"Olivia's Kiss" - 5 new articles
Chapter 26Avery gave me a kiss on the cheek and left the deli. I told myself again that everything would be okay.
Albany, 1990 “You’re going to be fine,” I told Mrs. Parker. She pissed me off. I wanted to tell her to quit complaining about her rotten life and shitty husband; her nonsense bothered me. But she was a paying customer and, I’d heard this somewhere, the customer’s always right. I tried to show some respect; after all, my customer was Lorraine Parker, the governor’s wife. Mr. and Mrs. Parker were lousy parents. They paid nannies and butlers to raise their only child, Nikki, and then acted surprised that she grew up hostile. They’d hoped to end up with an Ivy League graduate who’d settle down with a doctor or lawyer and continue the cycle. Instead, they wound up with an Ecstasy addict who liked “rich Spics”. As expected, the governor and his wife were irate. Nikki Parker was in a heap of trouble. Since Mrs. Parker started withholding her allowance, Nikki had been sold to a drug dealer in Rochester. He held Nikki against her will, starved and whipped her according to Mrs. Parker’s sources, and Nikki couldn’t escape. “My husband won’t do a thing because he says it’ll hurt his political career.” Mrs. Parker lit her fourth cigarette in an hour. “It’s up to me. Chico, that’s the Spic’s name, is having a party tonight. He’ll leave Nikki upstairs alone or maybe with one of his bodyguards. Just kill Chico and anyone who gets in your way. Make sure you get Nikki out of there.” “I’ll do my best, Mrs. Parker,” I said. “Oh, and Olivia?” “Yes?” “Make sure Chico suffers.” I tried not to roll my eyes. Later that night, I showed up at the party and watched Nikki prance around on Chico’s arm. She looked happy and content, far from the prisoner her parents described. At twenty years of age, I had little experience with this sort of work and felt overwhelmed. I made my way to the door when Avery Archer walked in and nearly took my breath away. I’d seen Avery around and knew he was a big shot. He didn’t notice me at first, preoccupied with Chico. They acted like old friends but that had to be impossible. Chico, however rich and impressive in Rochester, was nowhere close to Avery’s league. Besides, Avery didn’t hang around drug dealers. He killed them. When Avery saw me, his violet eyes seemed to twinkle. He looked out at the party guests and back at me again. He did this several times. Young and naïve, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Then he winked. I casually walked out the front door and took the first flight home. I never told anyone in my circle that I had seen Avery that night. Not even when Chico’s body was found floating in the Hudson River later that month. Avery paid me a visit, almost a year later, and suggested we combine forces. Best move I ever made. I stood in my bedroom staring at the tin box. The arguments for and against picking it up were compelling: How much trouble awaited me? Trying to rationalize a curiosity, I knew deep down that Max would perform a search and rescue before letting me fry. “To hell with it.” I put on my headset. Reception in the city never worked well, so I walked out to my balcony and listened for Max’s voice. Instead, I heard Billy Joel. I sat down and stared at the buildings while listening to Piano Man along with Max. I imagined him lying in bed, either at home in Washington or on the road, maybe reading the paper or taking a nap. After an hour of easy listening, the music began again. He must have the CD player on a continuous loop. I got up, stretched a bit, and stopped. I looked up at the sky and casually around at all the buildings. After a second or two, I felt calm enough to take a deep breath and swallow. Then I walked inside, threw down the headset and grabbed my gun. With my back against the wall, I peered out of the window and looked at him. He took pictures in my direction, too old and obvious to be one of Max’s men. If the FBI were photographing me, they’d be blocks away and I’d never catch sight of them. I ducked and ran over to the kitchen where I could get a better view. He continued to take pictures, smiling and waving like a fool. After a few minutes, a woman joined him. She took his camera and photographed a few more buildings and birds before they both walked back into the building. “Tourists.” I took my finger off the trigger. I’d check it out to be sure, but only out-of-towners would find dirty buildings and pigeons interesting. I kicked the tin box. “Get me out of here before I kill someone.” I took a nap, but not before locking every door and window. Tight.  Chapter 25Nothing thrilled Avery more than delivering unexpected news. Good or bad, it didn’t matter. After he announced that Julia wanted us to kill her husband, the shocked look on my face surely made Avery’s day and he walked away with a spring in his step. I just couldn’t believe it. My Julia? I shut the door and grabbed a beer.
