by J. D. Griffo
“As intriguing as that prospect sounds, Freddy, I think we’ll need to get to Texas on our own,” Alberta stated. “Owen is somehow mixed up in this whole thing. He’s connected to Scarface.”
“A clock from his store was being sent to Inez, for some unknown reason,” Helen added.
“Also too, he knows the brother,” Joyce finished.
“Teri Jo’s brother, Dominic?” Sloan asked. “How does Owen know him?”
Joyce explained that now that she was embarking on a third career solving crime, she thought it best to brush up on some skills that could come in handy while investigating. Since they were firmly ensconced within the digital age, she thought it wise to learn some hacking skills. Nothing terribly illegal—or at least no skills that she would use for illegal purposes, like stealing someone’s online identity or private information for fraudulent use. Just illegal in the way of acquiring data and intel by less than above-board means.
“You astonish me, Aunt Joyce,” Jinx said, her voice filled with admiration. “No wonder you were such a Wall Street success story.”
“I learned early on, Jinx, that you have to keep learning to keep winning,” Joyce said.
“So what have you learned?” Helen asked. “And if I wind up sharing a prison cell with you, I call the bottom bunk. I’m a little afraid of heights.”
“I got into the flight schedules for the Rusk County Airport and was able to see the manifests of each plane that landed there within the past three months,” Joyce announced.
“That’s completely classified information,” Sloan declared.
“I know!” Joyce squealed.
“When information is labeled classified, it means it isn’t for public knowledge,” he pressed.
“Do not steal her joy, Sloan,” Alberta admonished. “It’s all for a good cause. Continue on, Joyce.”
“Thanks, Berta,” Joyce said. “It looks like Owen’s private plane has made several trips from Henderson that coincide with the dates of the month you said Dominic flew from Texas: the second and the seventeenth.”
“Owen knows Dominic!” Jinx cried. “This means he’s not just in the thick of things, he might be thick himself.” Before anyone could question Jinx, she did it for them. “I know that doesn’t make any sense, but you know what I mean.”
“It means we have to get to Henderson, Texas, in two days, on the seventeenth, and figure out how to connect with Dominic without Owen getting suspicious,” Alberta said. “I’ll buy us all first-class tickets when I get home tonight.”
“I’ve already taken care of that,” Joyce announced.
“What’s this? The rich trying to outdo the richer?” Helen asked.
“Joyce, you didn’t have to do that. You know I have enough money thanks to my inheritance from Aunt Carmela, God rest her soul, to buy us all tickets,” Alberta said.
“I didn’t spend a dime,” Joyce announced.
“Which is how the rich get richer,” Helen declared, raising her glass of wine.
“Remember my old colleague, Mr. Hurwitz? He passed away, but I’m still friends with his daughter Alison,” Joyce explained. “After he died I did a painting of his favorite tree, this huge weeping willow in his backyard, and gave it to Alison. She was so touched she said if I ever needed anything to contact her. So I did, and she’s loaning us her family’s private plane to fly to Texas.”
“Toccare il cielo con un dito,” Alberta said. “Remember that, Helen? Daddy used to push us in the swing in the park and tell us to do that. Touch the sky with your finger.”
Smiling at the memory, Helen replied, “The crazy things we remember from childhood.”
“I hope you remember something else from childhood,” Sloan said.
“I’m almost afraid to ask what that could be,” Alberta replied.
“The story of Icarus,” Sloan said. “The boy who flew too close to the sun and fell to his death.”
“Your boyfriend’s a regular Don Rickles, Berta,” Helen snapped.
“He’s right, Aunt Helen,” Jinx said. “We need to be careful. I have a feeling things are going to heat up in Texas, and if we’re not careful we might be the ones who get burned.”
CHAPTER 13
Morto che cammina.
Flying in a private plane was yet one more thing Alberta Ferrara Scaglione never thought she would do. It was now one more thing she could check off of her bucket list. Ironically, even though she, along with Jinx, Helen, and Joyce were 41,000 feet in the air, she felt like she was sitting around her kitchen table back in Tranquility.
