J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 05 - Season for Murder (22 page)

I shook my head. “Have you?” I asked and watched her shake her curly head. I dipped the edge of my bread into the soup and said, “I think I’ll let it go and not worry about it any longer. The cops can do their job. My mother is in the clear as far as I can see. I’ll meet with Detective Bellini after class on Monday.” I wiped my lips with the napkin and rose to shrug into my jacket.

“If you feel that’s the best way to handle it, then see what Bellini has to say and let me know.” With an earnest gaze, Lola smiled. “If I come up with a better plan, I’ll call you.”

Chapter 19

The fireplace roared, and the television blared, while I wrapped the last of the presents for my family. I checked the messages on the phone and realized I had three waiting to be heard. Marcus reported there were no discernible prints from the bedroom and said he was off to New York. My mother remarked that spaghetti was on the menu for dinner. The last call was from Aaron Grant. He said he’d be home within a week and would be glad to be back. His news brought a smile to my face.

I called Bellini and asked to see him on Monday. He mumbled something about having a lucky day, and suggested meeting later tonight instead.

A half-full bottle of wine sat on the counter. I refilled my already empty glass once more. This was my second helping and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. I get a buzz from wine and hardly ever drink anything stronger. I sipped it, and thought long and hard.

An extra set of keys to Aaron’s apartment hung on an old key rack near the door. I stared at it until I made a decision. Sliding off the chair, I grasped the key ring and headed toward the front of the house. In stockinged feet, I crept up the stairs, listening intently. Nobody was home, Rafe’s car was absent from the driveway, and I considered myself lucky.

The key slid silently into the lock. I turned it and the handle in one motion. I entered the apartment and gazed around the softly lit living room. The place was neat and clean, no socks or newspapers flung around. I tiptoed across the floor, headed to the bedroom. There were digital film cards on the bed with an empty camera bag. A black hooded sweatshirt with black slacks lay crumpled on the floor.

Kneeling, I lifted the slacks and sniffed them. Why? I don’t know. Maybe I expected something other than sweat to meet my sense of smell. As I put the pants down and lifted the sweatshirt, I noticed small pine needles attached to the hood. The sweatshirt dropped from my hands. I stood to retrieve the film cards. The tiny square computerized cards flipped over and over in my hand while I considered viewing the pictures.

Aaron’s state of the art computer sat on a desk in the next room. In an instant, I’d booted the hard drive and slipped the first card into the photo slot. There was a moment when I had doubts of whether I could enter the site until the program clicked in and the viewer scanned the photos. My luck held for now. The first few shots were of Lola, headshots for her book most likely. The next ones were of the delicious dishes she’d prepared.

I scrolled down the screen and found my own face among the photos. How had Rafe managed to catch me? As more photos came into view, I recognized some of the people in them. One shot was of an undercover cop from a past class at the university. He was making a buy of some kind. Drugs probably, I thought. He worked the gangs, the mob, and anywhere the department sent him. I never asked him about it. I knew better.

The next pictures on the card were of known mobsters and the wide shoulders and dark hair of a familiar man. Aaron Grant stood in a side view as he spoke to a mobster. I recognized the man as Jimmy “The Pipe” Giannano. Jimmy “The Pipe” was named such since his modus operandi included the use of a steal pipe. Jimmy and Aaron exchanged papers. Aaron had a smile on his face. The next photo showed them shaking hands. This type of photo went on for three or four more shots as Aaron moved away from his encounter with Jimmy.

I scrolled down again. The pictures were of the senior center. There was my mother at her car, me entering my car, and Mrs. Lyndon in conversation with Dona Desmaris. Dona looked angry, her features contorted, and her hand clenched in a fist. The next photo was of Mrs. Galumpky with a couple of thugs. At least they looked like thugs. Broad shoulders, ham hocks for hands, expensive suits, gold bling, yeah, they were thugs.

The first card was finished. I slipped the second one into place. More of the same types of photos were on this card. I was absent, as were my mother and Lola from this batch of pictures. This was all thugs, deals, and cops doing deals. Interesting, very interesting.

