by R. S. Smith
When they arrived, the place was empty of customers except for his boss Jennifer who was sitting at the counter. She was wearing her sidearm and reading the morning newspaper. Renée saw it as a good opportunity to clear the air between them.
“Hello, Captain. Would you care to join us for breakfast?” she asked. As always, Renée was armed, too, but kept it concealed.
Appearing mildly annoyed by the invitation, she accepted, and the trio settled into one of the uncomfortable booths.
Preferring not to discuss their earlier confrontation, Jennifer opened up the conversation saying, “I just heard from my mother, Danny. She still hopes I might be willing to reconcile.”
“Well, you do have only one mother, Jen, and she did put a lot of love and effort into raising you. Maybe it's time you let bygones be bygones,” said Danny.
The waitress took their orders and left.
“Maybe, maybe not. Probably not. So what about you two? I do admit that I can see how you guys might be compatible.”
“How's that?” asked Renée.
“Your backgrounds, your temperaments; they're similar,” said the captain.
“What do you know of my background?” Renée asked defensively.
“Honey, the FBI sent me a file an inch thick about you. I even know your sexual preferences.”
Danny and Renée pretended to ignore the comment, both curious to see where she might be going with it.
There was a pause, then Renée asked, “Does the FBI know I’m here?”
“That's how I got them to deliver the file to my house last night. All I had to do was agree to let them know when you'd be somewhere specific. I knew you guys were back in town, and Danny always comes here for breakfast. What's the difference? There aren't any arrest warrants outstanding on you. It makes for good reading, Danny.”
“Just because you can't maintain any relationships, especially the one with your own mother, you feel obliged to sabotage those of your friends,” Renée accused her in a catty manner. “I understand it's hard getting laid regularly at your age, but find another way of dealing with it.”
Perplexed, Danny asked, “What the hell are you two going on about? Renée, what happened to trying to make a new friend?”
Jennifer's word 'specific' began to bother Renée.
“Danny, does it seem unusual to you that the FBI would give her my file and that they would even deliver it to her house? Come to think of it, I seriously doubt they could even have that much of a file on me,” said Renée. “That was Manuela's people, you stupid bitch!”
Just then Danny's water glass shattered into pieces. All three observed a small bullet-hole in the diner's window and dove for the floor. Both women drew their weapons. Danny was good friends with the diner's owner who kept a shotgun hidden behind the counter after having been robbed several times.
“Here, Danny!” he shouted as he tossed it to him.
The small diner began getting pummeled by gunfire.
“What the hell is going on?!” shouted Captain Mahoney.
“Your infantile curiosity is gonna get us all killed, Mahoney!” Renée shouted back.
“How many of them do you count?” Danny asked them.
The exchange of gunfire continued for several minutes, then Renée said, “I count six of them.”
“Seems more like a dozen to me,” fretted the captain.
The large pane window shattered and collapsed; one of the attackers leapt into the diner. Danny stood up and blew him away with the shotgun. Renée picked up the man's weapon and now began returning fire with both hands. The captain took a round in her neck. Sirens could be heard entering the parking lot area as the outside gunfire escalated. Then, as quickly as it had started, everything quieted down.
“Are you all right?!” Danny asked, as he held the suffering captain.
She could only mumble a little.
“Manuela sent her people to get me before I could get to her. This is the first time anybody ever knew my exact whereabouts,” Renée said.
Captain Mahoney attempted to speak as the other officers rushed in. “We got three of them,” one of the cops claimed. She was taken to the hospital moments later, struggling to breathe.
“We'll need you two to come down to the station and make a statement,” said the lead officer.
“Okay, we'll be there directly,” Danny told him.
Renée leaned close and whispered, “Danny, we won't be safe there. Those guys that got away went for reinforcements. They'll be back in an hour with more help and major firepower. I know how Manuela operates. They'll destroy that small police station and everybody in it.”
He picked up a weapon from one of the dead attackers, then he and Renée went to their car and promptly departed.
“I want to go home, Danny, my home.”
“After stopping for more ammunition, our next stop is New York. Happy?”
“Yes! I want you to meet the uncles. There's really a lot to like about the city, honey. You'll see, I promise, and we'll be safe there. Well, safer anyway.”
It was midnight several days later when they arrived at her Brooklyn apartment.
“Um, Danny, there's something I need to tell you about before we go inside. I suspect Jennifer was about to mention it.”
“Unless it's about having a husband waiting, it can wait until tomorrow. I'm beat after all that driving. Is that okay, Renée?”
“Yes, I've been finding excuses to not bring it up and that sounds like another good one to me. It's a loft apartment. Do you think you can make it up the stairs?”
When they walked in, he noticed a large photo on the wall of her and one of her girlfriends.
“I see you use that cross-eyed expression a lot,” he observed.
“Yeah, that's my silly-girl look. Would you believe you're the first man I've ever invited up here?”
“What about Chris?”
“Chris wanted to get married, but as much as I wanted that, and as much as I wanted to please Chris, I could never say 'yes'. When the subject finally came up, all I could do was cry. When it came right down to it, I realized there was something missing in that relationship. I don't feel that way about us.”
