Vendetta

by Jennifer Moulton

  “I sort of, lost my moral compass and drowned my sorrows quite frequently. I met a woman at a bar and had a few one night stands with her and she became pregnant. We weren’t together or dating; nothing quite like that, so she decided to have an abortion. She just wanted to move on with her life, but by the time she got in there, the Dr. said she was too far along. I don’t believe in abortion, and I tried to reason with her. I was relieved when I heard the Doctors news. Her new plan was to give the baby up for adoption. She said it was her choice and I had nothing to do with it. So, my sister Alice and I convinced her that she could hand the baby over to us and walk away, no questions asked. She did just that. I decided that I loved that baby regardless of whether I was the real father or not. I wasn’t going to be like my father, and take off,” Mark paused.

  “The state had a paternity test done, and she was, in fact, mine. Alice laughed and said, “as if there were any doubt! She’s a mini you!” Mark chuckled at the memory.

  He started to feel his nose tingle, like accidently breathing in water in a swimming pool. Mark put his emotion in check and became serious again.

  “I’m about to ask you something very important, Detective. I can sense that you’re honest and hardworking. But what I‘m wondering about you, is a bit more personal. How far would you go in order to bring justice to an innocent girl?” Mark asked seriously. “Would you go beyond the normal call of duty?”

  Detective Williams was caught off guard, and looked directly at this curious man across from him.

  “Of course I would, Mark. Do you suspect foul play?” He asked, fascinated.

  “I SUSPECT a lot of things, but I’ll tell you what I KNOW. I know that things are never usually what they seem. I know that what happened to my daughter was no accident. I also know whose behind it, and I don‘t want them to get away with it,” Mark looked very calm, and confident.

  The Detectives mind was trying to process this sudden revelation. Should he just keep this odd theory in the back of his mind and humor Mark? Maybe just keep a close eye on him, weighing more on the side of caution. Mark didn’t seem crazy. What if, this guy is telling the truth? He obviously believes it. What if, there was more to this case, than what there appeared to be, and if he was right, then this is a serious case. What if, it was his own daughter?” Williams thought quickly.

  “Are you willing to help me investigate my daughter’s possible murder?” Mark asked frankly.

  Mark’s vulnerability shone through in that fleeting moment. But even just for that brief second, Williams saw it, and knew it was the real deal. He made his decision. This man needed his help, and his gut feeling told him it was the right thing to do.

  “Yes, I am. I’m willing to help you,” Williams stated.

  “Wonderful, I thank you. I also appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. Would you be able to come to my home tomorrow to discuss this further?” Mark asked.

  “Absolutely, is there a time that’s more convenient than others?” Detective Williams was exhausted and ready to call it a night, or a day actually. It was nearly 2:00 a.m.

  “No, anytime is good, let me give you my card,” Mark sensed that the Detective was ready to go.

  Mark wrote down his address on the back of a restaurant business card and gave it to Detective Williams. They stood and began walking towards the doors. “I’ll call you first thing in the morning Detective,” Mark said.

  “Formalities aside, my friends call me Williams,” he extended his hand to Mark.

  “During and after my football years, everyone called me Williams like it was my first name. I‘m sure a solid young man like you played a little ball in high school, you understand!” He joked lightly as Mark walked him out.

  “You would have thought my name was Williams, Williams,” he continued.

  “Well, we have something in common then, Williams,” Mark held the door open and Williams stepped out.

  “My friends call me Mark, and that isn’t my real name either,” he smiled.

  CHAPTER 5

  ONCE UPON A TIME

  Williams showed up at Mark’s house the following morning at 9:00 a.m. sharp. They sat across from each other at the kitchen table, sipping coffee, as Mark began his story. Williams patiently waited and anticipated what this man needed to tell him. He was intrigued, to say the least.

  “My real name is Vincenzo Santoro Lentini. Along with my daughter Lily, I have been in a witness relocation program for the last thirteen years. I testified in a murder trial that convicted Leonardo Vanzetti of two counts of first degree murder. I essentially helped put away my sister and his own brother’s killer.”

  “Leo was a known trouble maker, and was involved in a mess of illegal activity. He was also connected to drug trafficking and local arms dealers. Leo’s parents went bankrupt paying for his defense lawyers. They had tried to say that he was mentally incompetent to stand trial for the murders, but his psych evaluation proved otherwise. The Defense had conjured up all these crazy notions that supposedly explained how his actions were the direct influence of the DRUGS and not the conscious decision of the MAN that committed the murders. They presented an interesting argument that if they rehabilitated the man from drugs, then it would eliminate the threat, and he would no longer be a menace to society. They put up a good fight, even if it was a losing battle. He was convicted of two counts of first degree murder.”

  “But, on the day of sentencing, however, the Judge obviously sympathized with Leo‘s parents. They told stories of emotional and financial difficulty. They lost not only their youngest son, their family restaurant and now their oldest son to the prison system. Shortly after the trial was over, Mr. Vanzetti, Leo’s father, suffered a fatal heart attack,” Mark respectively lowered his head.