I’d just slipped the third card into the computer when the downstairs door swung open and feet sounded in the hallway. I got up, shut it down, and scooped the three cards. I ran into the bedroom and tossed the cards on the bed. I heard a knock on the back hallway door downstairs. I skidded down the front stairs, making sure to lock Aaron’s apartment door before I left.

Inside the downstairs apartment, I rushed through the house and swung the door open. Rafael had started toward his own staircase when he turned back as I called his name.

“I was in the other room gift wrapping. Come in, come in,” I said, somewhat breathless.

“Oh, I didn’t know if you were home or not. The car is outside, but I thought you might be with Lola.”

Rafael sauntered inside and glanced around the apartment. His eyes lit on the wine glass and half-empty bottle. He turned to me with a smile and asked for a glass.

“You must be thirsty today. I could have sworn that bottle was full the other day when I was here.” Rafe chuckled.

“It’s a different bottle,” I lied. I could feel my path to hell growing wider. I pulled a wine glass from the cupboard and poured a healthy measure for him.

“What brings you to my door?” I asked as I sipped from my glass. The warm fuzzy feeling had disappeared when I’d viewed the photographs upstairs.

“Just thought I’d check in with you before heading to the apartment. My job here is near its end, and I wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay in the apartment while Mr. Grant is away.” Deep blue eyes regarded me in a thoughtful way.

“I’ve heard from Aaron,” I said. “He’ll be home shortly, so things have worked out well for all of us.” I smiled. “You’re headed for the Caribbean?”

“Yeah, it’ll be nice and warm, the sun will be shining, and I can hardly wait.” He smiled and stared.

“Where in the Caribbean?” Maybe he was headed to some island with no extradition laws and a bank without U.S. government access.

“The final destination hasn’t been confirmed yet. I just know it’s in the Caribbean.”

The wine slid down my throat as I tried not to choke on his lie. This man probably wasn’t even headed to the Caribbean for all I knew. I opened my mouth to ask him a question when the phone rang.

I scooped the phone off the charger. Rafe said he’d be going and saluted with two fingers. With a half-grin, he strode out the door. His footsteps sounded on the stairs as he went up. In a second I answered the phone to hear Aaron on the other end of the call.

“Hey, beautiful, how are you?”

“I’ve been better. Where are you?” I asked.

Aaron chuckled. “Miss me? I’m in Washington. I called earlier, but you weren’t home. What’s wrong?”

“It would take too long to explain what’s wrong,” I answered. “In Washington, huh? I could have sworn I saw you at the mall today.”

“You mean there’s another handsome hunk like me loose in Rhode Island?” He chuckled, a rich deep-throated sound that I had really missed.

“It would seem so, unless of course, you’ve been here in Little Rhody all this time on a secret mission of some kind.”

“Not a chance. Would I lie to you?” Aaron asked with laughter in his voice.

I chuckled. “You have in the past, if I remember correctly. When are you coming home?” It was apparent that I wouldn’t get the truth from him, but I somehow knew that he’d been at the mall. My gut said so.

“I’ll be back in a few days. There are odds and ends to finish up before I can return. How’s the interim tenant working out?”

I sighed. “Great, just great.”

“Really? Is he as much fun as I am?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s a chuckle a minute,” I said sarcastically.

“What’s happening with your parents, anything?”

“Why do you want to know?”

“I adore your mother, you know that. It’s just a simple question, Vin. Don’t get defensive.”

“The Bake Sale Queen is great. We’ve had a few problems with the senior center lately, but she’s great otherwise.”

“I’m not even going to ask what that’s all about. If I know you, there’s probably been an upheaval of some type and you’re in deep trouble.”

“Something like that. Just get back here, please.”

“Wow, you must really miss me if you’re begging me,” Aaron said with a hint of humor in his voice.

“You have no idea what life has dealt me lately, so just finish up whatever it is that you’re doing down there in D.C. and get your ass home.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a soft laugh. “I’ll see you soon.”

With a half-full glass of wine in my hand, I wandered into the living room and sat before the fireplace. Tree lights twinkled, the colors chasing one another. It mesmerized me as I relaxed from the heat and the wine.

