BLIZZARD OVER MIAMI

[Christine]

48. THE LAST EXPLANATIONSThe next days, everybody was very busy. Rico ad Alessio had to talk a lot, the same as Castillo and Abhisit. Trudy recovered amazingly fast and it was said that she, possibly, could leave the hospital on Saturday morning, but with crutches, and the Vice - team wanted to close the Walker - file.Billy invited the others to a barbecue at his house on Saturday evening because Rico would return to New York on Sunday at noon, and therefore Saturday was the last occassion for them to meet.On Saturday afternoon, Gina finally finished the report to that case. She sighed in relief and stretched her tensed back. She let her head circle around to losen the tense in her neck before her left hand started to massage the right shoulder.The last days were very strenuous. She´d lived absolutely unhealthy, had eaten irregularly, and when she had something to eat, it was either greasy or sweet.She had drunk too much coffee, had slept too little, worked too much... and didn´t take enough care of Elena.When she returned home yesterday late in the evening Elena wasn´t there. Gina sat down in the dark living - room to wait for her daughter who slipped into the apartment after midnight. First she was startled because she hadn´t calculated to meet her mother, but then she digged her heels in. In that point she was like her father, Juan.Gina hadn´t noticed that Sonny came in. Sonny drove to Gina´s apartment first, but there he found out that her car wasn´t there. Therefore, he suggested that she still was in the office... and there she was, massaging her right shoulder.Sonny stepped behind her. First she startled when he laid his hands on her shoulder and started to massage her. But then she looked up to him and smiled. "You´re coming at just the right time," she said."I´ve been at your apartment to pick you up, but you weren´t there. So, I thought that you´re in the office. Billy wants to get the grill going at six."While he was massaging her shoulder, he whispered in her left ear," The last days have been very strenuous for us all and we haven´t had time for a romantic dinner."Gina nodded. "Very strenuous, but I wanted to finish the report." She closed her eyes, enjoying the physical closeness and the soft touch of his hands. She felt his breath at her throat, could smell the well - known scent of his after - shave, and heard his voice in her ear. Her skin started tingling and her heart was beating faster. He could still throw her off the course."We should leave. First I´ve to drive home, anyhow, make myself up, chain my daughter..." Gina got a grib on herself. It was better to remember that there would never be a happy- ending between her and Sonny. As soon as he got back the Corvette... probably on Monday... he returned to West Palm Beach where his life was playing. Her life was playing in Miami and they both hd enough to do with managing everything.Sonny laughed and while leaving the office together he said," I think I´ve got one of Elvis´ old chains somewhere. It´s a very robust material, alligator teeth tested."They passed other offices. Telephones were ringing, drawers were slammed, and they could hear several voices. "This damned guy will have to pay for my service!" a hooker shouted angrily."Look at the bruises at my eye! You´ll have to pay for that!" a man answered.Gina smiled at Sonny while walking into the elevator. "I think we´ll meet at Billy´s house."The meat, the sausages, and several corn cobs were sizzling on the grill, several salads were standing on a table on the deck, and cold drinks were awaiting the guests in cold boxes under the table. On the CD´s Billy had mixed different kinds of music: Coldplay, Chritsina Aguilera, Nickelback, Linkin Park, and some songs from the 80´s: Phil Collins, Tina TUrner, Bryan Adams...A warm wind was blowing across the ocean, crickets were chirping, and Billy had lit several chinese lanerns that were hanging beteen the trees.The guests were sitting at a table, drinking and talking. But the main issue was, of course, Curtis Walker."Walker had drawn up an unbelievable plan," Damian said. In the right hand, he was holding the glass with the sparkling red wine while his left arm was possessively lying around Trudy´s shoulder. In fact, she´d left the hospital this morning an she insisted on visiting the barbecue.Sonny raised his glass of beer. "What luck that it hadn´t worked."Everybody raised his glass and drank a sip."What a pity that it was impossible to identify the persons in the sedan. Except from Walker and his driver there were two more persons sitting in the car. One of them was female and we suggest that it was Jessica Landon," Sonny said.Billy told them that the meal was ready and everybody, except from Trudy, helped himself. Trudy was waited on Damian and she enjoyed it."Your glass is empty," Rico said when he returned to the table. He had filled his plate with different salads, a corn comb, bread, and herb butter. "Do you want me to get you...""I´ll get her something to drink," Damian cut him short when returned to the table. Then he hesitated, grinned, and as he shrugged he answered,"That´s the way I am.""Could you find out what Walker wanted to do with us?" Abhisit asked Stan when everybody was sitting at the table again. "He didn´t want to give us