The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set (71 page)

“Just head back over here with the receipt, and I’ll have the release papers ready for you when you return,” Bobby called out to Gio’s already retreating back.

“Thanks,” he called back over his shoulder.

*     *     *

Gio had some
time to kill while waiting for Lisa. It hadn’t gone as quickly as he hoped, but once he got word from Bobby that all the paperwork was in, he still had some time to wait. Lisa was being informed of her release now and she would be brought to a room to change into her personal belongings.

That gave Gio at least ten minutes, and he decided to catch up with Andreas’s old partner, Ricky Sylvester. Although they had only been partnered together for three years, they had still worked in the same department, and had maintained a close relationship and friendship. Ricky still worked vice. He brought up the old case involving Gio’s parents, and the Rosedale Romeo. He informed Gio that he still spent some time each month looking at unsolved crimes in the nation to see if the murderer would become active again. So far he was still coming up empty. The Romeo had gone cold turkey since he had managed to escape their clutches when they had tightened the noose around him.

“Yeah, Andreas still looks too.” Gio nodded. His brother would never completely give up his attempt to solve that crime. It was his one obsession.

One piece of new knowledge that Ricky revealed to Gio was that he’d just remarried. Ricky and his previous wife had divorced five years ago. Lack of time at home had put a strain on their marriage. But his new wife was also a detective and got him, he smiled in the telling. She was also his new partner. They’d been working together for a year now. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon. Gio congratulated him and asked him if Andreas knew.

“Nah, I haven’t told him yet. Me and Penny have been keeping it on the down low for quite some time. It just kind of happened.” Gio was just finishing congratulating Ricky when the door behind the Sergeant’s desk opened. And there she was, Lisa, with her fiery hair coming to rest past her shoulders. That hair, like silk, still took his breath away.

Ricky noticed Gio’s sudden quiet, and shook his head. He knew Gio had gone to hell and back with Lisa once upon a time. He hoped him helping her out of this mess didn’t get him all tangled up emotionally again.

“Okay buddy, I see you got your hands full, but give my best to Andreas and the others. I’ll let you get on with it. I know you got a lot to do. But if you need anything just give me a call.”

“Will do. Thanks, Ricky.” Gio gave Ricky his hand and they shook briefly before Gio turned and made his way towards Lisa.

*     *     *

Lisa had already
spotted him, but she remained rooted to the spot waiting for him to approach her. Despite the noise and activity going on in the precinct, it felt like she was in a vacuum, and at the end of the tunnel was Gio. He still looked good, better in fact. He was no longer the boy she once loved. He was bigger, broader. And even more devastatingly handsome. The only difference in his face were a few small lines and the dour expression. Happy go lucky Gio, it seemed, didn’t exist anymore. And she knew she was a big reason for that haunted look upon his face. She hated having to put him into this legal mess and calling him for help. But she had no choice. Johnny’s life was on the line, and so was hers. And for that matter Gio’s could be too, once Albert found out he was helping her. She vowed to herself that she would try desperately to rectify at least some of the past.

“Lisa.” Gio’s one word of greeting was done with a brief curt nod.

“Thank you, Gio. You’ve never let me down.” The words sounded trite but they were true. When he hadn’t been in the courtroom she panicked, but then the message came that he was coming, but would just be late. Relief swept through her. She needed to be out of jail, not only to build her case and prove her innocence, but she needed to get Johnny out of Albert’s clutches. He never spent much time with her son, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try something now. She also had a lot more to tell Gio. Working up the courage to do just that was difficult. Her apologies would be sincere, but even if he never forgave her, she knew she could at least finally give him the truth. That’s all that mattered now.

“Well, let’s go.” Gio spoke the words, and turned expecting her to follow. He called over his shoulder as she caught up with him, “I haven’t been able to rent a car yet, so we’ll have to take the train.”

Lisa nodded. “Where we headed?” she asked. She’d been in the courtroom when the judge had issued her special instructions. She was to be taken charge of by Gio. Yet another reason for him to resent her. She didn’t bring that up. When the judge had spoken those words, and her lawyer looked at her funny, Lisa sat quietly. Judge O’Malley, she knew, had been one of Gio’s conquests after she had married Albert. He had quite a long list from the rumors she had heard. And although it had pained her each time someone dropped a name in her presence, she understood. She had no rights to him anymore, held no claim on his heart.

Gio’s response was a grunt and then an explanation. “My parents’ place in Rosedale. It’s close enough to the city but far enough away from . . . Er, Albert.”

Lisa nodded, but Gio didn’t see that. He was headed to the doors that led back out onto the street. Lisa followed.

*     *     *

Wordlessly they slipped
out of the precinct and down the flight of stairs onto the sidewalk below. She continued to follow Gio down the block to the corner, so they could catch the subway and then eventually the train leading out to the island. It wouldn’t take long. Rosedale was just outside of the city.

