J.M. Griffin - Vinnie Esposito 06 - Death Gone Awry (7 page)

A soft rustle of fabric accompanied by light footfalls from behind announced Monica was nearby. I glanced over my shoulder to see her freeze mid-step on the bottom stair. Her eyes, glued to Slaggard’s receding figure, held a misty appearance that sent alarm bells ringing in my head.

“Hey, Monica, what’s up?” I asked with a touch of dread. It was then the thought occurred to me that I might be in for a weird experience while Monica resided upstairs. My life was already strange enough without adding more oddities to the mix.

“Who was that?” she asked.

“Tim Slaggard, do you know him?”

“N-no, that’s why I asked. He has an interesting aura, don’t you think?”

“If I knew what an aura was, I could probably tell you, but . . . ” I let the remark hang in the air, hoping that she’d drop the subject. Monica was freaking me out and instantly, I wished she’d moved in with Lola. Why she hadn’t invited Monica to stay at her place was a subject I’d be sure to discuss with Little Miss Dynamite.

Her laughter was melodic and sweet, her smile contagious, and before I knew it, I’d invited her in for tea. Had Monica just cast a spell on me, or what? I shook my head, took a deep breath, and marched toward the kitchen for more hot water and another teacup.

She’d taken the same seat Slaggard had vacated and was smoothing her long, crinkled skirt of diaphanous-like fabric that showed the leggings she wore beneath it. The woman knew how to dress in character, that was certain.

“Are you settled in?” I asked as I poured hot water over tea leaves in the basket set into the top of the teapot. Setting the cover in place, I leaned back in the chair while the tea steeped. No teabags for Monica, definitely not. Lola had mentioned the woman only used loose tea, saying it offered more flavor and the leaves could be read afterward. God forbid this woman would read my leaves, nope, no thanks. I had enough going on without listening to predictions, even if they might be valid.

Her gaze lit on me and she smiled. “Yes, Aaron has good taste and his apartment is quite nice.”

I sipped the tea and couldn’t think what to say next. I know, it’s unusual for me to be speechless, but there you have it. I was out of my depth with her and her talent.

“Am I making you uncomfortable, Vinnie?”

I gave a small nod. “A tad . . . sorry.”

“Don’t be, this happens quiet often. I’m not Madam Zelda, I’m just an ordinary woman who has a special gift. We all have gifts, Vinnie. Lola’s gift is cooking marvelous food and being a kind and generous person. Your gift is unraveling mysteries. Like I said, we’re all gifted in one way or another.” Monica leaned forward and poured more tea. “Tell me about Mr. Slaggard.”

It didn’t take long, since I knew little about the man. I finished speaking and waited for her impressions.

Monica tipped her head a bit and said, “He has a glow about him that implies he’s a man of good spirit on a journey that, undoubtedly, he’s dedicated to.”

“You got that just from a, uh,” I searched for the word, then snapped my fingers and blurted, “an aura?”

Her laughter bubbled over and she said, “Not really, I saw his glow, but I’ve heard of his dedication to his followers. Lola has told me he’s been to the deli and that Millie is quite taken with him.”

“Apparently she’s not alone. My aunt has fallen off the Catholic religion wagon and climbed aboard his, much to my mother’s dismay.”

“We all must follow our chosen paths, Vinnie, no matter who disapproves. Look at you. Your father isn’t happy about your associations with law enforcement, or your ability to find trouble where no one else can. I’m sure you don’t let that interfere with the path you’re on, and your aunt shouldn’t worry about her decisions either,” Monica noted with a lopsided, one-shoulder shrug.

“You make a good point and I’ll be sure to pass that along to my mother. In the meantime, it’s important that I keep peace in the family and check out Tim Slaggard.”

“He’s in danger, right?”

“He is. His dip in the reservoir wasn’t an opportunity for him to commune with nature, as he said, but instead, someone gave him a solid thump on the head and sent him into the water to drown. He’s lucky, very lucky.”

“So it would seem,” Monica agreed. She rose and seemed to drift, rather than walk across the room, and turned when she reached the door. “You’ll do well to take care of yourself and beware of the danger your act of kindness has produced. The person responsible for bashing Mr. Slaggard won’t like that you’ve interfered with his plan, Vinnie.”

