Sister Genevieve

by John Milesky

  As Maggie cast her eyes out over the city, she wondered how many women were out there getting raped at that same moment. She thought about the events of the day and picked up Genevieve’s cell phone. She scrolled through until she found A.D.’s initials and hit the call button. The call went immediately to his voice mail.

  “Hello, Tony,” she said after listening to his greeting. “This is Genevieve. I was just calling to tell you I am sorry for tonight. I haven’t been feeling myself lately. Besides, I forgot you like it rough sometimes. Call me. Maybe we can get together again sometime soon.”

  She ended the call, took a sip from her wine glass, and continued to cast her gaze over the city.

  “I’ll get you,” she said out loud. “You monster!”

  Meanwhile, Alverez sat in his car in the garage. He had Genevieve’s cloned phone up to his ear. He had just listened to Maggie’s call to Antonio D’Adamo. When she finished, he lowered the phone and sat there for a long while. “What is she up to?” he said to himself. Nothing good can come from her calling him, unless she is just merely trying to get him back to the apartment for him to arrest the bastard.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The next morning Maggie awoke with a hangover. After Alverez left the night before, she managed to finish the entire bottle of chardonnay. She didn’t like the feeling.

  Maggie sat up in her bed and looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was almost 11:00.

  “Ugh!” She said to herself. “Why did I do this to myself?” Then, she remembered why she drank so much; it was to forget the events of the evening. She was consumed by thoughts of Tony ripping her clothes off and forcing himself onto her.

  She shook her head and got out of bed. She went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. After she poured herself a cup, she took three aspirin to help with the hangover.

  At around noon, Alverez called to check in on her. He was still filled with a great amount of guilt and anger over her being raped. He offered to stop by, but was quickly shot down by Maggie. She was in no mood for company.

  Genevieve’s cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller ID and noticed it was A.D. calling. She opted not to answer the phone. She did not want to talk to that monster. After a few moments, the phone vibrated, indicating a voicemail message was waiting for her. Before she was able to hit the voicemail button to listen to the message, the phone rang again. This time, it was Alverez.

  “Hello, Maggie,” Alverez said. “I understand why you didn’t take that call.”

  “No, I was in the bathroom and wasn’t able to get to it in time,” Maggie answered. “If this is the guy we are after, I want to get him back here as soon as possible. I want to catch this guy just as much as you do.”

  “I’m sorry,” Alverez said. “I just thought that after last night and his rape-,” Alverez caught himself before he said something insensitive. “I mean after what he did to you, I thought-”

  “Detective,” Maggie interrupted. “I am a big girl. I think I can handle myself if this man comes back to the apartment. Besides, this time I will set a time for him to come by, and you can be here to apprehend him.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to do,” Alverez said. “Did you listen to the message?”

  “No, not yet,” Maggie admitted. “What did he have to say?”

  “He said for you to meet him tonight at the usual place,” Alverez said. “We have no idea where the usual place is.”

  “That is a predicament,” Maggie said. “What should we do?”

  “Well, you can call him back and ask him to meet you at your apartment, instead,” Alverez offered. “Tell him you are having car trouble and without transportation.”

  “What if he suggests I take a cab?” Maggie said. “Not to be the devil’s advocate, but we have got to get him to tell us where the usual place is.”

  “Let me think about this for a little while. I’ll call you back after I figure something out.”

  “Ok, Detective,” Maggie said. “I’ll try to figure something out, as well.”

  They ended the call, and Maggie stood at her favorite spot in the apartment. She stood at the window, sipping her coffee for several minutes. She picked up Genevieve’s cell phone and hit the voicemail button. She listened to Tony’s message and wondered what she would say to him when she called him back. She scrolled the contacts’ list on the cell phone until she came to Tony’s initials. She was about to hit the call button when the phone started to ring in her hand. The caller ID indicated it was an “unknown caller.” Maggie answered on the second ring.

  “Hello,” she said into the phone.

  “Hello, is this Genevieve Sheppard?” the man on the other end asked.

  “Yes it is.”

  “I’m calling from Congressman Anvil’s office.”

  “Oh?” Maggie said. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m calling on behalf of the congressman,” the man said. “He’d like to set up an appointment with you for tomorrow night, if that’s ok?”

  “Tomorrow night?” Maggie said in a surprised tone.

  “Yes, the congressman would like to meet with you at nine o’clock tomorrow evening,” the man said. “Would that be ok with you?”

  “Sure,” Maggie said. “Nine will be fine.”

  After Maggie hung up the phone, it rang almost immediately. It was Alverez, who had most likely just listened to her entire conversation.”

  “Congressman Anvil!” Alverez exclaimed.

  “I guess my sister did know people in high places,” Maggie said.

  “I think his first name is Sheldon,” Alverez said.

  “S.A.,” Maggie said.

  “It could be the one we are looking for,” Alverez admitted. “Well, this one is going to have to be handled gently.”

  “Detective,” Maggie said. “Could this possibly be the person who is putting pressure on your captain to not file a report on this case?”

