She kissed the tip of her fingers and laid her hand on the casket. Her grief was unbearable. She no longer wanted to live. What was the point? She wanted to be wherever Rheyna was. She began to cry and Vincent came over. He handed her a tissue and then wrapped his arms around her shoulders. He held her as she sobbed.

After a few minutes, she leaned back to look at him. "Thank you, Vincent. I think I'm okay now."

"Are you sure?" he asked with genuine concern.

Vincent took a tissue and wiped the tears from Caroline's cheeks. He held her close against him as he led her back to the car where her mother was waiting.

Caroline was oblivious to the drive home. She barely remembered Vincent pulling into their driveway, or Terasa kissing her on the cheek. All she wanted was to go to her room and be alone.

Caroline sat curled up on the bed with her legs tucked beneath her and stared out the bedroom window. She angrily wiped at the tears spilling down her cheeks. She thought about the times she and Rheyna had spent together. No matter how many times she told herself that Rheyna was gone, she just couldn't believe it. It just wasn't possible. She had waited her entire life for someone like Rheyna to come along. Now she was gone, and it wasn't fair. She reached over the nightstand and turned the radio on.

The tears were automatic as Gloria Estefan's soft melodic voice filled the air. She thought about how many times Rheyna had made her listen to this CD and smiled. She thought back about their trip at the cabin and her first attempt at fis.h.i.+ng. She laughed and then she cried. The pain and emptiness in her heart was more than she could take. She didn't want to spend the rest of her life without Rheyna, and fate wasn't giving her a choice.

Terasa knocked lightly on the door and pushed it open. She sat down on the bed, pulled Caroline into her arms, and held her tightly as she cried.

Caroline laid her head against Terasa's chest. "I hurt so bad, Mom. My heart feels like it died, too," she said through tears.

Terasa smoothed Caroline's hair back from her face. "I know you do, baby. I know it hurts and right now, I would give anything to be able to take your pain away."

"I loved her so much. More than anyone I've ever known."

Terasa looked lovingly at her daughter. "And she loved you, too."

Caroline pulled away. She shook her head. "How can you say that? Everything about her was a lie."

Terasa held Caroline's face in her hands. "I saw how she looked at you, baby. She loved you as much as anyone possibly could, and that was something even she couldn't fake."

"She used me. She was playing a role to get to Dad and I was part of it."

Terasa nodded. "In the beginning, I suspect she was. She had a job to do. But somewhere along the way, that all changed for her, just as it did for you."

Caroline started to cry again, and Terasa pulled her closer, rocking Caroline in her arms. "Shh, everything's going to be okay. You try and rest now."

Terasa was worried about Caroline. It had been three weeks since she left her room. She looked down at her daughter's gaunt features and felt a stabbing pain in her heart.

Big Tony leaned smugly back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. Sonny tossed a newspaper on his desk.

Big Tony grinned as he leaned forward to pick it up. He read the headline out loud and laughed. "Authorities no closer to solving the brutal death of FBI Agent Rheyna Sorento."

He tossed the paper onto the open folder with Rheyna's FBI pictures. Sonny watched his boss revel in the glory of his latest endeavor and then jumped as Big Tony slammed his fist down on the desk. "Nessuno me lo ficca in culo, nessuno!" he yelled in Italian and then repeated it. "n.o.body f.u.c.ks me up the a.s.s, n.o.body!"

Sonny looked at him. "There will be big repercussions. Carlos won't take kindly to the extra heat coming from the Feds. Informants are one thing, but a FBI Agent comes with a lot of extra baggage."

Big Tony blew a smoke ring in the air and waved his hand. "f.u.c.k Carlos. He doesn't deserve his position. He's a weak old man who refuses to get with the times. He thinks that we can still run things like the old days. Well, I've got news for him, times have changed, and his ten minutes are up."

Stevens looked up as Edwards walked through the door. He removed his headphones and laid them on the table. Edwards walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down next to him.

"Anything?" Edwards asked, nodding toward the recorder.

Stevens shook his head. "Did we get the indictment yet?"

"No. Should be any day now," Edwards said as he lit a cigarette. He looked at Stevens and shook his head. "I don't understand why it's taking so long. We have more than enough evidence, especially with what happened to Rheyna." Edwards nodded toward the recording equipment. "I'll take over here for awhile. Why don't you go get something to eat?"

"You sure?" Stevens asked as Edwards picked up the headphones.

"Yeah, I'm sure."

He waited for Stevens to grab his car keys and leave the room before putting the headphones on. He turned up the volume and directed his attention to the conversation going on in Castrucci's office.

Vincent, carrying a pitcher of coffee, followed Terasa into Big Tony's office. Terasa repositioned the covered serving tray in her arms and nodded to Vincent. He walked over, placed the pitcher on the edge of the desk, and then took a position opposite Sonny. He leaned up against the wall, and folded his arms across his chest.

Big Tony glanced up at her, his brow furrowing in agitation. "You forget how to knock?" he asked rudely.