“He already doesn’t like it. I’m aware of the wrath I’ve brought down on my own head, Monica, but thanks for the warning. See you around,” I said, as she closed the door behind her.

Chapter 7

Another day dawned, dark clouds drifted across the gray sky. Traffic slowed at the Route 10 connector, just as it always did when I ran late for work. Once I made the swing onto the eastbound interstate highway, I stepped up my pace and swerved the car into the high-speed lane. Within minutes, I’d reached my exit and headed toward the university.

The parking lot resembled a car dealership. I smiled and cruised through the ‘Instructor’s Only’ gate to find the lot packed to the hilt with no empty spaces left. Seconds later, I pulled into a student parking slot and noticed Dario, an undercover cop and friend, watching me.

He walked alongside me when I reached him and remarked, “I hear you’re in the life-saving business, Vinnie.”

“Where’d you hear that?”

“Small state, word gets around, you know how it is,” he answered with a raised brow.

“True enough. Were you hanging around waiting for me, or someone else?” I stopped and asked.

“That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you must watch your back. We at the PPD can only protect you so far.”

His voice remained soft, though underlying steel ran through it. I glanced over, smiled and patted his shoulder. “Thanks for the warning, I’ve gotten a few so far and I’m taking them seriously.”

“Any problems?” Dario asked as he held the front door open for me.

I gave him a sideways glance as I strode past him. “Why do you ask?”

“Heard of an incident on South Main the other day and wondered if you were the person being shoved around.”

“It was a brief encounter, a warning of sorts, and nothing I’m worried about, Dario. Thanks.”

We arrived at my classroom. As I reached for the door handle, he put his hand on my arm. I faced him and waited.

“Vin, you should be worried. Frankie Tomatoes is a man with no remorse, no pity, and no second thoughts. If he wants you dead, then so be it. Hear me?”

Dark eyes gleaming, Dario’s demeanor showed he meant business and that his advice wasn’t to be taken lightly. Hells bells, here we go again.

“Okay, okay, I hear you.” I sighed and whispered, “All I did was drag a drowning man to safety, for crying out loud.”

“Yeah, well, that drowning man was meant to stay dead, Vin. Not be rescued by the likes of you, a person unable to mind her own business. Tell me you’re not investigating the situation?”

I raised my hand, crossed my heart with two fingers and said, “Scout’s honor, I’m not looking into the drowning.” So I left out the part where I was looking into the drowned man, so what? I hadn’t lied, not specifically, anyway.

“Glad to hear it.” Dario glanced through the narrow window and smirked. “The animals are getting restless. You’d better get in there.” With a smirk, he walked away.

As things go, the day flew past with arguments in the classroom and out of it. I dismissed the students early and made my way to Conclavia, my gift shop in Providence. As I stepped from the car, I saw Marcus leave his.

“Hey there,” I greeted him happily with a smile he didn’t return. Well, damn.

A second later, he’d taken me by the arm and directed me down a side street toward the walkway edging the Providence River. We stopped at the rail where the water idly flowed and traffic behind us whizzed by.

“What’s wrong? You have that suck-a-lemon look on your face,” I said as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the handrail.

“Not funny. You failed to tell me you were shoved into a doorway and threatened by a thug the other day, and I want to know why.”

“Why I didn’t tell you, or why I was threatened?”

“Lavinia.”

“Okay, okay, geesh! Where did you hear that?”

He ignored my question and barked, “Come clean right now. No sidestepping, no half-truths, no bullshit.”

“Fine.” I gave him a brief rundown of what had taken place. He’d turned a dark glare toward me and then heaved a sigh.

“This is another one of those moments when my job security comes into play, Lavinia. I heard about the incident from my captain, who didn’t think it was humorous. You have no idea how difficult your escapades are to deal with. Your name is bandied about headquarters, linked to mine, with high-ranking officers asking why I’m involved with you. Your actions taint the reputation of the Rhode Island State Police, and mine as one of them.”

I turned away from the river, stared at him, and struggled to quell the anger that would overtake me any second. With a deep breath, I said, “Escapades? That’s what you’d call a threat to my life? Oh, and I’m so sorry that what happens to me is so bad for your career. I would never want to taint your reputation.”

