Daring Deception

by Barbara Freethy

  "I do. We went there with Vinnie when we were at Bolton. It was his birthday."

  "They had black ink squid linguine and I had never tried that before. I thought it was going to be disgusting, but it was delicious."

  "Has anyone from your team approached Vinnie yet? He is Lauren's ex-husband."

  "Not yet. Everything is happening fast." She paused. "There is something you could do for me if you're bored while you're waiting for me."

  "Why do I get the feeling I am not going to like this suggestion?"

  "It's just a small favor."

  "What?" he asked warily.

  "You could pick us up some clothes to wear to the gala tonight. You need a suit, and I need a cocktail dress. The Vanguard is very near some boutiques and clothing stores."

  "You want me to go shopping? Seriously?"

  She laughed. "I know it sounds so mundane after all the life-and-death situations we've been in, but I do need something to wear. Otherwise, I'll have to go when I'm done at the office."

  "How am I going to buy you a dress? I don't know what you would like."

  She gave him a saucy look. "Then buy me something you would like to see me in."

  That put a lot of thoughts into his head. "You might regret giving me that much power."

  "I might, but I'm going to risk it."

  While Quinn wasn't thrilled to go shopping, it was better than just waiting around. After checking into the Vanguard, he walked down the street, picking up a suit at a men's shop a block away. Finding Caitlyn something to wear was also surprisingly easy. He hit gold at the first boutique he stopped at, finding two dresses that he thought would work. He decided to get both of them. One was a bold red, off-the-shoulder minidress that fit the image he had of Caitlyn now: confident, attractive, sure of herself, and not unwilling to stand out in a crowd. The other was black with sheer lace at the neckline. It would also look good on her, but it was definitely more conservative. Maybe she'd want that, since she was going to be working the gala, not just enjoying it. He'd let her decide.

  After paying for his purchases, he returned to the hotel. Within a half hour, he was once again bored. It was almost two, and Caitlyn had been gone for a couple of hours, with only two brief texts saying she was still stuck in the office, and there was no significant news, just a lot of work that she needed to help out on.

  He appreciated her focus on the case at hand, but he wanted to be in on the action, not sidelined. He thought about what he could do on his own. Caitlyn had wanted to talk to Vinnie. Maybe he should do that on his own. North Beach was less than a mile from the hotel.

  Making a quick decision, he left the room, texting Caitlyn on the way: I'm going to see Vinnie. Will fill you in on anything I learn.

  She didn't answer, which was fine. He didn't want her to talk him out of it. He and Vinnie had once been friends, maybe not as close as he'd been with some of the other guys, but they had a history, and hopefully, he could use that to his advantage.

  When he got to Vinnie's building, he hit the button for Unit 3B. A moment later, a familiar voice came over the speaker.

  "Yes?" Vinnie asked.

  "It's Quinn. We need to talk."

  After a slight hesitation, the buzzer went off. He opened the door and jogged up the stairs to the third floor. Vinnie was waiting at the door, his arms folded defensively in front of his chest, his dark eyes wary.

  "I can't say I'm surprised to see you," Vinnie said. "I heard you were making the rounds."

  "I probably should have started with you. Where's Lauren?"

  Surprise flashed in Vinnie's eyes. "I have no idea. We divorced more than a year ago. I don't keep tabs on her. Is that why you came over here? To ask me where Lauren is?"

  "It was one reason. She cleared out of her house on Friday. Her sister Allison has also disappeared from her apartment."

  "You're making it sound like they're up to something."

  "Oh, they're definitely up to something. Let me in, Vinnie."

  Vinnie stepped aside, waving him into the apartment.

  His first impression was one of clutter and chaos. There was a basketball game blaring on the television, and a pizza box on the coffee table next to a couple of beers. He faced Vinnie, not bothering to take a seat. He doubted he'd be here long enough to sit.

  "What's going on?" Vinnie asked. "Wyatt said you and Caitlyn think the bombing at Bolton last week is tied to the LNF."