My brain worked overtime on how Rafael had managed to ingratiate himself with me, my family, and fool his distant cousin. I couldn’t imagine what the outcome would be if either side he was playing got wind of what he was involved in. The government didn’t take kindly to players, and the mob just terminated your connection to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

The phone sat close by on the sofa. I grasped it, punched in the number, and waited for my father to answer the call. I heard the gruff-voiced greeting.

“Hello?” Dad rumbled.

“Hey, it’s me, Vinnie. I need to ask how you found out about Rafael.”

“Do you really have to know? Can’t you let it go?” he grumbled.

“No, Dad, I can’t. I need to know.”

“I played cards with the guys and one of them mentioned there was an undercover agent nosing around on the Hill. He better be careful or he’ll be dead, ya know? What’s worse is that he’s dealing with people he shouldn’t be involved with.”

“What kind of deals and who are these people, Dad?”

“Never mind, that’s all I’m gonna tell you. Stay out of it, Lavinia. I’m warning you.”

“Fine. Thanks for telling me that much,” I said gratefully.

I hung up and dialed Marcus.

His sexy voice answered on the first ring. It warmed me to the core when he spoke in that tone.

“Are you still in the state?” I asked.

“No, I’m in Connecticut, headed toward New York City. Why?”

“All right. I just wondered, that’s all.”

“There has to be more to it than that. Fess up, come on,” Marcus insisted.

“There’s evidence that points to my neighbor’s involvement with the FBI, but he has pictures of Aaron making deals of some sort with Jimmy ‘The Pipe’ Giannano.”

“You’re sure it’s Grant?” Marcus asked.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” I asked in a smartass tone. I know what I saw and resented the question.

“I don’t consort with bears, but I get the message. If you say it was Aaron, then so be it. Let me ask you this, where did you see these photos?”

“Umm, well, umm …”

“Don’t tell me you broke into Rafe’s apartment,” Marcus yelled into the phone.

“I didn’t break in. I have an extra key.”

“Dammit, don’t split hairs, Vinnie. What if he’d caught you in there? For God’s sake, Grant had better come back soon. You’re scaring the shit out of me, and I can’t turn around and come back now.”

In an effort to ignore the comment, I added fuel to his already out of control fire.

“I think I saw Aaron at the mall today. He called earlier and denied it, but I think he’s lying.”

“Leave it alone, Lavinia. Just leave it alone, I’m telling you,” Marcus yelled. “You’ve gotten into a dangerous situation.”

Yup, he was pissed off now. Wow, really pissed off.

“Look, I’m going to see Detective Bellini in a little while,” I said. “It’s possible he’ll have some answers for me. I just want to make sure my mother is cleared, that’s all.” I drew a deep breath and said, “Rafe’s playing with deadly people. If he’s not careful, this will be his last holiday season. I know Jimmy ‘The Pipe’ Giannano’s reputation and he’s a sore loser. He didn’t get the nickname for being a nice guy, you know?”

“Will you be sharing this information with Bellini?”

“It’s my best option, I think. He may not even believe me, but what the hell, I have to do this for my mother.”

“I can’t talk you out of this, can I?”

“No, you can’t.”

“Just be careful and keep your wits about you, please. Are you meeting at the station?”

“No, I called him and set up a meeting at a Dunkin’ Donuts near there.”

“Good idea. Keep me in the loop, will you?” Marcus asked.

“Sure.” I hung up and dialed Bellini to say I was on my way.

We agreed to meet within a half-hour. I shrugged my jacket on and scrambled around for shoes. The car keys, and my handbag in hand, I headed out the door.

Traffic was light as I swung onto the parkway and into the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot. Bellini’s black Taurus sat at the back of the lot, the motor running. I pulled up next to him and shut my car off. I glanced around, got out, and slid into the front seat of the Taurus.

“What’s all this cloak and dagger stuff about, Vinnie?” Bellini asked with an arched brow and a curious gaze.

Minutes later, I had spilled my guts to the man who was the most unlikely recipient I could imagine. He listened without interruption, his face immobile. I glanced away and then back while I spoke, especially when I got to the parts where I had withheld information from him.

“You were smart to tell me this, even though it comes late. Why didn’t you tell me before?” Bellini asked in a resigned voice.

“Since I found the pictures today, I thought I’d better come clean. After all, if Rafael is the person who killed Mrs. Galumpky, he should be arrested.”