The Crescendo (28 page)

‘Where are you going?' asked Anna as Jaz was heading for the door.

‘I'm out for a while. Not sure how long I'll be, but I'll text.' Anna frowned. ‘It's okay, just doing some watching for Tilly,' she lied. It was a little white lie, as she didn't want to tell Anna the truth, not yet. If she told her what she was about to do then Anna would need to know all the stuff she'd kept to herself. Stuff that only Ryan was privy to. The only reason Anna didn't know about it was because Jaz wasn't sure how to tell her friends. That and the fact she'd buried it to the deepest part of her mind as she'd been trying to move on.

Until now she'd done a great job of forgetting Salvatore. But right now he could be the key.

Jaz left the gym and headed to Salvatore's place. She sat in her Jeep parked out the side but it drove her insane waiting for something to happen, so she went to his aeroplane hangar. She knew what car he drove and was excited to see it parked by the large building. Jaz did a drive-by, and then left her car hidden in a car park up by the small airport. Walking back, she tried to figure out how this was going to work. Would his men shoot her? Would they even remember her? What would she say and do?

Before she knew it she was opening the office door. Last time she was here, Ryan was by her side. It was the day after they'd made love. That thought alone strengthened her spine, and inside to the lion's den she went.

No one was in the office part, and she wasn't here to snoop so no paperwork or stuff on the desks was of interest to her, so Jaz took a deep breath and walked out back. She knew the way.

‘Hey, what do you think you're doing back here,' yelled a man over by a workshop bench. Not far from where the black plastic had been rolled out last time.

‘I'm looking for Salvatore,' she said. Her voice almost cracked at his name. What the hell was she about to do? Had she gone completely nuts? Maybe.

‘That doesn't mean you can just waltz in here. There are safety protocols,' the man told her, walking closer.

Jaz could tell by the way he walked that there was a gun tucked into his pants at his back. She didn't bother to ask about his so-called safety protocols. ‘Is Salvatore here or not,' she asked.

‘What's up, Jim?' said another guy that came from the back of the workshop behind a couple of vehicles parked inside. This guy wore jeans and his hand was tucked behind him. No doubt ready to aim his gun on Jaz if need be.

Jaz tried looking around the shed, Salvatore had to be here. His car was. Shit, what if it was just here to be serviced by his staff? ‘I'll wait until Salvatore turns up. I have an urgent message for him.'

‘I don't care who you are, lady.' The man in jeans came up closer and tried to look under her hat to see what he was dealing with. He glanced at the other bloke. Jaz could see them trying to decide what to do. ‘You need to leave this area. Go make an appointment like everyone else. Salvatore is a busy man.'

‘No.' She stood her ground. Jaz moved to take off her sunglasses and the guy to her right reached for his gun.

‘Jim,' the other guy groaned. He rolled his eyes, unimpressed with Jim's jitters.

But it was probably not surprising after the big gunfight they had here months ago. Jaz never thought she'd be back here. Jim might have been one of the guys she'd shot at.

With the gun now in her face, Jaz raised her hands. She didn't think they'd be stupid enough to kill her without asking questions. ‘Don't shoot. I just want to see Salvatore.'

‘Who do you think you are?' The gun came closer, resting against her chest.

‘What is going on out here,' boomed a voice from a door by the back corner. ‘I'm trying to conduct business and you're in here making a noise,' said Salvatore as he strode towards them.

Jaz kept her head tilted down, hidden by her hat as her heart raced. This was her dad, man that was so weird. Let's hope he didn't want to kill his own daughter.

‘Jim, what's going on,' Salvatore said as he got closer and realised there was a situation.

‘This girl just waltzed right into the shed and is demanding to see you,' said Jim. ‘After last time, I thought …' His voice dropped away.

‘What do you want,' Salvatore asked Jaz.

She slowly reached for her hat, pulling it off as her eyes tilted up to meet his. As her hair dropped out and fell around her shoulders, she saw his eyes widen.

‘It's you.'

At Salvatore's words his men realised who she was, and now she had both men pointing their guns at her.

