Black Butterfly

by Marja McGraw

  Sophia stood and looked into my eyes – deeply into my eyes.

  I felt as uncomfortable as I’d ever felt.

  “Yes, Meredith should return to her guests. I’ll be in town for a few days and we can talk again, if that’s okay with you.” She turned her gaze on my neighbor.

  I was a little surprised that she’d asked if it was okay instead of issuing an order.

  “I’d love to do some catching up,” Meredith said. She grabbed a pencil and paper off my desk and wrote something down. “Here’s my phone number. Call first to make sure I’m home.”

  Sophia nodded and opened the back door to find Chris and Tony deep in conversation. Okay, so Chris was doing all the talking. Tony just stood and listened.

  “It’s time, Tony,” the Godmother said.

  I shook my head. I had to stop thinking of her in those terms.

  Tony entered my office and took his grandmother’s elbow, escorting her back through the kitchen and out the front door.

  Chris, Sr. approached us. “Jimmy never came back, but Frankie is still in the bar.”

  Frankie was talking to a woman and didn’t seem to notice what was going on around him. He was having a good time. The woman, whom I’d never seen before, seemed to be enjoying his company.

  Tony was a man of few words, Jimmy was a man with a temper, and Frankie was the lover, or so it seemed. Sophia? A woman of power.

  Chris escorted Meredith back to the table.

  I’d tried to ignore Janet, my cop friend, so I wouldn’t give her away, but she flagged me down. Her partner had disappeared and she sat by herself, drinking a cup of coffee.

  “How as everything, ma’am?” I asked.

  “Drop the act, Pamela. I want to talk to you.” She spoke in a soft voice.

  “Okay.” I knew where she was heading before she even spoke.

  “Why were you and Chris meeting with the Messinas? What’s going on around here?”

  “We weren’t meeting with them. It was our neighbor. She knew Sophia Messina a long time ago.” I hoped my brief explanation would do the trick.

  It didn’t.

  “What aren’t you telling me? There’s more to this than just two old friends sharing a few memories.”

  “Janet, it’s a long story and it’s been a long night. Couldn’t we talk about this later?”

  “I can come by your house after the restaurant closes,” she suggested.

  “Any chance we can talk in the morning? I really have to get back to my guests and I’m tired. I wish we could close right now, in all honesty.”

  “I’ll be over bright and early. And make sure your mother-in-law and those Church Ladies aren’t anywhere around. We really need to talk.” Janet plunked money down on the table to cover her check and stood, ready to leave. “And be careful,” she warned.

  “When will it ever end?” I asked myself. This had been one of the longest nights of my life.

  The dogs! I hurried back through the kitchen and through my office, opening the door to let the dogs in. I had a feeling that Jimmy was the vindictive type and I didn’t want the dogs out in the open.

  On my way back to our table, I noticed that Frankie and the woman had left. I hoped he had a better night than I was having.

  I noticed the Church Ladies were beginning to look a little bleary-eyed. It had been a long night for them, too. It hadn’t done any good to have them in the restaurant, but I guessed it had made them feel useful.

  I stopped by their tables. “I think you can all go home now. Things went well and I appreciate your prayers tonight. I’m sure they helped. Thank you all for coming in.”

  “Are you sure you don’t need us?” Jasmine asked.

  “We can stay if you want us to,” Lila said.

  “I have to admit, I’m a little tired.” Addie yawned.

  May tapped her Bible. “We’ll keep praying. Those yahoos give me the creeps,” she said, echoing words I’d heard Phyllis say.

  “It’s okay,” I said. “Go home and get some sleep. There’s nothing more you can do tonight.”

  “What about Judith?” Jasmine asked. “Does she get to stay?” Was there a note of petulance or jealousy in her voice?

  I smiled at her. “No, I’m going to send my in-laws on their way, too.”

  I watched them walk out the door, and then I watched them walk back inside. Someone must have forgotten something.

  No, they returned and sat down at their tables.

  What the heck?

  Tony was the next one to enter Bogey Nights.

  I glanced at my watch and turned to Chris. “It’s time to close up and go home before anyone else shows up.”

  Tony approached our table. “My grandmother requested that I come back and keep an eye on things. She worries because we don’t know where Jimmy went.”

  He turned without waiting for a reply and made his way into the cocktail lounge. I saw Daniel asking him what he’d like to drink.

  Tony shook his head, turned on his stool and watched his surroundings. This was a no-nonsense man who wouldn’t let anything distract him, unlike his brother, Frankie.

  The last customer left and once again I sent my in-laws and the Church Ladies on their way.

  Tony didn’t budge from his seat.

  Sammy stood by the Reservation Desk talking to Gloria. They had eyes for no one but each other.

  Meredith and Gabe were talking quietly.

  Daniel turned off the forties music that had entertained the diners.

  Unfortunately, that’s when I heard Gabe say, “…the body was left in the desert.”

  His head snapped up and he looked around, trying to see if anyone had heard him.

  Chris squeezed my hand and I thought he might have heard those words, too.

  I squeezed back and looked straight ahead, trying to look unconcerned and innocent.

