Ch. 50
The next morning Valerie was experiencing a bit of frustration. While she and Dante were eating their breakfast, she was also surfing the Web in an effort to get some kind of lead on where to start in the search for her father. One by one, the leads she thought she would be able to count on weren't available to them, since so many of the businesses were closed on Saturdays. "I can't believe I came all this way for nothing," Val finally said aloud in disgust. Shooting her a glance Dante questioned, "What's the problem, Angel?" Gesturing to her phone she told him, "Nowhere I planned to go today is open! Not one place! The Suzanne Roberts Theatre, the Senior Center—even the instrument store I wanted to go to is closed! I feel like the whole trip was a waste of time!" Cocking his head, he stared at her for a moment before asking, "Are you really sure you want to be a cop, Val?" "I don't see the correlation at all between my wanting to be a cop and feeling like coming here was pointless." "Well, for one thing, like I told you a few days ago, police work can be tedious and feel just like this feels for you right now. Chasing down leads that don't seem to go anywhere. 'Hurry up and wait' situations where the people you need to talk to aren't available when you need them to be. Having to have patience. Switching to Plan B or C when Plan A doesn't work out. Making sure you have a Plan B or C to switch to. It's all part of the process. We have a couple of choices here. We can wait until Monday when most of these places will be open. We might need to call Jordan and work out a couple of extra days with her. Or we can give up. I'll support whatever you decide but it would be a shame if we came all the way here and left without really investigating. If this wasn't a case involving your father, would you be so ready to quit?"
Val rubbed her forehead in an effort to smooth away the headache that was beginning to develop as she answered, "I'm not being a quitter, Dante. I'm just frustrated."
"I know you're not a quitter, baby. If you were, you wouldn't have been able to pull off your mission with Joey Robbs. I'm only asking you to take that same drive and apply it to this situation, ok? For the moment, just for the moment, we're stuck. We can work around that—we still have time."
"Time for what? To try to find him? Our time is limited, though-"
"No, I mean today. I have a surprise planned for you, remember? That's happening later on this afternoon. We have time until then. Here's a thought as a distraction—take me around."
"Take you around where?"
"Take me around Philly. I've only been here once or twice. Show me your city. Show me who you are."
"Show you where the bodies are buried, huh?"
"Sure, if that's part of what made you who you are. Show me where the bodies are buried."
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With a beaming smile she didn't even realize she had on her face, Val parked the rental car next to the fence outside the Mercy Medical Center across the street from the home she grew up in on Hazel Avenue. They stepped out of the car and she took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly. Holding her hand out to him she invited, "Come on, Just Mine. Step into my world for a while." Val and Dante crossed the street and walked over to stand in front of the house that held so many of Valerie's childhood memories. "So this is where it all started, huh?" "Pretty much. All the way up until the day when the Spencers came knocking on my door—everything happened here." "Do you still own it?" Val ruefully chuckled as she threw him a look, saying, "We never owned it. I found out after my mom died that she, or WE, still owed on the house. It wasn't a large amount, but still. It ended up being one of those things I took for granted that didn't end up being true, like thinking my mom would grow old here. Like thinking someday I'd bring my own kids here and show them the house. Of course my mom would keep my room looking exactly the way it did when I lived there. I would show them all of my secret hiding places and talk about how many nights I did my homework sitting right in front of that window." She pointed up to the window over the front door of the house and then went on, "I would tell them how on some winters, the snow would be so high that the basement window would be covered and you couldn't see out. I planned to tell them all this while my mom sat there listening and backing up everything I said. That's how I thought it would be, anyway. I guess I got it wrong." Dante looked up and down the street before glancing back at the home with its dark and light brown bricks. As he took in the little garden that made up the front yard, he said, "Sounds like a good plan, Angel. Even though that didn't quite work out the way you thought it would, some of it is still possible. All you have to do is tweak your plan. It's strange, though. If things would've worked out that way, we might never have met. Selfishly, I'm kind of glad they worked out like this. Not you losing your mom, but the fact that everything that went down led you to me." Noting the expression on her face, which was changing from smiling to pensive, he jostled her hand and began pulling her down the street. "C'mon, Angel, this is the Valerie Spencer's Greatest Hits tour—there's gotta be more to see." Her good humor restored, she replied, "I don't know about 'Greatest Hits' but there's more to see."
