by Ted Evans
Several minutes later, the door pushes open and Detective Peters steps over the threshold. Liam stands and crosses the room, his hand out to shake the detective’s. They shake hands quickly and Peters claps Liam on the shoulder, his grip firm and friendly.
Liam glances at the detective, noting that he’s a little older, a little grayer, but over still looks like the same clean cut cowboy type he was when Liam met him in the joint years ago. And he’s still wearing the same damn hat. Something about his staid familiarity makes Liam think that they made the right decision in contacting him.
“So,” the detective booms, his voice big in the small room, “you got some problems with Carlo again? Sit down.” He waves Liam back to the table.
Liam drops into the chair beside Willow and drapes his arm over the back of hers. Detective Peters’s eyes are shrewd as he takes in the pair of them sitting before him. Liam is hoping that shrewdness will help them get rid of Carlo for good.
The detective drops a file folder to the table and leans back in chair, tipping it back on two legs. “Tell me what’s going on this time, Blacke.”
Liam glances at Willow, trying to gauge her mood. She hasn’t said a word since she thanked the officer for Frank’s crackers. She takes a small, quick breath and gives him a nod. Liam gives her shoulder a squeeze before he turns to Detective Peters.
“This is Willow. Willow was Carlo’s girlfriend three, four years ago.”
“And now she’s yours?” The detective’s eyebrows disappear underneath the brim of his large, brown cowboy hat.
“Not…I mean. We’re friends.” Liam finishes lamely. He can feel Willow’s eyes burning into his head. “That doesn’t matter right now. I’m here to help her. She’s got his kid. Carlo’s kid. And Carlo wants him back.”
“Does Carlo also want Willow back?” Peters asks.
“Uh…he does.”
“And you know this how?”
Liam tightens his lips around the words. “I was offered the kidnap contract on them.”
“I see.” Detective Peters temples his fingers underneath his chin, his eyes going hazy with thought for a few seconds. Then he turns to Willow with a smile. “How do you feel about this, honey?”
“Um. Not good?” Willow ventures. She gives Liam a chilly glower.
“I’d imagine not,” the detective says pleasantly.
Willow leans forward. “Are you going to help us?”
Detective Peters gives Liam a searching gaze before turning back to Willow. He leans forward and folds his big hands over hers. “I am. But you’re going to have to trust me.”
Liam pulls Willow back and settles his arms across her shoulder again. He does trust Detective Peters but he knows that Willow doesn’t. He knows that she has reason not too but he’s got to make her understand that it’s for the best. They have to let Detective Peters help them if they’re going to get out from under Carlo for good. He gives her shoulder another squeeze and is relieved when she reaches up and covers his hand with hers.
“So,” Peters flips through the file folder and sucks on his teeth as he reads through a few pages, “I’m going to tell you what I think we should do.”
Liam nods. “I’m listening.”
“We need to turn Willow over to Carlo.”
Willow rockets out of her chair, knocking it over and startling Frank, who begins to cry. She snatches the boy up and hugs him tightly to her. “I told you, I told you,” she sobs at Liam.
“No, no, that’s not what he meant.” Liam jumps up and pulls Willow and Frank into the circle of his arms. He glares over her head at Detective Peters. “Tell her that’s not what you meant.”
“Oh, I meant exactly what I said,” he remarked.
Willow’s sobbing increases against Liam’s chest and he feels his shirt dampen with her hot tears. She’s mumbling against him.
“I told you, they’re all bought. Carlo’s bought them all. We can’t trust cops, we can’t trust anyone. It was a mistake,” she’s babbling now, almost incoherent in her fear.
“Well, now, I may be a lot of things, young lady, but the one thing I’m not is bought. Carlo doesn’t own me. Sit back down.”
“Fuck you, I’m leaving,” Willow spits at him.
“Hey now, you trying to teach your son those kinds of manners? Sit down. I also meant what I said when I said you’d have to trust me. Sit down.”
