Intrigue (Elvis Presley Story)

Chapter 15

Olivia curled her fingers into her palms and turned away to pull out a bowl and some cereal she didn't feel like eating. "That's awfully nice for Gladys to be concerned."

"Olivia. What that means is i won't break my word to you, either. You're too important to my family. And I've-"

A knock at the door ended the conversation abruptly. Everything inside olivia froze, but Elvis was already moving.

"Damn." He checked his watch. McCarthy's men aren't due for another half hour."

Louise shouted from her bedroom. "That'll be for me!" She and Peggy must have been hiding out in order to give olivia some alone time with Elvis. Averting her eyes as though hoping she was interrupting a romantic moment, Louise breezed her way to the door. "You two go on about your business. I'll get it."

"I've got it." Elvis snatched the journal off the counter and pushed it into olivia's hands.

"No, really. I-"

But Elvis was already at the door, blocking Louise's grasp and preventing olivia from seeing their early morning visitor. "What do you want, Fierro?"

"Well, if it isn't olivia's friend." Tony Fierro's voice was about as friendly as Elvis's wary posture. "Good morning to you, too."

"Detective!" Louise protested, uselessly pulling at Elvis's arm. "Let's him in."

"What do you want?" Elvis repeated, each word a well-placed bullet.

"Chill out, detective. I haven't broken any law. I'm here for miss Louise."

Olivia could see the top of Tony's head over Elvis's shoulder now. His posture must have puffed up to meet Elvis's unwavering stance.

"Shes expecting me."

"What's going on?" Peggy had joined them as well. The concern in her voice prompted olivia to take action. "Has something else happened?"

"Something else?" Tony's voice lost its flippant edge and coloured with concern. "Is anything wrong, ma'am?"

"It's okay, Aunt peg," Olivia hastened to reassure her. "It's just a misunderstanding."

Summoning the strength to move-to be proactive about taking charge of her life-olivia reached up and cupped Elvis's shoulder. His muscles bunched beneath her touch, and the urge to pull back skittered across her skin. But she refused to retreat. "Please."

She didn't know what kind of influence, if any, she had over him, but if she could diffuse the distrust and dislike that blossomed between the two men, she would. "He does work for us. He has a right to be here. And you're scaring Peggy and Lou."

"Somebody around here should be scared." Elvis angled his jaw towards her but didn't budge. "What do you really know about this guy? I've tried to find out and have come up with next to nothing."

"You've checked me out?" Tony taunted.

"Ex-con? three woman? What do you think?"

Peggy walked up between olivia and Louise, peering around Elvis. "Olivia received a disturbing phone call last night, and Elvis is understandably concerned about who we let into our home."

"Disturbing? Hey, it wasn't me. If that's what you think?" Tony actually retreated a step onto the deck, wanting to put them at ease. Olivia watched his face go unnaturally pale. "I wouldn't make a crank call like that, ma'am. And you know me better than that. Right, miss Louise?"

"Think about it logically, Elvis." Olivia tried to reason when her personal appeal failed. "He can't be our man. Even if he called from another phone, I'd have recognised Tony's voice."