Jennifer returned the next morning to her upstairs
apartment and found Francis and Emily packing to leave. Evelyn was
sitting on the broad window sill overlooking the river. Bertha was
standing in the door to the bathroom supervising Gabby who was sweeping
up broken glass with a glum lack of enthusiasm.
“We’re leaving this afternoon,” Francis said, summing up
the situation in a nutshell.
“You can’t go yet,” Jennifer replied.
Francis turned from the kitchen cupboard she had emptied.
“I beg your pardon?”
“John says there’s still danger. It might not be over
yet.”
Sally came through the door behind her. Everybody paused
to listen to the exchange.
“It’s over,” Francis said curtly. “Dimitri’s dead. May
his soul burn in hell.”
Jennifer glanced at Evelyn. Evelyn stared her down for a
moment, and then looked away as if fearing that Jennifer knew something
she shouldn’t. “John says we need to know who put Dimitri up to it
before we know for sure they won’t try again.”
“We’ll find that out for ourselves,” Francis said. “Aside
from the mercenary I’ve hired to protect us, I’ll have private
investigators look into the situation.”
“John said the mob should have known who hired Dimitri,
but they don’t. If they don’t, whose going to do better?”
Francis paused, unsettled by both the disclosure and its
cold logic. “Why would the mob care one way or another?”
“Because someone screwed with a Carvelli and left them
hanging. They care.”
“John says,” Emily growled. “You’re quite taken
with this John of yours. Maybe John boy hasn’t had quite
enough of your adolescent ass to suit him.”
“John says that mercenary you hired might himself be
dangerous,” Jennifer added quietly. “He might be incompetent. He might
be working for the bad guys.”
The room remained deathly silent for the time it took
Francis to mull her way through Jennifer’s advice. “What does John want
from us?”
“Nothing, really. He’s trying to protect me. Emily’s
right. I got a nice ass. But I care about you guys. I wish you would
listen to what he has to say about things.”
“And if we elect to return to Chicago?” Francis said.
“Will you be coming with us?”
“I’ll stay with John.”
“I see.”
“But John says he’ll check out the mercenary before you
leave. If you let him.”
Francis looked defeated. “I’ll visit with your friend
this afternoon, child. I want to hear what he has to say about our
situation. I man like that would know the extent of the danger.”
Jennifer returned to the motel and paced. John had taken
to the afternoon soap operas, watching what Jennifer thought of as
insipid dramas with a frown on his face, as if he did not understand
what was going on, or disapproved. When Francis knocked at the door, he
looked around without rising to answer it. Jennifer opened the door and
Francis waddled in huffing and puffing. She stopped in the middle of the
room to confront the man on the bed. “Jennifer says that some danger
remains despite Dimitri’s death. I need confirmation that you believe
this may be the case.”
“Something’s not right,” John said and slowly rose to his
feet.
“If you had Jennifer’s welfare at heart, you would send
her back with me.”
“If I wanted her dead, I’d send her back with you.”
“You’re taking sexual advantage of a child and you know
it.”
John sighed. “The exploitation is mutual, believe me.”
“Please, Francis,” Jennifer pleaded. “That’s not
important now.”
Francis whirled to face her. “Child, I forbid you to
allow this man to indulge his vile appetites at your expense! I
absolutely forbid it!”
Jennifer resisted the temptation to be hurtful. “John
says that Dimitri was just a pawn, and pawns are expendable.”
Francis shifted her gaze to John as if expecting the man
to speak for himself.
“John doesn’t care what happens,” Jennifer said softly.
“He doesn’t care who lives or dies, himself included. He’s only doing it
because of me. It’s not just sex and you know it. He could buy all the
sex he wanted.”
“I told you I didn’t want you part of the business,”
Francis said in a tone like ice.
“I’m not part of the business. I’m part of those romance
novels you threw away. Francis, none of this has anything to do with
business, yours or John’s. Someone else is going to get hurt. It’s that
simple. We can’t stop it from happening until we know why it’s
happening.”
Francis looked crest-fallen. “What are you going to do?”
“We’re going back to Chicago to look into it. John says
that nobody’s going to have their guard up over a kid my age. I can
help. You should stay here and wait.”
Jennifer couldn’t resist Francis’ expression of shock.
“John says he’s going to dangle me over their heads like raw meat over a
school of piranhas. John says he’s never had a chance to go fishing with
friends until now.”
John chuckled, the first time Jennifer had heard him
laugh aloud..
Francis looked like she might be sick. “But it involves
Satanism, child. You heard the way Dimitri was talking! He spoke of
Satan.”
“Dimitri was a fool,” John said gently, “although I’ve
known men who would put Satan to shame.”
Francis mocked anger. “I’ll not be party to this
insidious liaison between the two of you.”
“Will you remain at the castle long enough for us to look
into the matter?” John said politely.
Francis stared at the floor.
Jennifer inched closer. “Francis? Please?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I’ll do as you ask.”
“Will you let John evaluate your mercenary?” Jennifer
said. “He says it’s best to send him away if he’s not qualified, or if
his loyalties are questionable.”
Francis looked up at John.
John gave a curt nod of his head. “Arrange a meeting at
the place Dimitri died. Tell him what happened there. I want to see how
badly he can be rattled. It won’t take long.”
Francis clutched the handbag she was carrying. “Okay.
It’s settled then. He should arrive before dark. When will the two of
you be leaving?”
Jennifer looked to John for an answer. “Tomorrow,” John
said.
Jennifer turned to Francis with a mischievous smile.
“John says tomorrow.”
“Oh, my God.” Francis scurried from the room wrought with
anxiety.
Jennifer turned to John and gave him a wane smile. “She
likes you. I can tell.”
Novels by
William G. Tedford