They Never Die Quietly (2010) (26 page)

"It seems we have a standoff, detective." Simon gently stroked Angelina's hair. She didn't seem to mind.

"Put her down," Al ordered.

"Angelina and I are going to play a little game." Simon cupped his hand around the side of her neck, inching his fingers toward her throat.

Angelina began to fidget.

"There, there," Simon said, "everything's going to be just fine."

"In less than ten minutes," Al said, "a dozen cops are going to storm through that door."

"Great. They can join the festivities."

Still in excruciating pain, Sami found enough strength to stand. She extended her arms toward Angelina. "Come to Mommy."

Simon tightened his grip on the squirmy two-year-old. "Angelina's staying with Simon. Right, my little princess?"

Angelina twisted like a worm on a fishhook and started to moan.

Sami no longer operated with all of her faculties or a rational mind. Her actions were motivated by sheer primal instincts. Risky? Extremely. Insane? Perhaps. She was driven by the purest form of survival. With little effort Simon could snap her neck in an instant, but Sami knew that Angelina hated to be restrained, and no matter how powerful Simon might be, when Angelina threw a temper tantrum, she was a handful. Maybe Angelina could distract Simon just long enough for Al to get a clean shot. "Come to Mommy," Sami repeated.

Angelina, now screaming, flailed her arms and legs. Simon was losing his grip. With one quick motion, Angelina's body stiffened, she arched her back, straightened her legs, and the back of her head smacked Simon square in the nose. She slipped out of his arms and like a little gymnast landed square on her feet and charged toward her mother with outstretched arms.

Simon covered his face with both hands, moaning in agony. Blood dripped from both nostrils. Al moved toward him and pressed the gun against his temple.

"On the floor, you piece of shit."

Without protest, Simon lay facedown on the cold concrete and Al secured his wrists with handcuffs. Sami and Angelina were locked in an embrace. Angelina still whimpered but no longer cried with purpose. Sami let go of Angelina and leaned against the wall.

Her eyes welling with tears, Sami could barely speak. "You're...my hero...Al."

"All in a day's work." His eyes were teary. "You all right?"

"I need a back transplant, but other than that I think I'm okay." Sami stepped toward Al and stood only inches away.

Al had his arms around her in an instant, completely forgetting about Sami's back.

"Easy there, cowboy."

Feeling the contours of her body firmly pressed against him, Al closed his eyes and savored the moment. He tried to say something clever, but the words hung in his throat. He wanted to hold Sami for the rest of his life.

"Have you been drinking, Al?"

How could she know this? Surely the smell of alcohol wasn't still be on his breath. "I guess we need to talk about that."

"Yeah, we do."

They stood silent for a few minutes.

Now tears were streaming down Sami's cheeks. She whispered in his ear. "Thank you, partner."

Al let go of Sami and they stood face-to-face. It seemed as if they quietly stared at each other for an eternity. For an instant, Al forgot about Simon and Angelina and moved toward Sami. She inched toward him. He saw an invitation in her eyes, a sparkle he'd never seen before.

Angelina tugged on Sami's skirt. "I don't like this place, Mommy. Can we go to Grandma's for dinner?"

"Sure, sweetheart."

Sami glanced at Simon, still lying on the concrete floor. Again the anger welled in her gut. "Take Angelina upstairs and call my mom. Tell her we're okay."

"And leave you here with--"

"I'll be fine. I just need a minute."

He handed her his weapon. "Just in case."

Reluctantly, Al grabbed Angelina's hand and disappeared behind the steel door. Sami gave them enough time to get upstairs. She limped toward Simon and carefully squatted next to him. He lay on his stomach, watching her, a defiant grin plastered on his sweaty face.

"This is far from being over, little lady."

"Indeed. It's just beginning." She grabbed a handful of his thick hair and yanked his head back. "I want you to know that I'll be in that fucking courtroom every glorious day. And when the jury reads the verdict, 'guilty as charged,' I'm going to jump up in the air, hooting and hollering."

"God will protect me, sinner."

"Seems to me that he's already abandoned you."

"What do you mean?"

"You're lying on your belly like the snake you are, and in a few minutes a whole bunch of cops are going to haul your ass to jail."

"The Lord will free me."

"Free you? Ha! You're going to spend the rest of your life in a ten-by-ten cage--unless of course they fry your ass or shoot you up with a lethal injection. For your remaining years--whatever they might be--you're going to live in a cage like a wild animal. And you know what else, Simon? Even hardened criminals have a code of ethics, and they don't like rapists or men who hurt children. They're just going to love that tight ass of yours. There's no place to hide in that concrete hell."

Sami doubled up her fist and cocked her arm. Oh, how she wanted to feel her knuckles collide with his face. But Sami stopped herself.

He lay silent. The defiant grin replaced by grim eyes.

"Rot in hell, you son of a bitch!"

Captain Davison insisted that Sami take enough time off work to both physically and mentally recuperate. She didn't argue. For three days she could barely get out of bed. During her hiatus she carefully considered whether or not to resign. This decision posed much anguish for Sami. Money, of course, was a primary concern. How would she live? Obligation to her father's dying wish was another issue. Quite to Sami's relief, Josephine Rizzo not only supported Sami but suggested that she sell her home and move in with her so Sami could go back to school. If there was some truth to the cliche that good can come from evil, Sami's life-threatening ordeal paved a new roadway to her mother's heart. Things were not the way they should be between mother and daughter, at least not the way Sami saw it. However, something positive was happening, and for the first time in her life, Sami actually enjoyed spending time with Josephine Rizzo.

After six visits with Doctor Alvarez, chiropractor extraordinaire, Sami began to feel like a human again. He gave her a series of home exercises and instructed her to perform them religiously. She didn't know if her back would ever be one hundred percent, but at least she had resumed normal activities without feeling gut-wrenching pain.

The nightmares hadn't yet stopped; the horrific image of lying on a wooden cross and feeling Simon drive spikes through her wrists persisted. She didn't expect that pleasant dreams would replace them soon. She thought seriously about seeking therapy. Al, in his own lovable fashion, told her, "People who go to shrinks ought to have their heads examined." But after they stopped laughing, he lobbied hard for her to seek counseling. "Just to clear the cobwebs," he'd said.

Two weeks after Al's heroic rescue, Sami was sitting in her living room watching TV, when she heard the doorbell. Expecting it to be Al, who had stopped by to see her every day, she opened the door without first looking through the security lens.

"Are you Samantha Rizzo?" The well-dressed young man smiled warmly. He wore a stylish gray suit and carried a brown leather briefcase. His white shirt was crisply pressed and stark white. Sami guessed that either he wished to sell her something or was a Jehovah Witness looking for converts.

"Can I help you?"

He handed her a business card. "May I come in?"

She studied the card. "I'm really not interested in life insurance."

"I'm not here to sell you any."

Still wary from her ordeal, Sami was not about to let in a total stranger, no matter how innocent he looked. "What's this all about?"

"You're not going to let me come inside?"

"With all due respect, no."

"Were you aware, Ms. Rizzo, that you are named beneficiary in a life insurance policy?"

"Pardon me?"

He squatted, set his briefcase on the step, and flipped it open. After fumbling through a stack of papers, he handed her an official-looking form. "Just sign your name where indicated and you should receive a check in about ten days."

"I think you're mistaken."

"You were married to a Thomas DiSalvo, right?"

Tommy?
Al had told her about his covert investigation into Tommy's death. She wasn't shocked when she learned that the supposed gambling debt had been a ploy to get money from her. That Tommy had been murdered by a drug dealer did not erase all her guilt or angst, but it served to alleviate much of it.

"I was," Sami whispered.

"Well, Mr. DiSalvo belonged to the Laborer's Union and all members are entitled to life insurance. It's part of their overall benefit's package."

"But Tommy and I have been divorced for years."

"Makes no difference. You're named as sole beneficiary."

Sami gawked at the young man. "This is unbelievable."

He handed her a pen. "Would you mind signing the release forms?"

Now Sami felt like a paranoid idiot refusing to let the young man into her home. She stepped to the side and motioned with her arm. "Why don't you have a seat in the living room."

He picked up his briefcase, stepped inside, and sat on the sofa. He handed the release forms to Sami.

Sami read the fine print and stopped cold at paragraph nine. "Two hundred fifty thousand dollars?"

"That's correct, Ms. Rizzo."

The check arrived certified mail five days after the pleasant young man from North Pacific Life Insurance informed Sami of her windfall. In a way, Sami felt uneasy profiting from Tommy's death, but the money would also benefit her daughter. Not that it would make up for Tommy's gross incompetence as a father, but Sami had already spoken to a financial advisor and arranged for a chunk of money to be invested in a trust fund for Angelina.

Except for Al, Sami had not seen any of her fellow detectives or support people from the precinct. When she walked in the front door unannounced, she felt like a movie star. After thirty minutes of goodwill and lots of tears, Sami wandered into Captain Davison's office. Davison wouldn't stand if the mayor walked in, but the moment Sami stepped over the threshold, he sprang off the chair and his arms were around her in an instant.

"Are you ready to go back to work, Detective Rizzo?"

She opened her purse and handed Davison her weapon and badge along with a sealed envelope. "I can't do this anymore, captain."

Davison tore open the envelope and read it. He fixed his stare on her. "You've been through hell, Sami. It's natural you'd have doubts about your career."

"I no longer have doubts. I want no part of law enforcement."

He looked at her over his reading glasses. "What's your plan?"

"Going back to school to get a degree in social work."

The captain's eyes were misty. "Why don't you take another week or two--"

"That's not necessary."

He sat behind his desk and tapped a cigarette out of the fresh pack. "There's no changing your mind?"

"Not a snowball's chance in hell."

"You're my token female detective, Rizzo. Where do I find another one like you?"

"Sorry, captain, I think they broke the mold."

"If it doesn't work out--"

"It will."

He lit the cigarette. "Have you told Diaz?"

"Not yet."

"You're gonna ruin his day."

"If you see him before I do, please don't say anything. I'd like him to hear it from me."

"No problem. I never enjoyed being the bearer of bad news." Davison glanced at the front page of the newspaper sitting on his desk. "Have you heard the latest twist in the case?"

"I haven't looked at the newspaper or watched the news since--"

"A panel of psychiatrists has determined that our perp is a bona fide nutcase, but he refuses to let his lawyer use an insanity defense. The jury's gonna fry his nuts."

Sami didn't flinch. What happened to Simon was inconsequential. She just wanted to move forward with her life.

The captain handed Sami a sealed envelope.

"What's this?"

"Betty in Missing Persons said you were trying to track down a couple of people?"

On Christmas Day, just before noon, Sami and Al were on their way to Katie's Kitchen.

"I must be out of my mind," Al mumbled.

"I know a good shrink," Sami replied. "Maybe we can get a group discount."

"How did I let you talk me into this?"

"Don't be such a pain in the ass. It'll be fun."

"If serving chow to a bunch of smelly homeless people is what you call fun, then you need to get a life, my dear."

"You're just pissed 'cause you had to get up early this morning."

"I'm pissed because Davison wants me to partner up with Zimmer. The guy's a goddamn relic."

"Look at the bright side." Sami couldn't keep a straight face. "At least you won't have to put up with my PMS tantrums once a month."

"That's a valid point."

At Sami's insistence, Al had become involved with AA again. He hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since the day he'd rescued Sami.

Sami pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. "Are you going to behave yourself, or should I cuff you to the steering wheel?"

"You're not a cop anymore. Remember?"

"Civilians can still buy handcuffs."

"Never guessed you were the kinky type."

"There's lots you don't know about me, Al."

Sami hopped up the front steps and Al trailed behind. Surprisingly, the dining room looked only a quarter full. She spotted the man sitting in the far corner. She pointed to the kitchen. "That's where the working folk congregate. I'll catch up with you in a few minutes."

Al shook his head. "Are you going to bond with the homeless people?"

"Something like that."

Sami walked up behind the man and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and did a double take. "By golly, is that you, Detective Rizzo?" He almost knocked over the chair when he stood.

She felt no need to get into a windy explanation about her resignation. "How are you, J.T.?"

"Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Me neither."

"I read in the paper what happened. Geez. I'm glad you're okay. The guy who gave me the shoes really was a loony."

"Indeed." Sami opened her purse and removed an envelope. "I'm afraid I can't return the shoes. Evidence, you know. But I think this will make up for them." She handed the envelope to Williamson.

"Is this a summons to appear in court?"

"Take a look."

Williamson wiped his mouth on the paper napkin and carefully tore the end of the envelope. He unfolded a single piece of paper and squinted it into focus. With his mouth agape and eyes almost bulging, he grasped Sami's hand and vigorously pumped her arm. "Well, I'll be damned. I must confess, detective, I never really thought you'd follow through." His face flushed and his eyes filled with tears. "You really found my wife and kid?" Tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. "You've made this a very...special...Christmas."

Sami removed another envelope from her opened purse and gave it to Williamson.

After he looked at the contents, he almost fell back into the chair. "A plane ticket and five hundred dollars?"

"Merry Christmas, J.T."

"Now that wasn't so bad, was it, Al?"

"I haven't had that much fun since Doctor Martin checked my prostate. You owe me, Sami, and you owe me big-time."

She glanced at her watch. "My mother won't have dinner ready for another hour. Why don't we grab a cup of coffee and walk on the beach?"

"You buying?"

"Absolutely."

Christmas was the only day of the year when Pacific Beach looked almost deserted. Al and Sami sat on the sand sipping coffee and watching a handful of die-hard surfers. The ocean air felt chilly and the sky was overcast, but Al didn't mind. He snuggled next to Sami, and for the moment, his life had meaning.

"Thank you, Al."

"For what?"

"For everything."

"My pleasure."

Sami gulped a mouthful of coffee. "I've got something on my mind."

He turned and looked at her. "I would guess you've got lots on your mind."

"I do. But this has to do with you."

"Am I in trouble?"

"Maybe."

"Should I call my attorney?"

Sami smiled. "Let's be serious for just a minute."

Al listened.

"After you rescued me and restrained Simon, you gave me a hug. Remember?"

How could he forget? "Vaguely."

"When we stopped hugging, I felt certain you were..."

Al could feel the blood rushing to his face. "What?"

"Were you going to...kiss me?"

Their eyes met and Al was certain Sami could see right through him.

"Well...I...um...guess I kind of thought about it. Um...geez. I was happy you were alive."

"I see."

They sat silently for a minute.

"So I shouldn't read between the lines and make more of that moment than it was? You were just happy I was alive?"

Al's hands were dripping wet. It felt as if his tongue were three times its size. "Sami, I..."

"What?"

I must be out of my mind. She opened the door and I'm slamming it in her face. This is your chance, Al!

A flock of seagulls squawked relentlessly while an old woman tossed bits of bread in the air. A young woman walked past holding a bundled-up infant in her arms. An elderly couple strolled barefoot across the sand.

Al kissed Sami on the cheek.

Their eyes met.

"What was that for?"

Al moved closer. "About that kiss?"