  “It’s possible,” Alverez answered. “He’s probably going to have a security detail with him when he arrives. Most likely Capitol Police. I’ll have to be quick. I’ll probably have to interview him right there in your apartment. Congressmen play by different rules. We’ll have to be careful on this one.”

  “That makes sense to me,” Maggie said.

  “We shouldn’t take any chances and startle the guy,” Alverez said. “I’ll come over in about an hour, and we can go over just how we are going to handle this one.”

  “Do you mind if we just go over it tomorrow?” Maggie asked. “I have some errands to run.”

  “Sure. I’ll come over around seven thirty tomorrow, and we can go over everything. We’ll just forget about Tony for the time being, unless he calls back. If he does call, try to get him to meet you at your apartment.”

  “Ok, Detective. I’ll just wait until he calls again. Thank you,” Maggie said and hung up the phone.

  She glanced down at the phone in her hand. She scrolled through Genevieve’s phone book until she found Tony’s phone number. She hit the call button, and the call went to his voicemail.

  “Hello, Tony. This is Genevieve,” Maggie said into the phone. “Seven thirty at our usual spot sounds great. I will see you then.”

  Again, Alverez sat in his car with the phone up to his ear. He lowered the phone when Maggie hung up after leaving a message for Antonio D’Adamo. He wondered what she was up to. He came to the conclusion that she was probably just trying to draw him out and get him to call her again. He admired her determination.

  Chapter Nineteen

  The next evening, Alverez showed up at Maggie’s apartment around seven fifteen. He had a worried look on his face.

  “Detective,” Maggie said to him as he stepped off the elevator. “You’re early. I haven’t finished getting ready.”

  “Sorry, but something came up,” Alverez said.

  “Nothing serious, I ho
pe,” Maggie answered.

  “I’m not sure what you would call it,” Alverez said. “Can we talk?”

  “Can it wait for a few minutes until I get dressed?” Maggie asked.

  “Sure, I’ll just get a glass of water and wait for you in the living room.”

  Maggie went back into the bedroom to finish getting ready for the evening. Alverez went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. While he was in the kitchen, he noticed an open bottle of wine in the refrigerator. He also noticed an empty bottle in the trashcan. He thought it was odd a nun would be drinking so much, but under the circumstances, he understood.

  He went back into the living room and sat on the sofa. About 15 minutes later, Maggie entered the room with a glass of wine in her hand.

  She sat down next to Alverez on the sofa.

  “What’s up?” she asked.

  “We found Antonio D’Adamo,” the detective said.

  “That’s great news! Did you arrest him?” Maggie asked.

  “Not exactly,” the detective responded, hesitantly. “He was dead when we found him. Someone shot him last night at his warehouse in East DC.”

  “He’s dead?” Maggie said. “How? I mean, who could have killed him? Do you think he was Gen’s killer?”

  “I don’t know,” Alverez said. “But, we’re still going over the basics of the case and haven’t gotten any of the preliminary forensics back yet. All I know right now is that someone put two bullets in his chest.”

  “That’s a shame you didn’t get a chance to question him about Genevieve’s murder,” Maggie said, sympathetically.

  “It is a shame,” Alverez said. “But, talk about karma. He does what he did to you, and then someone guns him down. There were witnesses that saw a dark, yellow sports car pull away from the scene. There were no surveillance cameras on site, so we can’t really tell if that’s true or not.”

  “I have taken vows to love all people, but-,” Maggie trailed off. “Oh, never mind. It doesn’t matter what I think. At least he won’t be able to hurt anyone anymore.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Alverez agreed.

  Maggie got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen to pour herself another glass of wine. Again, Alverez thought it was odd that a nun was drinking so much. When she returned, she took up her place next to him on the sofa.

  “Are you sure you are ok?” Alverez asked.

  “Of course,” Maggie said.

  “You seem to be drinking a lot lately,” Alverez said, bluntly.

  “I guess I’m a bit nervous about this evening,” Maggie admitted. “After the other night with Tony, and plus, it’s not every day you get to meet a congressman who might have murdered your sister.”

  “That’s true,” Alverez agreed.

  An awkward silence took hold of the room. “Did you go see Antonio D’Adamo last night, Maggie?” Alverez finally asked.

  “What?” Maggie said in amazement. “No. I mean how would I know where to meet him? You said to just wait until he called back. He never did. I was here all night just hoping he would call.”

  Alverez realized he had hit a nerve with Maggie. She suddenly became tense and a bit nervous.

  “Ok,” Alverez said. “I was only asking.”

  “Sorry, Detective,” Maggie said. “I guess I’m a little more nervous about tonight than I had realized.”

  “I understand,” Alverez said. “Tonight’s a big deal. Why don’t we go over the details?”

  Chapter Twenty

  Before the congressman arrived, Maggie and Alverez sat on the sofa discussing how they would handle the evening. They decided it was best if Alverez just waited in the living room. When the congressman arrived, Maggie would escort him into the living room where Alverez would take over.

  Congressman Anvil was right on time. He arrived at nine o’clock exactly, but he wasn’t alone. When the elevator buzzed, it wasn’t the congressman on the other end of the intercom.

  “Hello,” Maggie said into the intercom.

