Revenge
Chapter 12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Fred. Fred. Fred, would you just calm down and listen to me for a minute?" Faith said into the cell phone as Bosco drove the car back to the House. Faith was calling Fred at work to tell him what was going on, that the kids were okay, and that she was leaving work to go home.
Bosco could hear Fred yelling on the other end of the phone and just shook his head. He could understand how pissed he was. Someone had gone after his family and it was all because of Bosco apparently. He was mad and he was scared. Bosco hated to admit it, but he was a little nervous about it too. This guy had come too close. He tried to hurt people he loved. He had to find this guy before anyone got hurt. He tuned back in to the last bit of Faith's phone conversation.
"Okay, Fred. I'll see you there. No. Donaldson will stay with them until I get there - even if you get there before me. Yeah. Call your Mom, tell her we're coming for a visit. But, call her from work in case this mope has our phone bugged or something," she added, looking over at Bosco and seeing the anger on his face. "Okay. I'll get there as quick as I can," she finished, hanging up the phone.
She looked over again at Bosco, not sure if she should say anything or not, when he finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, Faith," he said, quietly.
"Bosco. Don't even go there. This is NOT your fault," she told him. He shook his head.
"No. I did something to this jag-off. I don't know what, but I'm gonna find out and I'm gonna find him. If anything had happened to Emily and Charlie - or any one of those kids playing in the park for that matter - because of me, I don't know what I'd do," he said as he pulled into the House and parked the car. He looked over at Faith.
"So, you're goin' to Fred's parent's house?" he asked her.
"Yeah," Faith said, nodding. "Why don't you stay at your Mom's or something - somewhere that he can't find you," Faith suggested.
"Nah. I've put enough people in danger. I'll just stay at my place, call in to the station every hour and keep my eyes open for this guy. He's gotta try to get to me again soon. But, this time I'll be ready for him," he told her.
"Just be careful, Bos. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not after all we've been through to get back to where we are now," she said as they gathered their things up and got out of the car.
"Thanks, Faith. For everything. I mean, if not for you, I don't know what would've happened to me. You're my best friend, Faith," he said.
"Same here, Bos," Faith added and they walked toward the station to get changed.
"I don't want you taking the train home. I'll drive you, check in with Donaldson, and wait until you, Fred and the kids are on your way to your in-laws," he told her, more than asked her.
"Okay," she said simply and they went inside to get changed and head home.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Later that night, Bosco lay on top of the covers of his bed. It was a dark night, the moon seemed to be hiding behind the clouds. He watched the headlights from passing cars play through his window and across his wall. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Something was nagging at him - more than just what happened this afternoon with Emily and Charlie - but he couldn't put his finger on it.
The phone rang and after the fourth ring he picked it up. "Hello?" he answered warily.
"Maurice? Are you alright?" came her voice from the other end.
Bosco smiled and said, "Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I'm sorry I haven't called you. Something's been going on and I didn't want you in the middle of it," he said and explained what had been happening for the past few days, including what happened that afternoon with Faith's kids.
After he'd finished, she said, "Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Come stay with me," Trish told him.
"No. I'm not staying with anyone. I don't want anything to happen to anyone that I care about," he said, pausing.
"I've missed you," he said finally.
"Me too. So, what're you doing about this guy?" she asked him. He explained about Faith taking her family out of town and him warning his mother and brother. He told her about the trace on his phone.
"So, I guess I shouldn't say anything too risqué, huh?" she teased him.
"Oh, I don't know. In addition to me, you'd be giving the guy listening to the tapes a thrill," he teased back.
"There's someone listening right now?!" she asked with surprise.
"Maybe," he told her.
"I'm worried about you, Maurice," she said to him.
"Don't be. I'll be fine. I'll call you when I can and as soon as this is done with, I'll be over, okay?" he assured her.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything. I mean it," she insisted.
"I will. Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight, Maurice. Take care of yourself and call me soon. I really miss you," he heard as she hung up the phone.
He hung up the phone and thought about his feelings for her. This could really be the one. He hoped she felt the same way.
