It was exactly what he had hoped to hear, and he quickly agreed. Now she was late. He did not like tardiness.
“Hello, Mr. Reese.”
He looked up and saw the lady he remembered being introduced to him as Carly’s mother standing beside his table. He rose to his feet. “Mrs. Sinatra, hello.”
Jenay smiled. “Welcome to the Jericho Inn.”
“Thank you.” He did his due diligence after he met her and discovered that her husband owned this place, so he wasn’t entirely surprised to see her there. But she didn’t know that. “You’re here for dinner too?”
“Hardly,” Jenay said with a faint smile. “I run this place. I hope the service so far has been good.”
“It’s been excellent. Thank you.”
“You’re waiting for my daughter. Correct?”
She wasn’t being coy about it, and he liked her directness. “That’s correct,” he said. “She’s late.”
“She’s usually very punctual, so I suspect she’ll show up momentarily. If you would like I can phone and see what’s keeping her?”
“That won’t be necessary. But thank you.”
Jenay gave him a smile, and headed over to the bar. Tony was seated at the bar with a bullseye view of Trevor Reese. Jenay sat beside him. “He’s a very charming man,” she said.
“So was Hitler,” Tony responded. “Where’s Carly? She should have been here by now.”
“She’ll be here. Daddy thought it would be a good idea to see how long he would be willing to wait for her.”
“Why would that matter?” Tony asked.
“If he patiently waits, then that usually means he genuinely came because he cares about her, or at least have genuine feelings for her.”
“And if he impatiently waits?” Tony asked.
“Then, as Ashley would put it, he ain’t about nothing good.”
Tony smiled. “Your verdict?” he asked.
“He must have checked his watch ten times since he’s been sitting there.”
“He ain’t about nothing good?” Tony asked.
“Bingo,” Jenay said. Then a worried look appeared on her face. “Unfortunately,” she added, as she stood up. “Just make sure you keep your eyes on her. I know Uncle Mick has his people around this place, although I haven’t spotted any of them.”
“You aren’t supposed to spot them,” Tony said. “If you do, then they aren’t doing a good job. But you know Daddy. He made me come as backup. He isn’t going to let his daughter meet with a man, especially a man they have determined is dangerous, without covering her like a blanket.”
Jenay smiled. “Thank God for Daddy. He looks out for us well.”
“Speak for yourself,” Tony said. “Nobody’s looking out for me.”
Jenay laughed and looked toward the entrance. Carly was just arriving. She patted Tony on the shoulder. “Alright, hot shot, your sister is here. Do the job your father ordered you to do.”
“Will do,” Tony said as he sipped his drink. Jenay headed back across the room, to the front desk inside the lobby of the B & B.
Trevor looked at Carly as she entered the Inn. There was no denying her beauty, he thought as she headed his way. But it was a tortured beauty to him. When she first started working for him, he used to observe her daily. And something struck with him. She presented as a strong, confident woman, but what he saw instead was a quiet desperation in Carly, like a caged bird in an open cage. Every time other birds flew past her, he could tell she wanted to fly away too. But she, instead, as if to prove just how good a bird she truly was, stayed in her cage. And she waited. What he couldn’t figure out then, and still couldn’t figure out now, was what in the world was she waiting on?
She wore a sleeveless bubble dress that highlighted her narrow waist and shapely legs, with matching heels and purse. With her long hair dropped down her back in waves, and her big eyes soft but sharp as a sword, and her flawless brown skin, she was a sight to behold. He wanted to fuck her so bad he could feel his penis throb. And he was going to fuck the shit out of her, among other things. But in time. He rose to his feet as she arrived at his table.
“Sorry I’m late,” she said cheerfully.
“Quite alright,” he said with a smile of his own. “I don’t care for tardiness, but I will let you slide this time.”
Carly smiled as he moved over and pulled her chair out for her. “Thank you,” she said, and sat down. Her heart was pounding, and she was as nervous as she’d ever been, but she was a master at wearing the mask. She laid it on thick tonight.
