Carmine interrupted, “That taking them out just became quite simple.”
“Exactly!” Carmella gushed. She slammed her drink down and smiled. “Four out of the five will be together, leaving the last straggler alone at home. I mean, it’s like the Heavens are smiling down on us right now. The timing is perfect.”
Caesar chewed on the newest piece of the puzzle, happy to see it fit in perfectly with the one he created in his head the night before. His excitement was short lived as a strange thought emerged. “Well, that is quite interesting news, although I am a bit distressed to hear your sleuthing activities were detected, Carmella. You must be more diligent in the future. That little conversation might have simply been a ruse, said in hopes of luring out the person who has been sniffing around Mr. Pickard’s bank accounts. On the plus side, if they knew for sure it was you, I doubt they would have gone to such lengths. If they had enough evidence, surely they would have gone to the police.”
Carmella’s excitement waned as a look of anger, followed by worry, crossed her face.
Caesar continued. “Never mind that now. Either way, it works out in our favor. It is time to lay out the rest of my plan. Is everyone ready?”
Four heads nodded in agreement.
“Fantastic. Carmine, as I mentioned earlier, you are to help Nick the Prick craft his suicide note before he departs to the other side. Make sure the cops have no doubts he took his own life when his dead body is discovered in his home. This needs to be accomplished first, no later than Wednesday. Carmella and Franco, you are responsible for ensuring Mr. Pickard and his friends do not survive the return trip from Branson, if, in fact, they are going. Carmella, you are in charge of monitoring Mr. Pickard. We need to know if he truly is going on this trip, and if the rest of our marks will be with him. If not, we will have to alter our plans. If that is the case, we will reconvene and adjust accordingly. If it is the truth, then Vincenzo, you will accompany me to take care of the last straggler, the daughter. I won’t be able to live with myself if I don’t enjoy one last hit. Unfortunately, she will disappear and nothing will be left to find since she will be rendered down to a pile of smoldering ashes. Franco, you and Carmella will meet us at the funeral parlor on Saturday night. Make sure the oven’s hot. Once we finish with the daughter, you two will head to Missouri to set up the tragic car accident.”
Vincenzo’s grin lit up the room. “Finally! Some excitement for me. I get to be on the front lines for once, rather than picking up the dead and cutting up their corpses.”
“Don’t let your eagerness override common sense, Vincenzo. Karina Summers has skills of her own. Former private investigator, and from my research, it looks like she has quite the temper. An affinity for guns, along with her mother, who is a retired cop. We must plot and plan for any and all scenarios, and be ready to adjust on the fly.” Carmella added. “I’ve met her, remember? I promise you, she won’t go down without a fight.”
Caesar smiled, a real, genuine smile. The rush of adrenaline made his body tense. “Good. I like feisty prey. Makes the kill much more memorable. I’m sure it will give me many hours of satisfactory memories to relive while I’m on the beach. Now, the meeting is adjourned. Franco, follow me into the study, please. We have some documents to go over. The rest of you, enjoy the brandy.”
Franco piped up, “Need to use the bathroom first. I’ll meet you in the study.”
Nodding his approval toward Franco, Caesar turned his attention to Carmine and Vincenzo. They clinked glasses and toasted, but Caesar could see the look of concern behind the eyes of his longtime friend. Carmine was savvy enough not to question orders in front of others, but Caesar knew later, Carmine would come to him privately and ask why the decision to move was made so fast. Caesar was already prepared for that, and planned on telling him to mind his own business, and that their partnership was over. He didn’t want Carmine coming with him to Tahiti. No way would Caesar let anyone he knew be around to watch as his mind slipped away before he put a bullet through his brain.
“Caesar, I need to tell you something before you meet with Franco. Okay?” Carmella worked to keep her face stoic.
“If I recall correctly, I said at the beginning of this meeting my mind was made up. Don’t try to change it, sister.”
Carmella shook her head. “No, no, I would never do that, Caesar. I just…need to ask you something, and I really want you to consider it before you give me an answer, okay?”
