'Miriam, I'm so glad to hear from you,' I said. 'The kids are at school but the rest of us are here, why?'
'We need to talk. I know you've seen the paper. I'll be there in a few hours. I'll bring Tasha, Rebecca and Raj with me, too. Is that okay?'
'Really?' I said.
'Yes,' she said. 'Is that okay?'
'Of course. I can't wait to see you,' I said. 'I think I'm still in a little bit of shock reading the developments in the newspaper.'
'I've got to keep this call brief, Lyla. We are leaving now so I'll see you soon. Love to everyone!' Miriam said.
I hung up the receiver and picked up the paper again. I wanted to read the headline once more:
'Carbinicci Syndicate Smashed!'
Phoebe and Alex joined me.
'Who was on the phone, Mom?' Phoebe asked.
'Miriam,' I said, 'She will be here in a few hours with Tasha, Rebecca and Raj. I think it's safe to say we need some leave from our respective jobs, Alex. You call first. Tell them a family emergency has come up and that you need the rest of the week off. Phoebe, if you'll go pick up Milo and Mabene, I'll call to let them know I won't be in to work. You know what happens when Miriam shows up... I think our lives are about to change again.'
Enlightenment
A black van followed by a black sedan appeared in our drive. They passed the house and pulled into the barn in the back. Slowly, figures emerged and we opened the door to greet them.
'Miriam!' I exclaimed, 'How very good to see you again.' I threw my arms around her and wrapped her in a bear hug.
'Wow! Thanks for the greeting and the hug, my friend,' she said.
She was greeted in the same way by Phoebe and Alex and the rest of the team entered the house to the same treatment.
It was dinner time so we all worked together to produce a light and refreshing meal. Milo and Mabene entertained us as young children often do. The clear up and clean up ensued and things were put away in record time. Tasha took the children to their room and kept them entertained while the rest of us gathered in the living room to discuss what had happened and was going to happen.
'How's Jon?' I asked.
'We'll tell you everything and I'll cover his status, too, Lyla. First things first,' Miriam said.
'Right, well we best be getting on with it then,' I said.
Rebecca poured brandy for us all and passed around the glasses.
Miriam raised her glass in the air and said, 'A celebration! Carbinicci and the mafia in New York are no more!' she exclaimed. She threw the drink back and we all followed suit.
'Really?' I asked.
'Really,' she said. 'Let me tell you a little story.' She raised her glass toward Rebecca indicating refills were in order. 'After we staged your 'accident,' high ranking mafia members from the different mob families in New York started disappearing and reappearing as corpses. Their bodies showed signs of torture and it took everyone by surprise. We had no idea who was doing it, who was killing them. Mob families blamed other mob families and a killing spree followed. Before long, there were very few mafioso left. Even Carbinicci was killed.'
I gasped. 'Really? He's dead? I don't believe it.'
'Believe it,' Miriam said. 'He's dead and we caught who killed him just after he was killed. He still had Carbinicci's blood on his hands.'
'It wasn't Jon, was it?' I asked.
'No, it wasn't, Lyla. I'm sorry, but we don't know where he is,' she said.
'What?'
'We don't know where he is,' Miriam said, again. 'We lost contact with him nearly three months ago and he hasn't been in touch yet. We know he isn't dead. We think he is just lying low and he should surface any day now.'
'What?'
'Lyla, er... Louise,' Miriam said, 'he isn't dead. We would have recovered his body. He is alive. We are just waiting for him to contact us.'
I held my glass up for another refill of brandy. Phoebe and Alex surrounded me and supported me as I threw back a swig and regained my composure.
'You mean to tell me that, after all this, we are safe but my husband who was once dead, now alive, has disappeared and is no where to be found... after all this!' I screamed. I collapsed in a heap of tears.
'Louise,' Miriam said, 'Louise,' she repeated. She knelt down on the floor and wrapped her arms around me. 'Louise, my friend, nothing has happened to him... I promise. Nothing has happened to him. He will, most likely, show up here in a few days.'
'What?' I asked. 'Really?'
