by Lulu Pratt
“Is this how you were going to do it?”
“Do… what?” she asks with a fragile voice.
“Blackmail me?”
“What?” She shakes her head. “What are you talking about? These were in my mailbox yesterday. I don’t know who sent them.”
I look at the pictures again and see the angle of the couch on my wall. Looking around my office, I walk to a lamp on the opposite wall and examine it. When I see the small device stuck to the side of it, I grab hold and tear it off, holding it out to her.
“Rocco, I didn’t do this.”
“Who is the guy?”
“What guy?” I pull out my phone.
When she sees the picture from Nancy’s phone she steps back. “She is trying to sabotage me again.”
“Who?”
“Nancy.”
“Nancy? Really? Why now?”
“This is her father. He was with us when I met her the other night.”
“So, you are fucking her father?”
“No! She set this whole thing up to make me look bad!”
She watches me intently as I try to decipher the information. All fingers point to Maddie, but I still have a hard time believing it. So pure, so innocent. I guess the quiet ones are always the dangerous ones.
“Don’t you believe me?”
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
I drop the pictures on my desk and walk out the door, leaving her there.
Chapter 16
MADDIE
Nancy walks into the kitchen and all I can do is look at her.
“Maddie? Are you okay?” She walks over to where I am sitting, concern in her eyes.
“I don’t know. I can’t figure out what is happening.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“No, that’s okay. I think you have done enough.”
“What? You’re mad at me. Are you mad at me? Did you try to text me? I lost my phone last night. If you tried, I wouldn’t have known.”
“You lost your phone?”
“Yes. I had it before I went to the bar but I can’t find it.”
So, maybe she wasn’t the one who took the picture of her father mauling me at the bar. Then who was it? I rub my head as I try to think back to that night. There were several other people in the bar when we were there. I didn’t recognize any of them.
“I have to figure this out on my own.” I want to trust her. She is actually the only friend I have right now. I look up at her and notice the sweatshirt she is wearing. “Is that my hoodie?”
“Oh,” she says, looking at her arms. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I was cold this morning when I got here and I forgot mine. You must have left it here. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh,” I shook my head, trying to dismiss the odd behavior. “No, I don’t mind. Keep it for the rest of your shift.” I swore I wore it last night to the bar, but I don’t remember bringing it to work.
“Thanks,” she smiles. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“I think I might be in trouble.”
“Why? What happened?”
“I can’t talk right now. I think I need to take some time off. Can we talk later?”
“Sure, any time. You know that.”
I nod at her and walk out of the kitchen. After approving it with Joanne, I take the rest of the day off to figure things out.
I stop by the bar and I try to reenact what happened. I question the bartender, but I wasn’t any further in finding out who is behind this.
“There is a camera mounted in the corner.” I point to it with some enthusiasm.
“That hasn’t worked in almost a year. I guess they just keep it up there to make it look like the place is being monitored. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful,” he says.
“It’s okay. Thank you for talking to me.”
“Looks like you could use a drink.”
“I’ll take a glass of wine. Thank you.”
I sit at the end of the bar and watch the other patrons. The only thing I can do is wait and see what the blackmailer wants from me. I pull out my phone and pull up Rocco’s name.
Can you break away? I really need to see you.
When he doesn’t respond, I figure he is still angry. I finish my wine and take a cab home. I plop down on the couch, closing my eyes for a moment. That moment turned into several hours. I wake up to my cell phone going off. By the time I retrieve it from the couch cushions, it stops. I have five missed calls and four texts. I hit the text notifications. They are all from Rocco. I smile until I read them.
Where are you?
I need to know now!
Call me as soon as you can. The restaurant is destroyed.
Maddie, please answer me.
I jump up and quickly look at the missed calls. All but one is from Rocco. The other is from Joanne. I grab a sweatshirt from my room and run out the door.
“Maddie!” Rocco’s voice is urgent over the phone.
“What happened?”
“Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know. The whole place is up in flames.”
The distress in his voice breaks my heart.
“Is everyone okay?”
“As far as I know. I’m here now.”
“I’m on my way.”
The cab driver can’t drive fast enough as I keep my eyes open for signs of the news. When I detect billowing smoke rising up into the sky my heart stops. I can only stare as we round the corner to the restaurant.
“I’m sorry. I cannot go any further.” The cab driver stops the car and I quickly pay him before I jump out and run the two blocks to the flames.
I feel the heat on my face before I notice Rocco on a nearby street corner. Bistro Italiano has flames shooting from each window, threatening and lashing out at the firefighters as they battle the flames with three separate blasts of water.
Rocco sees me before I get to him and he runs to me, throwing his arms around me.
“What happened, Rocco?” I ask, staring at the flames in horror.
“No one knows. Joanne is with the police now.”
“Actually, she is here,” I tell him, nodding to Joanne and two police officers walking to us.
“Joanne, did you find anything?” he asks.
Joanne looks directly at me. “Yes. We did.”
