Publisher: DX Varos
Publishing (April 11, 2023)
Category: Mystery, Detective Mystery
Tour Dates April 17-May 19, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065788
Available in Print and ebook, 271 pages
Her
phone rang and Lucia’s first thought was that it might be Hank canceling. She
answered while praying that wasn’t the case and was relieved to hear Patsy’s
voice. “Miss me already? Or did my mom forget to mention that I need a
manicure?”
“No, it’s nothing
like that. It’s…I need you to come over to my parent’s house, right now.”
“Is something
wrong?”
“Yes, but I’d…we’d
rather tell you in person.”
“Is it Nonno?”
When Patsy didn’t respond, she said, “Oh my God, it’s not my mom, is it?”
“It’s neither of
them, please just come over as soon as you can.”
“On my way.”
Lucia was greeted
at the door of the senior Rinaldi house by Patsy’s sister, Donna, who had moved
back in with her parents after her husband died of most unnatural causes. She
and Angie had always been friendly and Lucia wasn’t surprised to see her mom
sitting on the couch between Zia Pina and her husband, Vince Rinaldi. What did
give her pause was the shellshocked look on her mom’s face and the large crowd
in attendance.
Quickly scanning
the room, she noted in addition to the Rinaldi clan, her Great-Aunt Carmela,
Carmela’s dour son, Dominic “Micky” Vetere, his daughter Gabby, and son-in-law,
Frankie Tumino. Lucia had mixed feelings about Gabby. On one hand, she was a
back-stabbing little gossip, on the other, her father made Lucia’s own look
like Mr. Rogers. Moreover, she was, at twenty-one, already married to one of
the densest, meanest thugs in South Philly. Reflexively, Lucia checked to see
if Micky and Frankie were carrying and upon spotting the telltale bulges under
their shirts, got the usual answer.
Patsy stood up
from his chair and gestured that Lucia should take his place. She shook her
head. “I’d rather stand. What’s this about?”
“Your father never
came home last night and they found my car abandoned on Oregon Avenue. Now,
there is word…we have reason to believe he won’t be coming home. Ever.”
“Are you
saying…he’s dead? My father is dead?” She looked over at her mom who just
stared back at Lucia, her face painted with an inarticulate grief.
“Yes,” Patsy
answered very deliberately. “We think so.”
“Wait – you think
he’s dead, or you know he’s dead?”
Patsy kept looking
at Frankie, who finally spoke. “Signs point that way. I can’t say no more.”
A variety of
emotions surged through Lucia, so numerous and tangled were they that she
couldn’t immediately identify her reaction. She pulled at the dominant thread
and found anger. The emotion Bac always warned against, the one that got people
killed. With effort she shoved it back into the snarl. “What signs? Why would
anyone want to kill him? He literally just got out.”
“You know better
than to ask those questions,” Micky retorted. He went over to Angie,
imperiously offered his condolences and left. With Micky gone, everyone but
Carmela and Gabby looked more relaxed, Frankie most of all.
Zia Pina stared at
the door where the white lace curtains still swayed from Micky’s exit. “D’Amico
didn’t waste any time.” She sighed mournfully. “He never forgets or forgives
disrespect. Carlo should not‘ve struck out on his own. Salvatore has a long
memory…and is a most patient man.”
“It wasn’t about
respect,” Angie answered woodenly, finally finding her voice. “They were after
the Kimberley Star and those coins—”
Rubbing her
forehead to ward off a looming headache, Lucia turned to her mother. “Why would
they do that? Everyone should know that Dad never got them. Otherwise,
he would’ve traded them for a better deal back then. He wouldn’t’ve sat in
prison for nearly twenty-years.”
“You could both be
right,” Vince said. “Carlo would’nt’ve sat on them all this time – but it was
enough if D’Amico thought he did.”
Frankie scoffed,
“Like always, none of yous know nothing about how things work. Why wouldn’t he
do just that?” With a shrug he added, “I woulda’. Just do your time and then
live large for the rest of your life. No wonder Carlo wasn’t gonna’ let D’Amico
take ‘em away. He forgot – D’Amico takes what he wants.”
Lucia spun around
to face Frankie. “You seem to know an awful lot about it for a….” She paused
and her tone curdled as she finished, “…messenger boy. If I find out you had
anything to do with this, you strunz, you’ll be the sorriest man in
Philadelphia.”
“You sure like to
talk tough don’t you, Chichi? Well, girlie, just in case you ain’t all talk,
remember this….” He puffed out his chest, gloating, “You come for the king, you
better not miss.”
“Here’s two pieces
of news everyone else in this room already knows.” She strolled over until they
were nearly toe-to toe. She stared him down, eyes narrowed. “In the first place
– you’re no king. And in the second….” Her voice dropped to a menacing hiss. “I
never miss.”
©Felicia Watson
1 comment:
Thanks so much for hosting Felicia!
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