Inside Viv's front door, Fernando made his way to the kitchen. He checked left, then right before inviting her into her own house. "Have to make sure it's safe," he explained.
"Have a seat." She gestured to the kitchen table. "I'll get a snack. It's been a very long morning." He sat down while she looked into her pantry.
"Looks like I've landed in a good place." Fernando eyed the mound of chocolate chip cookies she held.
"I baked them yesterday." She put the plate of cookies on the table and slid them closer to Fernando, who eyed them appreciatively. "Have a few and tell me, is looking after me a typical assignment for a bodyguard such as yourself?"
"Man, these are good." He smacked his lips appreciatively. "I'm thinking you aren't typical," he said.
Viv blushed. She'd taken an instant liking to Fernando. She felt an immediate connection.
She stifled a yawn. "I'm a bit tired. I was busy being abducted, held at gunpoint, and assisting the cops in arresting a killer." She paused to nod for emphasis. "And don't forget his accomplice," she added. "They got her too."
As he reached for another cookie, she continued, "So I think I'll need a shower and a nap. What about you? Do bodyguards hang out during the day or just show up at night? I don't know the protocol for this, so feel free to explain."
Before he could answer, his phone buzzed. He read the text, his lips forming a straight line. "Officer Farrah wants to know if she can come over and talk to you. Off the record, of course. She's on suspension. No longer assigned to the Joey Baker case."
"I see," Viv said. "Of course she can come over. How about for lunch. Do you want to join us?"
He shook his head. "Nah, that wouldn't be right. I'm on duty and she's on suspension and that would be a boundary issue.”
"Okay then." How refreshing. Viv was used to Rex butting into her life at the least opportune time. She felt oddly relieved. "I understand about the importance of staying in your own business," she told him kindly.
"What about Rex Redondo?" Fernando slipped his phone into the back pocket of his tight-fitting jeans. "Tell me about him."
"To tell you the truth,” Viv said, "my life has been turned upside down ever since I met Rex. He lives right next door. But now that this situation is solved, I think I may be back on track."
A series of meows came from the hallway. Viv stood and then circled back. "I can make up the bed in the catio or you are welcome to sleep on the sofa."
"Meow," Miss Kitty cried, even louder. When he hesitated, Viv said, "You can tell me later. I have a hungry cat to feed.
"I’m coming," she called out. "When you're done with the cookies, I'll introduce you."
Susan Farrah declined the tuna sandwich Viv offered. "I'm not that hungry," she admitted. Her face scrubbed clean of makeup, Farrah looked haggard. But young, Viv thought. The cop uniform ages her.
"Let's sit outside," Viv suggested.
Wearing aviator sunglasses, Susan sat, her back straight, in the outdoor chair usually occupied by Rex.
Viv sat next to her. She settled her hat on her head, her eyes looking toward the foothills.
"I know you’re curious about my suspension," Susan began.
"I did find it odd. So sudden. You'd just gotten good information about a money laundering scam and then boom, you got that call."
"I'd been expecting it." She shrugged. "What you may not know is that I have a personal connection with the case. It's not a secret that I'm the offspring of Frank Salucci. At least my boss and the higher-ups know. They did a background check when I was hired. So they interviewed me and then gave me an extended period of probation to make sure I wasn't going to hand out special favors to my family."
"I saw your photo on Beverly Nelson's piano," Viv explained. "Is Farrah your married name?"
"My mother's name." The woman sighed. "But that's not the worst. There's another connection."
Susan took a deep breath to continue. "I confirmed with my stepmother before I came over. She said I could tell you. When you wondered why Joey Baker would kill Carmine Nelson, I knew I couldn't dismiss the actual reason. But it's complicated.
"You see, my father hates Joey Baker. Despises him, in fact. It was only a matter of time before he exacted his revenge."
The hair on Viv's neck rose. "That sounds quite ominous."
"Oh, it's real all right. My dad is a very polished gangster, in this area at least. He has been for decades. He's also got a lot of strong feelings about family. Especially about loyalty and all that. He has sayings too. People think he's a regular family man. But that's deliberate on his part. He pretends to be a good guy, which covers up his true personality."