Terasa ignored the question. "Have I been a good wife to you, Anthony?"

He frowned at her. "What kinda stupid question is that?" he asked.

She ignored his question again. "Anthony, I have always done what you wanted and I've always been obedient." He opened his mouth to speak and she held her hand up to stop him. "I've never asked questions and I've never questioned your actions, even when I should have."

He clicked his tongue against his teeth. "And now is not the time to start, Terasa," he said in a low voice, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"You had Rheyna killed," she accused.

Big Tony smiled smugly, puffing out his chest. "So what if I did?" he asked.

The look on Terasa's face was incredulous. She shook her head. "Did you think for one minute about what it would do to Caroline?"

"I was thinking of her!" he yelled, his voice shaking with anger. "I was right about that b.i.t.c.h, and no daughter of mine is going to lay down with a d.y.k.e, a f.u.c.king d.y.k.e who was dead set on destroying me, destroying our family."

She looked at him, this man who was her husband, and felt nothing but pity and disgust. She leaned forward and looked him straight in the eye. "No, Anthony, you've done that all by yourself."

Big Tony had heard enough. "I won't listen to this. I think you've forgotten your place, Terasa. Now get the h.e.l.l outta here before I forget that you're my wife," he said, dismissing her with a flick of his hand.

Terasa didn't budge. When she spoke, her voice was eerily calm and controlled. "You can do whatever you want with me. But no one and I mean no one, f.u.c.ks with my child, not even you, Anthony."

Before he could respond, Terasa reached beneath the serving lid and pulled out a gun. The bullet made a swoos.h.i.+ng sound as it found its mark, hitting Big Tony between the eyes. His body slumped forward across the desk.

Terasa saw Sonny push away from the wall, his hand reaching inside his jacket and then she heard two popping sounds. She turned to see Sonny's body slide down the wall. Vincent had shot him in the middle of his chest.

Edwards jumped straight up. The back of his legs. .h.i.t the front of the chair with so much force; it sent it careening across the room and into the wall before slamming to the floor with a loud clang.

"Holy s.h.i.+t!" he yelled, slinging the headphones down on the desk. Although silencers were used, there was no mistaking the sounds he just heard. Terasa had just killed her husband.

Terasa went over to the desk. She grabbed Big Tony by the hair and jerked his head back. She reached down and grabbed Rheyna's folder along with the newspaper. She let go of Big Tony's hair, and his head dropped back down on the desk with a thud. She turned back to Vincent and nodded toward the wall now stained with streaks of blood. "Have Joey help you. I want them gone and this mess cleaned up before Caroline wakes up from her nap." She glanced down at the newspaper in her hand. "Once the bodies are found, I want you to set up a meeting for me with Carlos. In the meantime, I want you to check on something else..."

Edwards paced back and forth. He still couldn't believe what he just heard. Think, think, he told himself as he lit another cigarette although he had one burning in the ashtray. Without hesitation, he went over to the recorder and took out the tape. He grabbed a blank tape and stuck it in the slot just as the door opened. Stevens looked at him questioningly.

Edwards shook his head. "I got nothing. Just the same ole same ole," he said, and grabbed his jacket off the chair and left the room.

Chapter 23.

Edwards parked his car a few feet from the Los Angeles Coroner's wagon on pier 38. He looked out the driver's side window. It was taking quite a few police officers to keep the growing group of onlookers back. Judging by the size of the crowd it was apparent that they knew it was somebody important.

He flashed his badge at the officer and ducked under the police tape. When he received the call to come down to the pier, he had known what he would find, but he wanted to see it firsthand for himself. He walked over to the black body bag, pulled back the zipper, and looked down at Sonny Valachi. He noticed two circular, red stains in the middle of his chest.

He could hear excited mumbling from the crowd. No doubt, they were learning that the bodies were that of Mafia Boss Anthony Castrucci and his right hand man. He glanced up at a news helicopter circling overhead. He could see a reporter sitting in the door with his feet dangling out over the side, a camera mounted on his shoulder. He watched the helicopter swoop in low as the camera operator s.h.i.+fted his camera to his other shoulder.

He turned his attention back to the scene playing out approximately fifty-feet away. Several men were pulling on ropes. After several hard tugs, they heaved the ma.s.sively large body of Anthony Castrucci up over the side and onto the concrete. He walked over to have a look. The body was badly bloated, and there was no mistake about how he died. Directly in the middle of his forehead, almost between his eyes, was a bullet hole.

He had seen enough and headed back to his car. He couldn't help but think how ironic it was that their bodies were found today of all days. Only a short few hours ago, he was sitting in a diner, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the morning paper, when he received the phone call he had been waiting for. Only minutes earlier, the grand jury had handed down the indictment, and the charges had been endless. Overall, he felt that Castrucci had gotten off way too easy, but looking on the bright side, Castrucci wouldn't get another chance to hurt anyone else.

Vincent held the door open for Terasa and followed her inside Barecci's Restaurant. He took a seat at the bar and watched her walk toward the back room.

