Hit List

by Darcia Helle

  He could never make things right. Making them better was the best he could hope for. To do that, he’d have to stop running. And staying still terrified him.

  Chapter 42

  Lucianna was making a futile attempt to clean her desk when the phone rang. Vinnie had left and once again she’d forgotten to switch on the answering machine. She frowned, thinking of the two clients she’d been putting off these past few days. In the midst of the forth ring she decided to be brave and pick it up.

  “Hey there,” Ian said quietly. “You busy?”

  She glanced at the mess surrounding her. “No. Just struggling with the fact that I should be.”

  He chuckled. “I know that feeling.”

  Even his laugh was subdued. Lucianna ignored the mess and leaned back in her chair. She said, “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Ian said. “It’s just… I don’t think I’m going to make it tonight. My mother, she’s… uhh… not responding. She’s having one of those weird episodes where she retreats to some far away place only she sees. I don’t want to leave her alone.”

  The pain in his voice tore at her heart. “I understand,” she said. “Would it be okay if I come over there? I really need to run a few things by you.”

  “I’d love that.”

  His quick response made her smile. “Have you eaten? I’m thinking pizza is needed.”

  “I haven’t eaten. And pizza sounds great.”

  “What kind would you like?”

  “I’ll order it,” he said. “Have it delivered. That way you don’t have to stop. What’s your pleasure?”

  If he had asked her that face-to-face, she was sure she would have blushed. Her immediate thoughts were certainly not of food. Instead she had visions of his soft lips, gentle hands, and firm muscles. The fleeting image left her with a warm glow. She said, “Mushroom, onion, and pepper. No cheese.”

  A brief silence, then he said, “No cheese?”

  She laughed at his bewilderment. “Nope, no cheese. I don’t do dairy.”

  “No meat. No dairy. How do you feel about lazy days on the beach?”

  “Love them.”

  “Then we’ll do just fine together.”

  ***

  The wine bottle was empty and half the pizza had been eaten. Lucianna and Ian were sitting at the kitchen table, laughing at each other’s silly stories. Corinne hadn’t responded to either of them. She remained in the living room in her rocking chair, staring off at nothing in silence. They had left her there and come out to the kitchen to talk while they ate.

  Plenty of conversation had filled the past hour. None of it related to Corinne or any of the insanity surrounding them these past few days. Lucianna loved listening to Ian talk. His sincerity impressed her, his sense of humor delighted her. His whole being intrigued her, not to mention what his physical presence did to her.

  She gave herself a mental shove and placed the cover over her remaining pizza. This was not exactly the best circumstance for a budding relationship. She said, “I hate to spoil the evening but I really need to talk to you about your mom.”

  Ian nodded. “One minute,” he said.

  He slid his chair close to her. He ran the tips of his fingers lightly over her cheek, never looking away from her eyes. Warmth ran through her as he leaned forward, first kissing her neck, then her lips. His tongue found hers and slid in a slow circle. He tasted of wine and pepperoni and she thought she might even learn to like the taste of meat this way.

  When their lips parted, she sighed against him. Every nerve ending in her body had come alive and now begged for more. She was certain that if he kissed her again she would not be able to resist ripping his clothes off.

  “Okay,” he said, pushing back in his chair. His eyes sparkled with his smile. “I’m not sure I can think straight now but I’m ready.”

  She swallowed back a comment about moving on to his bedroom. Now was not the time, she told herself, although she couldn’t imagine why not. She gathered her brain cells from her raging hormones and explained his mother’s connection to Detective Ben Sterling. She said, “I have a picture of him that I’d like to show her. Obviously I don’t want to make her condition worse. But it’s important for us to be sure if her Ben from the grocery store is the same Ben that was sitting outside your house in an unmarked car with Detective Graham.”

  “You think this guy knows something about that baby? Her breakdown?” Ian asked.

  “It sure looks that way. And, if so, we need to be extra careful.”

