The Vigilante (33 page)

“He sounds really good, Mom. He’s known sorrow, too.” She grinned. “I can’t wait to meet him. Do you realize you’ve planned marriage with a man none of us have met?” She looked serious for a moment. “And how are you doing with your treatment? Any progress there? Does Bob know about it?”

“He knows everything, which is way more than I’ve told you. I find it difficult to tell you the rest of it. I know just about all there is to know by now and I’m working on integration. You’ll be shocked when I do tell you.”

“You’d better do it now, then. I’ve waited long enough to find out what happened to you as a child, and all the rest of it. Or do I even want to know about it? What do you think, Mom?”

Martha saw doubt and pain cross Jeannie’s face, and quickly decided to go slowly with the details. She was so happy within herself, telling sordid details from the past would only dampen everyone’s spirits. “All in good time, Jeannie. Bringing up garbage now won’t help anyone. So where’s Will?”

Martha felt such happiness today, she refused to think of any negatives. In her advanced state of euphoria, there were no clouds on her horizons or troubles waiting.

***

Ryan sat at his desk. Carla’s detailed report had left him feeling chilled all over. He called Harris. When he appeared, Ryan said. “Our lady is in a hell of a spot and has no idea about it. She’s managed to attract Imperato and his crowd. A man came in here and told me some things about Martha that, if true, explain it in part. He thought the woman who decked Imperato looked like Martha, yet he wasn’t really sure it was her. Seems Imperato thinks Martha may be that person. In any case, he’s got people trailing her. That fool woman can’t seem to stay out of trouble.”

“They didn’t tag Carla, but she called Figueroa in case she needed back-up.” Then Ryan remembered another item Jake had mentioned. “Oh yeah, this same guy made a report about finding purple stains on Martha, not once, but twice. I thought that to be very incriminating. Our investigative reports on her indicate a rural background as well.” He sighed. “That ties her in with the attacks on the two child molesters, but how does that tie up with Imperato? She’d have had to frequent that sleazy dive,
The Paradisio,
fairly often and that’s not like the Martha we know...Or is it”

“What do you want to do?” Harris asked, worried. “We can’t let her get sucked into that mess. It’s got to be a case of mistaken identity. She couldn’t possibly know a man like Imperato.”

“You’re right as hell, but unless those thugs move against her, we can only keep watch. One slip and it could be too late if he believes she’s the one that gave him the knee in front of God and everybody.” Ryan flung his papers off the desk. “Damn it all to hell. We’ve got to protect our little lady perp. We’ve got to get ahead of Imperato on this. Find out what’s going on with that situation if you can.” He laughed. “I’d like to have been there to see Imperato get it, being such a bastard with the ladies and all. Left him groaning right on the dance floor, too.”

Harris laughed. “Good for her, if she did it. We’ll get extra detail on it and see where it goes from here. We have a guy or two on the inside of that organization. Maybe that’ll tell us something.”

Harris left the office, and Ryan sat tight for a while before muttering, “I’d sure like to have an in depth conversation with that lady. She despises us and I don’t blame her for that, but we may be the best friends that woman has ever had.”

***

Bob and Martha knocked on Jeannie’s door. Excitement exuding from Jeannie’s glowing, deep blue eyes, she bade them enter.

Martha introduced him around and took him to meet Will. “Will honey, here’s a good friend of mine, a very nice man who wants to meet you.”

Will looked up at a very big man. His eyes grew large, his face paled, and they both saw the little features tighten with fear at the sight of a strange adult male. His father had shaken hands with this man and welcomed him, but still, the boy hesitated.

Seeing the boy’s distress, Bob knelt down to him. “Hi, Will, your Grammy and I are very good friends. She tells me you like to go to
Biggie’s Burgers
. I like those
Bittie Meal Bits
, myself.” He took in Will’s Legos and books. “I see you like to build things and read books, too. That’s great!”

Will looked up at Martha. “Grammy, is he good, like my daddy?” She heard the tremor of fear in his voice and saw the tight set of his jaw as the little boy tried so hard to be brave.

