Affliction (18 page)

The silence was thick thereafter until Mrs. Calbrese smiled and said, “Mi dispiace
, it is very sad about the poor signora.”

“Um,” Selange muttered, hoping Mrs. Calbrese would soon leave.

Ari watched Selange’s strange expression as Mrs. Calbrese talked with merriment about her children who were either missing or dead. She saw a subtle change in Selange, sometimes another person who understands the anger of being taunted can tell when a person is poised to snap. Ari had reached for her purse and was about to make an excuse for them to leave, when Mrs. Calbrese remarked, “I am sure Giuseppe does not grieve. He did not mourn mio Geovonna, she too died in a car accident suddenly, what a sad coincidence.”

The air rushed from Ari’s throat. She witnessed lightning speed
as a feminine hand seized the fork from her plate to plunge into the neck of a lush. A string bean was attached to the utensil; green became red.

The cloths of men guarding donn
e were flaps waving in the private dining room. Mrs. Calbrese’s soldier’s arm reached toward Selange and his neck was snapped before a hand touched her hair. With a sickening thud he fell to floor.

The intermission lasted only a second as everyone’s eyes surveyed what Selange had done. Mrs. Calbrese’s lifeless body and that of her protector were not the condiments a restaurant
uses.

Selange’s guard reached for his cell. Selange was on her feet; a
hand went in the air, suspended in front of the big man's face. "Stop right there, don't move goddammit. Don’t you call my husband or I swear I'll blow a hole through you myself!"

Ari stood as back-up. Oooh this was unexpected. Blood dripped from the edge of the white linen. A surprise at dinner; macabre but not completely shocking that a fork had been used as a weapon. "Fucking A, you do as she says!"

Selange spun around to Ari. “We can do this. You with me Ari, right?”

“Girl, we got this mess covered.
That bitch deserved it.”

With renewed confidence Selange instructed the guards. “Roll her in the cloth. You, go tell the manager that Mrs.
Calbrese said she felt ill and has gone.”

Ari eyed Selange. “The cloth will be missing and the blood, we need a cleaner.”

“Damn…oh shit damn you’re right,” Selange said. Her mind was running too fast. She had to slow down and think. Oh goodness, she had no other choice. “Sophie.”

“
Sophie is in Milan.”

Selange was not aware of this.
Selange bit her nails. “Okay…okay.” She went in her purse for her cell. She called Amelda. “Listen, there is an emergency. I have a mess that needs to be wiped away.” She gave Amelda their location and then went to peer out the partition curtain at the diners in the main eating area. The establishment was filled to capacity. Hopefully no one had seen Mrs. Calbrese enter. The VIP entry affords influential diners privacy.

But, there was a matter she would still need to address.
When she entered the establishment, there was security and a hostess. They would not have seen Mrs. Calbrese leave.

Her troubles were growing. A cleaner was good, but she had to ensure the hostess did not talk in case anyone questioned her about the missing woman.

“I’ll be back Ari,” she said calmly before slipping through the drapes.

The hostess was heading to the restroom. The guard stationed at the entrance had his hands folded, eyes alert as he scanned the hall.

Selange smiled and followed the woman in the lavatory.

***

“Your wedding is in a week cazzo. Do not embarrass yourself by insisting upon having a woman stand as your Best Man, capisce?”

Sergio didn’t want to talk about anything with Giuseppe.
He had work to do. Staying busy before the nuptials is how he dealt with Lucia’s meddling family.

He shredded paper
; duplicates of unimportant junk.

In Palermo he was given more responsibility at Palazzo Enterprises. He was in charge of collections, how wonderful.

“Look Giuseppe, I’ve already asked Nico to do the honors. You made the trip for nothing.”

Giuseppe smirked. “Nico and not Alfonzo, ha ha!”

“I would have asked him but seeing that everybody’s grieving I didn’t want to intrude.”

“Well you have asked the perfect man. Nico is emotionless.”

Sergio shoved another useless paper in the shredder. “That’s not true.” He cocked an eye at the hulking figure walking about his office, examining the space like an inspector. “How are you doing anyway cousin?”

Giuseppe
shrugged. “Ah, what is there for me to do other than live cugino?”

“Well, I’m really sorry.”

“Grazie.” Giuseppe replied and then he stopped in front of Sergio’s desk. He turned around the wooden frame to view the photo of a smiling couple. Lucia and Sergio took nice pictures. They appeared happy wherever this photo was taken. He suspected it must have been before Sergio was introduced to the Peglesi clan. “Congratulations nipote.”

“Thanks.”

Giuseppe was about to return the photo to its position when a trinket caught his attention and froze his veins. He stared at the necklace worn by Lucia, identical to the one he saw on another in his dreams.

He
twisted the frame back around. “I must go. Ciao!”

“Yeah, take care,” Sergio said unaware of the fire burning in his cousin’s eyes.

Giuseppe scowled. “I will break her neck!” he said aloud as he stomped outside to the street with guards flanking him all around.

In the vehicle speeding toward Lucia’s apartment, he tried to calm himself. Obviously, Sergio knew nothing of her visit to his home. Ah, the deceitful viper had milked him dry with her cunning micio.

Ah, to think, the past had closed only to find it reopened.

His heart slowed, perhaps he was being hasty. What if this is exactly what she wanted?

What if Lucia hoped he would remember and rush to her?

He would not give her power. After-all he was drunk; she was not.

