Maggie Lee (Book 10): The Hitwoman's Act of Contrition

by JB Lynn

  “What happened?” he asked, his voice strained as his eyes searched my face.

  “What?” I sensed anger in him, but didn’t understand why.

  “Who hit you?”

  I tried to dip my chin so I wouldn’t have to meet his eyes, but he anticipated my reaction and gently immobilized my head with two fingers.

  “Who, Mags?”

  “My mother.”

  He blinked. “Why?”

  I batted his hand away and jumped off his lap. “How the hell should I know?”

  Patrick waited, silent and patient.

  Filled with an uncomfortable energy I paced. “She does that, you know.”

  “Does what?”

  “Has bad days. I’m supposed to understand and forgive her.” I glanced in the direction of the terrarium, but God had his back to me. “She’s good for a while and I get lulled into thinking that maybe, just maybe, we can have a semblance of a normal relationship and then today happens.”

  I realized I’d raised my voice when DeeDee jumped off the couch and went and hid behind it.

  “I’m sorry.” I took a shuddering breath. “I didn’t mean to yell.”

  DeeDee eyed me distrustfully as though she fully expected me to have another outburst.

  “What happened today?” Patrick asked quietly.

  “Today it was screaming and slapping and covering me with cherry gelatin.”

  “That explains the smell,” Patrick murmured. “I’m really glad it’s not your new perfume or something.”

  I stared at him for a beat and then burst out laughing.

  He grinned and held out his arms, inviting me back to his embrace.

  I was still chuckling when I settled myself on his lap again.

  “You smell so disgustingly sweet,” he murmured in my ear. His breath tickled the sensitive skin and I squirmed against him. “You’re killing me, Mags.” He groaned, grabbing my hips and repositioning my butt so I could feel exactly how I was killing him.

  Knowing he wanted me ignited a devilish streak inside me. I squirmed harder.

  He groaned louder.

  I turned slightly so I could slip my hand into the opening of his polo shirt and stroke his collarbone as I found his lips with mine.

  Our last kiss had been wild and desperate, but this kiss was gentle and sweet.

  We both knew it couldn’t go any further than a kiss, not here in the B&B where people were always popping in, so the kiss was an indulgent moment, nothing more.

  When it was over, Patrick rested his forehead against mine. “We should do that more often.”

  “We should,” I agreed.

  “We will,” he promised. He paused for a moment before continuing. “But it’s not why I came here today.”

  I tensed, waiting for whatever bombshell he was going to drop.

  “It’ll probably be on the news soon, but I wanted to let you know that one of Wayne Krout’s victims committed suicide today.” He sat back in seat, pulling away from me.

  I searched his face and flinched when I saw the haunted look in his eyes. “How old?”

  “Twelve.” Patrick shook his head. “Just a kid. Somebody’s got to do something. I wanted to let you know I’m going to take Delveccio’s job offer.”

  “How will you get to him?” I asked, thinking of the spiritual retreat.

  He shrugged.

  “I think I have a way.” I told him about Leslie’s spiritual intervention plan.

  “Might work,” he agreed grudgingly, “but if they investigate the retreat participants as possible suspects…”

  “There’s risk involved with every job. But like you said, somebody’s got to do something.”

  “Yeah,” Patrick agreed. “But does it have to be you?”

  Chapter 12

  On my way to the hospital to tell Delveccio that I’d delivered his package and would take his job, I stopped for pizza.

  Well, I actually stopped to see how Marlene was doing at her new, legitimate job. But I did it under the guise of picking up a slice for Katie.

  The Pizza Palace does not have the best pie in town, not even close, but it still does a lot of business. The place was already getting crowded when I stopped in around five.

  I stood in the doorway a minute, watching Marlene deliver a pizza and pitcher of soda to a table with a harried mother and two hyper boys. Marlene looked happy as she exchanged pleasantries with the woman before moving on to her next table. It wasn’t until she’d finished taking that order that she spotted me.