“Maddie Levere?”
“Yes?”
“I am Officer Billows. This is Officer Wright. Can we ask you a few questions?”
“Of course. Anything.”
“Were you here, at the restaurant after hours?”
I feel my stomach hollow out. I feel the insinuation in his voice. I can’t lie.
“I was. Two nights ago.”
“I understand you were given a key for access on days you begin your shift before anyone else is here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Is it part of your normal work load to be in the restaurant after it closes?”
“No, sir.”
“Why were you here then?”
“I had… forgotten some recipes I was working on, so I stopped by to get them. But that was two nights ago.”
“Were you alone?”
“Yes.”
I didn’t want to lie but pulling Nancy and her father into this wouldn’t have done any good. They had enough to deal with.
“What about earlier this evening?”
“I wasn’t here. I was home. I actually left work a little early because I wasn’t feeling well.” I cast a remorseful eye at Joanne, but she is angry and I feel like it is directed at me. I quickly look down at the ground. Why is she angry at me?
“The surveillance footage shows someone entering the establishment around one this morning, staying for approximately thirty minutes and fleeing just before flames were detected.”
“Surveillance?” I look up at the officer. How the hell did they get footage?
“Yes. The suspect is a small-framed woman with a college hoodie.” He nods at Joanne and she h
ands me her phone. A dark and pixilated video shows a person walking into the restaurant from a camera pointing at the door. When the person gets closer to the camera before disappearing from view it clearly shows my college hoodie.
“Is this your hoodie, Miss Levere?”
“Yes, but it’s not me!” Do I dare mention Nancy’s name? With our history and the fact that I just lied about being alone the night before, it sure didn’t look good for me. “I wore my hoodie to work the other day and forgot it. When I went back to get it, it was gone.” I shrug. “I don’t know who took it.”
“Is that the truth?” asks the officer, his stare embedding into my eyes.
“Yes, sir. I haven’t seen it in a few days.” My mouth is dry and I feel the tremble in my hands.
“I trust that you will not be going anywhere for a while.”
“No, sir.”
“Good. Be sure you don’t. We will be contacting you for further questioning.”
I turn to Rocco, but I don’t receive the same warmth he gave me when I initially arrived.
“Rocco?”
“I think you should go,” he says, turning away from me.
My heart drops into my stomach and I turn and walk away.
Back in my apartment, my mind moves from one thought to the next. They think I had something to do with the fire. I’m out of a job, probably the best job I could ask for. Nancy is out of a job so there goes my father’s money. Rocco and Joanne both hate me. I fall down onto my bed and cry myself to sleep. I feel like my whole world is falling apart and I’m powerless to stop it.
Just after the sun comes up, a knock on my door sits me up in my bed. If it is the police, I need to tell them about Nancy. I need to clear my name. But how can I be one-hundred percent sure it is her? I’ll just tell them what I know and hope that the truth prevails.
I open the door to a rough-looking Rocco standing in the doorway.
“Can I come in?” His tone is low, curt and his eyes stay on the floor.
I move back and let him in.
“Do you want some coffee?”
“Who is the guy?” He keeps his head down but his eyes look up at me. I see the disgust and it makes me quiver.
“What guy?”
“The surveillance from the night you said you were there alone. You weren’t.”
“That is Nancy’s father. She was there too.”
“I know that,” he snaps. “You gave him something. An envelope. What was it?”
He saw it? I stay quiet, watching him.
“Why did you lie?”
“Rocco, I can’t tell you. But it doesn’t have anything to do with what you are thinking. Please.” I step forward to touch him but he steps back from me. “You have to believe me. Trust me.”
“I can’t do that, Maddie.”
My mind scrambles and I start to put the truth together. I look at Rocco and my eyes widen.
“I have to go,” I tell him. “I need you to trust me on this. Please. I will have answers for you. I promise.”
I grab my purse and phone and rush out the door, leaving him in my apartment.
Chapter 17
ROCCO
My heart wants to believe her, but Maddie is making it very difficult to do so. I leave her apartment, closing the door on my way out.
I talk Joanne into meeting with me about plans for a rebuild and a few days later she agrees. Walking into her favorite café, she is already there with a coffee cup to her lips.
“Any news?” I ask, sitting across from her.
“Nothing yet. They went through all the footage and can’t get a positive identification on the suspect. I know it was Maddie. I don’t know why we are playing these games. Just arrest her for God’s sake.”
“Joanne, I think we should let the cops do their job and put this all behind us. I think we should talk about rebuilding.”
“What? No. Everything is destroyed. It would take months to even be able to open the doors.”
“I have talked to the insurance company. It is all covered. All the damage to the restaurant and the surrounding businesses that have been damaged as well.”
“I think we should just divide the check, cut our losses and go our separate ways. I hear Boca Raton is beautiful this time of year.”
“It’s not what you really want. I know you. This restaurant is your life.”
