Love and Truth

by FRANCES, KAREN

  My thoughts jump to James and I’m still no further forward as to where he is. I’ve tried calling him again today, but nothing. His phone isn’t even ringing now so I can presume it’s either out of charge or out of range. I’ve spoken to his wife again and it turns out they had a bit of an argument before he went to work two days ago. She thinks he’s sulking, and I hope she’s right, but I have a niggling feeling in my gut. James doesn’t come across as the type of man who could disappear for a few days just to sulk. He’s always been a family man.

  So, my thinking is Colette knew too much about Pete and some of his criminal activities and that’s why… Well, I know what he’s done to her. I’m now thinking about James, and as much as he’s my solicitor now, he was Tony’s, and Tony and Pete did almost everything together. James knows a lot more than he lets on about the criminal activities that they have been involved in. That’s a good enough reason for Pete to try and destroy James. But the question going over and over in my mind is; would he just want to destroy him in a professional capacity and take him out of the equation completely?

  I’ve already answered this in my head.

  He would want to kill him. Like everyone else.

  Pete Jamieson has been on a killing spree since Tony’s death, and if he isn’t caught soon, I don’t see an end to the murders in the city.

  The creaking of the door opening has me turning to see who is there. Giovanni. “Are you okay?” he asks, coming into the room and standing by the stone fireplace.

  “Yes, just thinking.”

  “Need I ask?”

  “Pete.”

  “Maria.” He walks toward me and kneels down before me, taking my free hand in his. “He will be dealt with. I promise you this.”

  “Neither you nor Jack should be making promises you can’t keep,” I say on a sigh.

  “We both promise you.” I turn to Jack’s voice as he enters the room. “Have you found anything out?”

  With shock, my eyes dart between the two most important men in my life, wondering what the hell is going on.

  “I’ve planted the seed with McGovern. He’s not thrilled about working, as he said, ‘alongside a copper.’ But he’s a man of his word and he still owes me. I helped his sister and I think he’ll help me protect mine.”

  Jack walks toward us and sits down beside me. I’m shocked at what I’m hearing. He kisses me on the head before wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I stare at him, opening my mouth, but nothing comes out. My chest tightens and my mind races, searching for answers to my unasked questions. I shrug out of his hold and free my hand from Giovanni’s then push myself to my feet and pace around the room, not looking at either of them until I find the right words.

  “Would either of you care to tell me what the hell is going on?” I snap, stopping at the bay window and staring outside.

  Footsteps cross the floor and I know it’s Jack before he slips his hands around my waist. I turn and push him away. “Talk to me.”

  “I’ve already said I’ll do whatever it takes to deal with Pete and protect you,” he says.

  “What about your job?”

  “Maria, I love my job, but if I have to pick, I choose your safety first. No questions asked. Am I scared about what that bastard might do next? Of course. I’d be stupid not to be. He’s played games now for too long. He’s been a step ahead of me and my men since the death of Tony. So, if I have to play him at his own games, I will. And if I lose my job because of it then that doesn’t matter as long as I still have you at the end.” He lifts his hand, unsure if I’ll accept his touch. I nod and he pulls me to him, gently stroking my back. “If I have to kill Pete myself to get him off the streets and out of your life, I will.”

  I hear what he’s saying, and as I look across the room, my brother is nodding his head in agreement. Looks like I don’t have a choice in this. And whatever it is they have planned, maybe I’m better off not knowing.

  I pull myself together hearing small footsteps running through the house.

  “Auntie Maria. Auntie Maria.” It’s Rebecca who comes running into the lounge first, with Daisy right behind her. They both have fresh red tulips in their hands. Jack releases his hold, stepping to the side of me, and I bend down to meet them.

  “These are for you,” Daisy says, smiling proudly, handing me over her bunch.

  I inhale them. “They smell and look beautiful. Have you been down by the water with Mum and Dad?” They nod, their eyes full of excitement. Daisy looks so much better for being out in the fresh air. “Is the other bunch for Mummy?” I ask.

