by Lynn, JB
“I put her straight,” Griswald continued as we pulled into the cemetery’s entrance. “Explained your old friend is married to an unconvicted criminal. She seemed disappointed.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, knowing Griswald had spilled Mia’s secrets to defend me.
“You should stay away from her,” he continued. “It’s bad enough you’ve got a connection with the Delveccios and a father who’s a career criminal. People could get the wrong impression about you.”
I nodded. I was well on my way to becoming a career criminal, too, but I didn’t say that aloud.
“That reminds me,” he added. “We’ve got your self-defense training all arranged. You’re going to have to coordinate your schedules, but you’ll be taught by the best.”
“Great,” I said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
“It’s important, Maggie,” he lectured sternly. “You never know when you’ll find yourself in danger. You need to know how to handle yourself.”
He was right and was just trying to keep me as safe as possible. “I know,” I murmured, chastised.
“You wait here,” Griswald said, parking a few rows away from Theresa’s grave. “I don’t want your father dragging you into this mess more than he already has.”
He patted my knee, got out of the car, and strode in the direction of the meeting site.
I glanced around at my surroundings. The last time I’d been in a graveyard, I’d been with my friend RV, gathering supplies for an exorcism, so sitting here watching a clandestine meeting between my dad and uncle-by-marriage wasn’t really going to be so weird.
Until the shots rang out.
9
The first time my life had been physically threatened had been when I tried to prevent Delveccio’s nephew from being smothered with a pillow. Then, I’d resorted to the old safety measure I knew. The old Stop, Drop, and Roll they’d taught us in grammar school.
This time, as exploding shots filled the air, I bent over, covered my ears, and screamed.
“Look out! Look out! Look out!” Benny squeaked from the handbag on the floor.
It sounded like the gunshots were getting closer. I was a sitting duck in the car. I could practically hear Patrick’s voice in my head asking me why I didn’t have a gun on me. Hoping there was an off chance Griswald had an extra gun stowed away, I opened the glove compartment. There was nothing in it besides an owner manual and a plastic sleeve containing the insurance card and vehicle registration. The man was so neat he didn’t even have a single fast food napkin saved for an emergency.
I looked around frantically. The shooter was getting even closer, and I had no idea where to hide. I could make a run for it, but the lines of gravestones didn’t provide much cover.
Heart pounding in my ears, I tried to think.
The shots stopped as suddenly as they’d begun.
I grabbed the purse and scooped out Benny, holding him in my palm. My hands shook from a combination of fear and adrenaline. “You okay?”
“Okay. Okay. Okay.”
Slowly, carefully, I raised my head to peer out over the dashboard, looking for the gunman. I didn’t see anyone and all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. I took my time surveying the area before I opened the car door.
“Wait here he said. Wait here he—” the mouse began.
“Hush,” I interrupted.
Benny fell silent.
I put him back in the handbag and then slowly got out of the car. Eyes peeled, listening carefully. Nothing seemed out of place.
Swallowing the metallic taste of adrenaline, I walked, on wobbly legs, in the direction of Theresa’s grave. A knot of fear twisted in my gut, as I imagined what I’d find there. It was telling that Griswald hadn’t returned to check on me.
A rising tide of panic clawed at my throat, choking my air supply as I stumbled weakly forward.
Peering past a copse of trees, I spotted his shoes, black and muddy. He was prone on the ground, on the other side of a gravestone. I gulped worriedly and hurried toward him, knowing Aunt Susan would never forgive me if I let him die.
“I’m here,” I called out in a strangled whisper, scrambling toward him.
“Go flag down the ambulance,” a voice ordered.
At this angle, I could see him better. Blood pooled across his chest, staining his white beard.
“Dad?” I gasped. I fell to my knees beside him.
He stared up at me, wheezing with pain. “Maggie May. Got myself into a bit of a mess.”
“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” I put a hand on his forehead as though that would soothe him.
