Chapter 142

word count 1091

“Yeah, you can eat, but first show the tape with the guys who handcuffed you.” The officer's face was flushing with exasperation. His name was Stan, and even though that sounds like a calm name, he wasn't a patient man.

With shaky hands which, by the way, Big Bob blamed entirely on low blood sugar because he hadn't eaten, he scanned the video until Lenny and Nick's faces came into view. The cops reacted immediately.

“That's Joe Tobin's guys. The boss will be really interested to hear about this. Okay, lock this place up, and let's get going.” This, the other uniformed officer, Mike, had already forgotten Bob wanted to eat. It was no problem though because Mama Rigatardi came rushing across the parking lot with a steaming bowl of manicotti. She was huffing and puffing like a runaway train, rushing to get to her boy with his dinner.

“I brought this on the bus. I hope you appreciate all I do for you!”

“Mama? You didn't have to do that!” Big Bob turned to the cops. “I didn't tell her to do that.”

“There's no time to eat! You gotta meet us soon at the station house.” As Mike spoke, Stan was already pulling the squad car up to the door.

“Well, you could take me with you and I'll eat it in the car,” Big Bob stated.

“I need a ride home! I can't take a bus after dark!” Mama Rigatardi was a bit hard of hearing, so when she said it, all of New Albany heard.

The cops looked at one another. There was no time to argue. They might as well all go together. Mike opened the car door and ushered mama and son into the back seat.

“Hey, you want some of this manicotti? It's really good,” Big Bob offered. He stuffed his mouth as he settled in, dripping marinara on his lip. Mama was there with her handkerchief to wipe it.

"Just don't drip that in the car!" Stan, who was driving, said. The squad car pulled out, hanging low in the back—Big Bob was weighing the bumper down.


Buzz slipped his phone back in his pocket never taking his eyes off Priscilla even as he went through the motions. God, she was beautiful. He hated to leave. But his boy, Adam, was in danger.

“Something has come up,” he said. “Involving my son, Adam. I've got to go see his foster parents.”

“Oh yes, I'm aware of your family situation. Do you think I could come along? I'd like to meet the boy since I'll be here helping Auntie for quite some time, and he may come to visit.”

“Sure, I'd love you to meet him.”



When Lisa and John met Priscilla, they both were taken aback. John raised one eyebrow at Lisa and reached out to shake Priscilla's hand.

“How do you do?” he murmured.

“A pleasure to meet you,” she replied. She nodded to Lisa.

Buzz broke in. “I don't mean to rush you, but I need to talk to Adam for a few minutes. It's rather important. By the way, I'll explain later, but I'm assigning a couple plainclothesmen to guard him.”

John led the two to the boys' room while wearing a worried expression. He knew by Buzz's electrified air that explanations would have to wait. Elly and Eric left the room so the boy and his father and Priscilla could have privacy. After introducing Priscilla, they settled down to talk.

“Adam, I understand you were at the city dump today.”

The boy eyes lighted with fear. Was his dad mad at him? “Uh-huh,” he answered in a small voice.

“Did one of you find something at the dump? Something valuable?”

Adam was sweating it. He didn't find the ring. Erik did. He wasn't sure he should tell. But seeing his father's intense expression, he figured maybe it was a good idea to talk.

“Erik found a ring, a big one. It looked like a diamond.”

Priscilla looked up. She'd thought this was just a dull trip to fulfill her cover as Mrs. Dunn's niece and fill-in. But this caper just took an interesting turn. This could be the break they needed if that was the Princess Diana diamond. These American cops probably had no idea that the ring was stolen from the Princess Diana collection, nor that it was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars normally. But with the historical significance of the Diana tragedy, now it was worth much, much more. And a talented fence like Algernon would get a superb price for them on the black market. But first, he, Winifred Dunn, and she had to get their hands on the jewel.

“A ring?” Buzz asked. “Let me see it.”

Priscilla was so excited she wanted to scream. Oh, that ring was so beautiful. To see it was a thrilling prospect. She wished she could snatch it up right there and then.

“I don't have it. Erik does.”

“ERIK! GET IN HERE!” Buzz yelled.

The boy appeared in the doorway, looking frightened to death. “Yes, sir,” he said.

“Let me see this ring that you found.” Buzz looked like he wouldn't suffer fools easily. But that didn't stop Erik.

“I don't have a ring,” he said. He wasn't giving it up, not for anyone. It made him one of the boys, an equal with Elliot and Adam. How could he give that up? If he gave away the ring, he'd just be the loser schmuck brother again.

“ERIK!” Buzz bellowed.

John and Lisa rushed to the room after hearing all the yelling. They jumped to their boy's defense. “Buzz, why are you yelling at Erik?” demanded John.

“He's withholding information, dammit!”

“I think I'm going to have to ask you to leave.”

Buzz stared back in disbelief. Nobody spoke to Buzz Miller that way. He saw red, his fists clenched at his sides. Priscilla stepped in between the two men.

“We should be going,” she said. At least now she knew who had the gem. Algie would be proud of her. It should be simple to get it, like stealing from a baby, literally. It wouldn't do to let Buzz the cop walk away with it today. She pushed Buzz out of the kids' room and toward the front. Under her touch, he responded. They left. But even as she walked out, Priscilla was checking out the house's security, doors, and windows. She couldn't believe she had walked straight dab into finding the ring.