Silent Whisper (12 page)

“Oh God! I should’ve never shared that with you. Walter would just die if he knew I’d told anyone about that.”

“Oh, don’t go getting your panties in a knot,” I replied, “Who would I tell? I’m just thinking maybe you need to get a little of that whore back in you, you know? Show Walter that he’s still a bad boy and give him some solid whacks on the bare ass. I’m betting that will make him rise to the occasion again.”

I heard her chuckling from the other end. “You know, you’re probably right. I’m the one that’s changed, not him. God I’ve missed talking to you. So how are things with Nick?”

There it was. The question I knew she’d get around to asking before the call was over.

“Haven’t seen much of him,” I replied, “His father’s in town, some high-level reorganization or something. So I haven’t seen or talked to him for several days. I dunno. I stay out of it.”

“Well,” she sighed, “My only worry is that somehow you’ll get caught in the crosshairs. I mean Walter has told me stories from the bench on the things these mob criminals do—to their own families
even.
I mean, come on Karlie—you’re not even blood-related. They wouldn’t think twice about taking you out if you inadvertently overheard something, saw something, or maybe they would do it just because you
might
know something. When it comes down to the family, they will do what they think is best. It won’t matter what Nick wants if he’s over-ruled; he can’t protect you.”

God I really didn’t want to hear all of this. I was nervous enough without having Lana give me Mob 101 training.

“So, who’s the boss of the family?” she asked.

“What?”

“The
boss
—you know, the Don, the Godfather?”

“Jesus Christ, Lana. I don’t know. We never speak of it—ever.”

“It’s got to be Salvador, the old man,” she said. “I wonder if that makes Nick the underboss, or maybe he’s a capo. Is this the first time Nick has mentioned him coming to Newark since you guys have been together?”

My skin bristled. “Who said anything about Newark?” I asked. “We’re in Camden and Cherry Hill.”

“Kar,” she said, her voice showing a bit of irritation, “Everyone knows that Newark is the mob capital of New Jersey. They probably have a cartel or something operating there, with several other families involved.”

“Geez,” I replied, rolling my eyes, “I never realized you were a walking encyclopedia on the mafia. Can we please change the subject?”

“Yeah, you’re right,” she replied. “For all you know, your phone could be tapped.”

“Are you serious?”

Now I was even starting to get a little freaked out.

“Listen,” she said, “Walter is calling for me. I’ll call you next week. Take care of yourself, okay?”

Click

Lovely. Just fucking lovely.

It was late Friday afternoon and I had hung around later than everyone else working on some new designs. It helped me keep my mind off of other things. The place was quiet and it was a perfect time to lie out some of my sketched designs on the computer software to see how they looked in 3-D.

The phone on my desk rang startling me.

“West End Storage.”

Click.

Okay. So
that
was clearly my signal to get the hell out of there and go home. Or was home even safe? Ever since that phone conversation I had with Lana last Sunday, everything seemed to be creeping me out. And I still had heard
nothing
from Dominic.

I shut down the computer and grabbed my purse from the desk drawer, making sure to lock up. I left the building and headed towards my car, looking around to make sure no one was lurking about.

Stop this, Karlie I admonished myself. You need to get a grip here, girl. I knew there was no way I could continue on this paranoid path. So I did the only thing I knew to do that might offer some relief. As much as I avoided this kind of thing, I knew that Sherry would be the only person that was in a position similar to mine.

I drove downtown and parked around the corner from the boutique. Our grand opening was Monday, and I figured I’d be spending Saturday and Sunday there making sure everything was in order. I had told Sherry she wasn’t obligated to be there over the weekend. I figured she’d be working late Friday, and I breathed a slow sigh of relief when I spotted her black Firebird parked in front as I rounded the corner.

She was putting the finishing touches on a display case when I walked in, the little bell over the door jingling my arrival. That had been her idea; she thought it gave the place a quaint atmosphere.

