Tax Cut (18 page)

“I can’t think of his name right now, but he always reminds me of that former football player,
Dwayne Johnson.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Bonnie said. “He does look like
Dwayne Johnson. I didn’t like him so much in that
Tooth Fairy
movie, though.”

“What did you say?” I said to Bonnie, with my eyes wide open.

“Um, I didn’t like him in the
Tooth Fairy
movie.”

“Tooth fairy. Babs Todaro,” I said.

Bonnie knew exactly what I was getting at. Kris was confused. I told him it was a long story and that I’d fill him in on it someday, but the gist was that there was an old lady that kept talking about a tooth fairy, and perhaps the tooth fairy was this guy.

“I wish I knew his name.”

“Go over there and say hello, see if they introduce you,” Bonnie said.

“Oh
, hell no. I’m not going over there. Winifred will insult me. I get enough abuse at work; I don’t need it on my own personal time too,” I said.

“Do I really have to do all the dirty work?” Bonnie said as she rose from her seat.

“Bonnie! No! Don’t go over there.”

“Relax,” Bonnie said as she walked toward their table.
I crouched down as low as I could to avoid being spotted.

I saw Bonnie extend her hand to Gino and shake it.
Then she shook the unknown man’s hand. She said something to John and Winifred, then continued her walk to the ladies’ room. When she returned, she said, “His name is Drake Taylor.” I almost lost my dinner. I tried to control the look on my face. Kris excused himself to the men’s room.

“Bonnie, that guy, Drake, he owns the mortgage company that has been making those extra tax payments to John,
Marc, and Winifred. There’s something suspicious going on.”

Bonnie pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture of the four of them.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I don’t know.
It seems like a good idea to have some proof of something, in case…”

“In case of what?”

“I don’t know yet. Something seems off. I wonder if Gino and/or the mortgage guy did something…like gave John and Winifred the tickets to the game. At the least, I would think that’s some sort of an ethical conflict.”

“We don’t know where they got their tickets from
; maybe they bought their own tickets.”

“I don’t know.
Can’t hurt to have a picture of the four of them together, though,” Bonnie said.

Kris returned from the men’s room and we left the restaurant to find our seats for the game.
I tried to put Winifred, John, Drake, and Gino out of my head and focus on Kris. The closer we got to the ice, the more I forgot about who I saw at the restaurant…we had front row seats! I had never gotten to sit front row before. Hockey was something I had enjoyed since I was a teenager. I always tried to go to at least one major league game a year. I was a big Devils’ fan. Having Kris alongside me, high-fiving me when they scored, made the game that much more fun.

Jayce finally arrived
around the time the second period started. I saw Bonnie and Jayce embrace each other like they hadn’t seen each other in months. They were so in love. They kissed and hugged. It made me a little jealous. I wanted that kind of love in my life. I wanted Kris to hug and kiss me. The most I got was an arm around my shoulder for about a minute all during the night.

The game ended in a four-three win for the Devils.
We were all smiles leaving the arena. We found our limo driver out front and piled in the limo, which took us home. Back at my house, I invited Kris in for a drink. He agreed. I poured out two glasses of a nice ice wine, perfect for the end of the evening. We finished our wine, and Kris said that he’d better get going. I walked him to the front door. He turned the knob and opened the door to let himself out. I was utterly confused at this point. I didn’t understand why this guy hadn’t kissed me since New Year’s Eve. He kept taking me out on dates. He didn’t let me pay. Did he see me as only a friend? Did he not like me in
that
way? Whatever the reason, I had had enough.

He took a step out of the front door, onto the porch, and said, “I’ll see ya soon.”

I asked, “That’s it?”

Holding the storm door open, he looked at me
, confused, and said, “What do you mean?”

I stared into his big
, gorgeous eyes and, with a burst of confidence, I put my hands on my hips and said, “That’s it? You’re just going to leave?”

Kris blushed a little, smiled slightly, then bit his bottom lip.
He glanced down, seemingly trying to think of something to say. After what seemed like a considerable amount of time, he looked back up at me and repeated himself. “What do you mean?”

“I think you know what I mean,” I retorted.

“I’m shy,” he said with another blush.

“You weren’t shy on New Year
’s.”

“I had a little to drink.”

“Well, okay then, if you’re just going to leave, I guess I’ll see you,” I said.

He was still standing on the front porch, holding the storm door.
He said, “I was waiting for you to make the first move.”

