A Touch of Murder

by Donna Raider

  “I always accomplish my goal.” Watcher smiled.

  “You are to pull further down the street,” Abusir instructed. “See the Pope’s car pulling in behind us? All the security will soon be around his vehicle.”

  Watcher pulled the limo to the curb away from the others in the entourage. “You wait here,” he instructed Abusir as he opened the valve on the Sarin gas and left it on the front seat. He stepped out of the limo, locking the doors and windows behind him.

  Abusir watched the man walk to a group of the security agents. The agents looked around casually then walked toward the side of the church. He wondered when the man would make his move to assassinate the Pope.

  Abusir pushed the button to roll down the limo window, but nothing happened. He was having trouble breathing. Blood was dripping from his nose. He pulled at the door handle, but the doors were locked. He unbuckled his seat belt. Moving became increasingly difficult. He leaned over the front seat to unlock the doors and the full force of the Sarin gas hit him in the face. He slid to the floor of the vehicle. He knew he had been assassinated.

  Watcher walked casually to the far side of the street and watched as the security team dragged the terrorists from their stolen car. He walked several blocks away, then ducked into a bar whose television was covering the breakfast with the Pope.

  He smiled as he watched the Pope acknowledge Priest Mika Cross and applaud her hard work to eliminate celibacy as a requirement for the priesthood. In the future, celibacy would be each priest’s personal choice. The Pope announced that prior to his departure to America, the Catholic Curia had voted to move forward with the elimination of the archaic requirement. A thunderous applause erupted throughout the dining hall.

  ##

  Watcher turned on the TV to catch the evening news. Riley Rabbit was almost dancing as she reported the latest on the arrest of the terrorists.

  He was relieved his assignment was completed. It had been the most difficult and far-reaching of his career. He finished packing everything that belonged to him. He had sent the trunk with anything that would identify him to his new location. When he arrived there, he would burn the trunk and its contents. He had spent all day wiping down every inch of his apartment. He never left his fingerprints anywhere.

  Watcher double-checked the time on his airline tickets, then buckled the Service Dog jacket onto Jax. He made one more pass through the apartment then picked up the cane.

  “Come, Jax.” he grinned.

  ##

  Leah gasped as both babies decided to kick her in unison.

  “Are you okay, honey?” Mika was instantly at her side.

  “I’m fine, darling. Your children seem to be having a kicking contest. I believe they are ready to make their debut into this world.”

  Mika placed her hand on Leah’s stomach. The babies stilled.

  “Better?” Mika smiled as she leaned down to kiss Leah.

  Riley Rabbit’s face appeared on their television, interrupting the program Leah had been watching.

  “Two Muslim terrorists have been charged in the assassination of Monsignor Yiannis Abusir,” Riley Rabbit gleefully reported the international incident. “Authorities say they have absolute proof the men were part of a plot to kill Abusir and the Pope.

  “Information and evidence found in the apartment of the men have led to the arrest of over thirty jihadists operating a terrorist cell in New York.

  “Authorities have also rounded up twenty-five members of a network of illegal arms dealers. The weapons smugglers provided the canister of gas that was used to assassinate Monsignor Yiannis Abusir.

  “The weapons cartel has tentacles in every large city in America. An hour ago, a nationwide sweep, coordinated by Homeland Security and local authorities, began. Over five hundred warrants have been served for the arrests of the weapons smugglers. With the election of our new president, the attorney general’s office has begun a nationwide effort to protect America and enforce the laws of the United States. We are once again becoming a nation with laws.

  “Our local heroine, decorated Detective Carlie Carlyle, has been tracking the leader of the group, Latimore Cruzar. He has single-handedly assassinated ten members of the Catholic Curia and several local priests. The two Muslims arrested today were apparently carrying out the last stage of the planned assassinations, which included the Pope.”

  Mika turned off the television and looked at her wife.

  “I am ready to go home.” She smiled. “I have enjoyed as much of the Big Apple as I can stand.”

  “You drive.” Mika grinned as she pulled Leah into her arms and kissed her gently.

  Mika looked around. Everything was total darkness. Leah had taken them to the cave.

  “Oh, no.” Mika laughed. “I’m not taking any chances with you or our babies.” She transported them to the great room in the hacienda.

  The front door flew open as Nana and the children stormed into the foyer. Shouts of “Queen Mommy” filled the house. School was out for the day.

  ##

  Both Leah and Scarlett walked away with Emmys. Stiles admired his latest Emmy for directing and leaned into the microphone to thank the Television Academy. He acknowledged each of his cast members and support team. Every one of them had won an Emmy in their category.

