01: Don’t Lose Your Head pt. 1

“You still here?” Captain Ed Mason asked as he dropped another load of folders on Victoria’s desk. “Get outta here, will ya? I don’t want to be arrested for overworking my staff. Go home and get some sleep.”

“One minute, Cappy. I just want to put the finishing touches on this last one,” Victoria huffed as her fingers diligently worked on adding the case notes to her latest closed case. A man had crashed his car through the side of a local gas station killing the attendant working the counter late at night all because they didn’t have his favorite pastry snack in stock.

Paperwork, one of the worst parts about her job, but it was the fuel the department ran on. Dozens and dozens of different reports were filed every day from something as simple as a suspect’s dog on the scene taking a nip at one of the officers to a domestic violence case that ended in bloodshed.

“Killed over Twinkies?” Mason inquired as he snuck a peek over her shoulder. “What is this world coming to?” Victoria ignored the question and watched as the elder man made his way back toward his office. It was a much different place than when he’d started as a beat cop a few decades ago that was certain. But the frown lines in his forehead and the salt and pepper in his hair was a sign of his dedication to the job. 

When Victoria first transferred to Avondale, he was her point of contact for much of her first year and it was his humor, housed behind a show of professionalism, that got her through the cold looks of her fellow officers. Truth be told she didn’t know what to expect when she first came to town. But she saw the opportunity as a chance to really stretch her investigator legs and Mason gave her the freedom to do so. None of the senior officers or detectives wanted to be partnered with a woman, but Victoria never let it affect her work.

After solving her first three cases with the Avondale Police Department, the other cops loosened up and started treating her like one of the guys and were much more amenable to backing her up when needed. Still, being one of the only women in the department had its drawbacks and at times she felt as though she needed to go that one step further to prove herself. Hidden behind her five-foot seven slender frame was a fourth-degree black belt in martial arts with the capability to render even the largest of opponents immobile within seconds.

Her keen eye for details, incisive logical reasoning and quick analysis of forensic clues left on scenes gave way to the department nicknaming her “Sherly”; aptly named for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. She didn’t mind the teasing much it was all good-natured. But she knew several officers did house a tinge of jealousy getting shown up by a girl a time or two; though it gave her a reason to smile.

“And…done!” she nearly sang as she hit the save button on the top of the program and closed out of the Nexus. Quickly gathering up her belongings she started down toward reception passing a small group of officers huddled in the break room. Even with the shift change and lines of cops walking in and out of the building, the precinct appeared very empty and quiet as well it should. It was 4 a.m., the end of her shift and Victoria was beat. 

“See ya in a few hours there, Sherly,” a husky voice roared behind her. She turned in time to see the broad frame of her partner Detective Mike Rizzitello saunter through the door of the break room.

The drive home was uneventful and quiet. DJ Wonka caused a few chuckles from her during his late hours radio segment “Confessions.” Victoria pulled up to her two-story modern loft near the edge of downtown and grabbed her briefcase from the passenger seat.

Starting for her front door she stopped suddenly and stared at the stoop with her hand on her weapon until the dark figure standing beside her rose bush made his presence known. “Cole! What are you doing here?”

A slender, muscularly toned man stepped closer toward her. The blonde tips of his dark brown hair barely glistened beneath the faint glow of her pathway lights and his piercing hazel eyes focused directly at her as if he was reading her mind. Cole Downing’s lips turned up on his elegant face and he graced her with the most amazing smile that seemed to warm his gentle features even more. 

The tailor-fit button up shirt he wore was hanging open at the top exposing just enough of his moderately hairy chest and chiseled physique to make her mind wander. The polished tips of his shoes drew her attention being that it was of military quality and his loose-fitting slacks were just snug enough to outline the shape of his tight rear-end. Although he was fit, his stature was neither intimidating nor uninviting. Everyone enjoyed seeking his counsel and he always had the right answer.

Standing six foot two, 175 pounds, he was the epitome of “tall, dark and handsome”. Cole was a definite charmer and carried himself well. The Senior Analyst for the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit was intelligent, persuasive and very pleasing to the eyes. He lifted the two white paper bags in his hand as he nodded toward her front door. “I figured you hadn’t eaten yet so I brought you some of Lotus’ finest sushi and a bottle of Livingston’s Red Zinfandel.”

“Oh, so you wanted to make sure I didn’t eat then!” Victoria responded, scrunching her nose at the idea of seafood.

“Well, I figured you’d say that. Which is why I also stopped at Pinelli’s and ordered for you. You get a choice of the Baked Ziti or the Chicken Vesuvio. But the extra Cannoli is all yours,” he smiled showing her the other bag.

“That’s the Cole I know, always thinking.”

She took large strides covering the rest of the distance between him and her front door and Cole entered the kitchen to grab a few plates as Victoria headed down the hallway to get comfortable. “So, word came back on that guy your department arrested for a minor traffic infraction.”

“It was a speeding ticket. He was going 20 miles over posted in a school zone, that’s not minor at all. And he was driving without a license to boot! He should be grateful though, he got to spend a few nights on the taxpayers’ dime. Plus, I talked Aimes out of booting his Caddy.”

“Yeah well, I don’t think the word ‘grateful’ is in this guy’s vocabulary. Neither is ‘upright’ or ‘law abiding.’ It was Frankie ‘The Fixer’ Bonanno.”

“And is that name supposed to mean something to me?” Victoria called as she turned off the water in the bathroom and started back toward the living room. 

