by Lynn, JB
He threw back his head and laughed. “You can handle a mob boss but not your aunt’s sex life.”
I winced again at the mention of Delveccio, my sometime employer.
Templeton grew serious. “We never really talked about…”
I shook my head, indicating we weren’t going to have a discussion about how I’d taken Templeton’s place at a high stake poker game, saving him from the wrath of said mob boss.
He nodded. Like me, he spent time in the gray areas, and was respectful of the fact I didn’t want to talk about those things. I tried to keep a separation between my family and the less savory aspects of my life.
He picked up the saucer Piss had finished licking clean and changed the subject. “Herschel thinks we’ve got a trespasser.”
2
After finishing my coffee, I went in search of my grandfather, with Piss trailing behind.
I found him in the barn, brushing Irma.
“Did you bring me an apple?” the donkey brayed hopefully.
“Afraid not,” I told her.
“Morning, Maggie.” Herschel glanced at me over the animal’s back. “The kids are in the classroom.”
I nodded, glancing in the direction of the modified schoolroom Armani had designed off the barn. “Templeton says you think someone’s been trespassing.”
“That’s what Percy says.”
Percy is a blind peacock and the self-appointed security guard for the compound.
“He thinks he scared off whoever it was,” Herschel added.
I nodded. He might be blind, but the peacock is a formidable foe. I knew from experience that he was capable of frightening otherwise menacing humans. I made a mental note to check in with him to see what he’d sensed.
In my work for both Delveccio and for the organization run by Ms. Whitehat, I’d made my share of enemies. I didn’t want any of them endangering the safety of my family.
Herschel changed the subject. “Your aunt Leslie and that Miss Lassalan seem to be hitting it off.”
He wasn’t wrong. Aunt Loretta’s twin and the teacher hired to instruct Katie, and now Alicia, were getting along well. In fact, I was pretty sure Leslie was smitten with Lorraine Lassalan.
I remembered something Armani had said about her Psychic Matchmaker Service and wondered if that had been her intention all along.
“It would be nice for Leslie to find some happiness with someone,” Herschel murmured.
Even though he hadn’t been part of their lives for decades, he genuinely cared for his daughters. I was glad he’d reconnected with the family.
My sister Marlene emerged from the classroom, pulling the door shut behind her.
Taking in the shadows under her eyes, I smiled sympathetically. Apparently, suddenly being a full-time, hands-on mom was taking a toll on her. “How are they doing?”
“Did you know that Thursday is named after the God of Thunder?”
“I didn’t know that,” I admitted.
“Thursday is Thor’s Day,” she informed me. “So basically, it’s Chris Hemsworth Day,” she said with a wide grin. It was easy to tell who her favorite Marvel actor was.
I nodded, wondering if she was on the precipice of repeating everything the girls were learning in their classroom. Would she tackle multiplication next? “I take it the kids are doing well?”
“They’re doing fine, but I need coffee,” she muttered, heading out of the barn and toward the house.
“A new addition, any major change is stressful,” Herschel said.
“It is,” I agreed. I cocked my head to get a better look at him. He’d gone from living alone for decades to having the entire family move in with him after the B&B had been blown up. “How are you holding up?”
He chuckled and patted the donkey’s rump. “It’s a good thing I had my furry and feathered friends to talk to all these years. Otherwise, the cacophony of your aunts would drive me crazy.” He grimaced. “Sorry. Poor choice of words considering Mary’s situation.”
I waved off his concern. My mother, Mary, really was pretty crazy. “They drive me nuts, too.”
“But that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful you’re all here,” he hurriedly added.
I smiled at him. “And we’re all grateful you opened your home to us.”
“Maybe you should ask my grandson to move in,” he suggested quietly. “We could use some more testosterone around here.”
I hesitated, having never considered that my half-brother Ian would want to live with this crazy group. “I can mention it to him,” I said carefully, not wanting to commit.
Herschel shrugged. “Maybe it’s too soon. But he could come for dinner more often.”
“That I can definitely encourage,” I said, relieved.
“I’m going to go feed Percy,” Herschel told me. “I’ll see you later.”
After he’d wandered out of the barn, I went over and quietly peeked into the classroom. Both girls were listening with rapt attention to Miss Lassalan, who was animatedly explaining something to them.
“You’ve got a lurker,” a wise guy said from behind me.
Whirling around, I spotted Mike, the crow, hopping around at the entrance of the barn.
“I’m not lurking,” I told him. “I’m peeking.”
“I didn’t say you were the lurker, toots,” the crow cawed.
Remembering the talk of the trespasser, I asked, “Who is?”
“Follow me.” He flapped his wings and took off.
I considered getting DeeDee as backup, but the bird had already flown away.
“Grab the pitchfork, sugar,” Piss urged.
I’d forgotten she was even there but was grateful for the suggestion in case the lurker proved dangerous. Farm implement in hand, cat by my side, I chased after the crow, who landed every few yards so I could follow him. He led the way toward the stream that cut through my grandfather’s land.
Soon, I saw a neon green inflatable tent pitched near the edge of the water.