“And New York has tired me out. Apparently, someone is trying to tell me something.”
“Maybe they are telling you to rebuild from the ground up instead of meager remodeling. Maybe they are telling you that you can finally build your dream. Come on, Joanne. We have been in this business for too many years together to give it all up now. Clean slate? What do ya say?”
She looks at me for a long time.
“It’s a lot of work,” she argues.
“Yes, it is. But it can be exactly what you want it to be this time.”
She smiles slowly. “Let’s do it.”
“Awesome! I’ll call the insurance company and get it rolling.”
“Hello?” A timid voice interrupts our conversation. I look over and see Maddie standing before us. “I know you don’t want to see me and you think I had something to do with the fire, but if you just give me a minute…”
“I think you have done enough damage for one lifetime, don’t you?” Joanne doesn’t hesitate, as she starts throwing daggers.
“Joanne, please. Just hear me out.”
“I think you should leave,” I interrupt, pushing myself away from the table.
“I didn’t do this,” Maddie says with a shaky voice. “I want to be a part of rebuilding Bistro Italiano. I love it there and I love all of you.” Tears spring to her eyes and I find myself fighting the urge to gather her into my arms. “Please, let me prove to you that it wasn’t me. I know who it was.”
“Who was it?” Joanne leans back in her seat and crosses her arms, skepticism thick in her voice.
“Please, go to that table in the corner and just watch.”
“What? Have you gone bonkers?”
“Please? Just trust me. Call my phone and listen, keep yourselves hidden and just watch.”
I pull out my phone and call hers. She answers, places it in her side pocket and walks to a table across the room from where she directed us to go. I nod at Joanne and offer her an arm. Just as we get seated, the door opens and Nancy walks in. She scans the room, almost seeing us, and walks over to Maddie.
When I hear voices over the phone, I pull it to my ear as Joanne leans in.
“So? Do you have the money?” I glance over and see Nancy sit across from Maddie.
“You already took two-hundred-thousand dollars of my father’s money. Isn’t that enough?”
“No. I figured it was so easy that I should try again. Besides, my daddy says he needs more.”
“He isn’t your father, is he?”
“Are you really that gullible, Maddie? Well, I guess you are. You did hand it over with no questions asked, didn’t you? Someone as stupid as you doesn’t deserve that kind of money.”
“Nancy, please, don’t do this. This money is all I have.”
“Tell it to someone who cares. If you don’t hand it over, I will expose you and Rocco and finish the trail of arson right to your doorstep. At least this way, you’ll stay out of prison.”
I glance at Joanne as she glances at me and she pulls out her phone.
“You know I didn’t start that fire.”
“It was your hoodie they saw in the videos.”
“That you stole from me.”
“Hey, I told you. I borrowed it. By the way, here you go.” Nancy reaches into a large bag and pulls out the hoodie, handing it to Maddie. “Whatever works, right?” Nancy smiles.
“Just answer me one thing, Nancy. If you only wanted money, why did you set fire to Bistro Italiano?”
“I hear it’s a good investment right now. Besides, seeing Rocco get what he deserves will put me in such a good mood. He nev
er wanted me. This is payback.”
Joanne turns away and speaks into her phone. “I need police at Cornerstone Café on Avenue B right away. The woman who set my restaurant on fire is here.”
Within five minutes, three police officers stroll into the café just as Nancy gets up from the table. She glances at them and stuffs an envelope into her bag, just as she starts to walk to the door.
Joanne stands up. “Officers! Arrest that woman!” She points to Nancy. They quickly put their hands on their holstered guns and direct Nancy to a nearby wall. Surprisingly, she complies with them as if she knows they are there for her.
Chapter 18
MADDIE
I watch the officers put Nancy into the back of the police car, relief flowing over me.
“It’s over,” I say out loud.
“I was sort of hoping it was just getting started.”
I spin around to Rocco’s voice behind me. I feel light on my feet as his smile broadens.
“So, I take it you believe me now?”
“I do. And I’m so sorry for doubting you.” He puts his arms around me and pulls me closer. I glance at Joanne and try to pull away.
“Joanne is right there,” I whisper.
“Yes, she is. Don’t worry. I told her about us.”
“You did?”
“Maddie, I don’t want any more secrets. Do you know what I do want?”
“What?”
“You, in my life. If that means not being in business with Joanne any longer, so be it. I’ll find another restaurant to take over.”
He kisses me deeply and it feels like the first time. No secrets, no worries, no pressure.
“I have to say,” Joanne interrupts as she walks closer. “I have my doubts about this.”
“The restaurant?”
“Yes, the restaurant. And whether this whole thing is even going to work or not.”
“Joanne, I…”
“But,” she interrupts again, holding up her hand. “I’m willing to give it a chance if you are.”
Rocco smiles, “Of course I am. I have always been behind you.”
“What do you say?” she asks, looking at me.
“You want me to stay on with you, Joanne?” I feel a sense of belonging return.