'It's a good possibility,' Miriam said. 'Please, dry your eyes and join us again. There is still so much to tell you and to do.'
'Miriam, I don't know how much more of this I can take,' I said. 'I am so tired of not knowing, so tired of pretending, so tired of having to be the strong one.'
'Then let us do that for you, Mom,' Phoebe said. Alex helped me to sit up and they both helped me to my feet. 'You don't have to be the strong one all of the time.'
'No, no, I suppose I don't,' I said.
'Miriam, will you all please excuse us for tonight?' Phoebe asked. 'We need a some time as a family and I think we've had enough surprises for now. You do all have everything you need, don't you?'
'Well, yes, of course,' Miriam said. 'I completely understand. I think we have everything we need... don't we?' she asked. She looked at Raj and Rebecca for confirmation. 'We'll say goodnight and join you again in the morning, mid-morning... okay?'
'Thank you,' Phoebe said.
Phoebe and I walked into the kitchen as Alex escorted them out of the house. A cup of coffee helped me to feel better and we all sat silent in the energy of peace and love.
'You do know that he'll probably show up here,' Phoebe said. 'Then what?'
'What do you mean?' I asked.
'How do our lives change? Do we uproot from here and go back to Gildford?'
'I don't know,' I said. 'I think there are a few possibilities, don't you?'
'Perhaps,' Phoebe said.
'Well, I know it isn't something we really need to think about or concern ourselves with right now,' Alex said. 'Miriam will be back in the morning and, as she said, there's a lot more to talk about and do. I'm sure they will help us uncover our options, don't you think?'
'Miriam is a good friend,' I said. 'I'm sure she didn't deserve me screaming at her like that but I was a little overwhelmed.'
'We're all a little overwhelmed right now, Mom,' Alex said. 'She is a good friend and I'm sure she has been looking after our interests all this time. She'll be able to help us figure out what our next move might be.'
'Well, I know I need to move to check on the kids,' Phoebe said. 'Maybe it's a good time for us all to try to get a good night's sleep. We'll need clear heads in the morning.'
'I'm so proud of both of you,' I said. 'You have no idea how thankful I am that we can share all of this together.'
'Tomorrow is a brand new day and a new start... we can do this,' Phoebe said.
'Together,' I said.
PART FIVE
RESOLUTION
Discovery
We were all up bright and early and I could smell the coffee even before I entered the kitchen.
'Morning sweetheart,' I said, as Phoebe poured a cup of coffee for me.
'Morning, Mom,' she said. 'Alex is gathering eggs and we've got thick bacon, biscuits and fresh orange juice this morning.'
'Yum! I seem to be quite hungry this morning,' I answered.
'Good. I don't think it will be too long before we get our day underway,' Phoebe said.
A knock on the door captured our attention. I heard voices and recognized the clerk from the store in town. Phoebe brought her through to the kitchen.
'Hello Betty,' I said.
'Lyla, I'm so sorry for intruding like this but folks in town wanted me to bring you these things,' she said. She held up her arms and set down grocery bags on the kitchen table. 'If you or your family need anything at all, you'll let me know. We just want you to know that you have friends. We
care about you all.'
'Awwww... bless you, Betty,' I said. 'You are all so very thoughtful and kind. We are so grateful to have such good neighbors and friends.'
'Mom,' Phoebe said. 'Look! I'll bet this is Harry's fresh baked bread and Julieann's homemade sweet potato pie and...'
'Casseroles to keep you through the week, fresh butter and jam and, oh, I almost forgot,' Betty said, 'I'll be right back.' She left the house and we watched as she returned to her car for a few more bags. We opened the door and she made her way to the kitchen and set the bags down on the table. 'In here are some organic fruits and vegetables and some toys for the kids. You know, coloring books and crayons and some nifty little puzzles and stuff.'
We were both in tears.
'Oh no!' Betty exclaimed. 'I hope we didn't offend you?'
We looked at each other and scooped her up in a hug.
'No, Betty,' I said. 'You didn't offend us. You and this community have just touched our hearts beyond measure. Thank you.'
