The Accident

"Fuck the syndicate," Carl said, "we'll find her."

"I plan to."

++++++++++

I hadn't slept well. There isn't such a thing as a comfortable position when you have a broken rib. The best I could do was lie flat on the floor, covered in a few blankets. I paid for it in the morning. Standing up, my stiff body brought tears to my eyes. I let out a couple of good groans, attempting to expel the pain. If it came to a fight, I was finished. Fuck it, Rebecca was worth it.

I showered, letting the warm water wash over me. If I stood still in the falling rain, I could actually forget about the pain and think straight. I had to get to Tammi's apartment door without her knowing. Past a guard and the front door. The front door seemed easy enough. I could just be patient and follow another resident in. The guard was a more difficult problem. If he called Tammi, I would never be let in. I smiled when a plan formed. I finished and spent a painful few minutes drying off.

I called my boss who was sympathetic, and allowed me to use more PTO. Not like he really had a choice. The hospital gave me the cover I needed. I hung up and called back, this time connecting to Trudy, the one woman who seemed to really support Rebecca and me. I dumped everything to her. There was no point in asking for her help if she was uninformed.

"You're crazy," Trudy said seriously, "I'll do it, but you better not end up dead. Tammi Simpson at Garden Way Apartments on Grand?"

"Yes, and thank you. I owe you big."

"Lunch," Trudy said, "and all the details. I am living vicariously through you now." I laughed.

"Lunch, you pick the restaurant." With that settled, we said our goodbyes and I spent the next thirty minutes getting dressed. Each piece of clothing cost me dearly. I dreaded the last pieces, socks. I was seriously thinking of just doing shoes, but life had to go on. I was determined the beating wouldn't change my life. I opened my sock drawer and found it empty. The drawer below it was also empty. The third drawer held my socks, all pairs balled together neatly, piled in rows according to color.

Rebecca had moved my sock drawer! The ironic implications didn't escape me. She didn't want to leave, she had been taking over. I gritted my teeth, grabbed a pair of socks, sat on the bed and donned them like I would have, had I not been wounded. I groaned through the pain, intent on forcing my body to acquiesce to my demands. I did the same with my shoes. I simply ignored the pain. It was painfully liberating. I looked back at the empty drawers. They should be filled with Rebecca's clothes. They would be holding baby blue underwear if it was the last thing I did. I stood with determination. It was time.

++++++++++

"Mr. Richardson to see Tammi Simpson," I said to the guard as I handed him my drivers license. I was wearing sunglasses to try to hide my black eyes. I didn't really care if they had a record of my visit, I only needed a few minutes with Tammi.

"Ms. Simpson called earlier," the guard said, handing me my ID, "go right in." I smiled. Trudy had handled the impersonation beautifully. I would have made a good crook. I thanked him and parked next to the door and waited. It took a few minutes before I could follow a tenant into the building. It was an older woman carrying groceries. Someone up there was looking out for me. The woman was grateful for my help as I helped her with her bags. We had a small talk in the elevator, and she tried to get me to stay for lunch. I declined politely as I put her bags down in her kitchen. I don't think she ever realized I didn't belong in the building. My acting was getting good; she never even noticed the pain carrying her bags caused me.

I knocked on Tammi's door, two floors down from the grocery lady. I heard shuffling behind the door as locks were opened. I purposely stood off to the side so the peep hole could only view the side of my head. I don't think she even looked.

Tammi's greeting smile dropped quickly when she recognized me. "You can't be here," she said in a panic and tried to close the door. I shoved my foot in and winced when the edge cut into my gym shoe. Seems it would be fully painful day. She stopped pushing. "You have to leave."

"Where is she?" I demanded in a level tone. I didn't want to rile the neighbors. Tammi tried to close the door again. This time my anger rose. I pushed to door open which forced her back. I stepped in and closed the door. Tammi closed the robe she was wearing. "Where is she?" I asked again, a little louder. I wasn't leaving without the information.

Toni Gordinni entered the room, from the bedroom hallway, in a t-shirt, boxers and black socks. Tammi gasped. I recognized him from pictures I saw on the Internet. His gray hair was plastered in place, expensively shaped at some salon. His face was grim and he had a hand behind his back. He moved toward me without any apprehension. I stood my ground, though running crossed my mind. He was a good five inches taller than I and had me by at least fifty pounds.

