27. MIA
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MIA
Payne
We drove over thirty minutes to the next city with a decent mall. It’s not like I suggested we shop at Harrods or Saks or Bloomingdale’s.
But when I pulled into the parking lot, Alice whacked me on the back of the head from where she was sitting in the back seat.
“I might’ve dropped my grudge against you for getting engaged to someone other than my Ruby, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to shop at the fancy stores. Take me to Wally World.”
I glanced at Ruby in the passenger seat before turning back to Alice. “If you don’t like Dillard’s, there’s a JCPenney. This is my treat. I’ll get you what you want.”
“Too fancy for my blood. And don’t even think about suggesting Target. I know what I like, and I like the housecoats from Walmart.”
Ruby and Blake were smart enough not to argue. Since I didn’t want to get hit in the head again, I put it in drive and took Alice where she wanted to go.
We’ve been here for almost two hours. I can’t remember the last time I was in a Walmart. It’s nothing like I remember. I don’t hate it. Alice might be onto something.
Blake wandered off into the store, but I don’t let Ruby out of my sight as she shops next to her grandmother.
I’ve been sending clients to voicemail left and right.
It goes against everything I am, but I need to prove to myself I can take a day off.
As far as I know, there hasn’t been an apocalypse on Wall Street, so everyone can wait until tomorrow.
And it’s not like they didn’t have my undivided attention all weekend.
That is, other than getting back together with Ruby, finding out one of my clients works for the Mafia—not the kind who has my back—and that very client attempting to kill an old lady I very much care about.
Other than that, they were my sole focus for three days.
But this is a call I cannot send to voicemail—Eli Pettit.
“What do you mean Enzo Caruso is missing? How do you know? I told you to bring your investigator home.”
Eli goes on to explain. “Because it’s you, and he didn’t mind staying another day or two, I told him to stay and see it out.
That’s not on your dime. I was curious. We rarely get into an organization like the Carusos.
Call it a hunch or clairvoyance or just my old life as an FBI agent, but I need to see this through.
Enzo hasn’t been seen since yesterday morning.
That is not normal for him. My guy followed him into the cathedral for mass.
Enzo took communion and never returned to his pew.
He ducked out the side door near the confessionals.
The church was packed. By the time my guy could get there, Enzo was nowhere to be found. ”
Fuck.
I scan the store around us before turning back to Ruby who’s holding up a pair of jeans to herself before tossing them onto the mountain of clothes in the cart.
“So you’re saying it’s a divine disappearance.”
Eli huffs a laugh. “If you call having a priest on payroll in the form of tithing, then yeah, divine. He missed Sunday family dinner, hasn’t been back to his club, and didn’t show up to the office today. The guy disappeared into thin air.”
“So he’s on his way here. That’s fucking great.”
“We don’t know that. But here’s the thing ...
the loose-lipped bartender said no one in the family misses that family dinner.
My investigator parked down the street and watched the drama unfold.
There were more people in and out of that house than the family.
And none of them looked like they were there for a plate of pasta.
They were agitated and pissed. But the kicker is, there were armed guards at the door. ”
I drag a hand down my face. “And you think this is related to Ruby?”
“We have no way to be sure. But we do think this is related to Enzo going MIA, and since Enzo is after Ruby, I wanted you to know.”
“I appreciate it. And I’ll pay you for the additional information. Thanks for sticking it out.”
“I said it’s on me and it is. My guy is scheduled to come home tomorrow. He’s going to visit his BFF bartender one more time tonight to see what he says. I’ll let you know.”
I’m about to glue myself to Ruby’s side when another call beeps in. A client, but I’m not about to send him to voicemail.
“Thanks again, Eli. We’ll talk soon.”
“Will do.”
I click over to the next call. “Good morning, Brand.”
“It is a good morning.” I hear water lapping the shore and kids playing in the background.
Exactly what I like to hear from my clients—enjoying their lives instead of working themselves to the bone.
But this client is different. “Consider it a good morning for you and the Vitales, but not so much for the Carusos.”
I pause before asking, “Do I want to know what that means?”
“Of course you do. Hang on though, I need to step away from my kids.” He holds the phone away, but I can hear him talk to his wife, Aria.
“I need a minute, Doc. I’ll be right back.
” He returns to me and lowers his voice.
