Free Overflow: The Carpino Series by Brynne Asher Page A

account?”
    “Meredith,” I answer again. “What’s going on?”  My end of
the conversation has garnered attention from all of those around me and the
room has gone from sleepy to alert in point five seconds.
    “Gabby, who is that?” Jude asks at the same time Tony asks,
“What’s going on?”
    “Ma’am, one of your back doors has tripped the alarm.  Are
you at home?” the attendant asks.
    Waving my hand in front of me for my audience to be quiet so
I can concentrate on my call, I say, “No, I’m not home.  Did you contact the
police?” 
    Now the room has gone from alert to wired and I find my
phone plucked out of my hand.  “Hey!” I yell.
    “This is Jude Ortiz, a friend of Miss Carpino’s.  What’s
going on?” he says.
    “I could have told you what’s going on, Jude, if you would
have waited two seconds!” I say as he puts a hand up, palm to me.  This must be
the universal male hand communication for ‘be quiet’ as opposed to my feminine
one of waving my hand around.  This makes me cross my arms across my chest in
silent protest of him confiscating my phone. 
    “Good.  Thanks.  We’ll be there in ten minutes.  Yes, we
will wait for the police to give us the all clear to enter the house.  I’m in a
silver Ford F150,” he says, finishing my call!  He turns to inform me,
“Your alarm went off and it came from one of your back doors on the deck.  The
police are in route and will need to clear the house before we can go in.”
    “I think I could have handled that phone call, you know!” I
say, and if it wasn’t so immature I think I’d stomp my foot!
    “Gabby, you don’t know what you’re dealing with, there are
things I need to talk to you about regarding Trevor Harper.  Things I had
planned to tell you about earlier, but because of what happened at your house,
it wasn’t the time,” I look at him confused.  He then lays it out for me
saying, “You’ve been mentioned on the wiretap on my case and not in a good
way.  You’re receiving attention by being at Harper’s during the raid
yesterday, attention from some really bad people.  We need to arrange extra
precautions for you until we find him and put him behind bars.” 
    Yes.  This is what he said.  Right in front of all my
uncles, aunts and most of my adult cousins.  The only thing I could do was
stand here looking up at him with my mouth open. 
    I have no words. 
    “Raid?!?” my Uncle Gino belts out.
    “Gabby what is he talking about?” my Aunt Tia asks.
    “What’s going on?” my Uncle Tony asks directly to Jude. 
Similar questions continue to be shot around the room at Jude and me.
    Speechless.
    I’m speechless. 
    I’ve been mentioned on wiretaps and not in a good way.   I
mean, I doubt there’s a good way for anyone to be mentioned on a wiretap,
right?  And what does that mean?  I have to take extra precautions?  What does that mean?  And Jude planned to tell me earlier, but because of what happened at my
house and having to tell him about my parents, he didn’t?  I don’t know if I
think that’s sweet or if I should be pissed he didn’t tell me I was mentioned
on a wiretap and not in a good way!  
    I don’t know what to do, so I look straight to Tony.  My
eyes get big and I try to telepathically ask him for advice.  Obviously not
picking up on my silent SOS request for help, all he says is, “Did you really
think you could keep this from everyone?”
    “You knew about this?” Aunt Lizzie raises her voice,
actually yelling at her Golden Boy and all eyes go to Tony.
    Tony sighs and says, “Yes.  Gabby called me yesterday for
representation while they were questioning her.  I went, there was minimal
questioning before they realized Gabby has nothing to do with their case. Jude
is the case agent.”
    Uncle Tony starts in, speaking directly to his son, “I
cannot believe you didn’t tell us about this.  This could be dangerous for
Gabby.”  He turns to me and demands,