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“It should be the next one on the right.” I craned my head for a look around a white paneled van. “Gretchen said the number of the house was 1035.”
Jacques pulled his convertible onto a gravel lined driveway. A candy apple red motorcycle was parked next to a black Jeep. He pushed his eyeglasses up his nose for a closer look and surveyed the white raised ranch. “Hmm. Decent looking house. The siding’s in desperate need of a power wash, though. Now, which approach should we use?”
I considered his question. “Um, I’m not sure that we can get away with one. Todd knows me, remember?”
“But I thought that was the reason for my coming along,” Jacques remarked. “Remember? We said that we would ask this Jonathan fellow if he was interested in selling.”
“Oh, please. You insisted on coming because you didn’t think I could take care of myself.”
“That’s not true.” Jacques pretended to look insulted. “I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I do worry, dear. If this guy was living with your sister-in-law for twenty years, he’s got to have a few loose screws.”
He had a point. “Never mind,” I said and slammed the car door shut. “I’ll knock on the door, ask for Todd, and then find out what’s going on with him and Annette.”
“And the answer to that would be—not much.” A deep voice growled from behind me.
Emitting a squeak, I whirled around in surprise. Todd Fine stood there. It had been twenty years since I’d last seen him, but I would have recognized that deep sardonic voice anywhere. Todd was unshaven, dressed in faded jeans and a stained Budweiser T-shirt. Appropriately, he held a can of beer in his left hand.
Todd laughed at my shocked expression, but the look in his eyes was anything but friendly. “Well, well. Cindy York. It’s been a long time. You look great. Hey, if you ever think about dumping Greg, look me up.”
Ew. “Hello, Todd.” The years had not been kind to the man. His blonde hair, once thick and curly, was now sparce and thinning, and he looked like he’d gained about thirty pounds. When Todd and Gretchen were married, he’d worked an office job, went to the gym regularly, and seldom drank. Gretchen once confided to me that they had a great time doing the simplest things, without any money or alcohol involved, and he was thrilled with his new role as father. How had he changed all of a sudden?
Uneasiness swept over me as Todd rushed forward and kissed me on the cheek. He smelled of alcohol and sweat and the overwhelming stench made my stomach start to flip. When I tried to move away, he grabbed me tightly around the wrist.
Sensing my distress, Jacques immediately stepped forward and moved between us. With narrowed eyes, he removed Todd’s hand from mine. “Please allow me to introduce myself. Jacques Forte. Cindy works for me.”
Todd scanned Jacques up and down and grinned. He took another swig from the beer can and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Right. I can guess why you’re here, and it’s not to ask if I want to buy a house. You want to know if I tried to kill Annette the other night. My daughter told me all about it.”
Cripes. Libby had wasted no time in spreading the word. There was no point in beating around the bush, so I came right to the point. “Did you?” I asked.
Todd started to laugh. He slammed his hand down on the hood of Jacques’ convertible. Jacques’ mouth dropped, and he quickly surveyed the car for damage.
“Sorry to say, I can’t take credit for it.” Todd took another drink. “But I wish that I could. That tramp ruined my life. It’s a shame someone had to die at her expense.” His eyes turned dark and cold as they stared into mine. “She should pay for what she’s done.”
Anxiety spread across my chest, and I exchanged a glance with Jacques, who cleared his throat. “Mr. Fine, it’s obvious that you’re drunk,” he said. “Maybe it would be best if we resumed this conversation when you’re sober.”
“You think you’re better than me.” Todd took a step toward Jacques, wavering from side to side. “I didn’t come to your house and bother you. You’re both here to find out something, but I have nothing to say. Believe me, there’s a lot of other people besides me who’d like to see that woman dead.”
“Like whom?” I asked.
Todd downed the rest of his beer. It dribbled down the front of his shirt, but he appeared not to notice or care. “She stole money from her boss.”
“Do you mean from Night Moves?” I asked.