  “This whole thing is crazy.”

  “I agree.”

  “It’s not like we have a lot of options,” Ian said. “We’ll show her the picture and see what happens.”

  “We should consider having a psychiatrist present.”

  “Yeah, well I can guarantee that there’s no way Endicott will go for this.” Ian shook his head, visibly working to control his anger. “The man lectures me about indulging her. And finding my goddamn happy place. In the meantime, he hasn’t made a bit of progress. I mean, look at her in there.”

  Lucianna took his hands in hers. She said, “Vinnie has an acquaintance, a psychiatrist, who’s willing to help us. If you’re comfortable with it, he’ll meet us tomorrow afternoon. We’ll do it here, so hopefully your mom will be more relaxed.”

  “This doctor knows the situation?”

  “Vinnie explained it to him. Of course he hasn’t seen any of your mom’s medical records. Nor has he spoken to Dr. Endicott about her treatment. If you’d rather wait –”

  “No,” Ian said. “Let’s do it.”

  “One other thing,” Lucianna said. “I know this must be really difficult to talk about. But we need to figure out if that baby did belong to your mother. And, if so, what happened to her.”

  “I know.” Ian looked away. “I don’t remember her ever being pregnant. I was young, so I suppose that doesn’t mean much.”

  “It’s easily hidden from young children.”

  “Yeah…”

  Lucianna hated doing this to him. Hated the torment she saw in his eyes. She drew a quick breath and forced herself to continue. “You mentioned that your mom used to be fairly close to her sister. I imagine they were close back then, when you were a child?”

  “Even more so,” Ian said. “Holly was here all the time.”

  “I’d like to talk to her,” Lucianna said. “If they were that close, your aunt would almost certainly know if your mom had been pregnant a second time.”

  For a long moment Ian said nothing. Then, “I haven’t seen Holly since that incident when she visited, shortly after my mother… went nuts. She calls, asks how my mother is doing. She tried to brush off the fact that my mother freaked out at the sight of her that one time. But eventually the calls came further apart. I haven’t spoken to my aunt in weeks now.”

  The anger in Ian’s voice was barely concealed. Lucianna couldn’t blame him for feeling that way. His aunt had abandoned both him and his mother when they needed her most.

  Ian sighed, met Lucianna’s eyes and tried to smile. “Holly doesn’t deal with conflict well. She likes her world to be perfect, which probably makes her crazier than my mother. At any rate, I was pretty disappointed in her. I could’ve kept calling, forced her to stay in touch. Instead I sort of drowned in self-pity because I was the only one dealing with it. Even my cousins scattered off. They call once in awhile, either out of true concern or guilt. I don’t know. I suppose it doesn’t matter. Maybe I just envy them all because they had a choice.”

  “What you’re feeling is normal,” Lucianna said softly. “Wanting to escape doesn’t mean you don’t love your mom. It just means you’re human.”

  He brought her hand to his lips. He said, “Thank you. I’ll call my aunt. When do you want to talk to her?”

  “I was hoping we could do it tomorrow morning. The sooner the better.”

  Ian nodded. He leaned over, kissed her cheek, then got up to call his aunt.

 
***

  Kane meandered along the sidewalk, keeping pace with his thoughts while watching the house. The hood from his jacket was pulled up over his head. He’d drawn his dark hair into a ponytail and tucked it under the hood. His clothes were baggy, concealing his build, and he slouched to change the impression of his height. The night was dark, cloudy and starless, and even as he passed beneath the streetlights it was doubtful that anyone would get a good look at his features. Anonymous, just the way he liked to be.

  The bitch had been in the house for a couple hours now. Time to get rid of her, in his opinion. She was stirring up way too much trouble. But that wasn’t his call. And Nico said no. This Vinnie character, the bitch’s uncle, he had Nico spooked. Word was that Vinnie was a crazy bastard. And if the bitch disappeared, Vinnie’d rip the city apart, trampling anyone in his way, till he found the person responsible.