*^*^*^*^*^**^**^
He lay on the bed, unable to sleep from all the thoughts running through his head. Finally, he got up and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and as he reached for the orange juice, he heard it - a slight brushing noise against his front door. He closed the refrigerator and quietly walked toward the door. He reached into the drawer of the table near the front door and quietly took out his off-duty gun. He looked out through the peephole, but couldn't see anything. Again, he heard a noise along the bottom of the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly started to turn it, sure that the noise would alert whoever was out there. He decided to just pull the door open and have his gun ready.
He pulled the door open quickly, bringing his gun up in front of him. "Don't move!" he yelled and then realized that he was pointing his gun at his neighbor's face. He put the gun down at his side.
"Max! What are you doing out there?" Bosco asked, stepping out and looking up and down the hallway, his hand on Max's neck, ready to pull him out of harm's way if he needed to. He pulled the boy into his apartment and squatted down even with him.
"I was supposed to put this under your door after you went to sleep," Max told him, holding up an envelope. Bosco took the envelope from him and started to open it.
"Who told you to?" he asked the frightened, young boy. Max thought that Bosco was mad at him.
"Your friend. He said that your birthday was tomorrow and he wanted to leave you a card to open when you got up. Happy Birthday, Bosco!" Max said, with a smile, hoping to take away Bosco's anger.
Bosco looked at the young man and realized that he'd scared the boy. "Thanks, Max," he said with a smile. "But, it's not really my birthday. When did the man give you the envelope?" he asked him calmly.
"After you came inside," Max answered. Bosco had come home from work after dropping Faith off and Max was outside playing on the sidewalk. They sat together on the sidewalk and talked for a while until Bosco told him he had to go upstairs.
"What else did he say, Max?" Bosco asked him, walking him back to his apartment.
"Nothing. He just said that his name was Paul and that he was a friend of yours. Said that tomorrow was your birthday and that I should put that under your door so you would see it in the morning," Max explained.
"Okay, here you are," Bosco said, stopping in front of Max's apartment. "Can you get back in?"
"Yeah, I left it unlocked," Max answered.
"Okay. Thanks for bringing me the envelope. But, do me a favor okay," he asked the boy. Max just looked up at him, ready to do anything for this police officer that is his friend.
"If you see this guy again, don't go near him. I want you to tell your Mom to call the police - or call me if I'm here. He's not a friend of mine, Max. He's someone who is not a friend. Okay? Do you understand?" Bosco asked, wanting to make sure that Max understood that the man was dangerous without trying to scare him too much.
"Okay, Bosco. I'm sorry," Max said, putting his hand on the doorknob.
"Don't be sorry, Max. You didn't do anything wrong - except sneak out of your apartment without telling your Mom, but that will be our little secret, okay?" Bosco said, tousling the boy's hair as he sent him back inside. "Lock the door, okay?"
"Okay. G'night, Bosco," Max whispered.
"G'night," Bosco whispered back, waiting until the door was closed and he heard the click of the lock.
*^*^*^*^**^
Bosco went back into his apartment and locked the door behind him. He opened the envelope and looked at the card. It was a sympathy card. "Sorry for your loss," it read. Nothing else. The only other thing was his signature. "Your friend, Paul." A shiver ran down Bosco's spine as he thought about who this guy would go after next. He had called his mother and Mikey earlier to warn them about someone named Paul that may come looking for him. He gave them the details so that they could be aware. Each of them refused to leave town and wanted Bosco to come stay with him. He declined and told them to be careful.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Bosco said out loud, slamming his hand on the counter.
Bosco finished getting his juice and then headed back into the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and lay there trying to remember where he might know this guy from. Finally, he fell asleep and a dream started.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bosco was back at the store taking the information from the guy that wouldn't buy anything. He looked over at Faith as she talked to the owner of the store, trying to calm him down.
"What's your name?" Bosco asked him.
"Paul Richards," the man answered.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bosco sat up straight in the bed, suddenly remembering the man's name - Paul Richards. He jumped out of bed and dialed the Desk Sergeant.
"Hey, Sgt. Matthews. It's Boscorelli. I need to talk to the detectives," Bosco said into the phone and was connected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC....