Carlos and Roberto stood up to greet her. Carlos smiled and bent to kiss the top of her hand.

"Terasa, please join me," he said, motioning toward the opposite chair. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"Seven, seven please," she said, taking the seat he offered.

"Terasa, I must admit that I wasn't surprised to hear from you," Carlos said.

"And I have to admit that doesn't surprise me, either, Carlos," she said, smiling warmly at the older man. She had always liked Carlos, in spite of what her husband thought, and without Anthony's knowledge, she and Carlos had developed a warm friends.h.i.+p that now spanned more than twenty years.

"I kinda figured that, too. How have you been, Terasa? Are you doing okay with all of this?" he asked.

"I'm well, Carlos, and thank you for asking."

Carlos waited for Roberto to set the drinks down before continuing. "It's really good to see you, even under such dower conditions."

She took a drink and then set the gla.s.s down on the table. She covered his hands with hers. "I do appreciate your help more than you could possibly know."

"It's okay, Terasa, and with that all said, I'd like to offer my condolences in the pa.s.sing of your husband," he said with sincerity. He looked at her and shook his head. He thought about Castrucci and what an idiot he had been. Castrucci had everything, including a very beautiful wife, and he blew it. "I a.s.sure you, you and Caroline will be taken care of."

"Thank you, Carlos, for everything," she said, and then waited for him to continue.

Never one to mince words, he got right to the point. "I knew Anthony wanted me dead, Terasa, and I've known it for quite some time now. Believe it or not, you did the family a great service. Not all of us are like the monsters portrayed on TV, but men like Anthony give us all a bad name. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we're angels, either-a far cry from it-but Anthony and Sal were just plain evil. They enjoyed inflicting pain on others. I, on the other hand, only choose that path after all options have been explored, and that's the way it should be."

He stopped talking long enough to motion for Roberto to get him another drink. He looked at her and smiled. "Normally, your actions would be unforgivable, but I think I'll make an exception in this case. Anthony was out of control. He let his position go to his head and in doing so, put the entire family at risk without a second thought. I knew about the girl, and yes, she was a problem, but she was Anthony's problem. A problem that should have never become mine, as it now stands. He did everything for personal reasons and his own morbid satisfaction."

Taking the drink from Roberto, he drank half the contents before sitting it on the table. He thought about the FBI agent and the despicable act committed against her by Castrucci's hired gun. He could feel the anger boiling in his veins. His thoughts turned to his granddaughter. He shook his head. "What was done to that girl was unconscionable and pure evil. They violated what was sacred and everything that the family stands for, and for that, we will take care of all loose ends and I do mean all loose ends."

The anguish in his voice was evident, and Terasa felt compa.s.sion for her friend. She could see the hurt in his eyes. She had known for quite some time about his granddaughter. He had confided in her shortly after he found out. Although Rheyna hadn't been related to her, she still felt the horrific ache of knowing how she had suffered. She was grateful to this man, but there was one more thing bothering her. She had a question that needed an answer.

"I know you've done a lot for me already, Carlos, but I have one more favor to ask of you..."

Chapter 24.

Edwards sat in his car outside the Catholic Church and watched the small crowd of people who came to pay their respects to Anthony Castrucci. It had been three days since they pulled his body from the bay, and they were not wasting any time putting it in the ground.

Visibly missing were his wife and daughter, as well as the high-profile members of his crime family. Not one single member had come to the church, and it served Castrucci right.

His cell phone rang, jarring him from his thoughts. "Are you sure, Laura ... Okay ... Yeah ... I'll be there as soon as I can." He shook his head in disbelief as he started the car. Things just kept getting more and more interesting.

It took him less than ten minutes to drive down to The Lexington Club over on 19th street. The usual people were already on scene. Once again, a crime scene was declared as police tape cordoned off part of the street. He glanced across the street where uniformed officers were busy keeping onlookers back, and there was no shortage of reporters, either.

Laura walked over to him shaking her head. "Single bullet to the side of the head," she said as she lifted the police tape up for him to duck under.

They walked over to a green Chevy Caprice that was parked in the exact spot where Rheyna's Jeep had been weeks earlier. Edwards followed her around to the back of the car. Laura nodded at the uniformed officer. The hinges squeaked shrilly as he raised the trunk lid to a fully opened position.

Edwards looked down at Jay Farino's dead body, curled up in a fetal position, his hands bound tightly behind his back, his pants pulled down around his knees, exposing blood-covered legs.

"What's in his mouth?" he asked, leaning over to get a better view.

Laura grinned. "They cut his d.i.c.k off."

"Couldn't happen to a nicer guy," Edwards laughed as he slammed the trunk lid shut.

Terasa pressed the remote and turned up the volume on the TV. Several news crews were live on the scene down at the Lexington Club. A picture of Jay Farino flashed on the screen and then the camera cut back to a live, close-up shot. She recognized Agents Forrest and Edwards standing near the rear end of a car. They moved out of the way as two of the coroner's a.s.sistants prepared to remove the body from the trunk.