I rolled my eyes and came to a stop at a red light.
“He there now?” she asked.
“No, I’m on my way to pick up Sissy.”
“He let you out?” Now she sounded surprised.
“Not exactly.”
“Oh Lord.” Now she sounded worried. “What’re you and Sissy plannin’ to do? Daisy’s over and we’re gonna watch a Days of Our Lives marathon. Now that I got a day job, I got to Tivo Days of Our Lives. I watch the whole week solid every Sunday afternoon. It’s a ritual. You and Sissy could come over, we got popcorn.”
“Sissy and I are going to talk to Vito Zano.”
Silence.
“Shirleen?”
“Girl, why in the hell are you and Sissy goin’ to talk to Vito Zano?” Now she sounded kind of mad.
“He’s Dom’s uncle. Sissy and I both know him. We’re going to ask him to help us out. He loves us. He’s Uncle Vito.”
“Uncle Vito my ass. Are you crazy?” Now she sounded like she thought I was crazy.
“Relax, Shirleen, I have it all figured out.”
“Shee-it, girl. You’re cracked,” she took the phone away from her ear and I heard her talking to Daisy then I heard Daisy screech. “Is she crazy?”
Jeez.
Shirleen came back to me. “Tell me what chance I got of talkin’ you out of this fool idea.”
“Zip,” I informed her.
“Tell me where Sissy’s stayin’. We’ll meet you there.”
“Shirleen, there’s no need.”
“There’s a need, there’s so much of a need, I’m missin’ my Days of Our Lives ritual. Tell me the address.”
“Shirleen –”
“Tell me.” Now she sounded like she wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
I told her.
*
Sissy, Shirleen, Daisy and I rolled up to Uncle Vito’s house in Englewood.
He lived in what looked like your normal, average, everyday house in a normal, average, everyday neighborhood. It wasn’t until you got inside and saw the Picasso scribble framed on the wall and swam in his indoor pool off the back room that you found out he was loaded.
We all trooped up to the house and knocked on the door. Uncle Vito’s wife, Aunt Angela, opened the door.
“Sissy! Ava! What a wonderful surprise!” She cried and gave us big hugs.
Uncle Vito was nearly bald, very round and about an inch taller than me. Aunt Angela was slim, trim, stylish and disappeared once a year to a “spa” where she came out looking five years younger. Her forehead never moved. Botox city.
Still, she was sweet.
“Aunt Angela, these are our friends Daisy and Shirleen,” Sissy introduced as we walked into the foyer and Angela greeted Daisy and Shirleen. She was such a premier hostess, she seemed not to have any reaction at all to Daisy and Shirleen. Not that there was any reaction to be had about them, except Daisy was wearing skintight faded jeans with silver rivets up the sides, pink platform boots and a baby blue v-necked shirt that showed so much cleavage, most mothers would cover their children’s eyes at the sight of her.
Then again we found out quickly that Aunt Angela knew Daisy, they moved in the same social circles. They gave each other cheek kisses that came nowhere near the cheek.
“Come in, come in. Can I get you coffee? I have some cannoli from Pasquini’s.”
“That sounds good,” Shirleen said.
I gave Shirleen a look and then turned back to Aunt Angela.
“Sorry, Aunt Angela. We’re here to see Uncle Vito, it’s important.”
She looked at me and said, “Vito’s just about to head out to a meeting.”
No!
My gaze swung to Sissy, screaming, mutely, do something!
Sissy to the rescue. “We have to see him before he goes. It’s important,” Sissy told her then her voice lowered. “It’s about Dom.”
Aunt Angela’s mouth got tight as she looked at Sissy. Angela also thought Dom was a dickhead.
Angela made a decision and said, “Come through to the family room. I’ll get Vito.” She led us to the family room and then hot-footed it out.
“I don’t see why we couldn’t have a cannoli and a coffee while we’re waitin’,” Shirleen groused.
“We don’t have time,” I told her.
“Have you ever had a cannoli from Pasquini’s? There’s always time for a cannoli from Pasquini’s.”
In my fatty, fatty four-eyed days I’d practically lived at Pasquini’s. I’d had more cannolis, chocolate candles, napoleons and profiteroles at Pasquini’s than the entire population of Denver.
I decided not to answer. Luckily, I didn’t have to, Uncle Vito walked in.
He threw out his arms toward Sissy and me. “Sissy! Ava! Come give your Uncle Vito a hug.”