Intrigued, Caesar replied, “All right.”
Carmella’s warm hand touched Caesar’s arm, which was something she rarely did. The Calvanio’s were not the touchy-feely types. She lowered her voice so the others wouldn’t overhear. “Please, I know you want to take part, to have one last thrill kill, but let Vincenzo or Carmine handle the Summers girl.”
Caesar tried to keep his anger at bay, for his first thought was Carmella was questioning his abilities. A dig at his age. “What, Carmella, do you think I’m too old to handle a simple hit?”
“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m well aware of your strength and capabilities, and have no doubts in that area. I, well, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve met her. I’ve shared with you almost all the information I found out about her and her family, but left out one minor detail. Well, actually, I think it is a major detail, since I came face to face with her. She looks a lot different in person than the images I found online.”
Annoyed, Caesar asked, “Oh, and just what detail would that be?”
Carmella sighed and took another hefty drink. “She looks just like Romella. I mean, enough they could pass for twins. I, oh, I don’t know. I just think it might be difficult for you since she looks so much like her. Might make you hesitate for a split second, and hesitation can get you killed.”
Caesar searched his sister’s face, noting the real worry behind her eyes. No trickery, no hidden agenda. “No need to be concerned about me. The Cat doesn’t let anyone stop him once the hunt begins.”
26
Stormy Weather
Lightning skittered across the darkened sky, sending fingerlike tendrils through the menacing gun-metal gray clouds. Karina only made it to three Mississippi before booming thunder rang through the fields. The rain had stopped, but the light and sound show still played. Ranger whined at her feet, nudging her bare leg with his moist snout. Karina stood, walked to the back door, and pushed it open. Ranger bounded inside the dark house, his claws clicking on the hardwood.
“Whoa! He sure is scared,” LiAnn remarked, moving out of Ranger’s way. The two glasses of tea sloshed their contents out as she shifted her trajectory. She heard the liquid hit the linoleum. “Oh, crap.”
Stepping inside the door, Karina felt around the counter for the dishtowel. She bent down and wiped up the mess. “Sorry, didn’t know you were in his path. Poor thing. He doesn’t know what to think about all the noise. Storms in Cali were never like this. He probably thinks we’re in a war zone.”
LiAnn nodded toward the screen door. “Come on, let’s watch it roll out. I’ve always loved summer storms. Isn’t much we can do right now anyway since the power’s out.”
Once settled on the porch, drinks in hand, Karina remarked, “Nature at its finest, displaying her raw power. Wish she would have waited until tomorrow, though. Puts a damper on my research.”
“What, are you afraid to use your computer because of the storm?”
“No. Like an idiot, I forgot to charge it before we left earlier. Battery’s dead. I could use my phone, but it doesn’t have much juice. Don’t want it to croak. Got to keep an eye on Cecil’s place.”
“I’d offer mine up, but it’s dead too. You know, smartphones are great, when they work. With all they can do and cram into such a small space, why is it so hard to make a battery that actually lasts?”
Karina chuckled, “Geeks do enjoy their petty torments.” Another burst of light danced across the sky. The concussion of the thunder made the entire house rattle. “Wow, that’s close. Where’s Gr
am and Grampa?”
“Both are sound asleep in the living room. It’s so cute. Sitting side by side in their matching chairs, Grampa with the remote in his hand, and Gram with her knitting needles. I mean, it’s a Norman Rockwell moment. How they are sleeping through all this noise is beyond me. Before they fell asleep, they were discussing the new neighbors. They are concerned about who bought the farm adjacent to theirs. I told them I’d work on finding out. Gram’s biggest worry is they are meth heads.”
Karina fidgeted in her seat. The storm made her nervous, and not just because she was eager to get online and start hunting for information. What she feared was the capability of wind so strong, it sucked her and Ranger up in a funnel cloud and plunked them down in Oz. Not exactly the way Karina desired her remaining moments on earth to be spent. “Okay, once the power comes back on, we’ll see what we can find.”
