Aftermath (22 page)

“How old were you?”

“Younger than you…much younger.”

“Did you cry?”

“At first.”

“Why didn’t you run away?”

“He would’ve found me.”

They were on the bridge. The traffic was going smoothly and Nico’s foot pressed on the accelerator. He wanted to get the kid to school. Fast.

“The people he killed were they mobsters?”

“Most, yeah.”

“The one’s you killed were they mobsters, too.”

“Um-hum.”

They were on Queens Boulevard, near Long Island City.
Darren’s school was out in Forest Hills. There were several more miles to go to get there. The emotional storm inside had begun to rise and if the kid kept digging it might burst through.

“Your cousin Alfonzo, is he the reason you have to kill all the time? Evangeline said you’re sworn to protect him, is that true?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Can’t somebody else do it, isn’t somebody doing it now?”

“No and yes.”

The teen sighed, “What’s so important about him anyway?”

“
He’s the proof of
the rumored history of Semira’s affair with the king. T
he eyes
as well as
the bloodline are
genetically
indisputable
evidence.
Some
warped people
have
tried to eliminate us and no matter how we try to live normal lives, they won’t leave us alone.
All th
e
mob stuff is a smokescreen.”

“So you’
re like the knight, they protected Kings, is that like what you do?”

Nico’s laugh was rich with a powerful bass, “Ha, you romanticize killing kid. I’m far from a knight, even way back then their reasons were questionable. I’m only trying to defend against anybody going after our family. When or if it ever stops than I can stop killing.”

“Do you think they’ll stop trying to hurt Alfonzo?”

Nico’s mouth tugged into a frown, “Maybe, one day, they might.”

“Well, I hope they stop so you can have fun.
It doesn’t
seem like you
’ve ever had any fun, dad. I want you happy. That’s all I want and sometimes I think you’re sad and it’s messed up you never got to choose what you wanted to do. It’s sad.”

Nico smirked, “Hey,
meeting your mom, having you
guys, that’s all the happiness and fun I need.
Now before you get me simpering like a baby, can we change the subject?
”

“Alright.”

“So, who’s the girl?”

“Oh shit, Aaron told you, that little sucker, wait until I see
him
!”

Nico chuckled. Hadn’t Darren done the same thing
not very long ago? Guess
ratting d
idn’t
feel too
good
from the
receiving end.
That’s l
esson number one
, administered and learned
.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Ariana greeted the staff,
and then
spent over two hours get
ting
caught up on cases from the legal assistant but
became
distracted
. Nico was in her head
and t
he friends with benefits arrangement she’d foolishly agreed to in the throes of some hardcore sex. How the hell did she agree to s
uch craziness
? Exclusive access to pussy…only Nico could invent a phrase like that.

“Alright thank you Melissa,” she said when the efficient young woman finished then opened the drawer of her desk for a legal pad. She scribbled some notes; Burns vs. Green Corp, settled, Klienman vs. R & J Contracting, settled and then sat down the pen when
the receptionist suddenly appeared in the
doorway.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but there are detectives insisting on speaking with you.”

The receptionist didn’t get the chance to say any more because the detectives she mentioned were rudely stepping around the sharply dressed young woman into her office.

They flashed their badges, “NYPD
, I’m Detective Rogman and this is Detective Gavin. We’re here to ask you a few questions
M
s. Mattheson about your boyfriend Gregory Dixon.”

The receptionist closed the door and Ariana waved the men to chairs in front of her desk, “What about Gregory?”

“We understand you’ve been seeing him for several months, is that true?”

“Excuse me you already established that when you inferred he was my boyfriend. Is this about how long we’ve been going out or is this about Greg?”

“Ma’am we’re simply confirming your relationship.” Detective Gavin
interposed
.

“Yeah, thanks for clarifying that detective. You’re talking to a lawyer not a simpleton.”

“Have you and Mr. Dixon been having problems lately?”

Ariana folded her hands atop the desk and leaned forward. Calm and assessing. “Can we please get to the point. Is this an interrogation dressed up in a nice harmless visit, because that’s what it’s beginning to smell like?”

“When was the last time you saw or spoke to Mr. Dixon?”

Now the questioning went deeper and she reclined. “Detectives, I believe the nature of these questions warrant a call to my lawyer.”

“Aren’t you a lawyer?”

She rolled her eyes at the genius and failed to respond.

The other detective put his card on her desk, “You
r
boyfriend was murdered, you went missing, and there’s an assault report filed by the hospital on Long Island when you took your son there around the day the coroner established a time of death. What’s the coincidence of that? Yeah, call your lawyer and get yourself a really good one.”

They stood and walked to the door. Detective Gavin halt and added a warning, “Please don’t leave town.”

Then they were gone.

The receptionist entered, “Is everything okay Ms. Mattheson?”

“Gregory’s been murdered and they came here to inform me.”