“Damn right.” Todd leaned against the side of Jacques’ car. “Hey, it’s nothing new. She’s been embezzling from him for a long time. And busy sleeping with his son, too. Yeah, Gio didn’t like that at all.”
“Who’s Gio?” Jacques wanted to know.
“Giovanni Lombardo. Annette’s boss, and owner of the club. Guess she thought she could have the best of both worlds. Annette was sleeping with his son while she stole from his daddy. Isn’t that rich?” Todd snorted. “I found them together, you know.”
Jacque’s brow wrinkled. “You found them—”
“Do I need to spell it out for you?” Todd’s voice rose a level. “They were in bed together—in our apartment, of all places! I would have killed the guy right then and there, but hey, who wants to deal with the mob?”
“Mob?” Jacques asked in disbelief. “The owners are in the mob?”
Todd reached into the pocket of his jeans for a cigarette. “Yep. Gio’s got a hand in everything. The strip club is just a cover. Anyway, I threw Annette’s stuff into the street and told her to get out. Then, on top of everything else, after she left, I found out that she hadn’t paid the rent in three months. The landlord gave me one week to settle up. I lost my job and didn’t have the money to pay him. That’s why I came back here.”
I wasn’t sure I believed his entire sob story. “How do you know for certain that she was embezzling?”
“Because the day after I threw her out, Gio came to our apartment looking for her. He demanded that I tell him where she was.” He showed me a fresh burn on his forearm. “When I told him I didn’t know, he left me with this souvenir.”
An ice-cold chill ran down my spine. Not only had Annette been lying, but she was also putting my family’s life in danger while staying with us. I had to get her out of my house immediately. “So, you didn’t suspect that Annette had come back here?”
He shook his head. “No, and I wish to God and heaven she’d gone somewhere else. All I want is to get my family back. And I’d have a better chance if Annette wasn’t around. Libby told me she’s staying with you.”
I wish I had impressed upon Darcy not to tell her friend that Annette was staying with us. Then again, she would have found out before long anyway. “Do you think Gio knows Annette is here?”
Todd took a long drag on his cigarette. “If he doesn’t yet, he will soon. He’s got people to find this stuff out for him. Hey, who knows. Gio might be headed this way as we speak.”
Jacques stared at me with an anxious expression. I wasn’t sure I could trust Todd, but why would he lie? And if he was telling the truth, what did this mean for me and my family? Greg would be outraged if I went home and accused my sister-in-law of stealing.
“God, I was so stupid.” Todd’s raspy voice interrupted my thoughts. “I left a woman that I loved and two great kids for that snake.” He threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stubbed it out with his sneaker. “Do yourself a favor, Cindy. Kick Annette out of your house before she ruins your life, too. Wherever that woman goes, trouble follows. Take it from someone who knows.”
***
Jacques and I sat in his convertible in my driveway, not speaking. After what seemed like an eternity, he cleared his throat. “What are you going to do, Cin?”
I reached for the door handle. “Thanks for the ride. If I’m going to get Grace in time from preschool, I need to hurry. I wish I’d thought to ask Darcy to pick her up. Maybe I can still text her and—”
“Stop avoiding the issue,” he said gently. “You know what I meant. What are you going to do about Annette?”
I quickly shot off a text to my daughter and then my head back against the seat. “I don’t know. If I come out and accuse Annette of stealing, Greg won’t handle it well.”
“Yes, I was thinking that, too,” Jacques admitted.
I swiveled my head to look at him. “Is Todd telling the truth?”
Jacques shrugged. “Hard to say. I mean, the man is in a pretty sad state. But, yes, I think so. But why would he lie about it? He told you that Annette cheated on him. That’s a difficult thing for any man to admit.”
“I hope you’re right. And for the record, I have no sympathy for Todd after what he did to his wife.”
“It’s karma come to call,” Jacques insisted.
My blood boiled when I thought of how Todd had treated Gretchen. “She’s the one I feel badly for. That louse left her to raise two kids all on her own, with little help from him. What really surprises me is that the kids don’t seem to hold a grudge against him.”
