“Wow! I think Tink would want to be married in a church,” DeeDee said optimistically. She’d never discussed Tink’s wedding preferences with her, as her daughter didn’t have a serious boyfriend, but DeeDee hoped when she was ready to get married, it would be in a church.
By the time they’d discussed Francesca’s recommendations for caterers, wedding stationery, florists, bridal limousines, bridal gowns, and wedding favors, their entrees had been cleared and they were waiting for dessert.
“I guess we need to talk about your fee,” DeeDee said. “Can you give me an estimate of what the total amount is likely to be?”
Francesca shrugged. “It depends what decisions are made about the arrangements. Obviously, the more I’m personally involved, the higher the cost. Since you were referred by Roz, I guess I can give you a small discount. The fee for her wedding was on the high side, but we can discuss a range once you give me a better idea of what Tink wants.”
“I see,” DeeDee said. The waiter brought their dessert, and DeeDee waited until he had left before continuing. She observed Francesca closely as she spoke. “You really did a beautiful job on Roz’s wedding, so we’re very interested in hiring you. Of course, it’s such a tragedy that Clark’s uncle was murdered. That’s caused a lot of distress for everyone.”
Francesca shifted uneasily in her seat. “It certainly has. The final account for The Catch restaurant still has to be settled, so I imagine they’re not too happy. I’m probably out of pocket for the remainder of my fee, and now Clark won’t get his inheritance, because he’ll be going to prison. That pretty much sucks all round, I’d say.”
“Excuse me?” DeeDee was taken aback by Francesca’s response. Seeing her companion’s reaction, Francesca started to backtrack.
“I mean, of course it’s terrible for poor Roz. I do feel sorry for her, because her life is pretty much over. I guess she’ll be spending her weekends visiting Clark in prison. It’s just too bad, but you never know about people, do you? Sometimes it’s the ones you least expect.”
DeeDee pressed her. “Do you really think Clark did it? I mean, I’ve had doubts about him myself, but I never wanted to say anything to Roz. I’m kicking myself now, because it’s too late. Maybe I could have saved her a lot of heartbreak if only I’d spoken up sooner.”
“That’s too bad,” Francesca said. “Of course, I couldn’t say if it was Clark or not. I never would have thought of him as a murderer. Maybe it was somebody else, but I was in and out of all of the rooms, making sure everything was going as scheduled. I certainly didn’t have time to notice if someone wasn’t at their seat. They could have been in the bathroom or outside smoking.”
“Hmm, of course,” DeeDee said, still closely watching Francesca. The woman was avoiding making eye contact, and she started stuffing her notebook and phone in a large canvas tote. Either DeeDee’s gaze was making Francesca uncomfortable, or something else was.
“Actually, I have another appointment. Here’s some money for my half of the check,” Francesca said, throwing some bills on the table. She got up abruptly, startling Balto who was dozing at DeeDee’s feet. “Please call if you’d like me to meet with you and your daughter, or if you have any questions.”
As Francesca turned to leave, a sheen of perspiration on her upper lip was clearly visible, even though it was quite cool on the patio.
“I think she knows more than she’s saying,” DeeDee whispered to Balto, who was sniffing around for any crumbs that might have been dropped. She looked down at the money on the table. “A measly ten dollars? I’ll be interested to see what the others make of this when I tell them about it.”
CHAPTER 18
By the time DeeDee arrived at the Starbucks in Pioneer Square, the others had already arrived. She’d spent a little time after lunch shopping for holiday gifts, and had picked up a few things for Mitch and Tink that they’d been dropping hints about. Her children were very adult in all other areas of their lives, but when it came to birthdays and the holidays, they reverted back to their childlike selves.
She’d been hoping to buy something for Jake as well, but had come away with nothing. The minefield of present buying for a boyfriend of six months was a dilemma that was new to her at the ripe old age of forty-nine-and-three-quarters. She didn’t want to spend too much or too little, especially since Jake had just told her that he loved her. On that front, she was kicking herself for not telling him that the feeling was mutual.
