Page 61 of Volatile Vice
She gasps through the phone. “Oh my God.”
I leave out the part about him being found with his throat slit in my bed. That’s too horrible to even think about, let alone say.
Plus, my father will keep as much of this quiet as he can. But he can’t keep the death quiet. There will be an obituary. He was a young man, had his whole life ahead of him. People will mourn him.
“I wasn’t home,” I say. “Neither were my mom and dad. They had gone out for the evening.”
“My God, I’m so sorry.”
“Thanks. I’m sorry about Mr. Puzo, too.”
She sighs. “I hardly know him.Knewhim. I think I met him twice. He kind of had a greasy look about him, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. Mrs. Puzo is a lot younger than he was. She’s beautiful. The match didn’t make a lot of sense in my book. But of course the house they live in… I might be able to sleep with some greasy guy if it meant I could live in this house.”
“Well, she won’t have to sleep with him anymore.”
“Nope. She seems distraught, for real. But it could all be an act. I don’t know. It’s not like I ever saw them spending any time together, and I live here twenty-four-seven. He was almost never home, and like I said, they kept their bedroom locked.”
“Well, I was going to ask if you want to get together, but I’m pretty sure you’re busy.”
“Yeah, I am. Anna and Paulina are staying home from school this week, so I’m on duty full time. Once all the dust settles, I’m not sure if I’ll still have a job.”
“I’m sure Mr. Puzo left Mrs. Puzo very well taken care of. And she’ll still have all of her causes and societies. The kids will still need a caretaker. My guess is you’ll still have a job.”
“True. The question is whether I want it. I love the girls, but all of a sudden this house feels strange to me. Like ghosts are watching me or something.”
I rub my arms against the chill that erupts. “Yeah, I know what you mean. When someone dies, it feels that way.”
“Maybe this weekend though,” she says. “I still have Sundays off.”
“Okay. We’ll set it tentatively. But I understand if you need to cancel.”
“Ditto,” she says. “Take care, Ray.”
“You too.” The call ends with a soft click.
No sooner does CJ hang up when my phone rings again.
It’s Falcon.
20
VINNIE
“What about Belinda McAllister?” Grandfather asks.
“I’d like to talk about…taking a more active role in her life.”
Grandfather raises one eyebrow. “Vincent, I didn’t know you had those inclinations.”
I feel sick. I could upchuck right now, right on my grandfather’s smug face.
I swallow it down. I won’t give this bastard the pleasure of a violent reaction. “I don’t have any suchinclinations, Grandfather, and you’re disgusting to even think that. But if the woman is to be my wife, perhaps she should come live with Mom and me. In her own room, with her nanny.”
God, I sound like a first-class creep.