  "It's tied to Allison and Lauren," he corrected. "And to Tim Coulson, who is Donovan's half-brother. He's been dating Allison. Did you know that?"

  "I do. I ran into them two weeks ago at Union Square. I was shocked when I saw Tim. I thought I was looking at Donovan. It was like seeing a ghost. I didn't even know that Donovan had a brother. Allison said she met Tim at Bolton. It surprised me that they were together, because I'd heard from Wyatt that Kevin was dating Allison, which seemed kind of weird. But it was none of my business."

  "Did you talk to Lauren about her sister being involved with Donovan's brother?"

  "No. I try to talk to Lauren as little as possible. We didn’t have a great marriage, and we had a worse divorce. I had no idea who she really was until it was too late."

  "What does that mean?"

  Vinnie's lips tightened. "She was crazy, Quinn. She had huge mood swings, and she'd get stuck on people, whether she liked them or hated them. She couldn't let go of hatred or love. It was strange."

  "What would she do?" he asked curiously.

  "Well, here's one instance. About a year and a half ago, right as we were divorcing, Lauren put together a photo album from college photographs. It was photos of herself with either you or Donovan. He'd been dead for ten years, and you'd been missing for longer than that. I didn’t understand the sudden fascination with the two of you. And the photos were put together, like you were cut out of a picture and put next to a picture of her in it."

  A tingle of uneasiness ran down his spine. "That sounds bizarre."

  "It was very creepy." Vinnie shook his head in bewilderment. "She said you two were the only men who had ever really understood her. She had some fantasy going on in her head about both of you. Like you were the real loves of her life. I didn't get it. I knew she was trying to get back at me for cheating on her, but why she suddenly got stuck on you two didn't make sense to me."

  "There was nothing between us."

  "I didn't think there was anything between her and Donovan, either."

  "You might be wrong about that. I recently learned that Donovan asked Lauren to change the time of our study group so that I would not be at the environmental center when it blew up. Did she ever tell you that?"

  Vinnie looked shocked. "No, never. I can't believe she wouldn't have told me that. Are you sure it's true?"

  "I believe it is. Wyatt was the one who asked Lauren to do that, by the way. Are you going to tell me you didn't know that, either? That he never said anything."

  "He didn't say anything. I've never heard this before." His lips tightened. "You're making it up. I don't know what your game is, but I don't want any part of it."

  "It's not a game, Vinnie. Either you're lying or your friend and your ex-wife kept some big secrets from you. But let's get back to the present, because time is of the essence. Here's what I know. Allison and Tim are responsible for the latest bomb at Bolton. They're terrorists, Vinnie. The FBI thinks Lauren is helping them. You're going to become a suspect as well, because of your relationship to Lauren and Allison."

  Vinnie ran a hand through his hair, giving him a tense, confused look. "It's like you're talking another language, Quinn. I don't know anything about bombs or terrorists. I can't believe Lauren or Allison would be involved. I know I said Lauren was crazy, but not like that. She's not violent."

  "Maybe Tim radicalized them. He might be taking up where Donovan left off. This is not going to end well, Vinnie. If you want to give Lauren or Allison a fighting chance, you need to get them to turn themselves in. Maybe if they flip on T
im from the beginning, they can make a deal. They can save their lives and save a lot of other innocent lives."

  "I can call Lauren, but I doubt she'll pick up. She hates me now. According to her, I ruined her life."

  "Is she close to anyone else in the group?"

  "No, not anymore. They were my friends and not hers, and since we split up, she pretty much hates them, too."

  "Do you have any idea where Lauren might go if she was trying to hide in the city? You need to help me find her, Vinnie. It's imperative that we locate her as soon as possible."

  "Help you?" Vinnie echoed. "What do you have to do with this, Quinn? Unless? Shit! You're not FBI, like Caitlyn, are you? Is that why you disappeared?"

  "I'm not in the FBI, but I am helping Caitlyn. Where would Lauren go if she needed to hide somewhere?"

