His Devious Angel (15 page)

He shook off the waiting depression and realized it had been easier. With so much on his mind, he hadn't had time to dwell and smolder in all that pain. Maybe the shrink was right.

No! Staying busy helped, but a man had to relax sooner or later. And if every time he closed his eyes he saw bloodshed and horror, then it wasn't getting better.

The honking behind hurled him from the sickening memories and made him pay attention to his driving.

The ostentatious building that housed the pet store stood amongst other buildings full of designer-like commodities—a fancy shoe store on one side and a jewelry boutique on the other.

Leaving the car, Liam made his way over to glance into the window, not surprised to see that fancy wooden blinds closed off the view of the inside. He wandered over to the other side of the building and noticed there was a narrow walkway that led to the back. Glancing each way first to see if anyone paid attention, he skulked forward and made his way under a lit window.

High up on the brick wall, the ledge poked out some three or four inches, enough that he could use it to chin up in order to briefly see inside.

Three men sat around a luxurious office of brown leather, crystal artifacts, and dark wooden bookshelves. They all held drinks and a tray with a decanter sat on the low table in front of them.

Anchoring himself with one arm, Liam reached for his cell phone and, using the video feature, panned the room and then zeroed in on all three men. By this time his muscles were screaming.

Liam wished he could read lips. Not a sound came through the double-paned glass, so he had no idea what was being discussed. From the celebratory way they'd clinked glasses, he had no doubt these three dudes were happy about something. And he couldn't help but wonder if the missing dogs had anything to do with their contentment.

Just before he lowered himself, the three stood up and shook hands. Back on his feet, he meandered to the sidewalk, trying to look inconspicuous, and then headed for his convertible. To put the top up took only a few seconds but gave him a reason for being parked there, and the men who all left the store together didn't even look his way.

Head lowered, he snuck glances and saw that two of the men stood side by side as if a team, while the other backed away first. He now knew which ones were the Bradford brothers. Dressed in expensive suits with ties to match their shirts, carrying brimming briefcases, they stood shoulder to shoulder, the same height. And both were partially bald, slim built, and wore glasses.

Having just read their resumes, he knew they lived on the same property, in separate houses. Talk about togetherness. How ridiculous!

Their Lincoln SUV wasn't hard to follow, since they had chosen white with all the bells and whistles. Then again, the cheesy lit-up license plate reading I “heart” Dogs would have kept him on track anyway.

Sure enough, they drove to their property, where the gate swung open to let them enter. Liam just kept driving along and didn't pull up until a block later. He'd done everything he could tonight. If he got the video to Stan early in the morning, before the scheduled move for the Ruiz family, he hoped the identity of the third man might give some clues to where Giorgio and the other missing pets were being kept.

If nothing else, at least he'd tried to do something rather than just accept. There was so much going on in his life right now that he had no choice but to put up with, and damned if it wasn't making him sick inside. This crisis had chosen him, and he had no intentions of backing away.

Seriously, how many times can a man back away?

Before he breaks…

Sadie plodded around her place, dreading the coming trip. Knowing there wasn't a damn thing she could do to stop it from happening, she chose her least favorite swimsuit, a sexy, revealing number she knew would please her mother, and shoved it into her backpack. Then she whipped out a cute little sundress she'd gotten for her last birthday, one she'd never have bought herself but had to admit fit perfectly, and rolled it up to add to the rest. She grabbed the matching cardigan she'd worn a few days earlier and rolled it up, also.

Her plush towel, flip-flops, suntan lotion, and makeup bag were retrieved, and pretty soon she stood ready. Not willing, but ready. A check to her cell phone, hoping a text awaited her, had her pushing down the disappointment when the screen came up blank. She understood Liam had a lot to do this morning. They were moving Angelo and the family, and she shouldn't expect any calls or messages. She knew that in her head, but her stupid heart wasn't as reasonable. 

The honking, loud and typical, made her run to the door. Trust her mother to forget that people liked to sleep in on the weekends.

"Hi, baby. Are you ready for a great time?" Bea's floppy hat shielded her eyes and had Sadie wondering if she could even see the road. Next to her mother, the shotgun seat waited—empty. Sadie knew her other two sisters, both of whom were grinning impudently from the back with an ecstatic, tail-waving Susie nestled between them, were fully aware of the unwanted honor of sitting in the front. The foolish woman collected tickets for traffic violations without any qualms whatsoever. And on the two-hour drive they were sure to be stopped at least once.

Knowing there was no escape, Sadie stuffed her backpack as best she could into the jam-packed trunk and then settled into the low front seat. Desultory topics floated around her, of course in the screamy tones she was used to, but she let their voices lull her into a delicious daydream where Liam had actually stayed with her the night before. Their banter finally broke into her trance and made her aware of her surroundings.

Warmth from the sun settled her nerves, and she started to look forward to their time at Lake Anna. Balmy weather and beautiful scenery helped soothe, also.  Reminiscences of their cozy cabin, which had made many of the summers worth living in her youth, had her anticipation growing.  Relaxing against the leather seat, she breathed in the fragrance of various perfumes that radiated around the happy females of her zany family.

Her mother stuck in a CD and "Rolling in the Deep" belted out in Adele's brilliant voice, compelling her to hum softly. The song, one of her all-time favorites, made her feel strangely happy. No doubt it was the catchy beat.

