“Well…I…” How in the hell did you ask a killer if he got any goods on one of his victims?
Jesus Christ.
“Well, I’m looking for a box,” I started out. “I…an heirloom, of sorts.”
“A box,” he repeated.
“It’s a…special box,” I stammered like an idiot. “With the…heir moving on, the grandparents would like it back.” I face palmed myself over how stupid I sounded.
“I see,” he said easily.
“I was just wondering if…it was mentioned where the box was when…you were, uh…entertaining at your party…that…uh, night.”
Phoenix was quiet for so long, I thought we might have disconnected. But then he said, “There weren’t any discussion about heirlooms, I’m afraid.”
My heart dropped to my knees.
He was my only hope.
“O…okay,” I choked out. “I…”
“However,” he continued, “I wasn’t the only one engaged in polite conversation that evening. Perhaps heirlooms came up in other conversations.”
I closed my eyes. Phoenix was telling me that Luca and Ciro had a part in Randy’s torturing and impeding death. It had been a group effort, and that made sense. Frankie was special to all of them. It stands to reason that they’d all want their revenge.
“I see,” I muttered, feeling frustrated.
“Would you like me to ask-”
“No!” I blurted out. I was already feeling wretched by involving Frankie’s husband in my mess by questioning him, I wasn’t going to drag her entire family down. Besides, this was my problem. My penance for dating a dirtbag. “I…that’s unnecessary,” I insisted. “Just…you know, forget it. I was just curious.” God, how did my life come to this? “I can…find it on my own.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” he asked, and I was touched by how he didn’t just rush off the phone with me. He knew how much I meant to Frankie, so he was being kind as a result.
“I appreciate…the concern, but it’ll be fine,” I lied. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to…cause any…no one likes an unwanted guest,” I finished lamely.
“Robbie-”
“Just…uh, tell Frankie I’ll call her tomorrow, okay?”
“Robbie, she’s going to see your three missed calls,” he pointed out. “She’s also going to see that the fourth one was answered, and a conversation ensued.”
If we were anywhere near Christmas or Frankie’s birthday, I’d beg Phoenix to lie to her, but we weren’t. Also, I knew he wouldn’t. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Phoenix Fiore, it’s that he was completely and irrevocably in love with his wife. He wouldn’t insult her by lying to her.
“Well, can you just reassure her that I have it taken care of?” I tried.
His voice was soft and carried a touch of sympathy when he said, “I’m not sure I can do that, Robbie. Not when I’m not really feeling assured.”
With confidence I wasn’t feeling, I did my best to sound like I did have it under control. “Really, Phoenix. I got it handled. Thanks for your help.”
“Robb-”
“I gotta go,” I said, cutting him off. “Tell Frankie I’ll call her tomorrow.” I hung up before he could argue. Right now, I wasn’t sure I was strong enough to deny a direct command from the man. He was a stone-cold killer after all, and I didn’t want to test that.
Defeat and despair threatened to consume me as I sat on the couch and try to think of something I might be missing. Short of pulling up every blade of grass in my small backyard, how impossible would it be to tell if something’s been dug up all this time later? It’s been weeks since that night, surely the lawn has grown over by now, right?
Deciding it was worth the effort, I headed to the backyard and inspected every goddamn inch of grass and dirt. Nothing looked disturbed, and I could feel desperation begin to claw at my throat. I was about to drown myself in sorrow when I remembered I still had a key to Randy’s apartment.
I ran into the house, pulled his key off my keyring, and took the shortcut around our blocks to his house. The night of Frankie’s kidnapping, and right now, were the only two times I’ve ever been grateful that we lived so close to each other.
Coming around the corner, dread settled in the pit of my stomach as I noticed the overgrown yard. My guess was the landlord must not know Randy was gone. I knew he’d come around soon enough when the rent wasn’t paid, but for now, the house looked abandoned.
I glanced around, and the street looked relatively quiet. For most people, Monday was the beginning of their workweek, so they were probably all settled in for the night.
I made my way up the walkway and as soon as I hit the single level step, I saw the front door wasn’t entire shut closed. That sense of dread felt heavier than before and I knew, before I even pushed the door open, that Gary and Merrick had already been here.
Walking into Randy’s house, it looked a tornado hit. The place had been ransacked, nearly everything torn to shreds. A quick sweep of the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathroom proved those rooms in pretty much the same shape as the living room. I chuckled when I realized that Gary and Merrick had inadvertently done The Holy Trinity a favor. Once the landlord came looking around and inevitably called the police, it will look like Randy ran because someone was after him.
I placed Randy’s key on the kitchen counter and left out the back. I wasn’t sure if anyone saw me enter his house, but I didn’t want my name coming up when the landlord did finally come around. I zigzagged through the back-neighboring yards and was back at my house within minutes.
Nervousness caused me to make a hot cup of tea as I tried to figure out what to do next. I racked my brain with everything I knew about Randy-much like I had last night-and I couldn’t come up with any