“You’re the guy
; you’re supposed to make the first move.”

He hesitated.
He looked toward his car and I thought that was it. That I had said too much. That he didn’t want to kiss me again. A wave of disappointment washed over me. I looked down and waited for him to leave. All of a sudden, he rushed back into my house and wrapped his strong arms around my waist. He kissed me deeply and passionately, like I had never been kissed before. I felt the blood rush to parts of me that hadn’t been awake in several years. He was, absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best kissers that I had experienced. I wished it didn’t have to end.

He stopped kissing me and looked deep into my eyes. “If I don’t stop now, things are going to get out of control.”

I couldn’t answer. In a way, I wanted things to get out of control. Things like
that
hadn’t happened to me in years. After a few moments of silence and another long kiss, I said, “Okay.”

He whispered in my ear, “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

He gave me a third deep, sexy kiss, then he turned and left my house. I watched him walk to his car. Then he tripped. I laughed. I was happy he didn’t fall and hurt himself. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who was on Cloud Nine. I couldn’t be sure, because it was dark outside, but I think I saw him turn several shades of red before he got into his car and drove away. I couldn’t stop smiling.

As I dozed off to sleep that night, I tried to piece everything together in my head.
The tooth fairy could have been Drake Taylor. Drake owned the mortgage company that was double paying on taxes for Marc, Winifred, John, and some of the planning board members. Babs had told me she saw Marc handing an envelope of money to the tooth fairy. She also told me her nephew was friends with the tooth fairy. Sylvia from the nail salon told me that Gino Righetti was Babs’ nephew. So, if the tooth fairy was Drake Taylor, then Babs wasn’t crazy when she said that her nephew was friends with the tooth fairy. So was she crazy when she said Marc handed the tooth fairy an envelope containing money? Considering what I had seen firsthand in Atlantic City, I didn’t think so.

I needed to call Bonnie in the morning.
I had to get a hold of that picture she took of the foursome. She was right; that picture would come in handy. Next, I needed to find Babs Todaro and confirm with her that the tooth fairy was indeed Drake Taylor. I also needed to find out what she knew about Marc.

Chapter 1
8

I awoke to the sound of raindrops hitting my bedroom windows. I looked at the clock. It was seven in the morning.
I crept over to Mandy’s room. She was still asleep. I tiptoed into the kitchen to find my cell phone. I sent a text to Bonnie, asking her to text the photo to me when she had time.

I took out my laptop and searched for Babs Todaro’s daughter.
Her name was Lisa. I wasn’t sure if Lisa was married or not, but I typed “Lisa Todaro” into the search engine. A stroke of luck. There was a Lisa Todaro living only ten miles away. I wrote down the phone number and thought I’d try it at a more reasonable hour in the morning. Seven was a tad early for most people.

I made a cup of hazelnut coffee and added a splash of French vanilla creamer.
I grabbed the morning paper, then made myself comfortable on my recliner to enjoy the few moments I had to myself. As I flipped through the pages, I came across an article about economic development around the county. There was mention of Coral Beach’s downtown district, the area where Babs had lived. It spoke about how the project was nearing completion and how the ratables had a huge impact on keeping taxes under control in the village. After I finished the article, I noticed the photo—the photo of new townhouses being completed…right next door to Lutz Loans. I did a mental head slap. I had never noticed the sign before.

Mandy started her morning chants of “Mommy,
Mommy.” I put down the paper and went to her room. After changing her diaper, I got a call from Nero.

“How did you get my cell number?” I asked him.

“I’m more talented than you know.”

I rolled my eyes.
“Why are you calling so early in the morning?”

“I’ve got something for you.”

“Really?” I perked up. “What do you have?”

“Not over the phone.
Can I meet you?”

“I suppose.”

“Okay, meet me at Take Ten Coffee Shop in an hour.”

I reluctantly agreed.
I didn’t want Nero to mistake my curiosity for interest. He seemed to back off a little since he had the endeavor of finding dirt on the Coral Beach elected officials. I called my parents and asked them if they would be willing to watch Mandy for an hour or so. They agreed, as they always did. I didn’t know what I would ever do without them. They were an immense help to me with Mandy.

I arrived at Take Ten to find Nero anxiously waiting for
me.

“I ordered you a chai latte,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him, and said, “How did you know I like chai?”

