The Spia Family Presses On (32 page)

“Better now that you’re here,” Lisa teased.

His grin grew wider. He gazed down at Lisa’s mini glass. “Wise choice. A version of this martini, an Apertini, won the competition a couple years back. It was created by the mixoloigist from the girl & the fig restaurant.

“Perfect,” Lisa said. “But I want the grandé size, please.” And she slid the tiny glass back to join its companions.

He looked my way, showing off his pearly whites.

“Club soda with three olives, please,” I told him.

He didn’t flinch. I liked that in a bartender, non-responsive to my non-alcoholic request.

In less than five minutes he returned with our drinks, and was on to the next believer.

“So, tell me why haven’t you been answering your phone today? I’ve been trying to get you for hours,” I said, while readjusting my position on the barstool.

She set her glittery gold bag down on the bar and leaned forward. Her eye-makeup all smoky and her lips a shiny pink, hair partially up, with long curls caressing her bare shoulders. A bronze colored scarf served as a wrap. She looked positively gorgeous next to my positively like-hell.

“Apparently, iPhones don’t work too well after an olive oil bath. It worked yesterday morning, but it hasn’t worked all day today, only I was too tired to realize it. I guess the oil finally seeped in where no oil has gone before. I should’ve gotten another phone this afternoon, but I couldn’t get out of bed. I really needed that sleep, but I’m charged up now, and ready for anything.” She gave me the once over. “Well, almost anything. So exactly what horrible thing happened today and how can I avoid getting involved?”

“You can’t. What I’m going to tell you is going to rock your world.”

“That’s impossible. My world hasn’t stopped moving ever since I first saw those brown shoes sticking out from under that millstone.”

“Well hold on tight, because my dad is alive.” Just saying it out loud caused my eyes to water.

“Get out! Are you sure?”

I nodded, unable to actually say anything that would make sense.

“Oh sweetie! This is fantastic news.” She leaned across our stools and gave me a hug. “And it couldn’t come at a better time. Everything else stinks, but your dad is alive. Where is he? Is he coming here?”

She pulled away and I grimaced.

She said, “Wait. Why am I getting the idea this is not the good news we were hoping for?”

“Because, my dear old missing dad just happens to be some big mob boss, possibly the boss of all bosses in Italy. And, here comes the best part, according to Giuseppe, who has moved into my mom’s house by the way, my dad’s the one who put the hit out on Dickey. Apparently, Giuseppe was sent here to get that ring. I figure that’s what he and Dickey were arguing about on Leo’s porch when I saw them the other day. Dickey wouldn’t give it up, so Giuseppe was supposed to whack Dickey and take it, but somebody got to Dickey before Giuseppe could do the deed.”

Lisa leaned back, looking confused. “And you believe this Soprano knock-off because . . . ?”

“Because he has no reason to lie to me, and it was the way he told me. As if we were sharing a secret that could get us both in deep shit.”

“Does Babe still have the ring?” she whispered.

“No. I have it hanging around my neck under my dress.”

She gazed down at my chest, but the dress was loose-fitting. No way could anyone tell there was a man’s ring dangling between my breasts.

“Are you nuts walking around with that thing? It’s like a ticking bomb. From what you’re telling me, Giuseppe still wants it, and if he was willing to whack Dickey, won’t he be willing to do the same to you? Okay, so maybe he won’t whack the bosses’ daughter, but he can cause you a lot of pain. Then there’s Dickey’s killer who turned your apartment upside down last night looking for it, and took back Dickey’s pinky. This person is serious, honey. Take that thing off and give it to somebody. I don’t care who, but get it away from your body.”

“And just who am I giving it to? Giuseppe or the killer? Either way, we’re all screwed, especially my mom.”

“This is getting way out of control. Just sitting here with you is dangerous.”

“I don’t know what else to do with it.”

“Throw it in a futso.”

“Oh yeah, that’ll work.”

She swirled the olives in her glass. “Did Giuseppe happen to mention why your dad wants that ring? Is it worth more than we think? What’s the big attraction?”

I shrugged. “He couldn’t answer those questions. It’s not something one of the crew can ask the boss when he sends them out to do a piece of work. Besides, I was way too stunned by the whole your dad is alive thing, to think straight.”

“Wow! Your dad’s alive.”

I watched as she took several sips of her martini. A pang of envy tore through me.

“Wait, there’s more to this. Nick and his team of rather exceptionally well dressed detectives, who look way too Italian, closed down our business this afternoon while they were busy dusting for clues. I have no idea what they found, but they took a bunch of stuff with them when they left.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell her about Peter Doyle’s demise just yet. It might put her over the edge.

Lisa chewed on her top lip. A sure sign the next thing that came out of her mouth was guilt. “Mia, you should know they already know it’s Dickey’s blood on the millstone.”

My calm meter jumped up a notch. I shook my head. She didn’t know what she was talking about. “It’s too soon. They couldn’t possibly know already.”

“I spoke to Nick. He shouldn’t have told me, but
—
”

“I can’t get a hold of you, but Nick can? How does that work?”

“I called him, but I had to. I needed to know if he was driving into the city to pick me up, or if I should catch a ride here.”

I stood, angry that my best friend wouldn’t bother to call me when she learned that this evidence could potentially shut us down for good.

“And you didn’t call me, because?”

“Because I just learned about this right before I left and I figured it would be better if I told you in person.”

I folded my arms. “You should have called me. I would have never come to this thing. I would have stayed home and . . . and done something. Maybe I would have found Dickey. He’s got to be there, the vultures are circling.”

