In West Village
The very next day, the weather was gloomy with gray clouds hovering over small crowd gathered at the mortuary awaiting to see what was now the painful reality: Joanne Harper was no more.
Mournful cries echoed among the sisters as they watched the pallbearers carryJoanne's coffin to the herse. Close friends and family were there for support in this difficult time as they held each other and cried on.
Sister Alice Moon was being supported by two people as she wept. She had grown weak from the crying and the pain of such a loss. Their words of comfort could not get through to her ears because nothing could undo or soothe what she was going through.
Still, she was grateful grateful for the support everyone present was giving. She had this thought whilst subconsciously only for her gaze to fall upon a familiar face. Her eyes widened a little from shock and fear when they made eye contact but he held a finger to his lips, silencing her.
'What's Aldo doing here? What could he possibly want? Did they actually kill Sister Harper? Is he here to make sure that the job wad done? What have I done?'
The girl was overwhelmed with guilt but it was masked by the tears that had stained her face. Aldo turned his back to the pallbearers who were now lifting the coffin into the back of the herse.
"Well?" Dylan's voice resounded in his earpiece.
"He's not here", Aldo answered. "Neither is she."
"I guess George won't be making an appearance today", Dylan mused before he broke into an amused laugh.
"Well, they're going to the chapel right now for the funeral service so we'll keep a lookout over there."
"You better", Dylan replied dryly, quite annoyed.
"But is this... Is this alright?" He asked whilst looking at the picture of Amy Dylan had given them. "Don't you want to come up with possible disguises she might pull off?"
"A.J might be mysterious in the digital world but she's far from that in real life. She'll do the predictable things you don't expect her to. Keep an eye out."
Aldo no longer questioned him. Being the said person's assistant he must know her pretty well. He hated Dylan and listening to him but he would grit his teeth and do so now.
He knew how much this mission meant to Esmeralda. With that thought, he rounded up his boys and went on their way to the chapel.
A convoy of cars followed behind the herse as they followed it to the orphanage chapel. Seeing the number of cars trailing behind, onlookers could only conclude that someone important must have passed on.
The road had become one way with traffic lights holding off cars and pedestrians from all other sides except those on the road coming from the mortuary.
People were beginning to grow frustrated and start to make call complaints because they had a life and things to get to, it was abnormal to be held for that long especially on all intersections at the same time!
It was only when the convoy passed did the lights turn green allowing everyone to go on their way. It was a sight and experience that gave bystanders goosebumps. Just who was this important person?
"F*ck me", Aldo grumbled seeing the number of cars that had parked inside and outside the orphanage. Looking for Amy and George would now be akin to looking for a niddle in a haystack.
They knew how influential Joanne was to those who prayed at their Church, the parents that adopted kids and the ones adopted who, some, were now adults like Amy.
They wanted to conduct the ceremony strictly by invite but knowing the lives tbe older woman had touched, it was nowhere near possible.
"We're here at the chapel, status report", he spoke into his earpiece.
"We've been looking through the guests but it's hard to keep up because more keep coming in", a subordinate's voice resounded in his earpiece. "We narrowed the search down to a women with shoulder length brunette hair and blue eyes but there are so many women like that, it's very easy to confuse them all."
"Then narrow it down to anyone falling in the age range of 23 or 24, it will make your search easier. Don't limit it down to just blue eyed brunettes, anyone is a target", he ordered before looking back at the men in the car with him. "Let's move."
Seeing as it was a black attire occasion, Aldo and his boys blended right in. He nodded at the leader of the team he left to search the chapel while they were at the mortuary. He went on his way looking around the different guests who conversed whilst waiting for the herse.
Going by his own order, he filtered out the women and looked around to match the description he had given. The problem is he didn't know how tall Amy was..... Did it matter at this point?
There were so many girls short, tall, medium, chubby, petite, brunette, redhead, blonde, black haired, neatly dressed, shabby dressed, crying, chatting about...
"Emily!"
A woman's high pitched voice brought him out of his thoughts. She was a middle aged woman. He looked over to see the Emily she was calling out to only to find the two hugging and Emily burying her face in the older woman's shoulder. This Emily girl was on the thicker side looking at how big and sticking out her ass was.
'Damn', he mused, eyes glued on her butter.
"Watch it!" A man grumbled at Aldo after bumping shoulders.
Aldo barely gave the man a glance and continued to look at Emily. He could only move on if she was in the clear and that ass....
So he stood at a distance, and watched the women break their embrace only for him to make an interesting discovery. Emily was wearing a black face mask leaving her eyes exposed. Why? What is she hiding? And most importantly, she had shoulder length brown hair.
'Those are huge....', he mused, taking in her chest. He looked down at her body, she had a bit of a belly fat but her figure was outstanding giving that hour Glass shape in that black bodycon dress.
"Adrianne", Emily smiled behind her mask. "How are you?"
"I'm alright dear, just.....", She sighed and shrugged, referring to the sad occasion.
"I know", she replied and blinked back sad tears. She looked around and expressed her shock. "I didn't think there would be this many people here."
"One way or another, Joanne touched many lives." The two silently agreed ad they took in the scene. The convoy was yet to arrive leaving the guests to their business. Adrianne decided to change the subject. "Did you bring your son here?"
"Yes, he's with his Dad.....", Emily looked around and easily caught sight of the duo.
Aldo followed her line of sight to see a man shorter at least a few inches shorter than him and Emily as well, carrying a baby in his arms. The man smiled at the two women as he joined them.
"Adrianne, this is my husband, Raphael Stanford."
The two shook hands in greeting and Emily continued with the introduction. "And this is our little angel, Raphy, named after his Dad."
"Awww", Adrianne peeked over the properly covered baby. "He's so beautiful!"
Useless! Aldo felt he was wasting his time and moved to walk away when something stopped him. He looked back at Emily... Those brown eyes he just noticed, and that brown hair.... Why does she look so familiar?
Curiosity started to gnaw on his insides..... She looked so familiar, too much he could not ignore.... Could it be....? That mask on her face, he needed it gone. An image formed in his head and he was so sure it would match whatever was underneath it.... That mask....
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