FanStory.com - Miracles - Chap 18by Begin Again

Eleanor and Miriam stood on the cottage porch as the hum of helicopter blades sliced through the stillness of the night. A gust of wind whipped through the clearing as Frank DiVito's rescue copter descended, its landing lights casting shadows.

Frank stepped out first, his tailored suit stark against the wild brush and vines. His usually cold and calculating expression softened as he spotted Eleanor, illuminated by the moonlight.

"Eleanor," he said gruffly, his voice carrying over the rotor's roar. "We'll take care of him. You have my word."

She nodded, her ghostly hands clasped tightly in front of her. "He doesn't have much time, Frank. Please —"

Frank turned to his men. "Move fast. Don't jostle him." To Eleanor, he added, "We've got this."

Two paramedics, dressed in black tactical gear, hurried past him with a stretcher. Inside the cottage, Miriam hovered near Donatelli, her face etched with worry. His bruises were stark against his pale skin, and his shallow breathing was barely audible. Sitting had taken its toll, and now he was exhausted.

As they carefully lifted Donatelli onto the stretcher, Eleanor followed. "He's a good man," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

Now standing by the helicopter, Frank gestured for his men to hurry. "Get him to the hospital. Use the private wing." His tone was sharp and commanding, but his eyes softened as he glanced at Eleanor.

The paramedics secured Donatelli in the helicopter, the machine's rotors picking up speed. Frank approached Eleanor one last time, his voice low. "We'll take good care of him. Trust me."

"He's in danger, Frank. Someone is framing him for murder."

"Doyle?"

Eleanor 's surprise was evident as she stared at Frank.

"I've heard rumors. We're prepared. He's safe."

"I hope you're right, Frank," she said softly. "For his sake — and Jenna's."

Frank's gaze held hers momentarily before he stepped onto the helicopter. Eleanor stood rooted to the spot as it rose into the night sky, her eyes following the blinking lights until they disappeared into the darkness.

She clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. "Please — let him survive," she whispered into the night, her voice a blend of hope and desperation.

Miriam joined her, her trembling hand touching Eleanor's arm. "We did the right thing, didn't we?"

"We did, Miriam. And now I've got to tell my daughter." Eleanor sighed, and her shoulders sagged. "Wish me luck."

*****

Spotting some low-hanging branches, Garth pulled the car off the road and parked beneath them. It was about fifty feet to the bar's parking lot. He took his phone from his pocket and dialed Tango's number.

"Boss, you here?"

"Parked down the road a bit. What's happening?"

"I sure wish we had eyes inside, but we'd all be recognized. So I guess we wait and see what happens."

"I can go inside, Garth." Danni could feel her adrenalin pumping. "I'll do it."

"I'm not sending a girl into that dive by herself. They'd take one look at you, and you'd be served up to someone on a platter."

"Not if they couldn't see me. I can be invisible." Danni grinned. "As Donatelli would say, I'm the best invisible bloodhound he's ever known."

Garth laughed. "You're right. It's perfect."

"I can slip through walls, windows, whatever and see or hear whatever is going on." Danni opened the car door. "See you in a few." As she walked toward the bar, her body faded away.

*****

Garth left Danni's car and headed toward the parking lot, keeping in the shadows to avoid being seen. He spotted the black SUV with Tango and Poppa inside and worked his way toward it, stopping whenever anyone came outside the bar. His stealthy maneuvers paid off as he tapped on the driver's window and was greeted by Tango's revolver.

"Whoa!" he hissed. "Nice draw there, son."

"I learned from the best." As Tango continued, Garth climbed into the rear seat, "You're lucky I didn't shoot first and ask questions later."

"You saw me, didn't you?" Garth was grinning, knowing his men were the best.

Tango laughed. "I can't take the credit. Poppa spotted you first. Nice try, though."

"I couldn't sit in that car any longer. This has got to be the strangest stakeout we have ever been on. A ghost doing our surveillance."

"Hey, Donatelli seems to think it's the way to go. It sure beats getting recognized and shot at."

"Let's just hope she hears something worthwhile."

"Boss, those guys aren't playing gin rummy. Something's going down, and it must be big. However, I don't know if she'll hear anything to help us close this case. What's a painting got to do with framing Donatelli?"

"After you told me about the painting, I got to thinking — no wisecracks out of either of you. I do think before I jump in headfirst — most of the time." He tipped his Stetson back, and both men turned in their seats to look at him. "Doyle's in prison for forging and selling priceless paintings to private investors. Maybe he had a few hidden, and now he needs money to finance his crusade. We know William was involved with the pageant fiasco. Maybe he does more dirty work for Doyle than we know about. There could be a connection between the two. Why else would he be back in the States knowing I'd be on his tail if I heard anything about it? It's got to be something big."

"So, you think Doyle's got William returning the forged painting to the gallery and selling the real one overseas? Makes sense." Tango nodded and mulled over what his boss had said.

"But I still don't see how that connects to Donatelli," Poppa asked. "And why is Rossi involved? Doyle might be a big shot in this area, but why would the underworld care about him?"

"They wouldn't unless he's got something they want? Or knows something?"

Garth shook his head. "I think it's something tangible because if they just wanted to keep him quiet, they could easily shut him up for good inside the prison. Happens every day."