  She waved me over as she made her way toward the kitchen.

  “Checking up on me?” she asked once I was within earshot.

  “Picking up some dinner to share with Katie,” I replied.

  She smirked, making it clear she knew I was lying.

  “And,” I added, “offering you moral support on your first day. How’s it going?”

  She handed the cook in the kitchen her order before answering. “Pretty well. It’s taking me a little while to get the rhythm of the place, but I’m getting there. Ferdinand is great. Want to meet him?”

  I nodded. “Can I also order two slices of pepperoni to go?”

  “Wait here?”

  She disappeared into the kitchen, leaving me to watch the growing crowd of families filling the tables. I tried to imagine bringing Katie to the place. Where would she want to sit? What would we talk about?

  Marlene reappeared, a handsome, flour-covered man with a wide smile by her side.

  I did a double-take. For some reason, I’d been expecting her to introduce me to a senior citizen from the Old Country, not a young hunk who could pass for a model.

  “Maggie, I’d like you to meet my boss, Ferdinand.”

  He wiped some of the flour off on his apron and extended his hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” I said with a firm handshake.

  “The pleasure is all mine. We’re happy to have your sister here.”

  I smiled. “You’re lucky to have her.”

  “I’m lucky that Doc knew Ferdinand was looking for a waitress,” Marlene interjected.

  We all laughed. Doc, Marlene’s boyfriend, was an E.M.T. who moonlighted as a male stripper. I couldn’t help wonder if Ferdinand did the same.

  “Two pups!” a heavily-accented voice called from the kitchen.

  “That’s yours.” Marlene disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Busy place you’ve got here,” I said to Ferdinand.

  He beamed proudly. “We’re growing. We’ll probably never be able to compete with Tony’s or DiNapoli’s, but we’re carving out a niche.”

  Impressed by his candor, I replied, “Half the battle is knowing your enemy, right?”

  He laughed. “That’s one way to look at it.”

  Marlene reemerged and handed me a steaming paper bag. I took it and held out a ten dollar bill.

  She shook her head.

  “Take it,” I ordered.

  “No.”

  “Table three!” the accented voice from the kitchen called.

  Marlene whirled around and dove into the kitchen to retrieve the order.

  I offered the cash to Ferdinand.

  “It’s on the house.”

  “I didn’t come here to mooch,” I told him.

  He smiled. “No. You came to check on your sister. That’s sweet. Next time you can pay, but not this time.”

  Realizing I’d lost the battle, I tried to concede gracefully. “Thank you.”

  “It was nice to meet you, Maggie.”

  As Marlene rushed out past us, a pizza pan balanced overhead, he ducked back into the kitchen.

  I made my way to the door as Marlene delivered the order to the appropriate table. She caught up with me once I’d stepped outside.

  She surprised me by throwing her arms around me, hugging tight, and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Thanks, sis.”

  “You’re welcome.” I snaked my free hand around her waist and squeezed.

  “Tell Ka
tie I sent it?” she pleaded.

  “You bet,” I promised.

  “I’ve gotta get back.”

  “Go.” I gave her a gentle shove.

  With a grin and a girlie wave, she practically skipped back into the pizzeria.

  Her happiness was infectious and I found myself grinning all the way to the hospital as the aroma of pepperoni pizza filled my car.

  Katie was playing Go Fish with Delveccio when I arrived at her room, after first skirting past the steroid-fueled bodyguard Vinnie, who hadn’t even spoken to me but just waved me in.

  “Aunt Maggie!” Katie cried when she saw me.

  “Are you beating Mr. Delveccio at cards again?”

  She nodded excitedly.

  I suppressed a smile, knowing that the mobster knew she cheated and took delight in letting her get away with it.

  I pressed a quick kiss to Katie’s forehead before turning my attention to Delveccio, who was gathering up the cards.

  He raised his eyebrows, silently enquiring as to whether I’d managed to deliver the teddy bear.