They walked down to the end of Hazel Avenue and turned on to 52nd Street. She began speaking in a tour guide's voice while pointing out, "Over there is the salon where I was sent to get my hair done. My mom found out early that caring for my hair wasn't the same as caring for hers so she needed a little advice. Dee Dee—Deondra—did my hair all the way through high school. She got married and moved to Germantown, though. Now this park was the hangout when I was little," she added as they came to the Malcolm X park and stopped to watch several of the neighborhood children chase one another, screaming in glee. "My mom would bring me here after she got off work and she would sit and chat with some of the other mothers while we played. It was actually here and not at school, where I met Pippa and Judy for the first time. Swirl girls of the world, unite."
"'Swirl Girls'? What was that, the name of your club or something?"
"You've never heard that term before? It just means girls with multiple ethnicities. At least that's what it meant to us—I know it has another meaning, which I guess I'm hitting on, too. Anyway, I'm not sure if we started calling ourselves that or if we heard someone calling us that, but somehow it stuck."
As they continued walking Dante noticed, "I hardly ever think about the fact that we're from different races but I'm feeling it now. We seem to be getting a lot of interest here." Looking around with another focus, Val saw what Dante was referencing as she realized the shop owners and customers along the street were openly staring at them as they walked along. She told him, "More likely it's because we're fresh faces in the neighborhood. The people who know me aren't recognizing me yet and yeah, you're a little out of place." She laughed before going on, "You're definitely not in Kansas anymore, Toto!" Suddenly stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, she declared, "We should go back and get the car." "Why? Having second thoughts about why people are staring at us?" "No, because I just thought of where I want to take you but we definitely need the car to get there." Turning back the way they came, they made their way down the blocks to the rental car.
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"Welcome to Alex's Auto Body and Repair—hey!" It took Pippa a few seconds to recognize her friend and then she flew from behind the counter to wrap her arms around Val in a tight embrace. The years momentarily melted away as they giggled and bounced like excited children. Pippa briefly pushed Val back as she exclaimed, "Girl! Why didn't you tell me you were comin' home?" She hauled Val back into her arms. "Because I wanted it to be a surprise! I also wasn't sure we'd have the time to come by before we had to head back to Port Charles. I didn't want to get your hopes up…"
"Not come by! You'd have never heard the end of it if you had tried that stunt! And I'm always glad to see you but what brings you home in the first place? And when do you plan on introducing me to your friend?" Pippa released Val and gestured in Dante's direction.
"When you let me get a word in edgewise! Pippa Arondale, Dante Falconeri. Dante, this is Pippa, my-"
"Accomplice, if I remember correctly. Nice to meet you, Pippa."
"So YOU'RE Dante, huh? It's nice to meet you, too. Val's talked about you quite a bit." Ignoring her friend's quashing motions she went on, "'Accomplice'? What's he talkin' about, Val?" Pippa's eyes darted back and forth between Dante and Val as she tried to make sense of Dante's statement.
"Ohh, yeah-"
"You ARE the one who aided and abetted her by sending her a fake ID to help her scam a criminal, aren't you? You are THAT Pippa Arondale, right?" Pippa's eyes widened further as she involuntarily took a step backwards, telling Val, "I thought you said you weren't gonna bring heat to my doorstep? What's up with this?" Turning to him and thumping him on the arm, Val laughingly admonished Dante, "Stop sounding like a cop, Dante—you're freaking my friend out! Seriously, Pips, he's just messing with you!" Joining her in laughter, Dante confirmed, "Val's right, Pippa—I couldn't resist. Sorry if I gave you a scare. Although why my being a cop would freak you out-"
"Is a question for another day, JM. Getting back to YOUR question, Pips—I found some information that might lead to finding my father. Well, we found a couple of pictures and a name—Virgil. We were hoping to use today to go down to South Broad and ask some questions, see if anyone down there knew or knows him."