The layout of the Bombardier Learjet was remarkably similar to Alberta’s kitchen. The main cabin consisted of a lacquered mahogany round table with four cushioned buttercream chairs that were made of an impossibly comfortable soft leather, situated on sliding tracks so they could be positioned away from the table and next to the windows for landing and takeoff.
Behind this section was a love seat in the same color and material as the chairs, which faced a small working kitchen complete with a refrigerator, a sink, and a fully stocked bar. Alberta felt right at home.
Jinx surprised them all by bringing along a pitcher of her now famous Red Herrings, and Helen brought some Entenmann’s pastries, which were strewn about around the table. Helen played a game of solitaire with her pocketbook resting in her lap, and they truly looked like they were back in New Jersey instead of cruising at 600 mph over western Tennessee. Alberta, Jinx, and Helen were in awe of the surroundings and the latest adventure they were undertaking in a series of long adventures. The only one who seemed unfazed by the luxury and otherworldliness of the private jet was Joyce.
“Fess up, Joyce,” Alberta said. “You’ve flown on one of these things before, haven’t you?”
“I cannot tell a lie, Berta,” Joyce replied. “During my working-girl days I did fly on a few of these things. Once I had to go to London with my team. That was a hoot!”
“You never told us that,” Alberta said.
“It was a top secret trip, Berta,” Joyce replied. “Had I told you, I would’ve had to kill you.”
“That is insane, Aunt Joyce!” Jinx squealed. “To think that my aunt has flown around the world in the lap of luxury.”
“It is quite a perk, but it’s not as uncommon as you think,” Joyce admitted.
“Says the rich lady to my right,” Helen quipped. “Not to be confused with the rich lady to my left.”
Alberta looked around the room and realized Helen was talking about her. “Hey, I’m sitting on your left.”
“And you’re rich, live with it,” Helen said.
“There’s nothing wrong with being rich,” Joyce stated. “The men who owned the planes I flew in were part of a group. They all chipped in to buy a plane that they shared. Believe it or not, it was less expensive than booking last-minute first-class flights whenever they had to attend a meeting in some far-flung country. They were rich, but also economical.”
“I can’t believe it looks like a regular house up here,” Alberta commented. “I mean, the fixtures and materials are more luxurious, but take away the wings and the cockpit and it reminds me of home.”
“That’s how Mr. Hurwitz designed it,” Joyce said. “He wanted this to be a home away from home for all who traveled with him.”
“The way it should be,” Alberta concurred.
“You are a rock star, Aunt Joyce.”
“There really is no place like home,” Helen said. “But a private luxury jet sure comes in as a close second.”
“Yes, it does,” Joyce agreed.
“Here’s to the Fancy Ferrara,” Helen said, her glass of Red Herring high overhead. “Long may she reign.”
Four crystal glasses clinked, symbolically linking the four women. They didn’t need such a gesture to unite them, but it was always important to reaffirm a bond. When they landed in Henderson, Texas, they set out to reaffirm another—the bond they had made with Teri Jo when they agreed to uncover who killed her.
* *
*
The Rusk County Airport was a one-building facility that catered to small, privately owned planes and the aviation community. To Helen, it was a graveyard.
“Morto che cammina!” Helen screamed.
When they saw who Helen was pointing at, they understood her reaction. Standing five feet in front of them was a man who looked exactly like Teri Jo.
“He might be dead woman walking,” Alberta corrected.
“Or dead woman’s ghost walking,” Joyce added.
“Whatever you call it, the dead has come alive,” Jinx gasped. “He looks exactly like Teri Jo!”
“You have got to be Dominic Rizzoli,” Alberta said.
“And you’re Alberta Scaglione,” the man replied.