He opened his mouth, but I put my hand up. “You’ve said enough, Marcus. Maybe you need to find yourself a compliant woman, one who’ll follow you around like a puppy dog and heed your every command, ’cause it sure as hell isn’t happening here.” I thumbed toward my chest. “I’m not some idiot who goes looking for trouble, it finds me. If you can’t accept that, then that’s just too damn bad.” My hand had settled at my waist as I flicked my hair off my shoulders. Marcus had a cold gleam in his eyes. This did not bode well for either of us.

“Vin,” he said in a steel-laced voice.

“Not another word, not one. If your career is more important than our relationship, then you’ve made a choice, right?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m merely making it clear that what happens to you reflects on me.”

A steady wind off the water blew my thick hair, a bunch of annoying strands at a time, across my face. Considering what he’d said and the impact of it, I stepped back and tucked stray curls behind my ears.

“I see. Well, listen up, I can’t change my life, or rather, I won’t change it to suit you or anyone else. If you and your cronies at headquarters can’t deal with that, so be it. It’s not my problem, is that clear enough for you?”

“I’m sorry if I’ve hurt your feelings, but this is important. You must realize that as a trooper, I walk a thin line.”

“Right, you cops have to look and be perfect, but not all of you are, and that’s a fact,” I snapped.

His features hardened as he got the gist of my implication. In the past, when a trooper would become involved in something unsavory that jeopardized his career, it would end in a dismissal from the force. No pension, no second chance, nada. The rules troopers lived by were strict and the line they walked was thin.

Before Marcus could respond, I started to walk away and said over my shoulder, “We’re done here. This conversation is over.”

Quickly hiking up the side street to my car, I tore into traffic, hit the highway, and pressed hard on the accelerator in my haste to leave Providence, and Marcus, behind. A visit to Conclavia wouldn’t happen today. Hell, my life had taken another turn down a pothole-ridden road, and didn’t that just suck?

I swung off the Plainfield Pike exit and drove through country roads until I reached the causeway that crossed the Scituate Reservoir. Slowing to a crawl, I pulled onto a grassy patch of land and parked. The reservoir always soothed me. It must have something to do with how the water flows and gently laps the shoreline.

As I reached the water’s edge, knowing full well that I shouldn’t be on the property since it was unlawful, I sat on an old stump and stared out over the huge body of water. The serenity of my surroundings aided in stemming the flow of tears that had streamed down my face ever since I’d left Providence.

Dashing the last vestiges of tears from my face, I dug in my purse for a tissue. “Damn men,” I mumbled while pawing deep. A frayed tissue lay at the bottom of the bag. I wiped my nose, hauled in a few breaths, and let the cool, refreshing wind salve my hurt feelings and ragged nerves.

A few cars slowed as they passed the spot where I sat. Some waved, others gawked, and I figured I’d better leave before I was arrested for trespassing. After all, this was private land owned by the City of Providence and was looked after by the Providence Water Supply Board people. I snickered as I considered how my arrest would go over with Marcus’s bosses.

*    *    *

Shoppers filled aisles as I strolled through the market in search of something delectable for dinner. Usually, I got food from Lola’s deli or cadged a meal from my mother. In no mood for company or explanations, I’d decided to cook for myself. I’d also decided not to answer the phone, or the door, instead, I would hunker down for the evening. There was homework to grade, lessons to plan, and those things alone were enough to fill my time.

I rounded the corner of the aisle and paused when I came face to face with Tim Slaggard. He smiled and murmured, “Pardon me.” I moved aside with a nod, stepped around him, and kept on going. If he’d expected a conversation, he’d expected too much. I was in no mood to speak with anyone, let alone a man I was about to investigate.

I’d tossed a few items in my hand basket and gotten in the checkout line when I heard his familiar voice.

“You seem to be in a hurry, Ms. Esposito.”

I turned, gave him a cool stare, and then said, “I’m surprised to see you shopping here.”

A friendly grin transformed his face, making him unmistakably handsome. “I happened to be in the neighborhood and needed some staples for my cupboards.”

“Oh.” I stepped forward, placed my goods on the counter and pulled my wallet from my inside jacket pocket. As I handed money to the cashier, I gathered my bags and tossed a half-hearted goodbye to the preacher. I rushed across the parking lot, drove home, and locked myself in for the night.