Trevor sat across from her and watched her as the waitress arrived and took her drink and food orders.
“They know me here,” Carly said, “so we’ll get good service.”
“Your father owns the place,” Trevor said. “Or is that wrong information?”
She had hoped he didn’t know that. Because the more he knew, the more research into her family life he would have had to do. Which would only confirm what her father and uncle were saying all along: he was up to something, and it more than likely wasn’t something good. “No,” she said. “Your information is correct.”
“I also discovered that this town does not like him very well. But of course they have no reason to dislike him, right?”
“Wrong,” Carly said. “They have plenty of reasons. A lot of them have business with him, or rent from him, and he doesn’t go along with their nonsense. He holds them accountable for paying their rent on time or for fulfilling their obligations under any contracts they may have with him. If they fail to perform, he cuts them off. He shows no mercy. They have plenty of reasons to think of him as nothing short of an asshole. Are their reasons fair? No. Are their reasons justifiable? Yes.”
Trevor smiled. “That is why I have always liked you, Carly,” he admitted. “That is why I hired you in the first place. You do not bullshit. You tell it like it is.”
When he said that, Carly outwardly smiled. But inwardly she felt horrible. She always liked her former boss too. She liked his professionalism. She liked his no nonsense approach to every problem. She liked the fact that he was this great looking guy who didn’t fool around with anyone at work nor allow his employees to so much as glimpse his personal life in any way, shape, or form. He was still the only man she had ever worked with who didn’t try to get her in his bed. And that was despite the fact that he was the only man she ever worked with whom she would have loved to get in bed with. But he never crossed that line. She respected Trevor Reese.
And all of this talk about him having something to do with digging up Ethan Campbell’s grave, despite her knowledge of him, was making her feel uneasy. She worked with this man for months. He had a national reputation for his integrity and ethical standards. She couldn’t imagine him being involved with such hideousness.
The waitress returned with her drink order, and refreshed Trevor’s drink. When the waitress left their table, Trevor looked at Carly. “I’m pleased you phoned me,” he said. “I thought you were a little upset that I had visited you at your home.”
Carly wasn’t going to lie. She was very upset that morning. But she knew how to pivot. She knew how to stay focused on why she was there to begin with. “You’re the man who was able to get me out of that Boston jail. You’re the man who miraculously got them to drop the charges. I’ll always be grateful to you for that.”
“Ah, that was nothing,” Trevor said with a wave of the hand. “You’re worth every effort I demonstrate.”
Carly stared at him. “But weren’t you a little curious about Ethan’s body? They said they found it in the house I used to rent. I didn’t put it there, I was in Jericho living my life, but somebody did.”
“I was curious, yes,” Trevor said. “But I did my research. Your father has many enemies, and not just the local ones here in Jericho. I concluded that somebody tried to get to him through you. Besides, I know you. There is no way in hell that you would have been foolish enough to leave a dead body in your house.
”
“But they weren’t just claiming that I left his body there,” Carly said. “They were claiming that I killed him and left his body there.”
“Yes, I know,” Trevor said.
Carly stared at Trevor. “But doesn’t that part disturb you? The fact that the authorities arrested me for the murder of Ethan Campbell?”
Trevor seemed to think about that question. Then he looked at her. “Ethan was an asshole. Which is fine. He has that right. But he was rapist too, and we both knew it. He raped that child and probably would have raped others too. Whoever killed him did the world a favor, in my book. Whoever killed him probably had no choice. So no, Carly, that part of the equation doesn’t disturb me at all.”
He and Carly shared a long stare. She didn’t want to go there, but she knew she had to go there. The FBI could have him wired, her uncle Mick had already warned her, so she knew her words had to be carefully chosen. “Do you think I killed Ethan Campbell?” she asked him point blank. If he was an FBI operative or informant, he would take the ball and run with it. If he wasn’t the Fed, he would punt.