LiAnn noticed how nervous Karina was and remarked, “Honey, it’s okay. It’s just a pop-up thunderstorm. It will pass soon enough.”
Unwilling to let Mother Nature win, Karina shook away her fears and changed the subject. “We haven’t had much of a chance to really talk about your date with Jimmy. I really do want to hear all about it, since what you’ve alluded to sounds like it tanked. I was hoping we could shelve that for later because I wanted your opinion first.”
“About?”
“Would Jimmy be a good source to ask about Carmella? Can you trust him, and if so, do you believe he’d open up?”
LiAnn thought about that for a few minutes before responding. “I don’t know. We actually did discuss her briefly during dinner. He’s known her for quite some time. Taught her son art in school years ago. Seemed genuinely sad about the boy’s passing. After he retired, it was Carmella’s idea for him to come and teach art at The Magnolia, so my gut instinct would be no. I mentioned I felt guilty for thinking Carmella had been looking at me funny, then finding out her facial expressions were off due to the murder of her son. Jimmy said he thought that was part of it, but the other part could be jealousy.”
Karina cocked her head in confusion. “Jealousy?”
LiAnn smiled. “You know, female competition. According to Jimmy, Carmella’s used to being the one ogled around The Magnolia. I changed the subject after that, dismissing it all in my mind. Now, I’m not so sure my first perceptions weren’t on target. The woman looked at me like I was public enemy number one.”
“Ah, yes. That shoots the Barbie effect scenario down in flames.”
LiAnn gave Karina a disgusted smirk. “Not every blonde with a rack is hated by every other female.”
“Says the blonde…”
“Very funny. So, you didn’t ask Cal for help? You know, give him a research project to work on?”
Karina groaned. “I’d rather gouge my eyes out, thank you. Besides, this is personal, not business. I’m perfectly capable of doing my own sleuthing.”
“Uh-huh, never said you weren’t. I just enjoy annoying you.”
Lightning crackled again, and thankfully, it was further away. Karina made it to sevenMississippi before the thunder boomed. At the same time, the lights came back on and the house phone rang. Karina jumped, nearly dropping her glass.
“LiAnn?!”
Both of them were on their feet, heading inside. “Yes, Pop?”
“Your suitor’s on the horn.”
Karina burst out laughing, enjoying the looks of irritation and embarrassment spreading across her mother’s face. “Hey, he’s persistent. Obviously, he hasn’t given up on conquering Mt. Barbie. Play nice, you might score us some good intel.”
Three hours had passed since the storm ended, and Karina’s eyes were tired from staring at the computer. She glanced over at her mom, who was busy studying the notes she’d compiled during their research. It was near midnight, and both of them were exhausted, but both were too stubborn to call it quits. Karina leaned back in the chair and stretched. “Well, at least none of my bank or credit card accounts have been jacked with. That must be the silver lining, right?”
LiAnn set the pen down and commented, “Since when are you the glass half full one?”
“Guess it’s the heat. Does crazy things to the brain. Okay, I need a change of scenery and to take my contacts out. Let’s hash out what we know while I put these babies nighty-nite. You know,” Karina said, walking to the bathroom, “I would have been happy with smaller boobs or a few inches shorter, in exchange for better eyesight.”
“Hey, blame your father. Apparently, his genes were stronger in the outward features department. Be happy you have my brains.”
“Trust me, I am. So, what am I missing here, Mom? What’s your thoughts on all this?”
“I think it’s too early to start making judgment calls on what exactly we are dealing with or how it pertains to you. It sure would help if Cal would call or text with the passwords for the search sites. Oh well, let’s stick with what we know for sure then build from there.”
Contacts out, Karina let a small sigh of relief out as she applied eye drops. Glasses in place, she stepped back into the bedroom. Karina plopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. “Fair enough. One, we know someone tried to access Cecil’s bank account. Two, we know the location where it happened. Three, we know Carmella D’Nucci was at The Coffee Mug on the same day. Four, Cecil caught Carmella leaving his apartment. All that adds up to is what both of us have seen so many times during the last three years. Elderly people are easy targets for criminals. Cecil has a lot of money, no one to really help him manage it, and an employee hired to help take care of him. Said employee decides to lift some cash. That part’s clean. The rest is murky.”