  I nodded and he winked at me.

  “What’s that smell?” Katie asked.

  “Pizza,” I whispered. “Aunt Marlene sent it.”

  Katie clapped her delight.

  “It does smell good,” the mobster agreed.

  I put the two slices on two paper plates, down on the table Delveccio had just cleared.

  Sinking deeper into her bed, Katie frowned. “Only two?”

  “Only one for you, young lady.” I told her.

  “But what about Mr. D.?” she asked. “Why didn’t you bring enough for him?”

  Delveccio looked startled by the child’s generosity. He raised his hands in protest.

  “That is his piece, silly dilly,” I lied smoothly. “I ate mine with Aunt Marlene.”

  Katie brightened. “Really?”

  “She didn’t want to eat alone.” I wondered if there was some special karma punishment for lying to children.

  Katie picked up the plate with the larger slice and held it out to Delveccio. “Here you go.”

  “Thank you.” He gave a slight bow as he accepted the food.

  Katie pulled the other plate closer to her and took a bite. “Yum!”

  Delveccio gave me a look that told me he knew I’d lied to the kid before he took a bite of his own. “Not bad. But it’s not from Tony’s.”

  “Gran Paradiso,” I replied.

  “Big dreams naming it after a mountain,” he murmured as he took another bite.

  It didn’t take the two of them long to polish off their pizza. When Katie was done, it was time for me to go.

  “I won’t be here for a couple of days,” I told her carefully.

  Delveccio moved across the room to sit by his grandson’s bed, where he began to read him a short children’s story.

  Katie pouted. “Why not?”

  “I’m going to take a quick… vacation.”

  “Can I go?”

  “It would be a very boring vacation for a little girl. No rides, nothing to do except sit around.”

  Raising her hands overhead, she slammed them into the mattress at her sides, letting out a sigh of exasperation. “That’s what I do here.”

  “But here you get to go to PT and OT,” I reminded her since her various therapy sessions seemed to be the highlight of her day.

  She wrinkled her nose. “How long will you be gone?”

  “Just a couple of days,” I promised.

  “Will Aunt Marlene come to visit?”

  “I’m sure she will.”

  “Will she bring pizza?” Katie asked hopefully before yawning.

  I chuckled. “That you’ll have to ask her.” I stood up and kissed her cheek. “You’re my favorite niece.”

  “I’m your only niece,” she reminded me, playing along with our familiar routine.

  “Even if I had a million, you’d still be my favorite.”

  She yawned again. “What about a billion?”

  “Even if there were a trillion,” I assured her, moving toward the door.

  “Aunt Maggie?” she called out when I reached the doorway. “Would you tell Aunt Marlene that the pizza was the best thing I ever ate in my whole, entire life?”

  “I’ll tell her. Sweet dreams!”

  “Sweet dreams,” she murmured, yawning again.

  I stepped into the hallway and met Vinnie, the bodyguard’s, distrusting gaze. “I’m in the mood for pudding.” With that I walked away toward the cafeteria, hoping to get the chance to get something since his boss had just eaten my dinner.

  When I reached the cafeteria, I looked around to see if there were any familiar faces. There weren’t.

  I got myself a turkey sandwich and a chocolate pudding and went and sat in the most deserted corner. I wolfed down the sandwich while I waited for Delveccio to show up. I was just about to start on the pudding when he walked in, trailed by Vinnie.

  He waved a greeting and walked toward me like we were friends, or at least two people who had relatives sharing a room. After all, it wouldn’t help either of us if people found out I was working for the mob boss. The bodyguard went and stood on the food line.

  “Sorry I ate your dinner,” he said, taking the seat opposite me.

  I shrugged. “It was easier that way. Thanks for playing along.”

  “You have any problems making that delivery?”

  “None. Except for the whole decapitation thing,” I replied. “She seemed happy to get it.”

  “So I heard. That why you wanted to see me here?”

