Page 66 of The Liar

“You’re not the only one who has law enforcement contacts,” she reminded me. “It’s been too long since I heard from my son. Is it safe to talk?”

I glanced around. I was alone in the apartment, and it was clear of electronic listening devices. The phone was a burner and I’d swap the number tomorrow. Perhaps Adam would frown on me accepting the call, but Mamma mattered more to me than placating my boss.

“Yes, Mamma. It’s so good to hear from you. I missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” she wailed. “It’s been too long. Here I am, never knowing if you’re alive or dead, and I’m sure you’ve been fading away with no one there to feed you properly.”

Guilt sank its claws into me.

“I’m sorry, Mamma. I wish there was a better way to keep you up to date, but it’s too dangerous to talk regularly or to send messages. My boss would let you know if anything happened to me though, I promise.”

“They had better.” She huffed. “Tell me. Have you been eating? And I mean real food. Not those awful prepackaged, just-add-water monstrosities.”

I laughed. Mamma was an excellent cook, but because of that, she was also quite a food snob. “You know I can cook for myself quite well.”

“Well, yes,” she agreed reluctantly. “I did teach you.”

“And I listened to every word,” I promised.

She grudgingly accepted this but moved onto the next topic of questioning. “Aren’t you terribly lonely, cucciolo?”

“Actually…” I hesitated, unsure how much to share. But I was in a pickle, romantically speaking, and my parents had enjoyed a long and happy marriage. “There’s a woman.”

Mamma gasped. “Who is she?”

I stirred the risotto again, noting that the water was evaporating, and it would soon be done. “I can’t tell you her name, but I love her.”

“You do?” She squealed, but then got a hold of herself. “Does this woman love you too?”

Suddenly, my limbs felt heavy. My heart sank as I realized… I really didn’t know.

“She used to.” My eyes pricked, and I tried to tell myself it was from the onions in the risotto, but the lie wasn’t fooling anyone. “I deceived her. I’m not sure if we’ll be able to move past it.”

“You did it for your job?” she asked, no judgment in her voice.

“Yeah.” I ran my hand through my hair and tugged at the ends as frustration crept over me. “She’s well within her rights to be mad.”

She scoffed. “I’m sure she is, cucciolo. Tell me more about her. I know, I know, you can’t give me her name, but I want to know what kind of person my son fell for.”

I grinned despite my heavy heart. “She’s amazing. Strong, smart. She seems sharp on the surface, but beneath that, she’s so many other things.”

“Ah.” Her tone was knowing. “She has needed to protect herself before.”

“In her line of work, she’s something of an outsider. I guess that made her tough.”

Fiorella paused. “Is your lady a criminal, Weston? I don’t judge. I’d just like to know so I can be prepared.”

I snorted, amused by her willingness to accept anyone into her family. “No, Mamma. She isn’t a criminal.”

Her sigh of relief was audible. “Then you’d best grovel. If this woman deserves you, and you’ve hurt her, she needs to see you take responsibility for that and do better. Get on your knees if that’s what it takes. I want to meet her. I need someone else to spoil. Don’t mess it up.”

“I’ll do my best not to.”

Metal scraped on metal. I glanced at the door in time to see the lock turn.

“I’ve got to go,” I whispered. “We’ll talk soon, but don’t try this number again. I love you.”

“Goodbye, darling. Love you.”

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