“When I told you we don’t like messy, I meant it.
There’s a war waging within the Caruso family, and we were able to keep our hands clean. ”
I follow Alice and Ruby to the aisle of panties and bras. Alice’s eyes light up like she just hit the jackpot. “I heard Enzo is MIA.”
“You heard right. All it took was my man whispering to the right people and paying a certain cop more than Enzo thought he was worth. We have the surveillance video that Enzo thought was deleted from his servers. It shows Enzo putting a bullet through his brother’s head in the back room of his club.
We made sure the Caruso family knows who took out their golden child. ”
“Damn, you work fast.”
Brand confirms his efficiency as the West Coast Mafia king.
“I don’t waste time. I was happy to do this.
We need to find him, but it’s a first step toward making this go away.
We’re looking for him, so stay close to your woman for now.
Do you need me to put a man on her? Aria will have my balls if anything happens to her new favorite singer. ”
I move closer to Ruby and Alice. “Ruby and her family have moved into my house. It’s gated and secure, and the property is vast. I have cameras everywhere. I don’t plan on her leaving, but I’ll have peace of mind if I can locate Enzo.”
“If the Carusos find Enzo before any of us, they’ll take care of the situation themselves. Enzo is on the run for a reason. He should be afraid of his own family. If they find him, the rest of us can keep our hands clean—just the way I like it.”
“Yes, clean hands. I prefer it that way too.”
Brand chuckles at my expense. “Don’t worry, man. I’m keeping you clean.”
“If you could also keep me in the loop, I’d appreciate that too.”
“I’ve got your back. I’ll let you know when Enzo Caruso is lying in a shallow grave his own family dug for him.”
“When I said keep me in the loop, feel free to do that without so many specific details.”
Brand doesn’t even chuckle this time. It’s an all-out laugh. “Got it. We’ll talk soon.”
I disconnect the call before Brand shares more details than I need to know and go straight to Ruby who tosses a pack of five of the tiniest panties into the cart right next to full coverage granny panties that I pray are for Alice. This is the most interesting shopping trip I’ve ever experienced.
Ruby looks up at me with an expression I’ve seen multiple times in the last two days. “Everything okay? I feel bad that we’re keeping you from work.”
Alice wanders closer to the socks, so I speak freely.
Or as freely as one can about my diverse group of friends.
“Let’s just say that between my contacts who make up a prior FBI agent and a Mafia boss who adopted me as a cousin, I have good intel that Enzo is on the run from his own family.
They know he offed his brother. That’s the good news.
The bad news is he hasn’t been seen since he took communion yesterday morning. ”
Her eyes widen and she lowers her voice. “You have a cousin who’s in the Mafia?”
I dip my head to get into her face. “Enzo is on the run, and that’s what you focus on?”
“But Enzo is the Mafia. I’ve known you since we were five. I didn’t know you had a cousin.”
I look around, not at all comfortable having this conversation in Walmart, but there can’t be anything between us, including this.
“I’ll explain more later when we’re alone and not naked, because being alone and naked with you seems to be my only priority in life.
But when it comes to my Mafia cousin, it’s in spirit only.
He’s my client and did me a favor once. I agreed to invest his legitimate money.
I’m clean and stay out of his other business.
He wants nothing in return for this favor.
In fact, after seeing you sing, his wife is a fan. So this is really for you.”
“The Mafia is doing me favors, and I don’t even know it?” Ruby’s eyes bug out. “I guess that’s sort of sweet.”
I pull her to me for a kiss. “You could call it that. But if you can speed up this shopping spree, I’d feel better getting you home where you’re safe rather than hanging out here all day.”
“I’ll tell them to wrap it up. Grandma really loves Walmart. I’m surprised she hasn’t wandered into the gardening department yet.”
“I’m glad Alice is happy, but when this is said and done, I’ll take you to a decent department store.”
Ruby wraps her arms around my middle, lifts to her toes, and presses her lips against mine. “I have everything I need right here.”
I don’t give a shit where I am and drop one hand to her ass to press her to me. “I’m the luckiest asshole on earth. After what my father did to you and my mother being her normal self on steroids thanks to alcoholism, I don’t deserve you.”
She holds me tighter. “You deserve everything, Payne. You always have. Your mom has a disease. She needs help.”