Rohn Federbush - Sally Bianco 01 - The Legitimate Way (9 page)

John and Sam stood as Mary Jo entered the dining room. Sam was not shy about placing the video camera on the table, but he made no motion to turn it on, or aim it at Mary Jo. “Join us.” Constance indicated a chair for Mary Jo.

“You’re safe,” Sally said, before breaking down from all the tension.

John offered his handkerchief. “Sally’s been under a lot of strain.”

“I recognize you, who are you?” Mary Jo asked.

“A high-school friend of Sally’s, from St. Charles,” John said. “You spoke to me about the storage items in your house.”

“Ricco’s realtor,” Mary Jo said to
Constance.

“I took the house off the market.” John held his hands up as an act of innocence to George, who took a threatening step in his direction, placing a hand on Sam’s camera. “Sally wasn’t sure the signature on the sales agreement was yours.”

“It was mine.” Mary Jo gave the brown rabbit to Constance, who let it hop down to the floor. Mary Jo touched the back of her head. “I lost a handful of hair for not signing the papers as soon as he put them in front of me.”

“Why did you flee
Illinois?” Sally stifled a final sob. “Ricco would have been put in jail by now.”

“Would have been?” Mary Jo stroked her throat, as if speaking was difficult. “Where do you think Ricco was in
Illinois when he wasn’t in jail? He was trying to choke me to death. When he found me again in Ann Arbor, he raped me!”

Constance stood and motioned for George to help defend Mary Jo. “That’s all we need to ask you. You can leave now.”

But Mary Jo didn’t rise from her chair. She took a minute to compose herself, stroking the white rabbit before setting it on the floor, too. “Let them understand…everything.”

“I’ll explain to them on their way out.” George indicated the three of them should leave by pointing to the entrance door.

“But Robert …” Sally resisted the expulsion and remained seated at the Dade’s dining room table, hugging the camera to her chest. “Robert needs proof you’re alive.” John and Sam were already escorted outside.

George returned and tugged at Sally’s chair. “Wait,” Mary Jo said. “Is there some way we can disguise where we are? Then Mrs. Bianco could take a picture and leave.”

Sally fumbled with the camera. “Sam knows how to work this thing.” George closed his big paw over the camera, flipped open the screen, and started filming. He put one finger over his lips, but pointed to Mary Jo making a flapping gesture with his fingers indicating she should start speaking.

“I’m Mary Jo Staples. My husband, Ricco Cardonè needs to be behind bars before I feel safe to travel to
Michigan. Obviously, I’m alive. I cannot reveal where I am because of my husband’s violence. Sally Bianco will bring Polaroids of the bruises on my neck which Ricco inflicted when I tried to have him jailed in Illinois.”

Sally said, “Shut it off.” George complied. “I went to
Florida after I found several surnames ‘Staples’ in your address book. The phones were disconnected, but we gave your license number to the police in Ann Arbor and Orlando.” Sally wondered how much time remained before she was thrown out of the Dade house. “Robert’s lawyer said hearsay evidence from his friends, testifying about your being alive would not be enough for court. We need to prove you are alive, today.”

Constance left for the front room and came back with a newspaper. “Mary Jo, hold this up close to your chest. Okay, George, roll’em.”

After the filming, Sally let the Dades know Mary Jo’s fear of Ricco was well grounded. “Mary Jo, did Harvey Clemmons visit the bookshop when you were there?”

“The museum director?” she asked. “Drinks about as much as Robert?”

“Robert’s lawyer thought it was a good idea for Harvey to speak at a conference in Kansas City to look up Ricco’s relatives. Robert remembered your saying he was from Missouri.”

Mary Jo listened intently. “I
never met his family.”

“Just as well.” Sally included Constance and George in the conversation. “Harvey found two ex-wives, sisters. The second wife is dead. The first wife is caring for their four children.” Mary Jo seemed impressed. “Two boys and two girls. I don’t know their ages, but they are all named Ricco.”

“Bit much,” George said.

“The first wife thinks Ricco might have killed her sister. She’s willing to testify against Ricco. However, Andrew, Robert’s lawyer, thinks we would need a good reason to exhume the body.”

Constance rejoined the two women at the table. She seemed to count her turquoise beads while she considered the new facts. “I suppose the first wife won’t be called upon unless an appeal is necessary; that is, if your friend is brought to trial and convicted, which can’t happen with Mary Jo alive and well.”

“Harvey uncovered a worse story.” Sally felt reluctant to add to the horror.

George asked, “What could be worse than murder?”

