family. We did…”
Dominic turned, like a snake ready to strike, the spoon he held pointing at me. “Only family is family.”
“I’m going to stick it out, Uncle Dominic. They’re not getting rid of me so easily.”
Dominic nodded as if he knew something all along. “So they want you to leave?”
My cheeks blushed. “The captain suggested I retire, with full benefits, but I convinced him to let me stay.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be close to Bensonhurst. Don’t worry.”
Dominic nodded again. “They’re afraid to have you around. Too much publicity with you being a woman.” He lit his pipe, then took another sip of espresso. “If they don’t get what they want, though, they will kill you.” A few billows of smoke rose from his pipe. “Perhaps you should retire. I can always…”
Dominic had a way of making me do what I didn’t want, but on some things I stood firm. “No! I’ve got to find out who killed Sean and Jerry.”
“ Concetta, mia bambina, that is exactly what they don’t want you finding out. My guess is at least one of your partners was dirty and someone in the department is covering.”
“Bullshit.” My response was instinctive, but something told me Dominic was right. A lot of things didn’t add up about that night in the alley and, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, the facts pointed to either Sean or Jerry being dirty. Maybe both of them.
He tapped his pipe on the ashtray, knocking out the dead tobacco. “You can curse me all you want. It won’t change things.”
I strengthened my resolve. “I’ve got to find out. They were my partners.”
“I told you, finding out is what your department doesn’t want; in fact, that’s the worst thing you can do. If cops killed your partners, they’ll be waiting for you to make a mistake. Just one.”
“Guess I’ll have to be perfect.”
Dominic moved over and wrapped his arms around me. He brought my head to his chest and patted my back. “ Tu sei sempre stata perfetto . You have always been perfect.” He held me for a moment, then stepped back. “Do you even want to be a cop, or did you do it because of me?”
Dominic pushed hard to get his way. He knew his words would upset me, and he was right. I seethed inside. He had a way of doing that to me, but I swore I wasn’t going to let him. Not today. I wasn’t going to start another rift between us. “I like being a cop.”
“You like being a cop. But are you happy?” Dominic sprinkled a pinch of cinnamon in his espresso and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “You have to think of what you want from life. Life has rules. If you want to be happy, you have to follow those rules.”
“I know all about rules. Trust me, I stick to them.”
Dominic laughed. “I’m not talking about your police rules, I’m talking about your rules. Your own personal rules of life. That is what will make you happy—or not.”
Damn him. But two can play at this game. “What about you, Uncle Dominic? Are you happy?”
He sipped his espresso. Nibbled on a biscotto, then he stared, as if he would find the answer in the espresso. “I never followed my heart. I broke my own rules.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Uncle Dominic’s head moved side to side, as if it were in slow motion. “I have days when I love life, like when you come to visit, or when I spend time with Zeppe’s kids, but…no, Concetta, I am not happy. I haven’t been happy since your mother died.”
My heart sunk when he mentioned my mother. I had tried luring him into a conversation where I knew he couldn’t win—and it backfired. Uncle Dominic got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen, but not before I saw the tears in his eyes.
It was several minutes before he returned, composed, a smile on his face. He rinsed his espresso cup, placed the last biscotto in a jar on the counter, then came to hug me.
“It seems as if your mind is made up. So the only thing I can
Dominic turned, like a snake ready to strike, the spoon he held pointing at me. “Only family is family.”
“I’m going to stick it out, Uncle Dominic. They’re not getting rid of me so easily.”
Dominic nodded as if he knew something all along. “So they want you to leave?”
My cheeks blushed. “The captain suggested I retire, with full benefits, but I convinced him to let me stay.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’ll be close to Bensonhurst. Don’t worry.”
Dominic nodded again. “They’re afraid to have you around. Too much publicity with you being a woman.” He lit his pipe, then took another sip of espresso. “If they don’t get what they want, though, they will kill you.” A few billows of smoke rose from his pipe. “Perhaps you should retire. I can always…”
Dominic had a way of making me do what I didn’t want, but on some things I stood firm. “No! I’ve got to find out who killed Sean and Jerry.”
“ Concetta, mia bambina, that is exactly what they don’t want you finding out. My guess is at least one of your partners was dirty and someone in the department is covering.”
“Bullshit.” My response was instinctive, but something told me Dominic was right. A lot of things didn’t add up about that night in the alley and, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, the facts pointed to either Sean or Jerry being dirty. Maybe both of them.
He tapped his pipe on the ashtray, knocking out the dead tobacco. “You can curse me all you want. It won’t change things.”
I strengthened my resolve. “I’ve got to find out. They were my partners.”
“I told you, finding out is what your department doesn’t want; in fact, that’s the worst thing you can do. If cops killed your partners, they’ll be waiting for you to make a mistake. Just one.”
“Guess I’ll have to be perfect.”
Dominic moved over and wrapped his arms around me. He brought my head to his chest and patted my back. “ Tu sei sempre stata perfetto . You have always been perfect.” He held me for a moment, then stepped back. “Do you even want to be a cop, or did you do it because of me?”
Dominic pushed hard to get his way. He knew his words would upset me, and he was right. I seethed inside. He had a way of doing that to me, but I swore I wasn’t going to let him. Not today. I wasn’t going to start another rift between us. “I like being a cop.”
“You like being a cop. But are you happy?” Dominic sprinkled a pinch of cinnamon in his espresso and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. “You have to think of what you want from life. Life has rules. If you want to be happy, you have to follow those rules.”
“I know all about rules. Trust me, I stick to them.”
Dominic laughed. “I’m not talking about your police rules, I’m talking about your rules. Your own personal rules of life. That is what will make you happy—or not.”
Damn him. But two can play at this game. “What about you, Uncle Dominic? Are you happy?”
He sipped his espresso. Nibbled on a biscotto, then he stared, as if he would find the answer in the espresso. “I never followed my heart. I broke my own rules.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Uncle Dominic’s head moved side to side, as if it were in slow motion. “I have days when I love life, like when you come to visit, or when I spend time with Zeppe’s kids, but…no, Concetta, I am not happy. I haven’t been happy since your mother died.”
My heart sunk when he mentioned my mother. I had tried luring him into a conversation where I knew he couldn’t win—and it backfired. Uncle Dominic got up from the table and walked out of the kitchen, but not before I saw the tears in his eyes.
It was several minutes before he returned, composed, a smile on his face. He rinsed his espresso cup, placed the last biscotto in a jar on the counter, then came to hug me.
“It seems as if your mind is made up. So the only thing I can
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