Dangerous Kiss (42 page)

'Is there a nurse coming? A doctor?'

'Of course,' he said, his face expressionless. 'I have everything arranged.'

'When will they arrive?'

'I have to meet them tomorrow, bring them here myself. This place is too isolated for them to find without me to guide them. There is no other house for thirty miles.'

She looked at him with hope in her eyes, anxious for the well-being of her baby.

'Are you sure this will work?'

'Yes, Brigette. You wanted help, and I am giving it to you.'

'Thank you, Carlo,' she whispered. 'Thank you so very much.'

Chapter Sixty-seven

The first day of the trial, Steven was up at five thirty a.m. After taking a shower he called Lina in the Caribbean where she was working on a modelling job.

'Hello, you,' she said affectionately, taking the call in her room. 'This is telepathy.

I was just about to pick up the phone, only I thought it was too early in LA and you'd be snoring.'

'You know I don't snore,' he said, delighted to hear her quirky voice.

'I've 'eard a peep or two,' she said, laughing.

'What were you going to say to me?'

'Oh, y' know, wish you good luck an' all. An' tell you I'm on a plane out of here and back to LA this afternoon.'

'That's great,' he said. 'Only you do know that you can't come to court with me.

The publicity on this trial is outrageous. If they even get a sniff that you and I are seeing each other…'

'Right,' she agreed. 'I 'aven't told a soul.'

'Somebody showed me one of the tabloids last week,' he said casually, trying not to sound as if he cared. 'You and Charlie Dollar walking around the lake at the Bel Air Hotel smoking grass. How do they get those pictures?'

'Some schmuck lurkin' in the bushes with a telephoto lens,' she said, matter-of-factly. 'Anyway, that was before you. I've got a new motto now.'

'And what would that be?'

'BS. An' I don't mean bullshit.' She giggled. 'BS stands for Before Steven.

Nothing mattered Before Steven.'

'You're a very impulsive woman.' A beat. 'When are you coming?'

'Now, if I could,' she said with a dirty laugh.

'Don't talk like that, Lina,' he admonished.

'Oh, yeah, right. That's how I used to talk BS.' She giggled again. 'You're really a big old handsome prude, aren't you?'

'Enough with the big.'

'You should be flattered. I was referring to your dick!'

'Have you got the key I gave you?' he said, choosing to ignore her ribald comment.

'I wear it around my neck when I sleep. It sort of reminds me of you.'

'She's a romantic too.'

'Aren't you?'

'I used to be.' He sighed.

'Do you realize I 'aven't even looked at another guy since you an' I got together?

It's the first time I'm not into eyeballing other men.'

'That's encouraging.'

' 'Ow about you?'

'I never look at other guys,' he said, mock-serious.

'Glad you 'aven't lost your sense of humour.'

'I'll probably lose it today, sitting there staring at that girl's face. Jesus! I'm going to be facing the person who murdered my wife - shot her for no reason. What kind of monster is she?'

'At least they caught her. That's gotta, make you feel good.'

'Nothing's good about this whole mess, Lina. Except now, when I wake up in the morning, I thank God I found you. You've managed to put a little bit of happiness back in my life.'

' 'Ave you told Carioca I'm comin' t' stay?' she asked curiously, because above all else she wanted his daughter to like her.

'Yes. She's excited. Thinks you're the best thing since fried chicken.'

'Oooh, did I ever tell you I can make fried chicken?' Lina said proudly, for she was not known for her culinary skills. 'I was 'anging with this rap star, and 'e was, like, into cooking. So he taught me.'

'I do not care to hear what any other man taught you - okay?'

'Okay,' she said, laughing. 'See you tonight. Keep the bed warm. Oh, and, Steven, don't forget, I'll be thinking of you.'

He hung up with a thoughtful expression. He hadn't intended to embark on an affair so soon after Mary Lou's death, but Lina was something else. She was unique, and once he'd calmed her down, and got her to realize that liking somebody did not mean immediately jumping into bed with them, then they'd been able to take the time to get to know each other.

They'd gone out on three dates before anything had happened. On their second date he'd presented her with an AIDS test certificate, and asked if she'd mind doing the same. 'Bloody 'ell,' she'd commented, all haughty and pissed off.

'Nobody ever asked me t' do that before.'