“Should I contact Ricco’s wife to help support the children?” Mary Jo asked.

“Once Ricco is incarcerated,” Constance said, “when you’re safe.”

“What’s worse than murder?” George slapped the table to get their attention.

“Ricco pounded nails in the heads of the children’s puppies.” Sally held her throat as she added the rest of the story. “While they watched.”

“He doesn’t deserve to breathe,” George said. The three women agreed even death seemed mild compared to the harm inflicted on innocent minds.

“He is a fiend,” Mary Jo said. “Sometimes I thought I was the only one he hated.”

“I don’t know how you survived this long,” Sally said, “under such a vile influence.”

In leaving a few moments later, Sally hugged Mary Jo promising to phone Constance as soon as Ricco was incarcerated, at least for causing a false arrest and assaulting his wife. She cautioned Mary Jo, “Robert’s lawyer let Ed Thatch track your credit card. I suspect Ricco could hire someone to do the same thing.”

“I didn’t use my married name on the cards. And I don’t live here,” Mary Jo said, “with the Dades.”

“We collect her mail,” Constance said. “Of course, Ricco would know your maiden name, too.”

After they were outside, where Mary Jo could not hear him, George told the three detectives, “None of you can protect her.”

“Mary Jo won’t come to Ann Arbor to clear Robert’s name?” John asked.

“Three witnesses swearing Mary Jo Cardonè is alive and safe should be enough,” George said.

“But we’re all Robert’s friends,” Sam said.

“The better reason to believe you and the video.” George ducked his head as he eased himself back into his home, closing the door on them quickly in order to keep the rabbits in.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Even over her cell phone, Sally knew Andrew Sites was not happy with the results of the Arizona quest. “You’re kidding? How am I going to explain to Robert, or Judge Wilcox?”

“She is safe.” Sally was tired and her cell phone needed batteries or the cliffs along the road were intercepting the signals. “Explain to Robert. Let me talk to him.”

“You’re welcome to.” Andrew sounded thoroughly frustrated with the case.

“What’s wrong?” Robert asked in a surprisingly sober tone.

Sally checked her watch: two-o’clock in the afternoon. “Everything is fine, Robert.” She put a smile in her tone. “We saw Mary Jo. She’s in a safe place. We met her through her landlady.”

“But what?” Robert asked.

“The problem is she wants to stay down here, out of harms way. Ricco raped her while she was in Ann Arbor.”

Sally could tell that Robert turned to Andrew in the bookshop office. “At least she’s under someone’s protection. How can that be a problem, Andrew?”

“The prosecutor won’t let the judge rely on testimony of three of your friends.”

“Did you take pictures?” Robert asked.

“We prevailed upon the couple she trusts. At least we have visual proof. We rented a video camera. Also Mary Jo gave us Polaroids of her neck. She carries a gun.”

“I saw the bruises,” Robert said.

“I bet you did.” Sally remembered Mary Jo’s nude romp at Mrs. Clankton’s. Robert didn’t reply. Sally was sorry to be so light about his troubles. “Has Penny returned?”

“Not yet. Why didn’t Mary Jo shoot the bastard when he raped her?”

Sally could hear how his tongue was beginning to be greased with the thick cream sherry. “Don’t drink about it, Robert. Alcohol only makes everything worse.”

“Slows down my arrhythmia,” he said.

“You saw a doctor?” Sally felt a moment of relief.

“Andrew’s made an appointment for me.” Robert sighed. “Penny’s in
Texas.”

“
Texas?”

“She wants you to pick her up on your way back.” Robert sounded a little cheered by the outlandish request. “Penny says she has a surprise for me.”

“She’s joking? We would have to change our tickets. Why can’t Penny fly back on her own?”

“She won’t come home until you approve her surprise. Please, Sally. I miss her.”

“Where exactly is she?” Sally wanted to scream.

“In
Houston. She said to fly in tonight and have her paged at the airport. Penny promises to arrange for your ticket to Metro.”

“And what about John and Sam?  What am I supposed to do with them?”

“That’s the trouble.” Robert started to slur his words. “You’ve surrounded by too many admirers.”

Sally slammed the cell phone shut. She wished she owned the patience of
Constance and the strength of George to shake some sense into Robert. “You’re not going to believe it. As soon as we pack up, I have to change our tickets. Robert wants me to pick up Penny in Houston. She won’t come back to Ann Arbor unless I see some present she intends to give Robert.”

John started to object. Sam beat him to it. “I’ll keep my ticket. I am out of vacation time.”