"Who the fuck are you?" Toni demanded as he stopped out of arms' reach. He didn't sound like he was used to being ignored. I had not planned for this. Tammi had stepped back out of the way, her hand covering her mouth. Her eyes held fear. I was screwed, so I went all in.

"The guy you had beat up last week," I said, removing my glasses to expose my blackened eyes. A smile crossed Toni's face as he raised his hidden hand, pointing a gun at my head.

"Can't take a fucking hint," Toni stated calmly. I could tell he would have no problem pulling the trigger. I also sensed that he would enjoy it. I saw Tammi out of the corner of my eye. She mouthed "I'm sorry." I turned my head toward her, ignoring the gun. I had seen lips move like that before. Exactly like that. My mind took in her eyes, lips and chin. Her weight hid it well, but the similarities were unmistakable. Her odd concern for Rebecca confirmed it. My mouth moved before my brain could stop it.

"You're her mother," I spilled my revelation, my mouth hanging open in shock. Tammi's eyes went wide, and I saw the truth in them. She looked at Toni. Toni looked between us both. Tammi's mouth tried to move, but nothing came out. She feared Toni more than I did.

"Tammi?" Toni asked sharply. He wanted to know what the hell was going on. Tears were forming in Tammi's eyes. She tried to blubber an answer, but nothing intelligible was coming out. The gun shifted from me to Tammi. Toni didn't like not knowing what was going on. I could see he was a borderline megalomaniac. Tammi was sobbing, holding her hand in front of her face as if it would stop a bullet. This was nothing like I envisioned. My anger flared at the stupidity of it all. I shifted between Toni and Tammi.

"Do you shoot everyone who pisses you off?" I asked with more anger than I should have displayed. "And why the hell did you have your goons beat me up?" I added, since I was on a roll. Toni smiled and adjusted the gun until it pointed between my eyes.

"I'll shoot you for breathing in my direction," Toni said. The gun was steady as a rock. He had no problem with shooting me at all. "The beating was a warning you ignored. I don't like gigolos fucking my woman." I tilted my head and laughed. Toni grimaced. He wasn't used to being laughed at.

"I love her daughter," I said to Toni like he was an idiot, "why the hell would you think I wanted Tammi?" Toni ignored my question and oddly pointed the gun over my shoulder at Tammi.

"What daughter?" Toni demanded. I shifted again to keep the gun pointed at me. Tammi was bawling. Toni was taking the idea of a daughter as an insult. I was screwing this up rather well. Toni put the gun at my belly. "I'll shoot you both if you don't get out of my way." I didn't move. He would shoot us both anyway.

"Put the gun down," I ordered. I began to reach for the gun figuring he would have pulled the trigger if he had really wanted to. His left hand moved faster than I expected and wrapped around my throat. He turned my body and slammed me up against the wall, my chest exploding in pain as my rib shifted. The gun moved to my head.

"Fuck you!" he said. I had pushed too hard. I could see his finger tightening on the trigger.

"Your daughter!" Tammi screamed. I felt Toni's hand loosen on my neck. His expression changed to one of confusion. I started breathing again. We both turned to Tammi, her mascara running down her cheeks. "Your daughter," she repeated softly. Toni let go of me and the gun dropped to his side.

"Why did you pay him three thousand?" Toni said, pointing the gun at me as if it were a finger.

"He bailed your daughter out of jail," Tammi answered, her own anger rising now that the truth was out "I was paying him back." Toni looked at me, then took a step back and laid the gun on the counter.

"How...when?" Toni asked, looking at Tammi.

"When you did the two years for the bribery charge," Tammi sighed. "She was an accident. I tried to have her raised in secret. I just couldn't stay out of it."

"Why would you hide this from me?" Toni was getting angry again. The man was on a bipolar roller coaster. I stepped forward to intervene if he decided to get physical again. I was already accustomed to being a punching bag. Tammi just pointed at the gun.

"I didn't want her around this crap," Tammi was getting angry again, "not to mention your wife finding out. She barely tolerates me as it is." His wife knows about them? I withheld an inappropriate smile.

Toni cooled. I could almost see his brain working. He turned his back to us and walked to the couch and sat down. I looked to the gun he had left on the counter. Tammi saw my eyes and shook her head. She wiped her eyes, smearing her makeup some more. She took me by my hand and led me to the sitting area. We sat with the Godfather and watched him think.

