tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79844740520326125322024-02-20T07:59:29.375-08:00Prisoner of CircumstanceThis novel is about a woman, a mobster, a cop, a prophet, betrayal, murder, and the struggle to do the right thing. I'm posting this in part...to read the rest order your copy now on Amazon.com.Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-36733553373080021842007-04-17T15:22:00.000-07:002007-04-17T15:23:44.732-07:00That's ItI hope you all enjoyed a little taste into my imagination. As I work towards getting this book published, I'll remind myself of the encouragement I've received from you.Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-36716344497201149982007-04-11T19:51:00.000-07:002008-09-10T00:26:54.252-07:00John Visits Regina's Place<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Sliding onto a barstool, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> told Dave, “I’ll have some water.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Sure thing.” Dave poured her a glass of bottled water and then looked at her with concern. “I wish you would tell me what’s wrong. I might be able to help.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Not yet. Just pray for me, okay?” Changing the subject with barely a pause, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place> said, “Did you see the ad in the paper about the auditions?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yeah, I did. It looked good. What type of entertainment are you looking for?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I’m not sure yet — a band, a singer, a piano player? Whatever.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> turned around in time to see Detective John Nelson walking through the front door. Her heart stopped. “Oh, no,” she said as she quickly turned back around.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“What’s the matter, Mrs. Cavelli?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Panicking, she asked, “Where’s Vinny?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“He left about fifteen minutes ago. He said he had an errand to run and he’d be back in an hour. Why?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">That made <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> feel a bit more at ease, but her mind started to race. She had to find a way to arrange a less-public meeting. <i style="">What am I thinking? That’s not going to work. Lord, what am I going to do? He’s heading my way. Help me find the right words to say to him.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John walked over and sat down two stools away from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> without looking at her. To Dave he said, “I’ll have a club soda with lemon please.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Dave poured the drink and dropped a healthy slice of lemon in the glass. “Will that be all, sir?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“That’ll be two bucks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John reached for his wallet, but then <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> suddenly said, “The drink’s on the house, Dave.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, ma’am.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“That’s very nice of you, Mrs. Cavelli,” John said, without looking her direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Dave walked down to the other end of the bar to serve another customer. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> glanced around to make sure no one was watching. Aware that her heart was still pounding like mad, </span>s<span style="">he looked down at her water, trying not to draw attention to the fact they were about to start a conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Detective Nelson, what are you doing here? I thought I made myself quite clear when you were here earlier that I have nothing to say to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, ma’am, you did. I thought that maybe you’d be more willing to talk to me if we were alone.” He took a drink from his glass. “I’ve been reading about you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You’ve been investigating me?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No, I just wanted to learn more about you. It seems that you’re a kind woman with a good heart, and you help people.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Oh, I see.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“So what puzzles me is how someone like you is married to a monster like Anthony Cavelli.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Look, this conversation is dangerous for both of us. Maybe you should leave.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I need your help. You can trust me.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I can’t trust anyone. Trust is expensive.” She paused then continued, “If I decide to help you, you need to understand that no one must know. I would be risking everything.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I promise. Does that mean you’ll help me?” John glanced at her. The possibility sent butterflies through his stomach.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Look, I’m deadly serious. I need your word that you will keep this just between us, or else no deal. You can’t even tell your partner, understand?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Without showing any of the emotions he was feeling, John responded simply, “Yeah, I understand. And I promise.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Now please leave before someone notices that I’m talking to you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Thanks for the drink, Mrs. Cavelli.” John got up and started toward the door. As he stepped through it, he passed Vinny coming in. He tried to keep his head down, but he knew that Vinny had seen him. <i style="">I hope this doesn’t cause her any trouble.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny walked over to the bar and sat down next to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>. She was startled to see him but tried to disguise that by saying, “Oh, it’s you. Thank God. You wouldn’t believe who had the nerve to drop by <i style="">again</i>.” She made certain she emphasized that word.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You mean Detective Nelson.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, how did you know?” she asked, as if surprised. “Did you see him?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, I did. Is everything okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“He came in for a drink. He sat over there. I think he just wants me to know that he’s watching me, to keep me on my toes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Mrs. Cavelli, I would appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to the boss.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Why would you want me to keep something from him, Vinny?” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> knew how to play this game. Now it seemed she had an advantage, and she was about to take it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well, he told me to watch out for you, and if he finds out I left, even though it was just for a little while, I could get in a lot of trouble. I would appreciate it, ma’am, if we kept Detective Nelson’s little visit between us. Okay? I mean, nothing happened, right? You’re okay and all — no harm done.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I wouldn’t want to get you in trouble, Vinny. I don’t think this will be a problem. Besides, you’re right; it’s no big deal, anyway. This is a public place and anyone can come in for a drink. Right?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny seemed appreciative that <st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City> had agreed, and <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> was so grateful it was Vinny’s idea that she didn’t even stop to think about his motives.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Driving home, John started to smile to himself. He turned on the radio to relax. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText">He was so excited. This could be the break he’d been waiting for, and he wanted to make sure everything went smoothly. Seeing Anthony Cavelli in jail would bring this chapter of his life to a rather satisfying conclusion.<span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-50274347786910164982007-04-10T06:55:00.000-07:002008-09-10T00:20:52.461-07:00Regina has Concerns while Anthony Plots<p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> sat in her office and tried to figure out what Vinny could have possibly been doing in there earlier. Anthony obviously didn’t trust her. She wondered if he somehow knew about the copies she’d made of his private book, but she doubted it. If he had, he would have made her life much more miserable than it already was, if not worse. She had been surprised to find out at lunch that Poppy wanted to get involved in business again; that would make Anthony even more difficult to live with.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">But back to the matter at hand — Vinny.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style="">Think, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>, think. Use the brain God gave you.</span></i><span style=""><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Her gaze landed on the antique phone on her desk, and for some reason, she felt a draw to it. She lifted the receiver, unscrewed one end, and was not surprised to see a tiny electrical device hidden inside. This wouldn’t be the first time he had done something like this. Instead of being angry, she wondered if she could use this to her advantage. Anthony had no idea she’d discovered his little bug. Of course, if he’d bugged her office phone, what else had he bugged? Was her car or even her home safe?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">But who was she kidding? Home was never safe. <i style="">Lord, show me the way out.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The knock on her door startled her. She quickly screwed the receiver back together.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Come in.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The door opened, and it was Dave, one of the bartenders. “Mrs. Cavelli, I thought you might like to know that we’re out of gin.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Did you check the cellar? We were supposed to have gotten a shipment today. Didn’t it come in while I was out?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No, I’ve already checked the cellar. We don’t have any. I guess I can stretch out what we’ve got.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No watered-down drinks. If you run out, then apologize and give a free drink of something else.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No problem.” Dave started to leave, but then he hesitated, and a frown pulled across his forehead. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Mrs. Cavelli, is everything okay?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Sure, Dave. Why do you ask?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You look like something’s bothering you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“This is the third time this has happened in the past two weeks. I’ll have to change suppliers. I don’t like firing anybody.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Don’t worry, Mrs. Cavelli. If you’d like, I’ll call them for you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Thanks, but no. I’ll take care of it. Thank you for your concern, Dave.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Dave was obviously not satisfied with her answer, but there was nothing for him to do if she didn’t want his help. An ex-con, he was as big as an ox but as gentle as a lamb. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> had hired him six months ago, believing that everyone deserved a second chance. He was a very hard worker and was getting married for the first time at thirty-five. Lauren, his fiancé, led the Bible study <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place> sometimes attended.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Dave was very loyal to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> because she had done so much for him. He didn’t like Anthony, or his men. More than once, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> had broken up some near skirmishes between Dave and some of Anthony’s crew. She would hate for anything to happen to him because he was defending her.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Sitting in his semi-dark office, Anthony was on the phone. He wasn’t happy and was getting more upset by the moment. “Look, you moron, what saved you today is the fact I had lunch with my father, and by the time we were back, you had the books ready. If he finds anything amiss, you can kiss your family good-bye.