“I don’t know,” Trevor responded, “and I don’t care. I have enough business of my own, and that is not my business. You needn’t declare your innocence to me, or confess your sins to me. I don’t give a shit, to be honest. Not when it concerns a bastard like Ethan Campbell. I’m just glad you’re out of their custody. I’m just glad I got there before they could formally book you in.”
“You wouldn’t have been able to get me out if they had?” Carly asked.
Trevor smiled. “I didn’t say that,” he said. “It would have made my job more difficult, yes. But for you? I would have pulled it off.”
Carly smiled too. He was a charmer alright, she thought. No doubt about that. But she couldn’t be fooled by it either. Her father and uncle didn’t have him on their shit list for the hell of it. They didn’t have her calling him up and asking to meet with him, when there could be danger involved, for their health. Despite all she knew about him, and believed him to be, he might be attempting to bring her down. She had to fight to stay up. This meeting, they told her, was the beginning of her battle. “How was your trip to Canada?” she asked him, careful to stick to the script.
“It was okay,” Trevor responded.
That was the Trevor that Carly remembered. Every time anybody at work would ask him something about his life, he would blow it off. It was okay. It’s alright. It’s fine. Never anything more than that. But unlike when she worked for him, it was her job tonight to sift him out. It was her job to get personal with him. “Did you get the result you were looking for?” she asked.
“Perhaps,” Trevor responded.
Carly smiled. “In other words, mind my own business. Right?”
Trevor smiled. “What about you?” he asked.
Carly was impressed with how smoothly he changed the subject. “Me?” she asked.
“Still enjoying your teaching job?”
“Oh. Why, yes. I’m enjoying it.”
“It’s a far cry from the job you did for me in Boston.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I was hoping that was what this meeting was about.”
Carly gave him a puzzled look. “Excuse me?”
“I was hoping you wanted to meet with me so that you could ask to come back to work for me.”
Carly’s heart began to swell. He came, not because he wanted to feel her out and get her to confess to Ethan’s killing. He came because he wanted her back. She suspected he didn’t know a thing about that night in Boston! At least that was her hope. But she knew she had to tread cautiously. She could just be blinded by her affection for him. “I see,” she said.
“I always go hard for talent,” Trevor said. “You know that. Talent is the name of the game for me. You have it in bucket loads, Carly,” he added.
Carly smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Reese.”
“Mr. Reese? While having drinks together? It’s Trevor to you, missy.”
Carly laughed. And she suddenly realized that he was the only person, since her world tilted that night in Boston, who had been able to make her laugh. “Trevor,” she said.
“So am I correct to assume that is why you phoned?” he asked. “To get back into my good graces?”
“Well yes and no,” Carly responded, careful not to tell an outright lie. “I’ve been thinking about going back to Boston and resuming my career, yes, I have. But I don’t know if I want to leave my family just yet.”
“The emergency that caused you to quit your job in the first place is still problematic?” Trevor asked.
Carly wondered if he knew something. “Excuse me?”
“The reason you cited for leaving my firm. You mentioned a family emergency. Is that still the reason that keeps you here?”
“Oh! No. That’s been resolved. But I’m back in the habit of being with my family every day. It’s a tough habit to break.”
“Then you must look on the bright side,” Trevor said. “Is it better that you eyeball your family every day, or get back on track with your real career? A career, by the by, that was taking you straight to the top.”
Carly knew it too. But she had to push the envelope. Her father told her so. If he was up to something, it would be revealed. “You ever wondered about why I left it all behind like that?” She stared at him after she asked it. If he knew what happened to Ethan that night and her role in Ethan’s death, and he wanted a confession as her father and uncle believed, despite what he had just told her, then she’d just given him the opening he needed to try it. She’d just given him the hammer to hammer her with.
But Trevor punted again. “I didn’t have to wonder,” he said. “Your family comes first. Someone in your family needed you, so you forgot about yourself and aided them. It is an admirable quality. One I wish I had.”
There was a pause, and Carly could see a look that could have passed for regret in his eyes.
“So no,” he added, “I never wonder why you left your career behind. With your talent, it’s just a matter of picking it back up someday.” Then he smiled. “I was hoping today would be that day. But I can wait.” He stared into Carly’s eyes. “You’re worth it.”
“So that we’re clear,” Carly said. “If I decide to return to Boston, you’ll take me back?”
Trevor stared at her. He thought he’d already made that clear. “In a heartbeat,” he said, to be clearer.
Carly smiled and sipped her drink. He didn’t know a thing. He wasn’t trying to pick her brain. It was early still, but at least for right now she could not have been more pleased.
The SUV pulled up four doors down from the small block house. Charles was seated in the front seat, and Mick was in the back. Mick checked his gun, to make sure it was fully loaded, and then placed it in the back of his pants along the small of his back. “There’s a 7-Eleven around the block,” he said to his driver. “Wait for us there.”
“Yes, sir,” the driver responded as Mick and Charles got out of the vehicle, walked onto the sidewalk of the suburban neighborhood, and made their way to the house. They were back in Boston, after a quick ride on Mick’s plane, after word came that Anzino had been spotted. They couldn’t get to Boston fast enough.
But now they were walking leisurely, as if they were two businessmen on a neighborhood stroll, or Jehovah’s Witnesses ready to hand out literature. They didn’t exactly fit in, but they didn’t stand out either.
And when they neared the house Anzino had been spotted entering, they walked up to the front door as any good visitor would, and knocked on the door. Even Charles found it odd. “I thought the bad guys never knocked,” he said. “I thought they always launched a sneak attack out back.”
“And the bad guy they’re searching for always gets away. You know why?”
“I’m sure you’re enlighten me.”
“The bad guys are always on to that shit, that’s why,” Mick responded. “If they’re hiding out, they expect th
e sneak attack. They look for it. They listen for it. They never expect the enemy to boldly knock like some regular Joe. But that’s what I rely on. I count on that lack of expectation.” He knocked again.
But as soon as he knocked this time, a gunshot could be heard. As soon as they heard it, both men pulled out their loaded weapons. Charles, the bigger of the two men, leaned back and kicked the door open with the leather sole of his leather shoes, and Mick hurried inside, pointing his weapon as he did. Charles, his weapon aimed too, entered behind him. It was a small house, so they were able to see from one end of it to the other end, and they saw the feet of a body hanging out of one of the bedrooms. Then they saw that the backdoor was open.
Mick ran toward the open backdoor, while Charles made his way toward the backroom where the body was lying. As soon as Mick ran out of the backdoor, he saw a figure jump a fence and take off running across a backyard.
Mick ran after him, jumping the fence too. When he landed on his feet, he continued to give chase. But by the time he made it to the next street over, the apparent gunman was jumping into a waiting vehicle, and the vehicle sped away. Mick wasn’t close enough to get a license plate, or even to see the make or model of the car, or who the driver was. All he saw was that it was a black boxy car. It could have been a Kia. It could have been a Honda. It could have been a fucking Toyota. He wasn’t close enough to say. Dammit!
Then he thought about his brother, who wasn’t exactly versed in the ways of the dark side, and hurried back to the yellow house.
Charles made his way down the hall to the room where the feet could be seen. When he saw what he had suspected would be a dead body, undoubtedly the body of Mick’s man Anzino, he immediately twirled around, to make sure this was no ambush. Then he checked the other rooms, whipping his gun in first before he stepped in himself. When he saw that the coast was clear, he made his way back to the victim. One gunshot through the forehead. Another life stopped as it appeared to be running into the bedroom for cover. He crossed his chest, said a prayer for the man’s soul, and then stepped over his body and entered the room.
Big Daddy Sinatra: Carly's Cry Page 14