“That’s proof Gretchen is a good mother,” Jacques remarked. “She must not have bad mouthed Todd over the years to them because she didn’t want to ruin their relationship. It’s a shame she couldn’t work on her own with Todd.”
“I’ve thought the same thing myself,” I said.
Jacques wiped his eyeglasses with a handkerchief. “You said her daughter was the same age as Darcy, right? Is she in college?”
“No. She has a full-time job waitressing at Denny’s.” A light switch clicked on in my brain. “Wait a second. Didn’t you tell me that Silver Platter is hiring?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Possibly. Why?”
“Libby’s a terrific young woman,” I said, “and she could really use the money. You said the waitresses there make a killing in tips.”
Jacques blew out a sigh. “Come on, Cin—”
“Please?” I begged. “Couldn’t you at least ask Ed if he’d give her an interview?”
Instead of responding, Jacques picked up his cell from the dashboard. He pressed a single button and waited. A full-fledged grin quickly spread across his face when the other party picked up. “Hello, my better half. Can you do me a favor? A friend of Darcy’s is looking for a waitressing job.” There was a murmur on the other end, and Jacques stopped to listen. “No, Cindy swears that she’s reliable. Right. Okay. Yeah, I’ll tell her. Sure. And please don’t be late again tonight.” Another murmur was his response, and Jacques laughed as he clicked off.
“Well?” I asked impatiently.
“Have Darcy call Libby. Tell her to be at the Silver Platter at six o’clock tonight. Ed and the owner—well, his new partner I mean—will both be waiting to talk to her.”
I squealed and threw my arms around his neck. “Yes! You are the best! Please make sure to thank Ed for me.”
“Oh, I’ll do better than that.” Jacques’ mouth quivered at the corners. “If Libby doesn’t work out, Ed said he’ll hunt you down and thank you personally.”
“Oh, I’m not worried.” I typed out a text to Darcy with the good news while I spoke. “Libby has a good head on her shoulders. Now, if only the other problems in my life were as easy to solve.”
“Don’t worry about Greg,” Jacques assured me. “Everything will work out.”
Wearily, I closed my eyes for a second. “I hope you’re right. Greg and I have always had a great marriage. Sure, we’ve had our share of problems like everyone else, but most were related to money.”
“No one’s marriage is perfect, darling. Believe me, Ed and I have had our share of up and downs, before and after we said our I dos. Somedays I’m surprised we even made it to the altar.” He chuckled.
“This is entirely different, though,” I said. “It may sound stupid, but I almost feel like there’s another woman in my marriage. And I’m not sure how to deal with that. It’s like Annette holds all the power.”
“Then don’t let her have it,” Jacques urged. “Fight for your marriage, Cin. Greg loves you. Once you get Annette out of your home—” A sudden gleam shone through his eyes, and he snapped his fingers. “Hey, wait a minute. I’ve got an idea. What if we took a trip to Utica tomorrow? Are you free?”
“I don’t have any showings scheduled,” I said. “But what good would that do? Do you honestly think we should talk to Gio Lombardo? I can hear it now. ‘Um, excuse me, Gio, did you try to shoot your former employee?’”
Jacques pursed his lips together in disapproval. “Cynthia Ann, I’m surprised at you. How many fishing expeditions have we been on in the past? We have more tact than that. I simply figured that we could take a trip to Night Moves and do a little snooping. If it’s early enough in the day, there probably won’t be many people around.”
“How do you know?” I teased. “Have you ever been to a strip club before?”
Jacques’ face flushed crimson. “No, I haven’t. But that’s not the point. Maybe we could get some of the employees to talk. You know as well as I do that good gossips are not that hard to find these days.”
There was some truth to what he was saying. “Okay, let’s do it. Maybe somehow, we can prove that Gio followed Annette here and tried to kill her, but accidentally shot Mac instead.” The sooner we found out who was after Annette, the sooner she’d be out of my house.