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony slammed down the receiver. He had bigger problems on his hands than that idiot, like what to do about his father. He’d grown accustomed to being the boss; his men had grown accustomed to his being the boss, too, and he didn’t relish being sent back to second place. That couldn’t be allowed to happen.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mario knocked then stuck his head in the door. “Hey, Boss, is everything okay? I heard you yelling. You want me to take care of something or somebody for ya?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No. That moron accountant won’t make the same mistake again.” He rubbed the back of his neck, scowling. “Poppy is starting to . . . Poppy is starting to breathe down my neck. He wants back in, and I know he wants full control again. The old man didn’t fool me for a minute. I won’t let it happen! I’m in charge, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mario couldn’t believe how Anthony was talking about his own father. He knew Anthony was ruthless, but he almost sounded like he was threatening Poppy, something Mario had never thought possible, even for him. Mario didn’t know what to say or what to do, so he remained silent and just stood there, waiting for further direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You know,” Anthony began, “if only I could find a way to distract him from this idea of coming back to work . . . but what?” He got up and started to pace.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well . . .” Mario began, but then, after getting that one word out, he wasn’t sure he wanted to continue.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well, what?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well, Boss, if <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> was pregnant, he’d be busy with the grandchild he always wanted. He wouldn’t care about the business then. He’d be too consumed with chasing after a grandkid.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony looked at Mario like he had ten heads. “Are you crazy? That would mean I would have to . . . ya know. That only happened once, and I was drunk at the time. That won’t work. She hates my guts as much as I hate hers.” He hesitated for a moment and then continued, “But you know . . . <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> could be the key. I don’t get it, but the old man acts like mush when she’s around. It really bugs me. The thing is, how do we use that to our advantage?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I don’t know, Boss.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Maybe between the two of us we could come up with something. You hungry?” Without waiting for an answer, Anthony continued, “Let’s go get some pasta, okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Sure, Boss. I’ll get the car.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Before Anthony left, he looked at the picture of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> on his desk. He kept one there for appearance’s sake. Every man had a picture of his wife on his desk, and he didn’t want to cause suspicion with Poppy.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony picked up the picture of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> and said, “You’re going to help me get the old man off my back, whether you know it or not.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-34762089762718421862007-04-06T06:07:00.000-07:002008-09-10T00:14:18.284-07:00Dinner with Frank's Family<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John pulled into the parking space behind Frank’s blue sedan as his partner climbed out and headed toward him. <i style="">All right, let’s get this over with.</i> John opened his door.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Thanks for coming. I wouldn’t hear the end of it if I showed up here without you,” Frank said, sounding relieved.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No problem. Annie is a terrific cook, and I always enjoy seeing the little rug rats.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">As they walked up to the front door, Frank’s youngest child, Nick, came running out of the house, shouting, “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home!” He launched himself into his father’s arms. “Oh, looky! It’s Uncle Johnny, too. Hi, Uncle Johnny!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Nick left his father’s embrace and ran to John. At five years old, Nick already wanted to be a detective like his father and Uncle Johnny. He thought they were the best. His dark hair and big, brown doe eyes could convince you to do just about anything. As they got to the door, Frank’s middle child, Lynette, greeted them. She was a twelve-year-old beauty with long, reddish-brown hair and green eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Hi, Dad. Hi, Uncle Johnny. I’m helping with dinner,” she said with pride. Then she turned and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Mom! Dad and Uncle Johnny are here!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Where’s your sister?” Frank asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You mean her highness? She’s upstairs in her room. She’s too cool to associate with us mere peasants. She’s in high school now, you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Now, Lynette, that’s not very nice, is it?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Lynette just shrugged her shoulders.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Nicole, I’m home,” Frank yelled up the stairs as Annie entered the room and welcomed them both with hugs. Annie was a very beautiful woman with shoulder-length red hair and green eyes. She looked much younger than her age. People often thought her eldest daughter, Nicole, was her sister.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Oh, John, it’s so nice to see you. I’m so glad you came. We’ve missed you around here. Sit and make yourself comfortable. Lynette, go check on the sauce. Nick, Sweetheart, go wash your hands — they’re filthy. Honey, would you go see what’s keeping our elder daughter? I want her to set the table.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Now looking back at John she said, “Do you want a drink? We have soda, wine, beer, water . . .” Annie said all of this without even coming up for air. She sure was a fast talker, but John didn’t mind at all because she usually could carry the conversation by herself. All you ever had to do was nod once or twice so she knew you were paying attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Soda is fine, thanks,” he answered.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Finally, Nicole descended the stairs as if she were royalty making an entrance at a ball. A younger version of her mother, she had the greenest eyes and the reddest hair. Frank always told John stories about her latest boyfriends. “Hello, Uncle John. Hello, Father. Did you guys kill anyone today?” she asked sarcastically, with a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Very funny, kiddo. Give Daddy a kiss?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">She walked over and greeted him with a peck on the cheek.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“You get prettier every time I see you, Nicole,” John said. It brought a smile to her face and she graced him with a peck on the cheek.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“So who’s this week’s heart break?” John asked with a sly smile.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Daddy! You talk way too much about us at work.” Nicole rolled her eyes at her father, but she smiled at John to let him know she had liked his question.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Annie re-entered the room with drinks for her men. “Nicole, please go set the table,” she requested firmly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Mom, dinner isn’t for another hour. Can’t I do it later and visit with Uncle John and Daddy?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Annie, a very structured and organized woman, preferred things to be prepared in advance. “Just do it now and get it over with. You’ll have plenty of time to visit later when all the work is done.” Nicole left, looking unhappy. “Why don’t you fellas go into the living room and sit and relax? I’ll be back after I check on the girls, and we can have a nice visit.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-46484978237609558232007-04-04T19:28:00.000-07:002008-09-10T00:09:38.741-07:00Lunch with Poppy<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The ride to Mama Rosa’s was harmless enough. What Poppy said out loud didn’t worry <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> as much as what was going on in his head. As they arrived and were seated, her worry only worsened. Poppy might be old and retired from the business, but men like him always retained their power: the power to harm, to control, and to ruin lives. That was what these men did. She just couldn’t have them influencing the future of her child; that could not be allowed to happen. This baby was innocent and helpless, and it would be up to her, and her alone, to hold on to that innocence for as long as she could . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>,” Poppy repeated. “<st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> startled. She barely remembered getting to the restaurant, much less being seated. “I’m sorry, Poppy. How rude of me. I was thinking about some plans I have for the restaurant. What do you think about live entertainment?” It was the best save she could come up with; she knew asking it would make him feel important, and because of that, the question would please Anthony as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well, my dear, that sounds like a very good idea. I knew if I bought you that place you would make it successful. You should be very proud of your wife, Anthony.” Poppy’s face glowed with pride.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Of course I am, Poppy,” Anthony said with a plastic smile. This was his own doing; for whatever reason, he had chosen to endure an afternoon of hearing <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s praises sung from the rooftop, and he wasn’t going to enjoy it. <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place> could see his smile’s insincerity from across the table and wondered how Poppy didn’t.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“After lunch, Anthony, I would like to go back to the office with you and look over the books. That’s still okay with you?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony’s hesitation was barely discernable. “No problem,” he responded with the same brittle smile.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Just then, the waiter came over to the table. “Good afternoon. My name is Carmine, and I will be your server today. May I take your order, or do you need some more time?” He looked about fifteen, but <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> knew that he was more than likely a college student. He was tall, thin, pimple-faced, and had a huge smile.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony seemed grateful for the interruption. “No, I think we’re ready. I’m getting hungry. Sweetie, do you know what you want?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> hated it when Anthony called her names like <i style="">sweetie</i> or <i style="">honey</i>. She just had to grin and bear it when Poppy was around. But she knew one thing for certain now: Something was up with Anthony. He was so edgy. He always acted like this around Poppy, but it was more noticeable today than usual. They placed their order.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Would anyone like a cocktail or an appetizer?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony said, “I’ll have a scotch on the rocks.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Poppy glanced at him. “Don’t you think it’s a bit early to have a drink, son?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony ignored him. “Just bring it,” he told the waiter.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Quiet, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> put her napkin in her lap and pretended not to have noticed how much he had just given himself away. <i style="">Edgy</i>, apparently, wasn’t the right word; Anthony was downright moody. What was his problem?<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Anyone else?” Carmine asked.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Espresso,” Poppy said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I’ll just have water,” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> added. Carmine left.