‘You're stupid coming back here,' said Jim. His smile indicated how much he wanted to pop a bullet in her chest.

Jaz flicked her eyes back to Salvatore. ‘I've come to talk and I'm sure you've got some questions for me, don't you?'

Salvatore stood there, black slacks, leather shoes and a pinstriped shirt, with gold cufflinks that matched his gold necklace. Jaz noticed her medallion was around his neck. It sent a weird sensation through her body. It was his, after all, but it had belonged to Jaz for so long, had been something she'd treasured. Now she felt very confused. Salvatore saw her eyes drop to his medallion; he reached for it, feeling the inscription with his thumb just like Jaz always had. Even weirder, she thought.

‘Drop your guns,' he said to his men.

‘Sir?' They stared back at him blankly. ‘I think we should keep them here while you talk, just in case she tries something.'

‘I haven't come here to fight. I've come to talk to you. I'm not even armed,' she said.

‘Well, you're a bit stupid then,' said Jim. ‘Want me to tie her up then, boss?'

Both of his men stood with their guns still aimed, waiting for Salvatore's directions. Jaz didn't dare make any sudden moves as they both seemed trigger-happy and would likely shoot her on impulse. ‘You don't have to worry about doing that. I'm not here to hurt anyone and you won't be hurting me either,' she said calmly.

‘And why is that, missy?' said Jim.

But Jaz targeted her reply straight at Salvatore.

‘Because I think I'm your daughter.'

Chapter 27

‘What?'

All three men said the same word, it echoed around the big shed, bouncing off each wall like surround sound at a cinema.

‘Um, boss?' said Jim uncertainly.

‘How can I believe that?' said Salvatore, his arms crossed at his chest.

‘You already know something's up otherwise you wouldn't have stopped your men from shooting me last time,' she said.

‘I was confused,' he said, reaching for the medallion again. ‘This is mine. How did you get it?'

‘From my mother.'

‘But?' He paused. ‘I gave this to only one person.'

If he thought any harder, Jaz was sure smoke would seep from his ears. ‘Yes, my mum. Look at me, see the resemblance? Now, if you give me some of your time, I'll try and tell you what I know. But I am also coming to ask for something in return. Just know that I'm only here telling you this because I'm in a jam. Before this, I was quite happy to pretend you didn't even exist.'

‘I'm seriously confused.' Salvatore stared at her.

Jaz could tell something about her was familiar but he wasn't sure he could believe anything. If Salvatore had come to her saying he was her father she'd probably tell him where to go. Luckily, he was giving this some thought.

‘Alright. Let's talk.' Salvatore reached past the gun for her arm and gently tugged her towards the door he came from.

‘Ah, boss, what do you want us to do?' the guy in jeans asked.

‘Go back to work,' Salvatore replied.

He let her arm go but kept glancing at her. Was he trying to spot the similarities or just watching she didn't make a run for it?

Through the door was a small office. It had a large oak desk with a new computer on it, and some matching filing drawers against the wall behind the big leather chair. On the opposite wall was a long black leather couch with a pillow and a throw rug. Jaz got the feeling he slept in here sometimes. Maybe he had no reason to go home?

‘Please, sit,' he gestured to the couch and they sat.

Now she was facing Salvatore and had time to actually study him. His hair was the same silky black as hers, and their skin tone was similar. But it was the lines around his eyes that fascinated her, and the deep rich nutmeg of his eyes that shone with an uncertainty as he searched her face.

‘Your eyes, they …' His words ended but he kept studying her.

‘They are just like my mum's, so I'm always told. I'm not sure who you knew her as but she was with you about twenty years ago. Fairer than I am and had brown hair back then. She said you were in love.'

He put up his hand to stop her. ‘Julie?' His head tilted, face shocked. ‘I've only ever loved one woman. The same woman I gave this medallion to. But she left me, disappeared completely. I searched for her but she didn't exist.'

Right then, in that moment, Jaz felt sorry for Salvatore. His face was so raw with emotion and a tiny bit of hope.