Before they saw Sam off at the airport’s security lane, Sally hugged the lad. “I appreciate your coming down with us. Make sure you hand the tape of Mary Jo directly to Andrew. He’ll make sure the evidence is secured for the arraignment. We never could have found Mary Jo without your help with the Phoenix detectives. I promise to roast a chicken for you when I get back to Ann Arbor.”

“Can Sylvester come, too?” Sam asked. “He’s been feeling really low since you yelled at him about taking Robert in for questioning.”

Sally was glad Sylvester felt horrible. “Of course. I remember when you were little and I offered you a cookie, you always asked for two--one for you and one for your older brother.”

“He’s not a bad guy, just kind of gung-ho since he got out of the Navy.”

“I understand,” John said without being asked.

Sally berated herself for not being able to understand Sam’s older brother as much as she would like to. The boy was always on a different playing field. Sally never knew what the rules were, but they surely didn’t fit in with her ideas of equity and fair play.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

After Sam left for
Detroit, Sally entertained mixed feelings about John’s loyalty. What were the consequences of encouraging him to stick around? Would he demand a romantic attachment because of all the time and detective work they were doing together? What did that say about the future? Was he going to stay in Ann Arbor at her beck-and-call, or did he expect her nostalgic attachment to St. Charles would influence her to return to Illinois with him? So she asked him, sort of. “I do not know a more generous friend than you, John.”

“Don’t you worry about me, I’m having a ball.”

“But what’s going to happen after we get Robert cleared?”

“We.” John rolled the word around in his mouth, too long as far as Sally was concerned.

“Now, John.”

“Kidding. One day at a time, right?”

“How did you know?” John knew she was an alcoholic?

“You’re sensible, emotional, but not afraid to react.” John’s eyes glowed with admiration. “You are the most honest person I know. I’m safe with you. I just want to see where all this detective experience leads me, us.”

“Well, all right, I can live with that.”

Houston

Third Sunday in September

Paging Penny Savage at the Houston airport at eleven o’clock at night, of course, brought no results. John arranged for connecting rooms in the airport’s hotel. Sally was too angry to be of any assistance. Nonetheless, the phone in Sally’s hotel room rang too early the next morning. Confused by her new surroundings, she didn’t pick up the phone until the sixth ring. “Boy, I thought you already checked out.” Penny’s anguished voice alerted Sally to the ridiculous situation.

“Penny.” Sally wanted to harangue the imbecile, but she wasn’t awake enough to say more than her name. She hoped she telegraphed her disgust at the young girl’s antics, but some bell in her head warned, just in time, not to imitate her sister Madelyn’s tones of indignation.

“I’m so excited. I’m down in the lobby. How long will it take to get yourself together, or should we come up?”

“We?” Sally wasn’t sure she heard correctly. “Do you have a mouse in your pocket, or are you using the royal ‘we’?”

“Sorry. I’ll wait in the restaurant. How soon will you be down?”

“About an hour.” Sally grumbled. “No, I can make it sooner, but then I’ll have to pack after
breakfast. When do our tickets say we leave for Detroit?”

“Oh, I haven’t made the reservations yet. I’m not going, if you don’t like my news for Robert.”

“Your news? I thought you wanted me to approve a present.”

“Oh, it is!” Penny laughed, pleased with herself. “Hurry down.” The brat hung up the phone before Sally could find out more.

In retaliation, Sally planned to take her own sweet time dressing. No tickets for home? She merely glanced at her open bags on the second queen bed in the room decorated in uninspired trappings. What was she going to wear? She stepped out of her nightgown and fiddled with the shower mechanisms.

Why couldn’t the fixtures in hotel rooms be standardized so weary travelers could figure out how not to be scalded in the middle of a shower? She washed her hair using all the shampoo and conditioner available from the hotel’s Lilliputian bottles. Not until the water ran cold with the faucet all the way to hot did she decide to re-enter the confusing world of reality. Usually her best plans were hatched under running water, but with all the cards for her future in Penny’s hands, Sally’s mind refused to offer the least hope of a pleasant outcome for their
Texas adventure.

Gypsies, she thought, watching herself blow dry her hair in the misty mirror. John and she were becoming roaming vagabonds—moneyed, but homeless. Since the first week in September, Sally traveled to
Illinois, Florida, back to Michigan, then to Arizona. Now she was stuck in Texas for the Lord only knew how long. ‘Please, Lord,” she earnestly prayed, ‘give me enough patience for today.’

