Disclaimer: I own nothing.
I rolled Officer Black's card between my fingers over and over as I lay on my bed, unable to find sleep yet again. When the orange and pink hues of the rising sun painted my bedroom walls I knew it was time to get up and get going.
Dressing quickly in a pair of jeans and a cream colored sweater I descended the stairs to the kitchen to load my bag with a few snacks and my Ipad before headed to the door to pull on my boots and jacket. Easing the front door open with minimal noise I'm able to escape the confines of the house without waking my father who had fallen asleep in the recliner, laptop still glowing in his lap. I pulled the truck out of the garage and was headed in the direction of the Diner moments later.
As I pulled open the door to the diner I was hit with the sound of easy listening radio and the smell of bacon. Heeding the 'please seat yourself' sign, I slipped into a booth at the far corner overlooking the parking lot and main road.
"What can I getcha hun?" said a sweet looking woman dressed in a light pink apron with the name tag 'Angela' pinned to the strap. Her dark hair was piled on top of her head in a neat bun, and below the apron, she sported a white t-shirt, blue jeans and a comfortable looking pair of white sneakers.
"A coffee and a short stack, please." I said, glancing at the plastic covered menu lying on the table on top of the paper placemat that donned each seat within the diner.
"Sure thing sweetie." She replied, pushing her glasses further up the bridge of her nose and jotting down my order on a small pad before turning and heading in the direction of the kitchen. She was back moments later filling my mug with coffee and sliding a small bowl filled with chilled creamers onto the table.
I unrolled my napkin wrapped silverware, pulling out the spoon, noticing that I was the only patron so far today. After dumping in 3 packets of sugar and 2 creamers into my coffee, I absentmindedly stirred the creamy colored concoction while leaning back onto the faded blue vinyl padded booth taking in the sight of the diner around me.
Identical booths lined the wall of windows at the front, followed by a handful of white 4 top tables, and a small breakfast bar with about a dozen stools separated the kitchen from the rest of the diner. The blue walls held pictures of the diner in different seasons throughout the years and there was a small clock hanging above the door to the kitchen that I could hear ticking from time to time as the easy listening station transitioned between songs.
Angela returned a few moments later with a warmed plate piled high with butter topped pancakes and a small syrup dispenser. She tossed a "holler if you need anything" over her shoulder as she made her way back to the breakfast bar where a crossword puzzle was waiting for her.
I dug into the warm pancakes after soaking them in syrup and looked up and down the main road of town towards the library where I would be spending the day looking into the people who made my life so difficult.
With a full belly and a contented sigh I placed my knife and fork onto my now empty plate and took another swig of coffee before heading over to Angela ready to pay my tab and be on my way.
"That'll be $5.50 hun." She said tapping the keys on the register to display the amount due. I handed over a ten waving off the offer of change and zipped my coat up as I made my way towards the door.
"You be safe out there darlin." She said as I pulled the door open. "And just so you know, you've got some eyes on you." I stopped dead in my tracks. "Across the street, your 9 o'clock."
I looked up and to the left and sure enough, parked just close enough to make out was the silver Volvo I knew so well.
"Thanks." I said over my shoulder, shutting the door and walking off to the right towards the library. The smell of stale paper wafted over me as I entered the library, quickly pulling the door closed behind me. The click of the door echoed in the quiet of the large open room. I smiled politely at the little older woman at the counter who was re-shelving books, and made my way over to the small area of tables in the far left corner.
I sat down and pulled out my Ipad shrugging out of my jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. Logging into the library's WIFI service I pulled up my search engine from yesterday where I had tagged some sites about 'Crazy Phil'. It seemed that in addition to becoming a government informant, Phil had also published a book under his full name Phillip Leonetti.
Leaving my belongings on the table I walked over to the biography section slipping into the 'LMN' aisle. About halfway down the aisle I found the book I was looking for.
Mafia Prince: Inside America's Most Violent Crime Family and The Bloody Fall of La Cosa Nostra.
A younger version of Phil graces the cover, and as I flip it over to the back a small sentence at the bottom catches my eye.
He lives in seclusion under an assumed name with a $500,000.00 bounty placed on his head from his jailed uncle Nicky Scarfo.
The hair on the back of my neck stands up and all at once the book is knocked from my hands as I am spun around and pressed into the book shelf as Edward stands in front of me with a look that says 'don't you dare make a noise'. He lifts a finger to his mouth in a shhhh motion, but doesn't make a sound. Its then that I hear someone talking to the little old lady at the counter.
"Have you seen this girl?" I hear a deep voice ask.
"Sure have, she came in about 20 minutes ago. I think she's over by the study tables over there." I hear the older lady answer.
Edward grabs my hand and pulls me behind him to the end of the aisle. As we carefully make our way along the back end of the library I see the back of a tall man in a black suit with jet black cropped hair. I'm pulled down a small corridor that houses the restrooms and an emergency exit for the library. Edward stops looking at the exit briefly then up to the sign just above the door that says 'alarms sounds when door is opened'. Cursing under his breath, he pulls me towards the bathrooms. He debates for a moment before yanking me into the Men's room locking the door behind him.
"Don't move and don't make a sound." He warns as he makes his way to the last stall. I hear a slight creak and then feel the cool air rush towards me. Edward appears a moment later and pulls me into the stall behind him towards the window he has opened. Luckily we are on the first floor, but the window is high enough up that Edward has to give me a boost before I'm able to throw my leg up and over dropping down onto the grass below. Edward follows a moment later and then leads me along the side of the building as he surveys the surroundings.
We continue on to the next building and then the next two after that until we round the corner leading us back to the main street where the Volvo is parked. It chirps to life and I don't hesitate a moment when he says "get it".
Review
l
l
l
l
V