The Hitwoman and the Poisoned Apple (Confessions of a Slightly Neurotic Hitwoman Book 8) (16 page)

I’d found Angelina!

“Hello, Maggie.”

I jerked upright at the sound of his gravelly voice and was shocked to find Jack Stern’s dark eyes boring into mine.

“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded.

“Shhh!” the uniformed attendant ordered.

A smile that didn’t reach his eyes stretched Jack’s mouth as he looked down at me. “It’s nice to see you too.”

I didn’t think it was nice to see him. I thought it was weird. And dangerous. What if he’d seen me handing over Delveccio’s package? What would the repercussions of that be? I was so upset that I forgot to whisper. “What are you doing here?”

He raised a finger to his lips to silence me, as the attendant marched over toward us.

“I need you to take this somewhere else,” the woman whispered. “You’re disturbing the residents.”

I glanced over at the patients, the majority of who seemed unaware I was there… or that they were either for that matter. I opened my mouth to argue with her.

“Sorry,” Jack told her, taking my elbow and steering me away. “We didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

“I wasn’t causing any trouble,” I told him on an outraged whisper as he practically shoved me out of the room. Once we were in the hallway, I shook free of his grip, and rounded on him angrily. “Whatever you’re doing, it stops here.”

His gaze travelled insolently from my fisted hands resting on my hips to my face. When his eyes finally met mine, I saw that they were burning with a fiery intensity. “What do you think I’m doing?” he asked, the edge of his voice sharp enough to slice concrete like it was cheese.

“Following me,” I accused. “Sticking your nose in my private business. That’s what reporters do, isn’t it?” I poked his chest for emphasis, ignoring the curious looks we were getting from a doctor and nurse who’d been conferring in the hallway.

His mouth settled into a hard line as he shook his head, fury rolling off him in waves. “Are you really so self-centered as to believe you’re even important enough for my attention? Does it not occur to you that maybe there’s another reason I’m here?”

That he dared to be angry when he’d wronged me, inflamed my temper further.

“You’re stalking me,” I accused. “Maybe I need to call the police. Get a restraining order.”

“I’m not stalking you!” he shouted. “You are a paranoid nutjob and I’m not stalking you.”

Blinking, I rocked back on my heels. I wasn’t accustomed to be yelled at.

“Mr. Stern!” the doctor reprimanded, hurrying toward us.

That’s when I got the first inkling that he hadn’t been following me. He was known here.

“You cannot be shouting in this facility,” the doctor lectured.

Instead of apologizing, Jack glared at me. “Now see what you’ve done?”

“And you cannot be calling anyone a nutjob,” the doctor continued. “I think that it’s best you leave.”

“I was on my way out,” he snarled.

“Princess,” a familiar voice called joyfully. “Is that you?”

Grudgingly, I turned. “Yes, Mom. It’s me.” The lie slipped off my tongue easily. Teresa had been the daughter she’d called Princess, but I saw no reason to burst her happiness bubble.

She practically floated toward us.  “Have you gentlemen met my daughter?”

“I haven’t had the pleasure, Mary,” the doctor said smoothly. “How are you feeling today?”

“Stars in my cereal,” Mom told him, while wrapping her arms around me. “Stars. So beautiful. Did you see them, Teresa?”

Ignoring Jack’s sharp, inquisitive look, I replied. “I didn’t. What color were they?”

“Silver and gold. Twinkling like a million suns.” She sighed ecstatically.

I swallowed hard, trying to get hold of my emotions. Part of me was glad she was in a good mood, but part of me hated when she was like this because I knew that when this burned out, she’d be left in a dark place where it would be hard to reach her.

Circling behind me, Mom pulled my hair free from the ponytail I’d had it pulled back in. “We should braid it with rainbows. Right, Teresa?”

“Sure, Mom,” I murmured because it was what my sister would have said.

“There you are,” a breathless orderly panted, rushing up to us. “You worried us, Mary. We didn’t know where you wandered off to.”

My mother dropped her hands from my head. “I came to see Teresa.”

I knew from the orderly’s expression that the woman had known Teresa and knew I wasn’t her.

“I’m another one,” I explained.

“Maggie?” the woman guessed. “Your aunts talk about you a lot.”

I winced, imaging the witches complaining that I never came to see my mother.

The orderly held out her hand to my mother, who, like an obedient toddler, placed hers in it and allowed the woman to lead her away.

When they were almost out of sight, Mom looked back at me, or at least in my direction, I knew she didn’t really see
me
.  I swallowed my disappointment that she wasn’t having a lucid day, and smiled and waved.

She waved back, calling, “Stars!”

“She’s in good hands,” the doctor assured me.

“I know.” Then aware that there was no way I could deliver the package unnoticed during the visit, I added, “I’ll check on her later.”

“She probably will be in a less positive mood,” the doctor warned.

“But she might actually know who I am.” With a curt nod in his direction and a glance at Jack, I walked away.

I wasn’t surprised to hear footsteps hurrying after me.  I knew it was Jack following me, but he didn’t say anything and I didn’t look back at him.

He stayed behind me until we reached the parking lot and I finally turned to face him.

He raised his hands in surrender, signaling I shouldn’t attack. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m fine.” I took a deep breath. “I guess I owe you an apology, Mr. Stern. It’s obvious you weren’t stalking me. My accusation was out of line. I’m sorry.”

He lowered his hands. “Don’t worry about it. Visiting that place”—he glanced back at the building, grimacing with revulsion—“brings out the worst in everyone.”

Grateful for the candor, I whispered, “It’s the nutjobs.”

His eyes crinkled with delight and threw his head back and laughed, not caring that the sound attracted the attention of everyone within earshot.

I couldn’t help but smile as I confessed, “I’ve called them much worse.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one.”

“So what are you doing here?” I asked curiously.

“Same as you, visiting someone.”

It wasn’t much of an answer, but I got the distinct impression he wasn’t going to divulge anything else. The man had a lot of secrets. I wasn’t sure if that was intriguing or worrisome.

I walked toward my car.

He fell into step beside me. We walked along in companionable silence until we reached my car.

“This is me.” I reached for the door handle.

“Buy you a cup of coffee?”

“Can’t.” I opened the door.

“Oh. Okay.”

Hearing the disappointment in his tone, I looked up at him to explain. “I’ve got to get back to work.”

I saw the disbelief on his face.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Some other time then?”

“Sure.”

He stepped closer. “And you’ll wear your hair loose like that?”

I self-consciously smoothed it, teasing weakly, “Not braided with rainbows?”

“Useless I’m color blind.”

I couldn’t tell whether or not he was joking. My breath caught in my throat as he gently tucked a stray strand behind my ear.

His gaze roamed over my face, studying me intently, before his eyes locked onto mine.  I’d originally thought his eyes were as cool and dark as the rest of him, but now I saw that they were a muddy brown with rays of amber streaking through their depths.

“Drive carefully,” he murmured, dropping his hand to his side and backing up a step. “It looks like it’s going to rain.” He raised his chin to look up at the sky.

I followed suit and saw the swollen rain clouds lumbering across the horizon. A sense of foreboding skittered down my spine, but I didn’t know why.

Maybe it was because as soon as I returned to work, mouthing a grateful,
“Thank you”
to Harry on my way to my desk, Armani limped over.

“I quit,” she announced.

“Quit what?” I asked, logging onto my computer.

“My job.”

I’d been reaching for my headset, but I froze, arm outstretched. “You what?” I shrieked.

Everyone in the vicinity looked over at me. I slumped in my chair, wishing I could disappear.

“I quit. But you’d be proud.” She planted her butt on the corner of my desk, almost crushing my headset. “I gave notice.”

I snatched up the equipment to save it. “Why?”

“I figured it was the responsible thing to do. Plus if I ever look for another job, they can’t say I just up and quit.”

“No.” I slammed my headset on to keep myself from strangling her. “Why did you quit your job?”

“Ike told me to.”

“He
told
you to?” I railed, this time not caring that my raised voice attracted attention. “The guy you just met
told
you to quit your job, so you did? What are you his trained circus animal or something?”

She hopped off her desk and began waving her arms and yelling at me in Spanish. I have no doubt she called me some pretty awful names, but because I didn’t understand her, I wasn’t terribly offended.

