Page 56 of Crowned in Sin
“Even the police.” She shakes her head a little, almost wondering at it.
“The police?” I turn to look at her.
“Yes,” she says. “An officer who came last night. I thought it would be terrible, you know, questions and questions when I can barely stand. But he didn’t do any of that. He just sat with me and said that if I needed anything, to just call him."
She dabs at her eyes again. "Even left his name and personal phone number."
"That was good of him," I hear myself say. My voice comes out level. "To be gentle."
“I didn’t tell him anything, of course. I know how this world works. But I didn’t think police could be like that anymore." Elena's brow creases, trying to call it up. "But Captain Carpenter was kind."
Carpenter?
My eyes widen at the name, and cold dread drops into my stomach.
“Did you say Captain Carpenter?” I ask slowly.
“Yes.” Elena nods. “Frank Carpenter.”
Oh fuck!
People have called Frank kind before. Hell, the neighbors said the same thing about him when he started coming around. Oh, such a good man, taking care of a widow and her girl. They saw the roof he put over our heads but never once saw the welts, or heard what the house sounded like after the light went out.
"I'm glad he was good to you." I take Elena's hand in both of mine and squeeze it. "If you need anything else, call me first, and I’ll make sure my husband gets you everything you and Francesca need."
“I will.” She squeezes back. “Thank you, Mrs. D’Ambrosio.”
“Please,” I say. “Call me Lydia. You don’t have to be formal with me.”
We stay like that for a few more hours. I let her tell me about Sal, about how they met, how they fell in love, and how he proposed. I hold her hand and I listen and I keep my face soft.
After, I sit with her and listen as Nico comes to pay her his condolences and offer his promise that he’ll create a trust fund for little Francesca so that she’ll not lack for anything in the world.
When Nico and I are finally in the car and on the way back home, I take his hand in mine and tell him. “Frank was at Elena’s. He came last night.”
The car's engine drops to a low growl as Nico eases off the gas, and I can see him turning it over. "He had no business in that house."
"No. He didn't. But I think you and I both know why he’s there.”
"A damn opportunist.” Nico shakes his head in disgust. “A church full of bodies and a widow too deep in grief to question why a man from the OCCB might take an interest in her.”
He glances at me.
"Did she tell him anything?"
"Nothing."
"Elena’s a smart woman." Nico nods. “But I don’t like it. If Frank is sniffing around…”
"Then the OCCB is going to be getting involved sooner or later," I finish for him. “He’s going to use this church shooting and open up an investigation into you."
“Let him,” Nico says. “Not the first time I’ve had the cops dig on me.”
“But this cop is persistent, Nico,” I remind him. “And he has a personal reason to put you behind bars.”
The road unspools in front of us and somewhere in the distance is the mansion that feels less and less like a cage and more and more like a fortress to keep me safe from Frank.
But if Frank is going to use this as an opportunity to take down Nico, then how safe can those walls really be?