"Why South Broad in particular?" "Because of this," Val replied, pulling out and showing Pippa the pictures she had of Virgil and her mother. Pippa stared hard at the pictures in her hand. She smiled as she looked at a younger, happier, more vibrant Patricia. "Wow," she said softly, "I don't think I ever saw her smile like this. I remember her being a positive person, but this smile says something else. And if this is your father, he sure is fine. Younger than her, though. Didn't see that comin'. I thought you said he was married, Val? You still think that after seein' this picture?"
"Why not? Just because he's younger than her doesn't mean he wasn't married. There has to be a reason they weren't together when I was born."
"Maybe they just didn't make it or somethin'. But you could be right. And he bein' married would explain a few things… Now you've got me curious. I could call Uncle Gianni—he could get a couple of his guys on it-"
Dante asked, "Your Uncle Gianni?" while Val emphatically stated, "No! Thanks, but no thanks, Pips. I wanna find the guy but I'm not trying to scare him to death!" To Dante, she went on, "Uncle Gianni is kind of-" "Connected," Pippa finished for her when she couldn't find the right words. "No kidding," Dante said with a grin, adding, "I guess that's something we have in common, then." "You've got an uncle who's connected?" "Worse—I have a father who's connected." "Ok. A cop with a mobster father. Hmm. Where're you from? Maybe I've heard of him." After a moment's hesitation, Dante replied, "We're from Bensonhurst. My dad is Sonny Corinthos." Pippa couldn't hide being impressed as nodded and said, "Wow—not just a mobster, then. A heavy hitter. He's had a couple of meet and greets in South Philly. We'd heard that Sonny Corinthos had a kid who turned out to be a cop but I thought it was just a rumor. Havin' you around must really mess with his head!" Dante's eyes narrowed and he leaned forward slightly, querying, "Why am I getting a slightly pro-Mob vibe here? If I'm reading you wrong, I apologize, but-" "You didn't tell him?" Pippa asked Val, going on to explain, "More than half of my family on my dad's side is 'connected'. Our family name is Arondelli but my dad changed ours to separate us from the business. He and his two sisters managed to stay out of it but my uncles didn't even try. I'm not sure if I'm pro-Mob or pro-family. I guess growin' up around it makes me more acceptin' of it," she ended with a shrug.
"That wasn't a knock, only an observation."
"It's cool."
"Good. Now one of the reasons I wanted to meet you was to get all the dirt on your friend. I'm sure you've got plenty of embarrassing stories she'd rather you not tell me." "Don't you dare, Pips!" "Girl, you know I'm gonna spill it! You just sit back and make sure I get the names and dates right!" Much to Val's chagrin, Pippa, with a chuckle, began regaling Dante with tales of the Swirl Girls' exploits.
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It was going on into the early part of the afternoon when Dante reluctantly reminded Val that they would need to leave if they were to get to his surprise on time. Pippa walked them out to the car and after receiving a promise from Val that they would try to come back by before they left for home, she gave her friend a hug. Dante extended his hand again, which this time Pippa knocked aside. Hugging him she told him, "You might as well get used to me—somethin' tells me you're gonna be around for a while. You're all right; I'm glad Val brought you by. Take good care of my girl." They got into the car and after a final wave from Pippa, Dante drove toward Broad Street.
"Something tells me that coming from your friend, 'you're all right' is a ringing endorsement," Dante observed, glancing down at the car's GPS to make sure he was heading in the right direction. "For a cop," Val laughed. "What's that supposed to mean? Or did you forget that it won't be too much longer before YOU'RE going into the academy yourself?"
"That's what she meant—you're ok for a cop."
"No kidding?"
"Nope."
