid-o.

  Dessert from the goody bag my mother had previously sent home filled dessert bowls and I heaped whipped cream over the top. Eyes the size of saucers met mine when I handed the mouth-watering confection to each man.

  “Eat up, guys. I don’t want any leftovers, do you understand?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Aaron said with a wide grin.

  Gio never uttered a sound, just stuffed his mouth full and nodded.

  I loaded the dishwasher while they finished and sipped my wine at the kitchen counter until they settled back, satisfied and stuffed.

  We’d managed to kill two hours. Aaron glanced at his watch when his pager beeped.

  “Do you have to leave?” I asked.

  “Yeah, the Gaming Commission never sleeps,” he said with a smirk.

  Rising from the chair, he said goodbye to Gio and kissed my cheek as he left. A few minutes later, the outer door closed and his truck left the driveway. I wondered if he was headed to Aunt Lena’s house.

  “He has it bad for you, Vin,” my brother said with a smirk. “Two men, wow.”

  “We’re just friends. He is a terrific guy—don’t get me wrong—but Marcus, well, he’s the one that makes my temperature rise.”

  “I thought you didn’t date cops.”

  “Yeah, well that was before Marcus managed to get under my skin.” I chuckled and sat across from Gio at the dining room table. With my chin propped in my hand, I waited until he spoke first. It didn’t take long.

  “Do you think Jill will be arrested?” he asked. His eyes filled with worry.

  “I don’t know, Gio. One thing I can tell you though, is that she’s no fence. Aunt Lena said so.” I recapped my visit, including the part about Angelo and his siblings.

  Wide eyes stared back at me, relief apparent on his features.

  “No shit, the kids want to put her away?”

  “Yeah, but she’s got a plan. I told her to hurry it along. No way do I want to see her or Jill arrested as Nate’s accomplice. We have to figure some way to get Jill out of this mess.”

  “How can we do that from here?” he asked.

  “I don’t know yet, but surely we can come up with something together.” I sighed. “Giovanni, you have changed so much. There’d been a time when you’d have risen to the challenge of this situation. I think you’ve been out of touch with your inner self too long.”

  “What the hell are you talking about, Vin?”

  “When we were kids, you’d hatch a plan. I’d execute it and after the crap hit the ground, you’d figure a way to get my butt out of a sling. Remember?”

  He emitted a chuckle followed by a full-blown laugh.

  “You did get caught most of the time, if I remember correctly. Remember when you and I swiped that street lamp? The cops came to the house and Dad was wild. We’ve grown up since then and now we’re both upstanding citizens, right?”

  “Right, but we can still work out a plan to relieve Jill of the responsibility of holding those works of art.”

  “How do you propose we do that?” he asked.

  “I’m not sure. Tell me about the storage unit she has the artwork stored in.”

  “The facility holds sixty units, all small and well kept. No rats, no trash, and nobody pries into anyone’s business,” Giovanni said.

  The chair rocked on its back legs as I teetered and thought hard. How could we get Jill out of this?

  Brain farts, that’s what I had. Plain and simple. Nothing came to mind and from the look on Gio’s face, he was knee-deep in brain farts, too. He shook his head when I shrugged a shoulder and let the chair settle back onto the floor.

  “Nothing helpful springs to mind. Sorry. Let me mull it over for a few days. I’m sure we’ll find a solution,” I said.

  “You think so?”

  “No, I hope so.” I grinned.

  Gio rose from the table and slipped his jacket on. We walked to the door and I watched him drive away.

  Chapter 18

  Thin layers of snow dusted everything. Steam from my coffee rose out of the earthenware mug. I stared through the French sliding doors in the kitchen, amazed at how everything changed with a smattering of white flakes. The door glided open on silent rollers when I pushed it to the side. Brisk air filled my lungs as I breathed deeply. Snow didn’t have a definite smell, just a fresh, clean crispness to it that always pleased my senses.

  The sliding door above mine opened and footsteps shuffled across the deck. Snow fluttered down through the decking. I grinned as it dusted my hair and shoulders.

  “Good morning, big guy,” I called up to Aaron.

  More snow spiraled down as he leaned over the rail to stare at me. He chuckled and said ‘hello.’