  “I have been privileged to have the finest team of actresses, actors, and technicians in the industry,” Stiles said. “Five years ago, the good Lord allowed me to discover one of the most incredible actresses of our time. Her dedication and hard work have been the foundation on which we have built Marked for Murder. I would like to ask her to say a few words to you tonight.”

  Leah bowed her head shyly as she approached the podium. “I have been so honored to work with Wayman, Trey, Scarlett, Lana Lawson, Chanel Haley, and Detective Carlie Carlyle, the lady who has been the inspiration for Marked for Murder. As you all know, our series is based on Detective Carlyle’s real-life cases.

  “I am certain you are all aware of Carlie’s recent tireless work to solve the Catholic Murders.” A titter ran through the crowd. “She thwarted a plot to assassinate the Pope during his recent visit to New York. Carlie, would you please join us on the stage?”

  Attendees gave the detective a standing ovation as she made her way to the stage.

  Leah clasped Carlie’s hand in hers and pulled her close to her side. “Detective Carlyle, it gives me great pleasure to present to you the Academy’s award for Best Technical Advisor for a Prime-Time Drama.”

  Leah waited for the applause to die down then continued, “I am certain the intricacies of the Catholic Murders case will carry Marked for Murder through several seasons. The plot has international espionage and killers for hire. I know you will find the next two seasons spellbinding.

  “In closing, I would like to thank the Academy, all my cast members, and most of all my dedicated fans for making the past five years enjoyable and exciting. I love you all. Thank you.”

  The beautiful actress bowed low as she, too, received a standing ovation.

  In her heart, Carlie Carlyle knew this was Leah’s farewell speech.

  ##

  A trip the next morning to Cross Towers confirmed Carlie’s suspicions. The Cross family had moved. Mrs. Worth had no forwarding address. Calls to Leah’s cellphone reached a recording announcing the number had been disconnected.

  Dr. Jennifer Jordon simply nodded her head in response to Carlie’s question: “They are gone, aren’t they?”

  “I can’t say where they are,” Jennifer said. “I can tell you my wife no longer lives here with me. She is somewhere in Africa.”

  Archbishop Cantrell informed her he had no forwarding address for Priest Mika Cross. The priest had completed her work for the church in New York and had taken a sabbatical with her family. The entire Cross family had disappeared without a trace.

  ##

  Detective Carlie Carlyle pulled all the photos from her crime board, a board she had worked on for almost five years
. The Catholic Murders case was finally closed. Like her father Stanley, she always kept a memento from every case. This time she was keeping two: photos of Leah Redman aka Leah Cross and Priest Mika Cross.

  Driving home, she thought about the Catholic Murders. Something kept niggling at the back of her mind. Although she didn’t want to bring it to the forefront, she was certain a killer had gotten away. Sometimes it was best just to move on to the next case.

  She arrived home before Scarlett. She poured herself a glass of bourbon then walked to her closet. She pulled out the box that contained her souvenirs from past cases and carried it to the dining room table. She refilled her glass then pulled a new file folder from the box.

  Like her father, she had three or four files she didn’t consider closed, although the department did. She slipped the Catholic Murders file into that section.

  She had solved two of her father’s cases using information from his old files. Killing time until Scarlett got home, she pulled two folders from the questionable section of her father’s files. The file labeled Mills Kidnapping caught her attention. She opened the file and found she was staring at twenty-year-old photos of Mika Cross and Leah Redman. The names on the back of the photos said Mika Mills and Leah Mills. The couple looked exactly as they looked today.

  She read the file. Mika was a priest and Leah had been the mayor of a small town in Maine. Their son had been kidnapped. Stanley Carlyle had been instrumental in returning the boy to his parents. The kidnapper had inexplicably drunk poison and four others involved had completely disappeared. Carlie’s father had received a big promotion mostly because of his handling of the case.

  Years later, four bodies believed to be the kidnappers had been found in the badlands between Mexico and the US. The authorities had assumed the four had run into trouble with the drug cartel.

  Carlie moved the information from the Mills file into the Catholic Murders file. Some things were better left alone.

  ##

  Lucas Omen dialed the number to reach Rachel Cross. “Hi, Lucas,” her velvet voice caressed his name.

  “Rachel.” He released the breath he was holding. “When are you coming home? I miss you.”

  “In the morning.” He could hear her smile over the phone. “We have only been apart six weeks,” she said. “What will you do when I…”

  Her voice trailed off as she remembered he had no idea who she was. She made herself a promise she would talk to him about her job when she returned home.

  “When you what?” Concern filled his voice.

  “When I leave for longer periods of time.” She laughed.

  “I will go with you,” he declared happily. “I will go anywhere with you.”