Chapter 12
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Fred. Fred. Fred, would you just calm down and listen to me for a minute?" Faith said into the cell phone as Bosco drove the car back to the House. Faith was calling Fred at work to tell him what was going on, that the kids were okay, and that she was leaving work to go home.
Bosco could hear Fred yelling on the other end of the phone and just shook his head. He could understand how pissed he was. Someone had gone after his family and it was all because of Bosco apparently. He was mad and he was scared. Bosco hated to admit it, but he was a little nervous about it too. This guy had come too close. He tried to hurt people he loved. He had to find this guy before anyone got hurt. He tuned back in to the last bit of Faith's phone conversation.
"Okay, Fred. I'll see you there. No. Donaldson will stay with them until I get there - even if you get there before me. Yeah. Call your Mom, tell her we're coming for a visit. But, call her from work in case this mope has our phone bugged or something," she added, looking over at Bosco and seeing the anger on his face. "Okay. I'll get there as quick as I can," she finished, hanging up the phone.
She looked over again at Bosco, not sure if she should say anything or not, when he finally broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, Faith," he said, quietly.
"Bosco. Don't even go there. This is NOT your fault," she told him. He shook his head.
"No. I did something to this jag-off. I don't know what, but I'm gonna find out and I'm gonna find him. If anything had happened to Emily and Charlie - or any one of those kids playing in the park for that matter - because of me, I don't know what I'd do," he said as he pulled into the House and parked the car. He looked over at Faith.
"So, you're goin' to Fred's parent's house?" he asked her.
"Yeah," Faith said, nodding. "Why don't you stay at your Mom's or something - somewhere that he can't find you," Faith suggested.
"Nah. I've put enough people in danger. I'll just stay at my place, call in to the station every hour and keep my eyes open for this guy. He's gotta try to get to me again soon. But, this time I'll be ready for him," he told her.
"Just be careful, Bos. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not after all we've been through to get back to where we are now," she said as they gathered their things up and got out of the car.
"Thanks, Faith. For everything. I mean, if not for you, I don't know what would've happened to me. You're my best friend, Faith," he said.
"Same here, Bos," Faith added and they walked toward the station to get changed.
"I don't want you taking the train home. I'll drive you, check in with Donaldson, and wait until you, Fred and the kids are on your way to your in-laws," he told her, more than asked her.
"Okay," she said simply and they went inside to get changed and head home.
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
Later that night, Bosco lay on top of the covers of his bed. It was a dark night, the moon seemed to be hiding behind the clouds. He watched the headlights from passing cars play through his window and across his wall. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Something was nagging at him - more than just what happened this afternoon with Emily and Charlie - but he couldn't put his finger on it.
The phone rang and after the fourth ring he picked it up. "Hello?" he answered warily.
"Maurice? Are you alright?" came her voice from the other end.
Bosco smiled and said, "Hey. Yeah, I'm fine. Look, I'm sorry I haven't called you. Something's been going on and I didn't want you in the middle of it," he said and explained what had been happening for the past few days, including what happened that afternoon with Faith's kids.
After he'd finished, she said, "Oh my God! Why didn't you tell me sooner? Come stay with me," Trish told him.
"No. I'm not staying with anyone. I don't want anything to happen to anyone that I care about," he said, pausing.
"I've missed you," he said finally.
"Me too. So, what're you doing about this guy?" she asked him. He explained about Faith taking her family out of town and him warning his mother and brother. He told her about the trace on his phone.
"So, I guess I shouldn't say anything too risqué, huh?" she teased him.
"Oh, I don't know. In addition to me, you'd be giving the guy listening to the tapes a thrill," he teased back.
"There's someone listening right now?!" she asked with surprise.
"Maybe," he told her.
"I'm worried about you, Maurice," she said to him.
"Don't be. I'll be fine. I'll call you when I can and as soon as this is done with, I'll be over, okay?" he assured her.
"Okay. Call me if you need anything. I mean it," she insisted.
"I will. Goodnight," he said.
"Goodnight, Maurice. Take care of yourself and call me soon. I really miss you," he heard as she hung up the phone.
He hung up the phone and thought about his feelings for her. This could really be the one. He hoped she felt the same way.