I wanted to shake the shit out of Julia. How could she have allowed a man to touch her? Did she learn nothing from my experience? I paced around the apartment. What was happening to my childhood friends? All I needed was Rebekah to announce a fur boycott and I’d run screaming to the nearest funny farm, refusing to come out until the universe was in working order again. Once my disbelief subsided, I looked through Avery’s preliminary file on the assignment. He always had a preliminary file with a picture of the victim. I had to see her face for myself to know the job was real. “Shit.” I opened the folder and saw Julia’s wedding picture. Those were the same sad eyes that bothered me back in St. Augustine. Did Avery’s file contain the horror behind them? I turned the page and stared at a picture of Prince Charming. Barry had height and cheekbones that put Benjamin Bratt to shame. A few pictures showed Barry with Julia at various social functions. They were beginning to resemble each other the way couples did after spending years together. I studied his face and memorized every angle and curve. He didn’t look like a batterer; then again, the best never did. I shut my eyes and lay back in bed. The time had come to psych myself up for the ordeal of killing a monster. Normally, I’d envision beatings the victim had incurred, all the humiliations and tragedies. Imagining the wife with tears running down her face, as she tried to hide in closets or under beds, never failed to boil my blood. If I failed to feel inspired, miscarriages and hospital visits were imagined as well. Such daydreaming sessions usually took hours and those visions would sustain me until the job commenced, yet for Julia it took only minutes. The anger grew until I opened my eyes and glared at Barry’s picture; the bastard was toast. Most of the file contained boring information about their law practice; its caseloads, mission statement, and tax returns detailed. They handled mergers, acquisitions, and a few tax fraud cases. Avery’s contact included a picture of Julia’s house in Sarasota. It was a beautiful Spanish-style mansion, with a tiled roof and screened-in pool. The front lawn immaculate and an enormous lake took up most of the backyard. Barry’s black Porsche parked next to Julia’s BMW in the driveway. I looked back at their income and tax forms. Together they pulled in close to $950,000 a year. “Go girl,” I said. The night flew by as I made several phone calls and went over every detail in my mind. I didn’t write anything down. Nice and clean. Planning Barry’s demise was a piece of cake; I had been in business long enough to know how the job should go down. Strategy devised and sharpened until perfect. Julia was the reason New York pulled me back. I knew it. The perfect last job and when completed, I could walk away in peace and start over. I strapped a leash on Bozack and we took off to stretch our legs before dawn. The cool air soothed my nerves. Enterprising young professionals were already heading in to work and their movement provided an excellent atmosphere for contemplation. Perhaps it was best to go out on top, before the job and lifestyle grew meaningless and shallow. Waiting in line at the store, I felt myself being watched and knew Max’s partner was closing in. For the first time in my life, I’d walk away from a fight. The idea scared the shit out of me. After returning home, I watched the sun rise over the city while Gwen Stefani sang from my stereo. I thought about Max and tried to contain my excitement. There were no guarantees; my life wasn’t a romantic movie where the couple lives happily ever after. However, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to give us a try. We belonged together. Avery and I met for breakfast in our favorite joint, Mom’s Place, to discuss the job. “Did you get any sleep?” he asked after the waitress took our order. “Who can sleep with all this excitement going on?” I asked. Before our meeting, I had taken an invigorating shower and allowed my hair to hang down around my shoulders, still slightly wet. Wearing white silk pants and a navy blouse that showed off newly suntanned shoulders, I felt great. “I slept like a baby.” Avery smiled as the waitress brought our breakfast. He looked casual that morning, wearing jeans and a Rangers jersey. However, with the Rolex on his wrist and the diamond in his ear, he still looked like he could buy and sell anyone on Wall Street. “You’ve had a night to weigh the pros and cons. I assume we’re still in?” He sipped his coffee. I nodded. “When you were in Florida, you had no idea that Julia was getting beaten up at home?” “No idea at all. I guess it’s not something you brag about. Look, this is all new to me. I’ve never done a professional hit for a friend before; it’s always been either personal or business with me. Never both at the same time.” “Shit.” Avery chugged his coffee. “I understand you all go way back, but we’re professionals first. Don’t deviate from the plan.” “What do you mean?” “I know you, okay?” He leaned over the table and lowered his voice. “I don’t want us skipping steps just to help out your old buddy. We take