Toni looked up at me. His expression was calm. "I have acted rashly," he said, then turned to Tammi. I guessed that was my apology. I wasn't going to demand more. "Tell me about her." His tone was thoughtful. Tammi smiled. She looked a little ridiculous with smeared blackened cheeks, but I could see Rebecca in the smile.

"You met her. Rebecca. She was the one staying with me a few weeks ago."

"She knows?" Toni asked.

"No," Tammi said quickly, "and she can never know. She has her own problems, and I don't want her to have ours."

"She's a pretty girl," Toni said, almost talking to himself. Tammi spent a good part of the morning telling Toni about Rebecca. In the middle of it, Toni went to the bathroom and returned with a washcloth and wiped the makeup off Tammi's face. I found it odd that one moment he points a gun at her and the next he is gently caring. Tammi seemed very happy with his care.

I found out that Cathy was a childhood friend of Tammi's. They cooked up Rebecca's history between them, forged documents and, after a few years, no one questioned it. Tammi had been supporting Cathy while she cared for Rebecca. No wonder Cathy wanted Rebecca to move back in with her. Rebecca was her goldmine.

I tried several times to interject my need to find Rebecca, but was stalled by a stern look. There was a process to the conversation, and Toni defined what that was. I sat back, trying to remain comfortable while not moving my torso. By ten, I had a scotch in my hand. Toni had decided alcohol was a good idea and he didn't drink alone. It was hard going down, but the warmth seemed to dull the pain in my torso, especially the sharp one in my side.

"What do you do?" Toni asked. He lifted his half empty glass and pointed to me. It wasn't small talk. He demanded to know.

"I'm a database administrator for an insurance company," I replied, not wanting to tell him which insurance company. I really didn't wish to see him or his people ever again.

"Does it pay well?" I was being interviewed. He had only known he was a father for a couple of hours.

"I won't starve," I answered cryptically. I took another sip of the scotch and let it burn the back of my throat. Toni's expression was difficult to read. I wasn't sure if my answers were angering him. I wasn't sure if I could beat him in a race to the gun if I needed to.

"Why did you come here this morning?" Toni asked. "People usually don't ignore my warnings."

"Rebecca left me and won't answer my calls. She blames herself for your...rashness." I was going to use a different term, but thought better of it. "I thought Tammi might know where she is. I intend to get her back." Toni nodded and looked at Tammi.

"Do you know where she is?" Toni asked.

"Cathy told me. Rebecca won't speak to me anymore." I could see her eyes watering again. "She knew I was involved in what happened." Tammi looked toward me. "She loves you and hates herself for what happened." Toni moved quickly to Tammi's side and put his arm around her. Tammi leaned into him and cried.

"We'll fix this," Toni said, almost sweetly. I had trouble wrapping my head around a born killer being violent one minute and calm and caring the next. I wanted out of this freak show. I just wanted Rebecca back.

"Where is she?" I interjected.

"Corey's Steakhouse," Tammi blubbered, "off Wilkerson road. She's working the day shift." I knew the place, a large restaurant serving family fare. I got up with the desire to leave. Toni stood with me. It wasn't going to be clean exit. He waved me over to the counter where he wrote a phone number on a piece of paper.

"If shit happens... anything you can't handle," Toni said, handing me the paper, "call this number and tell them who you are." He put his hand on my shoulder like we were old friends. I didn't like it there, but I didn't dare move it off. "Find a way to fix things between Tammi and Rebecca. I'll stay out of it, but know that she's my blood. I will not hesitate if I feel she has been wronged." I guess that is what passes for family bonding in the mob. A threat, a demand and a magic number that solves problems. I stuffed the number into my pocket.

"Good," Toni said, smiling at my obvious agreement. He held out his hand like some kind of trophy. I shook it strongly, trying not to appear as weak as I felt. He moved to the door and opened it for me. I sensed he didn't do that often. Another form of apology I suspected.

"Take care of her," Tammi pleaded as I began walking out.

"I intend to," I told her. Mountains of stress flowed away when the door closed behind me. Not the visit I had intended at all.

++++++++++

Corey's Steakhouse was huge. It had a pitched green roof that looked almost homey, held up by faux pillars with a big front porch lined with benches for the evening rush. It was more trough than fine dining. Decent food, served quickly in an eat-and-get-out fashion. They churned customers as quickly as possible. Not the gourmet atmosphere I envisioned when I thought of Rebecca's cooking.

