Chapter 1

"See you guys tomorrow!"

It was becoming more as if, 'maybe I'll leave for home by tomorrow?'

If it were a Friday night, that's exactly what would happen.

For the last 5 or 6 years not only had I not saved even a dime, this all was affecting work. I was making decent money, $52,000; but with $600 bar tabs a night and a pretty face or two that always needed something it went fast.

I almost got married, again. That was 5 years ago, one year after my divorce. That was probably the reason all my 'social' life focused on a bunch of ex-cousins, ex-girlfriends and ex-lovers. They were known commodities and even an 'ex-Uncle or three' still treated me as 'family'. Once your 'family' even when your still not, you get treated well.

I think if I had ever asked, my 'family' life would have ties to 40 or 50 Italian and Sicilian towns. Not only could I not say no to whatever they asked for or wanted, 'family' would never 'rat' on one anther. Not that we 'shared' any girls but I had been to enough of their weddings to know who they were married to and this night those was not the ones they were with, they looked more like a daughter or young niece. A few might not even have been born yet when they had the wedding. I had known her 'family' like a dozen years before I married my wife.

Our bliss lasted a few days before I realized that I would never be able to support her in the manner she had been used to. A shopping trip to her was picking up a half-dozen original dresses in three different sizes each week, readying them for the next. (One that fit now, one size larger and one size smaller.) Each dress costing $700-900. Figure it out you 'whiz kids'. Six times 3 different sizes say $700 each for 52 weeks a year and Voila. She told me I needed a new job.

'Daddy' would always give 'Princess' anything and everything she wanted. By extension, he thought a business in Miami would go along well with the two hotels and the house for us.

Can you say 'Fool', very quickly three times? Instead of just keeping my big mouth shut and saying 'Thank You' I opted for the 'Adios'. I really don't want to look back but it was not the first nor the last dumb thing I ever did.

I also think I was the inventor of 'Burning Bridges'. I destroyed everything. Sherman would have loved me on his 'March to the Sea'. I also made the mistake of not taking sides. If somebody treated me well that how I treated them. But others had the clear idea they were always right and everyone else was wrong, so should be hated. Usually but as I said, I may have made a few mistakes, a few dozen, at least. They usually involved some member of the opposite sex that was not married. Usually, that was until a few just happened into my life. Red, her husband and me hung out for several years together. Eventually it became just Red and me and her return was often not until the next day or so. That relationship had been 'almost' platonic. That is some of the things that happened; Bill Clinton would say it was not necessarily sex.

Hell, I make it sound like that all I did was fall in-love. No Siree. I did not fall for a girl until I was like, mmm, 11 or so. Well, maybe at 6 but then she moved away, I still remember her name and how she looked. A tall, leggy blond with buck teeth. Anyhow girls seemed to take the place of football, real quick. They were more fun and you usually could walk after.

Telling you all this just to set the stage for that fateful day I reached 30. I had gone home to get my clubs for an early golf game with 2 of my NFL buddies. There is a little more to that but at that time it was all I knew about. The knock on the door was my damnation, maybe my salvation too though.

Dee stood in the opening door.

"Hi!"

"Hi!"

We were always such great conversationalists.

If this were Halloween, the way she looked would fit right in. It was June though.

"Pete, can you help us?"

As I was pulling her in, she grabbed a younger 'mirror' image by the hand.

I did not take a college degree to see this was a sister or, yes, maybe her daughter. The young girl was battered and bruised anywhere flesh showed. I hated to think what her clothing covered.

"Dee, I can and will do anything and everything that needs to be done to help you."

Dee and I were items years ago. Yes, the thought that this younger version was my daughter crossed my mind.

"Hon. Eat, sleep, shower, talk, yell, scream but if you hit me do it gently. What to I call your twin?"

"Not sure if you should call her daughter or not, but I call her Karen, when I don't scream at her."

"Okay! Kitchen, bed, shower, no questions and no lies. It is so good to see you, see you both. Make this your home, it looks like Karen should see a doctor so maybe this afternoon or Monday, you too; to get checked out. I assume you both can use a friend, huh?"

They both cried.

I had an armful of girl. "We have 2 bedrooms, a bath, a shower, laundry in the hall and if you can't find what you want in the kitchen, there are like 57 different take out and delivery menus by the phone. Money will be there too and I'll go wash your clothes while you just do your thing. Robes in the bathrooms, change then hand or toss the old clothes out."

"Pete I..."

"Hey, I am in 'Seventh Heaven' you remembered my name. I'm going to find it a bit awkward to see your cute twin though. Keep reminding me to behave?" (She laughed I was not kidding though.)