this slow and go out in style.” I wanted to make sure I heard him correctly. “This is it?” I asked. “Don’t pretend you haven’t been up all night making arrangements.” We ate in silence, listening to the crowd around us. “We do this right,” Avery said, “and end our career together on a high note.” “You’re in charge.” I licked some grease off my fingers. “Do you know anything that isn’t in the file?” “She offered us five hundred thousand to pull this job.” I whistled. “She already put half that in our Swiss account.” “Nice,” I replied. “Do me a favor and give it back.” Avery stared at me for a second and then put his head on the table. “I’m in charge, my ass,” he mumbled with his head down. “My services are going to be free, but I’m paying you out of my own pocket, Avery. There’s nothing to be concerned about.” Avery perked up and smiled. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about, baby.” “What else?” I asked. “That’s all I know. My associate is doing most of the legwork this time. He’s trustworthy and cheap.” “We’ve used him before, right?” “Yup,” Avery nodded. “You remember Carney Fetzer? We use him during the busy season or when I’ve got other things going on. There’s just a few more days with Debra and the kids before they go home. Do you want me to go down to Florida myself ahead of the game and check anything out?” “No,” I replied. “We’ll wait for the final report and then I’ll contact Julia directly.” “I don’t think you should,” Avery said. “Talking to her ahead of time might elevate this whole thing to a new emotional level.” “I’m not emotional, Avery. You know that.” “I’m wondering about you lately.” “Please.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin and sat back. “Julia and I will work out the final details between the two of us.” I took a deep breath and looked out the window before continuing. Avery wasn’t going to like the rest of my ideas. “I’ll fly down to Florida myself.” “A solo trip is not wise.” As he lectured, the prepared sermon told me he’d anticipated my every thought. Damn. “You’ve always had the ability to talk me out of things in the past,” I interrupted him. “This time, my mind’s made up.” “Oh?” he asked. “And I want this all wrapped up in the next two weeks.” I shut my eyes and waited for Avery to yell at me. “Are you out of your mind?” Avery asked, a little too loud. I opened my eyes. “You are out of your mind,” he said. “We can do it,” I replied. “We usually research for a few months,” Avery said. “This is all wrong. See I knew you’d pull this because you want to rush in and save the day. You’re not thinking clearly.” I continued eating. “Explain, Olivia,” he demanded. “Do you trust me?” I asked. “Without question.” “Okay, then. We’re going out of business, correct?” “We are closing down our business." “Fine,” I said. “I am getting out of this business.” “For now.” “Work with me?” Playing verbal tennis with Avery remained one of my favorite activities. At that moment, I was keenly aware of everything I would miss about him. “I made some phone calls last night and discovered the weather’s getting warmer.” Avery put down his fork and slowly looked around the restaurant. “Is that right?” “We’ll throw them off,” I replied. “I’m back in New York and they know we take our time. Get your contacts in San Francisco to rustle up some action there. Find a situation that looks like something we’d be interested in and by the time they take the bait, Barry will be finished and we’ll be gone.” “If someone’s on to us, then we ought to do this right or not at all.” “We are doing it right. You are barely involved. Number two, the heat’s turning up, but we aren’t on fire. Number three, this final job will be the easiest one ever because Julia is a friend of mine. It’s important for you to understand that I have no hesitations about this. When Julia and I were fifteen, we exchanged friendship pins and promised to always look out for one another. Well, I haven’t been holding up my end of the bargain. So, I am going down there to do right by her.” “Jesus Christ, will you listen to yourself? You’re risking our lives for a promise you made while you were still in a training bra." “I can do this on my own, Avery. I’m ready.” Avery looked away. “Two weeks to tie everything up is fine,” I said. “How many times have you done this on even shorter notice?” “Plenty. Part of this job is always being able to walk away at a moment’s notice.” “See?” Could I really be winning an argument with the master? “What about you?” he asked. “I have everything under control.” I sounded more convinced than I felt. “My little girl’s a woman, now?” Avery asked with a mix of pride and sarcasm. We looked at each other for a long time. “If there are only two weeks left, we better start right now.” He stood, leaving a twenty dollar bill on the table. “We’ve got to tidy up a whole lot of shit. I’ll call you in a couple of hours and check in.” “Thanks for understanding.” “Don’t let it get around,” he said. “It’d ruin my reputation.”  Chapter 24It took two days to reach Manhattan. I drove like the wind and barely stopped to catch my breath. Opening my front door, I almost cried again.