“Yes, he is. You never need to be afraid of this man, not ever.” She punched Bob playfully, and the boy saw Bob’s laughing response. “See, he’s a big guy, just like your daddy, and a good man like him, too.” She stood close to Bob. “He’s really nice, Will.”

Will shyly held out his hand to Bob, and as he enfolded the little guy’s hand in his big paw, she saw the boy relax a bit. It was a beginning.

Jeannie stood back, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “I like him, Mom,” she whispered it to Martha then winked at Martin.

The evening went well, and Martha enjoyed a glow of happiness denied her for so long. Bob chatted with Martin, finding enough manly topics to suit them both. The women frequently heard a roar of masculine laughter during the evening. Bob kept his eye on Martha, too. It gave her the warm feeling of his acceptance in every way, and her family as well.

The pleasant evening ended. It was late when they left, and Bob had only one place in mind. Martha had no objections and noticing nothing but each other, they blissfully moved through the darkened streets. A slight breeze ruffled the shadowed greenery, and intermittent street lights left puddles of light as they passed. Caught up in what seemed an eternity of waiting, in their anticipation of having each other, they failed to notice the long, shiny limo, sliding along, far behind them. In her happiness, Martha didn’t care anymore, and Bob had no reason to suspect an evil surveillance or the protective shield of the police.

Their night together passed without incident, and Martha returned home later the next morning. As Bob left her off, she noticed a long, black car sliding around the corner. Alarm bells rang in her mind and her face paled as memories of the big man at
The Paradisio
came flooding into her mind.

“Martha, what’s wrong? You’re very pale all of a sudden.” Bob nudged her. “I wasn’t that bad, was I?”

“Oh it’s nothing. I just wondered about something. I just saw a car around here I’ve never seen before, and I’m still jumpy about everything, in spite of the fine care you take of me.” Martha blushed at her own thoughts. But she still felt a guilty reluctance in telling him about her mix-up with a man like Charles Imperato.

She feared Bob would misunderstand something like that, and she’d lose him all over again. He’d overlooked a monumental amount of faults in her already. Remembering his initial shock when he’d learned of Serena’s activities, she feared he couldn’t handle knowing one more thing. Besides, what did she know for sure? She’d told the man, Imperato, she wasn’t the woman he sought.

“Well, sweetheart, I’m on duty tomorrow afternoon. Are you working?”

“Could be. Might be fun. Maybe I’ll call in and take a shift. Are you in med-surg?” Satisfied by his affirmative nod, they kissed a long goodbye and she let him go with a soft, throaty, “I love you, Bob.”

CHAPTER 34

The next afternoon, Martha sang beneath her breath as she showered. Dressed in her latest scrubs, the ones with baby elephants tumbling about over each other, she readied herself for another shift. She was careful with her make-up. She didn’t want to look too racy for the workplace and consciously quelled her more outrageous instincts as they arose—the ones she attributed to Serena, understanding this as part of the integration process.

Daydreaming as she drove to the hospital and listening to pop music on her radio, she slammed on her brakes to avoid the big black car that suddenly swerved in front of her. Just as she was about to open her door to get out and give that inconsiderate jerk a piece of her mind, a darkly dressed man slid up to her car and tapped on the window.

Martha slid it down and asked, “Yes, what’s wrong?” She decided to hold her tongue. He didn’t look like just any man. He had narrow eyes and a twisted sort of mouth. His frame, scrawny and thin, had the wiry look of a jockey.

He growled at her. “Someone wants ta see ya’. Come on, get out.” He motioned for her to get out of her car. He repeated the request, his mouth set in a firm line. “C’mon, lady, get outta the car.”

“Sorry mister, I’m due at the hospital. My shift starts in twenty minutes, and you’re holding me up. I have to get going.” She knew instinctively this bird cared nothing for her wishes or any plans she might have. He had his own agenda, and his determination to see it through was evident on his face. She took a deep breath. “Please sir, move your car, if you will. You’re making me late!”