  “No,” Rebecca tells me. “She has a bunch. These are for Teressa. She loves flowers, she told us, but I don’t think she has anyone to bring her flowers.” I cast my eyes in my brother’s direction, scowling at him. He should be the one buying Teressa flowers or a gift, to show how much he appreciates everything she does for him around the house.

  “Well, I think we should go and take these to her, and I can find a vase for mine.” I take Daisy’s hand, while Rebecca walks in front of us. “You two.” I look over my shoulder. “Behave. Please!”

  Rebecca laughs.

  “What’s funny?” I ask.

  “Mum says that to us all the time.” I laugh too, because she’s right.

  “Where is Mum?”

  “Sitting outside with Dad.”

  We enter the kitchen and Teressa is still busy. “Ah, ragazze. Did you have a nice time?” Teressa asks them.

  “Yes.” Rebecca walks toward her. “These are for you,” she says, holding out the bunch of flowers.

  “Bellissimo. Girls, thank you. They are beautiful, just like both of you.” Teressa’s smile is wide and her eyes are shining brightly. A small act of kindness from two children has made her day and mine. “Let me put them in a vase with Auntie Maria’s and then shall we see if I have any biscuits made?”

  They both squeal with delight. I hand over my flowers to her and leave her to entertain the girls for a few minutes. Although, thinking about it, they’re probably entertaining her. I wander outside and find Lou and Mark sitting down. “Nice walk?” I ask, taking a seat.

  “Yes. We just needed some time out,” Lou says with sadness. Her voice lets me know she knows all about Colette. Mark has his wife’s hands in his, offering her some comfort. “Looks like I’ll just have to wait on you falling pregnant to become an aunt.”

  “Oh, Lou, there was never going to be any guarantees that Colette would’ve let you be involved in the baby’s life,” Mark says softly.

  “We’ll never know now. That bastard has slowly picked away at my family, taking away everyone.” Her tears fall and there’s nothing Mark or I can say to make Lou feel any better. She’s crying for everything she’s already lost, and as I sit here, I hope and pray that in the future, she doesn’t lose anyone else because I’m not sure if she’ll be able to cope.

  I turn, hearing footsteps, to see Jack leaning against the doorway, his face etched with worry and sadness. “I love you,” he mouths to me.

  “I love you too,” I reply.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Jack

  It’s been a week since the fire and Colette’s murder and we have nothing. Well, that’s a lie. We finally have Pete’s fingerprints on one of the knives he used on that poor girl. I knew he’d slip up eventually. Now, we just need to find out where he’s been hiding and deal with him one way or another. We also need to find James Stevenson because it’s now been nine days since his wife last saw him and his bank accounts and credit cards haven’t been used.

  That tells me that when I do find him, he won’t be alive.

  A missing solicitor, a murdered mistress… this is going to sound selfish, but these two alone leave too many loose ends. Business dealings, properties, money, bank accounts. The list is endless. That’s on top of the other murders. If I could just get Pete then I’d hope everything else would fall into place and I could have a nice neat report sitting on the superintendent’s desk. I
’m sure we’d all be happy.

  Especially Maria.

  A whole week of quietness in any case has me on edge, but with this one, my anxiety and fear of what is lurking around the corner has well and truly kicked in.

  “You look hot,” she says, standing in the doorway watching as I finish getting ready for work.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” I note as my eyes appraise her. She has an incredible body; some of the weight she’s lost has been put on because Teressa is loving feeding everyone in the house, and Maria is enjoying being looked after. Today, she looks relaxed, and dare I say it, almost carefree. She stands there in tight blue jeans, a white off the shoulder top, and a pair of heels. Sexy heels. Her dark hair hangs in loose curls and she’s even put on make-up. Something she’s not bothered with in weeks. “Where are you going?” I ask.