I ordered pizza and started washing my clothes. As I unpacked the tin box, I thought about Max. It had been over a month since we last spoke and I wondered if he still wanted to run away with me. I grabbed my headset and hesitated, wanting to retain a smidge of integrity. Just as I finished my fourth slice of pizza, the doorbell rang. It had to be Max. I flung the door open and Avery stood there with an ear-to-ear grin. “Hey stranger!” I gave him a big hug. He hugged me back, squeezing hard and laughing. “How did you know I was back?” I asked. “The Bellman told me,” he replied. Avery looked great. His hair had grown a little and he, too, had put on a few pounds. “Do I smell pizza?” “Yeah, come on in.” I shut the door behind him. “When did you get back?” “About a week ago.” He looked around. “Got any more?” “Yeah, over here.” Avery opened up the box and whistled. “Wow, you inhaled the shit. Didn’t they feed you in Florida?” “How was I to know you were here?” I asked. “What happened to ‘all summer’?” “I’m still on vacation.” He bit into a slice. “The kids and wife wanted to see the city so here we are.” “No shit,” I replied. “No shit,” he said. “How was Florida?” “It had its moments,” I said. “Good and bad.” “Spill.” I sat down and sighed. The apartment still echoed my every word and breath. It felt good to be home. Even if it was empty. “I got to see how the other half lives so that’s a plus.” I shrugged. “It was fun reliving my youth.” “But—” Avery’s eyes narrowed. He knew me too well. “It wasn’t so great when Sarah broke up with me.” Avery wiped his mouth. “The nun get high and mighty on you?” I loved Avery. Really. However, when I dropped some heavy news, he could at least pretend to be surprised. “Not really,” I said. “We just have different ideas about things.” “You think?” “At least wait five minutes before grating on my nerves,” I told him. “Don’t fret,” he said. “I still love you.” Avery nibbled on his pizza and stared at me. There was no delicate way to ask Avery’s advice and I avoided his eyes for a moment. He was patient. He’d wait. “You look like hell, kid,” he said. “Thanks, Avery. That’s just what I needed to hear.” “It’s not irreversible.” He leaned back in his favorite chair and stretched. “In a few days you’ll be your old self again. Get a manicure and do something about those bangs. You’ll be good as new.” I got up and started pacing. “Let me ask you a question,” I said, carefully. Avery nodded and continued eating. He was ready. “What would you think about calling it quits?” Avery put his pizza down and his violet eyes invaded my thoughts. He tried to read my mind, but I gave him nothing. “You got any beer?” he asked. I opened the fridge and grabbed a Heineken. “Well?” I asked, opening it and handing him the cold beer and a frosty mug. He poured it slowly. “I think about quitting from time to time.” He put the empty bottle in my recycling bin. “When Deb gets on me. Or are you asking what I think about you calling it quits? ‘Cause I’m not sure I have.” “Why not?” I asked. “Too busy thinking about me, I guess.” I smiled. “Good to know.” “How long you been mulling this over?” Avery asked. “Not long.” I gathered some pizza crumbs and let Bozack lick them off my hand. “From time to time it occurs to me that I’ve been in the same line of work for forever and might try something new.” “The nun got to you, is that it?” “I’m not talking about moving to Florida and playing golf until I die.” “I think you should do what you want to do, Olivia. No one has a gun to your head; this ain’t the mafia where you in for life.” I scratched Bozack behind the ears and looked up at my partner. “What would I do without you?” I asked. Avery winked. “Probably get married, pop out some children, and call me three years from now because you’re bored out of your mind.” “What would you do without me?” “I wonder.” Avery looked innocent for a moment. “Maybe I’d go back to Cali and become a dutiful husband and father. Then in a few years I’ll call you because I’m bored out of my mind.” I looked out the window at Central Park. “You’re not putting up much of a fight,” I said. “Fighting a lost cause is beneath me.” Jesus Christ, what was so obvious to everyone except me? “Is this really possible?” I asked. “Are we talking about retiring?” “Not so fast,” he replied. “There is a lot to contemplate. If you plan on leaving, you’ve got to leave everything. Cover all your tracks, tie up every loose end and disappear for good. Too many people will come out of the woodwork to lay traps and snatch up connections. There can’t be reunions, visits with old pals, or trips back to the neighborhood. Do you understand me? Either you in or out; there ain’t no in-between. Don’t do this half-assed, Olivia. If you’re gonna do it, do it right.” “I know, I know.” “Walking away is huge so give yourself some time. This isn’t something you decide on a whim after seeing some friends and getting a guilt trip from a nun.” “Okay.” “Okay.” Avery stood and finished the last of his beer. “You get some rest and unwind. You need to clear that over-thinking head of yours and then we’ll talk some more.” Avery got up and put the empty mug in my sink. I followed him through the foyer to the front door. “Before I forget,” he said, stopping as he got to the door. “An associate of mine down south says that another damsel in distress is looking for us. The money is better than good. Are you interested?” “I thought you were still on vacation?” “Call it a working vacation.” “I don’t know,” I said. “Is it simple?” “It could be,” he said. “What do you say, we’ll go out with a bang?” I thought about it and nodded. “Good,” he replied. “Because she’s a friend of yours. Julia Williams.”  Chapter 23My face grew red as the humiliation tightened in a noose around my neck. Children’s laughter filled my ears; for a moment, I imagined they were laughing at me. Their innocent giggles quickly turned into ugly, raucous adult laughter as my parents’ twisted grins flashed before my eyes.
 Chapter 22“Are you okay?” Sarah joined me outside.
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