“Maggie,” Griswald said sharply. Crouched beside my father, Griswald was applying pressure to the bullet wound. “I called 911. Cops and an ambulance are on the way. You need to help them find us.”
“But—” I protested, not wanting to leave Dad’s side.
“Now, Maggie,” Griswald interrupted harshly. “Go now!”
Tearing my gaze from my father, I saw the grim set of the Marshal’s jaw and knew he was right. Despite my rubbery legs, I got back on my feet and lumbered away unsteadily, determined to do the job I’d been assigned.
I walked out to the road that snaked through the cemetery and waited. There was nothing to do but wait and wonder. Who had done this? Who was the target, Dad or Griswald? Did this have to do with whatever deal Archie had wanted to make or the case that was taking the Marshal out of town.
I really wished God was there with me.
Finally, the wail of distant sirens reached my ears. I waved my hands in the air, hoping to attract the attention of the approaching police car. It sped toward me, an ambulance following closely behind.
“They’re coming!” I shouted to Griswald like he couldn’t hear the sirens.
I led the first responders directly to my father’s location. Paramedics worked on him, while the cops talked to Griswald.
Hugging my waist, I watched through a shimmer of tears as they loaded Dad into the ambulance. He’d lost consciousness.
I turned back to tell Griswald I was going to ride with them to the hospital, and found that he was sitting on the ground being propped up by a cop. Forgetting about the ambulance, I rushed to his side. “What happened?”
“Are you his daughter?” the cop asked.
“Niece,” I corrected automatically.
Griswald smiled feebly at that. I noticed for the first time a rivulet of blood trickling down his forehead. I’d been so preoccupied with my father’s wound that I hadn’t even realized he was hurt. Guilt twisted my gut.
“He’s got a head injury,” the cop said. “Probably nothing too serious, according to the EMS. They’re taking the other guy, first.”
As he spoke, the doors to the ambulance were slammed shut.
“You should go with him,” Griswald urged weakly.
I hesitated, torn between wanting to help both men. I realized in that moment that I loved them both. I loved Dad because he’s my father. But I loved Griswald, too. We didn’t always agree on everything, and he could always arrest me, but he was a loyal, loving family member.
“I’ll wait with you,” I told Griswald quietly.
Strong emotion flickered in his gaze as the ambulance sped away without me.
Kneeling by his side, I put a steadying hand on his shoulder. “I’ll call Aunt Susan and she’ll meet us at the hospital.”
“She’ll be upset. Don’t let her drive.”
I nodded, smiling at his concern for his wife. “I’m sure Templeton or Herschel can do it.”
While we talked about family transportation, the cops moved away, giving us space.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Griswald grabbed my hand. “Don’t tell anyone that I was here to meet Archie.”
I blinked, surprised at the intensity of his tone.
“Promise me, Maggie. You can’t tell anyone. It’s the only way.”
I stared at him. “Why should I say we were here?”
“
Tell them we came here for a quiet place to chat,” Griswald instructed, grimacing with pain. “And Archie must have been here visiting his daughter.”
I looked at him skeptically. “They’re not going to find it strange we came to a cemetery?”
He shook his head. “No. Your sister is here. My brother.” He lifted an arm and pointed to another section. “Promise, Maggie?” he practically begged. “It’s the only chance we have to keep them safe.”
I nodded, not knowing who the “them” were, but understanding that he felt like this was the best way to offer protection.
“You’re a good girl, Maggie.” He let go of my hand and patted my cheek. “I’m proud that you’re my niece.”
My heart swelled with his genuine fondness. Then, it dropped as he passed out, slumping against my shoulder.
“A little help?” I yelled as I struggled to keep him in a sitting position.
The cops ran over, an ambulance arrived, and I made the dreaded call.
10
Templeton has his faults, but there are times he has the patience of a saint. I’d called him and explained that Griswald was being taken to the hospital. He’d gathered Susan, Loretta, and Leslie and brought them to the Emergency Room waiting area.