  “I have a meeting with one of James’s associates at the office. Everything has been finalised in his absence although we both know he’s done all the ground work. You are looking at a woman who will be running a legitimate business with Crave, and hopefully I can convince a certain someone to become my new business partner.”

  We’ve spoken at length about what Maria wants and she’d love nothing more than for Lou to become a partner. She just hasn’t gotten around to discussing it with Lou.

  “Glad to hear it, Miss DeLuca. Does that mean you’re going full steam ahead with the renovations now?” I ask, because she’s been plotting this last week. She’s kept herself busy going through colour charts and schemes for the re-design of the club. I’m glad she’s had something to occupy some of her time. I’ve occupied a lot of the remainder of her time. And it’s been pretty amazing.

  “Yes. I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished. I’ll need to arrange my PR and marketing campaign.” She’s clearly excited about this next step. It’s her fresh start. I love seeing her so excited about the club. “Joe has left. He should be arriving at the club now to let in some of the workmen.”

  “I thought Joe would be with you all day?”

  She walks closer, taking my tie from my hand, and stands before me, her eyes on mine and a heavenly smile on her face. I inhale as she puts the tie around me, and it has to be said, there’s something sexy about Maria putting my tie on for me. I can imagine her doing this every day, and that thought alone brings a smile to my face. Fuck. Never in a million years did I think I would feel like this.

  “Don’t panic, handsome. You can drop me off at the office first then I can grab a taxi over to the club, so I won’t be on my own.”

  I’m not sure. I know she wants her freedom and independence back, and it’s only for a short time that she’d be on her own, but the thought terrifies me. “Jack…”

  “Okay. I’ll drop you, but you have to call me the second you get to the club so I know Joe is with you. That way I’ll be able to relax and concentrate on my job.”

  Well, I hope I can concentrate. When I’m not with Maria, she consumes my thoughts until I get back to her and have her in my arms again. That makes me sound like a fucking pussy, but I don’t give a damn.

  “There, that’s better,” she says, stepping back, her eyes fixed on mine. She chews on the inside of her mouth. It’s only slightly, but I notice. I notice everything about her. The soft flush on her cheeks right now tells me what she’s thinking about. If only we had time. “We’d better go, or you’ll be late,” she says quietly.

  “I know,” I whisper, taking a step closer, wrapping my arms around her shoulders and kissing the top of her head. I just want to feel the warmth of her body close to me but I don’t want to ruin her make-up. She leans against me and it would be so easy to say, ‘Fuck it. We’re staying here.’

  “You make it so damn difficult!” I feel her frown against me. “I want to throw a sickie and spend the day with you.”

  She lifts her head, that gorgeous, wicked smile on her face that tells me she’s not opposed to the idea. “We both have a lot to do today. The sooner we leave and get it all done, the sooner we can be back here and spending some quality time with each other. After dinner, of course.” She laughs.

  “Of course. Because, heaven forbid, I come between you and your food.”

  “Hey, you.” She swats my arms away. “You were the one who insisted weeks ago I needed to eat more, and take more care of myself.”

  “And I meant it. It’s good to see you listen to me.”

  “I do, sometimes,” she says, turning on her heel and walking back toward the door, muttering in Italian. I’m going to need to take Italian lessons. That would surprise her, if one day she was muttering away, and I could actually understand what she was saying and reply. I grab my suit jacket and make my way downstairs.

  She’s at the front door, speaking to Lou. I can hear the girls running around. They have too much energy. Lou is hoping that she can get them back to school and nursery in a few weeks when it re-starts after the long seven weeks of holidays are finally over. Although, at this point, we’re only a few weeks into the summer break, but I’m sure it feels like forever since the girls last had a routine in their lives. Hopefully, by then, we can all have a normal life again.

  It sounds good.

  “Good morning,” I say to Lou. “What are you all doing today?”