“Um…I took a guess. I can buy you something else if you don’t want it.”

“No, this will do. So, what have you got for me?”

“How’s blackmail?”

“Blackmail?”

“Yes.
Marc is being blackmailed.”

“What?
I thought Marc was the bad guy.”

“Not really.
Well, I mean…it’s not so black and white,” Nero explained.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what he’s doing is not on the up and up, but he’s got good reason.”

“What good reason could someone have to be doing something
that’s not on the up and up?”

“They’re holding his daughter over his head.”

“What? Who?”

“
Marc has a daughter, away at college. Someone’s threatening to kill her if Marc doesn’t do what they want.”

I was shocked.
Here I had been, thinking Marc was a bad guy. I finally knew why he was so miserable and so mean. If he hadn’t pushed to get those things on the agenda quicker, his daughter may have been at risk. I would have been devastated if that had happened to me. I completely understood. Nero was right; it wasn’t so black and white.

“How do you know this?”
I asked.

“If I tell you, it would make you an accomplice.”

“Do you know who is threatening him? And what they are asking him to do?”

“Someone named Gino.
And it has something to do with his being involved in the government. He said he wants to quit, but they won’t let him. He said he feels guilty. He said they went too far with the fire. He said he doesn’t know how to protect his daughter.”

“He said this all to you?”

“Um…not exactly.”

“Who did he say it to?”

“His wife.”

“If your
‘evidence’ is similar to your video of Winifred and John, do you think it’s admissible in court?”

“I don’t know, but I certainly do not want anyone to know that I’m the person who gathered the evidence.”

“What if you sent it to law enforcement anonymously?”

“I guess surveillance cameras and nanny cams are used in court.
Maybe it would work.”

“Can you send it somehow without anyone knowing it was you?”

“I guess I can find a way to make sure it can’t be tracked to me. Where should I send it?”

“I don’t know.
The county prosecutor? The F.B.I.?”

“The newspapers?”

I told Nero that going to the newspapers wasn’t a good idea. This could put Marc’s daughter at further risk. Gino wouldn’t realize who recorded the video and could blame Marc himself for its release. Blackmail, arson, and threatened murder sounded like pretty serious crimes to me. We decided the F.B.I. was the place to go.

“I’m going to make multiple copies.
I’ll give you a list of where they will be. If anything happens to me…” His voice trailed off. Nero seemed genuinely worried. I kind of felt bad for dragging him into this mess.

“I have one more favor to ask,” I said. “
Would you be able to find out more information about a mortgage company?”

“Possibly. Why?”

“I think they are somehow involved in this. There’s a business called Lutz Loans on Main Street and I’ve also seen it called Lutz Online Loans. I think they are one and the same, but I’m not sure.”

“I’ll see what I can find,” Nero said.

We got up from our table, and I thanked him. He said he’d be in touch. I was a little confused about why he made no attempt to hit on me. Maybe this had Nero more rattled than I originally assumed. I glanced down at my phone and saw that Bonnie had sent me the photo of Winifred, John, Gino, and Drake Taylor.

I got into my car, shut the door, then pulled the phone number out of my pocket for Lisa Todaro.

“Hi, Lisa, I’m so sorry to bother you. I’m not sure if you remember me. I’m Chelsey Alton, the municipal clerk for Coral Beach. I had gotten to know your mother since I started working for Coral Beach, and I was hoping you didn’t mind my calling you to see how she’s doing.”

“Oh dear, Chelsey.
I am so sorry. I know my mother always called you. She has dementia, you know. I realize she said some crazy things.”

“Oh
, please; don’t apologize. I was worried about her. I hadn’t heard from her in a while, and when I had tried to return her last call to me, I found her phone number was disconnected.”

“Oh
, yes, she’s doing okay, actually. We moved her into Saint Maribella’s. They specialize in dementia patients. They can handle her better than I could. They are able to keep an eye on her to make sure she is taking her medications. I work full-time, so it’s hard for me. I couldn’t be there all the time for her. I couldn’t leave her alone in that house. I never knew what I’d find when I was able to get there.”

“I understand.
Do you think it would be okay if I visited her?”

“Wow;
that would be so kind of you. She loves visitors.”

I thanked Lisa and disconnected.
I looked up the address to Saint Maribella’s on my cell phone, then typed it into the GPS in my car. It was twenty minutes away. I drove there, wondering what I would ask Babs. I had so many questions, but I wasn’t sure if she was capable of answering me.