For the past hour, while Loretta and Leslie had peppered everyone around them with complaints and questions, he’d remained a steadying force for Aunt Susan. I would have liked to have been able to comfort her, to rub away the tightness I saw in her shoulder blades, to bring a smile to her drooping lips, but between responding to the inquiries from nurses about Dad’s health, Detective Brian Griswald, Lawrence’s nephew, grilling me with his own questions, and having to call Uncle Thurston, I hadn’t had a free moment. Plus, I was trying to do as Griswald had asked, which meant I had to make sure the story I told Susan and Brian matched when they each asked me what had happened. After all, nothing could be more important than keeping them safe.
While I was a bundle of nerves, Templeton sat calmly beside Aunt Susan, rubbing her back and murmuring reassurances. I had never been more grateful to him.
Thankfully, Susan was brought in to see her husband just before Uncle Thurston arrived, eyes darting worriedly, belly jiggling, beard flapping, like a deranged Santa.
“It’s Archie’s ghost!” Loretta wailed. Her fake eyelashes fluttered and Templeton and Brian Griswald had to catch her as she swooned.
“It’s Thurston, you idiot!” her twin sister snapped. Leslie was usually the most mellow and unassuming of the three sisters, so it was always a surprise when she flexed her snarky muscle.
Maybe that’s why I started giggling. Or maybe it was just a delayed reaction to all the stress. But once I started laughing, I couldn’t stop. Not even when the others stared at me in horror, like they were afraid I was about to become roomies with my mom in the loony bin. Sides aching as I shook with mirth, tears leaking, I stumbled away in the hopes of regaining my composure. I wasn’t in the mood to get fitted for a straight jacket.
I stumbled around the corner and slammed into someone.
I would have fallen if they hadn’t grabbed my arms and kept me upright.
“Sorry,” I murmured, raising my tear-filled gaze to meet his.
A familiar face stared down at me with concern.
“You came,” I murmured, slumping against him with relief.
Hugging me tightly, he kissed the top of my head. “Of course I came, silly.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I squeezed Ian back. I’d called my half-brother under the guise that Thurston, the one who raised him, might need him, but it was actually me who was desperate for support.
“What happened?”
That was the question that everyone had asked; Templeton, Susan, Loretta, Leslie, Brian, Thurston, cops, doctors, everyone. The truth was, I didn’t really know and to act in accordance with Griswald’s wishes, I couldn’t reveal the little bit of knowledge I did have.
I shrugged but didn’t let go of him. “There’s a lot going on. I don’t think Griswald is too badly hurt, they’re saying he’ll be released soon.”
“That’s good news.”
I nodded.
“And Archie?” he prodded gently.
“They had to get him stable to prep him for surgery. They said…” My throat closed, not allowing me to get the rest of the words out.
“Dammit!” Thurston boomed from around the corner. “You can’t do that.”
Tearing myself out of Ian’s hug, I hurried to see what was wrong. Arms crossed over his chest, Thurston was glaring angrily.
“Hi, Ian,” Leslie greeted cheerfully as she saw him follow me.
“Hi, Leslie,” he murmured. “Aunt Leslie,” he corrected.
The nurse who’d asked the most questions pointed at me. “She’s his next-of-kin.”
“I’m his twin brother,” Thurston raged. “Nobody’s closer than those who share a womb.”
“I second that,” Loretta piped up.
Templeton, bless him, shushed her.
“Only one of you can see him before we take him in for surgery,” the nurse insisted. “Which one of you will it be?”
I looked from Thurston to the nurse and back again. “Is he awake?”
“Barely,” the nurse replied.
I hesitated. Part of me wanted to see my dad because I was worried about him, and part of me wanted to ask him what he’d gotten himself into this time that people were shooting at him.
