Free The Spia Family Presses On by Mary Leo

the list of suspects.
    “But wasn’t he just cleared of that murder?”
    He smirked, as if I should know better. “Let us just say he was cleared of being in close proximity when the event took place. That does not mean he did not have anything to do with the event.”
    I hadn’t thought of that, probably a good thing.
    “What’s going on in here?” Jimmy asked, appearing behind Uncle Benny.
    “Dickey’s dead,” Lisa announced as she brushed herself off and carefully checked her hands and face for injuries.
    “No shit. Want I should clean it up?” He looked at me when he said it.
    “No. We’re calling the police,” I told him. He took a couple steps back, as if he was getting ready to bolt.
    Jimmy had that innocent, freshly-washed looking face, bright amber eyes, perfectly shaped nose, high cheekbones, and creamy skin that always had a hint of a shine. Not an oily shine, more of a clean glow. Other than my dad, he was by far the best looking man in the family, and he knew it. He went through women like a kid goes through crayons. He even dated Lisa for about a minute a few years ago, but she figured him out before their second kiss and dumped him. Lisa was always better at dating than I was. She could spot a truly bad boy just by the way he stood or laughed.
    I, on the other hand, could always pick them out in a crowd, but instead of walking away, I would be dawn to them like a masochistic moth that can’t seem to avoid the flame. Case in point: Leonardo Russo.
    “Hey everybody, party’s outside. Whoa!” Uncle Federico spotted Dickey and his eyes bugged for a moment, then he looked away. I almost detected a slight grin, but it vanished as soon as it appeared. “This looks real bad. Tell me it was some kind of accident.” He stopped just inches behind Uncle Benny and Jimmy.
    And I had so hoped Lisa and I could keep this to ourselves for awhile.
    Who was I kidding?
    “Not an accident,” Lisa said, shaking her head.
    “You mean somebody whacked’ em?” Uncle Ray asked. I hadn’t even seen him come in. It was as if he just materialized out of the shadows. His large frame dominated the cramped space we were standing in.
    “Bullet in the left temple.” Lisa delivered the news like a pro, indifferent and to the point. “At close range, I’d guess.”
    “Poor bastard. Not out more than twenty-four hours and somebody takes him out,” Federico groused. “You’d think whoever did this could have waited ‘til Dickey left the orchard. This is a problem for the family, especially Gloria.”
    My thoughts, exactly.
    Federico didn’t like anything even slightly off-color happening on the land, at least nothing that attracted the police. He was a tightly wound man and except for his weekly poker games with my mom and whoever else was willing to try their luck — Federico always seemed to win — the orchard was his only interest.
    Suddenly the sound of sobs echoed through the barn. Zia Yolanda had arrived on the scene. “Somebody get her outta here,” Uncle Ray ordered.
    Jimmy said, “I’ll do it.”
    “Good, and keep the rest of the women outta here.”
    Jimmy nodded and took off. Zia Yolanda’s sobs drifted off leaving a strange sort of echo inside the barn. Normally, her sobs didn’t bother me, but the lingering echo of genuine heartfelt weeping was enough to make me sad for Dickey’s demise, a man who probably was responsible for more human misery than I could ever imagine. That right there produced goose bumps, along with a few shivers for added emphasis.
    “You girls should go. We’ll take care of this.” Uncle Ray liked giving orders, and most of the time I would follow them, but not this time.
    I shook my head. “No. This family doesn’t cover up a murder anymore. Remember? We’re honest, law-abiding citizens now.”
    “Tell that to whoever shot Dickey,” Uncle Benny said, chomping on his unlit cigar. Uncle Benny always carried a fat stogy. When it wasn’t peeking out of his shirt