  “Yes, this is John Harrison, Congressman Anvil’s personal aide,” the voice said from the other end.

  “I was expecting the congressman,” Maggie replied.

  “He’s here with me,” John said.

  “Genevieve, it’s me,” the congressman said into the intercom.

  “Come on up,” Maggie said as she hit the entry button.

  She looked at Alverez with a concerned look on her face. They were both nervous. When the elevator arrived at the apartment, the congressman was accompanied by his security detail and his aide.

  The three men stepped into the apartment.

  “Genevieve,” Congressman Anvil said.

  “Well hello, Sheldon,” Maggie said nervously. She wasn’t sure if she should call him by his first name.

  The congressman was a short, balding, chubby man. What little hair he had, he combed over the top of his scalp. His demeanor was pleasant, but he had the look of a mid-western farmer. “You remember Thomas, from the Capitol Police?”

  “Ma’am,” Thomas said, with a nod.

  “And this is my personal aide, John Harrison. He’s going to wait for me. We’ve been going over some things, and I needed a little break.”

  John Harrison was a tall man with a chiseled body, which was noticeable through his clothes. It was obvious he spent many hours at the gym. He had blonde hair and the most beautiful, blue eyes Maggie had ever seen. She briefly gazed into them, but caught herself before it became obvious.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Sheppard,” John said. “We’re going to need to do a security sweep.”

  “Actually, that won’t be necessary,” Maggie said. “There’s been a slight change of plans. Detective!”

  Detective Alverez stepped into the doorway. Thomas, the Capitol Police officer put his hand on his gun. Luckily, Alverez had his badge and identification out, ready for inspection.

  “It’s ok,” Alverez said. “I’m Detective Alverez with the DC Metro Police Department.” He held up his badge for Thomas to inspect it.

  The congressman had a confused look on his face. He looked at Maggie. “Genevieve, what is this?” Congressman Anvil said.

  “Sorry, Shelly,” Maggie replied. “The detective would like to ask you a few questions.”

  “This is ridiculous,” the congressman said, angrily. “Are you setting me up?”

  “It’s not like that, Congressman,” Alverez said. “Truth is, I’m investigating a murder, and I need to ask you a few questions.”

  “Murder? Me?” The congressman asked. “What in the hell are you talking about, Detective?”

  “Sir,” Alverez continued, if you could come into the living room, I will explain everything to you. Please come in and have a seat.”

  “There are certain protocols you need to take when questioning a congressman,” Thomas said.

  “I know that. I can go through the proper channels, if you’d prefer, but I was hoping to keep this low key. I am sure Congressman Anvil would prefer it this way. If you step into the living room, I promise you this won’t take long.”

  All three men accepted the invitation. The congressman sat on the sofa along with his personal aide. The Capitol Police office stood guard at the door. Maggie and Alverez sat opposite the congressman and his aide.

  “Sir,” Alverez continued, “what we are about to talk about is highly classified and of a highly personal nature. It might be best if we talked alone.”

  “Let’s just get this over with, Detective. I have nothing to hide,” the congressman insisted. “I trust these men with my most classified secrets, as well as my life. Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of them.”

  “Ok,” Alverez responded. “I’d like to talk to you about the murder of Genevieve Sheppard.”

  The congressman was confused. He looked at Maggie with a surprised look on his face.

  “You want to discuss her murder?” The congressman asked as he held his gaze on Maggie. “I don’t understand
.”

  “This is very complicated,” Alverez answered. “If you just bear with me, I can explain everything-”

  “This better make sense, Detective,” the congressman interjected.

  Alverez looked at Maggie with a complicated look on his face. He was about to jump off the cliff with a heavy hitter, and he wasn’t exactly sure where he would land.

  “Sir,” Alverez started. “Genevieve Sheppard is dead. She was murdered on the seventeenth of last month. This is Sister Margaret Sheppard, Genevieve’s sister.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Congressman,” Maggie said.

  “I don’t understand,” the congressman said.

  “Genevieve and Maggie are twins,” Alverez added. “We needed a little help in apprehending the suspects in her sister’s murder.”

  “You are including me as a suspect?” the congressman said angrily. “I assure you, I had nothing to do with the murder of Genevieve Sheppard.”

  “This is ridiculous,” John said. “You have some nerve accusing the congressman of murder. Congressman, I think we should leave now.”

  “I’m not accusing the congressman of anything,” Alverez said. “I’m only trying to tie up loose ends.”

  “I have the congressman’s date book right here,” John said, as he reached into his bag. “The 17th of last month,” he continued, as he thumbed his way through the book, “the congressman was at his office most of the day in meetings. What time was this murder?”

  “We think it was some time in the late afternoon or early evening,” Alverez added. “We have not determined the exact time of death.”

  “After a day of meetings on the 17th, the congressman went directly to a fundraiser in Adams Morgan,” John offered. “He was there until 8:45, and then, he returned to his residence in Georgetown.”

  “I assume there are people who will corroborate your meetings and fundraiser?” the detective asked.

  “Now just one second-,” the congressman interrupted. “You aren’t planning to go running around the Capitol asking people if they saw me on that day, are you?”