As they got settled in, she turned on some music. “I'd dim the lights, too, but I don't want you falling asleep on me. Being a girl of many contrasts, I go both ways on a lot of things. I can be on top, I can be on the bottom, I can go north, I can go south, I can be wicked-girl, and I can be good-girl. I can be a prude, but also a vixen.”
“Don't forget silly-girl, fantasy-girl, and naughty-girl.”
“Yes, them, too. You're about to meet playtime-girl. There are lots of girls for you to get to know, if you stick around long enough.”
“What's with all the insecurity, honey? I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to say, but the part about going south sounds interesting. I like to go south, too,” he said with a wry grin.
“Oh, a man after my own heart. That's one of my favorite things. Let's both go south together. We've been platonic long enough, maybe too long. How about we drink some wine and get naked?” she asked.
“Naked?” His road-fatigue began to fade.
As she struggled with the corkscrew, she asked “How come you've been so patient and caring with me, Danny? I've never known a man to be like that before.”
“I've known a lot of women over the years, Renée. I experienced physical intimacy with a lot of them, but the emotional intimacy with you has been better, the best. My physical needs take a back seat to the rest. We've shared a lot of emotional intensity in our short time together.”
She poured them both some wine, then straddled him face-to-face as he sat on the couch. “How about a toast to adding some physical intensity?”
He watched intently as she began undoing the buttons on her blouse while sipping her wine. She slipped it off, then tossed it across the room, quickly followed by her bra.
“Are you sure about this, honey?” he asked, staring at
her firm nipples. It was her show; he would let her run with it. He sipped wine with one hand, with the other he caressed a breast.
Renée stood up and undid her skirt. It fell to the floor, leaving her standing there wearing just her panties.
“I'm glad I agreed to come to Brooklyn,” he said. “This loft brings out a different side of you. I'm liking it, a lot.”
As she slid off her panties, her eyes revealed a look of vulnerability. The magic words were like music to his ears as they softly flowed across her lips for the very first time, “I love you, Danny.”
Dumbfounded and finding it hard to believe his good fortune, he continued sipping his wine while admiring the view. She got down on her knees and loosened his pants, and then lowered his fly with her teeth. Soon they were making love. Then they made love again, and again. Exhausted and both on the verge of falling into a deep, overdue sleep, the rising sun reawakened them. With their nude bodies completely intertwined, Danny determined it was time to find out what she'd been keeping from him.
“What was it you wanted to tell me that's so important?” he asked.
“It could be a deal-breaker,” she confessed. “That's why I selfishly wanted to make love with you first.”
“You have nothing to worry about, Renée. I love you, too,” he confessed.
“You've been so tolerant letting me ramble on about my romance with Chris so much. Most men would just tell me to shut up. I'd rather you learn about this now from me than later from when we visit Uncle Chip.” She pointed up to the large picture adorning the wall over their heads, the one of the two girls looking so happy together.
“What?” he asked, confused.
“Danny, that's Christine.”
“Oh, okay, and?”
“Danny, I'm bisexual. Manuela tortured and killed her. That's my Chris!”
The next day Renée gave him the tour of New York City. They went to the ground zero memorial, Central Park, the Statue of Liberty, rode the subway, and visited Harlem. They chatted as they toured and then headed for Uncle Chip's place.
“So you're okay with last night's revelation?” she asked.
“More than okay. To me, it's an added turn-on, not that one is needed. I'm thinking we could be having some interesting times together in our future. Life with you will never be mundane and dull. I like that.”
She affectionately grabbed him by the butt and said, “Good.”
“How much do you trust this Uncle Chip?”
“Why?”
“Considering his strange relationship with Manuela, and the fact that he and his daughter were somewhat estranged as you put it, I leap to the conclusion that he might not have approved of her lifestyle with you. Manuela's needs may be his priority.”
“You might be right. I never looked at it that way. See, I need you around to help me keep things in their proper perspective. He does pay well, though. He's how I got started in this line of work. Chris brought me home and one thing led to another.”
“Does he know Uncle Jack?” Danny asked.
“Not officially, but they grew up together. Their dads were altar boys together. They're best friends, but it's a major secret. They'd be willing to kill to protect it. Sorry to have just put your life in danger, but I figure you can handle it. Be discrete!”
“And you've killed for him? For them?”
“I'd ask if you were wearing a wire, officer, but since I helped dress you this morning, I'll skip that part,” she said with a chuckle. “Yes, sweetheart, that's what I do. Do you want a body count, too?”
“No, then I'd have to tell you mine from my black ops days, and I don't want to talk about it. Frankly, I don't even know it, I never kept track. I would like to hear some of your stories though, seeing how you were with me that night we met.”
“Oh, there are some good ones. I do try to have fun with it, as you saw. I figure if you can't enjoy your work, you're doing something wrong. That's when I become vixen-girl, or naughty-girl as you called me.”
“What if they don't like me, Renée? What if they give you a contract to kill me?”
“It would depend on how much they were paying. Just kidding, Danny! Anybody who comes after you will have to get through me first, lover!”
“I'm seeing a slightly different side of you today, babe.”