“Well, hi there,” she said, giving me a faint smile. “I thought you weren’t coming back in until tomorrow?” She was wiping the top of the display case with glass cleaner.

“I hadn’t intended to, but I really needed to talk to you before Monday.”

“Look, it’s perfectly normal for you to be nervous, but trust me, everything will go smoothly. You have my promise.”

I stepped over to where she was standing behind the display. “No, it’s not about the shop,” I said quietly. “I haven’t heard a thing from Dominic in more than a week, and I—I don’t mean to pry, Sherry, but I don’t know what to think. I mean have you—?”

‘Talked to Vinnie?” she finished for me. “Yes, a few times.”

My heart sank. She must’ve read it on my face.

“Listen Karlie,” she said, stopping what she was doing to look me in the eye. “Nick has made it perfectly clear to his family that you’re off limits. He doesn’t want you involved in any of the family’s dealings, politics, drama, whatever. You yourself told me that the two of you don’t discuss his family. Sore subject I think you said.”

“Well, yeah—” I started.

“So you can’t have it both ways. If you want to know what’s going on, you’ll have to ask Nick whenever you hear from him. It’s not my place to say anything and Vinnie would be very unhappy with me if I did, okay? I don’t mean to be a bitch, but that’s just the way it is.”

I nodded. I mean I guess I couldn’t blame her on that account. She had to look after her own hide with Vinnie.

“Can you at least tell me where they are?”

She hesitated for a few seconds, contemplating, I suppose, as to whether she could
or should
disclose any little tidbit of information to me. “Vinnie is in Newark. Nick and Little Sal are somewhere else totally—and that’s
all
I’m gonna say.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “No problem. See ya Monday.”

“Try not to worry, Karlie.”

Yeah. As if -

The grand opening of ‘Designs By Karlie’ was a huge success. The newspaper had done a big spread on it in Sunday’s paper, and a local radio station had sent a DJ over to help with the promotional giveaways.

Several socialites from Newark had made the trip in and purchased quite a bit of merchandise. By the end of the week, we had received some small quantity orders from a couple of boutiques in Newark, and one in New York City.

“It all adds up,” Sherry said the following Monday morning when she gave me the orders. I stopped by daily to check inventory, and pick up special orders from her. The business was steady, but it was only the first week, so it was difficult to tell if that would continue. Sherry had put a standing order in with the newspaper to run Friday ads, and we had discussed having weekly sales on different items.

“Those boyfriend jackets are selling like hotcakes,” she mentioned. “You think maybe we should increase the min-max on those?”

“Good idea,” I agreed, “Fall is around the corner so if they’re selling now, think about how well they’re going to be selling around the first of September. I’ll up the quantities and I’ve got some new fabric ordered that will be perfect for fall colors.”

I had just gotten back to my office and given Lilly the production schedule when my phone rang. I had made it a point not to be at West End Storage alone anymore since that hang-up call had freaked me out.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Now is that the proper way to answer the phone for a business, angel?”

“Dominic,” I breathed; my heart quickening and then the pissiness seeped in a bit. “After eighteen days of not hearing from you, I was beginning to wonder if you’d simply been a fucking figment of my imagination.”

I heard his smooth laugh from the other end. “Ah, my angel, I see you’ve been counting the days. I’ve missed you as well, but you know that I would’ve called you if it had been possible. There have been certain developments that required immediate attention; however, you were always in my thoughts.”

And he’s…
forgiven.

“So, Vinnie tells me that the store opening went very well?”

Okay - back to business I see.

“It did as far as I can tell, but it’s only been a week. We’ve been getting small orders here and there. I’m hoping we get more from Abigail. She should’ve received her shipment last week.”

“Wonderful,” he said, now sounding almost distracted. I could tell he’d put his hand over the mouthpiece; muffled voices could be heard in the background. Where the hell was he?

“Dominic? Are you still there?”

“Yes, Karlie, but I’ve got to cut this call short. I should be back in the country in another week. We can discuss business in more detail then, how’s that?”