And then the worst happened…when the agony really began. Three voices joined in, along with one happy hound dog, all harmonizing to destroy not only the tune but the great lyrics. Cows being tortured couldn't sound worse.
No! Lord, this isn't fair. I'm a good person…

By the time they arrived at the cottage, Sadie thanked the gods she didn't have a gun. If the drive down was to be a reflection of the rest of her time with “the girls,” she hoped they'd brought a lot of wine.

"Dad, after we finish setting up Pedro's bed, can I have a moment?" All morning they’d been hard at work moving Alfonso and Isabel's meager belongings into the suite, and then transferring much-needed furniture from the big house to fill up the empty spaces. They were now busy finishing up the smaller chores.

A plan had come to Liam during his sleepless night, one where he'd need his father's help. Asking any favors from the old man wasn't easy for him, but the cause justified lowering his boundaries—and even begging, if necessary.

“Sure, son. I'm happy to help in any way I can. And while we have this time alone, I just want you to know how happy you've made this ole guy by bringing the Ruiz family into my life. After your mom passed on, things got pretty tough. Retiring made the loneliness worse. Being stuck at home with no one to talk to and only my ugly mug to look at had me considering that selling might be an option—moving into a home, just to have company.” He heaved a sigh. “I have to admit it would have broken my heart to give up this old house. As you know, it's been in our family for three generations before me, and hopefully, you'll want to take it over when the time comes.”

Liam stiffened. He couldn't help it, and he knew his dad sensed he'd gone too far.

"Sorry, Liam. I wasn’t trying to tie you to anything. Of course, it'll be your decision down the road. For now, I'll enjoy having the young company and the help to keep the house from falling down around our ears."

"Yeah, fine, Dad." Liam wished he'd shut the hell up, because with every word his father uttered, his own pain increased. Tension settled between his shoulder blades, and no amount of stretching could loosen the tightness. He'd left home because of this agony—the knowing that he'd never rise to his mother's high expectations or lower himself to his father's level.

Soon they were sharing a coffee in the garden after finishing all the chores. Isobela and Angelo were puttering happily in their new home, and the children were napping. Liam’s heart had twisted in knots at the threadbare furniture and small amount of belongings they owned. Such nice people dealing with so much hardship—didn’t seem right somehow. He shrugged and rolled his neck from side to side.

"You wanted me to help?" The soothing tone relaxed his anxieties, and the uncomfortable moment passed. 

"If you don't mind, I need you to dress in one of your expensive lawyer suits and come puppy shopping with me. There's a fancy doggy boutique downtown, and I want to get inside and see how they handle customers. I'm especially interested in their sales procedures and the commitments they might make to a promising customer.

"You're talking about a pet shop, right?" His father seemed perplexed.

"There's a little more to it than that. This is a high-class, very expensive pet shop. And I need to understand their policies and the guarantees they're willing to give as to the breeding of their animals. Whether or not they can promise champion sires and mothers of the same quality. You see, Sadie, a friend of mine, is a dog-walker for a very elite group here in Washington, and some of her best dogs were stolen recently. These weren't ordinary mutts. Most of their price tags ranged in the thousands and tens of thousands of dollars."

"Imagine that! But then I've never given it much thought. You say you want me to go and buy one of these dogs?"

"No, not buy. Just enquire while I snoop around a little."

"Sure, I can do that. When did you want to leave?"

"How about after lunch?"

***

Watching the Ruiz family as they settled into their new home made Liam's sacrifices all seem worthwhile. He liked seeing Pedro run around the same yard that had amazed him as a little boy. The pond full of goldfish drew the child like it had always drawn him.

His father had attached a new rope swing where his old one used to hang, and if the kid’s excited giggling was anything to go by, it looked as if it would take first prize for his favorite new plaything. Excited, the little guy didn't know whether he was coming or going.

Isobela, with a satisfied Teresa nestled in a holder against her chest, beamed at everyone. He'd watched her hug Alfonso more than once as if in wonder at their good tidings.  Even he'd gotten an embrace when he introduced her to her new place, the apartment his mother had contracted and decorated for him so he wouldn't leave home. As if that would've kept him in this hellhole!

Pretty soon, all the empty boxes and cartons were put in the garage and the yard was so well organized one would never have known that a move had taken place just a few hours earlier.

A quick bite to eat—sandwiches made by a contented Isobela—and the time had come for him and his dad to leave.

They went into different rooms to change, his dad to the master suite and Liam, with his change of clothes, into his old bedroom—his retreat from what used to happen in other parts of the house. The fights, or rather his mother fighting and his dad taking her abuse, had been a constant nightmare.

A sour taste bombarded his mouth, and his stomach clenched like in the old days as he remembered the nights he’d fall asleep with his pillow held over his ears and his ragged teddy held in his arms. Later, as a teenager, earphones and loud music had soothed his troubled soul.  

Just get the hell out of here, he told himself. No damn good to you now, remembering old times. They’re done and gone. He dressed quickly and couldn’t get downstairs fast enough.

 Liam felt a pang as soon as his father appeared wearing the same kind of clothes he'd worn for as long as Liam could remember. An expensive dark suit, a silk tie worth hundreds, and shoes made with luxurious leather altered him from the retired crossword-puzzle enthusiast to the suave, high-priced lawyer he'd been his whole career.  He'd even oiled back his hair to look less scruffy and more in keeping with the sharp image of a man at the top.