Jake’s eyes lit up when he saw DeeDee, and she headed for the empty chair beside him. The others were gathered around two wooden tables they’d pushed together. Starbucks was buzzing with people on the holiday countdown, and festive Christmas music was playing. If it weren’t for the somber faces of their assembled group, they could have been mistaken for a bunch of friends just meeting to catch up on the news of what was happening in their lives.
Al was dressed from head to toe in black, accessorized with his signature sunglasses. Roz wore no makeup and looked pale and drawn, and the usually immaculately dressed Clark was unkempt and clearly hadn’t shaved. Despite his poker face, DeeDee could tell that Jake was tired and worried. Dressed for the cold December weather, DeeDee peeled off her coat, hat, and scarf before sitting down next to Jake and savoring the warmth of the steaming cappuccino he silently handed her.
“I talked to Sean Meade,” Jake said, “ and he told me he left the wedding early.” Turning to Clark, he went on, “Sean admitted he had some issues with your promotion at work, and he was guilty of having bad feelings about you before your wedding. He said he’s going through a divorce right now, so your happiness wasn’t making him feel very good.”
Clark nodded, and made no comment.
“Sean’s been seeing a neighbor of his when he’s home, a woman named Monica,” Jake continued. “Monica was there when I visited him, and she confirmed Sean was with her from around 9:30 p.m. Saturday on. That was too early for him to have killed Vinny.”
“Yeah,” Al agreed. “I was with Vinny until 11:30 p.m. Looks like Sean couldn’t have done it.”
“Yep,” Jake said. “I also spoke with Ted Brownsdale by telephone this morning. He said Sean was one of the best employees he had, and the whole thing had been a huge misunderstanding. Apparently, Sean is next in line for a promotion, but he didn’t receive the message. Ted said he felt really sorry it had caused problems for Sean.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t Sean,” Clark said flatly. “We used to be good friends. I feel bad for not having been more sensitive to his personal situation. Hopefully, we can get our friendship back on track. If I’m not in prison, that is.”
“You ain’t goin’ in the slammer,” Al said in a gruff voice. “So quit that loser kinda talk, will ya’?”
Jake coughed, commanding the attention of the group again. “The thing is,” he said, “I talked to my contact at the Seattle Police Department. Sorry to say this, but he did confirm that the police are trying to build a case against Clark, based on the fact that he was the heir, and so many people had heard Vinny say that.”
“See?” Clark said. “I’m going down for something I didn’t do. Roz, I’ll understand if you want to divorce me. I can’t expect you to waste your best years standing by a convict.” He buried his head in his hands, and DeeDee saw that he was trembling.
“Shh,” Roz said, her eyes glistening. She put her hand on his back, and Clark straightened up. “You’re not going anywhere, and neither am I. So just listen until we’re done, okay?”
Jake looked at Al. “My contact told me there were rumors over the years that Vinny had been involved in some illegal things, but they never could find anything. He said he knew one of the members of the force, John Denton, had been doing some work on it, but so far he hadn’t gotten anywhere. That’s the cop you were looking into, right?”
Al nodded. “Yeah. Denton’s been snoopin’ around tryin’ to get dirt on Vinny for a while. Thing is, I went to Denton’s house. His neighbor told me John’s wife
had a baby girl Saturday night, and John was with her at the hospital. No way he coulda done it.”
Roz frowned at DeeDee.
“Somethin’ else,” Al said. “Vinny’s lawyer, Dom Langello, made Vinny put a contingency clause in his will. If Clark ever gets convicted of any felony, he won’t inherit a dime, it all goes to Cecil Larkin instead. I also got to talkin’ with a woman who knows Cecil’s wife Theresa. She tol’ me Theresa’d been tellin’ her ‘bout the weddin’. When I spoke to the guy Theresa was sittin’ next to at the reception, he goes and tells me Theresa had a gun in her purse.”
There was a long pause in the conversation while everyone digested that information. DeeDee gave Roz what she hoped was a reassuring smile.
“Jake, did yer’ guy at the Police Department mention what kind of a gun was used?” Al asked him.
