The Marvelous Revenge Of Delia Jones

Chapter 5 A New Opening

 "So I am your new assassin?" I ask Francesco as he rolls me into his office.

"Yes," he replies.

"And I will start my training when I am fully recovered?"

"Yes."

"What will I do in the meantime?"

"Physical therapy and lessons about the mob."

"Okay."

Francesco opens the door to the office and pushes me in.

"Don't worry," he says, wheeling me to my bed. "I have hired the best physical therapist I've known."

"What's his name?" I ask.

"Dr. Harvey."

"When will he be here?"

"Friday," Francesco stops in front of my bed. He puts down the footstand and takes the blanket out of my lap. Then he places the blanket down before gently picking me up and placing me on the bed.

He then unfolds the blanket and lays it on top of me. "I'm going to do some work. Do you want a book or a crossword to do?"

"Do you have the morning papers?" I ask.

"No, but I can get you them"

"Thank you, Francesco."

He gives me a reassuring smile, rings for a maid, and goes back to his desk.

A few minutes later a maid knocks softly on the door and enters Francesco's office.

"You rang, sir?" She asks.

"Yes," Francesco puts down his pen. "Ms. Delia requires the newsletter from today. Was it delivered yet?"

"Yes, sir. The delivery boy had just stopped by. I'll go get it," the maid returns a few minutes later with the morning papers. She gives them to me and then leaves.

I opened the newspaper to find that nothing new happened while I was asleep.

"Boss," a man burst through the doors as I was about to read an article about traffic safety.

"What?" Francesco sounds disinterested in what the man has to say.

"Monto and his men were seen at the dock stealing our load."

I look up from my newspaper. Angling it so I got a view of the man and Francesco while also making it look like I was reading.

Francesco slams his pen into his desk and looks up at the man. "When was this?" He's on the brink of anger.

"An hour ago," the man says. "He didn't see any of the boys, they said they hid behind a shipping container and left as soon as they confirmed the container was one of ours."

"Are you sure it was one of ours?" Francesco asks.

"Yeah, it had the logo and everything."

I turn the page in the newspaper, making it seem like I've read it. It's then that the man notices me.

His face turns white as a ghost.

"Um..." Was all he could manage.

"It's alright," Francesco says calmly. "She knows."

"She does?" The man seems confused.

"Yes, now back to business," Francesco places his elbows on his desk, entwining his fingers together as he did so. "When Delia is better and properly trained we will hold a party. We'll say it's to celebrate our success in the past year. You listening Delia?"

I set down the newspaper to show him that I was listening.

"Good," he turns back to the man, "We will invite everybody under the sun. I'm talking about Dawn, Dale, Dave, Glen, all of them. Make it big, make it extravagant. Make it so no one can turn down the invitation."

"We'll have this at the house, boss?" The man asks.

"No, the house is too small for what I'm planning."

Too small?

Is a hundred thousand square feet manor that sits in the middle of the woods too small?

"What about the country home up north," the man suggests.

"Maybe," says Francesco, "Or we could go to the lake, but that house is a little too small."

How many homes does he have?!

"What do you think, Delia?" Francesco asks me.

"The country home sounds nice, and I've never been up north before."

Francesco grins, "Then it is settled. We go up north and have a celebration once Delia is ready. Begin preparations."

"Yes, boss. When should we expect to have this party?"

"In a few months. Gives us time to prepare and time for our guests to decide if they want to come."

"Sounds good," the man says.

"You may leave now," Francesco picks back up his pen as the man leaves the room.

"Francesco?" I say once the man has left.

"Yes?" He continues to do his work.

"How will I kill Mr. Monto?"

He looks up at me, "You'll see."