In the subway, Gio paid the ticket taker behind the bulletproof glass for two tickets also purchasing the train tickets at the same time. She was about to offer her own funds but he just indicated with a swish of his hand that he would take care of it. She had some money on her. She had plenty in the bank too, but had been informed by the judge that her assets would be frozen as she posed a flight risk.

She’d known that was coming ahead of time. She had enough to cover the bail in one of her bank accounts and also her attorney’s fees which she had paid up front. She had also taken out as much cash as she could knowing she’d need some walking around money until her trial and her vindication. Her small purse carried all that she had. About $6000 in cash. She also had a few pieces of jewelry she could hock if she needed to. Her allowance, one hundred thousand a year during the course of her marriage, was now frozen. But that didn’t bother her. She had hardly touched the Rasmussen blood money preferring to live comfortably, but not ostentatiously either.

The subway was crowded and they had to stand. But it was only four stops until they reached the train station.

The wait for the train wasn’t long either, only five minutes. Gio busied himself on his phone, and she stood silently not knowing what to say. When the train arrived, there were plenty of seats. The commuters wouldn’t be heading home for another hour. It was just 4:30.

The train ride into Rosedale she knew from long experience was less than half an hour. She was surprised when they got off the train, how quickly the time had passed. Again Gio was silent for the whole trip. He took the seat across from her on the aisle and busied himself on his phone. She reminded herself to pick up a charger for her own when she was able. She spent her time looking out the high-speed train windows watching the city fly by thinking about her son, their son, and she knew one of the first things she had to do was to tell Gio about Johnny. It was going to be a very painful conversation. And still she had no idea how to start.

When the train reached their destination, Gio was up before the train stopped moving and got a dirty look from one of the conductors for those actions. Once the train finally stopped, Lisa got up with her small bag strapped over her shoulder. She followed Gio out the sliding doors and down the steps that lead to the parking area. It was a ten minute walk to Gio’s house from here.

Gio walked briskly and she had to rush to keep up with his much longer strides. She wasn’t short either. At five foot nine, her legs just managed to keep up with his brisk pace. Just before turning onto the block that Gio’s parent’s house was on, and her own, there was a convenience store. Gio spoke to her for the first time. “We need to stop in here and get some supplies. I haven’t had time to shop.”

Lisa nodded and then Gio turned once again with Lisa on his heels. They walked down the few aisles of grocery products this convenience store supplied and Gio threw staples into the basket he carried. Once he was able to rent a car tomorrow, he figured he do a better job of grocery shopping. They needed a few things for tonight and tomorrow morning. But getting a car was important, he reminded himself. He needed to bring Lisa by her attorney’s in the afternoon. That meant another trip back into Manhattan.

He watched as Lisa grabbed a few items, as well as the personal products she would need, and he also noted she was carrying a basket of her own. He just shook his head and turned away not wanting to be caught staring.

In his basket, he threw in pasta, canned tomatoes, sauce. Easy fixings for him. Lisa continued to trail behind him and he avoided looking at her or making small talk.

“Let’s get out of here. I’ll come back tonight after I take stock of what we have,” Gio muttered angrily. He hadn’t meant the words to come out so harsh but just knowing that he was stuck with Lisa for however long was really beginning to get under his skin. Being alone with her also scared the hell out of him.

“Okay,” she replied, softly trailing behind Gio. He hadn’t even bothered to turn back or make eye contact with her the whole time they had been shopping. She knew all the reasons why. And yet there was still so much more to tell him. She didn’t expect his forgiveness, but hoped someday he would at least understand.

Gio proceeded to the checkout line. He was thankful no one in the store recognized him and delayed them leaving. The checkout lady looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t someone he knew personally. Her eyes lit up though when she saw Lisa.

“Lisa, is that you?” The older woman queried squinting at them and giving Gio a thorough once over once she had recognized Lisa.

“Yes, it’s me. Hi Matilda. It’s nice to see you again.”

“What brings you back to the old neighborhood?” she asked immediately getting to the point. Gio inwardly groaned, as he placed Matilda. She was one of his childhood friend’s great aunts, and known for being quite the gossip.

“Matilda you know very well what’s going on with me, as I’m sure the whole town does. I’m out on bail and working for my defense.”

The older woman had the temerity to blush. “Sorry Lisa. Just making small talk. I hope everything works out for you. Albert was always someone in the neighborhood we thought would be heading down the wrong path, if you know what I mean.”

Lisa knew the older woman’s words were meant to provide some kind of solace, but she just brushed it off. Quickly changing the subject Lisa introduced Gio. “You remember Gio Marino, don’t you?”