'Which is exactly why I'm asking you,' he'd said. 'I have responsibilities. A wonderful little daughter. Not that I'm casting any doubts, Lina, but you don't exactly come across like a vestal virgin.'

'Ooh,' she'd said, grinning, liking him too much to stay angry. 'What's a vestal virgin?'

She made him smile, which was a good thing. And once Carioca got used to seeing another woman around the house, she was crazy about her, too. Not that Lina had moved in, she stayed with them when she was in LA. Most of the time she travelled around the world on modelling assignments.

When they'd first got together, he'd reasoned with her exactly the same way he'd reasoned with Mary Lou at the beginning of their relationship. 'There's a big age difference,' he'd warned her. 'You live a different kind of lifestyle. I have a young daughter, responsibilities. We're not a good match.'

She'd held his face in her hands and kissed him very, very slowly, her tongue snaking in and out of his mouth. And suddenly none of the differences had mattered.

He reached for the phone and called Lucky. 'Should I pick you up?' he asked.

'No, I'm taking my own car,' she answered, as she finished getting dressed. 'At lunch recess I'm planning to drive over to the production offices. We start principal photography in a few weeks, I need to see what's going on.'

'What will you do when you see Lennie?'

'Don't worry,' she said calmly. 'I'm sure we'll be polite to each other.'

'That's a relief.'

'The thing I'm really pissed about is the way everyone's being dragged through the tabloids,' she said, putting on a pair of silver hoop earrings. 'Jesus, Steven, I've tried to live in a very private way, now they're digging up any kind of dirt simply to sell papers. They're vultures.'

'Mary Lou realized that,' Steven said. 'She's an innocent victim, and look at all the trash they're writing about her.'

'Yes, and they're dredging up crap about Gino being a former Mafia boss - which is total bullshit. And me shooting Enzio Bonnatti all those years ago. It was self-defense for Chrissakes. What does it have to do with anything?'

'Self-defense?' Steven questioned, his tone quizzical. 'I was there - remember?'

'Hey,' Lucky said indignantly. 'He tried to rape me. He deserved what he got.'

'And it had nothing to do with the fact that he was the man who ordered a hit on your mother, brother and boyfriend?'

'Steven,' she said, her black eyes glittering dangerously as she cradled the phone under her chin, 'Enzio Bonnatti got his. Santangelo justice works its own way.'

'So I found out.'

'Well, you should know, you were the DA at the time. Talk about fate.'

'Right. I'll never forget that day.'

'Neither will I, Steven.' She sighed. 'Neither will I.'

Chapter Sixty-eight

Flanked by his publicist, bodyguard and lawyer, Price attempted to enter the courthouse. The media, gathered outside, flew into a frenzy. This was the story of the moment, and they were out to capture every single detail. Several helicopters hovered overhead as the press rushed Price. 'We have no comment,' Howard said, as the bodyguard pushed a path through the crush.

Teddy had been smuggled into the courtroom earlier. Price had not wanted his son subjected to the glare of the media. As it was, Price had read things about himself that even he couldn't begin to believe.

Howard had suggested that Ginee arrive with him. 'No way,' Price had argued.

'I'm not gettin' photographed with that greedy user.'

'It's good for your image,' Howard had said. 'She's a big fat mama. Every fat woman across America will identify with her.'

'Bullshit,' Price had responded. 'Nobody wants to identify themselves with Ginee.

They all wanna look like Whitney Houston. I am not being photographed with her. Don't even think about it.'

'You have to sit next to her in the courtroom,' Howard had pointed out.

'Fine. I'll do that. Shit! I'm payin' her to be there.'

The criminal defense attorney they'd hired, Mason Dimaggio, was one of the best in Los Angeles. Price was more than satisfied.

A large, imposing man with florid features, Mason was a character.

He was always a sartorial delight in a three-piece, pinstriped suit, and a large cowboy hat. The suit and the hat made for an incongruous combination, but Mason seemed to know what he was doing, and he had an impeccable reputation. He'd gotten off twin sisters who'd shot their uncle just so they could borrow the uncle's Ferrari for the night. He'd also pleaded the case of a female serial killer, who'd murdered three rich old husbands. Somehow or other, he'd made it look like they'd asked for it, and his client had walked.