  “Leo was given life WITH the possibility of parole, serving no less than twelve years. He would receive treatment for his drug addiction and his anger issues there. He was to be a candidate for a new rehabilitation program in the state of New Jersey,” Mark explained sarcastically.

  “Lily and I moved here and assumed the identities of Mark and Allison Anderson. My daughter was barely five when we moved, and obviously knew her name, so I called her Allie, because it sounded similar to Lily.”

  A sudden memory of a bright eyed, five year old Lily flashed into his head.

  Refusing to succumb to his mental distraction, he continued. “I was given a job at Angelo’s restaurant as a dish washer, set up by the protection agency. Dom Angelo, being the generous man he is, quickly promoted me to waiting tables. Whenever there was an opportunity for a raise, he thought of me. So, I became the bartender for a while and then before I knew it, I was a shift supervisor, and about two years ago, he made me Restaurant Manager. Nick was the first friend I made here. He was bussing tables when I started, now he’s a shift supervisor in training.”

  “We’ve been good friends thru it all. His wife, Julie, works in the neonatal intensive care unit at St. Luke’s. They don’t have any children, and are quite close to us as well. Julie was always involved with Allie. Julie is more of a motherly figure to her, than a friend, or was anyway. Dom met Lucy a few years ago and they were just married last spring. They don’t have any children from previous marriages and they loved Lily as well. We’re pretty much all like one big happy family here,” Mark concluded.

  Mark explained the daily routines they all had, and anything else that he could think of that might be helpful.

  Williams sat and sipped his coffee, listening to everything Mark had to say. He occasionally wrote something down on his crisp and scratchy notepad. Williams adjusted his glasses and nodded his head diligently.

  “Have you been in contact with your witness protection coordinator?” He asked.

  “Yes. I called first thing this morning. Vanzetti is still in prison… for now anyway. He coincidentally, has a parole hearing on Monday morning. However, my coordinator has assured me that he is “well aware of the events that have transpired and feels t
his has been a terrible tragedy, a mere accident,” Mark said mockingly.

  “You have got to be shitting me. He has a parole hearing… this Monday?” Williams was shocked. He definitely understood why Mark was so skeptical now.

  “They seem to think that this has NOTHING to do with Vanzetti, at all. This is why I need you to help me all the more. This is going to be a tough pill for some people to swallow,” Mark continued to plead his case to Williams.

  “What I would like you to do is quite reasonable. I have no unrealistic expectations from you, Williams. I simply need a fresh pair of eyes and ears, looking for facts and clues to help piece together this puzzle. I need solid evidence to prove his connection. You and I both know that I can’t go to the police and expose my identity with nothing but conjecture and theory,” Mark said sincerely.

  “I do understand that,” Williams hesitated. “Alright, let me make sure I got this straight. I’m just going to think out loud for a moment, if that’s all right. “Williams took off his glasses and rubbed the sore indentation on the bridge of his nose. “May I speak frankly?”

  “Of course,” Mark waited politely.

  Williams concentrated on every word, trying to make sense of it all as he spoke. “You think, or feel strongly anyway, that Leo Vanzetti, or quite possibly someone connected to him, somehow discovered your new identity and found your location. He then had your daughter murdered and made it look like some sort of an accident. All of this being his retaliation, for your testimony against him at your sister’s murder trial, which in turn, put him away these past thirteen years?” Williams asked. “That‘s quite the reach,” Williams just wanted to state the obvious.

  Mark looked at him steadily. “Yes, that’s exactly what I think. I believe it indefinitely, with every molecule in my brain. That man is a cold blooded killer. He has never once admitted guilt for the murders, ever. God only knows what has gone on in his mind, being locked up all this time. His resentment towards me, I’m sure, has been unbearable. There’s NO doubt in my mind that he’s been waiting and planning to take some sort of revenge. He‘s too proud and stubborn of a man to have just let this all go. The motive is clear to me,” Mark said eloquently.

  “Alright then, now we just have to prove it,” Williams agreed.

  Williams then slid his glasses back on.

  “First things first, let’s go over the preliminary report from the hospital that Dom gave you. It states… possible food contamination or Allergic Reaction. The official cause of death might not be determined for weeks and the autopsy won’t be performed until next week you said?” William asked.

  “Yeah, that’s right,” Mark said.

  “So for now, we go with the E.M.T’s cause of death, which is “anaphylactic shock and asphyxiation,” he looked focused as he read the report that Mark put in front of him. “This could coincide with either theory of an allergic reaction or a poisoning,” Williams seemed disappointed by this.

  Mark had already realized this. “Absolutely, it’s disheartening, but we must find other proof that supports that this case is a homicide.”

  It wasn’t easy hearing how she may have died or that she might have suffered. He suddenly thought of her laid out on that cold, metal viewing table.

  Mark quickly put the image out of his mind. He continued.

  “It’s important that we maintain trust between us. I have told you all this because…... I simply don’t know who I can trust anymore. I need your help. It’s imperative that you know everything, EVERY little thing. I know that he found us, and had someone carry out my daughters murder as a message that he’s coming after me…..there’s no need to keep up false pretenses.”