  So his job was to watch while the others figured out how to handle this mess. Wouldn’t be so bad if Skeets hadn’t fucked up in a major way. The little slime had let Evans disappear. Now they had no way of knowing who Evans had spoken to. Or what he’d said. But they’d find him. And when they did, he’d be begging for death just like Skeets had in the end.

  ***

  Sam stepped out of the train station and into the dim light of dawn. The other passengers found their waiting family and friends. Even at this early hour, there was excitement, lots of hugs and kisses, lots of smiles. Some of the passengers wheeled their luggage out of the lot, ready to slide into their cars and make their way back home.

  Everyone had a destination. Sam stood there amidst the activity, seemingly the only person with nowhere to go. The ticket to Virginia had been the first available at a distance far enough to give him some level of comfort. So here he was, watching the sun rise over the rolling hills and wondering when that feeling of comfort would kick in.

  Leather case in hand, he walked to the far end of the lot where the taxis were lined up. At least he didn’t have to fight a crowd or wait in hopes that another taxi would arrive. He approached the first in line.

  The driver was leaning against his cab, enjoying an animated conversation with his fellow drivers. When he spotted Sam, he said something in Spanish to the others before turning and flashing him a smile. He said, “Good morning, sir. Where can I take you today?”

  The case of money was heavy in Sam’s hand. His heart was heavier, like a dead weight. He had nothing. No one. Nowhere to go. He stood there, the enormity of his situation sinking him like lead weights tied to his waist. The driver stood by as Sam opened his mouth but gave no response. Where? Did it make a difference? He would be just as lost and alone in one place as he would be in another. Home no longer existed.

  Finally Sam said, “The closest decent motel.”

  The driver looked as if he was going to say something but changed his mind. He gave a sort of half bow, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Sam got in the back and watched life go by through the side window.

  Chapter 43

  Lucianna sat in Ian’s truck, contemplating the dynamics of Holly and Corinne’s relationship. What had caused Corinne to react so negatively at the sight of Holly that day? And why had Holly chosen never to visit her sister again afterward?

  If the two sisters had been as close as Ian described, it should take more than one episode of Corinne shrieking for Holly to disengage from their relationship. Unless Holly was guilty of something. Something that went to the root of whatever originally sent Corinne over the edge. That kind of guilt would make most people turn away from the image of what they had created.

  Holly had reluctantly agreed to see them, although she had refused to meet at Ian’s house. Guilt again? Lucianna was grasping at straws here. Nothing indicated that Holly was guilty of anything more than being too self-absorbed.

  It could be that Holly knew about the baby girl and was now torn between keeping the secret and exposing her sister in hopes of helping. Yet, if Holly did know, she would probably never connect the baby with Corinne’s breakdown anyway. After all, it had been more than twenty-five years.

  Lucianna had been up most of the night, tossing this around like a salad in her mind. Round and round she went. The information shifted, landed in various spots, but remained the same. All she got for all her brain aerobics was sleep deprivation.

  So now they were on their way to talk to Holly and hopefully fill in some blanks. Lucianna shifted in the passenger seat, tucking one leg beneath her. Ian’s jaw muscles flexed as he drove. He was clenching his jaw so tight that his teeth would likely shatter. Aside from the dental nightmare, he was holding up well under the stress.

  She reached across and laid her hand on his thigh. She’d meant it to be a comforting gesture. A quick reassurance. She hadn’t been prepared for the feel of his muscular leg, for the warmth he radiated even through his jeans. Her hand wouldn’t respond to her mental command to move. Instead it remained frozen in place, sending dangerous waves of electricity from her fingertips straight to the erotic zone in her brain.

  He glanced at her and smiled. His blue eyes sparkled. His moist lips invited all sorts of thoughts. Fast sex in a rest stop and slow sex in the nearest cheap motel. She would have done either, both, without much prompting. In fact, she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from suggesting it.

