I called my mechanic. “Jack, this is Cat.”
He blew a long-suffering sigh. “What have you done to Marion?”
“Who’s Marion?”
“The car I loaned you. Against my better judgment.”
Jack has an odd relationship with his cars. He names them and he coddles them. And he’s furious if I blow one up.
“Marion is fine, Jack.”
“No wrecks? No bullet holes? No C4?”
“She’s perfect. Unfortunately, some jerk busted a window on my Honda. I’m at the Dreamscape Motel. Would you send someone over for it? I’ll leave a key under the seat.”
“My nephew Devin is here.”
“Perfect.”
“That’s it? You don’t want to remind me that Devin is a screw-up?”
“Ancient history. He’s probably over trying to kill me. I hope he’s doing well.”
“Are you feeling okay? I don’t want you driving Marion if you’re having a seizure or something.”
“I’m fine. I’ll return Marion when I pick up the Silver Bullet.”
“In one piece, Caterina. I want this one back in one piece.”
“Jack, you know I can’t make promises.”
***
The cops arrived in a fury of blue lights and screaming sirens. They came as the pudgy clerk who checked me into the motel had dreamed. And now he was pissed at me. His little fat fist pounded my door.
“Sonya Ollson! I know you’re in there.”
“Am not!” I rocked Thor on the bed. “Go away, Bert. No one’s home.”
“I knew you were trouble, missy!”
I heard Chance’s voice after that and Grumpy seemed to melt away.
Savino spoke with the first responders and made a statement. Ami would tell the cops that Max murdered Ponytail in a fit of jealous rage. They would come for me but I wasn’t worried. Chicago’s Ninth is chockablock full of DeLuca cops and their friends. The only one out to get me is Detective Ettie Opsahl. And nobody’s got her back.
The cop who came to question me was my crazy Cousin Frankie. Savino followed him in and stood, arms crossed, by the door.
Frankie looked around the room with a goofy grin. “Hard times, Caterina?”
“You’re hilarious.”
“Why you wanna hang around a dump like this when you got a nice place of your own?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“According to the housekeeper…”
“Ami Snow is delusional.”
“You’re not sleeping here alone. You and Max are sharing this room. And he’s not the only man she’s seen here.”
Savino’s fingers tightened but his face was flat.
“I’m working a case, dumb ass. Max is assisting me.”
“Does this case involve the stiff next door?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss my clients.”
“I could arrest you for obstruction.”
“Mama would whip your ass.”
“What do you know about the victim?”
“Nothing, really.”
“He was in the bathtub. Naked.”
“He was taking a bath.”
“Would you say there was something girlie about him? Was Mr. Smith a homo?”
“What?”
“What I’m getting is a lover’s quarrel gone south. Two fags argue. The one in the tub was being a douche. His partner throws a hairdryer at him. Mr. Smith is toast.”
Savino swallowed a laugh.
“You’re a bonehead, Frankie.” I said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means I can’t believe my assistant is dating you.”
A grin split his face from ear to ear. “Cleo says I’m the smartest guy she knows.”
“Well, she’s a bonehead too.”
The door burst open and Rocco covered the room in three strides. His partner, Jackson, was close behind.
My brother sat beside me on the bed. “We heard the callout on the radio. Are you okay?”
I nodded. “I’m fine. But Ponytail didn’t deserve to die like that.”
Frankie scribbled “Ponytail” in his notebook.
“The prints came back on your soda can. Vic’s name was Marcus Russell. Forty-three years old. Did a nickel in Joliet for possession of stolen property. A truckload of flat screen TVs wandered into his storage locker. He was released last month.”
“He was kind to Sam,” I said. “That counts for something.”
“We’ll get the son of a bitch, I promise.”
Frankie cleared his throat and tried to look important. “The vic was hosed by a homo lover. Or maybe Max. Max is on the short list of suspects.”
“Max?”
“He and Cat got something going on here. They’re—”
Rocco was on his feet; his hand was on Frankie’s throat. My cousin gulped for air.
“Disrespect my sister again, Francesco, and you’ll be eating carpet.”
Jackson smiled. “And then his mama will finish you.”
Rocco released him and Frankie gasped an awkward laugh. “Can’t nobody take a joke?”
Rocco tousled Thor’s head. “You’re safe now, Sam.”
“I wanna deliver him to the captain,” Jackson said. “Collect me some va-ca with pay.”