  Chapter Thirty

  The body was left in the desert? Whose body? When? Did I really want to know? Of course not, but my curiosity has a mind of its own. I’d talk to Meredith later.

  “Time to head home,” I said. “The restaurant is officially closed.”

  I said this loud enough for everyone, including Tony, to hear.

  He didn’t budge until Gabe and Meredith pushed back from the table.

  “Meredith,” I said, “if you’ll give us a few minutes, Chris and I will take you home.”

  Gabe smiled at me. “That’s okay. Sammy and I will give her a ride.”

  My neighbor nodded. “I’d like that.”

  Sammy and Gloria looked at each other fondly before he left her side, and she got busy cleaning off tables with the help of a busboy. I heard her humming, reminding me of when I’d first met Chris.

  Sammy, Gabe and Meredith strolled out the front door with Tony following behind. He caught up to them and said something to Sammy, who nodded with a worried look on his face. Maybe he was warning them to watch out for Jimmy.

  Chris put his arm around my shoulders. “Maybe we’ll have some peace and quiet now.”

  I looked up at him. “I’m sure glad everyone’s gone. Janet is coming over in the morning. She wants to ask some questions about tonight. She thought we were meeting with the Messinas.”

  “Did you set her straight?”

  “Of course.”

  “I hope she doesn’t show up too early,” Chris said.

  I retreated to my office where I took care of some paperwork while Chris helped finish the work in the restaurant.

  I was putting some receipts away when Gloria came in.

  “Pamela, is there any chance that Donna and I could switch shifts on Saturday?”

  “Big date with Sammy, huh?”

  She smiled.

  “If it’s okay with Donna, then it’s fine with me.”

  She and the rest of our employees left, with Chris and me not far behind.

  At my request, he pulled the car up to the gate of the yard behind the restaurant and we loaded the dogs in the backseat
. I guess Jimmy had unnerved me more than I realized.

  We drove home and I let the dogs do their business in the backyard before bringing them in for the night.

  My head no more than hit the pillow before I went to sleep.

  ~ * ~

  During the early morning hours I awoke to the sound of a car backfiring and the dogs barking. After yelling at them to quiet down, I turned over, ready to go back to sleep, when it hit me. I hadn’t heard a car backfire in years. Things had changed in the world of automobiles.

  I sat up when I realized Chris was getting up and putting on jeans.

  “You heard it, too,” I said.

  “Yeah. I’m going to check on the duchess.”

  “Wait! Let’s call her first. I don’t want you out there if it was a shot.”

  “Make it snappy. I’m not waiting for long.”

  We had a phone on the nightstand. I picked up the receiver and dialed Meredith’s number.

  She picked up on the first ring. “Hello?” she whispered.

  “It’s Pamela. Are you okay?”

  “I think so. Somebody broke my window.”

  “Can you tell if there’s still someone out there?”

  “I heard a car drive away.”

  “Chris and I will be right down. Don’t open the door for anyone but us. And don’t greet us with your gun.” While I spoke, I pulled a pair of jeans out of a drawer.

  She hung up without replying.

  “Hurry up,” Chris said, impatiently. “What did she say? Is she okay?”

  “Yes. She said someone broke her window. I don’t think she realizes it was probably shot out.”

  We left by the back door, sneaking around to the front where we took a good look around the neighborhood. There were no strange cars and nothing looked out of place, but when we approached Meredith’s house we saw someone standing at her door, banging on it.

  I started to say something, but Chris put his hand on my arm. “It’s Seth, her neighbor.”

  He stood in his robe and slippers, continuing to pound on the door.

  “For him to hear the shot, you know it had to be loud.”

  “Mary,” Seth yelled, “Are you okay?”

  I’d forgotten. He only knew her as Mary.

  Chris climbed the porch steps and tapped Seth’s shoulder. The old man jumped before turning around.

  “Oh, it’s you,” he yelled. Some people who are hard of hearing tend to talk quite loudly. “Something’s going on over here.” He pounded on the door again.

  “We’ve got it,” Chris said.

  “What’s that? Speak up.”

  “We’ve got it,” Chris repeated, raising his voice.

  “If you’re sure.” Seth looked uncertain about what to do.

  Chris nodded rather than yell again.

  The old man, looking relieved, hurried home.

  I glanced at the vacant house on the other side of Meredith’s home. “Chris,” I whispered, for all the good it would do after all the yelling, “look at the front door. It’s open.”

  This time Chris pounded on the door. “Meredith, it’s us. Open up.”

  The door opened slowly and I saw an eye checking us out.

  “It’s us,” he repeated.

  Meredith moved away from the door and Chris pushed it open. He grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him when he hurried inside.

  He slammed the door and turned the lock before heading for her phone.

  “Who are you calling?” she asked.

  “The coppers.”

  “Oh, no! You can’t do that.”

  “I can, and I will. It looks like someone might be in that vacant house next door.”

  “But – “

  “They’ll think you’re Mary, just like they always do,” I said.

  “Oh. That’s right.”

  While Chris called the police, I did a survey of the front windows. Not seeing a bullet hole, I moved to the windows on the side of the house.

  “Yep. Here it is. Someone fired into the house.”

  “Get away from the windows!” Chris said. Well, it was more of an order than a request. “And turn off that lamp.”

  He was right. What was I thinking? I jumped back, out of sight while Meredith turned off one of her lamps. The other lamp lay on the floor in pieces, broken when the bullet hit it.

  With the lights out, Chris took a chance and peeked out the side window.

  “I could sure use a smoke right now,” Meredith said, sounding hopeful.

  “You either smoke in the house or wait until the cops get here,” Chris said.

  She excused herself and headed for the kitchen. I heard the drawer open shortly before the sound of a cigarette lighter.

  While I don’t like the smell of smoke, I decided I’d keep her company. I found her puffing like there was no tomorrow.

  It wasn’t long until we heard the sound of sirens. They went quiet when two police units pulled up in front of the house, but the lights kept flashing.

  The front door opened and closed, and I knew Chris had walked out to meet them.

  It wasn’t long before he came back inside, followed by two officers. He showed them the window with the bullet hole and told them about the door to the vacant house being open.

  Two of them left and walked next door.

  The remaining cops started asking Meredith questions. While they were busy with that, I watched out the side window as the cops approached the house, quietly and with guns drawn. Of course I couldn’t see what happened once they entered through the front door, but thankfully I didn’t hear shots.

  “Your name, ma’am?” one of them asked Meredith.

  “Mary Litton.” She didn’t hesitate when giving her fake name.

  I pulled Chris aside. “Could we get in trouble for knowing who she is and not saying anything?”

  “Just cool your heels and let me think about that. Since Janet is coming over, maybe I can present her with a hypothetical situation and see what she says.”

  “Yeah, Janet. Maybe she can help.”

  The cop asked a few more questions, but there wasn’t anything Meredith could tell him, or that she wanted to tell him.

  Of course, the only person who came to my mind was Jimmy Messina.

  The police officers excused themselves and joined the others in the house next door.

  “I’m sure they’ll take fingerprints,” Chris said.

  “So maybe they’ll come up with Jimmy’s prints.” I hoped.

  “What is it about him?” Meredith couldn’t understand what was going on. “Why would he feel so much animosity toward me?”

  Chris didn’t always mince words. “He thinks you murdered his grandfather.”

  “But I didn’t!”

  “Can you prove it?” I asked.

  “Probably not. When he was killed, I was hiding out here in California. I have no way to prove where I was or what I was really doing.”

  “And therein lies the problem, duchess.” Chris clicked his tongue. “There’s evidence to say you did it, but there’s no evidence to say you didn’t.”

  “You believe me, don’t you?” Her expression was hopeful when she looked into my husband’s eyes.

  “I think I do.”

  “You think you do?”

  “I don’t know you all that well, doll, but you’ve been honest with us for the most part, as far as I can tell. Does Gabe believe you?”

  “Yes, Chris, he does. He knows me well. He knew I was never a hitman – or woman. He was in a position to check things out all those years ago. He knew I couldn’t kill anyone. I think Sophia believes me, too. For about a year I was the only real friend she had. I knew Tony was abusing her. Sometimes when I’d see one of his temper tantrums coming on, I’d find an excuse to get her away from him until he cooled down.

  “I have to admit, I once thought about shooting him, but I didn’t. Besides, as I recall, he was poisoned. Isn’t that right?”

  I closed my eyes for a mome
nt. “Yes, but they say that’s usually a woman’s choice of weapon.”

  “Sophia?” Meredith’s mouth turned down at the corners.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  “Apparently there wasn’t anything to indicate it was Sophia,” I said. “Why would she murder her husband?”

  Meredith frowned. “Because of the way he treated her.”

  “Okay, but why would she try to frame you?” Chris asked.

  “I don’t think she would. I don’t think she’s a killer, although I have to wonder why her son, Jimmy, is like he is. He’s a real piece of work.”

  “He’s probably trying to emulate his grandfather and keep the mob connection going. He was born into the mob and wants to keep the bad boy lifestyle alive. At least, that’s one idea,” I said.

  Meredith looked thoughtful. “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised at Sophia’s attitude. I never thought she’d take over the family.” She sighed. “I guess you do what you feel like you have to do. She must have stepped into Tony’s shoes before anyone else had a chance.”

  Chris started to pace. “We don’t know if it was Jimmy who shot at your house. I think you should come sleep at our place for the rest of the morning. A detective is coming to talk to us – “

  “No.”

  “But – “

  “No buts. I’m staying home. I’m not going to let some gangster wannabe scare me off. I’ll just get out my gun and keep it handy.”

  Chris kept pacing. “Pamela, I’m staying here with Meredith. Why don’t you head on home and get some sleep?”

  “No,” I said.

  “What is this? Can’t anyone agree to do what I say?” Chris looked about as frustrated as I’ve ever seen him.

  “I don’t want to be home alone,” I said. It was the best reason I could think of to stop an argument before it started.

  “You’d rather be here with us where you might be bumped off?”

  “Yes.”

  I turned to Meredith. “And don’t get out your gun. I don’t want you shooting one of us by accident.”

  “But…”

  “Like you said, no buts.”

  Before things could spiral out of control, there was a knock at the front door. The police were back.