back our freedom."Stan nibbled at a spare rib and the juice was dripping on his plate. Now he stopped for a moment. "His plan was mean. Another Asian returned with your papers and your luggage to Bangkok. We cold check this because Ramona had decided to talk about everything she knew. Officially, Abhisit Martin Wang flew to Siam on Monday morning where he disappeared without a trace."Again, Stan nibbled at the spare rib before he continued,"All of you should die. After Alessio´s death the lab wold have found out that he was Rico´s son, but there was no connection between them. Nobody could confirm that they ever had met...""We haven´t met before," Rico said while enjoying the delicious salad.Stan pointed on him with his spare rib and the juice dripped onto the table. "That´s the point, Rico. There was no evidence for the kidnapping and for the blackmail. The same is valid for you, Martin. There were only evidences for drug - smuggling in the coffins and in Sonny´s trunk. Ramona had let all the other evidences disappear."Stan ibbled the rest of the meat off the bone, put it on the plate´s edge, and grabbed a serviette. While he was cleaning his mouth and his hands Rico looked amazingly at him."She let everything disappear?" He unbelievably asked.Stan crumpled the serviette, but he kept it in his hand instead of putting it on the plate because he was sure that he wanted to fill the plate again. "Of course not," he answered. "Mandy from the lab said that two men in suits had appeared with a decree. They´d shown her heir badges and she said that they looked authentically. They had told her that they´re working for the drug squad in West Palm Beach and that this was their case. They wanted to get all evidences. For her, there was no doubt that the decree and the badges were authentic. For Ramona, it was easy to destroy all evidences off our computers because there are no pass words on the cases. I think that´s something that should be changed."Billy joined them. With a filled plate in his hands, he sat down opposite to Alessio. "They wanted to accuse Trudy and me a love story," he said while cutting a piece of meat.A big grin spread out on Alessio´s face and his green eyes twinkled cheerfully. "Trudy... and you?" He bended forward to look across Rico and Damian to Trudy who was sitting at the other edge of the table. So she could stretch her left leg without hinder somebody. "No offend, Trudy, you´re a really nice person, but YOU and Billy?"Stan got up because he had decided to fill his plate again. "The age difference and the environment´s incomprehension should be the reason for their suicide together. So it was written in the farewell letter we´ve found in Walker´s headquarter." Stan walked to the table with the salads on it, but he seemed to be indecisive while walking from one bowl to another.Gina squinted to the right where Sonny was sitting. Should she tell him thatlena was staying at her friend´s place tonight? Maybe later."I think one could expose that farewell letter as a forgery," Sonny said while looking at Damian who was playing with Trudy´s hair without thinking about it.Damian shook his head. "It was such a good forgery that I would have been taken in by it... under other circumstances.""And I was taken in by the voice on the phone," Trudy said. "I could have sworn that it was Knight´s voice."Stan returned and sat down on his place. "It´s over. Many bad boys can only annoy the devil know. Three of them are Sanchez, Alex Kingston, and Victor Bonivar. By the way, Knight doesn´t return. He said that he can´t work with employees who mistrust him." He grinned. "In a few weeks I´ll take my examinations as a Lieutenant and then I´m the boss of the Vice - team."It was after midnight when Alessio gave Rico a ride to the motel. In the radio, Marillion was singing "You´re gone." It suited well to Rico´s and Alessio´s mood.At the motel, Rico said,"I want you and Anna to come to New York. I wanna show you my home town and I want you to get to know the rest of the family.""I´ll do that," Alessio answered and smiled at him. Until now he hadn´t been calling him Dad, but Rico ignored it. "We´ll call.""First I´ll take you to the airport tomorrow. 10:30 a.m.?"Alessio asked.Rico nodded. Then he left the car and walked to the motel.Aaron Caden was working the night shift at the reception. Rico walked upt to him to get his key. In the lobby, it was quiet and the light was dimmed down."Good evening, Mr. Caden."Aaron Caden raised the look from the book he was reading. "Good evening, Mr. Tubbs." He jumped up and while taking the key he grabbed at something in Rico´s pigeon -hole. "Someone has left this for you," he said as he reached Rico the key and an envelope with a black stripe on it."Thanks," Rico replied.He opened the unsealed envelope on the way to the elevator. When he pushed the button for the elevator, the doors opened immediately so that he could step in. Rico pushed the button for the 6th floor and frowned while taking the card with the black cross on it out of the envelope.He opened it, leaned against the wall, and took a deep breath. The card contained a very clear message of seven words:DEAD IS SOMEONE ONLY IF HE´S REALLY BURRIED!

[Sea-light]

Wow. That's fantastic. So truely!  It needs to become a book or a movie. Great. I want it on video!