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Poppy returned his attention to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>. “When was the last time you saw your folks?” he asked, casually overlooking the way his son had just dismissed him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Last week. They’re doing fine.” She paused. “Thank you again for keeping them safe and hidden so well.” She said that only because she knew you could catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. He acted like she saw them regularly, when she was taken to see them only twice monthly — if she was lucky.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">How could she leave Anthony . . . and still keep her parents safe? She was not allowed to call them; they could call her once a week, but the calls were always monitored. She hoped that one day, she’d be able to save them completely and have them home again. It was a situation she tried to change whenever the opportunity came up, and now seemed as good of a time as any.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Poppy, do you think all of this secrecy is still so necessary?” As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she realized this hadn’t been a good idea. Anthony shot her a look. Questioning any Cavelli could be dangerous. She knew she took a chance every time she asked about her parents, but Poppy genuinely seemed to enjoy her and her company, so, perhaps, she wasn’t as afraid of mentioning it as Anthony would like her to be.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>, my dear,” Poppy started, “I do believe we have been over this before. It’s for their protection and for yours that I have them hidden. Realize that if the unpleasantness of the past did not get in the way, things would be very different now. We would all be here having lunch together. But, of course, that is not possible. You know there are people out there who want to hurt the family. As a matter of fact . . .”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">He paused as the waiter came back with the drinks and salads. When he had gone again, Poppy continued, “As a matter of fact, I hear you had some interesting visitors today.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Poppy gave them a moment to absorb what he had said.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> was not surprised. Of course, he would know; he was Poppy. But Anthony seemed a bit taken aback. He stared at his father, a line between his brows.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Two detectives came to see if I knew anything about the family business. I told them I didn’t, and then they left. That was the end of that. It really wasn’t a big deal.” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> made note of Anthony’s reaction and realized that Poppy hadn’t gotten this information from his son. Interesting how father and son didn’t trust each other; each played games to impress the other.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I’m proud of the way you handled yourself. You have been an asset to this family from the beginning. I always knew that you would be. It was nice to see how you and my son have gotten along. Who says arranged marriages don’t work?” Poppy smiled broadly and continued on that subject for what seemed like an eternity. They finished their salads, and the waiter came over with their entrees.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Thank you, Carmine. This smells wonderful.” The rest of the meal was spent in idle chitchat, mostly dominated by Poppy. <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place> and Anthony nodded and smiled often to show they were paying attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Both wished they were elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-72135108530377593252007-04-01T21:27:00.000-07:002008-09-10T00:01:52.562-07:00John's Plans are Delayed<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John settled down to watch some TV and unwind until it was time for him to go to the restaurant — it was still way too early for dinner. He’d been feeling a little edgy lately, and he hated having time on his hands like this; it made the loneliness seem more apparent.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Most of the time, he didn’t consider being sent home early much of a gift, but today it had given him some much-needed time to think. Spread across his lap lay his file on Regina Cavelli. He’d discovered some interesting information about her in the past few months.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">For one thing, she had married Anthony during a break from college and had never returned to finish. Her father had worked for Antonio Cavelli as his accountant and had been in police protection when she had suddenly married Anthony. Antonio Cavelli had planned an extravagant wedding for his son and new daughter-in-law. The press was invited to attend, and it was front-page news in all the papers. That was where it got interesting. After the wedding, Michael Palmetto, <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place>’s father, had “lost his memory” and would no longer testify.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John’s brother, Sam, was working on the case at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Sam had been very frustrated by the whole thing. All his hard work had gone out the window with Mr. Palmetto’s memory. But as frustrated as he had been, Sam had had so much to live for; he never would have gotten mixed up with drugs. A short time after the Cavelli wedding, Sam had been found in his apartment, dead from a drug overdose. They had ruled it an accidental suicide, but John would never buy that. He knew his brother too well.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The doorbell rang and roused him from his thoughts. <i style="">Who can that be?</i> John slid the folder under the couch cushion and walked over to the door. “Oh, hi, Frank. Come on in.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Hey, John. I’m here on an important mission from Annie.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“What’s up?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“She told me and I quote, ‘Don’t come home unless John is with you.’ She says she misses you and so do the kids. They’ve been asking for their Uncle Johnny. They want to spend some time with you this afternoon since there’s no school today.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“That’s sweet, but I plan on having Chinese food later. I have a craving. Then I was going to turn in early. I haven’t been sleeping so good lately.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Are you trying to get me into the doghouse with my woman? You know how Annie gets. Come on — you know I can’t go home without you. Besides, Annie is a great cook. You know she’ll want you to stay for dinner. Come on; we’ll drive over together.” John didn’t respond, so Frank continued, “I promise you, I’ll get you home early enough to get a good night’s sleep.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John realized that if he didn’t go, it would look suspicious. “Okay, but I’ll take my own car. I’ll meet you downstairs.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“All right, but if you’re not down there in ten minutes, I’m coming back after you.” Frank left with a big smile on his face.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style="">Maybe an after-dinner drink then . . . </span></i><span style="">John grabbed his keys, shut off the lights, and went out the door.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-76851710124629677352007-03-31T07:42:00.000-07:002008-09-09T23:58:26.457-07:00A Happy Family . . . Not<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mario pulled into the garage next to the two-story office complex. It was about twenty minutes from <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s restaurant, and the Cavelli family owned the whole building. All their businesses operated from here, each with a name that sounded respectable and completely above board, but what happened behind closed doors was another story. Anthony had his men sweep the building periodically for bugs, and sometimes they found a few. As far as the city cops were concerned, their informant was usually quite reliable. But the Feds were a different story; they planted bugs fairly regularly or positioned men outside to observe the proceedings as best they could.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">As <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> and Anthony got out of the car, he asked her, “Do you think you can manage to be civil to my father?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Of course, I can. I forgave him a long time ago for forcing me to marry you and live in hell,” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> replied with an edge of sarcasm. She sometimes couldn’t help but give snide remarks, especially when she was around Poppy. It was a shortcoming she was still working on.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Instead of being sarcastic in return, Anthony said calmly, “That’s exactly what I mean. The old man thinks we are happily married. I’d like to keep it that way. Now just do as you’re told and everything will be all right.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Normally he would come back at her or threaten her in some way. For the second time today, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> wondered if something was wrong. She kept quiet, hoping to pick up on what was really going on.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Stepping into the building with Anthony and Mario at her heels, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> tried to focus. She always found it difficult to be in Poppy’s presence, especially now in her condition. He had always wanted a grandchild. It was a topic that had been on his mind, and lips, since the death of Anthony’s mother. <i style="">Lord, I need You to help me keep my cool and not give myself away.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">A little prayer never hurt in stressful situations.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">They walked into the outer office and a very nervous Mary greeted them. She came out from behind her desk.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“What’s the matter with you?” Anthony asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Mr. Cavelli, your father is in your office,” Mary said with much excitement in her voice. “He came about twenty minutes ago and just walked right in. Then he started dictating letters to me. I didn’t know what to do! I didn’t get a chance to call you. I was just about to now. He’s been making phone calls and asking me questions . . .” Mary was very close to being frantic.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Calm down, will you? Just bring us some coffee and type those letters like he asked. Don’t worry about it. Did the accountant drop off anything?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No, sir, he hasn’t.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">This did not seem to make Anthony happy at all. Grabbing <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> by the arm, he whispered, “Don’t forget what I told you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">They walked in and found Poppy on the phone, sitting behind Anthony’s desk. He motioned for them to come in, as if it was his office they had just walked into. Instantly, heat shot through Anthony’s body. He didn’t like this situation at all. Poppy had no business, none whatsoever, appearing so comfortable in Anthony’s office.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Poppy hung up the phone and, with a huge smile on his face, got up to greet them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">For a second, Anthony smirked at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s expression. Hugging her was like trying to hug a fence post. She never returned his father’s hugs, but it didn’t seem to phase Poppy or discourage him from trying.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“What a pleasant surprise! Anthony, why didn’t you tell me <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> was going to be here?” Before Anthony could answer him, he went on, “My son can’t seem to tell me if I will ever become a grandfather. <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place>, Dear, can you give me an idea?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I’m sorry, not yet. You know we’re still young. There’s plenty of time for that in the future.” <i style="">Forgive me, Lord, for telling such a lie</i>. It amazed her how this man seemed to forget that he had forced them to get married. He lived in some fantasy world in which they were all one big, happy family.