Chapter Eight - Danger in the Dark

New York Hospital Staff Parking Lot - Forty Eight Hours Missing

"So what is the next treatment option?"

Angie shrugged her shoulders and looked helplessly at her friend, Dr. Elizabeth Sheridan, as they walked to their cars at the end of another long day at the hospital. Angie and Liz had started their residency rotations together about 5 years ago but branched out into different fields...Angie broke out into pediatrics while Liz tackled the mysteries of cancer in oncology. They had remained the best of friends and now the case of little Gracie Markum had them working together once more. "I was hoping you could tell me, Liz. I've run every test imaginable on that child and am no closer to finding out what is wrong with her than the day her mother brought her in."

"The results from the latest battery of tests should find it's way up to my desk by tomorrow, so clear some space in your schedule about mid-morning and we'll put our fabulous heads together." Liz put her arm around Angie and Angie in turn laid her head on her friends' shoulder. "But for tonight, let's try something different. Let's leave work at the hospital and concentrate on something else...your love life. Or lack of it."

"Oh good," Angie replied sarcastically, laughing. "let's move from one depressing topic to an even more depressing one!"

"So, are you seeing anyone?"

"Why is that all of you blissfully happy newlyweds always want the rest of the world to be in love?" Angie teased her friend.

"So, that would be a big, fat 'no'!" Lisa guessed, looking sideways at her friend. "How the hell do you do that? Do you walk around with a bag over your head or something?" Angie just laughed as Lisa continued, "Seriously, Ang. You are super model gorgeous with a body that won't quit and legs to die for. On top of that, we throw in the fact that you are funny, smart, compassionate, and sexy as hell. In fact, if I didn't love you so much I would hate your guts. So, why are you also terminally single?"

"It's one of those great mysteries, Liz." Angie joked. "The pyramids, the meaning of life, and my sex life all rank right up there as the top three puzzles that no one can seem to figure out ."

"What happened to that guy from SoHo? The art gallery owner? He was hot."

"And intense." Angie said. "Too intense."

"Intense can be good. Especially in the bedroom."

"And it was. But the intensity over breakfast, lunch, and every other moment of the day got to be a little much. He always wanted to know 'what was in my soul'." Angie laughed at the memory. "Sometimes you just want to chill out and not examine every little thing. Like what you have with Greg."

"Yes, I did marry the perfect man." Liz mused.

"Says the woman whose marriage isn't even two months old." Angie kidded.

"And your problem has nothing to do with intense...you had your pick of every single guy at our wedding. They were all drooling over you." Liz reminded her. "A room full of gorgeous, chilled out firefighters ready to jump as soon as you said how high and you still went home alone."

Angie shrugged. "I guess I am beyond help."

"Maybe." Liz agreed, with a twinkle in her eyes. "But luckily, you have friends who refuse to give up on you. So, here's the plan. Greg is working the late shift tonight and won't be home until very early tomorrow morning. You will go home and change into your sexiest dress, tousle the hair, sparkle up the make-up and meet us at Club 51 for a night out on the town. We will dance, drink, and flirt like we were back in college."

Angie shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm tired and all I need is..."

"A life!" Liz interrupted with a laugh. "You can't back out. I've already called Cassie and Amy and they are meeting us at the club in about an hour."

"I'm not going to be able to get home to Brooklyn, change for a night out, and then be back in Midtown in an hour."

"That's why you're going to follow me the 18 blocks to our apartment, we are going to raid my closet for something that will look fabulous on you, and we will be at the club in plenty of time." Angie was hesitant, but Liz gave her a playful shove with her shoulder. "Come on, Ang. We haven't had a girls night out in so long! And we deserve one!"

Angie finally conceded and Liz was giddy. "Yeah! Watch out Manhattan...the girls are hitting the town!" Angie had to smile at her friends' excitement as she began to dig her keys out of her purse. "There's my car." Liz said, pointing toward her sedan. "Where are you?"

