Part 5 (1/2)
”Yes, ma'am. Er, sorry . . .”
Two more cops entered the restaurant. I jumped to my feet as soon as I recognized one of them.
”Esther,” Lopez said, his features creased with concern. ”Jesus, I was hoping you weren't here when it happened.” Lopez said, his features creased with concern. ”Jesus, I was hoping you weren't here when it happened.”
I went straight into his arms and clung to him.
”You're the witness?” he said against my hair. the witness?” he said against my hair.
I nodded.
”s.h.i.+t.” His arms tightened around me.
”Hey, sweetie!” Stella said jovially. ”This must be the guy, huh? The cop everyone's been talking about?”
I didn't answer. I just burrowed. Lopez felt wonderful. Strong and safe. I wanted to stay in his arms the rest of the night.
But not in the same room with Charlie's dead body.
”Can we please go outside?” I mumbled against Lopez's jacket. ”I can't look at Charlie anymore.”
”Sure,” he said. ”Come on.” With one arm still around me, he turned so that I wouldn't see Charlie again as we made our exit.
The cop who had come in with him said, ”This is our witness?”
”Yeah,” Lopez replied. ”I know her.”
”So I gathered,” was the dry response.
”Esther, this is Detective Peter Napoli,” Lopez said. ”He's going to be lead investigator on this case.”
”Uh-huh,” I said.
Lopez told Napoli, ”I'll get her statement.”
”I'll get it,” said Napoli. get it,” said Napoli.
Lopez nodded but didn't loosen his hold on me. I was relieved he wasn't just going to abandon me to Napoli. If I had to repeat again again what it was like to watch Charlie Chiccante die, I'd at least like a comforting face to look at while I did it. And, as I glanced at Napoli, I didn't think he looked at all comforting. A pale, brown-eyed man who was mostly bald, he had a sardonic, suspicious expression. what it was like to watch Charlie Chiccante die, I'd at least like a comforting face to look at while I did it. And, as I glanced at Napoli, I didn't think he looked at all comforting. A pale, brown-eyed man who was mostly bald, he had a sardonic, suspicious expression.
As soon as we got outside, where it was nighttime by now, a familiar voice called, ”Esther! Are you okay, kid?” Are you okay, kid?”
I looked around. ”Lucky?”
Bright lights blinked briefly in my face. I was confused for a moment, until I realized it was flash photography. I held a hand up to shade my eyes and squinted. I saw two photographers in the crowd. Not cops. Media. Taking pictures of me.
”Miss Diamond!” one of them shouted. ”Hey, over here, Esther!”
”Great, they know your name already,” Lopez muttered.
I ducked my head, suddenly depressed. I dreamed of being photographed as a successful actress at the Tony Awards, not as a waitress who'd witnessed a mob hit in Little Italy.
”Esther!” Lucky called.
I lifted my head again. ”Lucky! Where are you?”
”Don't, Esther,” Lopez said. ”This is a zoo. We'd better take you to-”
Another flash went off in my face. I saw spots and stumbled. Only Lopez's supporting arm kept me from falling.
A hand from the milling crowd reached for me. I flinched, but then I saw Lucky's face and returned his grip.
”Grazie a Dio!” Lucky tore me out of Lopez's grasp to hug me. ”Thank G.o.d you're all right, kid! They wouldn't let me inside, and no one knew for sure if you was okay!” Lucky tore me out of Lopez's grasp to hug me. ”Thank G.o.d you're all right, kid! They wouldn't let me inside, and no one knew for sure if you was okay!”
I hugged him back and babbled, ”Chubby Charlie's dead! He was shot right in front of me! I thought he was having some kind of stroke or psychotic fit, but then . . . Oh, Lucky!”
Napoli snapped at Lopez, ”Can't you keep your witness quiet?”
Lopez said, ”Esther-”
”Hey, buddy, back off!” Lucky warned him, sweeping me to his side and stepping between us. ”Her boyfriend's a cop cop.”
”I'm a cop,” Lopez said, trying to retrieve me. ”And I'm her . . . I mean . . .” a cop,” Lopez said, trying to retrieve me. ”And I'm her . . . I mean . . .”
Our eyes met.
I said, ”I thought I'd have a chance to explain to you, before you heard about it from someone else, that, um, I've been telling the guys around here-”
”Lucky, relax!” said Stella, who'd followed us outside. ”This is is Esther's boyfriend.” Esther's boyfriend.”
”Oh? Oh. Oh. Hey!” Lucky turned friendly. ”You're the boyfriend?” Hey!” Lucky turned friendly. ”You're the boyfriend?”
Napoli said to Lopez, ”Whoa! The witness is your girlfriend? girlfriend?”
Lopez looked at me, as if thinking I might know the right answer to this question.
I said, ”It may seem as if things between us moved forward without you actually being being here, but I-” here, but I-”
”Well, okay okay, then, pal! Glad to meet you!” Lucky grabbed Lopez's hand and pumped it in greeting. ”Any friend of Esther's is a friend of mine!”
Lopez said to me, ”You're friends friends with Lucky Battistuzzi?” with Lucky Battistuzzi?”
”Hey, you know me?” Lucky sounded pleased.
”Only by reputation.”
Napoli said, ”Good G.o.d, you're dating a mob girl?”
”No,” Lopez said. Lopez said.
”Wait a minute!” Lucky bristled. ”Are you sayin' you're breaking up with Esther, you bozo? Now? Now? Tonight? After the poor kid just saw Chubby Charlie get whacked? What kind of a man are you?” Tonight? After the poor kid just saw Chubby Charlie get whacked? What kind of a man are you?”