“It was a large caliber gun, not a .22, so Theresa’s gun couldn’t have killed Vinny,” Jake confirmed. “DeeDee, how did you get along with Francesca earlier?”
All eyes were on DeeDee. “I think,” DeeDee began, “that Francesca’s hiding something. She was very unsympathetic about Clark’s situation. Roz, I hate to tell you this, but she seemed to be gloating about everything that’s happened and how it could negatively affect your life. When I tried to press her on it, she got up and left in a hurry. I know it’s sunny today in Seattle for a change, but it’s still cold out there. We were sitting outside on the patio, but Francesca’s face was wet with perspiration.”
It was Clark’s turn to reach across to comfort Roz. “What do you think we should do?” he said.
Jake spoke up. “Rob and I can look into Francesca in the morning and see what we can find out. Does that sound okay with you, Al?”
Al nodded. “Sure.” He raised his sunglasses and looked at each of them in turn. “Ima have to go. Gotta coupla appointments. Be seein’ ya.”
Balto looked up as Al was leaving, and DeeDee watched him pad along behind Al to the door. The big man crouched down and spoke to Balto, ruffling his fur, before Balto turned and came back to their group. Al left without a backward glance, pulling his phone out of his coat pocket as he strode out the door.
*****
Back at Clark’s condominium, DeeDee and Roz were clearing up after dinner, while Jake and Balto sat with Clark. Jake was trying his best to be upbeat, but Clark’s mood was draining. Balto was being playful, and the dog was a welcome diversion from the elephant in the room.
“What kind of a dog are you thinking of getting?” Jake asked, giving Balto his rabbit toy and commanding him to sit.
Clark leaned in to Jake. “I wasn’t that crazy about the idea at first, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s not such a bad idea. You know…in case Roz is by herself. I’d like to be sure she’s safe if I’m not around for a while. A long while.”
Jake regarded Clark. “I know you’re worried, but you have to stay positive for Roz’s sake, if not your own. Even if the worst were to happen, and you get charged, that’s not saying you’d ever be convicted. You were with John when Vinny left the restaurant, and you didn’t go outside after that until you were leaving with Roz, right?”
Clark hesitated for some time and then said in a halting voice, “There’s something I haven’t told you. After a couple of minutes, I followed Uncle Vinny outside, but I couldn’t find him, so I came back inside.”
“You’re just telling me this now? Your whereabouts until the time of Vinny’s death will be confirmed through witnesses and hopefully, camera footage, although I’m hoping the camera didn’t pick you up going outside. Even so, my guess is, should this case go to trial, it will get thrown out of court.”
“I didn’t think it was important,” Clark said but Jake held his hand to stop Clark from speaking further. Jake glanced at his phone which had started to buzz. Jake hurried out of the room into the hallway, making sure to pull the door closed behind him.
“Don’t say nothin’—jes’ listen,” Al said at the other end of the line. “I know who killed Vinny. I want ya’ to go to the address I’m about to give ya’. The door’ll be open. Jes’ go on in. Got it?”
“Yes,” Jake said. “Shoot.” He’d just finished tapping the address Al had given him onto his phone when the door from the kitchen opened and DeeDee’s head appeared.
“Everything alright, Jake?”
Jake smiled. “I think so, but I have to go out for a while. Tell the others not to worry, I have a feeling things are about to take a turn for the better.” He lifted his coat off the rack. “It’s nothing bad, I promise. Come here.” Holding DeeDee close, he could feel the tension in her body. Later, when he got back, he’d make a special effort to rub the knots out of her shoulders.
“Stay safe,” she whispered, kissing him as he left.
In the car, he removed the small jewelry box from his coat pocket containing the gift he’d bought at the Lisa Esztergalyos store earlier in the day, and placed it in the glove compartment. It wasn’t the most expensive jeweler in Seattle, but the quaint store had exquisite and unusual pieces in the quirky style that DeeDee adored. The vintage diamond eternity ring was a one-of-a-kind piece that Jake hoped would signify his commitment to DeeDee, until they were both ready to take the next step. He didn’t want to scare her off, but that hadn’t stopped him from planning another surprise, for New Year’s Eve, one that he hoped she would love.