'Well, in that case,' Betty said. 'I better be going. I don't want to overstay my welcome and I know you probably have things you need to tend to right now so I'll say my goodbyes.'
'Wow! What a great friend you are,' I said. 'Betty, I hope you'll convey our deep and sincere gratitude to everyone. We may not be in town or able to speak to anyone for a while as we may be called away to settle some legal affairs. But, we are all okay, I promise.'
'I will do that, Lyla,' she said. 'Don't you worry about checking in with anyone. We'll wait for you to let us know if you need anything further, okay?'
'Thank you.'
With that, Betty turned on her heel and left. We heard the car start and watched as she drove down the driveway.
'Who was that?' Miriam said.
'Oh my goodness, Miriam,' I said. 'You startled me.'
'Sorry,' she said, 'but I didn't want to interrupt so I thought I better just be quiet until she left.'
'Well, in that case, you'll know who she is,' I said. 'She is a friend and this community is more like an extended family to us.'
'I thought as much,' Miriam said. 'Is everyone awake?'
'Yep,' Alex said, as he carried a basket of eggs into the kitchen. 'Where'd all this come from?' he asked. 'Did you two go shopping while I was out with the hens?'
'No,' Phoebe said. 'Betty was just here and this,' she said, as she motioned to all the bags, 'well this has come from her and the community.'
'No,' Alex said. 'Really?'
'Yes,' I said. 'What do you make of that? They just wanted to make sure we were okay and they are eager to help.'
'Wow,' he said, 'that changes things a bit, doesn't it?'
There was silence as we contemplated our place in the community and the people we knew we had lied to all these years.
'Well, I can see that this will be a day to remember,' Miriam said. 'How about we get sorting and cooking and then we can get started on the rest I need to share with you.'
'Well...'
'Well,' Miriam said, 'the sooner we get busy and decide to settle down to business, the sooner you can get on with your lives and move forward.'
'When you put it like that,' Phoebe said, 'who's cooking? I'll start putting things away and then I'm happy to help with anything else.'
We were soon joined by the rest of the agents and we became like an assembly line. The meal went quickly, the clean up was easy and we settled down once again in the living room to speak about things past and things to come.
Miriam began. 'You know that Carbinicci was killed and we caught who did it,' she said. 'What you don't know is who and why and that brings me to something you need to see. I promise, it isn't Carbinicci's dead body, it is a confession from the killer. As part of his confession, we made an agreement to tape and show his confession to your family. Remember, he thinks you are all dead.'
She nodded to Raj who turned on the television and put the DVD in the player. Murray appeared on the screen.
'Murray!' I gasped.
'Yes, Lyla,' Miriam said. 'Murray. Just listen.'
Murray's Tale
'This is on, right?' Murray asked.
'Yes, it's on,' a woman said. It was Rebecca.
'I, Murray King Hope, am confessing to the murder of Carlos Carbinicci, Charles Salvatore, Dominic LaGuardo, Tecchi 'Tommy' Russo, Eddie Gagliano, Murphy MacIntyre and Rudy Alletto. I did not kill anyone else. I am confessing to these crimes under my own free will. I am confessing to these crimes knowing that my confession will be witnessed by the remaining family of Louise Deveraux and I confess to these crimes under the agreement that, when I die, all my assets will be transferred to her remaining family.'
'Why would you kill all these people, Murray?' Rebecca asked.
'When Louise and her family were killed in that 'accident,' I knew someone had to have ordered a hit,' he said. 'So, I listened for a few days to hear what would come up because something like that would have been too hot to keep quiet. When no one spoke about it, I knew there was a wall of silence put up and I decided, then and there, to take it down. So, I went hunting. Because I was just a chauffeur, it was easy to pick them up, lock them in, take them to a remote site, torture them for information, then kill them and dump their bodies. I had to... I had to find out because Louise and her family were my family.'
I gasped.
'What do you mean they were your family, Murray?' Rebecca asked.
'Louise and her family were the only people who ever treated me like a human being, like I mattered. They treated me with respect and affection. They became my family. I couldn't just let them die like that without killing who was responsible. I couldn't,' he said. He put his hands over his eyes and a quiet sobbing could be heard.
