Free Deadly Embrace by Jackie Collins Page A

stay positive.
    Six hours later, after checking the hospital emergency rooms, Dani
and Sam were sitting in the police station attempting to file a
missing persons report.
    "We don't consider anyone missing until they've been gone for
twenty-four hours," said the desk cop, a big man with weary eyes and
plenty of attitude.
    "She is missing," Sam said forcefully. "She should've been
home by four-thirty. It's now one in the morning."
    "Sorry," the cop said. "There's nothing we can do."
    "Goddamnit!!" Sam yelled, banging his fist on the desk. "You gotta
do somethin' ."
    "Can't," the cop said. "Come back when it's been twenty-four
hours."
    Muttering under his breath, Sam strode from the station, Dani
right behind him. She'd never seen him so angry.
    "I'm gettin' on my bike an' searchin' the Strip," he decided.
"Y'know, check out every hotel, motel, casino. She's gotta be somewhere ."
    "I'm sure she's all right," Dani reassured him.
    But deep down she had a wretched feeling that they'd never see
Emily again.
Michael— 1964
    "I'm comin' to your grandma's funeral," Marnie Giovanni announced
as she flounced around the store picking out canned goods and tossing
them in a basket carried by one of her husband's henchmen, who
trailed behind her.
    "You don't have to do that," Michael answered, surprised that
she'd suggested it.
    "Yes, I do," Mamie insisted. "I knew her, I should be there."
    "That's real nice of you, Mrs. G."
    "Nice, schmice," she said with a casual shrug. "It's the least I
can do."
    Grandmother Lani had passed away in the middle of the night She
wasn't alone; Michael had hired a nurse to sit with her.
Unfortunately the nurse had fallen asleep, failing until early
morning to notice that her patient had died. Then the woman had
panicked and run around the house yelling hysterically that it wasn't
her fault.
    Filled with guilt that he wasn't with his grandma at her passing,
Michael had immediately called the doctor, who came over and later
issued a death certificate. It was all very depressing.
    He wasn't sad that Grandma Lani had died. At the end she was
senile and in pain, so it was almost a relief to see an end to her
suffering. He'd miss her, though; she'd always treated him well.
    Vinny didn't seem too upset. "She's better off where she is," he'd
said, staring at a rerun of I Love Lucy . "This is a
shitty world. Now at least she can have some peace."
    Michael was glad he didn't share the same attitude. He had no
desire to follow his dad into a life of doom and gloom. He wanted
more, he wanted everything he could get. In fact, he wouldn't mind
being like Vittorio Giovanni, a man who had respect and money.
Everybody talked about Vittorio being a gangster, but he'd seen no
signs of it As far as he could tell, Vito Giovanni was a smart
businessman who did things his way.
    Two years ago, Marnie had kept her promise and introduced him to
her husband. She'd told Vito she'd known Michael since he was a kid,
and that they should be good to him. To please his wife, Vito had put
various small jobs his way—such as occasionally delivering a
package or storing stuff at his shop.
    "I gotta say I like ya, kid," Vito had told him after a few
months. "You're smart—you'll do okay's long as you don't fuck
up."
    "Fuck what up?" Michael had asked.
    "Anything." Vito had said, and roared with laughter.
    "Don't expect my husband to come to the funeral," Marnie said as
she roamed around the shop in her usual outfit of high heels, tight
skirt, and low-cut sweater.
    "Didn't think he would," Michael answered.
    "You'll ride in the car with me," she added, tossing two cans of
tomato sauce into her basket.
    "Can't," he said, going behind the counter. "Gotta go with my
dad."
    "Hmm," she mused, walking over and leaning on the counter,
revealing quite a bit of deep cleavage. "It'll be somethin', seein'
Vinny again." She paused, licking her overglossed lips. "He ever talk
about me?"
    "Uh... I never heard him say anythin'," Michael replied, trying