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mary walked in with the coffee tray and set it up on the table.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Okay, I’ll drop it for now. But I have a wonderful idea. Why don’t we all go to lunch together? I would love to visit with you in a more pleasant environment.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony smiled and said, “That sounds great. I guess we won’t be needing that coffee, Mary. Thank you anyway.” He turned to his father. “Why don’t you two go out to the car? I have some instructions for Mary before we leave.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">As soon as they were out of hearing distance, Anthony whispered in a low growl, “Mary, I want you to call the accountant and tell him that he’d better be here with the books before I return from lunch. Make sure he understands — wait. Forget that. Instead tell Jimmy to go there in person and pick it up. He’ll know what to do if it’s not ready.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, sir. No problem.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">On his way out to the car, Anthony made a call. “Yeah, it’s me. Can you talk? Listen, I want to know what he is up to <i style="">before</i> it happens, not after. Why wasn’t I told about the visit? That’s not what you get paid for! No more excuses — just keep a better eye on him!” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">When Anthony joined them in the limousine, he was back to his pseudo cheerful self again. “So, Poppy, where to?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Mama Rosa’s <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Seafood</st1:PlaceName> <st1:placetype st="on">Palace</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. I’m in the mood for some fish.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Great. Mario, you heard him — Mama Rosa’s.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> started to pray. <i style="">Lord, give me strength to hold down my lunch. And help me to behave in a way that would please You.</i> It really didn’t do her any good to be upset. Nothing ever seemed to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-38598611500195965922007-03-30T06:26:00.000-07:002008-09-09T23:48:37.405-07:00John Has Hope<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John arrived home tired and frustrated by his day. Captain Merrill had sent him home early, since he had come in around four a.m. to do paper work. He often did that when he couldn’t sleep. John lived alone, except for some goldfish, in a small one-bedroom apartment in Park Slope, <st1:place st="on">Brooklyn</st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">His living room was dark beige. He wasn’t sure it had been painted that color originally, but years had passed since anybody had tried to do anything with the walls. John didn’t mind the fading, since he was rarely home anyway. He was able to fit a recliner, a loveseat, and a nineteen-inch color television in the living room area. He had a small portable CD player on an end table next to the recliner. His bedroom was cramped with a double bed; a dresser; and one end table that held a phone, a lamp, and an alarm clock. The bathroom had a tub with a fish shower curtain.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The last area in the apartment was what some would call a kitchen; others would call it a closet. It contained a small oven with a four-burner stove, a refrigerator, a sink, and a small counter that separated the kitchen from the living room. He had two stools by the counter where he ate his meals. It was a small place, but he could afford it, and it was located only about twenty minutes from the precinct.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Out of habit, he went right to the answering machine and hit play. A familiar voice filled the air. <i style="">“John, this is your mother. I was wondering if you could stop by for dinner on Sunday. Your sister will be here and . . . well, we all miss you. I love you, Honey. Call me.”<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The next message was from some salesperson telling him he’d won free airplane tickets to <st1:state st="on">Florida</st1:State>; all he had to do was examine a time-share in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tampa</st1:place></st1:City>. The final message was from his sister. <i style="">“John, it’s Lisa. How are you doing? The kids miss you. I miss you, too. We all hope to see you Sunday at the folks’. Mom says she’s making your favorite </i>—<i style=""> pot roast. Well, anyway, know that you’re loved. Bye.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">He couldn’t help but think how lucky he was to have a family who cared so much for him. They were always trying to make sure he stayed connected to them.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">He felt a bit disappointed that there wasn’t a message from Mrs. Cavelli. He was about to press the button and reset his caller ID box when he noticed that it read four new calls. Funny, he thought he’d heard only three. He reviewed the calls listed and noticed that one of them was from <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place>’s Place.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style="">I wonder why she didn’t leave a message. </span></i><span style="">He thought about calling her back but quickly dismissed the idea. Too risky. He didn’t want to get her in trouble. Thinking about his next move, he pulled open the refrigerator and saw there wasn’t much in there: some beer, an apple, and milk that was probably expired.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Well,” he wondered out loud, “since there doesn’t seem to be anything for dinner, maybe I should go out to eat. And wherever shall I go? <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place>’s Place seems to be as good a place as any.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p>© Nadine Z. 2007</p>Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-73982972607951575132007-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:002008-12-06T10:11:00.311-08:00Regina Gets Ordered Around<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Driving back to the station, John didn’t say much. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> was more stunning in person than the pictures he’d seen. Maybe she’d call him when she wasn’t being watched. Maybe that was why she had given them the brush-off.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Maybe she was afraid to talk to him in front of that big goon — or Frank. Maybe he should have gone alone . . . <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Frank was the first to break the silence. “You see, John? I told you it would get us nowhere. She practically threw us out! If she knows anything, she’s not telling. Now are you gonna give up on this crazy idea of yours?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I think she’s just scared. That big guy works for her husband. He’s probably there to keep an eye on her. At least now she knows there’s someone out here who can help her.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Have you lost your mind? Help her do what? She doesn’t look like she needs any help. Do you live in some kind of fantasy world? Were we both in the same place? She’s not going to call you! She seems to be very loyal to her husband. You need to just leave this alone and look for another angle, or else you’re going to get yourself killed.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John was quiet for a moment. “Maybe you’re right. I guess I’m just kidding myself.” He didn’t want to continue this conversation. Next time, he’d go see her alone. It would be less intimidating for her, and he wouldn’t have to hear “I told you so” from Frank.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">He changed the subject. “Hey, Frank, did you watch the game last night?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony looked at Mario. “Get the car. I want to go and have a little talk with my wife before Poppy comes over.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mario knew that tone all too well. For <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city>’s sake, she better have the answers Anthony wanted to hear.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> could hear the staff in the kitchen. She must have lost track of time; they were probably getting ready for the lunch crowd. She needed to go and check with the chef to make sure there weren’t any problems with the morning deliveries.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony stepped through the restaurant’s front door and walked over to where Vinny sat at the bar. “Where is she?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Startled, Vinny answered, “In the back, Boss.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Follow me.” As they walked toward the kitchen, Anthony instructed, “While I talk to her, you go into her office and bug the phone. Use this.” He dropped a small listening device into Vinny’s palm.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“No problem,” Vinny answered, closing his hand over it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">As they approached, Anthony saw <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> talking to the chef. He glanced toward her office door and noticed it was open a crack, which made it pretty easy for Vinny as he slipped into the room and disappeared from view.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Hello, Darling.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> jumped. “Anthony, what are you doing here?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Chef Paul, please excuse us,” Anthony said as he grabbed her by the arm and started walking her toward the back door. “I need to talk to you alone,” he hissed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Before she could protest, Anthony had her outside the building. He spun her toward him and released her arm with a shove. “I heard you had a visitor today,” he said as he stood nose-to-nose with her, glaring into her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I see Vinny couldn’t wait to call.” <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:city></st1:place> took a step backward.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“He told me you handled yourself very well.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Now, what else would I do? I know how this works.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Good.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony closed the distance between them, and she hurriedly asked, “Did you come over here just to tell me that? You could have called.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I wanted to see your pretty face,” he replied as he reached up and brushed her cheek with his hand.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> wiped her skin where he had touched her. She had never liked it when he stood close to her or touched her in any way, which amused him. “Very funny. What else do you want, Anthony? I have work to do.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony didn’t appreciate her tone and made it known by grabbing her arm again and squeezing it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Anthony, stop — you’re hurting me! I only asked a simple question.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Let’s get something straight, Babe. You don’t ask me questions, simple or otherwise. I’m the only one who can ask questions. Is that clear?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Crystal</st1:place></st1:city>.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Good.” He let go of her arm and continued, “I’m here to convince you to come back to the office with me. Poppy is coming for a visit and I know he would be happy to see you.” <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:city></st1:place> would be enough of a distraction to buy him more time, in case the accountant was late.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> thought <i style="">convince</i> was an interesting word choice. Knowing he wasn’t going to accept no for an answer, she took a deep breath and said, “Sure, I’ll come with you. I’ll go get my purse and lock up first. I also need to give the staff a few minor instructions. Is that okay?” She knew that asking him for permission would calm him down and stroke his ego at the same time.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText">Anthony eyed her with a superior air<span style="">. He always enjoyed these little bouts for power. They ended the same every time — with him on top. “Sure, go ahead. I’ll wait in the car. Don’t take too long.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> walked back into the building, rubbing her arm where he had grabbed it. It still stung a little. What was Anthony up to? She stepped out of the kitchen just in time to see Vinny freeze outside her office, the door swinging slightly behind him. <i style="">Wait a minute . . . Did he just come out of my office?