Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins (ebook reader for manga TXT) 📕

Vinny sat out on the balcony in his wheelchair, a portable TV perched on his lap, a mangy orange cat curled up by his feet.

Michael approached him warily. ‘Dad,’ he said, the word almost sticking in his throat.

Vinny turned his head. Not a flicker of surprise crossed his once-handsome face. ‘I heard you was in jail,’ he said brusquely.

Nice greeting. Michael hadn’t expected anything else.

‘Wasn’t surprised,’ Vinny continued. ‘Your grandma always said you was gonna turn out no good. I tried to keep you on the straight and narrow. Trouble is, you wouldn’t listen to nobody.’

‘I came here to talk to you.’

‘About what?’

Michael glanced at the woman who was hovering by the balcony door, eager to hear every word. ‘It’s personal,’ he said. ‘Do you mind?’

‘Get lost,’ Vinny said, waving her away.

She marched inside.

‘Your, uh, ladyfriend said you recently went bankrupt.’

‘Don’t tell me y’came here expectin’ money?’

‘You’re the one took all the money and left me with three hundred lousy bucks, an’ you’re surprised I got into trouble,’ he said heatedly. Then he realized he was getting off track, and that was not his intention. ‘No,’ he said, determined to forget old grudges. ‘That’s not why I’m here.’

‘Spit it out, son.’

He groped in his pocket for a cigarette and lit up. ‘You never really told me exactly what happened that night.’

‘What night would that be?’ Vinny asked, squinting at him.

‘The night Mom was shot.’

Vinny fiddled with the TV aerial. ‘What’s left to tell?’ he said at last.

‘Plenty,’ Michael said. ‘I need to know the details.’

‘Told you everything.’

‘No, you didn’t. I asked, an’ you never wanted to talk about it. Neither did Grandma.’

‘What’s so important that you wanna know now?’

‘I have my reasons.’

‘Dunno why I havta go through it all again,’ Vinny grumbled. ‘Don’t want to. Don’t have to.’

Michael placed his cigarette in an old tin ashtray on a rickety table, slid his hand into his pocket and produced a wad of money. He counted out ten crisp hundred dollar bills. ‘Here,’ he said, offering Vinny the money. ‘Maybe this’ll help you remember.’

‘Where’d you get this kinda money?’ Vinny asked suspiciously.

‘I robbed a bank,’ Michael deadpanned. A beat. ‘Seriously, Dad, it’s legit. I got lucky in the stock market.’

‘Whadda you know about stuff like that?’

‘Plenty,’ Michael said, getting impatient. ‘You want the money or not?’

Vinny couldn’t resist. After a moment’s hesitation he grabbed it, shoved it in his pants pocket, and started talking.

‘I was in the shop by myself when two punks busted in an’ started shovin’ me round. One of ’em puts a gun to my head while the other one’s robbin’ the cash register.’

‘Go on,’ Michael said, encouraging him.

‘Then Anna Maria comes walkin’ in,’ Vinny continued. ‘She was supposed to be home. It was snowing, she had flakes of snow in her hair an’ on her coat. Anyway, when she saw what was happenin’, she threw herself at the one with the gun.’ A long pause while he recalled memories of that fateful day. ‘I yelled at her not to, but she did it anyway.’ Another long pause. ‘Then the bastard shot her.’ His voice began to quaver. ‘I tried to save her, it was too damn late. They shot me, too, snatched the money, an’ ran.’

‘Tell me about the guys.’

‘What about ’em?’

‘Were they tall? Short? Fat? Thin?’

‘One was shortish, the other one was a tall bastard. I saw them well enough. Described ’em to the cops. They never caught ’em.’

‘Which one had the gun?’

‘The tall, skinny one with the crazy eyes an’ the long thin scar down his cheek.’

Damn! Vinny had just described Bone.

‘You’re sure?’

‘’Course I’m sure. I’ll never forget that night.’

So Mamie had been telling the truth for once. Bone was the shooter. Bone was responsible for his mother’s death and Vinny being in a wheelchair. Christ! He’d shot the wrong man.

‘What’s all this about?’ Vinny asked. ‘Why’re you dredging up somethin’ I’m tryin’ t’forget?’

‘Remember your old girlfriend Mamie?’

‘Who?’

‘Mamie. She married Vito Giovanni. Turned up at Grandma’s funeral an’ pissed you off.’

‘Oh, yeah,’ Vinny said, scowling. ‘That cow.’

‘She was with them that night. One of the two men was her cousin Roy.’

‘You’re makin’ this up,’ Vinny said, turning pale.

‘No, I’m not. It’s somethin’ I found out recently. Mamie was waitin’ outside the store. It was her set the whole thing up.’

‘That lousy no-good cunt!’ Vinny screamed.

‘Don’t worry, I’m takin’ care of it.’

‘How’ll you do that?’

‘Better you don’t ever know.’

Chapter Thirty

Dani: 1972

Vincent was a serious child, and gorgeous, with his long, silky black eyelashes and deep green eyes. He was smart too–by the time he was two he could recite his ABCs and count to one hundred in English and Spanish. Nando was also smart. Quick-witted and very bright, he refused to take anything seriously. He was into exploring, experimenting, and getting into trouble. The two of them balanced each other out. They were as close as brothers, and even though they were only seven, they exhibited a fierce loyalty towards each other.

At school, Vincent excelled, while Nando lagged behind. Sometimes it worried Dani that Nando might be a bad influence on her son. She didn’t act on it: the boys were so close it would be unfair to try to separate them.

Shortly after marrying Morgan, Gemini gave up her job at the Magiriano Hotel. Dani was upset; she knew she would miss the companionship of seeing her friend every night. ‘We’ll still get together during the day,’ Gemini promised. ‘Except when we’re travelling. Morgan loves to travel, and I have to be available to go with him.’

They’d made a deal that whenever Gemini was away, Dani would take care of Nando.

Friday morning, Gemini and Morgan left for a long weekend in Chicago, dropping Nando off on their way to the airport.

Later that day, Dani took the two boys to the children’s area in the park. She sat on the bench watching Nando show off as he attempted to stand on his