Liam eases Willow back down into the metal chair, Frank still clutched to her chest, bubbles blowing out of his little nose. Liam wipes the boy’s face with his hand, grimacing before rubbing the wetness across his jeans.
Rubbing circles across Willow’s back, Liam tells her to give Detective Peters a chance to explain.
Willow glares across the table at the detective, who ignores the hate in her gaze. “Okay then, here’s what we do. Liam, you’re going to call your guy and tell him you’ll take the job. Then, you’re going to tell him you found her and set up a meet. We’re going to wire you both up and send you in.”
Liam feels Willow start to shake under his hand, hears her breathing coming short. Fear is radiating off her. Even knowing that she’ll be with Liam and under police protection isn’t enough for her. Liam can tell she’s going to say no. And that’s exactly what she does.
Turning to the detective, Liam asks him to give them a few minutes. Detective Peters nods and walks out the door, leaving them alone in the small room.
“Willow. Look at me!”
Willow looks up at him, fear and anger warring across her face. He knows she thinks he’s betrayed her by bringing her here.
“We need to do this, Willow.”
“No. I’m not doing it. I’m not putting Frank in danger like that.”
“It’s the only way. Carlo won’t get anywhere near Frank. I promise. I’ll be there.”
She bites into her lip and vigorously shakes her head no.
Liam drops onto the floor beside her, one hand resting on her knee, the other on Frank’s back. He stares up at her, willing her see in his eyes what he doesn’t want to say out loud. When all she does is stare down at him, her eyes beginning to take on the blank look he saw earlier, he makes his choice.
“Willow, I love you.”
Her eyes narrow at him.
“I love you and Frank and I’m not going to let anything or anyone hurt either one of you. We have to do this. And we can trust Peters. He’s here to help up and he’s as honest as they come. Please, Willow? Let’s get rid of Carlo for good. Then, we can start over somewhere else. Just the three of us.”
Her face softens as she looks at him, he can see the fear leeching away from her features. “You love me?” she asks softly.
“Yes, God help us all, I do.”
She takes a deep breath and looks down at the little boy cradled in her lap. “And what about Harriet?”
Liam hesitates as he says it. Something that he’d spent months and money trying to find her had come to a bitter end. He knew what Willow wanted and he knew that all it took was a promise to make sure that it was all put to an end.
“Maybe your grandma’s right and I should put the past behind me. Harriet’s done it and maybe that’s why she’s back home?”
“I don’t care if she’s done it. At the end of the day she’s my mom. I can’t sit and watch knowing that I could have stopped her death.”
As Liam nods, Willow blurts out, “Okay, I’ll do it.”
Liam takes a deep breath. “Good. I’ll go get Peters, let him know.
Just then the door swings open and Peters steps back in. Liam colors, a bright red flushing across his face, and Willow gives Peters a questioning look. Grinning, the detective points at the camera in the corner.
Chapter Twenty One
Liam
They’re in a motel, just the three of them, arranged for them by the police and across town from their apartment building. A young cop in street clothes dropped them and then returned later with bags full of burgers from a local fast food place. Fra
nk was delighted with the unexpected treat but Liam didn’t feel like eating and neither did Willow. They let Frank much on the junk food and watch cartoons until he fell asleep.
When Liam stepped outside to make the phone call to Tony, Willow went with him, clinging to his shirt, her head leaning against his back as he made the arrangements. She didn’t speak as they stood in the night air, the lights around the hotel sending orange phosphorus spilling across the dark parking lot. When he thumbed his phone off, he turned, pulling Willow into his arms. Her cheek rested against his chest and could feel the warmth of her breath puffing across his skin. She felt small in his arms, barely bigger than Frank to him. When she looked up at him, the vulnerability was a raw slash across her face.
“I love you, too,” she said.
Heat blossomed across his chest and swelled inside, filling up the parts of him he hadn’t even realized were empty. He lifted her chin and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft lips. He’d protect her, he’d protect them both. With his own life, if necessary.