'Let's stop here, for now,' Rebecca said. 'Would you get him some tissue and a glass of water please?' she asked someone off camera. The camera began again and Murray sat composed and sober.
'Murray, did someone tell you that Carbinicci had ordered the hit?' Rebecca asked.
'Eventually,' he said. 'I knew it but I had to hear it.'
'Who told you?'
'Rudy Alletto,' he said, 'just before he died.'
'Is that all?' Rebecca asked.
'No,' Murray said. 'Carbinicci told me some things before he died, too. He said there were hidden things that no one ever knew about, assets. He wanted to make a deal: those things for his life. I didn't agree. He died.'
'Thank you, Murray.'
'If you're watching this, if you are Louise's family, I would have died for her and her kids. You should be proud of her. She was a woman with a kind heart, a fierce and protective nature and she loved... she just loved. You should know that. I know you might think that what I did was wrong and you might not want to accept the assets I have to give, but I hope you'll take them. I have no family else to give them to and I want her remaining family to be okay. A full list of my assets is on record with the FBI. Just so you know.'
'Is that all?' Rebecca asked again.
'Yes,' Murray said. 'I'm ready now to meet my maker.'
I gasped. Raj turned the television off and Phoebe touched my hand. Tears came to my eyes.
'I never knew,' I said.
'No,' Miriam said, 'No one did.'
'Is there anything we can do, anything you can do?' I asked Miriam.
'I'm afraid not,' Miriam said, 'there is nothing that can change the fact that he tortured and killed seven men. I can't change it and neither can any of you.'
'But...'
'Lyla, even if you all resurfaced tomorrow, it wouldn't change anything,' Miriam said. 'He willfully and with premeditation killed those men. No court would ever release him and he is likely to get the death penalty.'
'No!' I said.
'Yes,' Miriam said. 'I'm afraid so. Right now, there is one thing you can do.'
'Name it,' I said.
'Let's shift our attention and focus on your next steps, okay? You've got a family and a future to decide.'
Opera
The possibilities seemed endless and we were torn. Miriam and the agents spent the next few weeks with us at the farm. Though I appreciated her support, I reminded myself on more than one occasion that she was an agent with the FBI and, most likely, they were staying as close to us as possible in case Jon made an appearance.
It was anguish and angst and all I wanted to do was have my family around me and find Jon and go back home. But to where?
The community had become an extension of our family, yet it was based on falsehood and we didn't want to try the truth on anytime soon.
Gilford had our past lives and memories and yet, we were different people now and it seemed like being drug into the past when we considered going back there.
Finally, Miriam packed up and left with the agents. We were given three months to make a decision as to the direction we wished to go.
Shortly after their departure, we were notified that Murray had taken his life in prison. It was such a tragic set of circumstances. He was never told we were alive. It would have been torture for him.
A couple of weeks after the agents left, I received a letter. It wasn't postmarked or date stamped. It had been hand-delivered. I examined the writing to see if I could recognize who might have slipped it under my door but the ink was a bit smudged.
Carefully, I opened the envelope and inside was a ticket to the opera, 'Cai Wenji,' in New York City. It was scheduled for a week later. I closed the envelope and put the ticket in a safe place. I was intrigued.
If I learned one thing from Rota, it was to always keep money at your disposal. I always did. I had enough cash for a train ticket and a room. I had a posh enough dress and a decent bit of luggage to take with me. I thought about it over and over and decided to go.
Phoebe and Alex tried to talk me out of it but, reluctantly, agreed on the condition that, every night, before I went to sleep, I would phone to let them know I was okay. Otherwise, they would let Miriam know I was in New York City.
I arrived the day before the performance and checked into a room not far from the venue. I felt safe. No one was looking for me and I traveled under an assumed name. It had been long enough that Louise Deveraux had been forgotten and I felt giddy and free. I stayed in my room and rested. Room service was delightful and the morning paper made it seem like all was right in the world. The usual litany of murder and mayhem in New York City, politics, construction, noise and pollution reminded of a time years ago when it all seemed so normal I didn't even notice it.
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