  “I didn’t realize you were out here. Is that fresh coffee you have in your hand?”

  With a smile, I nodded and beckoned him to come downstairs. Within seconds, I heard his tread in the hallway. I closed the slider and locked it. When Aaron strode through the door, he chuckled again and sat at the counter.

  “Sorry about the snow on your hair. The first snow is always the best, don’t you think?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I love the smell of it.”

  His eyebrows shot up and a wide grin covered his face. “I hadn’t quite thought snow had a scent, but I guess you’re right.”

  “What time did you get in last night? I never heard a thing,” I said.

  “I had some stuff to deal with, but I got in around eleven. All was dark here. Giovanni’s car was gone, so I figured you’d called it a night. Is everything all right with you two?”

  “Yeah, we’re good. We just have the usual twin stuff going on. He says things that I’m thinking and vice versa. It can be annoying, but it’s okay.”

  “What kind of twin things? I know nothing about twins,” he asked.

  “Sometimes the bond between twins is strong enough that they are on the same plane. Not the plane that flies, just a mind plane. It used to be fun when we were kids, but now it’s a bit different.”

  “Do Gina and Cara have that bond?”

  “Theirs is incredibly strong and always amazes me. They are identical, but Gio and I aren’t. That’s the difference between us. Gina and Cara used to exchange classes in school. It drove the faculty nuts.”

  “Interesting,” he said with a wry smile. “What are your plans for Thanksgiving?”

  “There’s always a feast at my mother’s house,” I said. “Where are you eating?”

  “My mother has arrived from Virginia. We’ll have dinner with my brother and his wife. I thought you might want to stop by later in the day, if you’re not busy.”

  I stared at him for a heartbeat and thought about the parade in front of the family relations. Cripes, this was becoming a habit.

  “Where does your brother live?”

  “In Wickford. I’ll give you the address and phone number.” He reached for the pencil and paper near the phone and scribbled on it. “If you want to come by, feel free to call and let me know.”

  Uneasy, I sipped my coffee. With a noncommittal nod, I accepted the slip of paper he proffered.

  “Who else will be there?” I asked.

  “Just a few other family members and some friends.”

  “FBI friends?” I wanted to know.

  “No, just family friends. My whole life isn’t about the FBI, even though it takes most of my time. Why do you ask?”

  “No particular reas
on. Just my curiosity in overtime mode.” I smiled and he chuckled.

  “Do you have any classes today?” he asked.

  “No, my work week is over. I’m only teaching four days of classes a week this semester. Long classes, but a short week.”

  “Want to take a ride with me this morning?” His warm brown eyes glimmered and he waited for me to answer.

  “What did you have in mind?” Leery, I didn’t want to end up in an FBI position that would compromise my family in any way.

  “I have to start my Christmas shopping and wondered if you’d give me a hand with it.” He leaned forward, pouring more coffee in his cup.

  The toaster sat next to the coffee pot. I popped some bread in and pushed the lever down. I slid the butter, along with some of my mother’s homemade jam, across the counter and pulled two plates from the cupboard. It was a buy-time measure as I thought about what Aaron might really want.

  “Vin, it’s not as if I’ve asked you to fly around the world with me, so stop procrastinating.” He smirked when I stared at him.

  “I wasn’t,” I denied. “I thought you might like some toast with your coffee.”

  “Sure.” He grinned. “Will you go with me or not?”

  “How could I refuse such a request?” I smiled and handed him a plate filled with warm toast.

  Butter and thick globs of strawberry jam layered the top of his toast as I dressed mine. I poured more coffee and we munched as he explained his dilemma.

  “I never know what to buy the women in the family, or even my mother for that matter. She has eclectic taste and I’m always stumped when it comes to her.”

  After he explained the ages of the nieces and nephews, what style of home his mother had and the jobs of the sisters-in-law, I got a clear view of his family.

  “When do you want to leave?” I asked.

  His eyes strayed to the wall clock and he asked, “Would an hour from now be good?”

  “Indeed. I can be ready by then.”

  We finished breakfast. I watched him leave the apartment with a smile on his face. Could Gio and Marcus be right? Did he have it bad for me? Yikes. Was I leading him on? I hoped not, I cared too much about our friendship for that to happen.