She was standing in front of the open bar refrigerator. Tempted and with her mouth-watering, she refused to read the liquor bottle labels, knowing they would prolong her agony. Instead, she selected an unwholesome-looking glass bottle of orange juice. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Lacking wisdom seemed to be the rub. Maybe a sponsor could
sort out what to change in her life. As soon as she returned to Ann Arbor, she promised to attend meetings until she found a sponsor.

Choosing a tan pair of slacks, matching top, and her wrinkle-proof raspberry Harveyet, Sally applied all the makeup necessary, almost war paint, to face the unknown prospects of the day. Finished, Sally knocked on the adjoining door to John’s room. She must have awakened him, because it took forever for him to answer her increasingly loud pounding. “Penny called.” Sally apologized to the sleep-rumpled man. “She’s waiting downstairs for us. Take your time.”

“Five minutes. You look like you’ve been up for hours. Wait for me.”

No problem. Madelyn was right about her. How had she let herself get talked into this fiasco? Robert’s feelings were important, and he was vulnerable with the case hanging over his head, but she should have told him to forget this added trip to
Texas. Texas did not relate to the case. Penny was Robert’s main concern when he should be concentrating on his own legal problems. Penny was a problem.

And what did John think of her now? Of course, he might as well know how important Robert was in her life since Danny died. The situation of chasing Penny all over
Texas surely seemed ridiculous. Not exactly the way to inspire confidence in a new friend, or courtship. Was she allowing John to court her? She should be tending to business, not monkey business. In a way she was as horrible as Penny—well, maybe not that bad.

Punctual as a clock, John knocked on their shared door in five minutes. Sally opened the door to find him smartly dressed and shaved. “You do look great, this early in the morning.” He tried to slip his arm around her waist. “We better get started. I’m going to have to pack before we leave the hotel for our flight.”

“Me, too.” John laughed. “I was so mad last night, I threw my things all over the room.”

“Penny’s lucky I don’t add her name to the list of young women Robert could be accused of murdering. She hasn’t made plane reservations for us, either.”

While they stood in the line waiting to be seated in the airport’s crowded hotel restaurant, Penny accosted them. She pulled them past the young hostess, who smiled fixedly at the people they were cutting in front of. “I’m getting married.” Penny turned and announced to the waiting crowd.

“Is he the groom’s father?” John asked as they approached a table where a man much older than Penny waited.

“Simon, I’d like you to meet Sally Bianco.” Penny slipped into the booth next to the straggly-haired older guy.

“Simon Goldberg.” The man offered his hand to Sally.

Sally looked at John, who shook the man’s outstretched hand. “John Nelson.” He pushed Sally down in the seat across from Penny and Simon.

“Simon’s a lawyer.” Penny chatted away to cover the silence issuing from Sally’s side of the table. “He worked at Ford for years and they paid for his education. Isn’t that great?”

“Fine,” John said. “Are you the father of the groom?”

“I am the groom,” Simon said.

“You are Robert’s present?” Sally asked.

“Isn’t he great?” Penny did not meet Sally’s gaze. “And he’s fully functional!” Sally understood exactly.

“As a defense attorney?” John tried to catch up. Simon smiled at Penny as she laughed, and laughed. The dawn rose in John’s red face. “I see,” he said, without understanding the previous problem Penny experienced with Robert.

“How is Robert going to be pleased with this present?” Sally asked.

“Oh, that’s why I waited for you to approve,” Penny said, eyes wide, all innocence personified.

“The marriage?” John asked.

“No,” Penny said. “I was worried Robert might not want to see me again…after I marry Simon.”

Sally finally met Simon’s eyes. She spoke slowly because no one could be this stupid and not need help with language. “A problem worth considering.”

Simon wasn’t shy about ignoring her implication and instead told them boldly, “Penny thought you two might stand up for us.”

“Penny.” Sally touched her arm to get her attention. “Should we talk, privately?” Obviously, Simon did not have enough sense for her to bother with.

“No.” Penny started to pout like the two-year-old infant she was. She wound her arm around Simon’s as if determined to drown with the idiot.

“Mr. Goldberg …” Sally tried again to bring reason into the situation.

“Simon.”

“Simon.” Sally sighed deeply. “Did Penny tell you about her father’s suicide?”

“I understand your concern. But I think you should know we have her mother’s approval. The family has known me for years.”

“Yes, I can see you are well acquainted.”

“We have to hurry,” Penny said. “The preacher is meeting us at Simon’s ranch.”

