Part 17 (1/2)

”I thought you two might be hungry,” Terasa said, placing the tray on the table between them.

Caroline nodded at the lounger. ”Thanks, Mom. Have a seat and join us,” she said.

Terasa sat down in the lounger. ”Maybe for a few minutes,” she said. ”I can't stay long. I have my hair appointment today.”

”Thank you, Terasa. I didn't realize how hungry I was,” Rheyna said as she sunk her teeth into the sandwich.

”Well, if you ask me, the both of you could stand to put on a few extra pounds here and there,” she teased.

Rheyna and Caroline looked at each other and then at Terasa. They both answered with a resounding, ”No.”

Terasa shook her head and laughed. ”I think you two girls are incorrigible and an equally bad influence on each other.”

”Ah, Mom, that's not fair,” Caroline pretended to be hurt.

”So, do you two incorrigible girls have any plans tonight?”

”As a matter of fact, we do. I think I've pretty much talked Rheyna into staying for an all-night movie marathon-unless she decides she's not up to the challenge. She'll probably be asleep by ten anyhow.”

Why does everyone who wants me to do what they want, always have a tendency to do it in a challenging manner? First, it was Laura, then Edwards and now Caroline. Rheyna shook her head at Caroline. ”You'll definitely go down before I do, especially after a few gla.s.ses of wine,” she teased back.

”Hey, that was a low blow,” Caroline said.

Rheyna smiled. ”Well, it serves you right. You're the one who started this. Besides, I already told you that I was up for this marathon of yours,” Rheyna said. ”And I knew you wouldn't have taken no for an answer, anyway.”

Caroline nodded her head. ”This is true. I usually get what I want.” For emphasis, she ran her tongue over her lower lip, and it worked. Rheyna's eyes were glued to her mouth.

Caroline cleared her voice to get Rheyna's attention. When she looked up, she saw Caroline laughing at her. She has no shame. Caroline was flirting with her and she was doing it in front of her mother. Rheyna felt her face flush and quickly looked away. She was saved when Terasa stood up.

”Well, I need to get going. I don't want to be late,” Terasa said.

Rheyna saw Vincent out of the corner of her eye, get up from the table where he and Joey had been playing cards. He followed Terasa into the house.

It was time for her to leave, too. She swung her legs off the lounger and stood to put on her robe. ”I'm gonna take off. I need to get Annie and prepare myself for this movie marathon of yours.”

”Okay. I'll see you in a couple hours,” she said.

Rheyna said her goodbyes to Big Tony and the men at the table.

Edwards crammed his hands in his pockets and looked through the two-way window. He turned to Agent Bill Wilks. ”How long's he been in there?” he asked as Artie got up from the chair to start pacing back and forth.

”Almost two hours.”

”Did he say anything?”

Agent Wilks laughed. ”He was fine until we took him to the interrogation room. He became a little hysterical and started yelling at us. For a minute or two, I thought he was gonna cry.”

Edwards picked up the folder. ”Well, I might as well get this over with,” he said and then opened the door.

Artie stopped pacing and turned toward Edwards. ”Oh, Kyle, thank G.o.d. I don't understand what's happening. Ron called and said to meet you here and then when I got here, they put me in this room.”

”Sit down, Artie,” Edwards said sternly, motioning toward the chair.

Artie reluctantly did as he was told.

Edwards sat down across from him and laid the folder on the table. ”You have no idea why you're here?” he asked.

Artie nervously fidgeted in the chair and started picking at his nails. He shook his head. ”No, I don't.”

Edwards opened the file and pulled out the bank doc.u.ment. ”Cut the s.h.i.+t, Artie. You know d.a.m.n well why you're here,” he said calmly and then pushed the sheet across the table.

Artie picked up the paper. Edwards watched the color drain from Artie's face as he read the doc.u.ment.

”I, I can explain,” he said, his voice shaking.

Edwards pushed his chair back and stood up. He rested his hands on the table and leaned forward. ”Oh, yeah? Can you also explain these?” He threw the photos down on the table in front of Artie.

Artie's hand shook as he picked up the photos. He frowned. ”How ... where did you get these?”

”It doesn't matter where I got them. I want you to explain to me why you were talking with Marco Mancini.”

”Who?” Artie asked, frowning.

”Come on, Artie. Stop bulls.h.i.+tting me. It's over. Do you understand me? It's over.”

”But, but I don't know who this man is. I swear. He ran into me on my way into the bank. He knocked the papers out of my hand and stopped to help me pick them up. I swear, Kyle. You have to believe me,” he insisted.

Edwards raised his eyebrows. ”Believe you? You must be f.u.c.king joking.” He jabbed his finger at Artie's face. ”You're the f.u.c.king leak. You've been on Castrucci's payroll for years. You're the reason several people have lost their lives and you want me to believe you. What about Rheyna, Artie, did you f.u.c.king tell Castrucci about her, too?”

On the verge of tears, Artie shook his head vehemently. ”I swear to G.o.d, Kyle, I have nothing to do with Castrucci. I don't even know who Marco Mancini is.”

Edwards couldn't believe this. Even with the proof in front of his face, Artie continued to deny his involvement. Edwards slammed his fist down on the table. ”Mancini is a foot soldier for the Ma.s.sino crime family and this proves you took a payoff!” Edwards yelled. He picked up the bank doc.u.ment and slung it at Artie. ”You also had direct access to the Vinci and Pisano files.”

Artie frowned. ”Who's Vinci and Pisano?” he asked, his mind moving a mile a minute as he tried to place the names.

”Yes, Vinci and Pisano. You were one of the case agents a.s.signed to them.”

”But that was over ten years ago,” Artie said as his mind finally registered the names.

Edwards nodded. ”And that shows just how d.a.m.n long you've been at this, doesn't it?”

Artie shook his head. ”They died.”

Edwards' eyebrows shot up. ”So you admit that you had a hand in their deaths?”

”No, no. I mean they both died in accidents. One in a car crash and the other was a botched burglary.”