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Prosper sat down and began to talk. “So, as you know, they got the case wrapped up tighter than a cat’s ass underwater. They’ve been working this one hard, hoping that our boy will flip.”
“Yeah, well that’s what I heard.” Gia huffed sardonically. “So, what’s the good news? That he won’t flip and you and your club will be safe and sound while Riker will spend the rest of his days languishing behind prison walls?”
“Well, I don’t know what the fucklanguishingmeans, but I can tell you that it’s gonna be real hard to convict a man when the chain of evidence is broken. Broken to the point where the shit disappears completely.” Prosper’s Cheshire cat grin was back.
“What? What are you talking about?” Gia felt a small ray of hope, because if Prosper meant what she thought he meant… “What about the evidence?”
“Gone without a fucking trace.” He nodded happily.
“How is that possible?” She whispered as the tiny ray of hope expanded, fanned out and had begun to warm her.
“Well, I can’t tell ya, because then I’d have to kill ya.” Prosper chuckled at his own joke. He was in a very good mood.
“So… no evidence…?” Gia let the unfinished question hang in the air.
“No case.” Prosper finished smugly.
Gia let out a small cry of incredulous joy. Then she looked at Prosper with caution. “Prosper, if I get my hopes up and this doesn’t happen, I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle the disappointment.”
“Done deed darlin’. Feel free to hope your little fucking heart out.” He smiled at her.
“When? When! When does he get released?” Gia felt a burst of unmitigated joy and smiled for the first time in forever.
“Well, I’m not exactly sure, but it won’t be long.” Prosper assured her. “The motion has already been filed. Now the court has to approve it. In the meantime, they are turning that evidence cage upside down looking for something they ain’t never gonna find.”
“You sure?” Gia held her breath.
“Yes, ma’am. There’s nothing there to be found.” Prosper grinned again. “Now how about givin’ this old man some love and a huge ass piece of pie.”
Gia gave him a big kiss on his scruffy cheek. “Thank you, Prosper. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to do it.”
“Ah shit, darlin’. I can do anything. Some things just take a little longer than others.” When Prosper saw Gia’s shoulders began to heave, he stood up and pulled her into his big, strong arms. Gia Bonzoni’s body let out a great shudder just before it released a pent up torrent of warm, wet tears. Then she cried a river right in the place over Prosper’s heart.
About a week later, Gia sat in Doctor Gideon’s office after a routine examination.
“The baby is fine, growing bigger every day. You’re doing a great job, Gia.” Doctor Gideon smiled at her. Gia loved him. With every beat of her heart she loved Doctor Gideon. She loved his waiting room with the strangely cute and comforting collection of Disney’s 101 Dalmatian’s puppy memorabilia. She loved the yellowed pictures of the babies born a million years ago in his office. She loved that his hands were always warm and his eyes were merry.
Gia also loved Doctor Gideon’s wife. Khrystyna was a tall, regal looking woman with skin the color of toasted cinnamon. Her almond shaped eyes were a rich, deep brown. They sparkled and warmed when she smiled–and she did that often. The good doctor’s wife wasn’t always in the office, but when she was there she always took a moment to talk to Gia. Khrystyna Gideon looked to be in her early seventies, and Gia knew from conversations with Doc Gideon that they had been blissfully married for over fifty years. To be in the presence of a love like that, even for only a few moments, gave Gia hope.
“Gia?”
“Oh sorry, doctor. I seem to be doing that a lot lately, zoning out. Except for the annoying swelling in my feet and some wicked backaches, I feel pretty well.”
“Are you getting help?” He asked her. “With lifting groceries and things like that? Your back is carrying a lot of extra weight and your balance is off. A warm compress on your lumbar area at night will help your back and limiting your sodium will help with the swelling.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But Riker will be coming home soon, so things will be back to normal!” Gia delivered the news with more enthusiasm than she felt.
“Is everything alright, Gia?”
Gia slumped and sighed. “Ever since I’ve gotten the news about Riker’s release, I have been having bad dreams. I should be happy, I should be on cloud nine, but I just feel out of sorts. It’s like I try to stay positive, but I have this gray cloud over my head that I can’t seem to shake.”
Doctor Gideon sat down on the little rolling stool next to Gia and took her hands in his. “You’ve gone through a lot of changes in the past few months. Your hormones and entire system is out of kilter. Try and relax and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. You are going through a normal kind of funk, and small wonder with all that has happened. Things will be fine, just remember to breathe deep, get plenty of rest and think happy thoughts!”
Gia tried her best to follow Dr. Gideon’s advice, she really did. She rested and limited her salt intake. She practiced taking long, deep, cleansing breaths, and keeping good thoughts. But still, despite her best efforts, Gia felt disaster moving towards her slowly but surely. It was like a giant tsunami was heading her way, one wave at a time. She just couldn’t escape the feeling that something bad, something terrible and final was about to happen. There was a nervous energy about her, a hollowness in the pit of her stomach that would not let her sleep. She told herself it was just anxiety, an irrational but justifiable fear.
Because, let’s face it. Prison was not a safe place.
What if, in the little time that he had left in that hell hole, another inmate started a fight with Riker and in defending himself he had new charges levied against him? Or even worse, what if he was killed by a prison-made razor shaft? What if a riot broke out? What if a guard pushed him beyond the point of his tolerance? What if? What if? What if?
