Save Me

Chapter Eighty-one

Rose and Leo left the FBI offices at dawn, holding hands as they walked along Market Street, in Philadelphia. The city was just waking up, and the sun was rising behind the buildings, painting the sky with swaths of yellow, like fresh latex from a roller. Only a few people were on the street, and two uniformed cops stood talking in front of the federal building. A street-cleaning truck with a rotary brush whirred water at the curb, and a SEPTA bus hissed past, half-empty. The only store open was the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street.

Rose breathed in fresh air, carrying the scent of glazed doughnuts and the first chill of autumn. “Smells good.”

“For a city, yes.” Leo looked around. “But I spent all week here. I’ve had enough.”

“Congratulations on your settlement.”

“Thanks.” Leo looked over with an easy smile. His eyes were tired, and his chin sported stubble, but he looked happy and relaxed, his tie loose and his khaki jacket catching the breeze. “I’d tell you how it went, but it doesn’t compare with chasing murderous senators and exposing corporate conspiracies.”

Rose smiled. “Not bad for a week’s work.”

Leo squeezed her hand. “Has it only been a week?”

“Yes.” Rose couldn’t believe it herself. “It’s Friday morning. One week ago today, the cafeteria caught fire.”

“Jeez.” Leo shook his head, and Rose sent up a silent prayer that Amanda would be okay. Last night, she and Eileen had been questioned by the FBI and the Assistant District Attorneys, but they’d been in two separate interview rooms, and Eileen had left for the hospital before Rose was finished. “Too bad we didn’t get to say good-bye to Eileen.”

“What?” Leo looked at her like she was nuts. “She punched you in the face, babe.”

“I would have done the same thing, if someone left Melly in a fire.” Rose was oddly fine with it, maybe because her face didn’t hurt that much. She’d iced the bump last night with a gel pack and felt like herself again, having washed off her makeup disguise. Although she was thinking about keeping the red hair, which suited the new her.

“Still, please, don’t do anything like this again.” Leo shuddered. “You could have been killed.”

“It’s all over now.” Rose squeezed his hand, and she could feel his love in the warmth of his palm. “I’m fine.”

“Never again, promise?”

“Promise.”

“Nothing can happen to you. I’ll never get another wife as good-lookin’.”

“Stop.”

Leo smiled. “One thing I don’t understand. Why would Campanile let Mojo do all the stuff he did?”

“I don’t think they knew.” Rose had a worry, too. “It really bothers me that they might not be able to prove that Kurt and Hank Powell were murdered. Howard said they don’t have the blood to do a toxicology screen, but I bet it would show that his new friends slipped him a drug.”

“Maybe they can check out his car, see if it shows evidence that he was hit, like a paint scrape.” Leo looked over, brightening. “I have an idea. When this all dies down, why don’t we offer to take his niece out, with Melly? Baseball’s over but I can get some Eagles tickets.”

“That’s a nice thought.” Rose squeezed his hand. “I wonder when it will die down. I can’t wait to see Senator Martin indicted. He played it smart, didn’t he? Kept the conspiracy to just a few guys on the night shift and Mojo, who did the dirty work.” Rose felt disgusted. “What is it with corporations? Aren’t they just made of people? Don’t they have kids?”

“They don’t think that way when it comes to money. And it’s somebody else’s kids, not their own.” Leo shook his head. “They’ll get Martin. He’ll be going away for life. Not only for his role in the murders, but for the corruption that was involved in the blackmail. It’s just a matter of time.”

Rose thought he was right. Late last night, the FBI had arrested the three Homestead security guards, in Virginia. “Maybe one of the security guards will flip.”

“Flip?” Leo looked over, eyes narrowing.

“I heard it on Law & Order.”

“Don’t mess with a lunch mom.”

“Exactly.” Rose smiled. “I hope they can rebuild the plant. It was awful to see it burn. Would they be insured for that?”

“Sure. The bad guys will go to jail, the board will replace them, and the company will rebuild. It’s too successful not to.” Leo squeezed her hand again. “And by the way, we’re in the clear, eh?”

“Thank God.” Rose breathed a relieved sigh. The D.A. wouldn’t hold her responsible for Mojo’s death or for what had happened to Amanda. “And I really doubt Eileen will sue me now, on her own.”

“It better go without saying. You saved her life.” Leo smiled. “All’s well that ends well.”

“Except for one thing.” Rose’s thoughts kept circling back to the same place. “I hope to God that Amanda comes out of this.”

“Me, too.” They both lapsed into silence as they reached the corner and turned right toward the parking lot.

The wind disappeared, and they approached the grim gray column of the Federal Detention Center, with its slitted windows. Ahead lay the Police Administration Building and the expressway, where rush hour was starting. Rose felt the pulse of the city beginning to beat, but she didn’t miss the excitement. She felt as if her life was starting over, in Reesburgh. She hoped that Melly would have it easier now, but that could be too much to ask.

“Wow.” Leo shook his head, musing. “I still don’t get how you figured all this out. A school fire that’s intentional, set to kill a teacher who’s having a senator’s baby, and a forklift accident that’s no accident, to cover up a scheme that would kill children.”

“So many people are gone now.” Rose sighed, sadly, thinking of them all. Marylou Battle, Serena Perez, Ellen Conze. Kurt Rehgard, Hank Powell, and Bill Gigot. Even Mojo. All that death, all so tragic and pointless.

“But still, you figured it out. I’m proud of you, and more importantly, I’m sorry.” Leo stopped and turned to face her, eyeing her directly. His expression grew serious, and his entire body seemed to still. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have vetoed you with Oliver. We’ll get him to make a statement that we won’t be suing the school.”

“Good.”

“And from now on, you and I will talk about everything, until we’re sick to death of talking, and we’ll make no moves without agreeing. Forgive me, partner?”

“I do.”

“You said that already, at the altar. And I do, too.” Leo smiled, and Rose smiled back.

“Does this mean we’re getting married, all over again?”

“Yes. So now I can kiss the bride, for keeps.” Leo leaned over and gave her a soft kiss, then more deeply, and Rose kissed him back fully, feeling them reconnect as a couple, renewing their vows, on the fly.

“I love you,” Rose said, when Leo released her.

“I love you, too. And I miss the kids.”

“Me, too.”

“Let’s go get our family.” Leo looped an arm around her shoulder, and Rose slid her hand around his waist.

And they walked to the car, together.