Behind her, an older blue car had pulled snugly against hers. They had her trapped! If she put her car in reverse, it would go nowhere. Puzzled, she asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Do as I say, ma’am, and no one’s gittin’ hurt, got it?” He jerked her car door open, and grabbed her elbow. “Come on, no fuss now.” Small he might be, but his strength made up for any other lack he might have had. He jerked her to her feet, rudely pulled her to the long, black limo, and shoved her into the back. Parked in front of her car, it had effectively blocked any other escape route. Martha slid over into the middle rear seat and Mr. Skinny sat across from her.

“Where—where, are you taking me?” Her voice, tremulous at best, choked with fear as she realized without a doubt, who wanted to talk to her. Jake had said enough about the man’s appetites to forewarn her of what she faced.

The lingering odor of that exotic male cologne, at once familiar, yet strange to her, entered her senses. This was
his
limo! It bore his essence and cologne.
He still believes I’m the one who did him dirty on the dance
floor at
The Paradisio
. Can I play this scenario well enough to convince him it wasn’t me
?
My very life depends on what I do now.
She shivered all over as she mulled over what she faced. But by now she’d integrated with Serena enough to know she was the guilty party the man sought.

“You’ll know soon enough where you’re going, lady. Just keep quiet and sit tight. Better yet, relax and enjoy the ride. There’s every kind of drink back here. Help yourself. The boss won’t mind a bit if you have a few, likes ‘em softened up a bit.”

She felt like vomiting.

Another man was sitting in the front passenger seat. His sallow, pock marked face almost had a look of sympathy on it as he watched her sitting in the back, her hands clenched tight together. “Chuck’s been huntin’ all over for you. Wants a word with you, lady.”

Do all criminals look like these low-life misfits
?
she wondered idly.
What
a pair of losers.
She didn’t get a look at the driver. These two miserable miscreants were all she’d seen so far.

Martha declined the drink offer and sat stiffly looking out the darkened windows. No one could see her if she pounded on the windows for help. She could see out, but no one could see inside the huge limo. It purred along smoothly, passing city streets with trees, flowers, and clipped lawns. Normal everyday events went on outside this insidious car, while inside it she faced an unknown, fearful peril. It boggled her mind.

The big auto edged upward and upward until finally, she heard massive iron gates creak open to admit the sleek machine. The heavy, confining sound of them clanging shut brought additional fears flooding into her midsection. Icy terror chilled the blood in her veins.

I’ll never live to get out of this place
.
My sins have come home to roost now, big time
.
I wonder what this dude wants besides my skin in little pieces tossed to those black shiny Dobermans I saw on the way in here
.
What an isolated, haunting place
.

She felt like a character in a dark, brooding, murder mystery, but this was no fictional thing you could walk out of when the scene was finished. It was horribly real and happening to her.
Oh Bob, I’ll never feel your wonderful, loving, arms around me again
!
A tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

The smooth action of the big limo came to a halt and the pockmarked driver opened the door. He stood there, waiting. “Okay, lady, we’re here. Come on, get out.”

Martha had no choice but to comply and exited the limo. Standing in front of a massive stone faced mansion, with large windows soaring upward toward many levels of red tiled roofs, she took stock of her surroundings. The landscaping looked lush, with manicured lawns. She saw fountains, and a glimpse of naked statuary caught her eye.

She snorted her disgust at the scrawny, wiry man beside her. “They say crime doesn’t pay, but in this case, looks like it does, and very well!”

“Knock it off, lady. He’s waitin’ inside for you.” He took her arm and she walked along, not wishing to be dragged. They mounted two flights of wide flat stone steps and entered between two eight- or ten-foot-tall, heavy, oaken doors. They swung easily, which surprised her. She entered a large foyer with circles of dazzling tiled insets creating a magical pattern before her.
How many people’s lives were ruined by the drugs that paid for this palace
, s
he wondered, her fury rising
. What a lovely, spacious, monument to criminality
!

Her escort ushered her into a large paneled room, with a fireplace glowing and soft rock music emanating from hidden recesses. He left her, exited, and closed the thick, heavy, mahogany door behind him.