To my surprise, Greg pulled into the driveway next to Jacques’ car. I checked the time again. “What’s he doing home so early? He had tons of clients to see today.”
“Excuse the skeptic in me, darling,” Jacques said tartly, “but perhaps his needy sibling has something to do with the early arrival.”
“You’re probably right. I’ll bet she sent him to the mall this time to get her a whole new wardrobe.”
“So, what do you say?” Jacques asked. “Are we on for tomorrow?”
“All right,” I conceded. “I’ll drop Grace off at nursery school in the morning and ask Darcy to pick her up, in case we don’t get back in time.”
A wide grin spread across Jacques’ face. “Great. I’ll meet you at the office at ten. And I’ll bring the Starbucks.”
The front door of my house opened, and Darcy emerged. She was wearing pink shorts and a light blue Florida University sweatshirt. She looked surprised to see Greg and I emerge from our vehicles at the same time. Jacques waved to Darcy and Greg as he backed out of the driveway.
“Mom?” She placed her hands on her hips. “Why did you text me to pick Grace up when you’re right here?”
My stomach twisted in nervous anticipation. I didn’t want to come right out and tell my family that I planned to talk with Annette and tell her about my visit with Todd. At least Darcy would be out of the house for a while, but I hadn’t counted on Greg’s early arrival. With a smile, I sideswiped Darcy’s question and kissed my husband. “What are you doing home so early?”
Greg held a grocery bag in one hand and his briefcase in the other. “Annette asked me if I’d pick up some things at the store for her. She thinks she’s catching a cold and said there was no soup or tea in the kitchen.”
“There’s a whole box of tea bags in the cupboard,” I said in surprise, “and some homemade chicken soup in the freezer.”
He shrugged. “It was no big deal. I figured I’d work from home for the rest of the day so I can keep an eye on her as well.”
Darcy clenched her fists at her sides. “She probably didn’t even bother to get up and look in the cupboards. Aunt Annette has been lying on the couch all morning watching soap operas and painting her toenails. When is she leaving?”
Greg’s face turned crimson. “She’s family, Darcy. Show a little respect for your aunt.”
“Sorry, Dad, but I don’t have any respect for her.” Darcy tossed her head in defiance. “She broke up the Fines’ marriage, and all she thinks about is herself. She hasn’t done one thing to help Mom while she’s been here.”
Bravo to my daughter. It was nice to see someone else had noticed Annette’s behavior besides me.
Greg’s nostrils flared. “Your aunt has been through a lot. I wish everyone would remember that instead of ganging up on her.” He took the front steps two at a time and walked into the house, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Darcy turned back to me. “You didn’t answer my question. Why did you ask me to pick up Grace when you’re right here?”
“Because I need to talk to Aunt Annette,” I said. “That was before I knew your father would be home.”
“Are you going to tell her to leave?” Darcy asked hopefully.
I wish. “It’s not that simple. But honestly? Yes, I want to.”
Darcy dangled the car keys thoughtfully. “If you want, I’ll take Gracie to the store with me to pick up the decorations for Dad’s party. This way, you can have more time to tell her to go take a flying leap.”
“That’s a good idea, and a nice way to keep your sister occupied for a while.” How was I going to pull this off with Greg around? I could try and wait until later, but then the kids would be home. How would Greg feel, knowing that we all might be in danger because of his sister? He’d have to tell her to go and stay with Helen.
“I owe you one,” I said to my daughter.
She smiled. “No, I think we’re even. Libby’s so happy about her interview tonight. She’s freaking out with excitement and her mom’s happy too. She deserves a break. Do you really think that Uncle Ed will hire her?”
“If she’s a good waitress, then yes, he’ll give her a chance. He’s a fair man.” I glanced at my watch. “We’ll talk more about this later, okay? Your sister’s getting out of school in ten minutes.”
“All right.” Darcy opened her car door. “Good luck, Mom.”
I was going to need it, and then some.