“I think your original musings might be on target. My guess is Carmella worked at some point for Jubilee,” LiAnn stifled a yawn. “You know how much nationwide press coverage the trials received. I would imagine current and former employees gobbled up every news article or report the second one hit print or TV. Both of us had our pictures splashed across the screen a few times, so that might explain why Carmella gave us such odd looks. Even if she isn’t a former employee, she does work in the senior housing field. I’m betting every senior living facility in the country kept up with the case. You know, running around like crazy, trying to plug up and fix the holes in their own companies before a suit could be brought against them.”
“Interesting. Go on,” Karina urged.
“Carmella is head of healthcare, which means she probably subscribes to trade organizations about the industry. Maybe her initial reaction was that we already knew about her activities pertaining to Cecil, and assumed we were investigating.”
Karina sighed and rubbed her eyes. “You’re probably right. Huh, guess my little act of Cecil’s grand-niece was a waste of time. After seeing me leave his apartment, Morticia has to know we’re on to her. Hope it doesn’t scare her off. We need more evidence before we go to the police with all this.”
“Morticia. Classic. In terms of evidence, actually, we don’t. We have plenty for them to open a case against her for fraud and maybe even attempted identity theft. Now, in terms of how this all ties to you, oh yes, much more.” LiAnn stood up and moved to the desk. “Do you mind if I drive for a bit while we wait on Cal? I want to look at something real quick.”
Opening her eyes, Karina grinned. “Be my guest. Impossible to get a ticket for speeding on the internet.”
“Always the comedian. That you get from Grampa.”
Ranger grunted from his spot on the floor, stretched, then promptly stuck his wet nose on Karina’s cheek. She grabbed her cell phone, groaning as she rose from the bed. “I’m going to take Ranger outside for a minute. Be right back.”
Her mom was busy clicking keys, staring intently at the screen, and simply waved her response. Once outside, the humidity slapped Karina in the face with its wetness. Ranger was oblivious and bounded out toward the barn, his favorite new location to relieve himself. In seconds, she lost him in the dark, his black coat melding pe
rfectly against the backdrop of the night. The smell of damp, wet hay assaulted her nose, making it tickle. Karina rubbed it twice, hoping she didn’t start sneezing.
Staring up to the star-filled sky, Karina wished answers to all her questions would miraculously appear. What was she going to do about Bo? Continue seeing him, knowing full well the relationship would end? It wasn’t fair to use him as a salve to soothe her broken heart. He stroked her ego, made her feel sexy and desirable. Pushed all the right ecstasy buttons with ease unlike anyone ever had before. Even Cal.
Karina cursed under her breath, wishing she hadn’t thought about her ex. Hearing Cal’s voice on the phone earlier complicated matters inside her head. She was walking the fine line between love and hate. When she was with Bo, her feelings for Cal, good and bad, were more of a creamy tan, rather than blaring black or raging red.
On top of all the soap-opera crap in her life, Morticia Adams gets thrown into the fray. The reasons the woman decided to check up on Karina didn’t matter. What mattered was the bitch actually was trying to steal from not only a senior citizen, but a family friend. The woman had no idea she just stepped into a hot, steaming pile of cow manure.
For a few moments under the cover of darkness, Karina let the thrill of the hunt burn through her. It wiped away the confusion over the men in her life. Pushed aside her guilt for enjoying the fact she had something to sink her teeth into, even though it stemmed from someone she cared about.
Karina had a new adversary to defeat. A new player to outwit. Someone to take down who was screwing around on her turf. She let the terrified look on Carmella’s face when she opened the door fill her mind. The way the fear exuded out of Carmella as they locked eyes for the first time. Karina remembered her first words, spoken with a twang of a New York accent.
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