  I shook my head. “That other thing we talked about. It’s still available?”

  “It’s a hot one,” he warned. “Lots of people watching. Lots want him gone. You might run into some competition.”

  I frowned, worried it might be a Gary the Gun situation all over again.

  “Not from my side,” Delveccio hurried to assure me. “I only offered it to the redhead and you, and you two are usually on the same page.” He paused as though he were trying to determine whether Patrick and I were anything else.

  I kept my expression blank.

  “But,” he continued, “there are a lot of people who think the world would be a better place without the guy around so, like I said, you might encounter… competition.”

  I nodded my understanding.

  “And you still want to?”

  “I do.”

  He leaned back in his seat and looked me over. “I always say you’re one ballsy chick.”

  I nodded my acceptance of his compliment.

  “You do that other thing?”

  Having no idea what he meant, I tensed. “What other thing?”

  “The poker thing.”

  “Crap,” I muttered. I’d totally forgotten he’d urged me to make sure Templeton didn’t go to the poker game that night.

  “Go.” He reached the table and took my pudding as I jumped to my feet and hightailed it out of there.

  With all the excitement of the day, I’d neglected to do the simplest thing asked of me.

  I ran toward my car, hoping my failure wouldn’t cost Templeton his life.

  Chapter 13

  While I broke a half dozen traffic laws racing back to the B&B, I tried calling Loretta in the hopes she could use her feminine wiles to convince her fiancé to forgo his night with the boys, but she didn’t answer.

  Desperate to stop him, I called Susan.

  She answered on the fourth ring. “Hello?”

  “It’s me,” I said, taking a turn too tightly and making my tires squeal in protest.

  “Are you driving, Margaret?” my aunt asked with icy disapproval.

  “It’s an emergency.”

  “More dangerous than driving while intoxicated,” she lectured. She promptly hung up on me.

  “Crazy, controlling, uptight, know-it-all,” I screamed at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing back at me off the windshield.

  When I roared into the
driveway a couple of minutes later, I was sorely tempted to ram the back of her car. Instead, I slammed on the brakes, leaving skid marks behind me and centimeters between my bumper and hers.

  I felt a temporary surge of relief when I spotted Loretta’s car in the driveway, but the adrenaline coursing through my body still sent me flying into the house like a madwoman.

  “What on Earth?” Susan exclaimed as I barreled through the kitchen.

  “Where is he?” Before she could answer, I ran up the stairs toward the bedroom. For once, I didn’t care if I caught them in flagrante delicto. I just had to make sure he stayed home.

  I stumbled to a stop in front of their bedroom door and knocked on it. Loudly.

  When I got no response, I yelled, “I know you’re in there!”

  Still nothing.

  “Margaret?” Aunt Susan’s voice trembled.

  I turned to find her standing at the top of the steps, staring at me with wide eyes.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for Templeton, which you’d know if you hadn’t hung up on me!”

  “I’m sorry.” She blinked worriedly.

  “I told you it was an emergency.”

  “What’s the emergency, dear?” she asked in a tone that was supposed to be soothing, but just sounded condescending.

  “I need to talk to Templeton.”

  “He’s downstairs in the dining room.”

  I rushed toward her, almost knocking her over in my haste to get down the stairs. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

  “Because you ran out before I could,” she called, hurrying after me.

  Bursting into the dining room, I spotted Templeton sitting beside Aunt Loretta. Relieved to see him, I leaned weakly against the wall.

  “What’s wrong?” Aunt Loretta asked.

  Templeton jumped to his feet and rushed to my side as though he was going to catch me if I suddenly collapsed.

  Aunt Susan rushed in behind me.

  I grabbed Templeton’s forearm, stared into his eyes and begged, “Stay home tonight.”

  He looked from where I gripped him to my face. “Why?”

  I froze. I couldn’t tell him that a mobster had said it would be safer for him than going to his illegal poker game.