</i> As she approached him, she demanded, “What were you doing in my office?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“I wasn’t in your office,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I was just standing here waiting for you, ma’am.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> didn’t buy that. She knew what she had seen but decided it was best to drop it for now. Anthony hated to be kept waiting, especially by his wife. “I’m going to be leaving for a while with Anthony. Tell the staff that if there are any problems to call me on my cell phone.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Yes, ma’am,” Vinny said with a smile.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> went in and retrieved her purse from the desk drawer. She looked around her desk, and nothing seemed to have been moved. Still, she had the uneasy feeling that Vinny had been snooping around. Vinny <i style="">was</i> coming out of here — she was almost certain of it. What was he up to — and did it have anything to do with what Anthony was up to? She left and locked the door. She gave the chef some minor instructions and then went out the back way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony was waiting in the limousine. Mario saw her approaching and climbed out to open the door for her.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10;" ><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >“Let’s go,” Anthony immediately instructed. They drove in silence, which was fine with </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city style="font-family: georgia;" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city></span><span style="font-family: georgia;font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" >. It gave her time to think, time to pray, and time to prepare herself to be in her father-in-law’s presence.<br /><br /></span></span>© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-83596174178097554142007-03-28T06:36:00.000-07:002008-04-26T16:05:33.648-07:00John and Regina Meet<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny pulled into the parking lot of the <st1:place st="on">Long Island</st1:place> restaurant. He climbed out of the car and opened the door for <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:city></st1:place>.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Thank you, Vinny." She went to the back door and unlocked it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Is there anything I can do for you today Mrs. Cavelli?" Vinny asked, following closely behind her.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> couldn’t say what she really thought, or she might have to repent later. Besides, it wasn’t Vinny’s fault her husband was the way he was.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"I’ll be in my office getting some paperwork done. I really don't want to be disturbed. When the staff comes in, will you let them know that?"<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny nodded and then walked over to the bar. </span><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The bar was made out of beautifully crafted oak, with a dark brown finish, and a dozen or so stools that neatly line the one long edge. Behind the bar was a large mirror with grapevines etched along the edges. The left side of the mirror held two shelves with all the different alcohol and mixers lined up on them. On the right were the drinking glasses. At the end of the bar a television set hung from the ceiling. Vinny walked behind the bar and poured himself some mineral water. He turned on the television. He might as well watch TV, since there wasn’t anything else to do.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="color:#000000;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> walked to the back office next to the kitchen and unlocked the door. The key in her hand was the only one to this room, her inner sanctum. It was the one place she could be herself and not have Anthony's eyes watching her. She’d decorated the room with soft shades of blue and gray. She had made the curtains herself; they matched the small love seat. A rectangular coffee table and a plush, round chair sat at the other end of the room. Her desk was made of mahogany, a present from Anthony's father. He loved mahogany and gave it to her when she bought the restaurant. The restaurant was a good distraction. Anthony’s father was kind to her but she resented him for the pain he caused her family. She struggled with her feelings for Poppy. If it wasn't for her bargain with him, then she wouldn't be married to Anthony. But she’d no choice. <i style="">If I hadn’t married Anthony then . . . </i><span style=""> </span>She decided that she wouldn't dwell on the past. She had done what she had to do. The future of her child was at stake now, and that changed things for her.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> had so much on her mind that it was hard to know what to do first. Who could she trust with the information from Anthony's black book? She knew Anthony had some cops on the payroll; one for sure. He’d been very careful not to reveal who it was, not even to his own men. And lately it had felt to her like Anthony was having her watched twenty-four hours a day. Both she and her baby would be dead if she gave the copies to the wrong person. <i style="">Lord? Help me to find someone I can trust. Guide and direct me in this situation.</i> She opened up her drawer where she kept her Bible and opened to the book of Acts. Her eyes fell right on Acts 2:25-28: <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin-right: 0.3in;"><span style="">“<i style="">David said about him: 'I saw the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices. My body also will live in hope, because You will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.”</i><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0in 0.3in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style="">Oh Lord, thank You for Your word of encouragement to me,</span></i><span style=""> <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> prayed. The knock on the door startled her. She wasn't expecting anyone because she had asked Vinny not to disturb her. "Who is it?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"It's Vinny, Mrs. Cavelli." He opened the door a crack to stick his head in and continued, "I know that you didn't want to be disturbed, but you have some visitors that insist on speaking to you. It's a couple of cops."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Show them in." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny walked in, followed by two men. The blonde haired one walked over to her with a smile on his face, holding his badge in one hand and extending the other one.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Mrs. Cavelli, my name is Detective John Nelson and this is my partner, Detective Frank Holstrum." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Frank nodded his head in acknowledgment. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> didn’t extend her hand but simply looked the two detectives over, saying nothing.<span style=""> </span>She wondered if God answered prayers this quickly.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Since there was no response from her, John continued. "If you don't mind, Mrs. Cavelli, we’d like to ask you a few questions." He took out his note pad from his pocket and opened it up.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Cops made Vinny nervous. He interrupted, "As I told you before detective, Mrs. Cavelli is a busy lady, and she ain’t got time for your questions."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Does Mrs. Cavelli have a tongue or do you always speak for her?" John asked, sarcasm sliding through his tone. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Before Vinny could protest further, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> raised her hand to stop him. "I have a tongue, detective. Forgive Vinny. He’s very protective of me. So, what type of questions would I possibly be able to answer for you?" <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny gave <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> a confused look. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Well Mrs. Cavelli, I have questions regarding your husband and some of his business affairs."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"In that case, why don't you ask him your questions?” Before he could answer, she continued, "I'm quite sorry, because I don't know anything whatsoever about my husband's business dealings. He doesn’t tell me how to run my restaurant, and I don't tell him how to run his business. So I have nothing I could possibly help you with. I'm afraid you've wasted your time coming here and now you’ve wasted mine as well. If that is all, gentlemen, I have work to do. Good day to you both. Vinny, please show the detectives to the door."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Conversation over, she returned to her paperwork as if they weren’t there.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">John was a bit surprised by her words and her cold manner. Everything he'd ever heard about her or read described her as gentle and kind. He was not expecting this forceful, strong-minded woman who didn't even give him a chance to speak. He decided he wasn't giving up that quickly.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Here's my card, in case you change your mind."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> didn’t look up, so he placed it on her desk. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Good day, Mrs. Cavelli. Sorry to have troubled you. Let's go Frank."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">After the three men left, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> picked up the card and looked it over. He had written his home number on the back. She quickly copied it and placed the number in her pocket. Vinny walked in to see her looking at the card. She pretended not to notice him standing there and tore up the card into little pieces and threw it in the trash. Vinny smiled as he watched her.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Is there anything else I can do for you, ma'am?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Thanks, but no. If you don't mind, I'd like to finish up my work."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny closed the door to her office, took out his cell phone, and placed a call. Anthony answered on the first ring.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"What's up?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"It's Vinny, boss. I thought you’d like to know who just paid your wife a visit. It was that detective."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"What happened?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"He wanted to talk to her, but she just blew him off and sent him packing. She was really something," Vinny was quite impressed with the way <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:city></st1:place> handled herself.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Interesting." Anthony paused, considering what he wanted Vinny to do next. "I want you to bug her office phone just in case she decides to contact him."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"I don't think so boss. She ripped up his card."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Don't question me, just do as I say." <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony hung up in Vinny’s ear. Vinny hadn't meant to upset him. I was just that you would think a man could trust his own wife. <i style="">What do I know? I do as I’m told.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style=""> sat at her desk and prayed, <i style="">Lord, can I trust Detective Nelson? Should I call him or not? Nelson -</i> w<i style="">hy did that name sound so familiar?