Tango thought about it for a second. "What's bigger than selling a painting?"

"I don't know, but I hope Danni can get some answers. I just don't know how long I can just sit and wait." Garth heaved a sigh and stared out the window.

"Get used to it, boss. She might be a ghost — but she's a woman, and you always have to wait for them." The three men laughed and then fell silent as they watched the bar's neon light flickering and the door opening and closing with people coming and going.

*****

Crystal lingered in the stockroom doorway across from Tony's office. Her heart raced as she strained to hear the conversation. Inside, Vince Rossi leaned against the desk, his tailored suit at odds with the peeling paint and scuffed furniture. Everyone in the room was tense.

William's overzealous confidence had vaporized when he entered Tony's office and saw Rossi. He'd had a few run-ins with the lawyer and hadn't come out on the winning end.

Rossi studied the two paintings leaning against the wall and then looked at William, his eyes narrow and menacing. "This arrangement you have with the gallery — are you sure it's solid?"

William gnawed on the inside of his cheek before answering. "He's a lock."

Rossi moved closer, his breath warm and minty on William's face. "Nothing's a lock, William. What makes you so sure you can trust him?"

"Jackson owns the gallery. He's the one who removed the originals from the auction house and replaced them with the forgeries. When Doyle discovered the fake ones, his people put pressure on Jackson. The fakes are now in the gallery, and these are the real deal. His wife doesn't even know about the exchange."

"If this Jackson guy opens his mouth, you're going down with him. There's no connection to the Judge, right?"

William swallowed hard. "He understands that."

"Good, because it's your life, his life, and his wife's. Is that clear?"

William nodded, but Rossi wasn't satisfied. "Did I make myself clear as to the consequences if this comes back on the Judge?"

"Yes, sir. I understand."

Satisfied, Rossi turned his attention to Tony and Bruiser. "Did either of you get any information from Doyle's cellmates regarding the diamonds?"

Tony shook his head. "Doyle's pretty closed mouth. The guard says the only thing he can talk about is getting revenge on Donatelli and anyone else who crossed him."

"Do I need to pay this guard a personal house call? I want a return on the money he's getting to cozy up to Doyle."

"Understood. I'll get in touch with him."

"Do that and make sure he understands that the next visit will be from me, and I don't play nice. Got it?"

Tony shifted his weight from one foot to the next, unable to look Rossi in the eye. He muttered, "Got it."

Rossi shifted his gaze to Bruiser. "You, on the other hand, are dealing with lifers, guys with nothing to look forward to except twenty-four hours inside concrete walls. Are you telling me none of them can get anything from Doyle about the diamonds?"

"That's what they say. He's never mentioned them." Bruiser leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Looking smug, he shrugged and added, "Maybe he doesn't have them?"

Rossi's hand snatched the front of Bruiser's t-shirt, and his spittle sprayed on the bouncer's face. "He's got them, and my boss wants them back. If you want to keep breathing, it's your job to find out where they are." He dropped his hand and brushed it against William's silk shirt, removing the sweat. "Get back to work."

Outside, Crystal felt a chill creep up her spine. She barely had time to step back when Bruiser yanked the door open, catching her in the hallway.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he growled, his massive hand gripping her arm.

"I-I was just passing by," Crystal stammered, her tray clattering to the floor.

Bruiser didn't buy it. His slap landed hard across her face, sending her stumbling against the wall. Tears stung her eyes as she gasped for breath.

"That's enough, Bruiser," Rossi said sharply, his tone more annoyed than concerned. "If you can't control your women, send them packing."

Bruiser grabbed Crystal by the chin, forcing her to look at him. "If you're smart, you'll keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, you won't make it out of here alive."

Bruiser shoved her and walked toward the bar as if his problem was solved. Crystal lay sprawled across the floor. She inched her way toward the door. Reaching it, she stood, yanked the door open, and raced outside.

Danni had been invisible, lingering in the shadows as the scene unfolded. Her ethereal form vibrated with anger as she watched Bruiser's brutality. She turned away from the office, disappearing through the walls to the back parking lot, where she found Crystal leaning against the dumpster, clutching her bruised cheek and sobbing.

Materializing just enough to be seen, Danni approached cautiously. "Crystal," she said softly.

Crystal gasped and stepped back, her wide eyes filled with terror. "Leave me alone."

“I saw what he did to you. You don’t deserve this.”

"Nobody can stop him."

"I'm a friend," Danni said, her voice gentle but urgent. "I know what they've done. You can't stay here. They'll kill you if they think you're a threat."

Crystal shook her head, her voice breaking. "I can't leave. They'll find me. They always find me."

Danni knelt beside her, her hand touching Crystal's shoulder. "You don't have to do this alone. I can help you. But you have to trust me."

Crystal hesitated, then nodded weakly. "What do I do?"

"First, give me anything you've overheard. Everything," Danni said, her tone firm. "Then, we get you somewhere safe."

Crystal hesitated, then pulled a gold Rolex from her pocket, the face scratched but unmistakable. "This — this was his. The guy they left for dead."

Danni's eyes narrowed as she recognized Donatelli's watch. "You've just given me what I need. Now, let's get you out of here."