Chapter 16

MADDIE

Nancy walks into the kitchen and all I can do is look at her.

“Maddie? Are you okay?” She walks over to where I am sitting, concern in her eyes.

“I don’t know. I can’t figure out what is happening.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“No, that’s okay. I think you have done enough.”

“What? You’re mad at me. Are you mad at me? Did you try to text me? I lost my phone last night. If you tried, I wouldn’t have known.”

“You lost your phone?”

“Yes. I had it before I went to the bar but I can’t find it.”

So, maybe she wasn’t the one who took the picture of her father mauling me at the bar. Then who was it? I rub my head as I try to think back to that night. There were several other people in the bar when we were there. I didn’t recognize any of them.

“I have to figure this out on my own.” I want to trust her. She is actually the only friend I have right now. I look up at her and notice the sweatshirt she is wearing. “Is that my hoodie?”

“Oh,” she says, looking at her arms. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I was cold this morning when I got here and I forgot mine. You must have left it here. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh,” I shook my head, trying to dismiss the odd behavior. “No, I don’t mind. Keep it for the rest of your shift.” I swore I wore it last night to the bar, but I don’t remember bringing it to work.

“Thanks,” she smiles. “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“I think I might be in trouble.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I can’t talk right now. I think I need to take some time off. Can we talk later?”

“Sure, any time. You know that.”

I nod at her and walk out of the kitchen. After approving it with Joanne, I take the rest of the day off to figure things out.

I stop by the bar and I try to re-enact what happened. I question the bartender, but I wasn’t any further in finding out who is behind this.

“There is a camera mounted in the corner.” I point to it with some enthusiasm.

“That hasn’t worked in almost a year. I guess they just keep it up there to make it look like the place is being monitored. I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful,” he says.

“It’s okay. Thank you for talking to me.”

“Looks like you could use a drink.”

“I’ll take a glass of wine. Thank you.”

I sit at the end of the bar and watch the other patrons. The only thing I can do is wait and see what the blackmailer wants from me. I pull out my phone and pull up Rocco’s name.

Can you break away? I really need to see you.

When he doesn’t respond, I figure he is still angry. I finish my wine and take a cab home. I plop down on the couch, closing my eyes for a moment. That moment turned into several hours. I wake up to my cell phone going off. By the time I retrieve it from the couch cushions, it stops. I have five missed calls and four texts. I hit the text notifications. They are all from Rocco. I smile until I read them.

Where are you?

I need to know now!

Call me as soon as you can. The restaurant is destroyed.

Maddie, please answer me.

I jump up and quickly look at the missed calls. All but one is from Rocco. The other is from Joanne. I grab a sweatshirt from my room and run out the door.

“Maddie!” Rocco’s voice is urgent over the phone.

“What happened?”

“Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know. The whole place is up in flames.”

The distress in his voice breaks my heart.

“Is everyone okay?”

“As far as I know. I’m here now.”

“I’m on my way.”

The cab driver can’t drive fast enough as I keep my eyes open for signs of the news. When I detect billowing smoke rising up into the sky my heart stops. I can only stare as we round the corner to the restaurant.

“I’m sorry. I cannot go any further.” The cab driver stops the car and I quickly pay him before I jump out and run the two blocks to the flames.

I feel the heat on my face before I notice Rocco on a nearby street corner. Bistro Italiano has flames shooting from each window, threatening and lashing out at the firefighters as they battle the flames with three separate blasts of water.

Rocco sees me before I get to him and he runs to me, throwing his arms around me.

“What happened, Rocco?” I ask, staring at the flames in horror.

“No one knows. Joanne is with the police now.”

“Actually, she is here,” I tell him, nodding to Joanne and two police officers walking to us.

“Joanne, did you find anything?” he asks.

Joanne looks directly at me. “Yes. We did.”

“Maddie Levere?”

“Yes?”

“I am Officer Billows. This is Officer Wright. Can we ask you a few questions?”

“Of course. Anything.”

“Were you here, at the restaurant after hours?”

I feel my stomach hollow out. I feel the insinuation in his voice. I can’t lie.

“I was. Two nights ago.”

“I understand you were given a key for access on days you begin your shift before anyone else is here.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Is it part of your normal work load to be in the restaurant after it closes?”

“No, sir.”

“Why were you here then?”

“I had… forgotten some recipes I was working on, so I stopped by to get them. But that was two nights ago.”

“Were you alone?”

“Yes.”

I didn’t want to lie but pulling Nancy and her father into this wouldn’t have done any good. They had enough to deal with.

“What about earlier this evening?”

“I wasn’t here. I was home. I actually left work a little early because I wasn’t feeling well.” I cast a remorseful eye at Joanne, but she is angry and I feel like it is directed at me. I quickly look down at the ground. Why is she angry at me?

“The surveillance footage shows someone entering the establishment around one this morning, staying for approximately thirty minutes and fleeing just before flames were detected.”

“Surveillance?” I look up at the officer. How the hell did they get footage?

“Yes. The suspect is a small-framed woman with a college hoodie.” He nods at Joanne and she hands me her phone. A dark and pixilated video shows a person walking into the restaurant from a camera pointing at the door. When the person gets closer to the camera before disappearing from view it clearly shows my college hoodie.

“Is this your hoodie, Miss Levere?”

“Yes, but it’s not me!” Do I dare mention Nancy’s name? With our history and the fact that I just lied about being alone the night before, it sure didn’t look good for me. “I wore my hoodie to work the other day and forgot it. When I went back to get it, it was gone.” I shrug. “I don’t know who took it.”

“Is that the truth?” asks the officer, his stare embedding into my eyes.

“Yes, sir. I haven’t seen it in a few days.” My mouth is dry and I feel the tremble in my hands.

“I trust that you will not be going anywhere for a while.”

“No, sir.”

“Good. Be sure you don’t. We will be contacting you for further questioning.”

I turn to Rocco, but I don’t receive the same warmth he gave me when I initially arrived.

“Rocco?”

“I think you should go,” he says, turning away from me.

My heart drops into my stomach and I turn and walk away.

Back in my apartment, my mind moves from one thought to the next. They think I had something to do with the fire. I’m out of a job, probably the best job I could ask for. Nancy is out of a job so there goes my father’s money. Rocco and Joanne both hate me. I fall down onto my bed and cry myself to sleep. I feel like my whole world is falling apart and I’m powerless to stop it.

Just after the sun comes up, a knock on my door sits me up in my bed. If it is the police, I need to tell them about Nancy. I need to clear my name. But how can I be one-hundred percent sure it is her? I’ll just tell them what I know and hope that the truth prevails.

I open the door to a rough-looking Rocco standing in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” His tone is low, curt and his eyes stay on the floor.

I move back and let him in.

“Do you want some coffee?”

“Who is the guy?” He keeps his head down but his eyes look up at me. I see the disgust and it makes me quiver.

“What guy?”

“The surveillance from the night you said you were there alone. You weren’t.”

“That is Nancy’s father. She was there too.”

“I know that,” he snaps. “You gave him something. An envelope. What was it?”

He saw it? I stay quiet, watching him.

“Why did you lie?”

“Rocco, I can’t tell you. But it doesn’t have anything to do with what you are thinking. Please.” I step forward to touch him but he steps back from me. “You have to believe me. Trust me.”

“I can’t do that, Maddie.”

My mind scrambles and I start to put the truth together. I look at Rocco and my eyes widen.

“I have to go,” I tell him. “I need you to trust me on this. Please. I will have answers for you. I promise.”

I grab my purse and phone and rush out the door, leaving him in my apartment.