Thurston, looking so much like my father, waited, jaw clenched, hands fisted. I could tell he expected me to take the opportunity for myself. He was too proud to beg, but I could see how badly he wanted to see his brother.
“You go,” I said softly.
He blinked, surprised by my decision. “Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“Well, come on then,” the nurse urged impatiently. “I don’t have all day.”
Thurston patted my arm in thanks as he was led away.
I let out a shaky sigh.
“That was kind of you, Maggie,” Leslie approved.
It really wasn’t. It had been a totally calculated move. The chances of my father telling me what he was doing were very low, but I suspected that Thurston had an inkling of what was going on. Hopefully, by my making this “sacrifice”, he would be more inclined to answer my questions later.
“She understands the twin thing,” Loretta chimed in.
“She’s not a twin,” Leslie replied testily. “Marlene and Darlene are the twins. Maggie’s just Maggie.”
“Maggie’s never just Maggie,” Templeton corrected with a wink at me.
I shot him a grateful smile. He might be sketchy in day-to-day life, but he always came through in a pinch.
“Archie Lee has a twin,” Brian Griswald muttered. “Double the trouble.”
“Thurston isn’t like that,” I hurriedly told the detective.
“My uncle is a law-abiding man,” Ian said, his voice strained with indignation.
Brian’s eyebrows shot up. “Uncle? Another member of the Lee family tree?”
“My brother,” I said, grabbing Ian’s hand.
“Interesting,” Brian murmured.
“A result of Mary’s indiscretion,” Loretta supplied helpfully.
Feeling Ian stiffen beside me, I glared at her. I was not pleased that she was hurting his feelings or that she was airing her sister’s dirty laundry.
“Not that anyone can blame her,” Loretta continued. “She was having one of her many mental episodes when the boy was conceived.”
I heard Ian’s sharp intake of breath just before Templeton literally clapped a hand over Loretta’s mouth to shut her up.
Brian had the good grace to look embarrassed. Raising his hands in supplication, he murmured, “Sorry. I play detective even when I’m off duty. It’s a character flaw.”
Shaking loose of my grip on his hand, Ian turned and stalked away.
Loretta angrily slapped Templeton’s hand. “What are yo
u doing?”
“Trying to save you from yourself,” he muttered. He jumped out of his seat and walked strode in a different direction.
“What did I do?” Loretta asked defensively.
“You were you,” her twin replied succinctly.
“I should go check on Ian,” I murmured.
“You can’t leave us!” Loretta protested. “You have to—”
“Go, Maggie,” Leslie interrupted, giving her sister a hard shake. “We’re fine.”
Nodding, I whirled away and raced in the direction Ian had disappeared.
I didn’t find him.
But I did see someone else I knew.
My heart dropped.
11
“Boss wants to see you,” Gino told me.
I glanced around, nervous that someone would see us together. As though he understood my concerns, Gino pulled out his cellphone and held it to his ear like he was having a conversation. “He’s in the cafeteria.”
Avoiding eye contact with him, I scurried past and hurried to the hospital’s cafeteria. This wasn’t an ideal time or place to meet with Delveccio, but I couldn’t risk incurring his wrath. According to Griswald, my family was in danger, and I’d do whatever it took to protect them.
The mob boss was sitting at a table in a tucked away corner of the cafeteria, contemplating two bowls of chocolate pudding.
I made my way straight to him. As usual, his shirt was unbuttoned too low and his pinky ring was sparkling too bright. “Feels like old times,” I quipped as I slid into the seat opposite him. We’d spent a good amount of time eating pudding together while Katie and his grandson, Dominic, were hospitalized.
He slid a serving of chocolatey goodness across the table to me and followed that with a dramatic flourish of an offered spoon. “Archie gonna make it?”
I took the spoon and stuck it into the treat. “They don’t know.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
I kept my eyes on the spoon. He was just being polite. We both knew he had no use for Archie Lee.
Niceties out of the way, he got down to business. “I hear you’re looking for Leo the Lion.”