Saint Maribella’s was nestled back in the woods in a park-like setting.
Fragrant Easter lilies adorned the planting beds at the main entrance. I parked my car, then walked into building through the sliding glass doors. I signed in with the guard at the desk, who pointed me in the direction of Babs’ room.

I walked down the long corridor, painted in shades of pink with cherry blossom borders. The carpeting consisted of shades of mauve, brown
, and puce in a Persian pattern. The door to Bab’s room was embellished with a crafty wreath of seashells and peach ribbon. I knocked gently. I heard a voice from within the room saying, “Come in.”

I turned the knob and found Babs sitting in a chair with a cup of tea beside her.

“Hi, Babs. I don’t know if you’re going to remember me. I only met you in person once, but I talked to you on the phone quite a bit. I’m Chelsey Alton from Coral Beach.”

“
Oh yes, dearie! Come in! Come in!” Babs said, motioning for me to enter.

I glanced around her room.
It was small, but cozy. She had a very small living room, a separate bedroom, and one bathroom. There was no kitchen. The room was decorated with a few items. A television, loveseat, a couple of end tables, a vase with flowers, a few books, a container of Metamucil, and some family pictures.

“This is a lovely place you have, Babs.”

“It’s not the same as home. I miss my home.”

“I understand.
I wanted to see how you are doing.”

“Oh
, you know. I’m old. I ache all over. I haven’t moved my bowels yet today. I may need to ask the nurse for some of that prune juice.”

I tried not to laugh.
I’d have to remember to tell my daughter to shoot me if I became one of those senior citizens that only talks about how often my bowels worked.

“I think I saw your nephew at a restaurant recently,” I told Babs.

“You did? Which one?”

“I have a picture here of him,” I said as I pulled out my cell phone.
I showed Babs the picture.

“Is this your nephew?”

“Oh yes, that’s Gino. He’s my brother Rocco’s oldest boy. He has three sons. Rocco passed away, you know.”

“Do you know who this other man is in the picture?” I asked, pointing to Drake.

Babs squinted for a better look.

“Oh, that’s my nephew’s friend
; I never remember his name. I call him the tooth fairy.”

Confirmation received.
I was excited.

“He’s a gravedigger, you know,” Babs informed me.

“A gravedigger? I thought he was a mortgage guy,” I said.

“I saw him with the Iceman.
They were out digging graves. I saw the bodies,” she said emphatically.

“
Was this near your house?” I asked.

“Yes, and the Iceman wasn’t happy that I saw them digging.
He told me he would kill me. My nephew Gino tried to convince me that the Iceman wasn’t going to kill me, but I didn’t believe him. See, it’s good that I moved. Now the Iceman can’t find me.”

“That’s terrible.
I’m so sorry, Babs.”

“I have fourteen nieces and nephews,” Babs said
, changing the subject, and drifting off into another world. I stayed another twenty minutes, to see if I could learn anything about Marc, but I think she was starting to be less lucid than when I arrived. I finally gave up for the day and I told Babs I’d stop back to see her soon. I hustled back out to my car and called Bonnie. “You’re not going to believe what I think I just found out…”

* * *

Bonnie called her Uncle Freddy and filled him in about the potential dead bodies underneath the new townhouses in the village. Freddy called in a favor to one of his colleagues, who agreed to give an anonymous tip to the Coral Beach police force. Cadaver dogs were brought to the basement area of the townhouses and sure enough, they hit on something. Crews were summoned to drill through the concrete. Dental records confirmed that bodies were that of the couple who were reported missing from their home in Coral Beach. Autopsies revealed gunshot wounds were the likely cause of death. I wasn’t sure if the police had leads on the murderers yet, but I wondered if they’d be knocking on Babs’ door to get some information. I hoped Gino would be arrested, but I wasn’t sure if the anonymous tip included information about Babs, who would be the only person that could lead police to the killers, as far as I knew.

Meanwhile, Nero got back to me about the mortgage company with a phone call after I had put Mandy to bed for the night.

“The mortgage company looks like a front,” he said.

“A front? How do you know that?” I asked.

“Well, I don’t want to tell you how I know...I told you before, you’d be an accomplice to my methods. Let me just say that I don’t know any mortgage company that only has seven clients, all of which live in Coral Beach. Three of which are your bosses. And little money in their bank account.”