Back in the country?

“Yeah, sure. Can you call me later at the condo?”

“No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll use this number to reach you for now. Take care, amore. Ciao.”

I didn’t like this; not one little bit. This wasn’t what I had signed up for at all. Something had happened but I had no clue what it was. All I knew was that the secret little world that Dominic and I had created for us had been invaded…by something. I wasn’t even sure if this was a temporary situation, or on-going—or maybe even permanent.

I would try to get through the rest of the workweek as best as I could, but I’d be damned if I was going to spend another lonely weekend in my condo. It was the third week of August and blistering hot. I needed a trip to the mountains. Something to take me away from all of the worry and indecision that seemed to surround me at the moment.

Somewhere I could go to forget the fact that my period was late.

Two weeks late.

I needed a mother right now. Belle was the closest thing I had to one. I needed to see Belle.

I phoned her Monday evening and let her know I’d be driving up Friday. It was a six-hour drive, so if I left at noon, I’d be there by dinnertime.

She said my room would be waiting.

I left Camden at noon on Friday, and made the grueling six hour trip to Chester. Just my packed suitcase and me. Well, there was also the brand new EPT test kit still in the brown bag that I’d purchased at the drug store. It had almost seemed like a covert transaction. Had it been my imagination, or did the clerk glance down at my hand to see if I had a wedding band in place?

Whatever. This is 1986 - not 1966 for Christ sake.

Okay—now I was talking to myself in my head.

Lovely.

Five more hours of me carrying on a conversation with myself in my head in this car, trying to rationalize how the fuck I had ended up in a predicament that had seemed so right just a few weeks back, but now? Now it seemed so wrong on every possible level. My biggest problem was breaking the news to Belle for some odd reason.

There I’d gone again—presuming I was pregnant! I mean
nothing
was for sure. I hadn’t taken the damn urine test yet! The stress of everything that had been going on over the past few weeks could certainly have
affected
my cycle. I mean, I’d read stuff about stress being responsible for all sorts of illnesses, physical and mental.

Who the hell was I kidding? My cycle was as dependable as my daily mail carrier.

Neither snow nor rain nor dark of night, kept my cycle from being right—on-time.

So considering the most obvious outcome, what then?

I had decisions to make, and I didn’t trust myself to make them without guidance from Belle. She was a smart woman, both in business and in practical matters. My only mistake was not being honest about Dominic from the get. I knew she’d be pissed about that.

I was surprised once I got to her place at the lack of customers in the bar. I mean this was Friday—payday for Christ sake! Typically the bar would be full of miners and a few townie regulars and the party would be starting, but there were only a couple of guys at the bar, swigging draft beer, and two others over at the pool table.

Rhonda was behind the bar.

“Hey doll,” she called out giving me a big smile. “We’ve been expecting you! Belle’s in the kitchen making a food order. Go on back.”

“Thanks, Rhonda,” I said, heading for the swinging door to the kitchen.

I saw Belle chopping onions at the counter. “I’ll have these ready in a couple, Rhonda. Tell Riley to hold his britches on!”

“It’s me, Belle.”

She looked up immediately, a big smile gracing her weathered, but still attractive face. Her flaming red hair was piled on top of her head, and a checkered apron was tied around her, hiding her full-figure a bit.

“Well lordy, baby. Look at you!”

She was over to me in a flash, pulling me into one of her tight Mama Bear hugs that we called them. “You look so gorgeous, Karlie Lynn. A sight for sore eyes for sure. I guess Nick is taking good care of you. Shame he won’t marry you, though,” she said with a huge sigh.

“Belle—come on, you know his situation,” I said, knowing that that was only partly true. She knew he was married, but she didn’t know his name. Once she knew that, she would pretty much know all she needed to know without me going into detail.

“I know, sugar. I know.”

“So hey, why is it so quiet around here? Is the mine on strike or something?”