Ambush

Chapter 73

The visit with Albert Stass had shaken me. Over the previous months, I had experienced a number of revenge fantasies about him. That was not the way I was raised or what my upbringing in the Catholic Church had taught me. It wasn’t how I operated as a police officer. But I still fantasized about killing the creep, and that scared me.

I had to clear my head. Some people might call it centering myself. That meant I needed contact with my family. Some men rushed to alcohol, some men to drugs, but in times of trouble, I needed my family.

I didn’t hesitate to head south toward Brooklyn. I hadn’t been to the set where Juliana was filming her TV show in several days. Just seeing her would make me feel better.

As I parked near the nondescript warehouse in Brooklyn Heights, near the East River, the first person I saw was Juliana. She was standing outside the main door using her phone.

As I walked up, she covered the mouthpiece of the phone and said, “I get lousy service inside. And by coming out here I get a little air and a few minutes away from Carter.”

I waited a few seconds while she finished her call. She was trying to register for some acting class in Greenwich Village. Then Juliana slipped her phone into her purse and gave me a hug.

She said, “What brings you down here?”

I shrugged. “I just needed to see one of my kids. And I was curious about what was going on here on the set.”

“You were curious how I was handling Carter since he dumped me.”

“I’m more curious to know if you want me to do something to him.” I gave her a smile to let her know I was kidding.

Juliana said, “Ugh, Carter. I don’t even want to think about that jerk.”

I was glad to see that anger had replaced sadness — the natural progression in breakups.

Just then, the front door opened and Carter popped his head out. He said, “C’mon, Jules, don’t be like that—” Then he saw me and went silent.

I looked at him and said, “Like what?”

He didn’t say a word as he slipped back inside.

Juliana laughed, and it lifted my whole world.

I turned to her and said, “What are you filming today?”

“Just some scenes with the star of the show.”

I liked the way she put air quotes around star. The woman was an older actress whose name I didn’t know.

Juliana said, “Sometime this week I’m supposed to do three different interviews.”

“That’s exciting. Maybe I can come and distract you during one of them. It will make you tougher.”

She laughed and said, “Dad, thanks for worrying about me.”

“Honestly, I don’t know why I do. You seem to have everything under control.”

She hugged me.

I said to her, “I came here for me, not so much for you. You don’t have to thank me.”

Juliana said, “Then I’ll just tell you that I think you’re a great dad.”