I grabbed my bag from the foyer and looked at the apartment’s floor plan. I located where the storage area should be then high tailed it to the master bedroom. Checking the linen closet off the master bath first and finding nothing, I opened Pin Up Man’s walk-in closet. I moved all the clothing away from the back wall that I could and got to work. Or expected to get to work. I didn’t need the screw driver or the lighter. The flashlight app on my phone revealed something out of place along the back wall. A door that was still slightly ajar.
“That’s how he got in here.” I muttered as I stepped into an empty room. I found a light switch next to a door on the far side of the space that would not open but nothing else. Not a single valuable. Then I saw the staircase leading up. “Time to find out why Dante left.”
I reached the top of the curving staircase only to find the door at the other end wide open. This guy wasn’t one for covering his tracks. Not today at least.
Putting everything except the phone and the screwdriver back into my bag I turned off the flash on the camera and took as many photos of the room I would be entering from my vantage point at the top of the darkened staircase as possible. If someone was in the room there was a chance I would see them first. It was empty.
I found myself in what appeared to be Dante’s bedroom. It was as big as my office (if two of them were set side by side) as well as a good chunk of my apartment. Most people could live in his master bedroom suite quite happily and never feel a need to leave. I noticed a desk on the far side of the room near a window. It appeared Dante enjoyed working from home.
The modern décor in the room was high end and complimented the space (if you like that sort of thing). I looked at the bed as well as the area surrounding it. All I found was a wallet and a set of keys laying in a tray on the nightstand which was indicative of a man who was home for the day and planning on being there for a while.
There were no bloody clothes or weapons sitting around. No victims of the organization laying dead or dying. No innocent women tied to the bed for Dante’s own perverse use. Pin Up Man will be so disappointed.
I checked the bathroom and found nothing of interest in that room either. I turned my attention to the desk. It was situated in a private corner away from the flow of traffic. Anyone who saw anything on the desk would have to go out of their way to find it, increasing their chances of being caught snooping.
Luckily I was one of the only people who knew that the owner of said desk and its contents’ spirit was no longer on this Earth.
I looked at the area near the desk. I didn't see any cameras around it which made me wonder if there were other people in the penthouse. I stepped into the middle of the room and closed my eyes listening for any sounds indicating the presence of others. Satisfied I was alone, I double timed it back to the desk. I found a cell phone sitting on it. It didn't take long to find a text message time stamped about twenty minutes before Pin Up Man arrived at my office.
Nonna G. knows what happened with Enzo. She’s on her way. --R.E.
I racked my brain, trying to come up with who R.E. was, but without my file I was at a loss. I took a quick picture of the text with my cell phone and continued looking. I was not getting far when I saw a framed photo sitting on the far corner of the desk, it was edged so far back the frame could have easily fallen to the floor left unnoticed, laying in the darkened corner. Dante and another man who looked like him stood on either side of a young man wearing a graduation cap and gown. The young man held an embossed diploma case out in front of him. An older woman who resembled Dante stood on the far right, a fancy corsage was pinned to the shoulder of her dress. She was beaming at the camera. Reaching out, I picked up the picture. Taking a quick pic of the photo, I was then able to zoom in on the image on my phone and take a closer look. Both the graduate and the older woman wore pendants. The young man wore a St. Michael’s medal, the woman’s pendant was a match to the distinct piece of jewelry currently cradled in my pocket. “Bingo.” I whispered. I continued searching and found a brief note scrawled in the opposite corner.
Me, Enzo, Raul and Nonna G. June 2017
Raul? It was possible the text from R.E. could be traced back to him.
Knowing who Dante Vitale was and what he was capable of, the possibility that Dante had something to do with his brother’s untimely demise was not surprising to me. I could see the mafia leader choosing to go into hiding if he was tipped off that someone in his own organization was looking to claim his title or another family was trying to take over his territory, even the FBI getting too close might encourage a guy to keep a low profile. As it turned out, the truth was not nearly so dramatic. Dante Vitale was simply hiding from his nonna. I guess even the toughest of tough guys have at least one person they’re afraid of. Nonna G. was his.
I quietly crossed the room and left the penthouse through the private entry in the closet descending the hidden staircase as I closed the door behind me. Stopping half way down, I began texting someone in the Homicide division at my favorite precinct to let them know I solved another one of their cases before they were ever aware there was a body when I realized I wasn’t quite done.
I had Raul’s text and a copy of the picture on my phone which clearly identified the owners of the pendants Dante had been holding in his hand when he died. I realized I was assuming that Raul was the killer because who would want to kill their own grandchild? Thinking about it, if Nonna G. decided to resume control of the family out of anger regarding Dante’s behavior why get your own hands dirty? Isn’t that the point of being in charge? Someone else does the dirty work?