“Too late,” I said. “This is Thor. Sam’s at home.”
Rocco whistled. “You pulled it off, Sis. I didn’t think you could manage the switch.”
“I got mad skills, Bro.”
He kissed my cheek and his partner followed him to the door. “We’ll head next door and see how C.S.I. is doing. Jackson and I want this case.”
Savino closed the door, turned, and faced Frankie. There was something behind his eyes I hadn’t seen before. My cousin’s bluster drained like the air out of a balloon.
“Your Cousin Rocco was too generous. I don’t give second chances.”
Savino landed a brutal blow to Frankie’s solar plexus. Knocking him to the ground. He lay gasping for air.
Then he pulled me to my feet and kissed me. “Go home and get some rest. I’ll bring dinner tonight.”
We stepped over Frankie and I closed the door behind us.
***
Ginny was home when I drove Thor to Roger’s house. When she saw him she squealed and made baby goo goo sounds. She captured him in her arms and hugged him tight. Then she put him down to play with Sam I Am.
Ginny is a computer whiz. She was serious and dowdy and all left brain before she met Roger. She wasn’t a squealer or a hugger and I hadn’t heard her “goo” since we were two. Love looked good on her.
She was more confident and her smile was radiant. My cousin was getting all soft and marshmallowy like Roger.
Ginny brewed a pot of French roast and put out a plate of crème cakes and sfogliatella. I recognized Mama’s signature pastries that she bakes for the school fundraiser.
“How did you wrangle these from Mama’s kitchen?”
She laughed. “Roger has a conflict and will miss the auction. But he made an insane contribution to the school fund and your Mama gets the credit. She deserves it. She’s agreed to provide pastries for Roger’s employees once a month for a year.”
“She’ll love it as much as Roger. Father Timothy must think he’s died and gone to heaven.”
She laughed. “He plans to repave the courtyard and purchase new playground equipment with the donation.”
I hugged her. “You two are amazing. How are the wedding plans coming? Should I begin organizing a bachelorette party?”
“Make it naughty. I was a late bloomer. I’ll probably never see another naked man. I deserve one night of indiscretion before I get married.”
“I’ll hire a stripper.”
“Hire a bunch. Maybe the entire Chippendale’s entourage.”
I laughed. “Gotcha. I’ll up my game.
Ginny was going big. She was marrying a big guy with an even bigger heart and a whole lotta money. It’s all good.
Ginny gave a wicked grin. “Speaking of tying the knot, I hear you could be the next to fall.”
“Huh?”
“Your mama and Chance’s mama have big plans for your first anniversary. A boat cruise, a party, Father Timothy on hand. A copy of the Marriage Sacrament in his pocket.”
“Et tu, Gin?”
She laughed. “You two are great together. He’s perfect for you.”
“Savino snores,” I said. “But, thanks for the heads-up.”
I gathered Sam in my arms and her brow furrowed. “You’re not taking Thor, are you?”
“No way.”
She clapped her hands. That’s when I knew I’d forget to ever pick him up.
At the car I checked my iPhone and pulled up the tracker app to locate Saleen’s MINI Cooper. She was parked near the Dreamscape Motel and Ponytail’s cold, wet body.
I zoomed to the motel where a sea of Chicago’s finest was still in force. Their blue lights flashed and an officer hurried the looky-lou traffic along.
The MINI Cooper was parked across the street from the motel. I drove around the block and pulled to the curb a few cars behind her. Sammy nuzzled against me and I held him in my arms.
It felt as if a long time passed before the Medical Examiner’s men carried Ponytail out on a stretcher. They wheeled his body into the back of the coroner’s van. Saleen covered her face with her hands and wept.
I dropped the binoculars on the seat and started the car and jammed it in gear. I drove to Captain Bob’s house and opened the door. Sammy bounded up the porch steps. I picked the lock one more time and he raced inside. I found Sammy’s dishes and filled them with fresh water and food. Then I watched him eat and promised his papa would be home soon.
There was a metallic click of a key turning the lock. I held my breath.
“Sam I Am!” Peggy called. “Where are you? Mommy’s home!”
Sammy made an odd sound that was something between a yelp and a sob. He would tell Peggy everything. I could only hope she wouldn’t understand.
I bolted out the back door and to the street as a cab pulled away from the curb. I was hungry but too physically and emotionally exhausted to eat. I drove home and fell on my soft, warm bed and slept.