“I'm not all about revenge, Danny. I kill people. It's what I do; I'm good at it and I enjoy it. Does that scare you?”
“I suspected your 'special projects' involved such things, but not to such a degree.”
“Well, let's just take one day at a time, good sir. I can be flexible. My top priority is keeping you happy. Seriously!”
“If that's really how you feel, we won't have any issues, Renée.”
She smiled at that comment, then added “Mob bosses in all five boroughs know me. I take risks, but I'm human and make mistakes. I admit to it and you've experienced it first hand, lucky for me. Now that I have you in my life, I'll take fewer risks. If we become a team, there will be fewer mistakes, less risk and more fun.”
“This is actually bigger news than what you told me last night about being bisexual.”
“Keep it in mind in case you ever consider cheating on me,” she said with a wink. “The uncles provided me with valuable training. That's where I learned the gymnastics maneuver I used at your place. They also introduced me to weapons training, lock-picking, alarm disabling, hand-to-hand combat, use of poisons and drugs, and believe it or not, knife-fight training. I obviously need more work there. I also need to learn martial arts. I've had only a few lessons.”
“I can help you there, honey. The fun part of your routine sounds too foolish and risky. You need to be brief, be bright and be gone.”
“You're right. I know it, but it's like the icing on the cake and it's addictive, Danny.”
“So your 'show me some happiness' line is a part of your normal repertoire?”
“My victims are inclined to hear variations. It can be fun being naughty. I hope you'll give me the chance to share that experience with you. When people realize their life is on the line, some are willing to go to great lengths to please. They beg and I give them hope. Like I told you earlier, they're all criminal-types and deserve it, so I feel no guilt. The trick is to never lose control of the situation like I did with you!”
As she finished her sentence, their elevator reached its floor, a little bell rang and the doors opened at Uncle Chip's hi-rise, large luxury-penthouse condo. Two over-sized goons frisked them, removed her concealed weapon which Uncle Jack had gotten her a license to carry, then opened the unit's door for her.
“Hi, Uncle Chip!”
He walked over and gave her a hug. “Is this the naked detective you were so excited about on the phone?”
“Hello, sir. My name is Danny,” he said, a little embarrassed. They shook hands. “I'm not sure about the detective part anymore. I'm suspecting that chapter of my life is over. Regardless, it's nice to finally meet you, Mr....I'm sorry, sir, I don't know your last name.”
“Cicero, Charles Cicero, Danny, and welcome to my humble home.”
Danny's eyes opened wide.
“Is anything wrong? You look as though you've seen a ghost, young man,” Cicero said.
“Oh, sorry, sir, it's just that I've seen your name in the news so many times, and in connection with so many unsolved cases, I never expected to actually meet you. I've only heard Renée refer to you as Uncle Chip and never made the connection.”
She stood behind him smirking.
“So I see you've changed teams, Renée. You're a woman of varied tastes, aren't you?”
“Yes, Uncle Chip, varied tastes, but always both teams.”
“She's a good girl, a young woman of many talents. She's even a writer, Danny. You should ask to read her creations sometime. I like creative-types, people that can think outside-the-box.”
“I'm learning that about her, sir. I've never met anyone else like Renée.”
“I hope y
ou two will be able to join me for dinner. It's a fabulous view from up here. I've had two extra places set for you. Tonight's meal is filet mignon with fresh mixed vegetables. My associate Misty will be joining us; she's cleaning up at the moment.”
They looked at one another and decided it was a good plan.
“What's your poison, Danny? I have a fully-stocked bar.”
“Gin martini, sir, shaken, not stirred, with olives.”
Misty soon joined them and impressed Danny as probably a high-priced call girl. The foursome sat down to an enjoyable meal, then as they awaited their dessert, Uncle Chip asked, “So Renée, can we talk shop?”
“I have no secrets from Danny, if that's what you're asking. He and I may become a team. If you're comfortable talking shop in front of Misty, have at it.”
“First, we need to talk about Manuela. She insists she had nothing to do with Chris' death and wants me to negotiate a truce between you two. Frankly, I'm inclined to believe her as she'd have too much to lose going against me like that, and I think I know her well enough to believe her. Second, with you having been preoccupied on your mission lately, I've had to give all the serious enforcement assignments to Bernice. Although there are no major collection issues right now, I do have a half-dozen smaller ones, twenty-five to fifty thousand in size, to keep you busy and help you pay the bills. I just want you to give these deadbeats some stress, some emotional and mental distress, but no physical harm at this point in time. Do you think you can do that?”
“I have mixed feelings about Manuela, Uncle Chip. If you feel that way, a truce is okay for now. This will give me a chance to work with Danny and see how things go.”
“How about you, Danny?” Cicero asked.
“As long as it's just distress and not death, it works for me, sir.”
“Good, here's a folder with the details. Because the amounts involved are relatively small, I'm increasing your commission on these to fifty percent.”
As their get-acquainted evening came to its conclusion, Cicero said, “I'm having a cocktail party this weekend at my summer home in The Hamptons. I'd like you two to come.”
They exchanged a glance and readily agreed it sounded like fun.