I decided to hold firm, Raul was the best suspect at the moment. Unfortunately, I had no proof he was in this building today much less in Pin Up Man’s apartment. If he took the hidden staircase as I was now no one would have seen him. On the other hand this area was built for the storage of valuables. I looked at the walls around me. Hearing a faint sound I looked up, and noticed a small camera mounted next to the door to Dante’s bedroom. I finished descending the stairs at record speed and located a camera next to the door at Pin Up Man’s end. Using the flashlight app on my cell phone I read the label affixed neatly to the camera's side. “Bingo.”
“Boss?”
Detective Bohannon turned towards the uniformed officer speaking to him. Ramirez was one of the new kids but he was smart and thorough. The detective liked him. "Have they picked up Esparza?"
"Raul Esparza is in custody. He is cooperating fully and interested in negotiating a deal."
Bohannon nodded. “That's it then." The detective said. “Everyone’s free to go.”
The uniformed officer nodded but lingered.
“I have my car. I’ll be along.” He looked at the kid. “Tell the concierge we’re done here. He’s welcome to come and lock up the place in fifteen.”
Ramirez nodded and left.
The detective turned his head slightly at the sound of my footsteps. I have to make an effort to make noise when I walk but he startles easily and what can I say, I kind of like the guy. “How are things going Detective?” I asked.
“I was hoping it was you Fiona.”
I stepped out
into the light where he could see me. “A dead mafia kingpin, an
unconscious antiquities dealer, a hidden passageway and all of the evidence
the authorities need to catch the killer lined up on the dining table
neat as a pin. Who else would it be?” I asked.
“What happened
tonight?”
“The client shows up in my office, says there’s a dead guy in his apartment, he shot him, it was self-defense. He thought it was a burglar but after he shot the guy he looked around and didn’t find any evidence that the intruder was in the process of taking anything. He wanted to know who the guy was. I take the case and find Dante Vitale on the floor. Dead.”
“That’s when you're supposed to call the cops.”
“He was dead but he was newly dead.”
The detective made a face. “Meaning?”
“My client showed up at my office an hour earlier. Dante's soul wouldn’t have been passing when I looked at him if had died an hour earlier. He also had a second bullet hole in his chest instead of just the one my client swore he was responsible for.”
The detective shifted.
“I know what it sounds like but I looked at him I heard Nonna’s voice and I knew. I knew he looked the same way so many had all those times I took a peek while she was working. He had just passed away.”
"Okay then." Bohannon nodded. “You going to see him again?”
“Who?”
“Your client? He's an attractive guy. There was a pillow under his back and he was laying on his side when we got here.”
“I needed him to shut the hell up so I could get to the bottom of things. I knocked him out with the vase. I didn’t know how hard I hit him so I put him on his side to keep the guy from choking or something. He can’t pay me for my work if he’s dead. ‘Sides, he’s not the most honest person. I prefer to set my sites a little higher than someone like him.”
“Choose to take on different clients?” The detective suggested. “You’re never gonna meet a nice man if you spend all of your time with criminals.” A smirk crossed Detective Bohannon’s lips as he said it.
“Thanks Nonna.”
He stepped forward. “The old girl does have a point.”
“Nice men are a dying breed.” I said shaking his last statement off.
“There are one or two left.” He countered.
I looked at the detective. “It’s all smoke and mirrors Detective. Smoke and mirrors.”
He stepped closer, into my space. Talk about nice men tends to make a nice man feel braver than usual.
“It’s getting late.” I pointed out.
“It was late two hours ago. Can I walk you home?”
“What are we, twelve?”
“Can I walk you home?” He asked a second time.
“First of all, I’m a big girl. Secondly, I’m not going home.” I responded taking a step in the direction of the front door.
“Where ya headed?”
“I need to eat.”
“A hungry girl is cranky girl.” He said.
I said nothing choosing to respond with a warning glare.
“Hangry girls
don’t meet nice men.” Detective Bohannon continued teasing.
“You have been spending way too much time with my nonna.”
“She’s a fun gal.”
I made a face, clearly the nonna he spent time with and the one I spent time with were two completely different animals. I decided I was too tired to go there. “Like I said I’m hungry. I’m heading over to The Five and Ten.”
“The Five and Ten is always packed. They’ll never see you much less take your order.”
“No one ever sees me. It’s what makes me so good at my job.”
The smirk returned, “Yet you always manage to attract the bad guys.”
“What can I say? It’s a gift.”
“Nonna says it’s a curse. A really old one.” He looked me in the eye, challenging me.
“Nonna needs to relax and get out more.” I said as I continued my walk towards the front door of the apartment.
The detective fell into step next to me. “Maybe she would relax if...you met a nice man.”
“I met a nice man?”
We said at the same time.
I responded with a ‘see what I mean?’ look.
“The Five and Ten might be a nice change of pace.” He agreed.
“I’ll see you there.” I responded reaching for the doorknob.
Detective Bohannon reached out brushing his hand against my forearm. “We could go together since we’re both headed in the same direction.”
I shrugged. “Yeah well, I guess I wouldn’t want you getting lost at this late hour.”
The detective grinned. He followed me into the hallway closing the door behind us.
Another case closed.
For now anyway.