"Won't Frank be put in jail now that you have evidence?" Viv asked.
"Not a chance. He'll slide out from under just like he always does. His attorneys will tie this up in court. You just watch. And if they get close, he'll strike a deal. One where he goes free and gets some other sucker to pay the price."
Susan now sounded quite bitter. She'd obviously been disillusioned by her father for a long time.
"My dad used to tell me, 'I'm not upset that you lied to me. I'm upset that I can no longer believe you.' Now that makes sense, you know, especially when you're a kid. But the consequences when he stops trusting you… That's entirely different. Dangerous.
"For instance, he stopped trusting my first husband. Once I got custody of the kids and he left, my dad started to plot. I knew what he was capable of. I tried to warn my husband, but he insisted that his mother was from an even bigger crime family on the East Coast. And that she would handle my dad."
Viv felt goosebumps rise up her arms. Something was adding up here and she thought she had the answer already. "Joey Baker. He's your ex?"
"That's right," Farrah sighed.
"And his arrest?"
"Was all part of my dad's plan. He told Joey to get rid of Carmine, not because Carmine was skimming or dealing beneath the table. But because he considered him collateral damage. You saw how quickly Dean took over the Fluff and Fold.
"Carmine wasn't a blood relative of ours. He was Beverly’s third husband, Joey's mother. Joey came from her first marriage to a guy named Buddy Baker.
"Kinda complicated but it explains the difference in last names. So back to my dad. To Frank, Carmine didn't count. He ordered Joey to kill him so that Joey would get arrested and spend the rest of his life in prison. Payback. For divorcing me."
The very idea of calling another human being collateral damage made Viv's blood run cold. "I find that despicable," she said firmly. "Am I to believe you are no longer part of the family?"
"And now you see why. Things worked out fairly well the past few years. I never saw Joey and I rarely heard from Dad. But now I'll most likely be dismissed.”
Farrah looked down at her lap. "It seems I can't get away from Daddy, no matter how hard I try." She began to cry, sobs racking her chest. Viv reached over to put her arm around the woman's shoulders.
Dabbing at her face with the back of her shirt sleeve, Susan hiccupped. "It's just a bit much, you know. I’ll have to move away and get another job. I have to find a school for the kids too."
"I wouldn't worry about that quite yet," Viv assured her. "Let me share another motto that doesn't come from a crime boss. It's not what people do, but what you do about it. We can get you through this. You aren't the first woman to be suspended."
Farrah sniffed. "My dad is diabolical.”
"He's still the grandfather of your children. If you remember that, you'll make a quicker recovery. Blame, no matter how right you are, never helps. Just put all of your victim thoughts aside and take a deep breath. Starting now." Viv chuckled. "I wish I could have been there when you told your father you wanted to be a cop. That must have made him furious."
A slight smile came to Susan's lips. "He was insulted actually. I'd fraternized with his enemy. Nearly punishable by my own death, but he made an exception since I was his only daughter. I'm blood. You know what he said? 'I'm sorry you want to be a cop. You're wrong, of course. If you were right, I'd agree with you.'"
Viv smirked. "He's good with those sayings. But coming from his lips, they all sound sinister and a bit twisted."
Farrah turned to Viv. "I do feel a bit better. Less overwhelmed. I guess my biggest concern is having to pull the kids out of school."
"Not a certainty as of yet," Viv assured her. "Even if you have to relocate, don't forget children like to make new friends. A chance to reinvent themselves.
"If you start acting like change is bad, then your children will assume they have something to feel bad about. Maybe this cop job isn't what you need right now. Maybe you decided to be a cop just to spite your father. So this suspension can give you time to reconsider. Time to go back to school or talk to a counselor and change course. As for moving, that's up to you. You may want to keep an eye on your father and stay in Palm Desert. What's that saying about enemies…"
"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Ironically, it was even said by Michael Corleone in The Godfather."
"That's it!" Viv exclaimed.
"I'd like that sandwich now," Susan said.
"I've got lemonade and cookies for dessert," Viv said. "A comfort meal for a woman who requires a bit of tender loving care. Though not the easiest circumstances, you've got this. And I'm here to help."