That got me a gentle punch on the arm; a smile and Karen put a hand up to her face. (That reminded me she needed a dentist too.)

I gently tapped Dee's butt and pretended to do the same to Karen but stopped, with a quizzical look on my face. I kissed her head instead.

"You are both so welcome here, you know?" It was the right thing to say.

Dee had always not looked her age. Back then, she looked older, now younger. She was always a small girl (I was like 6' 4'' and 225-325 pounds depending what I had to do).

Washed up, wearing their robes it was hard to see much difference between the two even now that is if you overlooked Karen's blackened eyes, broken nose, missing teeth and the visible bruises.

The clothes were washing in the hall. "Okay, no suitcase, no extra things and I don't remember two smiles when you walked in. Now it is question time, my questions then yours. Where do I find whoever did this to Karen and do you really care what happens to him? When your clothes are dry we'll go shopping unless both of you want to try to fit into one pair of my jeans and shirt?"

They looked at each other and grinned, not smiled just grinned. It was an old story. The boyfriend decided the daughter is his 'reward' for', for ... Dee just left it at that.

"Okay, make a list of whatever you want from your 'old' place, any papers, school records, whatever you think you need from there. For now you two will share the bigger bedroom, 'we'll' get a better place next week or go to a different city."

"Why?"

"Because if Karen is my daughter, I owe both of you 'big time' and if she's not, I'd like to pretend she is. I'm not getting younger, hit the big '30' yesterday. Dee, my 'associates' are mostly 'family' of my ex but there is not much we won't do for each other either. When I look at Karen, I know what I want done to him. If you never see or hear from him again will that cause either of you any problem?"

Two hugs and kisses answered my question. "Excuse me ladies, I've got to check on your clothes. I took my cell with me. I only had to make one call.

"Joey, I got a problem? "Vermin; I need an exterminator and some personal items removed. It's a 'family' thing, one of them may be my daughter, so anything you want is yours, and here is his name and the address."

"Pete, since when does 'family' have to pay for anything? You know your Cousin Gina thinks she would be a good replacement for your Ex, don't you?"

"Joey, God, she's what 16 now?" A sound.

"Confirmation or a Communion?"

Just clean and quick, Dee and Karen are the girls' names, Siragusa is the last name I think for both of them? Leave no traces of them ever being there. I'll pick up whatever you find or you can have the 'hammer' bring it here, 'Capiche'?"

"Yeah, no problem. So when should I tell Gina you'll be over?"

"Joey, God, I know I said anything, but ... what kind of a guy do you think I am? Oh, right, you know what kind of guy I am, I almost forgot. I owe you for this help 'uncle'; we need a bigger place so if you need me to move elsewhere just let me know where. I've got nothing keeping me here."

"We got problems in Vegas and Miami. Let me know if you can move to one or both, you can use places we got there already."

I went back in with an armful of mostly dry clothes.

Okay, my beautiful sirens. Food, shopping and some travel brochures are in order. Miami or Vegas beckons us. Your choice where we go. Let me know later today though. Everything else should be taken care of by tonight. Dee is your last name the same as before?"

She nodded. "Karen's?"

I wasn't sure so I used mine. Look Pete we've got no money and..."

"And aren't you lucky that I can start paying you back a few bucks then."

I handed each $800 in $50 bills.

No names, no charges; nothing except big smiles from you guys. When we know where you want to go we'll buy more things there for you. Now just get enough for a while, and remember you are not fashion models. I'd like to leave here next week so don't let any guys fall in love with you either."

I had known Dee a long time, years ago like I said. I had known her 'family' even longer. I went to school with her brother and her dad got me a $20 an hour summer job with the Union; not bad for a kid in school. I wondered what happened that he never 'took care' of things for her.

It was a subject I would soon find out the answer to.

For those men who don't know the 'joy' of shopping with a female, I can't tell you either and I had just taken two of them. Two because even at her age, she did not only look like Dee, she had to buy the same damn things. My mistake was in calling them twins. I also noticed they were talking to each other, smiling and when we stopped into the Travel Agent in the Mall; you had to wonder just who was the mother. The comment from the girl when they were looking at brochures, "She likes things 'rough' I see" raised an eyebrow or three.

Karen would never have that problem again. I had to wonder how many times this had happened to her, but did not ask.

'Chin Low's' was not the epitome of fine dining but was in the Mall and at 4:00 pm started serving a decent seafood buffet. Crab legs (Snow not King), clam strips, shrimp and three kinds of un-breaded fish were on today. Won Ton soup, egg rolls, 20,000 small un-peeled shrimp, clam strips and what tasted like Cod filled our plates; mine at least.