It was then that the women realized introductions weren’t necessary. Dominic wasn’t surprised by the women because he already knew who they were. They stood for a moment outside the airport terminal, the loud whirl of a propeller filling the silence from somewhere in the distance, and were amazed at how familiar he looked. Despite their gender, Dominic and Teri Jo shared the same facial structure, body size, and even haircut. It was uncanny that they both had an androgynous look to them that was completely natural and not artificially induced.
“You’re not just brother and sister,” Helen remarked. “You’re twins.”
“The resemblance always freaked people out,” Dominic said. “Theresa and I sometimes wore each other’s clothes to see if we could fool people, relatives too. Most of the time we did.”
Even their voices sounded alike. The only difference was that Dominic held on to a slight Brooklyn accent that Teri Jo must have worked hard to lose. They wondered if she had to work hard to lose her relationship with her brother, or if that came naturally as well.
“Why haven’t you come forward to claim your sister’s body?” Helen asked, getting right to the point.
Thrown by the direct questioning, Dominic inhaled quickly and his expression changed. The jovial spirit gave way to a somber stare.
“And why were you lurking in my sister’s backyard?” Helen asked. “You’re the ghost I saw snooping around.”
Dominic took another deep breath and finally regained control of his voice. “That was me, and I was the one who threw the sundial into your house. I’m sorry if I scared you, I was only trying to get your attention.”
“You couldn’t just ring the front doorbell?” Alberta asked.
“I don’t know who I can trust anymore,” Dominic revealed. “I thought the sundial would help you make the connection to the clock shop.”
“We have made that connection,” Jinx relayed. “But we don’t know what the connection really is.”
“Or why you’ve abandoned your sister,” Helen added. “Teri Jo said the two of you were close.”
An engine roared as a plane behind them took off, the blaring sound making it impossible to hear a word anyone spoke, so it gave Dominic a few seconds to stop his body from shaking and to wipe away the tears that streamed down his face.
“It’s very complicated,” he said, his voice suffocating with emotion. “I loved my sister, but I knew this would happen someday.”
“You knew she’d be murdered?” Alberta asked.
“It’s in our family’s blood,” Dominic replied. “She tried to escape it, we both did, but you can’t hide out that long before fate catches up with you.”
“You believe it was Teri Jo’s fate that she’d be murdered?” Jinx asked.
“If only I had gotten there sooner,” Dominic said.
“Gotten where?” Alberta asked.
“It would’ve been me,” Dominic replied. “But . . .”
Dominic was fighting back tears and had to stop talking to pull himself together. The women understood he was upset, but they couldn’t allow his emotional state to cost them what might be their only opportunity to question him. They barraged him with more questions about how Owen and the clock shop figured into the mystery, why Teri Jo ran away and changed her name, and why the Rizzolis seemed to abandon one of their own. Dominic looked bewildered, like a little boy facing an angry mob, and even if he could respond and answer each one of their questions fully and without leaving out any details, he didn’t have the time.
“Rizzoli! Get over here now! We’re already thirty minutes late.”
The voice came from behind them, and when the women turned around to see who the voice was attached to, all they saw was a man disappear into a plane that was a bit smaller than the one they had traveled in.
“That’s my client,” Dominic replied. “I’m a pilot, and I’ve got to leave.”
“Oh no you don’t!” Helen cried. “You can’t leave without giving us some answers.”
“I will, I promise,” Dominic said. “I’ll answer all your questions, and when I’ve told you everything, you’ll understand why Theresa was killed and who did it.”
“Don’t leave us hanging!” Jinx screamed. “Tell us.”
“Rizzoli! Get your ass on this plane now or you’re fired!”
The angry voice once again bellowed over the raging engine. Dominic was torn, and while he seemed loyal to his sister, his loyalty for the moment was elsewhere.
“I’m flying to Connecticut,” Dominic said, running toward the plane. “You ladies go back home and I’ll call you when I land. I promise I’ll explain everything to you tonight.”