</i> She thought about it and then remembered the cop guarding her parents was also named Nelson. She wondered if there was any connection. It was something she’d have to look into. She placed her head in her hands and sat there for what seemed like an eternity. She could feel the God’s peace. She reached for the phone number in her pocket and dialed. As the phone rang, her heart took a flying leap. Suddenly she wasn't sure if she should do this. He couldn’t possibly be home already. His answering machine picked up. What should she do? Should she leave a message or not? She got scared and hung up the phone. Maybe she'd try again later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-28474018776128823282007-03-27T06:29:00.000-07:002008-04-26T16:03:08.923-07:00Poppy - the Head of the Family<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Before Anthony left, he took another look at <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>. She was just lying there, quietly breathing. It wouldn't take much effort, he thought, to place a pillow over her head as she lay there. She wouldn’t even see it coming. That happy thought lingered a bit too long in his mind; he could almost imagine it happening. He shook his head and convinced himself that it wouldn't be in his best interest, at least not yet, to give in to that desire. Poppy wouldn't be around forever, and then he’d have more freedom to do whatever he wished to his wife. He'd be free of her one day. He walked out to the front of the building where Mario was waiting. As soon as Mario saw him, he climbed out and opened the door for Anthony. When they were both seated, Anthony said, "Let's go. I want to beat the traffic before it gets bad."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> looked out the window and watched as Anthony drove away with Mario. The black stretch limousine was hard to miss even from the penthouse apartment. Anthony owned many cars, but he liked taking the limousine when he had to meet someone. It made him feel important. She walked over to the desk and opened the secret drawer, but the black book was gone, just as she figured it would be. Anthony always carried it with him wherever he went. <i style="">Tomorrow is another day.</i> Maybe tomorrow.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><span style=""> </span>“I’d better get ready and see what is going on over at the restaurant,” she said out loud to herself. Sometimes in this hostile environment, the sound of her voice eased her nerves. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">She was nearly dressed when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Who is it?" <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"It's Vinny, Mrs. Cavelli. I just want you to know that Mr. Cavelli asked me to drive you to the restaurant. I'm ready whenever you are."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Just a minute." <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> finished buttoning her blouse and then opened the door to find Vinny waiting for her. At six-foot-three and pushing two-fifty, he was absolutely Herculean, and it was pure muscle. He made her nervous, but she knew better than to let it show. She was the boss's wife and had to be self-assured, even if she didn’t feel it. "I'm ready." She paused a moment to get her thoughts. "You know, I'm feeling much better. I can drive myself to work."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Vinny smiled as he said, "Mr. Cavelli was very worried about you this morning and he wanted to make sure you got to work safely. He also wanted me to hang around and drive you home later. I’m at your disposal today.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Isn’t that nice.” <st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City></st1:place> replied.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Besides, you wouldn't want me to get into trouble with the boss?" Vinny smiled.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style=""> realized this was a losing battle, so she relented. "No, I wouldn't want you to get into trouble with Anthony. Let's go then."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"After you, Mrs. Cavelli." He stepped out of the way to let her pass. He didn't mind the days he had to watch her. It was an easy way to make a living. She was usually pleasant and never caused any trouble. To tell the truth, he liked her. Why the boss didn’t trust her was beyond him, but it wasn't his job to ask questions, just follow orders.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p><br /> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">After his mom died a year and a half ago from a heart attack, Anthony wasn't sure Poppy would ever recover from the loss. It was then that Anthony had taken over the daily business operations. But now Poppy wasn't in mourning anymore, and Anthony was afraid he'd want to come out of retirement. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">He arrived at his father’s house right on time. He walked up the front steps, and before he could knock, Stuart opened the door.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Good day sir. Your father is waiting for you in his study."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Thanks, Stuart." Anthony said as he entered the house. He always thought it was creepy how Stuart knew someone was at the door before the doorbell rang. The man had been with the family since before Anthony was born. No one knew how old he really was. His English accent added a touch of class to his persona. Stuart's thin frame made him appear even taller than his six foot stature. Poppy trusted him, and as long as Stuart wanted a job he had one. Poppy offered him retirement, but Stuart refused. Since he had no family of his own, he enjoyed keeping busy. His loyalty had been proven on more than several occasions.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony walked down the long hallway and found his way to his father's study. The door was open and his father was on the phone. Poppy motioned for Anthony to enter. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony sat down on one of the leather back chairs opposite Poppy's large mahogany desk and looked over at the pictures to his left. There were framed, smiling faces of his mother, of him and some of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>. It irritated him that his father seemed to care so much for his wife. Maybe that added to his hatred of her.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The entire wall to his right contained floor-to-ceiling bookcases that held hundreds of books. His father, an avid reader, enjoyed collecting books, especially first editions. He had a separate library in another part of the house that contained even more books, but he kept his favorites in his study.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Finally, Poppy finished his call and hung up.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"<i style="">Buon giorno</i>, Poppy." He walked over to the back of the desk and greeted his father with a kiss, as was his custom. Poppy motioned for him to sit back down.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"So my son, two things I have to ask before we get started. First, how is that beautiful wife of yours? And second, am I any closer to being a grandfather?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony hated it when his father started conversations like this. How could he explain to his father that the marriage he arranged for him was not one of love. And as far as he was concerned, kids would never enter the picture. It would require more than he was willing to do. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"She's a bit sick today, but I think she'll be all right."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Morning sickness, perhaps?" Poppy asked with hope in his eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"So, Poppy, why did you want me to come by today?” Anthony was determined not to talk about <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> or having a baby. Both subjects made him ill.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Can you only think of business?” <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony didn’t answer him; he just looked around the room.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">“Very well then. Let's talk business. I want to discuss something with you." Poppy paused, then got up from his desk and sat in the chair next to Anthony's. "Since your mothers death, God rest her soul, I've been a little out of it. I mean, her death was so unexpected. That was why I needed some time off. I started to lose my edge. I became . . . complacent."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony sighed. He did not like the direction the conversation was going. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"But I feel the time has come for me to get involved again in some of the daily operations. This is no reflection on you, of course. You've done a fine job. I don’t mean to take over the whole operation again, just<span style=""> </span>. . . I would like to be kept abreast of different situations and deals that come up."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony just kept silent. He could feel his blood start to boil.<i style=""> If the old man thinks I'm going to just roll over and play dead, he's got another thing coming to him.</i> He enjoyed the power he now possessed and would not give it up without a fight. Poppy couldn’t just give him ultimate control and then change his mind again on a whim.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Keeping his true feelings to himself Anthony responded. "If it's not going to be too much of strain on you, then I think it's a great idea. It’ll be good for you to get involved again. I welcome all your experience." Anthony placed his hands over his heart and hoped he sounded sincere. "Look, Poppy, there's some things that need my attention back at the office. If there isn't anything else, I'd like to go."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"No, nothing else."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony gave his father an awkward hug and kissed him good-bye.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">When he was about halfway out the door, Poppy said, "I’ll see you over there later." This made Anthony stop in mid-step. Poppy continued, "I thought I’d look over the books and see where things stand."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Sure thing, see ya later." Anthony said without looking back. He felt his heart start to beat faster.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">When Anthony got back to the car, he took out his cell phone and called the accountant. "It's me.<span style=""> </span>Did you finish?" He took a deep breath and yelled, "I don't want any more excuses! My father is coming to the office this afternoon and everything better be ready! If it's not, you and your family are going to wish you’d chosen a different profession."<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Anthony snapped his phone shut, tired of all the delays. He took out his black book and flipped through the pages.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Mario, when we get back, cancel all my appointments. Poppy is coming."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mario, concerned asked, "Is he taking over again, boss?"<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Don't worry about it. I'm still the one in charge, and that's all you need to know."<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"Sorry, boss. I don't mean no disrespect." The last thing Mario wanted to do was get Anthony angry. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">The rest of the ride was spent in complete silence. Anthony still didn’t speak even after arriving at the office. He just marched in, grabbed his messages off Mary's desk, and slammed his office door.<span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">Mary, a very pretty woman in her mid twenties, made a quite efficient secretary, which surprised most people, because her short skirts and high heels fed the assumption that she was just another pretty face. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="">"I guess it's not a good time to ask for a raise." Mary winked at Mario, and they smiled knowingly at one another.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-66339664401943572432007-03-26T19:02:00.000-07:002008-08-28T22:51:00.763-07:00Enter the Cop<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">The one-seven was full of activity. Ladies of the evening protesting their arrests. Drunks asleep on benches as they waited to be processed. Crooks of all types locked up in jail cells. The place was crowded and noisy. It wasn’t one of <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">New York</st1:place></st1:state>’s bigger precincts, but it kept plenty busy. A stale smell filled the air, the result of overcrowding bodies.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Sitting at his desk, Detective John Nelson was oblivious to the noise and insanity that surrounded him. Everything about him reflected that attitude. He dressed as casually as the department dress code allowed, which meant he was the only detective who wore sneakers with his shirt and tie. He still had dinner at his mother’s once a week, and he’d been to every birthday party ever thrown for his partner’s kids. He was focused, almost to a fault, and determined to catch whoever it was he was after.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1"><span style=""><span style="font-family:Georgia;">In this case, Anthony Cavelli.