*^*^*^*^*^**^**^
He lay on the bed, unable to sleep from all the thoughts running through his head. Finally, he got up and went to the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator door and as he reached for the orange juice, he heard it - a slight brushing noise against his front door. He closed the refrigerator and quietly walked toward the door. He reached into the drawer of the table near the front door and quietly took out his off-duty gun. He looked out through the peephole, but couldn't see anything. Again, he heard a noise along the bottom of the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and slowly started to turn it, sure that the noise would alert whoever was out there. He decided to just pull the door open and have his gun ready.
He pulled the door open quickly, bringing his gun up in front of him. "Don't move!" he yelled and then realized that he was pointing his gun at his neighbor's face. He put the gun down at his side.
"Max! What are you doing out there?" Bosco asked, stepping out and looking up and down the hallway, his hand on Max's neck, ready to pull him out of harm's way if he needed to. He pulled the boy into his apartment and squatted down even with him.
"I was supposed to put this under your door after you went to sleep," Max told him, holding up an envelope. Bosco took the envelope from him and started to open it.
"Who told you to?" he asked the frightened, young boy. Max thought that Bosco was mad at him.
"Your friend. He said that your birthday was tomorrow and he wanted to leave you a card to open when you got up. Happy Birthday, Bosco!" Max said, with a smile, hoping to take away Bosco's anger.
Bosco looked at the young man and realized that he'd scared the boy. "Thanks, Max," he said with a smile. "But, it's not really my birthday. When did the man give you the envelope?" he asked him calmly.
"After you came inside," Max answered. Bosco had come home from work after dropping Faith off and Max was outside playing on the sidewalk. They sat together on the sidewalk and talked for a while until Bosco told him he had to go upstairs.
"What else did he say, Max?" Bosco asked him, walking him back to his apartment.
"Nothing. He just said that his name was Paul and that he was a friend of yours. Said that tomorrow was your birthday and that I should put that under your door so you would see it in the morning," Max explained.
"Okay, here you are," Bosco said, stopping in front of Max's apartment. "Can you get back in?"
"Yeah, I left it unlocked," Max answered.
"Okay. Thanks for bringing me the envelope. But, do me a favor okay," he asked the boy. Max just looked up at him, ready to do anything for this police officer that is his friend.
"If you see this guy again, don't go near him. I want you to tell your Mom to call the police - or call me if I'm here. He's not a friend of mine, Max. He's someone who is not a friend. Okay? Do you understand?" Bosco asked, wanting to make sure that Max understood that the man was dangerous without trying to scare him too much.
"Okay, Bosco. I'm sorry," Max said, putting his hand on the doorknob.
"Don't be sorry, Max. You didn't do anything wrong - except sneak out of your apartment without telling your Mom, but that will be our little secret, okay?" Bosco said, tousling the boy's hair as he sent him back inside. "Lock the door, okay?"
"Okay. G'night, Bosco," Max whispered.
"G'night," Bosco whispered back, waiting until the door was closed and he heard the click of the lock.
*^*^*^*^**^
Bosco went back into his apartment and locked the door behind him. He opened the envelope and looked at the card. It was a sympathy card. "Sorry for your loss," it read. Nothing else. The only other thing was his signature. "Your friend, Paul." A shiver ran down Bosco's spine as he thought about who this guy would go after next. He had called his mother and Mikey earlier to warn them about someone named Paul that may come looking for him. He gave them the details so that they could be aware. Each of them refused to leave town and wanted Bosco to come stay with him. He declined and told them to be careful.
"Who the hell is this guy?" Bosco said out loud, slamming his hand on the counter.
Bosco finished getting his juice and then headed back into the bedroom. He flopped down on the bed and lay there trying to remember where he might know this guy from. Finally, he fell asleep and a dream started.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bosco was back at the store taking the information from the guy that wouldn't buy anything. He looked over at Faith as she talked to the owner of the store, trying to calm him down.
"What's your name?" Bosco asked him.
"Paul Richards," the man answered.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Bosco sat up straight in the bed, suddenly remembering the man's name - Paul Richards. He jumped out of bed and dialed the Desk Sergeant.
"Hey, Sgt. Matthews. It's Boscorelli. I need to talk to the detectives," Bosco said into the phone and was connected.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC....