Seduced by the Badge

by Deborah Fletcher Mello

  Danni’s eyes widened in surprise. “That was your brother?”

  Carlo nodded. “Technically, my half-brother. Pie and I have the same mother, different fathers.”

  “Pie?”

  “One of his many nicknames.”

  “Why Pie?”

  “Because he eats it all the time. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, if he could. Preferably apple, although he’s been known to devour a good chocolate pie by his lonesome!”

  She laughed. “Do you have one?”

  The slightest smile lifted his mouth. “Don’t we all?”

  Danni shrugged, her shoulders lifting ever so slightly “Does Pie always beat up on his girlfriends?” she questioned, more emphasis on that nickname than she would have liked.

  “Like I said, he’s not a very nice guy.”

  “Ginny said she works for him.”

  The man took a deep breath, wiping down the table before turning his attention back to her. He shifted the conversation. “I need to lock up. If you don’t need help getting home, then I need to throw you out. Sorry.”

  Danni pulled her coat on, shoving her hands deep into her pockets. “Thanks again for everything,” she said.

  “I hope to see you again, Danni. And next time bring that cousin of yours. I’d like to meet her.”

  Danni nodded. “You never did tell me what your nickname was.”

  He laughed heartily. “It’s Carlo!”

  As he locked the door behind her, Danni pulled her coat tight to ward off the Chicago wind. She would definitely be back, she thought. Her new friend didn’t need to worry about that at all.

  * * *

  The next morning Danni couldn’t miss that Detective Armstrong Black wasn’t happy with her. Although he hadn’t, she could tell that he had wanted to yell when she’d told him of her late-night visit to the coffee shop. Instead, he had bitten back the snarky condemnation, storming out of the conference room to distance himself from her. When she’d shown up for her shift, she’d been anxious to recap her evening and her experience in the coffee shop. She’d spent most of the night believing that she had made a significant stride in their case in getting a step closer to Pius, but clearly her new partner hadn’t agreed. In fact, he was clearly pissed, she thought as she watched him storm through the space barking orders at other officers. It was a good thing she hadn’t shared her intentions to go back again, alone, she mused. Not that she cared whether he liked the idea or not, because Danni was doing it, with or without his permission.

  Her thoughts were interrupted when Armstrong moved back into the room, his gaze meeting hers evenly. His jaw was still tight, and his body was tense. He closed the door behind himself, then sauntered to the other side of the room, his arms crossed over his broad chest.

  “What if something had happened, Detective? You didn’t have any backup.” His tone was brusque.

  “I am perfectly capable of handling myself.”

  “I didn’t say you weren’t.”

  “It’s what you’re implying.”

  “I wasn’t implying anything. I said it wasn’t a smart move, and it wasn’t.”

  “I saw an opportunity and I took it. And granted, it wasn’t the brightest thing for me to do but you would have done the same thing if the shoe had been on the other foot.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Her brow lifted slightly. “You’re saying you would have waited and come back to coordinate with everyone and hope that when you went back, the door would still have been open? Because I might not know you that well, Detective, but I know enough to bet that you will always do whatever it takes to get your bad guy. Whatever it takes!”

  Armstrong paused, a moment of hesitation that neither denied nor endorsed her statement. She was right, but he didn’t need to admit to it. “I’m saying that these lone-wolf antics of yours will get people hurt and that’s not what we’re here for. I told you not to go to the coffee shop and you ignored a direct order.”

  Danni took a breath and held it, reflecting on his comments. She nodded her head slowly. “I’m sorry, but hopefully, it will help us find our killer and shut down this trafficking ring.”

  There was a moment’s pause as he seemed to ponder her statement. When he finally responded, he surprised her. “You might be right.”

  “Excuse me?” Her eyes widened.

  He gave her a look that moved her to smile ever so slightly. “You got your foot in the door. We should take full advantage of that. But we need to be smart, so I can’t have you going off half-cocked on your own.”

  “So, you’re going to let me go undercover?”

  “I’m going to let this play out and see where it takes us.”

  Danni grinned. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet. There are rules, and you will follow them. Is that understood?”

  “What kind of rules?”

  “For one, I need to know where you are at all times. And you’re going to wear a wire.”

  “No wire.”

  “Then I’m shutting you down now.”

  “No wire!” Her voice was raised, her hands clutching the line of her hips. “If I can get in I won’t risk blowing my cover.”

  “I wasn’t asking you nicely, Detective.”

  “And I meant what I said,” Danni countered.

  * * *

  Armstrong sighed, a deep gust of air that hinted at his wanting to rage back at her. It suddenly felt like they’d come to an impasse. He knew he needed to shift the conversation before spewing something they would both regret. He gestured for her to take a seat as he moved to the chair on the other side of the table. He slid two manila folders across the polished wood toward her.

  “What’s this?” she asked as she opened one folder and found nothing inside.

  “It’s the file we don’t have on Paul Balducci. Everything prior to his eighteenth birthday is sealed. We can’t get our hands on it. Not even the petty, juvenile stuff, like shoplifting, or vandalism, that we know about. The other is his father’s file. And make no mistakes, Leonard Balduccci was a career criminal.”

  Danni flipped quickly through the documents inside, one piece of paper grabbing her attention. She read it once and then a second time before lifting her eyes to his. “You killed his father?”

  “Ten years ago. Junior would have been a kid. Barely out of grade school. His father was running the family business. He and his crew were hijacking trailer shipments and sending the cargo overseas. We caught them after they took down a truck full of TVs and electronics. The security guard was able to signal the alarm before they killed him. There was a shootout at the docks, and Senior took a bullet. It was one of my first cases and the first time I ever had to discharge my weapon. He died three days later.”

  Armstrong’s gaze suddenly shifted into thought. Despite his best efforts, he often thought about the night he’d killed Leonard Balducci. Taking fire, he’d had no other option but to shoot back. His bullet had hit its target. He’d been blessed that those meant for him had missed. The shooting had almost derailed his career in law enforcement. He’d been grounded, confined to a desk and the shuffling of papers. There had been months of scrutiny from Internal Affairs and strangers who knew nothing of him. The media had questioned his integrity and others had a field day, calling him a monster. He’d felt boxed in and had been ready to give it all up. Despite everyone’s assurances that it hadn’t been his fault, the guilt he still carried was immense.

  “I’m sorry,” Danni said softly.

  Armstrong shrugged. “It didn’t have to end that way, but we weren’t given a lot of choices.”

  Danni nodded. “So how would you like me to play this?”

  “Trust your instincts. You got yourself further than I would have anticipated, so play it how you think best. When you’re undercover I can only support you
from a distance. Although Pius would have been a kid and might not know who I am, the family definitely knows me, so the best I’m going to be able to do is my good-cop or my bad-cop routine, if needed.”

  “I think I made a connection with the girl Ginny. And then there’s his brother.”

  “Pius’s brother?”

  “Well, half-brother. His name is Carlo. He said they have the same mother but different fathers. He runs the coffee shop. I didn’t even notice the family resemblance until he said something, it’s so slight.”

  Armstrong’s brow creased as he seemed to search for something in his memory. He reached for the file, flipping through it briefly before slapping it back against the table. “From everything I know, Paul was an only child. He doesn’t have any siblings.”

  “Not according to Carlo. He also said something about a sister. Allegedly, she was a runaway.”

  He gestured back toward the file folder. “Find out what you can about him. And before you leave, head upstairs to the tech guys.”

  “The tech guys?”

  “I’m putting in a request for that surveillance wire. They’ll get you hooked up.”

  Danni laughed. “I told you I’m not wearing a damn wire, and I mean that.”

  “Don’t try me, Detective,” Armstrong said, amusement dancing in his eyes as he stood and moved back out the door. “I’ve been a very nice guy up till now!”

  * * *

  Armstrong watched her as she made herself comfortable with the other members of the task force. Danni had a relaxed disposition, and people were at ease with her. For most of the morning she’d been researching the files to ensure she was up-to-date with the investigations, asking pertinent questions when needed. She seemed to enjoy engaging each person individually, her dry humor winning her a number of fans. Her likability factor was extraordinary, and he instinctively understood how she managed to integrate herself into other people’s spaces so effortlessly. She was a force to be reckoned with, a quiet storm that seemed to sneak up unnoticed before raging gallantly and then dissipating like a sweet summer rain.

  He rocked back in his seat, the front legs of the wooden chair he sat in rising off the vinyl-tiled floor. His hands were folded together in his lap. His expression was reflective as he sat in quiet deliberation. The faintest smile ever pulled at his lips. She amused him as much as she infuriated him, digging her heels in when she wanted to prove a point. She challenged his intellect and seemed comfortable with testing his authority; doing her job as she ignored protocol. And she made him smile. She was not the detective he had expected, but she was one his intuition told him he was going to enjoy working with immensely.

  Sitting forward in the chair, he called for her, his deep baritone voice bellowing through the space. “Detective Winstead!”

  From where he sat he saw her toss him a look, her gaze narrowing. She shifted her eyes back to the conversation she was in the middle of, seeming to ignore him. He glanced to his wristwatch, taking mental notes as he continued to observe her. After six minutes passed, he debated whether to call out a second time, and then she turned, sauntering easily in his direction.

  “Yes, sir?” she said as she moved into the conference room to stand before him. Her arms were crossed over her chest. “You called?” Her expression was nonchalant, barely curious. Her lips were pursed ever so slightly, and her eyes were focused on him intently. She gave him reason to pause as he stared back, suddenly wondering what it might be like to kiss the soft curve of her bottom lip.

  He shook the thought away, ignoring the sensation that suddenly swept through his southern quadrant. “Is there a reason you haven’t been upstairs yet, Detective?”

  “Yes, sir, there is.”

  His brow shifted upward, his expression questioning.

  Danni continued. “I am not wearing a wire. I won’t risk blowing my cover before I figure out if I can even infiltrate Pius’s crew. You need to trust me on this one. Sir.”

  There was a moment of hesitation as they continued to stare at each other. Armstrong finally nodded. As he did, he pushed a small white box across the table in her direction and gestured for her to take it.

  Danni’s eyes shifted from his face to the box and back. “What’s this?” she questioned as she took the container and lifted the lid. Inside lay a silver cross embedded with marcasite jewels and an inlay of red coral. It was about the size of a small plum and fit nicely in the palm of her hand. An extended length of silver chain was threaded through the charm’s silver loop. She lifted her eyes a second time, curiosity seeping past her lashes.

  “My extremely savvy tech guys call it wearable technology. If you find yourself in a situation, you push the large jewel in the center to trigger the alarm. The device then starts recording audio and calls your emergency contacts to let them know your location. The team and I are your emergency contacts. It’s also waterproof, so once you put it on you don’t need to take it off. And if you activate the sensor by accident, you just deactivate it with your smartphone.”

  Danni turned the piece of jewelry from one side to the other, eyeing the details.

  He continued. “The tech guys...upstairs...can explain it to you in greater detail. Go up and talk to them,” he said, his tone commanding. “Now, wear the damn wire! And the next time I give you an order, either follow it, or take your ass back to Atlanta. Is that understood?”

  Danni nodded. “Yes, sir!”

  Chapter 5

  Danni had deserved the tongue-lashing she’d gotten from Armstrong. She knew she’d been pushing his buttons, and she’d done so willfully, testing the boundaries. Asserting her authority hadn’t always been easy, others dismissive because she was a woman who looked too soft to be effective. Experience had taught her that a strong start usually gave her necessary leverage until she could earn a partner’s trust. She pushed, knowing there were risks, but willing to accept the consequences if she failed to prove her worth. If he had sent her packing there wouldn’t have been anything she could have done, the punishment deserved. But he hadn’t, and she took that as a positive sign.

  She took a sip of her coffee, settling down at the same table she’d occupied the previous night. Despite having a line of customers in want of attention, Carlo had greeted her warmly when she’d come through the door. Then he’d filled a large mug with hot coffee, cutting the line of orders to deliver her a drink. After promising to come back to the table to chat once things quieted down, he’d gone back to the counter. He seemed genuinely excited to see her again, his contagious smile heartwarming. Danni had been slightly flattered, the gesture unexpected and catching her off guard.

  In the back of the shop, Pie and family—two other men and the female brigade from the night before—sat like stone. They were dressed all in black, dark suits and dresses that had them looking like an Addams Family reunion gone awry. The space they occupied felt like it had been reserved especially for them, the other customers seeming to have gotten the memo that they were to sit anywhere but there. Danni couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with the morbid attire and their less-than-pleasant demeanors.

  She and Ginger exchanged a look, the other woman nodding in her direction. The smile she gave Danni was bright, but there was something else in her eyes. There was an air of sadness that seemed to rise to the surface of her stare before being replaced by a look of ambivalence. Danni tossed her a slight wave, debating if she should go say hello or not. Ginger made the decision for her, rising and moving in her direction after a brief exchange with the man in charge. The two men turned to stare at them both, but Pius barely raised his eyebrow in concern.

  “Hey! You came back,” Ginger said, dropping into the seat beside her.

  “Hi,” Danni greeted. “I didn’t have anything else to do.”

  “No homework? Your cousin didn’t make you go to school today?”

  Danni laughed. “She
doesn’t care. If she had her way, I’d be dancing in the clubs to help earn extra money. But my dad sends her a check every month, so I don’t have to.”

  “So, would you? Dance?”

  Shaking her head, Danni blushed profusely, feeling color rise to her cheeks. She shrugged her shoulders slightly.

  Ginger nodded. “I get it. We do what we have to do until we have to do something else.”

  Wanting to deflect, Danni pointed across the way. “You said you work for him?” she asked, tossing a glance toward Pie. “What do you do?”

  Ginger stared at her for a split second before rolling her large eyes skyward. “I do a little more than dancing,” she said, her tone rife with sarcasm.

  Danni’s gaze widened with understanding. “Oh. Sorry.”

  The young woman pushed her narrow shoulders toward the ceiling. “Nothing for you to be sorry about. It can be good money and Pius...well, Pius is cool most of the time. And he takes care of us.”

  “And when he’s not cool he hits you?”

  An awkward silence wafted between them. For a split second it looked like Ginger wanted to say something about that slap, and then just like that she didn’t. She seemed to be studying her, and her stare made Danni slightly nervous, like maybe she’d pushed too hard and Ginger had figured out who she was.

  “Sorry. It’s none of my business,” she said as she dropped her gaze to her coffee cup and took a sip.

  “You’re so green! I bet you still fawn over Justin Bieber,” Ginger said with a hearty laugh.

  Danni smiled. “I fawn over Chance the Rapper.”

  “There’s a party tomorrow. At Pie’s house. Are you interested?”

  Danni grinned. “Yeah!”

  “Meet me here at nine o’clock. And don’t dress like you’re homeless,” Ginger quipped.

  Danni glanced down to the oversize sweats she wore. The jersey was emblazoned with a North Carolina State University logo, the pants a dingy shade of dirt and gray. She had to admit her undercover wardrobe wasn’t the most flattering, but it served its purpose. Practical, cheap and nondescript. Nothing that would make her stand out and definitely not provocative. “What should I wear?”