I stepped inside and was welcomed by no fewer than three high school-age greeters. The place was packed and the tables ran deep into the building. A central bar and the many wooden partitions only allowed you to see a handful of tables at a time.

"How many in your party, Sir," a young man fighting an acne problem asked.

"Actually, I'm looking for a waitress named Rebecca Morrison," I responded politely.

"There's no visiting during working hours," the boy returned quickly. I smiled, not really concerned with the rules.

"Are you going to make me walk around looking for her?" I asked pleasantly. A mother with a family waiting for a table off to the side gave me a dirty look. I smiled at her also.

"I can get a manager if you wish," the boy said, obviously practiced with people who wished to bend the rules.

A loud crash of dishes echoed from the left side of the restaurant, beyond my viewing range. It went on for a couple of seconds before it settled. There was a smattering of applause followed by a loud, "You bitch!" I didn't hesitate and moved quickly. I knew there could only be one person in the middle of the disaster.

"These are new pants," an older man yelled, "you're going to pay for this." His face was red with anger. There was some kind of burgundy sauce running down the left leg of his khaki pants. His wife was trying desperately to pull him back to his seat. Everyone at the surrounding tables was watching the scene. That is where I found her.

Rebecca was on her knees, her back to me. She was trying hard to pull plates and cups back to the tray she had spilled. I could see her shoulders shaking and I knew she was holding back tears. "I'm so sorry," she choked out and tried to wipe his pants with a rag.

"Don't touch me you incompetent..." the man started, then stalled, when he saw me coming fast. I had removed my glasses and my bruised eyes were on his. All the anger from the past week was boiling under my skin.

"Sit!" I said loudly. The man did. He will never know how intelligent that move was. I pulled out my business card. "Send me the bill," I said, handing the card to his wife. The man started to open his mouth. "It was an accident, leave it at that," I added firmly. He did.

Rebecca was shaking, and I could hear her choking back a full cry. She had heard me, but she wasn't turning around. I knelt down next to her and started helping her fill the tray. Our hands met over a cup. The dam burst and the tears flowed. I wrapped her in my arms, ignoring my complaining broken rib and the restaurant at large.

"Don't ever leave me again," I whispered in her ear, "I am less without your touch." She cried, she nodded and she squeezed me until I saw stars. "I love you," I added. More tears.

I helped her to her feet, straining not to look as weak as I was. A manager arrived, eyes wide at the mess around our feet. He looked at Rebecca's bloodshot eyes and whispered something into the microphone attached to his headset. "Rebecca," he said calmly, while looking at me, "take this gentleman to the back. I have a team coming to clean this up." He moved to the irate man with the burgundy stain and began trying to retain his patronage. I liked the manager, efficient if nothing else.

Rebecca lead me back through the kitchen to an employee break room. She had been wiping her eyes along the way. When we arrived, she turned and her lips caressed mine. The soft kiss quickly warmed to a forceful desire. Her hands circled my head and she pulled me closer. She was mine again. That kiss was worth every ounce of pain it caused in my chest.

"Look what I did to you," Rebecca said when she pulled her face away. There was sadness in her eyes. I hated that sadness. She brushed her hand lightly across my cheek, trying to wipe the bruising away.

"I know a secret," I said quietly, "I want to give it to you, but you must not act rashly with it. You will want to, but you can't." I wiped my thumbs across Rebecca's cheeks, taking the remnants of her tears with them. She looked at me, a mixture of concern and confusion. "I'm afraid I will lose you if you find out another way."

"Tell me," Rebecca said. Her eyes held love, so I did. I told her all of what I found out that morning. I didn't care how Tammi or Toni felt about Rebecca knowing. Secrets could only hurt us now. When I was done, I stared fearfully into her eyes.

"You will never lose me again," Rebecca said softly, ignoring the knowledge of her parents. The kiss was more passionate, more us. I lingered in it, wanting time to stop. The world made sense again. The manager entered. We separated. He looked at both of us with a half smile.

"Your shift is covered," the man said to Rebecca, "take the day and decide if this job is right for you."

"It isn't," I answered for Rebecca. Rebecca looked at me and nodded in agreement. She was a chef, not a waitress. The manager smiled. Saved him the trouble of having to consider firing someone.