Page 5

Rico

We heard her sobs. When they got harder instead of dying out, we couldn’t ignore her pain any longer. Pulling her from the shower, we worked together to tend to her then we both snuggled against her in bed until she finally fell asleep.

I knew right then and there this is what I wanted for the rest of my life. The three of us. I see the same certainty in Kade’s eyes.

“One step at a time,” I whisper.

He nods.

“Stay with her. I’m going to check in with the office. Let them know what happened. See if the body’s been reported or recovered.”

After checking in, reporting what happened and learning that the alley cameras weren’t working so there’s no street film, I find myself staring out the window at the bright lights below.

At first glance Phil had appeared to be a rheumy-eyed drunk.

When we first met, he seemed to have a slight slur to his words, but the more time I spent next to him the less I heard it in his speech.

In fact, he was always quite articulate with me.

Too late, I’m wondering if the drunkenness was as much show as fact.

He'd said something when we first met about watching what I drank and who I drank with. He even toppled a couple of our drinks one night.

At the time I just thought it was a drunken accident.

What if he was trying to warn me even in the beginning?

Sitting next to him at a table or one of the machines.

He always seemed more astute than you’d think for as drunk as he portrayed himself.

He’d pegged me pretty quick even though I denied it.

What the hell did I miss? I message the office and ask them to get me everything they can find on Phil Clark, Fancy Grace and her mother and her mother’s death. I spend the next two hours going over my case notes.

After checking our security, I head back to the bedroom where Fancy and Kade are sleeping.

Crawling in on the opposite side of Fancy, I lay on my side and snuggle up against her backside.

I could go to the other room, but I’m not going to.

The standard king is a tight fit for the three of us, but better to cuddle.

As I’m dozing off, I feel Kade leave. With everything Fancy has been through the last forty-eight hours we need to give her some rest. Protecting what’s ours comes first. We’ve waited a long time to find the right one.

Fancy is ours. Now we just need to convince her to take us both.

It's late afternoon when I crawl from bed.

Kade is pouring coffee when I get to the table. I down half the cup before opening my computer.

“I think Phil could have been the anonymous tip the office got that Adorno’s organization was the one marketing and selling the laced drugs,” he says.

I rub a hand down my face. “Never thought of that. What makes you think so?”

“The files you asked for came in. Mic DeStefano is second cousin to Lorenzo Adorno. It doesn’t look like they were close, but DeStefano had a much-needed influx of cash about twenty months ago.

Phil was the bookkeeper for the DeStefano restaurants, he was too smart not to wonder where the money came from. ”

“My mother was Mic DeStefano’s mistress when she died,” Fancy says from the open bedroom door.

“Adorno introduced them. The last time she broke up with Phil was for Adorno. Adorno promised to marry her if she’d help him out a few times.

She’d sleep with who he told her to, always hoping he’d keep his promise someday. He paid her well regardless.

“She hadn’t been home or called me in two nights.

We had a deal that we’d always check in at night.

I kept leaving her messages. I got one response saying she was working and would get back to me.

I got a call the third night. The cops said she ran her car into a tree up the mountain and died.

There was a fire. Her body was burned pretty badly.

People who were with her earlier in the evening said she was drunk when she left.

“When she died, Phil and I were both shocked. Mom had a strict rule about driving drunk. She’d take ride-shares all the time for the shortest distances. He couldn’t believe she would take a chance like that after all these years.

“I think it broke Phil’s heart the way she was being used by Adorno. Phil really loved her but he didn’t have the extravagant lifestyle she craved, didn’t have the money she wanted or host the lavish parties and the fancy dresses she could get from Adorno.

“Phil and I have stayed close since he dated her when I was little.

He went on a couple week bender after she died, then was sick for a few weeks with a stomach flu, but he checked in on me every couple days.

Like I said he helped me with the house and getting the bank straight.

I really thought he was doing better the last couple months.

“Have they found his body?” she asks. “I need to get him a proper burial. I have some ashes from Mom. Maybe… maybe I can put them together. That would make him happy to be with her.”

Her eyes go wide. “Wait, they will release his body to me, right? There is no one else. How do I claim the body, how?—"

“Don’t worry. We can help with that. We’ll make sure you get control.”

“Phil’s a bookkeeper,” I continue. “Numbers and facts. If he is the one who contacted the department, he had to have proof. He wanted to meet with us for a reason. He said on the rooftop. I didn’t notice anything, but we were distracted by what we witnessed. I think we need to go back and check.”

“I’m coming but I need clothes, or at least a belt. This shirt is long enough I could make it look like a dress,” Fancy chimes in.

“No,” Kade and I both snap.

“Of course I’m going with you. You don’t know where he’d hide anything, and if you leave me. I’ll just follow after you’ve walked out the door. Now, get me a belt.”

Truth, I’d rather have her with us than trust she’d be okay alone. Crossing to the room I’ve been using, I grab a military style web belt with ratchet buckle, a pair of sweatpants and a baseball cap. “Don’t make it look like a dress. Try to look like a boy. It will be safer.”

Kade glances up when I walk out of the bedroom. “I called in and told the department we have her in protective custody and need clothes delivered for her. They’ll have them here later tonight.”

“Any news on Phil’s body?” Fancy asks.

He shakes his head.

“They were busy chasing me. They probably dumped him in the closest dumpster and put trash over him.” Her voice catches. “Could you?—”

“Already on it. The department sent a truck through and picked up the whole street early this morning. You’re right, Adorno’s men are pros at disposing of things. There won’t be any admissible evidence, but hopefully we’ll recover the body for you.”

She nods before heading back to the bedroom to change.