Eh, let her reap what she sows, the vicious cow, he fumed.

“T
here is a change!” he shouted to the driver and gave another address.

Giuseppe would not allow Lucia to trap him. She was having a bambino with his cousin
, and he would not ruin a young man’s wedding due to a woman he did not love.

His cell rang. Grazie for the distraction, he said to himself
when he saw it was his brother. “Buongiorno fratellino, come va?”

“Bien, hey bro I have a question.”

“Sí, speak.”

“Did Carlo ever trade in artwork?”

Giuseppe thought about it. “No, I do not recall his interest in art. That is mama’s domain, perché?”

“I was looking at some of our pop’s records the other night. There’s stuff here that mentions art and whatnot. Anyway, I don’t know where any of this crap might be. I just wanted to get an inventory of our heritage.”

“Ah, you can have the pigeon droppings from Luzo. I want nothing of his; whatever my ‘Papa Carlo’ has bequeathed is more than enough.”

“You say that now grande fratello but songs change when there are children. You have a son. Therefore, Carlo will receive the shares that are rightfully yours in trust
, adios bro!”

Giuseppe shook his head. There are moments when he found Alfonzo to be too good. He exhaled, but he would not change him for the world.

Ringing.

He answered without checking.

“E adesso, fratellino?”

“You do not answer for your sorella although I have called many times since yesterday
. Perché?”

“Because I do not want to hear any more of
the Sergio talk. Nico will serve as Best Man, ciao sorella.”

“Wait…aspetti!”

“Aye, Amelda. Do you not have a famiglia to bother or designs to sketch?”

“Mama had a male visitor. I think mama has a lover.”

“Of course she does. Do you believe papa would not want her to find companionship?  We once laughed when we heard mama and papa in the bedroom. Sex is not only for the young. Ciao sorella!”

Amelda was a busybody. How Matteo endured his sister was beyond Giuseppe’s comprehension.

The car rolled on and he laughed. Ah, his mama was having sex.

Bene!

C
HAPTER SIXTEEN

“Hi babe,” Alfonzo said as he entered the house with their children.

“Hey honey,” she
answered with a quivery smile and then relieved him of the twins’ overnight bag.

“Hi mom, guess what Nana gave me?” Allie asked.

“I don’t know, help me out, mom is a bad guesser.”

Sal snickered
. “Hi mom!”

He bolt
ed up the stairs. Selange suspected he wanted to play video games because at Nana’s, electronics are not allowed. Outdoor activities, spending time together and books were her rules.

Selange
’s eyes trailed her husband as he carried the twins upstairs like footballs.

Allie continued to rummage through her duffle bag. “Where is it…oh…I hope I didn’t lose it.”

“Lose what?”

“Oh, here it is.” She thrust the thin book at her mom.

When Selange read the title, she laughed. “Oh funny, ha-ha what a joke.”

Allie giggled and ran upstairs. No wonder Sal took off. The
title of the book read; A SELF-HELP GUIDE ON HOW TO BOIL WATER, and the subtitle said, FOR HOPELESSLY INEPT HOMEMAKERS.

“Oh Maria, not you too,” Selange asked aloud.

The children must have complained about her cooking.

Goodness, did her food taste
that bad?

***

Most of the children were asleep. Three out of four isn’t bad. That Angelina was a late-nighter like her dad. A few books, back massage and after eleven at night she joined the rest of the Diaz clan in slumber.

Selange hurried downstairs to make a private call while Alfonzo showered.

Ari picked up on the first ring.

“Thanks for helping me out today. I don’t know what happened. I think I blacked out or something.”

“You sure did. But, I might’ve done the same thing. That woman was needling you.”

“I really didn’t mean to use your fork.”

Ari laughed. “That salad was gross. Remind me to avoid eating there.”

“Me
too.” Selange heard footsteps. “All right Ari have a good night.”

“You too.”

Alfonzo rounded the corner to join her in the kitchen. He whistled and she recognized the tune from an old cop show.

“
Bad girls…bad girls…what you gonna’ do…what you gonna’ do when they come for you?”
Alfonzo sang off tune as he reached for an apple.

Fruit and microwaveable food is all anybody ate lately, unless they escaped to Nana’s or
another relative’s home.

“Did you enjoy your dinner?”
he asked as she busied herself.

“Yes.”

Alfonzo smirked. “What did you have?”

Selange made up a meal. “Um…you know me
, salad, cream chicken with broccoli sauce…really good...yum.”

“Yeah, maybe we should go there tomorrow.”

Selange swallowed nervously. Her face was half-hidden in the fridge as she checked if the kids had milk for the morning. “I don’t know, I’m kind of swamped with charity stuff and then I have to make sure everybody’s clothes are in order for the wedding. I’m so busy…ugh…we need juice dammit!”

The sound of an apple crunching sounded at her back. Then her honey
whispered in her ear. “A fork is missing from a restaurant and a tablecloth; do you know who stole them?”

She spun around to find him smiling with a cheek full of apple.

“Okay, what had happened was….”

Alfonzo laughed as she explained the events. “Ah babe…you guys went through all that trouble when you should’ve called Nico. That’s his damn restaurant!”

“What?”

“Yeah, he and Vincent owned it together. I suppose Ari’s finding this out
right about now as well. We wanted to see how long you ladies hid what you’d done.” Seeing the relief on his wife’s face he took pity. “Don’t worry, the staff is family, nobody’s snitching, besides they didn’t see nothing.”