The women protested loudly, but Dominic ran up the stairs and entered the plane. He grabbed onto a chain and yanked the small flight of stairs upward until the panel was sealed. Thirty seconds later the plane drove toward the runway and in another minute it was airborne. The women had nothing left to do but follow suit and return home, where they’d have to wait until they could see Dominic again and finally get answers that would solve this mystery.
* * *
Seven hours later, Alberta’s house phone rang and all four women sitting around the table, as well as Lola, who was being cradled in Jinx’s arms, jumped at the sound. They had been expecting a call, but were nonetheless startled.
“Hello,” Alberta said hopefully.
“It’s Dominic. I’m on my way to Tranquility.”
“Thank God!” Alberta cried. “How long do you think it’ll take you to get here?”
Alberta waited for a reply, but when none came she repeated her question. The response was silence and then a dial tone.
“He hung up,” Alberta shared.
“He said he was driving, right?” Joyce asked. “Maybe he put his phone on do not disturb so he doesn’t get distracted.”
“That makes sense, but I’d rather hear him tell me that,” Alberta said as she used the old *69 in order to call back the previous number. The call went through, but it went straight to voicemail. Instead of a personalized greeting, however, an automated voice announced that no one was available to take the call and recited the cell phone number. Alberta grabbed a pen and a notepad and jotted down the number so she’d have it to use if necessary and hung up just as the beep sounded for her to leave a message.
The same thing happened when Alberta tried to call the number at half past midnight. Once again she resisted the urge to leave a message because her detective instincts took over. She knew that the police would be able to find her home phone number listed on Dominic’s cell phone, but if she didn’t leave a message they would never know what they discussed. It wasn’t a crime to have a conversation, but she knew Vinny would not be happy if he found out she had made contact with Teri Jo’s twin brother without telling him. She would be happy to reveal everything to Vinny after she spoke with Dominic. But that encounter, for now, was put on hold.
All four women crashed at Alberta’s house, hoping to be awoken in the middle of the night by Dominic’s arrival. Unfortunately, they slept like babies until Helen woke up at 6:45 a.m.
“Berta,” Helen whispered loudly, lying next to Alberta in her bed. “Are you up?”
“I am now,” Alberta replied, her voice groggy wit
h sleep.
“He never showed,” Helen said.
Sitting up in bed, Alberta looked over at the alarm clock and saw the sun pouring through her bedroom window. Lola meowed and jumped onto the bed. She ignored Alberta’s waiting arms and scurried next to Helen, where she ran around in a few circles before cuddling next to Helen’s head.
“At least we can count on Lola never to disappoint us,” Alberta joked.
“Unlike the Rizzoli twins,” Helen said. “Looks like they’re both liars.”
Alberta could see the pain in her sister’s eyes, and she wished she could alleviate some of that pain and disagree with her, but Alberta knew Helen was right. Teri Jo had done nothing but lie ever since she came to Tranquility, so it shouldn’t come as a shock to know that her brother was a liar as well.
“Maybe he was telling us what we wanted to hear so we wouldn’t bother him any longer,” Alberta suggested. “Which doesn’t explain why he threw a sundial through my window, but obviously he had no real intention of coming to meet us and help us solve his sister’s murder.”
“Sometimes I really do question mankind,” Helen muttered while dragging her fingers through Lola’s fur. “And when that happens I get hungry. Let’s go get some breakfast.”
* * *
“Are you sure we should be here?” Jinx asked, as they pulled into the parking lot.
“Where else do you go when you have a craving for eggs Benedict?” Helen asked. “You go to the scene of the crime, so to speak.”
They entered Veronica’s Diner and were happy to see that there were several patrons seated throughout the restaurant. It wasn’t crowded by any stretch of the imagination, but in light of the recent tragedy that took place only a few feet away from the front door, it was good to see that things were slowly getting back to normal.
Veronica disagreed with that assessment.
“It’s so good to see you ladies,” Veronica said, visibly relieved to see familiar and friendly faces. “A lot of the good folks in town seem to be keeping clear of this place lately.”
“It’s only a matter of time before everyone separates what took place here from the diner itself,” Alberta said.