“There’s the lurker,” Mike crowed.
“Is he armed?” Piss meowed.
“He’s got a knife with a very shiny blade,” the bird replied. “So shiny.”
I swallowed a grin. The crow was attracted to shiny things and often shared his treasures, like beer can tabs, with Katie.
“I’ll go first,” Piss offered, then pranced right up to the tent while I hid behind the wide trunk of a tree.
A moment later, she looked back at me with her good eye. “Nothing to be afraid of here.”
Relieved, I stepped toward the tent, just as its occupant emerged. Surprised, I stared at his familiar face for a long moment.
“Maggie May!” he boomed.
His beard was growing back in, and he was starting to look like Santa Claus again. Archie Lee, a man often hiding from both law enforcement and criminals, opened his arms.
“You gonna poke me with that thing?” He pointed to the pitchfork I grasped. “Or are you going to give your dad a hug?”
I hesitated. In general, we don’t have a daddy-daughter relationship known for warm embraces. I frowned, knowing that tone of voice. He was working an angle. I could tell. Still, I was glad to see him, so I let my weapon fall to the ground and stepped into his arms.
He pulled me into a bear hug and swung me off my feet. “How’s my girl?”
When he put me down, I asked, “What are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “Sometimes a man wants to be near his family.”
“How long have you been around?” I asked suspiciously.
“A couple of days.”
“And you didn’t say hello?”
He shrugged. “Not so easy with your aunt shacking up with a U.S. Marshal.”
“They’re married,” I told him.
He shook his head. “Mr. Knight in Shining Armor is sticking around for the long haul?”
“That’s the plan.” Considering that he’d never been one to stick around, I was impressed that I managed to r
espond with only a minimum of animosity.
“A sucker born every minute.”
The scorn in his voice set my teeth on edge. Feeling the need to defend Griswald, I said hotly, “He’s good for the family.”
My dad glanced at me, surprised by my defense of the Marshal, then nodded slowly. “You need a positive male role model.”
“Would have been more helpful to have one as a kid,” I murmured, unable to bite my tongue.
He looked away, and I could see regret sink into the lines of his face. “Who’s the girl?”
Part of me wanted to tell him he wasn’t entitled to know. After all, it was Griswald who’d been entrusted to return Alicia to the family fold. Still, despite all his failings, my father had saved my life at the B&B and I knew in his own warped way he loved his family. “Marlene’s daughter.”
That revelation didn’t seem to surprise him. “What’s her name?”
“Alicia.”
An uncomfortable silence settled between us.
“What are you doing here, Dad?” I blurted out.
He sighed. “I need to talk to Griswald.”
“Why?”
“I’m trying to figure out what to do,” he admitted.
I frowned. He’d been given protective custody by the U.S. Marshal Service in exchange for his testimony about certain criminals, and then he’d ran away from them. Twice. “I doubt he can help you.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. I’ve got some pretty good information to bargain with.”
I sighed. “Griswald’s getting ready to retire.” I didn’t tell him that I was being groomed to work for him.
“Then I can help him go out with a monster feather in his cap,” Archie said with a cunning grin. “Can you arrange a meeting?”
“Not here,” I told him. If Aunt Susan found out he was on the property and meeting with her husband, there would be complications on many levels.
“At Ian’s place?” he suggested.
“No,” I said sharply. It was bad enough that my brother was dating a mob doctor. He didn’t need to get involved with whatever mess Archie was part of. “Your storage unit.”
He shook his head. “No can do. The Delveccios are watching it.”
I frowned at him. “Does this deal you want to make with Griswald involve them?”
“No. Of course not.”
I stared into his eyes, trying to see if he was telling the truth. I owed a lot to the Delveccios and as much as I love my dad, I wouldn’t help him cause problems for them.
“Maggie!” Aunt Leslie yelled in the distance. “Maggie, are you out here?”
My father looked around nervously.
“Theresa’s grave,” I told him. “I’ll get Griswald there this evening, just before sunset.”
He nodded. “Good idea. No prying eyes there.”
“Maggie?” Leslie called.
I ran off in the direction of her voice, hoping to cut her off before she saw the tent. “Coming!” I yelled.
“There’s somebody here to see you,” she shouted back.
3
“Mia’s here,” Leslie revealed as soon as I came in sight.
I slowed to a walk. “Mia?”
I hadn’t seen my old friend in a long time, a very long time. It seemed strange that she’d come looking for me.
“You’re sure it’s the same Mia?” I asked Leslie as we walked back to the main house together.
Leslie glanced over at me. “I thought you’d be happy to see her again. I thought for sure she’d be at Alice’s wedding. Even Zeke showed up for that, but…”
I shook my head. Mia and I had simply fallen out of touch after high school. Alice and Mia had engaged in a knockdown, drag out fight, complete with hair pulling and wild accusations. And Alice and I hadn’t heard from Mia since. Not surprisingly, it had been over a guy. One who didn’t deserve either of them.
“Did she say what she wants?” I asked curiously.
Leslie frowned. “She wants to see you.”
I nodded, but I found that doubtful. She hadn’t called or emailed. This wasn’t just a social visit. Mia wanted something. I just knew it.