  "She'd probably leave the city."

  "I don't think so. The plan isn't done. There's something big coming, and it's going to be in San Francisco. Where's Lauren's mom?"

  "She moved to Carmel a couple of years ago. She got remarried. Lauren and Allison don't like the guy, so they don't see much of her. They wouldn't go to their mom's house. But… Lauren's mother owns a building in China Basin. It's an arts co-op. After her mother moved, Lauren took over as property manager. They rent space to indie artists, and there is an office there."

  Quinn's heart jumped. "Address?"

  "2407 Howard."

  "Thanks."

  "You'll let Caitlyn know where you got the information? You'll tell her I'm not involved?"

  "I'll let Caitlyn know. If you hear from Lauren, call me." He grabbed a pen off a nearby table and jotted down his number on the back of an envelope.

  Vinnie walked him to the door. "I hope you're wrong, Quinn. Lauren was my wife, and while I don't love her anymore, I hate to think she has sunk this low."

  "I'm not wrong, Vinnie. I'd watch your back. You might suddenly find yourself in a position of knowing too much." He left the apartment and jogged down the stairs. When he got to the street, he pulled out his phone and texted Caitlyn that he had a lead. She answered with a phone call.

  "I was just about to text you," she said. "Did Vinnie give you something?"

  "Yes. Lauren's mother owns an arts co-op in China Basin. Lauren has been managing it since her mother moved. She might be hiding out there. The address is 2407 Howard. Can you pick me up?"

  "That's a great lead. But I'm sorry, Quinn. I need to go there with the team. I can't bring you along."

  He groaned with frustration. "I thought I was your team."

  "This is bigger than us. If all three of them are there…I need to do this the right way.

  He knew she was probably right, but he didn't like it.

  "I really appreciate the information," she added. "I'll let you know what we find as soon as I can. Okay?"

  "All right. Be careful."

  "I will be. Thanks. This could be huge."

  He felt better knowing he might have done something useful. But he wanted to do more.

  As he walked back to the hotel, his gaze drifted to the tall building that was a centerpiece of the San Francisco skyline, the Carlson Tower. It had been built in the seventies by Caitlyn's grandfather, and at one time it had been the tallest building in the city. It was still impressive, even though it had been dwarfed by other structures built in the last decade.

  He couldn't help thinking how different the skyline would look if the tower wasn't there. It would be a spectacular target, but so would the gala. However, with those two locations so heavily guarded, was there a third location they weren't thinking about?

  San Francisco was a target-rich environment. The terrorists could choose any number of locations. Hopefully, Caitlyn would find a clue, or the terrorists themselves, at the warehouse.

  Caitlyn rode to the co-op with Emi, with three other agents in a car behind them. She knew Quinn was pissed at her for leaving him out of this trip, but she'd made the right decision. Hopefully, they'd find Lauren, Allison, and Tim at the warehouse, and this could all be over.

  "Where did this lead come from again?" Emi asked, as she stopped at a light.

  "Lauren's ex-husband, Vinnie Caputo. Quinn got the address from him."

  "Quinn, huh? He seems to be everywhere."

  "He's helping me."

  "He's quite possibly putting your career in jeopardy," Emi said, giving her a pointed look. "You haven't been particularly forthcoming about his involvement."

  "I know. I will explain everything once we get to the end of this."

  "I hope you're not risking everything for this guy."

  "I just want to keep this investigation focused on the right targets. Last time around, Quinn became the centerpiece for no good reason except that my father wanted him to be. There was a ridiculous amount of time spent looking into his past as a child in Northern Ireland, as if being eleven and losing his father to violence had turned him into an expert on explosives. There was absolutely no evidence to warrant that kind of intense interest."

  "I agree. I was looking through the file last night," Emi said. "Agent Bauer was obsessed with Quinn. He gets more space in that file than anyone else. I also confirmed what you told me about the Pederson brothers. Their alibi goes markedly unchecked."

  "Even though Justin Pederson said that he had contacted Agent Bauer to correct the file."