  He turned onto an exit and announced that they were almost there. She moved her hand and pretended to be checking the tape in the small recorder in her purse. Not that she expected to use it. But she needed the diversion to clear her head. If that was possible. She gave herself a mental slap and almost laughed at her adolescent sex-crazed thoughts. Keeping up this adult façade was getting harder by the minute.

  ***

  Kane sat in the telephone truck that Skeets had stolen awhile back. He’d smoothed his hair into a ponytail and tucked it beneath his cap. The uniform Skeets had stolen was useless to him. He hadn’t even been able to get his arm into the shirtsleeve. And the pants had been at least three inches too short. So he’d had a little extra work yesterday, tracking down someone close to his size, then getting him to give up the uniform.

  Let’s face it, no guy wanted to give up his clothes. Though, personally, he didn’t feel clothes were worth dying over. The guy, however, had seen it differently. Maybe the guy had thought it was a joke. Or maybe the guy expected him to ask twice. He never asked twice. Easier to wrap his hands around the guy’s neck and squeeze out the air, then just take what he wanted.

  He leaned back in his seat and turned toward the old Victorian home across from him. Sprawling place, lots of rooms. Looked all nice and cozy, with the frilly curtains and porch swing. Like nothing bad could ever happen. He smiled at that.

  The husband had left for work minutes ago. The two older kids had left for school. That left the twin boys and his target. Twins. Like having your own clone. Weird.

  He’d learned from Skeet’s reports to Nico that the twins had some kind of class this morning. Karate or something. The woman would normally drop them off, then do her grocery shopping before going back to pick them up. Nothing like a broad who lived on the wild side. Jesus! Grocery shopping.

  Today it was likely that she wouldn’t have to choose between Spaghetti O’s with meatballs or without. Today she would find out what excitement really was. He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and punched in a number. He listened to his instructions, then switched the phone off and tucked it back in his pocket. A final glance at the house and he started the engine. No need to hang out here. He had arrangements to make.

  ***

  Lucianna didn’t like Holly. She’d formed that opinion the moment the woman had opened the front door. That miniscule part of her brain reserved for rational, impartial thought wasn’t working today. And so she kept her expression carefully neutral as they made themselves comfortable in the living room.

  Like many sisters, Holly and Corinne had little in common physically. Holly was shorter, maybe 5’3”, had honey blonde h
air that hung straight just past her shoulders and bright blue eyes with long fluttering lashes. She had the body of someone who spent a lot of time at the gym and boobs that were too high and perky to be real. And did she get collagen injections in those lips or what?

  Okay, so none of that was Lucianna’s business and didn’t reflect at all on the issue at hand. She sat quietly through the awkward first few minutes while Ian and Holly went through the ritual of catching up on each other’s lives.

  The house was one of those old Tudors and the décor an odd mixture of antiques and modern. The living room was a comfortable formal. Embossed wallpaper with varying shades of salmon and white. White furniture with salmon-colored throw pillows. Silk pillows at that. The end tables and coffee table were antique and had those claw feet and fancy carved legs. Covering the walls was an array of pre 1920 paintings depicting a variety of people all in formal attire. One wall, however, held an abstract that probably had some meaning but looked as if someone had spilled their paint set on the canvas.

  Holly stood up. “Can I get you two anything? Coffee? Tea? Something cold?”

  “No thank you,” Lucianna replied. Polite and smiling. Ever the professional.

  Ian said, “Nothing for me, either.” He shifted his weight on the couch, crossed his legs, then quickly uncrossed them and sat forward. “We can’t stay long. We just need to ask you a couple of questions. About my mother. I didn’t want to do it over the phone.”

  Holly perched on the other end of the couch. She worked at looking comfortable, didn’t quite succeed. “I don’t know what help I can be,” she said. “I hadn’t seen your mother for a couple of weeks prior to her… What are you calling it? A breakdown?”