<o:p></o:p></span></span></a></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style=""><span style=""><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></span></p> <span style=""></span><span style=""></span> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">John’s eyes were pinned to the open folder in his hands. Regina Cavelli’s picture smiled up at him from the pages. He couldn’t bring himself to pull his eyes from hers. They seemed kind and compassionate - yet she was married to a monster. It was well known that </span><st1:city style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> fed the homeless and paid hospital bills for poor children. Not many people would do that. How did a girl like that get mixed up with a man like Anthony Cavelli? John couldn’t help feeling drawn to her. There was something about those eyes . . .</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style=""><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Hey, man. What are you doing?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style=""><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Frank Holstrum<b style=""> </b>and John had been partners for the past five years, ever since John had made detective. Frank was older than John and more experienced. The father of three kids, he was married to a woman who some said was too pretty to be with a man like him. But what he lacked in looks, he made up for in charm. He was a nice guy who got along with everybody. Unlike his partner, he always dressed well — but only because his wife picked out his clothes every day.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">John hadn’t heard Frank come in. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Hey, are you deaf or something?” Frank asked. It was not the first time John had ignored him with his face buried in a file.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Oh . . . hey, Frank. I’m just looking over the Cavelli file.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">A look crossed Frank’s face. Leaning over, he placed his hand on John’s shoulder, whispering quietly, “You know, John, people are starting to talk. You have to get a grip. You’re starting to obsess about this guy. You should pay as much attention to your other cases as you do this one.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">John jerked his shoulder away. “I don’t need this type of crap right now, Frank.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Screw you, man.” Frank turned and started to walk away.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Look, I’m sorry, Frank. I didn’t mean to bite your head off.” Frank turned around, so John continued, “You know how much this case means to me. I just got an idea . . . a new angle. I want to bounce it off of you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Frank rolled his eyes and shook his head. “What is it this time?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“I know I’ve said this a hundred times, but I think we’ve been going about this thing all wrong.<span style=""> </span>Look —” John thrust the picture of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:city> in front of Frank. “You see, this is the key — Anthony’s wife.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Frank shook his head. “Bad idea, John. That’s the kind of thing that will only get you in trouble . . . or dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Listen. I think this could work. She’s nothing like her husband. She doesn’t seem to be messed up with the family business. So, that being the case, I bet we could get her to turn on him.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“How do you know? You’ve never met her. You don’t know anything about her. She might be the force behind the man for all you know.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“It’s just a feeling I get. She owns a nice restaurant; she gives to the poor and needy. Maybe she doesn’t know what kind of guy he is, and we can enlighten her. You know, get her on our side.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“You’re crazy, John.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Come on, Frank. Let’s give it a try. Just once.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Frank just looked at him a minute and then sighed. “Are you forgetting that her father worked for the Cavellis, too? Do you have a death wish? You can’t go around harassing a man’s wife, especially if that man is Anthony Cavelli. Did you forget what happened six years ago with your brother?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">John’s complexion changed. He didn’t have to be reminded. His brother, Sam, a detective, was working on the Cavelli case back when Antonio “Poppy” Cavelli was still in charge of the family. His brother’s name and reputation were ruined by his death. John swore he would not rest until he cleared his brother’s name and exposed the truth about his so-called suicide.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Look. I’m not my brother! I’m going after the Cavellis with or without your help. I know they had something to do with Sam’s death, and one day I’m going to prove it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">Frank studied him. “All right, you win.” He paused before proceeding, “It’s not that I care that much about you; it’s just I’ve gotten used to you being around. I would feel guilty if something happened to you. So tell me the plan, and let’s go catch the bad guy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Now that’s more like it. I figure we can pay Mrs. Cavelli a visit today at her restaurant and see what’s cooking.” He chuckled at his play on words. Frank just rolled his eyes again. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia;" ><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“This might work, you know. I really think she could be our one weak link in this whole thing.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Georgia;" ><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“That’s the big plan — that’s it?” Frank saw the excitement in John’s eyes and gave in. “All right, but I’d better come with you to make sure you don’t do something stupid.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">“Thanks.” John smiled. “Okay, well — no time like the present.” He grabbed his jacket and they headed out the door. It <i style="">was</i> a good plan . . . or maybe Frank was right and it was going to backfire on him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;">But no, he had a good feeling about Mrs. Cavelli. All that information he had about her couldn’t be wrong. She wasn’t like the rest of the Cavellis. He could see it in her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family:Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:Georgia;font-size:12;" >Besides, everything else he’d tried had failed.<br /><br /></span>© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-55038600778027095592007-03-25T01:31:00.000-07:002008-08-28T22:37:33.348-07:00Meet Regina & Anthony - the Woman & Mobster<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In her penthouse in the middle of <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manhattan</st1:place></st1:City>, Regina Cavelli stood quietly by her window, staring down at the street below. She could see people rushing from one place to another, proving that New Yorkers knew two speeds — fast and faster. Often New Yorkers were known as cold, unfeeling people, but it wasn’t that they were inconsiderate; it was more that they just kept to themselves, minding their own business. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> had never known anything else.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She had the kind of beauty that stood out in a crowded room. With dark brown hair and glistening hazel eyes, she could light up a room when she smiled, which was often. She was a strong woman, with equal parts of compassion and confidence. Her strength was born out of her faith, and she needed both virtues — faith and strength — to deal with the man she was married to.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She turned around and gazed at the figure sleeping so soundly in her bed. Her husband looked sweet and innocent, almost childlike, when he slept, but she wouldn’t use those words to describe him when he was awake. Physically speaking, Anthony was a very good-looking man — a fact that didn’t escape him. He put on charm like a comfortable pair of jeans. His six-foot stature, jet-black hair, brown eyes, and olive skin made him very popular with the ladies. For better or for worse, marriage hadn’t hindered his social life at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Her thoughts were interrupted by a faint knock on the door. She walked across the room and opened it to find Lilly standing there with a breakfast tray. Lilly had worked for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s family since she was a little girl. She’d been like a second mother to <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>, praying for her for years. It wasn’t until after <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> had married Anthony that life had opened her enough to hear about God. <st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City> would always be grateful to Lilly for introducing her to Jesus, because a relationship with the Lord had been <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s refuge.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">With a nod, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> thanked Lilly for breakfast and Lilly left as quietly as she could. The man currently sleeping in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s bed disliked her housekeeper and made no secret of it. To keep the peace, Lilly stayed as invisible as she could around him. The only reason she had stayed this long was to keep an eye out for <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>. She had promised <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s parents she would watch over her after they were sent away. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> and Lilly knew that without the Lord, Anthony couldn’t help being the way he was. <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> had watched Lilly pray for him, over and over again, in spite of his cruelty to her.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> sat down, poured herself a cup of coffee, and then just sat there, staring at the steaming liquid and letting her mind wander again. Was it really a good idea for her to have caffeine in her condition? A croissant with jam was her favorite breakfast, but she wasn’t quite up to eating this morning. Her stomach felt too queasy, and it might not stay down.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Two chairs and a small round table stood near the window where <st1:city st="on">Regina</st1:City> liked to sit and enjoy the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Manhattan</st1:place></st1:City> skyline. Antique nightstands were on either side of the bed. On each stand glistened a beautiful Tiffany lamp given to her by Anthony’s father, Poppy. Anthony’s rolltop desk stood in one corner of the room. A gas fireplace took up part of the wall that led to the private bathroom and walk-in closet.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She started to pray, <i style="">God, give me your wisdom to do what is right. Guide and direct my every step. Protect me . . .</i> Her prayer was interrupted by sounds of Anthony moving about in the bed. When she heard his groaning, she wondered what type of mood he would be in when he woke up.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“<st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>,” he muttered, “get me some coffee.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Regina</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> poured a fresh cup and added two sugar cubes. She walked over to the bed, her hands shaking slightly. Anthony was sitting up now.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When he saw the cup trembling in her fingers, he yelled, “What’s the matter with you, woman? Be careful or you’ll spill that coffee all over me!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">His response answered her question about his mood.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“I’m sorry, Anthony. I’m not feeling very well this morning. Here’s your coffee, just the way you like it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She placed the cup on the nightstand. Anthony grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to the bed. She hated it when he grabbed her, because he would often leave a bruise whether he meant to or not. He just glared at her, as if he could read her thoughts. She turned her eyes, but not her face, away from him. When he looked at her like this, it scared her. There were times she felt brave enough to stand up to him, and other times fear just got the best of her. She started to pray for strength.