  “He’s almost out on parole, and he’ll be coming for me. I’ll be ready for him… but, let’s just do what we can now, in the time that we have, to prove her death wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate, calculated and pre-meditated act. I just know it.” Mark didn’t realize how loud his voice had become or how agitated it sounded.

  “Mark, I know if something ever happened to my daughter, I would do whatever it took to find out the truth. I will help you as much as I‘m possibly capable of. I would like to give you my anonymity on this, I really would, but if it turns dangerous then I will need to notify my Captain and bring him in on it,” Williams said quietly.

  Mark leaned forward and placed his hands in front of him on the table. He looked up into Williams face.

  “I understand your position. I also appreciate your forth right attitude, and I respect your personal duty to your job. However, when this turns dangerous… and it will, I will no longer be needing your services,” Mark leaned back in his chair.

  Williams was perplexed by this.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t understand. I’m a detective, Mark. Would you really expect me to just turn my back, if something truly criminal is happening?” Williams seemed bothered and maybe a little perplexed by Marks odd requirement.

  Mark folded his hands in his lap, and appeared calm once again. “Something truly criminal has ALREADY happened. Look, it’s very important to me that you understand something. I’m not interested in any harm coming to you or any other innocent person around me. I’m not asking you to turn a blind eye to anything. I will do whatever it is that I have to do. I simply need a second pair of eyes, ears and the use of your contacts. You are free to walk away at any time, including now. Once I have the proof that I need, to show that Vanzetti IS involved, I will let you handle it as you see fit and take it to the proper authorities. My daughter’s death will not be in vain. You have my word on that,” Mark said honestly.

  Williams sat back and thought about this proposal. He understood the demands perfectly well, and knew what Mark was asking of him. He also knew that Mark would go forward with this investigation, with or without him. All though Mark didn’t show it, Williams knew he was desperate for his help.

  Detective Williams leaned forward and extended his hand. He understood that this man needed his help, and if there was anything that he could do to bring him peace and his daughter some justice, he would do it. Mark shook his hand and the deal was silently sealed.

  “Let’s see who’s been visiting Mr. Vanzetti in prison, shall we?” Williams picked up his cell phone and took a deep breath.

  CHAPTER 6

  COFFEE CUPS

  Mark had fallen asleep in Allie’s room where he had spent most of the afternoon. He had wandered in and looked around, hoping to feel somewhat close to her. He had only meant to sit down on her bed for a moment, when he reached out and grabbed her pillow. Bunching it up in his hands, he buried his face into the squishy material. Mark inhaled deeply as the lilac scent of Allie’s shampoo comforted him.

  Waking up instantly out of a sound sleep had startled him. Mark’s heart beat quickly as the dull throbbing of it pulsated into his ears. He sat up quickly feeling a sudden poke and scrape on the back of his neck, his hand instantly searching the stinging area. He turned his head and looked down at a feather poking out from her down pillow. He pulled it out, snapping it in his fingers. Mark silently took it as a sign that he just wasn’t allowed to sleep peacefully; ever. He heard several quiet knocks at the back door. That sound is probably what woke him up in the first place.

  He stood quickly and drew his handgun from the back of his jeans and went downstairs. He held it down low, pointing it away from him, and towards the ground. Mark wouldn’t go anywhere now, without his gun or his twin pistols strapped under his jacket. Slowly approaching the back door, he could see the silhouette of a woman through the sheer curtain. It was Julie. He slipped the handgun behind his back and tucked it into his belt, and unlocked the door.

  “Hey, come in. Sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been out here long?” He asked, looking around the drive way.

  “Not at all… I left work a little early and wanted to check in on you and see how you were holding up,” she walked past him as he held the door open for her. He smelled her perfume. Or maybe it was her h
air. He couldn’t ever get close enough to tell.

  Julie dropped her purse on the table, with a thud, and sat down. That’s where Allie would’ve sat, Mark thought to himself.

  He noticed Julie’s puffy eyes and dark circles. She’d obviously had a rough day as well. He locked the back door and walked around the counter into the kitchen. He took the coffee container out of the fridge, and walked over to the coffee pot.

  “Would you like some coffee?” Mark asked. “I was just about to make some.”

  “Sure, I would love some thank you,” Julie managed a smile.

  Julie watched him move about in the kitchen. She tried not to stare, but was all too aware that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Too polite to bring it up and ask about them, she’d also noticed the many scars on his chest and back. She also hadn’t realized he was so…. muscular. She followed the scar from between his wide shoulder blades down to the middle of his back. Her eyes averted a little lower…

  He pulled out two white coffee cups and sat them on the sparkling black granite counter top.

  “So you got some sleep today then, huh? That’s good,” she said awkwardly. Julie smiled and gestured to his unruly hair.

  He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to smooth it out. “Yeah, I didn’t mean to, but I accidentally fell asleep.”

  “Well, as long as it was an accident. You’re forgiven,” she joked.

  Mark reached into his pocket and checked his phone for any text messages from Williams as he sat down at the bar. There were none.