Lisa Scottoline - Think Twice

She’s dead already.

The door to the interview room opened, and a cop in a white pith helmet stuck his head inside. He had on the smart black-and-red uniform of the Royal Bahamian Police, with a gold crown at the epaulets. “Miss Rosato?” he said.

“Yes, Officer?” Bennie rose. “May I go now?”

“Yes. Your lawyer is here, to escort you.”

“My lawyer?” Bennie repeated, puzzled. “I sent him home. I can take it from here.”

“Ms. Rosato?” called a familiar voice, and in the next second, Grady walked into the interview room, wearing a gray suit, a tie, and the widest smile on the planet.

“Hi, what are you doing here?” Bennie let an awkward moment pass. She wasn’t about to throw herself into his arms, and Grady must have picked up on her feelings, because he didn’t move to hug her.

“Of course I’d come. You have my Amex card, remember?”

Bennie laughed. “Uh-oh. I think I shot it.”

Grady laughed with her, then his expression turned serious. “Did they treat you well? Are you okay?”

“Fine.”

“I see you got your hand fixed up.”

“For now. I have to go to an orthopedist, when I get home.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Nah.”

“I couldn’t stand it if you were hurting, after all you’ve been through.”

“I’m really fine,” Bennie answered, touched. “I’m just waiting on the paperwork.”

“I’ve got tickets to take you back today, and they’ll let you fly without your passport, clear through to Philadelphia. It’s all been greased by the FBI. They also talked to the Pellesburg police, who found the box, so they know the truth. They’re not charging you with anything.”

“Good.”

“She buried you alive?” Grady’s gray eyes went the color of steel behind his glasses. “It’s inhuman that she would do that to you. You must have been scared out of your mind.”

“That’s not the worst part, really.” Bennie tried to shrug it off, but couldn’t. She’d done a lot of thinking last night, even for the short time she was behind bars. “The worst part is how much it changed me. I never thought I could be as evil as Alice. I didn’t think I had that in me. But it turns out that I do.”

“Who knows, maybe all of us do. Maybe any one of us, pushed to the brink, is capable of evil. Or at least revenge.” Grady’s voice softened. “Don’t beat yourself up about it. Don’t judge yourself. No one else does, least of all me.”

“Thanks.” Bennie managed a smile, but it felt so strange to be standing here, talking with him. She flashed on being back in the box, thinking that if she ever got out alive, she’d tell him how she felt. But for some reason, the words weren’t coming to her lips.

“I do have something to say, though. I’m standing here with you now, looking at you, and I can’t believe I ever mistook her for you.” Grady frowned, bewildered. “I cannot believe I was fooled so easily, and I’m sorry. You must think I’m a complete idiot.”

“No, not at all,” Bennie said, as his words struck home. “We hadn’t seen each other in a while, and if I’d let people get closer to me, especially you, then this never would have happened. So it’s my fault, really. I know that now.”

“Well, then.” Grady’s features softened, and he cocked his head. “I propose we start over, and get to know each other better. What do you say? I’d like to give us a second chance.”

“So would I.” Bennie couldn’t say more, except to throw her arms around Grady and relax into his embrace like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Because, suddenly, it was.

Bennie, Grady, and Fiorella arrived in the Philly airport and joined the stream of tourists, vacationers, and business travelers heading down the hall to the terminal exit. They passed a souvenir cart, a soft pretzel stand, and finally, the Miami gate.

Bennie smiled, catching Grady’s eye. “Remember the last time we were here? Not my finest moment.”

Grady chuckled, throwing an arm around her. “Beg to differ. That kid had it coming.”

“Look!” Fiorella pointed down the hall, where Mary, her parents, and The Three Tonys stood, waving at them and holding flowers and balloons.

“YO, BENNIE!” The DiNunzios and Mary rushed forward to meet her at the exit, startling the TSA guard and causing heads to turn.

“ Benedetta! ” Mrs. DiNunzio reached up for her.

“Bennie!” Mary squealed, and Bennie gathered them up in a big hug, then released them.

“Hey, Mary! Or should I say, partner? Congratulations!”

“Wow!” Mary’s lips parted in happy surprise. “Partner works for me, but did you just call me by my first name?”

“I sure did, and why not? It’s about time, don’t you think?”

“Sure!” Mary beamed.

“How’s Carrier? I mean, Judy?”

“She’s great! She says hi, and she’ll be back at work in two weeks.”

Bennie wanted to hear more, but she and Mary got distracted by something happening between Mrs. DiNunzio and Fiorella, talking in front of Mr. DiNunzio and the Tonys.

“ Grazie, Donna Fiorella.” Mrs. DiNunzio stood next to Mr. DiNunzio, who had his arm around her shoulder. “You save Benedetta. Mille grazie. ”

“You’re welcome.” Fiorella nodded in acknowledgment. “Do you still believe I’m not a good woman? Or have I redeemed myself?”

“You are good!” Mrs. DiNunzio answered, and the two women hugged like old friends. When they broke their clinch, Mrs. DiNunzio’s eyes were glistening. “So, why you come back, Fiorella?”

“I’ve decided to move to Philadelphia.”

Everyone looked dumbstruck, except for Mr. DiNunzio, who grabbed one of The Tonys by the shoulder and tugged him over to Fiorella. “FIORELLA, YOU REMEMBER MY BUDDY PIGEON TONY LUCIA? HE CAN SHOW YOU AROUND TOWN.”

Fiorella extended a hand to Pigeon Tony, with a seductive smile. “How very nice to see you again.”

Bennie returned to Mary. “Mary, did you buy a house? Grady told me everything that’s been going on.”

“Yes, I’m a new homeowner, and Anthony and I are doing great, too.”

“Congratulations on that, too! Are you guys going to live together?”

“Not yet.” Mary shook her head, smiling. “We’re taking it slow.”

“Good. Tell Anthony I said hello, will you?”

“You can tell him yourself. He’s here, and he brought a friend.”

Mary stepped aside with a flourish, and her parents, Fiorella, and The Tonys cleared away. Anthony emerged from the back of the crowd, holding a leash, and at the end stood Bear, wagging his tail. His belly had been shaved and two of his legs had a bandage, but when he saw Bennie, he scampered stiffly to her, in delight.

“Bear!” Bennie felt tears come to her eyes. “Look at you, pal!”

Grady beamed. “I couldn’t bring myself to put him down and I asked them to do the surgery. I had to make secret phone calls to see how he was, but I didn’t want to tell you until he was out of the woods.”

“I love you!”

“Me or the dog?” Grady asked, but Bennie had knelt down and was burying her face in the dog’s thick ruff. She kissed his muzzle and caught a whiff of his breath, which smelled suspiciously of peanut butter. She laughed, stood up, and took his leash.

“Let’s go home, gang,” Bennie said, her heart full and happy.

“Arf!” Bear barked, and everybody laughed.

Think Twice is a thriller with gunplay, chase scenes, and bad girls, but at its warm and gooey center, it’s a story about the power of a mother’s love. So first, thanks go to my mother, Mary Scottoline. She’s the strongest person I know, or could even imagine, and has triumphed over so much adversity to become the woman she is that I can’t decide whether I love her more than I admire her, or the other way around. She’s the reason Is tarted writing, because I wanted to see in books the kind of strong, smart, and funny women I saw in life. And ultimately, I’m so grateful for all she has done for me, my daughter, my brother, and my friends. All the good parts of me are from her, and frankly, so are the bad parts, which are way more fun. Thanks, Ma.