He leads her back inside, dimming the lights and pulling back the blankets on the bed opposite the one Frank sleeps in. He nudges her until she kicks off her shoes and climbs in. He slides in beside her and pulls the covers up over the both, then reaches over and pulls her into the him, settling her curves around the edges of his body. They fit together like a puzzle piece.
Liam nuzzles into her hair, smelling his shampoo, smiling to himself as he thinks about her in his shower, using his shampoo and soap.
“Liam, I’m scared,” she says quietly.
“I know.”
“We can still leave. Take Frank and run. Right now.” She moves to get out of the bed.
Liam pulls her back, draping his leg over hers to keep her still. “We’re not going anywhere, Willow. We need to do this. End it for good.”
“What if you get hurt?”
“I won’t,” he reassures her.
“What if something happens to Frank? What if Carlo manages to grab him?”
“Frank’s not going to be in this room. We’re going to move him before the set-up. Carlo will never even see him.”
“Liam, if Carlo kills me, take care of Frank, okay?”
Liam rolls her over to face him. He can see her eyes glinting in the darkness. “Stop it, Willow. Nothing’s going to happen to you or to Frank or to me. I won’t let it and neither will Peters. All we have to do is follow instructions and let the cops do their job.”
She snorts against his chest. “Yeah, the cops. Like we can trust all of them. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them has already turned us in for a big pay day from Carlo.”
“These are Peters’s guys. They’re as straight as they come. We’ll be okay.”
“I’m still scared, Liam.”
“I know you are. But we have to do this. I won’t leave your side. Think about Frank. You can’t keep running like you are. What happens when it’s time for Frank to start school? You can’t live like this forever.”
“Don’t you think I’ve thought about that? I don’t like being on the run with Frank. It kills me every time we have to pack up and move to some other town, some other crappy apartment, when I have to get some other shitty job. I hate living like this.”
“Then let’s end it.”
She sighs against him and he can tell she’s giving in, the way her body slumps against his lets him know that he’s won the argument. She’ll go along with him and they’ll end Carlo and move on to a better life. Liam tucks her underneath his chin and listens as her breathing grows long and slow in the night.
The next morning, the young officer is back with breakfast for them. More fast food. Willow takes the coffee but turns down the greasy breakfast sandwiches, watching with a look of mild disgust as Frank and Liam wolf them down.
She peers into the oily bag, wrinkling her nose at the stale, greasy smell. “I never let him eat this crap, you know.”
Liam laughs and takes a huge bite of egg and sausage wrapped in pancakes. “It won’t kill him.”
“Yeah, but you’re not exactly a spring chicken. That’s one serious heart attack your holding in your hand.”
Liam responds by squirting a packet of syrup directly down his throat. Willow shakes her head and sips at her coffee.
“What about you?” Liam asks. “You’ve hardly eaten in two days. Surviving off coffee isn’t healthy either.”
She stares down into the plastic coffee cup. “I’ll eat…after.”
Seeing her thoughts drifting down a dangerous road, Liam tosses a balled up napkin at her. “Okay, Miss Gourmet, what would you like for breakfast.”
“Hmmm,” Willow considers as she sits on the edge of the bed. “Fresh eggs and bacon. A fruit plate with lots of melon and strawberries. Fresh squeezed orange juice. And lemon rosemary biscuits with butter. Lots of real butter, none of that margarine crap.”
Liam studies his limp sandwich. “That does sound good.”
“Yeah,” Willow says dreamily. “I’d like to open a café one day. A little place with striped curtains and different types of muffins every day of the week.”
A sharp rap at the door cuts her reverie short. She jumps up and drops her coffee cup into the nearby trashcan. Liam slips past her pulls back the edge of the curtain, peering at the door.
“Peters,” he says, before dropping the curtain and sliding open the door locks. He steps back and lets Detective Peters into the room along with a couple of techie looking guys with big cases.