"Ok, quick question. Is that a legit repair shop or is it still a chop shop?" "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies." "I see. Well, I guess you've gotta figure that someone who knows someone who can get fake IDs on demand isn't exactly on the up and up." Val frowned at him and then remarked, "Look, she's got her smudges but like she said, she grew up around that life. I never judged her for it, only accepted her. We accepted each other. I didn't rag on her about half of her family being in the Mob and she didn't rag on me for not having a father. That's just the way we are with each other." "And I'm not saying or implying that it ought to be any other way. I'm glad you have a friend who's so obviously on your side. I like her. She's all right, for a connected chop shop runner." Val could only shake her head as she tried to keep from laughing at his description of her best friend.
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Val's mouth dropped open in amazement when Dante guided the car to the underground parking garage at The Kimmel Center. "What on earth—this was your surprise?" she asked, a look of pleasure evident on her face. "This was it," he told her after pulling into a parking spot. He climbed out of the car and walked around to her side to open her door and help her alight. Tucking her hand into the crook of his arm, he enlightened her, saying, "You and I, my lady, are going to see The Rock School for Dance Education perform Nutcracker 1776 in the Merriam Theater. You saw the original Nutcracker with your mom in the Merriam. This is a twist on the show you saw—it has a more Philadelphia-centric theme. My way of saying 'Welcome home—let's create some new memories here.'"
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Once they located their seats on Row E, Val gazed around her with a contented sigh. She was finding it hard to contain her excitement as she observed with appreciation the golden glow the lights in the theater cast off. Dante noticed her wistful glances at the balcony box seats above them and he leaned over to whisper, "Next time, Angel. This was kind of a spur of the moment purchase so these seats were the best I-" "Are you joking, Dante?" Val interrupted him to inquire. She went on, "I'm just so happy we're here! You told me you had a surprise and to anticipate it but I never guessed anything like this! As far as I'm concerned, these seats are perfect. I've always loved how warm and inviting the lighting here makes me feel. It seems as if they're saying, 'Welcome. We want you to have the best time while you're here.' Do you feel it?" Dante's eyes moved around the theater for a moment before he turned back to her, answering, "It's a beautiful theater, for sure. I sense the anticipation in the air from everyone here but I don't know if I'm feeling exactly what you're feeling. I think the energy I'm noticing is coming from the crowd more than the theater itself. But if it's telling you you're gonna have a good time while you're here, I have to agree with it. This show's supposed to be pretty awesome." Val reached out and gave his arm a brief squeeze. "Thank you so much for this, Dante. I was kind of discouraged earlier in the day but between showing you my home, talking with Pips and now this, it's like those feelings never existed. Thank you for wanting to see the Valerie Spencer who lived here. Showing her to you made me forget about everything else."
"You're very welcome. Thanks for being such a good sport about letting me listen to Pippa's stories about you—I know you were embarrassed at times. That girl doesn't hold anything back, does she? I feel like I know you that much better now. The brawler with the heart of gold…"
"I wasn't a brawler! I just didn't like seeing people getting bullied and I didn't mind standing up for them. My mom always told me whenever I saw injustice not to just sit by but to speak up. I can still hear her voice ringing in my head, 'Sometimes, baby girl, standing up will be uncomfortable. It might even be dangerous. All the same, though, you do the right thing. Don't be a sheep—you lead the crowd.' I never got in trouble for fighting because she always considered them 'righteous fights'. I'm sure I told her more than once but I hope she really knew how awesome I thought she was. I hope I told her enough-"
"The way you describe your relationship, Angel—she knew. I don't doubt that for a second." The lights flickered suddenly causing an immediate hush to fall in the theater. As the ballet began getting underway, Dante extended his hand to Val and she gratefully reached back, lifting it briefly to her lips to drop a light kiss there. Her attention was quickly captured by the drama unfolding onstage as she allowed herself to become wholly lost in the story.
From the corner of his eye, Dante watched Val's face as she watched the ballet. He wasn't sure which was entertaining him more—the ballet itself or Val's reactions to everything happening onstage. "She really is like a little kid again," he thought as he listened to her 'ooh' and 'aah' and gasp along with the crowd. He was glad he had thought of this and that the tickets had been available. Somehow, this trip was turning into something worth remembering for them both. Of course finding her father would be the icing on the cake but even if that proved an impossible task, he was still glad they had made the trip to Philadelphia together.
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