An eyebrow went up. “And then what? What would you do if you found him? Especially after today. Like you’d call Nick. That’s why I didn’t tell you on the phone. I think we should tell Nick what’s going on when he gets here. What we know. What we saw. That the Tundra is parked in the parking lot
—
hopefully it’s still there
—
and that potentially the killer is in this very room. Never hide anything suspicious from the authorities. Eventually they will find out you were involved and this will only cause more problems for you. It’s best to—”

“Stop quoting yourself! Do you even know how annoying you are? Like I’m going to tell Nick anything in a bar? This isn’t your game. It’s mine, and so far all I have is a hunch that whoever is doing this is out to destroy my mom, me and Spia’s Olive Press. It’s more to the killer than just getting that ring. This person wants total destruction. And as of this afternoon that person is succeeding.”

Lisa reached out for me, but I pulled back, eyeing her drink. Then in one quick move, I picked up her full glass.

“No. Don’t.”

But it was too late. I fished out the olive, popped the damn thing in my mouth, chewed and swallowed. At once a sense of calm came over me.

Fortunately, it was pitted.

“Thanks. I needed that.” I slammed the glass down, hard, splashing the mind-altering elixir all over the bar. It took every ounce of my inner fortitude not to bend over and lap it up.

Such a waste!

“Now,” I said, as the bar color changed to an intense red
—
which sent my blood surging through my veins
—
and I pulled the clip out of my hair, freeing it to fall around my shoulders, “to hell with Dickey’s murder. He’s ruining everything, even our friendship. So I say again, to hell with Dickey! Right now the only thing I need is a man. Where the hell is Leo? I need some heavy-duty quality mattress time, and I want it right now!”

I slapped the red bar.

Not two seconds later, as if I was some kind of Genie, Leo and Nick appeared.

“How’d you do that?” Lisa asked.

“The olive is a powerful force,” I told her, feeling naturally high.

As soon as I saw Leo, I knew I had to get out of there or I would be sucking down martinis with abandon. I didn’t want to think about murder or murders, or Jade, my dad, rings or that big black Tundra parked outside. All I wanted was a night with Leo.

“We need to go,” I said to Leo, completely ignoring Nick. It was a wonder to me how Nick could simply show up and pretend as if he wasn’t in the process of completely dismantling my life piece by tiny piece. I totally got why my family hated cops. I was beginning to come around to their way of thinking.

“We just got here,” Nick said.

Lisa glared at me then she got it. “That’s why we should go,” she cooed, and Nick understood her seductive message.

“We should, um, go,” he mimicked, never taking his eyes off of her, looking as if she had him hypnotized.

Was she that good?

“I’ll round up my mom and aunts,” I said, dragging Leo behind me.

“Why? Are they coming with us?” Leo asked.

“We’re dropping then off at home and then . . .”

I turned and kissed him, one of those intense, I’m going-to-fuck-you-right-on-the-floor-if-we-don’t-get-out-of-here kind of kisses.

“You’re not moving fast enough,” he said when I finally released his lips.

He took my hand and plowed through the crowd like a bulldozer. I was in awe of his ability to slip between people without knocking anyone down. He would be great on the crowded streets of Chinatown in San Francisco.

Uncle Federico, my mom and my aunts were all standing together in front of an olive tasting bar where a forty-something woman was handing out free samples of locally grown and cured olives. Spia’s olives took up half of the bar.

“We need to go,” I told them trying not to sound desperate.

“Who invited him?” Aunt Hetty said when she spotted Nick.

“He’s with me,” Lisa assured her.

“Huh,” Hetty said, turning away from us.

“We’re leaving now, Aunt Hetty.”

She turned halfway around, so she wouldn’t have to see Nick. “But I haven’t even begun to taste all the olives,” she slurred.

She reeked of gin. I took a step back. “Now I know we need to get out of here. You’re way past your olive quota,” I told her.

“I’m going to stay,” Aunt Babe said, her arm around a dapper looking gentleman with white hair and a smile to die for. “Charlie has wheels. He’ll give me a lift home.”

Charlie wore a wicked little grin that told me the “lift” home would be to his home and not hers.

“Whatever you want to do is fine by me,” I said.

“I’m not going either,” my mom added. “Benny’s here and he wants me to stay, the little darling. He’ll give Hetty and me a ride.”

And there it was, verbal confirmation that my mom had once again gone over to the dark side, Benny being the dark knight.

“Plus, that damn Liz Harrington’s been hanging around,” Mom grumbled, pulling me in closer. “I think she’s got the hots for Benny. She threw him one of those “come hither” looks earlier and got Benny to smile at her, the lousy witch. I gave her the evil eye, but my evil eye’s not what it used to be. You gotta use these things, or you lose the knack, but Hetty’s been helping me. She never lost it. Show her Hetty.”

I knew it had more to do with mom’s Botox injections, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.

Hetty swung around and glared at me. The look was so mean, so full of hate and contempt that it sent a shiver down my spine.

No Botox there.

“See,” my mom happily chirped. “Hetty’s still got it. Ain’t she something?”

Hetty swayed a bit and my mom steadied her with her compact little body.

“Yeah, she’s something, all right,” I said with a shudder.

“Okay then, I’ll see you ladies back home.”

My mom nodded, but I could tell her radar was up trying to spot Liz.

“Don’t worry, Mia,” Federico said over the din of the room. “It’s all under control.”

“Thanks,” I told him while giving him a quick hug, the ring poking me in the middle of my chest. “I feel better knowing you’re here.”

I turned to my mom. “Mama,” I shouted. “Don’t do anything you’ll regret. Listen to Federico.”

She looked at me and her face softened. “Don’t be silly. I know how to handle myself, but if she makes another move on my Benny I might have to deck her.”

“Mom,” I whined.