Switching to English she shouted, “You never liked him!”

“You’ve known him less than a week,” I reminded her. “And I met him twice. But yeah, I don’t like him.”

Harry hustled over, “Ladies, I understand emotions are running high, but…”

Armani ignored him completely and continued to yell at me. “Just because you’re a lonely old witch doesn’t mean I’m going to be. I found the man I’m meant to be with.”

I rolled my eyes.

“Ladies,” Harry tried again to take control of the situation.

Huffing her indignation, Armani whirled and limped away, muttering to herself.

Before Harry could say a word to me, I pushed the button on my headset and answered a call. “Thank you for calling Insuring the Future. This is Maggie. How can I help you?”

~#~

After an afternoon spent taking automobile accident claims and ignoring the curious look and rumbling gossip of my co-workers, I headed back to try again to deliver the package under the guise of visiting my mother.

I’d barely gotten inside the facility when I spotted the recipient wandering down the hallway. As soon as I signed in, I tailed her from a safe distance, stopping to fiddle with my cellphone every time she slowed or halted. When she stepped into the stairwell, I figured it was the perfect chance to give her the box without prying eyes seeing, so I followed her.

The moment the door closed behind me, I was slammed backward into a cement wall.

My elbow took the worst of the blow, but the breath was still knocked out of me.

And then there was a hand at my throat, pinning me to the wall. I struggled to loosen the assailant’s grip and had my foot stomped on for my trouble.

“Why are you following me?” a menacing voice whispered in my ear.

I slid my eyes sideways and realized the person threatening to choke the life out of me was the package’s recipient.

Delveccio hadn’t mentioned that this “favor” was dangerous or that she was homicidal.

“I have something for you,” I choked out. “Here.” I fumbled in my pocket, trying to grab the box. Finally, I extracted it and held it up in front of her face.

She released her hold, leaving me gasping for air.

Snatching it away, she clutched the box to her chest. “He remembered.”

I didn’t know what Delveccio had remembered, but I didn’t think it wise to ask as I leaned against the wall, massaging my throat.

She smiled at the box and I got a glimpse of the woman she’d been in the photograph. “He remembered.” Then, suddenly recalling I was there, she looked at me with concern. “Did I hurt you? I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I’m fine,” I assured her. “I’ve had worse.” Sadly that was true. More violent people had tried to kill me.

“Thank you.” She ripped off the paper, leaving it in shreds on the floor of the stairwell. “Thank you so much.”

I eyed the door, trying to calculate whether I could open it and get back into the hallway before she stopped me.

Lifting the lid of the box, she cooed her delight.

My curiosity got the best of me and I stood on tiptoes, trying to surreptitiously get a look at the contents of the box.

She turned it for me to see. “My boy.”

I gasped when I saw the photograph of Dominic lying in his hospital bed.

“My beautiful boy.”

Suddenly, I understood why Delveccio’s daughter didn’t visit her son anymore. It was because she wasn’t his real mother. The slightly crazed woman standing across from me was.

Noticing that I was staring at her, she said, “Tell Daddy this is the best birthday gift ever.”

I nodded, too shocked to speak.

“Best ever!” With that, she dropped the box, clutched the photograph to her chest and raced up the stairs.

This time I didn’t follow.

I considered cutting my losses and not stopping to see my mother. After all, the doctor had already warned me she wouldn’t be in good shape. But motivated by a sense of guilt or duty, I found myself standing outside her room. She had her back to the door as she stared out the window, humming to herself.

She seemed at peace and I didn’t want to ruin that, so I turned to go.

“Is that you?” she called.

I spun slowly back to face her. “It’s me,” I said carefully, not knowing who she thought I was.

“Come see,” she waved for me to enter.  “Peacocks.”

Sighing heavily, I stepped into her room. I was glad she was calm, but it still made me sad she was lost in her own world. I made a mental note to ask Aunt Susan if they’d put her on new medications recently since most of her delusions seemed to center around colorful things like rainbows and peacock.

Crossing the room to me, she draped an arm around my shoulders and led me to the window. “You’ve got to see. It’s the most amazing thing.”