“It should.” His eyes met hers as she turned the corner and he smiled as he looked over her attire. She was wearing a pair of plaid mini shorts and a cropped tank held up by thin spaghetti straps. She had let her hair down and it fell in loose curls around her shoulders framing her face. The one thing that always amazed him about her was how little makeup she wore. Tiny hints of color around her eyes and on her lips were more than enough to accentuate her true beauty. 

And unlike many of the women he’d dated before, she didn’t douse herself in heavy perfumes or lotions. Soft and subtle feminine fragrances delicately caressed her skin and always begged him to lean in for a closer sniff. The two tried their hand at dating about a year ago but, unfortunately, it didn’t work out. It ended amicably and they have been close friends ever since.

Although they often flirt, they never allowed anything serious to happen. Both were afraid of losing themselves once again. It took a moment for him to realize he was staring before he allowed himself to look away and continue on with his conversation. “Uh, he works for Tommy ‘The Breeze’ Calabrese. He’s one of the soldiers for the Calabrese crime family.”

“Mafia? Well, he’s a long way from home, isn’t he? What was he doing here?”

“Scouting new territory? Seeking out new business prospects? Who knows? The point is, your precinct put themselves on Calabrese’s list when they arrested his guy. Word is they are looking for a little bit of payback.” She dropped to the floor beside the Chicken dish Cole had laid out for her and took a sip of her wine.

“Payback? Because of a speeding ticket?” Victoria froze in her tracks and a slight chill ran over her spine as she thought back to her last case of the night. If a man was willing to kill over out of stock pastry, there’s no telling what known criminals of a very violent crime syndicate would do over a dispute with police. “You talk to Mason about this?”

“Nope not yet. I figured I’d give him the complete rundown tomorrow once we get Bonanno out of town. The last thing I want is your police captain jumping the gun and getting in this guy’s face. The FBI has a tail on Bonanno for now since we have nothing to hold him on and driving on suspended license isn’t enough to keep him locked up.”

“Well, legally we can hold him for two months; more if this turns out it wasn’t his first infraction.”

“The only thing that will serve to do is anger these people even more. The Bureau feels it’s best to just let him leave with his tail between his legs and keep an eye on him. You shouldn’t worry though, Vik. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

“I’m not worried,” she sighed and dipped her fork into her meal. “I’m just cautious. There are too many crazies out there these days to not be guarded.”

“You were a hard man to track down, Benny,” a deep, masculine voice echoed in the empty warehouse causing the man to jump from his seat.

“M-m-mister C, sir, h-h-how did…?”

“Did I find you? Let’s just say a little birdy told me.” 

The man snapped his fingers and one of the men in his company tossed a large plastic bag toward Benny. A half burned, severed head fell out of the top and the man screamed in horror as he rushed forward.

“MARY! No! Why? You didn’t have to do that! I was gonna pay you.”

“Oh really? And was that before or after you skipped town?” Kneeling on the ground to gain eye level with the man, Tommy watched as tears formed and rolled down his cheeks. Chuckling cruelly at the man’s pain he gazed at the detached body part with amusement. 

“Benny, Benny, Benny. I’d like to think that I’ve been rather patient with you. I mean, I’m an understanding man. I understand the pros and cons of loaning money. I also understand the consequences for trying to run a game on someone as powerful as me.” The man spoke calmly though it was evident he was all but calm. Tommy Calabrese was a rattlesnake lurking in the bushes, coiled and ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Anyone who knew him knew his hair-trigger temper was nothing to mess with considering he had equally as crazed methods of revenge. “You came to me with a sob story about your family’s business and I ever so graciously lent a hand to help you. And in the face of my generosity what did you do? You packed up your family and ran out on me! Now what’s a guy like me supposed to think when someone does that? Hmm? You don’t know? Well, I’ll tell you! A: they are planning to stiff me and there’s no way in hell I’d ever let that happen. Or B: you were going to the cops about our little arrangement and I have no intentions of seeing the inside of a jail. So really, Benny, you only left me with one choice.”

Tommy pulled away and turned toward one of his associates as he removed a gun from his hip holster. Pulling the grip back on the slide, he checked that the weapon was loaded and ready for action before looking at the grieving man on the ground at his feet. “No, please! I can get you the money, please! I just need more time.”

“Time, I’m afraid, is the only thing you don’t have left.” Squeezing the trigger three times he pumped two bullets into the man’s chest and one in his head. Benny’s corpse slid over the bag containing his wife’s head and bright, crimson fluid quickly covered the ground beneath him. “Here, get rid of this and let’s get out of here,” Tommy instructed as he handed the weapon back to his companion. “I’m in the mood for a Lombardi’s with extra sauce.”

“Yeah, Boss, I could definitely go for a slice.”

“What was that?” A dark figure ducked behind oil barrels in the back corner of the warehouse and Nick Costello started deeper into the dimly lit room in search of it.

“Go with him!” Tommy ordered with a sigh and casually brushed small hairs and lint from his shirt.

The chubbier of the men in his company removed the weapon from his side and slowly moved forward. After looking behind the large crates covering a small area of the warehouse and the oil barrels near the dock doors, Nick circled back around to meet him with a confused look. “Well?”

“Nothing.”

“It was your imagination,” Vito Gambino sighed yet continued following behind Nick as he checked in both sections of the lot.

“I swear I saw something!”

“Well, there’s nothing here now. Come on, the Boss is getting anxious and I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry!”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about him?” Vito asked pointing to the cooling body of Benny Rizzitello.

“Leave ‘em for the cops to find,” Tommy laughed and started for his truck.

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