  "That definitely was not in there."

  "I called Bauer this morning."

  "Really? I thought Rob wanted you to leave him alone."

  "I felt it was important to reach out knowing what I know now. He didn't answer. I also did a little more digging into Bauer's life over the last week. It turns out he's not in Europe at all. I saw a photo on his social media that led me to believe he's in Germany. But I contacted the hotel, and he's not registered. In looking back through Bauer's photos, I discovered the exact same picture from five years ago. I think he went on the run as soon as that bomb went off at Bolton last Thursday. He knows his investigation won't hold up now that more people than me are looking into it."

  Emi shook her head in bemusement. "That's crazy. It's not even a good cover-up—reusing an old social media post? He should have done better than that."

  "I suspect he had to move quickly. Rob told me on Friday when I pressed him about bringing in Bauer that he had contacted him already, and that Bauer had told him he was on vacation. But that doesn't mean he was. I know he's a low priority right now, but when this is over, we need to find him."

  "I would love to do that. I hate dirty agents more than anything in the world." Emi gave her a questioning look. "Have you ever confronted your father about his influence over the investigation?"

  "Yes. He's unapologetic, which is true to form."

  "Powerful men often don't see boundaries."

  "That's true. But Agent Bauer shouldn't have succumbed to outside pressure, whether it came from my father or from Senator Pederson."

  "Which brings us back to the Pederson brothers."

  "We need to talk to them, too."

  "Well, it will have to wait until tomorrow. It's all-hands-on-deck for the gala tonight."

  "I know. I just hope we can keep everyone safe."

  "Me, too." Emi paused. "I understand your motivation for keeping Quinn in the background. But others may not. You need to come clean sooner rather than later, at least with Rob."

  "I'm not sure I can trust Rob. Look at how he told me to back off Bauer and Senator Pederson."

  "He's still in charge. And you're taking a big risk to leave him in the dark."

  "If we find the terrorists, the risk will be worth it."

  "I hope you're right." Emi pulled up in front of a warehouse that had a very colorful mural on the outside. "This is it."

  As they got out of the car, she took a look in either direction, noting mostly industrial and retail businesses on the block, many of which were closed for the weekend.

  They met up with the second team, and then with guns drawn,
they entered the building. Two agents cleared the first floor, which included three terrified artists who had no idea what was going on. One of the agents escorted them outside while the rest of the team made their way to the second floor. She and Emi were the first to enter a large office, but there was no one inside.

  They moved into an adjacent room, and Caitlyn's heart came to a crashing halt.

  Inside the room were two large tables covered with what appeared to be bomb-making materials: nails, pressure cookers, stacks of batteries, blowtorches. There were large bottles of liquids that she couldn't identify. In addition to the tables, there was a blow-up bed that looked recently slept in and a blanket thrown over a couch. There were also dozens of coffee cups and fast-food bags. Everything was a chaotic mess.

  "They were here," she said, meeting Emi's gaze.

  "But where are they now?"

  "I wish I knew. Maybe there's a clue in this mess."

  "Let's get to work."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Quinn paced around the hotel room, making his thousandth lap of the hour. It had been two hours since he'd given Caitlyn the address of the co-op, and he'd only gotten one short text an hour ago: No one here but lots of evidence. Will check in as soon as I can.

  He hadn't heard from her since, and he was dying to know what kind of evidence she'd found. To kill time, he'd showered and put on his suit. He'd also ordered food, which should be arriving any minute. It was past four and the gala was supposed to start at six. He didn't even know if they were still going to the gala, but he wanted to be ready if they were.

  Finally, the lock clicked, and the door opened.

  Caitlyn walked in, looking tired but not particularly triumphant. Whatever she'd found hadn't been a resolution.

  He pulled her into his arms, wanting a kiss before anything else, which made him realize it wasn't information he'd been needing—it was her. They kissed for several minutes until she finally pulled away, giving him a happier look than she'd worn when she came in the door.