  She smiles. “The girls want a picnic and to go riding on the horses.” The girls run toward us, squealing at the mention of the horses. “Girls, quiet,” she tells them. “There will be no horse riding and no picnic if you don’t help out this morning. Teressa isn’t here just to tidy up after you two. If we were at home, you’d have to help me.” I watch as they frown at getting a telling off. “So, today, we are going to tidy up your room and help Teressa. Do you hear me?”

  God, even I want to answer that, yes, I hear.

  “Yes, Mummy,” they say together.

  Maria is smiling at them. She’d let them away without tidying up, I know she would. Actually, Rebecca and Daisy have Maria wrapped around their fingers. She’d do anything for them. The girls give Maria a kiss and sulk off upstairs.

  “Don’t say a word,” Lou tells Maria.

  “Let them have fun.”

  “They’ll have fun, but they have to learn too. So, just as you’re starting off this week on a positive note, so am I, and that means trying to get back into a routine with them.”

  “Okay, I hear you.” Maria gives her a kiss on the cheek and walks out the front door.

  “Hope your day isn’t too bad,” Lou says to me.

  “Me too,” I say with a smile and leave the house. Maria is standing by my car, waiting. “Anyone would think you were in a hurry to get away from here today.”

  She shakes her head. I open the door and watch as she gets in. Fuck, I could easily admire her twenty-four-hours a day.

  * * *

  “Promise me you’ll call me as soon as you’re at Crave and with Joe.” I’m stretched across her with my hand firmly on her door handle, stopping her from getting out of the car until I have the reassurance I desperately need. Although, I could stay here, making myself late so I can take her to Crave and Joe personally.

  “Jack, I promise. I’ll get a cab straight over, and yes, I’ll call you.” She leans toward me, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Can you try and stop worrying?”

  Easier said than done. “I’ll try, but I’ll feel better when I hear from you.”

  “I know. I’d better go on in. Another chapter of my old life I’m leaving behind.”

  I release my hold on the door and sink back into my seat. “Go on. I’ll speak to you soon.”

  With a smile on her face, she exits the car and walks toward the glass building. At the front entrance, she turns and waves, but I sit where I am, watching her enter the building, giving her name to security. The buzzing of my phone distracts me from watching her. Joe. “Morning.”

  “Jack, we have a fucking problem.” I’m all ears. “I’ve found James.”

  My heart sinks. “Are you at Crave?”


  “Yes. Okay I’m on my…”

  Bang!

  A gunshot rings loudly through my ear. “Joe. Joe? Shit.” My hands grip the steering wheel and I take deep breaths, but that sound cuts through my ear again, leaving me with no doubt who is at Crave right now. With a quick glance toward the building and with the knowledge that Maria is safely inside, I put my car into gear and pull out into the traffic, adrenalin pumping through my body. Five minutes and I’ll be at Crave. But Joe might not have five minutes. I press the keypad and find Craig’s number.

  “Morning, boss,” he answers, sounding cheery.

  “Yeah, yeah. Where are you?”

  “Almost at the station.”

  “Listen, I’m on my way to Crave. I need you to call an ambulance and get an armed response unit to the scene as quickly as possible.”

  “Jack, what the hell is going on?”

  “Joe is there. He called me after finding James Stevenson’s body, but there was a gunshot and now…”

  “Consider it done. I’m on my way.”

  Hopefully, we’ll all get there in time for Joe to get the treatment he needs, but part of me wants Pete still to be there so I can have his sorry arse in the cells before mid-morning. The traffic is kind to me as I race toward my destination. Thank fuck.

  I slow as I enter the street, finally stopping in front of Crave’s main entrance. There are a few people standing together a few buildings down. I hear sirens getting closer as soon as I step out of my car. Craig’s car skids into the street, stopping behind mine.

  “Get those people out of the way,” I shout to him, approaching the door.

  Craig runs toward me, pushing his body before me and the door. “Jack, I can’t let you go in there. You know that.”

  “You won’t fucking stop me.”