AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Derek: Need eyes on Lee. ASAP.
I didn’t wait for a reply.
The patio was the last place to look. It was cold tonight for December in Miami, dipping toward forty-five degrees. A handful of heaters were outside by the pool, and a few stalwart guests were braving the temps.
I took a back stairway from the second floor, ducking through the kitchen and out a set of French doors. I was on the far side of the patio, closer to the golf course than the guests by the heaters. Movement inside the small pool house caught my eye.
I moved quickly and quietly toward the lone dimly lit building. No one should be inside. I’d locked it myself.
Lee
“You told me you stopped working for the Delgatto family.” I looked at my former lawyer. He was cool as a cucumber. I clasped my shaking hands in front of me, twisting a bit of my dress in my fingers. No dog. No gun. Franklin had all the advantages.
“That was a tactic. You know I’m always working an angle.” In the low light, his eyes glittered with arrogance. He was enjoying getting the drop on me.
“It delayed Uncle Jimmy’s grand jury hearing until next year.” Giving Franklin time to kill me. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured out he was up to something. Anger at my stupidity momentarily supplanted my fear.
“Exactly.”
After the papers reported that he’d stepped down as council for Jimmy, he came to see me at the store a few times. Invited me out to lunch to catch up. I declined for a bunch of reasons, but feeling guilty, I invited him to tonight’s party. I’d vouched for this asshole to Derek.
“What about all that talk about seeing the light and wanting to represent better people? All lies.” I believed him—I’d wanted to believe.
“I can never quit the Delgattos.” He pointed the gun at my chest and shook his head slowly.
I’d followed Franklin outside to talk. He’d been stressed when he approached me at the party. He looked like a man on the edge. Unfortunately, it was an act. An Oscar-worthy performance that convinced me we should talk privately.
I should have known something was up when he wouldn’t follow me to the office and insisted on talking outside. By the time he pulled the gun and was shoving me into the pool house, it was too late. He was short, but the asshole was strong.
The pool house was small, a single room with a roughed in wet bar and some old pool floats on the ground. I’d done nothing with it. Now I wished I’d never paid to have it built. One door, two small windows. It was like a fucking cell.
“I found a way out. So can you.” I searched his face for an ounce of goodness or remorse. I’d genuinely liked Franklin. Thought of him as something akin to a friend.
“No. Jimmy has too much on me. He owns my soul.” A faint flicker of regret passed over his features.
I looked away from him, searching the small room for inspiration. So far, my only plan was to keep him talking. The longer I was gone, the better the chance someone came looking. And by someone, I meant Derek.
“What does Jimmy have on you?”
Franklin shook his head. “This isn’t about me and my mistakes. It’s about your disloyalty.”
“Disloyalty. Tony tried to kill me. Twice.” I started to throw up my hands, but the gun kept me from making any sudden movements. Instead, I focused on the small window on my right and swore I saw a shadow move across the pane. Please. Please. Let that be real.
“Fucking Tony. He had one job. I got him sprung from jail on a technicality.” He chuckled like there was more to that story and he wouldn’t be sharing it with me. “All he had to do was kill you. It would solve Jimmy’s problems and get Tony back on the old man’s good side.”
“Why?” Thank God lawyers got paid by the hour and were conditioned to keep talking. I’d ask him why a hundred times if it got me rescued.
I looked to the window again. Nothing. My throat closed with the threat of tears. I’d imagined it.
“You’re smart. I’m smarter. I knew all this pressure from the feds was coming from you and the new boyfriend. The minute The Smith Agency got involved, I got worried. Jimmy didn’t believe me. But I kept tabs. I knew for the feds to make a proper case, they’d eventually need you as a witness. If you’re dead, there is no case.”
“Why do you care?” My words barely made it out past the lump in my throat.
“Jimmy’s my only client.” He shrugged like greed explained everything.
“Bullshit. Why?” I was pushing, but I didn’t know what else to try.
“I told you, he owns me.”