'Don't worry about a thing,' Mason had informed Price at their first meeting. 'It'll cost you, but I can assure you your boy will be walking.'

'The sooner this is over and done with, the better,' he'd responded.

'We got the case on an accelerated schedule,' Mason had said with an expansive smile. 'Can't do more than that.'

'What about the girl?'

'Mila Kopistani has a court-appointed lawyer. He takes care of her, and I take care of Teddy.' A confident smile. 'Now, I ask you, Mr Washington, who do you think will come out of this smelling like Madonna on a good day?'

Teddy knew he must look like the geek of all time. They had him in some kind of Brooks Brothers button-down white shirt and a dark blue suit. They'd also insisted that he get a real short haircut. And Mason Dimaggio had forced him to wear glasses, giving him the studious, serious image they were obviously going for.

'When you're on that witness stand,' Mason had informed him, in his loud, booming voice, 'you make sure you talk nicely at all times. No jive talk, no slang.'

A long meaningful pause. 'And no black talk.'

'What's black talk?' Teddy had asked rudely, not sure if he liked the overbearing, bossy attorney.

'I think you know what I mean,' Mason had answered. 'If you listen to me at all times, you'll walk away, Teddy, and the girl will stay in jail. But you start screwing with what I tell you, boy, and it could be you who ends up in jail. Remember, initially their sympathy will be with her.'

'Why's it gonna be with her?' he'd asked. 'She's the one who did it.'

'That's what you say. And, fortunately, so does Lennie Golden. But it's just you and him against this poor little white girl who'll come into court looking as innocent as apple pie. And never forget - you're black and this is America.'

Teddy, who'd never experienced racism, had no real idea what Mason was getting at. But he was prepared to obey him, because Price had impressed upon him that he was fighting for his life, and therefore he realized the seriousness of the situation.

There were times, though, when he couldn't help wondering what was going through Mila's head. She'd been locked up in jail for a while. Was she frightened like he was? Or was she braving it out in her usual sassy way? He'd been dying to ask Irena how she was doing, but Price had forbidden him to talk to Irena about anything.

'I really shouldn't keep her,' Price had griped, 'but my life would fall apart without her.'

After his one meeting with his mother, Teddy had expected her to call, or at least ask to see him again before they landed up in court. She didn't do either. That one visit was it.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Price enter the courtroom. He was grateful his father was there, for he knew what an ordeal it must be for him to brave the photographers and news crews milling around outside.

Shortly after Price arrived, Ginee made her own flamboyant entrance. She had ignored Mason and Howard's advice about how she should look, and was all done up in a leopardskin jumpsuit, an outfit that emphasized every one of her overly ample curves. Over it she wore a shaggy red shawl, huge red plastic earrings, and a this-is-my-moment-in-the-sun smile on her overly made-up face.

Teddy heard Mason mutter curses under his breath. Then Mason and Howard huddled in a furious discussion.

Oblivious to the fuss her entrance had caused, Ginee settled in next to Price. 'I was gonna bring my little doggy,' she confided to her uninterested ex-husband,

'only some dunce told me dogs aren't allowed in here. Asshole!'

Price threw her a glare. 'Didn't the lawyers instruct you to dress down?'

'You think I wanna look like some kinda skunk for all those photographers outside?' she countered. 'This could be a big moment for my career.'

'What career?'

'You're not the only one with a goddamn career, Price. After we split I took up singing. An' I have quite a voice.'

'Singing?' he said, choking back his amazement. 'You can't even carry a tune.'

'That's what you think,' she replied smugly. 'Truth is, I got a real Diana Ross thing goin', an' plenty of people know it.'

'The whole point of you being here,' Price said, curbing his irritation, 'is to give Teddy a united family image. Right now you look like you wandered in off Hollywood Boulevard.'

'Screw you!' Ginee snapped. 'I'm here, ain't I?'

'You're here 'cause I'm payin' you to be here,' he muttered. 'Dress down tomorrow, or don't bother comin'.'

'Screw you!' she repeated.

Price clenched his jaw. Last night he'd heard from his agent that his upcoming movie had been put on hold indefinitely. Fuck the movies! Who needed to be a movie star? He made his living with on-the-edge comedy. There should be plenty of material from this little adventure by the time they were finished.