She was sitting on the front porch with Susan, laughing at something my aunt was telling her. While other girls went through an awkward phase, Mia had skipped straight to being tall, with a megawatt smile that won people over at first glance. Now, her hair was perfectly coiffed, her clothing tailored, and, if the car parked in front of the main house was any indication, she drove a silver Beemer.
Again, I found myself wondering what she could possibly want from me.
Susan noticed our approach and waved. Mia turned to face us. Her eyes doing a quick head-to-toe assessment of me.
Self-consciously, I smoothed my hair and glanced down to see what I’d pulled on. I was wearing a World’s Greatest Aunt t-shirt over a pair of well-worn jeans.
“Maggie!” she squealed, jumping to her feet and charging toward me.
I smiled and opened my arms.
Grabbing me in a tight hug, she jumped up and down excitedly. “I can’t believe it’s you.”
We hadn’t run into each other at a far-off airport, she’d come looking for me, so I couldn’t understand why she was feigning surprise.
Leslie headed into the house with a murmured, “Nice to see you, Mia.”
“A pleasure, Mia!” Susan yelled.
Mia turned and waved to her, and we watched my aunt go inside.
Now that she was closer, I realized Mia wasn’t as perfect looking as I’d imagined from a distance. She had dark circles under her eyes and frown lines around her mouth.
“Aunt Susan was catching me up on all you’ve been doing,” Mia said.
I nodded. If Aunt Susan knew all I’d really been up to, I’d be in jail.
“I’m sorry about Theresa.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. The death of my sister, Katie’s mom, was still painful.
“So are you seeing anybody?” she asked awkwardly.
“Do you really care?” I countered. “What are you doing here, Mia?”
She looked away nervously. “I thought we could catch up.”
“There are electronic devices that are used for that kind of thing,” I told her drily. “It’s called technology.”
“Can we…” She glanced at the house. “Can we go somewhere private to talk?”
“We can take a walk,” I offered. I turned on my heel, almost tripping over Piss, who’d been sitting directly behind me, listening to the entire conversation. “Sorry,” I told the cat as I clumsily leapt over her.
“Is that yours?” Mia asked.
Not liking my old friend’s tone, I scooped up the cat and held her to my chest. “This is Piss.”
Mia squinted at my battle-scarred feline friend. “What kind of name is that?”
“It’s what the vet called her,” I admitted. “She hasn’t told me her real name…yet.” I gave Piss a light shake for emphasis.
“Easy, sugar,” she mewled.
Without waiting to see if Mia was following, I began to stroll along the long, winding driveway, up toward the road.
“I need your help, Maggie,” Mia admitted as she fell into step beside me.
“Wait ‘til God hears this,” the cat meowed softly. “An old friend appears out of nowhere to beg for Maggie’s assistance.”
I bit back a smile, knowing she was right. “My hands are pretty full, Mia. I don’t know if Susan mentioned it, but I’m raising Theresa’s daughter, Katie.”
“She told me. I’m raising three kids myself.”
“So you understand that I really can’t—” I began.
“You owe me, Maggie. I’m calling in the favor.”
She didn’t need to remind me why I owed her a favor. We both knew. We hadn’t spoken about it since that night so many years ago, but neither of us had forgotten it.
There was no wheedling in her voice. She knew she had the upper hand and she played it confidently.
I swallowed hard. I don’t like owing people favors for this very reason. They can come back to collect, even if you really don’t want to pay up. I let out a heavy sigh. “What do you need?”
“I need you to find my husband.”
I frowned, wondering why she thought I was the person to ask that kind of thing of.
I looked over at her then, noting the set of her jaw, the hardness of her gaze. She was serious.
“I thought you were married to the real estate king.” Leonard “The Lion” Klugman, the self-professed “king of the deal” realtor, had his crown-topped face plastered everywhere from billboards to ads on the local access television station.
“He’s…missing,” Mia said through gritted teeth.
“That’s probably a job for the police, then,” I told her. The last thing I needed was to get involved with a missing person case. The last one I’d been asked about was for a guy who’d been run over in the very driveway where we stood. Practically the very same spot. (For the record, he wasn’t one of my kills. That distinction belongs to my murder mentor, Patrick Mulligan.)
Mia crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at the ground. “He’s not missing like that. He took off. He’s in hiding.”
“He took off?” I asked.
She tapped her foot impatiently. “I need that money he took.”
“This does not sound like something you should get involved with, sugar,” Piss purred.
She was right. But Mia was right, too. I owed her. I had a massive favor to repay.
“I don’t understand why you think I can help,” I told my old friend.
She shrugged. “I thought with your dad’s connections…”
“I haven’t seen him.” The lie came out too quickly, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I’m losing my company. My kids hate me. If I don’t find Leo…we could end up homeless.” She was crying by the time she finished listing her woes. “I don’t know who else to go to. I don’t know what to do.”
I gently put the cat on the ground and wrapped an arm around my old friend’s shoulders. “We’ll figure this out.”
“How?” she sniffled.
I shrugged. I had absolutely no idea.
