“You can be sure of that. And thank you so much for coming, Madison.”
“It’s no problem, honey. After all, it is why you pay to keep me on retainer, right?”
“Right. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t express my appreciation. I was terrified to be in that room alone with him.”
“I understand.”
“So, thank you again, Madison.”
“If Kirk comes at you again, we’ll go the restraining order route.” Madison hugged Rona. “Don’t worry. You are nothing like your father. You’ve taken all the death, violence and destruction that your father caused and turned it into something beautif
ul.”
“I know,” Rona said shyly.
“Old dinosaur cops like Kirk should have been put out to pasture years ago. Call me.”
“I will,” Rona waved as she walked away, thinking that Madison was right. She was nothing like her father, she was worse because she was smarter than him. She got in the car knowing that she had won the first two rounds and now it was time to decide if it was better to cut her losses, tie up loose ends, and move on. She had dealt a serious blow to The Family and though she should be satisfied with that, Rona wasn’t satisfied. She wasn’t satisfied at all.
She wanted Rain dead and that was all that there was to it. There were times when she thought that if killing Rain was what this was all about, why didn’t she simply contract Joachim Eisenbraun to kill her? But she smiled to herself as she thought that this was so much sweeter.
“Where to?” Garon asked as he drove.
“Take me to the restaurant, please,” she said and looked out the window. “And call ahead and have them to call AD. I need him to meet me there.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Garon said picking up the phone to call The King Family Restaurant to carry out her instructions. But then there was a question that he needed to ask. “Erica wants to know if you want something to eat?”
Rona smiled. “Who’s cooking?”
“She wants to know who’s cooking?” Garon asked and waited for a reply. “Paul is cooking tonight.”
“Tell Erica yes, I do want something to eat and Paul knows what I like.”
“Got it,” he said and relayed the message.
When Rona and Garon arrived at the restaurant, AD was already there waiting in the office. That was their only meeting place. So he wouldn’t be seen by customers or staff that wasn’t family, AD entered through Robert’s private entrance. That was the only direct contact that he had with Rona. Otherwise, she only sent messages via her cousin, Erica, who managed The King Family Restaurant and her aunt Miss Betty. She and her husband, Theo had been running Bones, one of the King Family’s other restaurants, for years.
“Hello, Rona. How are you?” AD asked, getting up from behind the desk in the office.
“Other than getting arrested today, I’m fine.”
“What?”
Rona sat down at the desk. “You heard me. Kirk, of all people, came to my apartment to arrest me for conspiracy to commit murder. He asked me about Joachim Eisenbraun.”
“That’s not good.”
“No, but it wasn’t unexpected. My personal feelings about the man aside, Kirk is a thorough cop.”
“Your father thought the same thing.”
“Still, I didn’t expect him to find Eisenbraun so quickly.” She held up her hand. “And before you ask, yes, he was arrested; and yes, he implicated me as the one who hired him.”
“How did you get out?”
“When his lawyer arrived, he apparently recanted the statement that he made to Kirk, claimed police brutality and they released him. Without his statement, Kirk had no reason to hold me.” Rona paused and folded her hands on the desk. “I am thankful to be out, of course; however, I am curious to know how Eisenbraun knew to implicate me?”
“I never mentioned your name in any of our conversations …” he paused. “As you requested. But he is your father’s contact and —”