Sally checked her watch. She was not hungry. “John, why don’t we pack?” She took the menu out of John’s hand before standing and pushing her chair away from the table. “We turned in the rental car last night.” She tried to keep all her mental ducks in a row. Sometimes life came at her so fast, she wasn’t always able to breathe properly, much less think logically. Nevertheless, escape seemed a good plan.

“I’ll drive you.” Simon offered. “Why don’t I order breakfast rolls and coffee to go and we’ll meet you out front in say…twenty minutes?”

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

In the elevator John shook his head. “Exactly,” Sally said. “Should we just pack and board a plane to Detroit?”

“Her family approves. Maybe we should help them out. Do you know how Robert will take this?”

“No.” Sally dialed the Bibliopole’s number as soon as they returned to her room. “How am I going to tell him?”

“I wouldn’t.” John rubbed his hands against the side of his slacks. “Let
Penny Goldberg
break the news. Remember, people often hate the bearer of bad tidings.”

Sally hung up the phone before Robert could answer. “I’m such a coward.” She said, thinking again about needing a sponsor. John sat down next to her on the bed and put his arm around her shoulder. Sally looked up at him. He placed a hand under her chin, but Sally pulled away. “Too much is happening.” She apologized for the rebuff and patted John’s knee. “I’m so glad you’re here with me.”

“That’s enough for now. Let’s get gussied up for a wedding.”

“I guess we could leave our bags with the hotel. Should we make plane reservations now?”

“Better wait until we find out the rest of their plans. I don’t think we should leave our bags. We don’t even know how far away his ranch is.”

“Probably
Austin,” Sally said, completely out of her depth.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

John Nelson sat in the front seat of the Cadillac with Simon Goldberg, who drove as if Penny might change her mind about marrying a man the same age as her father. He barreled down the interstate out of Houston. John coughed, turning to get Sally’s attention. “What is the speed limit in Texas?”

Penny was all cheerfulness and laughter. “Simon’s a lawyer. He can talk his way out of a drunk-driving ticket.”

“You do need your wedding witnesses to be alive.” Sally clutched her purse to her chest.

“I’m pregnant.” Penny said as if to cheer her up and loud enough for John to hear.

“My first child.” Simon turned proudly to inform John. The car reacted to the news, too. The right front wheel hit the gravel and they all bounced in their seats as Simon jerked the car back onto the road.

“Listen,” John shouted. “Slow this thing down or I’ll beat you to a pulp as soon as you stop.”

Simon slowed down. “Is sixty-five acceptable?”

“Quite,” John said, not apologizing for his good sense. Sally felt a welcome surge of pride. She even smiled at Penny.

At the ranch, with no horses or other domestic animals in sight, Penny and Simon linked arms as soon as the car doors were shut.  “We made it home before the preacher arrived.” Simon strolled toward the house. “Time to have a celebration toast.”

Penny smiled joyfully and encouraged Sally and John to follow them through the oak double doors of the ranch house. The cool slate floor was relieved at odd intervals with red shag carpeting. The only furniture to be seen were twelve red bar stools standing in front of a black-and-chrome bar. Floor to roof windows opened on both sides of the room. A mirrored wall behind the bar faced the entrance and reflected Sally’s unhappy expression. She smiled at herself.

John abandoned her and accepted an empty champagne glass from Simon. A circular steel staircase next to the bar headed to a balcony, where a rumbled red counterpane lay half on the bed, half on the floor. Another door to the right of the front door led to other areas of the dwelling. Coming from the direction of the unseen areas, Sally could smell meat cooking in something highly aromatic, onions and spices. “Make yourself comfortable,” Simon called to her from across the empty room.

Sally continued to stand in the middle of the living room. “How long have you lived here, Mr. Goldberg?”

“Simon,” he said. “Fifteen years, last March.”

“Were you waiting for a wife to pick out your furniture?” Sally was honestly curious.

Simon smiled as he popped a champagne cork. “I believe in functional furniture. I drink in here, eat in the dining room, my cook cooks in the kitchen, and I sleep…well, I’ve changed my habits in the loft.”

“A baby will need…
.
” Actually, Sally didn’t own a clue about what a baby would need.

“Simon will take care of everything.” Penny beamed.

“Well,” John said. “For one thing, Penny, I know a pregnant woman shouldn’t be drinking.”

“I bought non-alcoholic, too. Maybe we’ll have twins.” Simon slipped his arm around Penny’s slim waist.

Sally edged toward the bar, still hoping something or somebody would intervene before the wedding took place. “Should we wait until after the wedding to celebrate?”

“Too late.” Simon finished his glass in one gulp.