Angie snorted out a half laugh. "A hundred miles away." She said, sarcastically, pointing down the parking lot. "I hit rush hour traffic on my way in this morning."

"Hop in. I'll give you a ride."

Angie gave Liz a pointed look. "I'm not leaving my car here overnight. How will I get into the city tomorrow morning?"

"Oh yeah." Liz grinned. "Well, I'll meet you at my place. Pull right into the parking garage. There's an empty space next to ours because our neighbors are in Florida for the winter."

Angie nodded and headed on through the parking lot to where her Jeep was parked. She was having trouble locating her keys down at the bottom of her purse, so she was still fumbling around when she walked up to her car. She never saw the shadowy figure leaning against the back of her Jeep.

"Dr. Sullivan, I presume." A familiar voice interrupted the darkness.

Angie looked up, startled, and stood frozen in her tracks. The last sixteen years simply fell away as she stood face to face with her cousin Joey Caruso.

"Do these mopes really buy the fact that you're Irish?" He asked, lighting up a cigarette. The slight glow from the flame of his match shone an eery light on his face. "I mean, you certainly got the Caruso genes. Uncle Pauly's dark hair and eyes. In fact, the only thing Irish about you is your temper."

Regaining her composure, Angie ignored his comments and asked, "What are you doing here, Joey?"

"Making sure that you are okay." He was strangely calm, which made Angie nervous.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Is it wrong for a man to be worried about his cousin?" He asked, grinning menacingly at her in the darkness.

"When you're the man and I'm the cousin, then yes. It is wrong." She met his glare with one of her own. Sounding braver than she was feeling, Angie asked, "What happened to Eddie?"

Joey eyed her suspiciously, took a long drag of his cigarette and asked, "Now why would you ask a question like that?"

Angie knew she had to choose her words carefully. She didn't know exactly what he knew or why he was here. "Word travels fast." She said, not giving away too much. "There are still some people around who know who I used to be. And when the Caruso's main businessman isn't seen in a few days, people get nervous."

Joey shook his head, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "No need for anyone to be nervous. There's been a changing of the guard, that's all."

"Are you the new enforcer?"

"I've always been the enforcer, as you put it. It's Eddie's job that has been hard to categorize. He wasn't really the muscle of the operation or the hit man. I guess he always considered himself the brains of the outfit." Joey moved closer to her, which caused Angie to instinctively take a step back. "Has he contacted you?"

Was. Joey had referred to Eddie in the past tense. "Is he dead?"

Joey looked at her for a moment, deciding what he should tell her. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I don't know."

He was telling the truth. She knew this man better than she wanted to admit she did. Although he was older than she was, they had played together when she was a child. He had always protected her. Now, he scared the hell out of her. Bravely, she said, "That must be making you a little nervous."

Joey stepped forward again, this time grabbing Angie's arm before she could move away from him. He pulled her close and whispered menacingly through his teeth, "Nothing makes me nervous, Angelina."

Angie knew that wasn't true. What's worse...Joey knew that Angie knew it wasn't true. He lived his life in fear. Fear that all the grief he had heartlessly caused others would some day come back to him. On a day when he least expected it.

"You still get your kicks by threatening women, Joey?" She asked, the pain of his grip throbbing through her arm. "Does it make you feel like more of a man to be able to overpower someone half your size?"

Joey let go of her arm, practically snarling at her in his anger. "You didn't answer my question."

Angie resisted the urge to rub her sore arm. She would not let him see that he hurt her. "Of course he hasn't contacted me. We all know the rules that you and Uncle Tony set up for me. I have always followed them to the letter. That hasn't changed now." She raised her chin slightly in defiance. "I have been a good girl."

Joey regarded her for a moment and Angie thought he actually looked proud of her. "Make sure it stays that way."

"Is that a threat?"

Joey threw his cigarette butt on the ground between their feet and said, "Now Angelina, you know I don't threaten women. Especially not ones who follow the rules." Then he turned and walked back into the darkness of the parking lot.

Never in her life had Angie needed a drink more.