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“You kinda look green. I’ll have Vinny take you to Doc’s today to make sure you haven’t got anything seriously wrong with you.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">It wasn’t that Anthony was really concerned with <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City>’s health; it was just his way of making conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“That’s okay, Anthony. I’m sure I’ll feel better if I just get a little rest before going to the restaurant. I think I’m just overly tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She hoped he believed her. The last thing she needed was to go to Anthony’s doctor and for him to find out that she was pregnant.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">With a look of indifference, he let go of her wrist. “Suit yourself. I don’t care if you get better or not. But I’ll have Vinny stay here to drive you to work later.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“I’m not that sick,” <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> replied as she got up from the bed. “I don’t need Vinny to drive me to work. I’m quite capable, thanks.” As soon as she said it, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> realized that it had come off a bit abruptly.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Let me rephrase that for you. Vinny will stay and drive you to work.” His glare went straight through her heart. If she could have melted into the surroundings, she would have gladly done so.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">She didn’t feel like arguing with him. “That’s fine,” she said simply, then walked around to her side of the bed and slipped under the covers. She lay down on her side, grateful for their king-sized bed, which ensured that their bodies never had to touch at night.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“If you’re not up by ten, I’ll have Lilly wake you, okay?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“That’s fine. I should be better rested by then.” She closed her eyes and silently prayed, <i style="">Lord, deliver me and my child from the danger we are in. Give me the strength to do whatever I must do to protect my child. Most importantly, please don’t let Anthony ever find out that I’m pregnant.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText" style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> lay there, Anthony stared at her and wondered if she was hiding something from him. She had been acting strange lately, stranger than usual. He had a real knack for reading people; in his line of work, he had to be able to tell if people were lying to him. She was too smart to double cross him — that much he knew. Even then, it wasn’t like she knew the specifics of his business. But he was sure she had overheard plenty.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Her edginess was what bothered him. He wasn’t sure what was going on with her, but he knew he didn’t like it. Of course, there wasn’t much he liked about her to begin with.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">He took another sip of coffee and then got out of bed, pulling on his robe. On the other side of the door, he found Vinny and Mario standing guard. Anthony always kept a guard or two outside his bedroom. He was able to sleep better at night knowing someone was watching the door.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">With the physique of a bodybuilder, Vinny was much larger than Mario, but he was a gentle giant. Anthony liked having him around because he intimidated everyone he met with his size alone. On the other hand, what Mario lacked in size he made up for in attitude and cruelty. He was one of Anthony’s most fearless men. There was no job he wouldn’t do, without hesitation. He never questioned orders or thought about the ramifications to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Mario’s left cheek bore a scar he received as a souvenir from a fight with a drunken, six-foot-three sailor at a bar several years ago. A week later, that same man’s head had been found in a dumpster behind the bar — a knife wound on his left check. The police never recovered the rest of his body. Though never proven, it was commonly known who had killed the sailor. Mario’s reputation had soared.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anthony closed the door behind him and said, “Vin, I want you to hang around here until she wakes up and then drive her to the restaurant.” He never greeted his men with hellos; he wasn’t interested in their personal lives. Usually he just spoke what was on his mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Sure thing, Boss. Do ya want me to stay at the restaurant or go to the office afterwards?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“I want you to stay there and keep an eye on her. I’m not sure, but I think she’s up to something. I don’t want her to know you’re watchin’. She’ll think you’re there to help her out.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Vinny nodded his head to show he understood</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> what Anthony expected</span><span style="font-family: Georgia;">.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Did you take care of that situation last night?” Anthony asked Mario.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Yeah, Boss. No problem; it went smooth as silk. After last night, no one will ever try that again.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Are there any loose ends I’ll have to worry about later?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Mario seemed surprised that he would even ask. “Everything’s tight, Boss.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">“Good. I couldn’t have my people doing their own thing and then thinking they can get away with it. That’s not the kind of example I want to set. After I get dressed, I’ve gotta go see Poppy. Get the car and meet me downstairs in thirty minutes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Anthony enjoyed being feared by people. He got a rush when he entered a room and knew that with one look, the largest man present would lick his boots if he asked. He relished watching them jump when he said to and bend over backward just to please him. He enjoyed being the boss and the power that came with it. For the most part, life was good to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">He went back into his room, where <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> lay asleep. If it wasn’t for his father, she wouldn’t be lying there. Why had he ever agreed to marry her? He knew the answer to that, but every once in a while it helped him to say it, even if it was just to himself.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Mostly, it was all that God stuff that got on his nerves. He blamed Lilly for that. In the beginning <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> at least used to be interesting. She wasn’t afraid to come back at him. He enjoyed the war of words they would have, but now she was just too nice most of the time to suit him. It had never been a marriage of love, just business. They both had agreed to it for their own reasons. Now he was trapped, and a man in his position shouldn’t have to live this way.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">As much as people feared him, Anthony feared no one — except maybe his father, Antonio Cavelli. Anthony had called him Poppy since he had first learned to talk, and Antonio’s associates had picked up the nickname as a term of endearment. Through the years, it had stuck.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Poppy was old, but he was tough. What he said went, without discussion. They often disagreed, but Poppy always won in the end. Anthony wondered what in the world the old man wanted with him today. Whatever it was, he was sure he wouldn’t like it. Poppy never beckoned unless he had something he wanted to enforce. Anthony felt like he was a teenager trying to sneak in after curfew whenever he visited his father under these circumstances. He didn’t like going into a situation where he wasn’t in complete control.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">He’d better get ready or else he’d be late. Poppy hated it when people were late. He felt it showed a lack of respect, and the last thing Anthony wanted to do was sit through a lecture on respect.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">When she heard the bathroom door close, <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> opened her eyes. She lay very still until she heard the shower running. Then, carefully, she reached behind the headboard and grabbed a small camera she had hidden there on a nail. She silently got out of bed, her eyes fixed on the bathroom door. With her heart racing, she walked over to Anthony’s desk and reached underneath to the secret button. Anthony didn’t realize <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Regina</st1:place></st1:City> knew about it. She had seen him use it one night when he thought she was asleep. The hidden drawer opened, and she took out the little black book concealed there. The desk had been custom made with a drawer that was as big as the book but no bigger. She opened up to the middle of the book, where she had left off, and started taking pictures, keeping an eye solidly planted on the bathroom door. After snapping several pages, she stopped and placed the book carefully back in the drawer and closed it. There were only a few pages left. She figured she needed maybe one more opportunity.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The water suddenly shut off in the bathroom, and her heart missed a beat. She slid back into bed and closed her eyes.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><i style=""><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Oh, Lord, please calm me down,</span></i><span style="font-family: Georgia;"> she prayed as she tried desperately to steady her breathing. She nearly forgot to put the camera back but did just before the door opened. <i style="">Oh, God,</i> she thought to herself, <i style="">I pray he didn’t see me move.</i> She pretended to be still asleep and rolled over to her side. She could feel his glare on her even with her eyes closed and her back toward him. <i style="">Please help my heart to stop beating so fast. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Gradually, her heart began to calm down, and she started to feel more at ease. <i style="">Thank You, Lord.</i> Soon he would be gone and she could relax. She continued to lie there, praying silently.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <br />© Nadine Z. 2007Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7984474052032612532.post-40897082746754869012007-03-24T16:36:00.000-07:002008-08-28T22:21:44.803-07:00Prologue - the Prophet<p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">In a tiny cabin just outside of a small town in <st1:state st="on"><st1:place st="on">Tennessee</st1:place></st1:State>, an old man was asleep. His wife of forty-eight years lay beside him. The room was unpretentious in appearance, from its simple wooden bed frame to its handmade chest of drawers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">A man reaching nearly to the ceiling stood at the foot of the bed, watching the old man sleep. He wore a simple tan tunic; his steel blue eyes could penetrate your soul. He waited patiently for the old man to come fully awake. The room was quiet and dark, except for the light that emanated from him.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">The old man suddenly jolted from his sleep, momentarily startled by the sight of the man he had come to call Samuel standing at the foot of his bed.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Samuel told him he had a message for him. It was not the first time Samuel had come with a message, and the old man knew he needed to pay close attention to what he had to say. He looked down at his wife, sound asleep beside him. She never woke during these visits.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">This otherworld visitor told him a story of a young woman whose life was in danger. The old man understood what he must do; he knew what was expected of him. He needed to press in, pray, and listen closely to the Lord for direction. As Samuel continued his tale of this young woman, the old man’s heart filled with compassion. Samuel stood behind him as he got on his knees beside his bed and started to pray for the young woman he had never met. And so the journey began.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:";font-size:12;" ><span style="font-size:100%;">© Nadine Z. 2008</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoBodyText"><br /></p>Nadinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01480908026387066960noreply@blogger.com2