“Morning, kids,” Peters booms. His voice always seems to fill any space he’s in. “This Mike, Charlie.” He points his thumb at the guys standing behind him. “They’re going to help wire you up.”
The guys settle their cases on the bed and flip them open, pulling out hair thin wires and tiny receivers’, laying them carefully across the coverlets. Frank watches with interest. One of the tech’s give the boy a grin.
Peters settles into the corner chair and flips through his files, stopping to occasionally talk quietly into his phone, as the techs work around Liam. They pull up his shirt and tape the thin wires across his chest, clipping the minuscule microphone to the inside of his collar and the receiver to the inside band of his jeans.
When they approach Willow with her set of wires, Liam glowers at them until they turn red. “Stop it,” she mumbles at him, turning her back to the room and lifting her shirt, letting the techs’ work quickly around her.
When they’ve finished their work, and tested the wires, the techs’ pack up their cases and head out the door. Peters strolls across the room. “Don’t forget, those wires are live now. Anything you say or do…” He gives them a rakish grin. “But, time to get serious now. In a few minutes, Liam, you’re going to call Tony.”
Liam experiences a momentary twinge of guilt. He hates to turn on Tony, but this is about Willow and Frank. And Tony, being who he is, would probably wind back up in prison soon anyhow. At least, that’s what Liam tells himself.
Liam nods at Peters to continue.
“Don’t worry about a thing. We’re in room right next door. Been set up all night.” Peters gestures toward the wall. “This is going to happen fast. We’re not going to let Nato be in this room more than two minutes with you. Understand?”
Liam nods. He understands perfectly what’s about to happen. He’s turned over on Carlo Nato and his old prison buddy. His life will never be the same after this. But he’s doing it for Willow and Frank. Willow and Frank. Keep them in mind, he tells himself. Willow and Frank.
“Frank?” Willow is saying.
Peters crosses over quickly and takes Willow’s hands. “Don’t worry about that little boy, honey.” He drops her hands and pulls out a walkie, pressing a button and speaking into it quickly. Seconds later there’s a knock on the door. Peters pulls it open to reveal a sweet, grey-haired lady. Peters pulls her into the room and gives her hug before turning to face the room.
“Willow, Liam…this is my wife, Nancy.”
“Hey, y’all,” Nancy drawls sweetly.
“Now, if it’s okay, Nancy’s going to take Frank…”
Willow steps forward, her hands up, her head shaking. Liam grabs her, pushing her hands down. “Listen to him, Willow.”
“Thank you. Nancy will take Frank with her. Not far away but far enough to be out of Carlo’s site and safe from…anything that might happen. There’s a playground a few blocks down the street.”
“I don’t…” Willow turns to Liam, panic starting to burn in her eyes.
“My Nancy, she was in the Army before she went on to serve in the Secret Service. Also, mother to our five kids. She’s a better shot than I am and always packing.”
Liam turns to give the sweet, motherly lady the once over, impressed with her sugary smile and crafty eyes. “Willow, let her take him away from here.”
Willow swallows and nods. She runs over to Frank and hugs him tightly, kissing at his cheeks and head until Nancy gently disengages her arms and leads Frank out the door, promising him cookies and trip to the duck pond for being a good boy.
Liam watches as the door closes behind them and turns back to Peters, who gives him a firm nod.
“Liam, make the call.”
Chapter Twenty Two
Willow
She’s afraid she’s going to die.
Her chest is squeezed so tight, her breath is so shallow, she feels like her heart is going to explode, leaving her strewn across this anonymous hotel room in a city she doesn’t even like. This is going to be her end.
Willow tries to take deep breaths, to soothe the tightness restricting her air. She never should have let that lady take Frank. She should go. Run, find Frank and leave, disappear into another dirty, anonymous city. She’s managed to hide from Carlo this long. The only reason he’s on his way here now is because she willingly turned herself in to him. She must be stupid. He’s going to kill her.