‘No.' Jaz shook her head and prepared to tell the story as she knew it. ‘Back then she was a spy, sent in to gather information about your family and the bad business they were into. Her name and backstory would have been made up.'

‘A spy, but—?'

Jaz put up her hand and shushed him. ‘Let me finish.' Jaz never thought she'd see the day when she ‘shushed' a big bad drug lord. ‘Now, from what I know, she actually fell in love with you too. So much so, she told her brother she believed you were different from your family, that you were good. Anyway, she fell pregnant. She couldn't tell her family because they'd probably want me gone, as well as the agency she worked for, and she didn't want to tell you and have me brought up into your family. Especially when she saw how tied in you were. So she disappeared to WA and raised me. Only thing was, her one connection to the agency, who helped her create a new life, is who connected me eventually to the same agency, who I now work for, trying to take down people like you. So it is a freak of nature that we actually got to meet and for you to recognise this,' she said, pointing to the medallion. ‘Without that, I'd never have known who you really were. Mum refuses to talk about you.'

‘Wow.' Sal blinked rapidly. ‘That's a lot of crazy.'

Jaz almost smiled. ‘I know, hey.'

‘Do you have a photo of her, I really need to see to believe.'

Jaz got out her phone and found a photo that didn't give away any other details. She held it out for him to look, but not touch.

‘Oh my God, Julie,' he said as his hand came up to his mouth. ‘She's a blonde now? Still so beautiful. I knew I recognised your eyes.'

Salvatore stared at that photo until her arm hurt and she dropped it. She saw the loss splash across his face. She understood that loss.

‘I never knew what happened to her and there were no records, as if she didn't even exist. It did my head in.' Sal shifted in the couch. ‘So Julie is good?'

Jaz had no intention of telling him her real name. He loved her as a Julie so she would forever remain as that girl. ‘Yes, she's happy. She married. Had another kid. I've had a great life.'

‘She did the right thing giving you a new start. My life is not what I would have wanted for my children either. But I wish she'd given me the chance to run with her. I would have given up my family for Julie. She was my everything. And yet here you are, mixed up in this lifestyle she wanted you away from.'

‘I know. Funny how it worked out. But I've always had this yearning to do something worthwhile and good. It's just a shame to find out your biological father is one of the bad guys you're trying to put away.'

Her words actually looked like they shocked Salvatore.

‘I'm having trouble finding out Julie is still alive and well, let alone the fact that she had my child.' He held up his hand, wanting to touch Jaz's face, but she moved out of his reach. ‘I'm sorry. You actually look a lot like my sister when she was young.' They sat in silence for a few seconds before Sal spoke again. ‘I believe you. As crazy as it seems. But seeing Julie and you, and you filling in the blanks, plus the medallion, I believe you.'

It was hard to dispute the medallion.

‘So you already have a father?' he asked

‘Yes, I do. He's been there for me since I was two. He is an amazing dad and he works hard making an honest living to support us.'

‘I guess I must be a disappointment to you,' said Sal.

‘I don't know anything about you beside the drug selling and killing,' Jaz said rather harshly. It was good to remind herself. She didn't need any fanciful ideas, especially while having this oddly normal conversation.

‘Firstly, I've never killed anyone, not by my own hand,' he added when he saw her expression. ‘I have a gun and know how to use it but I've never killed anyone.'

Jaz didn't feel like pointing out that she had killed someone and seen her fair share of death already; that was nothing he needed to know.

‘And I don't do drugs at all. It's something my father always drummed into us with his business. We only sell to those stupid enough to take them.'

‘Yeah, except sometimes it's kids who don't know any better and have been pushed into it by friends or drug dealers. You are still the catalyst for many deaths and the killings, thefts, addictions, etc., etc.' Jaz wouldn't let him get away with sugar-coating his life.

‘I know. I never wanted anything to do with my family's business, but I truly lost my way after Julie left. I moved to WA in search of her, as she once told me she thought it was a beautiful state and we dreamed of a carefree life in Perth. But with an alias name I was never going to find her and eventually my father forced me back into the business. You know nothing of family pressures. I'm guessing you have a very supportive and loving family?'