Pulling up at the address Al had given him, there was no sign of either the black sedan or Al. Walking up to the front door of the nondescript house, he looked around to make sure no one was watching him and gave the door a slight push.
Sensing something was amiss, he pulled his gun from its holster and walked slowly down the short hallway in the direction of a door with a glimmer of light shining from under it, his gun leading his way. There was no sound other than his quiet tread on the worn carpet. Pushing the door open with his pistol, the sight of Francesca’s body caused him to freeze. She was sitting upright in a chair at the dining table, her hands tied behind her back. Her body was lifeless, caused by the bullet hole through her heart, from which a pool of dark blood oozed onto her clothing.
Walking into the room, Jake saw a gun laying in front of her on the table. On the wall behind her were numerous framed photographs showing Francesca holding various trophies and prizes. In one of them, Francesca was proudly holding the same gun that was now laying on the table in front of her. In the photograph, she wore a gold medal around her neck and a sash that declared her “Sharpshooter of the Year.”
Putting his gun back in his holster, Jake reached into his pocket and pulled on the protective gloves he always carried, before lifting the first of the two sheets of paper on the table. It was handwritten and was a short confession to the murder of Vinny Santora, evidently penned and signed by Francesca Murphy. The second piece of paper, written in spidery capitals, was addressed to him.
Jake
Francesca Murphy murdered Vinny. Have the police compare her handwriting to the writing of the confession. They’ll match. She admitted to me she’d murdered Vinny and used the gun that’s on the table. It’ll match the gun that killed Vinny. By the time you read this I’ll be gone. I’d like to know what happens. Please write me and tell me when it’s over. The address where you can reach me is below as well as a telephone number if you ever need to reach me.
In the world Vinny and I grew up in, ‘omerta’ is a way of life. I have avenged the murder of my friend Vinny Santora.
Wishing you all the best
Al
CHAPTER 19
A relaxed and suntanned Al walked out of his beachside villa in his bare feet holding the US postmarked letter in his hand. Although his daily wardrobe of black had been replaced with army green cargo shorts and a white polo shirt, his ever present sunglasses were still firmly in place. Settling onto the chaise longue, he whistled to his faithful new friend, Red, a handsome Doberman pinscher he’d bought the week before, who trotted across the deck to lie down beside him. Lighting a
cigar and drawing a puff, Al looked out at the sparkling blue vista of the Caribbean, contemplating his daily grind of R & R. It had been an interesting couple of weeks. He was enjoying his villa, had a new dog and a new life, one that despite some initial reservations, he found he was beginning to enjoy.
He slit the letter open with the army knife he kept on the table next to the chaise, right beside his revolver. It may have been paradise, and he was in a gate-guarded community, but he knew if someone wanted to get to him they could. The revolver was a comforting reminder of his old way of life.
Sipping his Tortuga rum drink, he opened the letter and started to read.
Dear Al,
I hope this finds you well. I’m writing to thank you. While everything you did goes against what I believe in, I want you to know I understand why you did it. And who knows? It’s hard for me to admit, but if I had been in your position, I might have done the same.
You not only avenged the life of your friend, Vinny Santora, you also freed his nephew. The case was wrapped up with the death of Francesca Murphy. You were correct that Vinny’s death was attributed to her, based on the forensic handwriting analysis and examination of the gun used. I know that you would not have stopped your quest for justice until the real killer was found, and I admire and respect your unwavering loyalty to Vinny and Clark.
After the last few days, things here are getting back to normal. Christmas is almost here, and Roz and Clark went on a belated honeymoon. They’ll be back in Whistler in a few more days. Clark’s project there is ending soon, and I understand from Clark that there won’t be any problems with the distribution of Vinny’s estate. When they return from Whistler, they’ll move into the house Vinny bought for them on Queen Anne Hill.
DeeDee’s catering business is doing really well. She’s sorry she didn’t have a chance to get to know Vinny, because she thinks she really would have liked him. On the other hand, I have to admit I think it’s better they didn’t have the opportunity. I confess to suspecting Vinny may have liked DeeDee a little too much.
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