The woman put her hand to her mouth in shock, “Oh my God. Where, how?”

“I don’t know,” Ariana lied then put her forehead atop her legal pad in a fake display of sorrow, “I can’t believe it…I can’t believe Greg’s dead!” But, she wasn’t sorry or sad the spineless bastard got what he deserved for kidnapping and beating her son. She tried to think of something heartbreaking to get the tears to flow and
almost laughed when the first thing that came to mind was the possibility of never getting fucked by Nico. Now that was tragic and she cried at the thought. Gregory hadn’t come close, he lacked girth and far less skilled. Ah, she planned to dump him anyway.

“Why don’t you go
home?
I’ll cancel all your appointments for the day.”

“Oh…oh…maybe you’re right…I can’t function like this.”

Ariana sniffled then raised red teary eyes to the woman for effect. She knew how it worked. They’d ask her receptionist during trial questions about how she appeared after she heard about her boyfriend’s murder, was she upset
and what was her reaction?

Oh, they’d
hammer the
receptionist to death with their incessant interrogation and she’d
attest truthfu
ully. Yes…she was distraught.

After the theatrics were finished, Ariana
hurried
to the subway and
rode the train to
Queens. An hour
later
she emerged on Seventy-first and Continental Avenue
and rushed inside a store to purchase a prepaid cell then went to the coffee shop Nico swore by that sold delicious calzones. She ordered tea and a croissant then soon
retired to a private corner and called Nico. Once he answered the nervous jitters calmed. “Talk to me.”

“Nicolo it’s me.
I had visitors at the office.”

“What type of visitors?”

“Police, asking about Gregory.”

“Where are you?”

“A
t the
shop you like
on Austin Street.
”

“I’m not far. I’ve been sitting like a stalker outside our son’s school. Order me one of those
c
alzones…shit make it two and some
gi
nseng tea. I’ll be there in five.”

“Okay.”

And as he said, five minutes with seconds to spare she saw his car pull into
an empty
space
in
front. When he emerged from the car he
straightened to his full height. He went to the kiosk to pay for parking and stuck the ticket in the interior of the car’s dashboard before joining her.

He stepped through the door and a trio of
eye
d him as he passed. Boy, they weren’t discreet at all, Ari noticed.
T
hey huddled
over the table
and
whisper
ed c
onspiratorially.
She guessed the subject of their
conversation;
it was undoubtedly on the good-looking man.
Ye
s
, Nico
possessed
the ‘aw goddamn he’s
fine
’ effect. The hottie Alfonzo had
the same sex appeal. E
very one of those
Giacanti men
was
goddamn fine!

Nico sat down unaware of the appreciative stares at his back, “Tell me what
they asked.”

She recant the entire conversation as he sat there eating
while
actively listening. When she finished, his food was gone. He swiped the evidence away with a paper napkin, “Um. Don’t worry
.
”

“
What if they come back?”

“Do not
deviate from your routine Ari.
They’re busy chasing leads they won’t be back so soon. They’re not going to harass a
lawyer;
they’re smart enough to know no
t
to.” His eyes were on her face, “
Ari, have you covered your tracks with the money?”

“Untraceable.”

Nico frowned.
I
f she hadn’t, they’d discover a link to her and organized crime. She’d have to explain the origin of her ‘
commission’
and if she wasn’t careful, she’d bring the entire family down.

D
amn!

“Hey we have a few hours to kill before I pick up our son, let’s go somewhere.”
His eyes twinkled before saying, “Friend.”

Ari
grinned, “
Okay
, friend
.”

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

Maria
had the kids
up early
and dressed and
the entire family waited in the
car with their luggage
for Selange
. Anita
sat staunchly at Maria’s side with the babies secured in their car seats.
The two bonded over the years and
were so bold to commandeer the children from their mother.

“Maria, Alfonzo’s not here yet, I know you’re anxious to leave but we have to wait. He’s on his way.” Selange crossed her arms and refused to let the woman dictate her family. “If you want to leave
,
I’ll have the driver take you
t
o the airport
,
but you are not going anywhere with my kids.”

“Fine
then,
I will sit here with the children until
Alfonzo
comes, but they are not staying inside that woman’s home. These are my grand
children
and I do not want them exposed to bad people.”

“Maria stop…don’t talk like that in front of them. Sophie is not bad.”

“Humph!” She scoffed then turned away in disagreement.

Almost on cue Alfonzo
arrived. When he
exited
the car and saw the vehicles lined
up with
their engine’s running he guessed, ‘mama.’

Selange walked
forward to
m
e
et him in the walkway
out of earshot
of the others.
“Alfonzo your mother had the audacity to load
the
kids in the car and refuses to let them in the house. She’s gone crazy for sure if she thinks I’ll let her take off with our children whenever she doesn’t feel comfortable.”