Mary turned around when the apartment door opened revealing Murphy on his crutches. "Hey, can I come in?"
"Sure," Murphy stepped aside letting her into the apartment. He closed the door, gave her a hug and kissed the top of her head.
"So where's Connor?"
"Out."
"He went by himself. Is that safe?"
"It's daytime. He should be fine."
Mary made her way over to the sofa. "I still can't believe he took Sara with him last night."
"So ya heard about that did ya now?" Murphy sat next to her at a slight angle in order to rest his injured ankle on the sofa.
"I heard about the whole thing."
"Same here. So how is Sara, and where is she?"
"She's pissed, and right now she's at my place. And that is actually why I am here. I need to pick up her stuff. I think it would be a good idea for her to spend a couple days with me, maybe more. Give her a couple of days to cool off and so I can convince her to talk to Connor about what happened or at least be in same room with him without wanting to kill him."
"That a good idea. Not so sure how Connor is going to feel about it though. He wasn't in the best of mood when he left and I doubt following Dante around all day is going to help any. Especially if he doesn't come up with any new information that we can use. When things start to take too long he starts to act like Smecker, and one Smecker is bad enough."
"Well we'll deal with that when it comes around." Mary stood up. "Where's her stuff?"
"In the bedroom next to her mattress. And what do ya mean 'we'? Ya aren't going to be here when he gets back."
"You're right." Mary entered the bedroom. "You'll have to deal with it," her voice floated back through the door. She reappeared, caring Sara's large duffel. "I can't believe the three of you share the bedroom."
"It's not like we had anywhere else to put her, and Connor wanted to keep and eye on her. But she had her own mattress and her privacy. We both made sure of it."
"Perhaps, but you still didn't respect her boundaries as well as you should have. Or at least Connor didn't." She held up her hand. "And don't say he did." Murphy shut his mouth and she continued. "I get that he was trying to protect her last night but in doing he has done more damage than good at the moment." Mary leaned over and kissed Murphy and then headed for the door. "I need to get going. I promised Sara I'd take her shopping, that girl needs some new clothes as well as a decent coat."
"Call me later would ya?"
Mary looked at Murphy with a puzzled expression. "Why?"
"When Connor gets back and finds out he might take his anger out on me. Just call to make sure I'm still alive."
Mary laughed. "Will do. Later."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Connor sat in the far corner of the diner, hiding behind a newspaper. Two booths over was Dante. A tall thin man with a dark skin, black hair slicked back and a pointed faced. He was in the middle of heated discussion with another man, who was shorted, rounder and whole lot uglier. They were speaking in normal voices in Italian. Connor focused his ears and mind on what they were saying, translating easily.
"I want that stupid son of a bitch taken care of." Dante slammed his fist down on the table causing the round man to flinch. "He's taken money from me for the last time. Get him and bring him to the docks tonight. Midnight, pier 6, I want to kill him myself. This will teach him and the rest of those fuckers that when I say pay up I mean pay up now."
A strange sense of peace settled over Connor when he heard this. It was about damn time.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"How about this one?" Mary held up another coat. It was beige with brown toggles on the front, two large pockets and a hood. "This one is nice."
Sara looked up from the rack of coats she was sifting through. "No. Not practical enough."
Mary raised her eyebrows. "Practical? It's a coat. All it's supposed to do is keep you warm. And it doesn't hurt that it looks good."
"Here we go. This one is perfect." Sara pulled a coat of the rack and pulled it on. "Warm, comfortable and it won't show the dirt. And it fits."
Mary crossed her arms. "And it looks exactly like the ones Connor and Murphy wear." And it was exactly like the coats the brothers wore, a black wool pea coat that ended just above the thigh. The only difference was that the one Sara had on was fitted, since it was a woman's coat.
"That isn't why I'm choosing it." Sara pulled on the price tag hanging off the sleeve. "It's practical and affordable. See."
"Fine. Whatever." Mary shook her head. "I've just spent the last three hours on my feet shopping. "Let's just buy the stupid coat and go home."
"I thought you liked to shop."
"I do. But not when all you have bought in three hours is a pea coat, two pairs of jeans and nothing but white shirts."
"I like white."
"It's boring."
"No," Sara shook her head. "It's pure."
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Where is Sara?"
"What, no I've missed ya, how was yer day?" Murphy didn't bother to look up from the television set.
Connor stood in front of him and blocked his view of the soap commercial that was playing. "Where is she?"
"Obviously she isn't here. Now would ya fucking move, ya aren't see through ya know."
"So she hasn't come back since she left this morning?"
"No and she won't be coming back."
"She has to come back," Connor started to take off his coat. "All her stuff is here."
"No it aint."
Connor stopped with one arm still in the sleeve of his coat. "That isn't possible. The only way she couldn't be coming back and the only way her stuff couldn't be here was if she came and got it. But that means she did come back and ya just said she hasn't been here."
"I know, Mary came and got her stuff."
"Fuck. But I need her."
"Yeah, I know ya told me."
"Not like that ya idiot. Dante Giovanni, we've got a shot at him tonight. And I plan on taking it." Connor pulled his coat back on and went to the door.
"Where ya going now?"
"Mary's, I have to get Sara and let her know what's going on."
"They might not even be there. Mary had said something about buying Sara a coat."
"So I'll wait."
Murphy shrugged and turned his attention back to the television.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Sara stopped at the top of the stairs and stared impassively at the person sitting on the floor by the door. Connor quickly got to his feet. Mary came up behind Sara. When she saw Connor standing there she took the bags that Sara was holding.
"I'll be inside if you need me." Mary gave Sara a comforting squeeze on the shoulder and disappeared into the apartment.
Connor and Sara just looked at each other. Sara crossed her arms and shuffled her feet while Connor rubbed the back of his neck and cleared the back of his throat.
"We need to talk."
"There is nothing to talk about."
"Not about that. I'm here to talk business."
"Business, what sort of business?"
"Dante Giovanni. I know where he's going to be and when. But I need yer help."
"Like you needed help last night."
"Sara…"
"No it's fine. I'll do."
Connor was surprised. "Just like that?"
"Just like that."
"Fine then. But we do this my way. No Angelus Iussa Letum. Is that understood? That has to not only stay separate but completely die out."
Sara nodded. "So what now?"
"Be prepared, dress warm and dark clothes." Connor started down the stairs. "I'll pick ya up at ten tonight."