Black Butterfly

by Marja McGraw

  Before things could escalate, Janet held up her hands. “We’ve got more important things to discuss here. L.A. doesn’t take kindly to the Messinas bringing their troubles here, and since someone shot a hole in your window this morning, I have to think one of them is trying to make a point. Maybe Sophia Messina believes your story, but obviously someone else doesn’t. Any idea who might have come after you?”

  Without hesitation, Gabe said, “Jimmy Messina. He wants to take over the family business when his mother kicks off some day. In the meantime, I think he still believes Meredith murdered his grandfather – vengeance is an ugly act.”

  Meredith sighed deeply. “Think about it. How could I kill Tony without anyone seeing me, lift his body into some kind of box and bury him under the casino? I may have been a healthy young woman, but I wasn’t that strong.”

  “You could have had help,” Janet suggested.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Meredith suddenly looked frightened. “Who do you think would help me hide a body?”

  “Gabriel, for one,” Janet replied.

  Gabe’s hackles shot up with a fury. “Just who do you think you are, lady? I was a cop, and a damned good one, at that.”

  He stared at Janet for a moment.

  “Doesn’t it make you just a little nervous to think you might be sitting here talking to two killers?” he asked.

  Janet visibly relaxed and chuckled. “I’m not in the least bit nervous. Believe it or not, I trust the Cross’s judgment, though heaven only knows why. My gut is telling me that I’m not sitting in the company of killers, although you’ll need to provide me with a lot more information than you have so far.”

  After more discussion and Gabe and Meredith opening up to Janet, which surprised me, Janet stood, ready to leave.

  “Just so you know, after the shooting last night, I have someone who’ll be watching your house.”

  Meredith stood, ready to walk Janet to the door. “Then I guess I’d better tell you, Sophia is coming over to visit with me soon.”

  “Thanks for letting me know. We’re keeping a close eye on them, too, but if I were you I wouldn’t mention that you’re being watched to her.”

  My neighbor smiled. “Oh, I have a feeling she’s probably already figured that out. In some respects, times haven’t changed that much.”

  Janet left, and Chris and I accompanied her back to our house. I thought she might come inside and visit for a few minutes, but she said she had a lot to think about, adding that we’d be seeing more of her over the next few days.

  I heard her cell phone ring while she was walking to her car. She stopped and answered it, talking briefly to someone. Chris and I turned to go back inside.

  “Wait,” Janet called. She headed back up the walkway.

  We waited for her.

  “That was about the vacant house next to Meredith’s place. There’s no sign that Jimmy Messina was there. It looks like it might be a squatter. We’re going to look into it further. The responding officers found footprints outside of the house, on the side where the shot came from. It looks like whoever shot out the window stood outside the vacant house when they fired.”

  “Maybe whoever it was scared off the squatter,” I said.

  “Maybe.”

  “So it could still be Jimmy,” Chris said.

  “It’s possible. My partner was going to talk to Sophia Messina, but I told him she’s more than likely on her way to Meredith’s place. I’ll wait at your house and talk to her when she gets here. I want to know if she has any idea about her grandson’s whereabouts. Let’s go inside. Got any coffee?”

  We walked inside, to the kitchen, and I was just about to pour my friend a cup of coffee when we heard car doors slamming outside. Multiple doors. Lots of chatter.

  Uh oh.

  “Pamela?” The front door opened and I heard Judith’s voice coming from the front of the house.

  “In the kitchen,” I replied.

  My mother-in-law hurried into the kitchen and plopped herself on a chair. “Hi, Janet. How are you?”

  “Good. How about you?”

  “Oh, I’m fine. Tired though. We’ve been putting a lot of hours into this case.”

  “Excuse me?” Janet sounded both surprised and suspicious. “Is that why you were at the restaurant last night?”

  Judith glanced at me. “Wasn’t I supposed to say anything?”

  “Probably not,” I said. I felt like I should change my middle name to Defeat. “I guess it doesn’t make any difference. Obviously Janet saw all of you last night. Where are the Church Ladies? I thought I heard them.”

  “They’re on their way down to Meredith’s house. We heard there was a shooting last night and decided we’d better help her again.”

  “How’d you hear about that?” Janet asked.

  “Oh, we get around.” Judith apparently decided that being vague in her answer would work best.

  “Judith,” I said, “call them back. Meredith is expecting company and I don’t want the ladies around.”

  “Is it important?” she asked.

  Janet held her hand in the air, reminding me of when I give Sherlock and Watson the Stay command.

  “It is,” she said. “Call them off.”

  “If you say so.” She stood and hurried outside. I could hear her calling the women back.

  Now why couldn’t she react that quickly when I asked her to do something?

  Janet read my mind. “I’m a cop.”

  “Where can I sign up?”

  Janet laughed and sipped her coffee. “Chris seems to have conveniently disappeared.”

  “He’s probably in the garage because he heard them coming,” I said. “It’s the closest thing to a Man Cave and a hiding place he can find around here.”

  We sat quietly for a moment, listening to Judith and the ladies talk on their way up the walkway. I found it interesting that I could hear them, even with the front door closed.

  “Before they get here, there’s something I want to mention to you, Janet. I heard something odd last night and – “

  “Tell me later. Here they come.”

  I started a new pot of coffee, knowing I didn’t have enough left for everyone.

  The women filed into the kitchen, one by one.

  Pulling coffee mugs out of the cupboard, I thought about the remark I’d heard Gabe make, although I’d only heard part of it. He’d said something about a body being left in the desert. Whose body, what desert and when? A dead body? Nothing else made sense. Could it have been Tony Messina’s corpse? How would Gabe even know about it?

  “Pamela?” Jasmine sounded annoyed. “Are you even listening to us? Your mind is a thousand miles away, isn’t it?”

  “Oh, sorry, Jasmine. What do you want?”

  “We want to know why we can’t go guard Meredith. Who’s so important that we can’t stand in front of her house? Janet won’t tell us.”

  “If she won’t tell you, then I won’t either.”

  “It’s that Sophia woman she met with last night, isn’t it?” Lila could be pretty perceptive sometimes.

  “Who else would be such a big deal?” May asked.

  “Are her grandsons coming with her?” Judith asked.

  “Maybe we should say a prayer,” Addie suggested.

  Janet stood and looked around the kitchen at the women. “Maybe that would be a good idea. I have to go out to my car.”

  She left the kitchen and I couldn’t help wondering if she was actually going to join Chris in the garage.

  Yep.

  I peeked out the window and saw her heading up the driveway.

  I heard murmuring behind me and lowered my head, joining in the prayer. The women were asking for safety for all involved, and asking that Janet would find the answers she needed.

  There was an Amen and heads popped up and everyone was ready for coffee.

  I couldn’t help but smile. In the face of possible danger, these women were as joyous as the bir
ds in springtime.

  Still standing by the window over the sink, I saw Janet and Chris walk down the driveway with their heads together. I suspected they were going to casually stand in the driveway and watch for the Messinas. At least, that’s what I’d do.

  I turned to my friends. “Ladies? It’s time to let Janet do her job without our interference. I think we’ve done all we can.”

  Judith raised her eyebrows. “You’d think, wouldn’t you? But I have a feeling we’re not out of this yet.”

  “Judith…” My tone was one of warning and caution.

  “Don’t Judith me,” she said. “We started this and we’re going to finish it.”

  She looked at the Church Ladies. “Are you with us?”

  “Us?” I asked. “There’s no us. Meredith asked for help and we’ve done all we can. Last night someone took a shot at her house. It’s time to back off. I don’t want to see one of you get in the way and… I’m just thinking of your safety.”

  “Doesn’t someone have to figure out who killed Tony Messina?” Jasmine asked.

  “And why someone is after Meredith?” Judith added.

  “What about Gabe and Meredith?” May asked. “Are they a couple now?”

  “Have they patched things up?” Lila asked. “I’d like to see her as happy as I am since I met Nate.”

  Before I could even begin to think about all their questions, the women started talking over each other.

  “Wait a minute!” I said. “Janet is in charge now. Period. You can ask all the questions you want to, but it’s no longer our business.”

  Jasmine spoke up. “But we want – “

  “It doesn’t matter what you want.” Chris stood in the doorway. “We’ve got to deep six this whole thing. I’m sorry I ever asked you women to get involved. If I’d of known a goon with a gat would show up, I would have dummied up right from the beginning.”

  “Now, Junior, you couldn’t have known a gangster would show up with a gun. And you couldn’t have known Meredith was being set up to take the fall for murdering people.”

  “Don’t call me Junior. I should have known right from the beginning that there was more to this than I imagined, but I was just goofy enough to close my peepers to some of the facts that were right in front of me.”

  “Now, sweetie,” I said, “don’t get in a tizzy about this. You’re no goofier than I am. I didn’t see the whole picture, either. By the way, where’s Janet?”

  “The Godmother just arrived. She took off like a shot.”

  Before we could stop them, Judith and the Church Ladies stood and hurried out of the house.

  “Here we go.”

  Chris and I hurried after them.

  Chapter Thirty-four

  I had to give credit where credit was due. By the time Chris and I walked down to Meredith’s house, the ladies were already lined up in front of the house, feet apart and arms crossed.

  Tony Messina, the grandson, stood on the porch, feet apart and arms crossed, staring at the women in bewilderment. I could see his lips moving and wondered if he, too, was praying.

  The thought made me laugh. All heads turned in my direction.

  “What?” Chris asked.

  “Nothing. I just had a funny thought.”

  I stood in front of the women and waved to Tony, motioning for him to join us.

  Call me surprised when he did, never saying a word.

  “Tony, I want you to meet my mother-in-law and the Church Ladies.” I pointed at each of the women in turn. “This is Judith, Jasmine, Lila, May and Addie. They’re here to protect Meredith.”

  I thought I detected just a hint of a smile on Tony’s face, but it disappeared so fast that I couldn’t be sure.

  He nodded at them but didn’t utter a word before returning to his post on the porch where he once again spread his feet apart. This time he didn’t cross his arms, but let them hang loose at his sides. I noticed him shaking his hands every so often as though trying to loosen up and relax.

  Good luck with that, I thought.

  Chris’s cell phone rang and he walked away to talk.

  I turned to the ladies. “You realize, don’t you, that someone could drive down this street and pick you off one by one.”

  Judith scoffed. “Nah, that only happens in the movies.”

  “Besides, we’ve got Tony for backup,” Jasmine added.

  “And Janet’s in the house,” Lila said.

  May and Addie nodded.

  Would nothing scare these women into leaving?

  Chris walked back, grinning. “You’re not going to believe this.”

  All heads turned his way.

  “I just had a call from a news station. They want to do a story about Bogey Nights and our lookalike employees, and the customers who dress the part. They’re planning on setting up tomorrow night.”

  Of course, questions on the front line came from all directions.

  Chris held up his hands. “Hold your horses. Here’s the deal. I want you all to go home and get out your best forties glad rags. You’re all invited. And I’m going to call the band and set things up, so you’ll be singing tomorrow, Lila.”

  “Oh, dear,” she said. “In front of cameras? I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “Sure you can,” I said. “Just don’t look at them. Sing to the audience.”

  “Weeell, maybe…”

  “You can do it.” Chris grinned at her. “This might be your fifteen minutes of fame.”

  He turned to his mother. “Ma, you can sing, too. Maybe you and Lila should practice.”

  “Don’t call me Ma… Oh, what the heck. We’ll do it.”

  She grabbed Lila’s hand and pulled her toward our house.

  After a quick glance at Tony, assuring themselves that Meredith would be protected, the other women jabbered and followed behind, talking about what they’d be wearing and how they’d do their hair.

  I glanced up and saw Tony heading our way.

  “How’d you do that?” he asked. “I thought they’d never leave.”

  “Chris,” I said, “you didn’t…”

  He grinned. “I know a guy who knows a guy. It wasn’t difficult. They liked the idea.”

  “What’d you do?” Tony asked.

  Chris kept smiling. “They’re all going to be on TV and it’ll take them at least a day to get ready. You know what women are like.”

  Tony walked back to the porch, shaking his head.

  Men seemed to think they understood us. Ha! Not even in their dreams.

  Janet and Gabe walked out of the house and met us at the sidewalk.

  Gabe leaned on his cane. “Sammy’s on his way to pick me up. I’ll wait out here.”

  Janet was frowning and began walking toward her car.

  We walked with her.

  “Did you learn anything?” Curious minds, mine in particular, wanted to know.

  “No one seems to know the whereabouts of Jimmy or Frankie. Sophia thinks they might be heading back to Las Vegas, but I don’t think so. I don’t trust these people. We’re short-handed, but I’m going to make sure that one way or another, someone is always watching Meredith. I can’t do it myself because I’ll be watching the two remaining Messinas.”

  I laughed. “I could call the Church Ladies back.”

  Janet didn’t see the humor. “No. Where’d they go, anyway?”

  Chris explained the plan he’d set in motion.

  “Oh, great. If the Messinas are there… We’ll have to be careful. I don’t want any of our detectives on camera, myself included.”

  “What happened between Sophia and Meredith?” I asked.

  “Now that I’m gone, they’re probably talking about old times.” Janet opened her car door. “I hope I don’t have to put in an appearance tomorrow night.”

  She climbed in her car and Chris closed the door.

  “I’ll make sure there are a few tables behind the cameras so you won’t be filmed,” Chris said.

  Ja
net nodded and left.

  “Tomorrow night could turn out to be a pretty interesting evening.” I took hold of Chris’s hand.

  “Yeah.” He didn’t look happy.

  “Are you having second thoughts about setting this up?”

  He squeezed my hand. “Not really. I just figured it was a good way to distract my mother and the ladies. I didn’t think about the possible ramifications. Maybe we can make sure that none of the players in this little drama show up.”

  “I don’t think you’ll have that much control over things, and I’m assuming you mean Meredith, the Rizzos and the Messinas. Keeping all of them away will be a tall order. It seems like they’ve decided the restaurant is a good meeting place.”

  “Which is exactly why I told Tony about a reporter being there. They won’t want to be on the news any more than Janet and her crew.” Chris sounded quite pleased with himself.

  Inside our house we found Judith and Lila singing a cappella. May and Addie were sitting on the couch, listening.

  Jasmine was in the kitchen talking on the phone.

  I sat down on the couch next to Addie. “Who’s Jasmine talking to?”

  “She called the band to set up a practice session with Lila and Judith this evening.”

  “Ah.” At least that told me the women would be busy with things other than watching Meredith.

  Jasmine hung up and joined us in the living room, turning to Lila and Judith. “Scott said to meet him at his house in an hour. You’ll practice there and again at the restaurant for your regular, uh, shtick? Is that the word?”

  “I think the word is gig,” Chris said.

  Judith and Lila stopped singing.

  “What?” Lila asked. Since she’d been singing, she hadn’t heard what Jasmine said.

  “Scott said we should meet him at his house in an hour for practice. He’s pretty jazzed about being on the evening news.”

  The women picked up their purses and waved as they left.

  Chris plopped himself on the couch. “Now, if we can just get through tonight without any more disasters.”

  “As far as I know, none of the Messinas or any of the rest will show up. Sammy might come in because of Gloria. That reminds me, Gloria is going to trade shifts with Donna so she can take Saturday night off. She has a date with Sammy.”