  “I would have to bury my parents if I went traipsing around the world with you.” Her laughter filled the phone.

  “Not if we were…” Lucas caught himself. He knew he wanted to marry the blue-eyed beauty, but he wasn’t certain how she felt about him. He didn’t want to scare her away.

  Loud sirens and whistles originating from Rachel’s end came across the phone line.

  “I have to go,” Rachel said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Lucas hung up slowly, hesitant to end their conversation. He wondered what she was doing that involved so much noise.

  He decided to watch television, hoping that would push the dark-haired woman from his mind. He surfed channels, disappointed in the usual bland offerings of the networks. He decided to watch the discovery channel. He always learned something from the channel.

  A male announcer’s voice began the introduction to the show. “How many universes are there? Is there life on other planets? Does Earth’s twin exist in another galaxy?”

  Lucas settled back in his recliner. This could be interesting, he thought.

  “Our documentary tonight features an astronaut that will hopefully answer these questions and many more.” The interviewer continued, “This young woman needs no introduction to the scientific world. Her inventions and discoveries have revolutionized space travel and how we look at the universe.

  “Tonight, she will take us through some of the strenuous training exercises required of astronauts. She will also give us our first look at a planet in another universe that is very similar to Earth.”

  Lucas paused the program and went to the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate. His dog padded behind him.

  Sipping the hot liquid, the young rancher reclined his chair and restarted the program. The cameras had moved to the training area for NASA’s astronauts. A figure in a full space suit moved around a capsule that simulated weightlessness.

  “This is what past astronauts had to contend with,” the announcer said as viewers watched the figure float around a space capsule.

  The cameras switched to a scene that looked like the deck of the Starship Enterprise from Star Trek. “This is the spacecraft that will be piloted by Captain Rachel Cross and her crew when they head for Reine Mère in the newly discovered Rachelon Solar System.”

  Lucas yelped as he sloshed hot chocolate onto his stomach. He gaped in silence as Rachel walked toward a control center on what appeared to be a spacecraft. She was dressed entirely in black, with a small crest emblazoned in red and white on the left shoulder. He enlarged the picture. The family crest said House of Cross. The form-fitting uniform emphasized her perfect body as she moved around the deck.

  “Captain Cross invented the telescope that has allowed scientists to see billions of miles into the universe,” the voice informed viewers as the shot of a planet that looked very similar to Earth appeared on the screen.

  Lucas knew that Reine Mère was French for Queen Mother. Rachelon Solar System? Rachel had discovered it. It was named after her.

  The confident woman, checking computers and inputting data on the console, was his Rachel. She was an astronaut. She was so unassuming. She was a genius, a modern-day Einstein.

  He had an overpowering desire to hold her. He paused the program. He ran his fingers through his hair. He thought he would explode. He knew a lot about her and her family. How could he have missed who she really was? Thank God she’s coming home tomorrow.

  He changed into his pajamas and made another cup of hot chocolate. He tried to stop his racing mind as he started the program again.

  Rachel Cross had over twenty inventions to her credit. She had been on the International Space Station numerous times. The woman who was afraid of horses had actually made external repairs on the International Space Station, two hundred forty miles above the Earth.

  Lucas watched in awe as the faces of Regina and Matt moved across his television screen. “This brother-and-sister team designed the software that will control the spacecraft as it hurtles through space. Actually, it doesn’t hurtle anywhere. It just materializes there. Describing this to our viewers is way above this interviewer’s pay grade,” the announcer said with a chuckle.

  Computer prodigies, astrophysicist, brilliant inventors, history-changing archeologists masquerading as normal people. Who is the Cross family? Lucas’s thoughts were running wild.

  Lucas didn’t even try to go to bed. He knew sleep would evade him. He watched the program repeatedly. He searched the Internet for anything he could find about Rachel Cross. His search led him to Sara Cross, the brilliant geneticist who had apparently discovered the key to eternal life. Then her declaration that her conclusions had been faulty, and she had literally destroyed all her research. He was already aware that Sara worked with the World Health Organization

  Adam and Amber Cross, the husband-and-wife archeology team, had made many discoveries validating the existence of Jesus. According to the documentary, the couple would also be aboard the revolutionary spacecraft.

  Lucas wondered what Hannah and Mark would contribute to the accomplishments of the family.

  There was no mention on the Internet or anywhere else of Mika and Leah Cross. That was the way the couple wanted it.

 
Lucas had known from the first moment he had seen Rachel that she was way out of his league. She was perfect. He was flawed. The summer with her had been a taste of heaven. Although he was very aware that she was involved in space exploration, it had never crossed his mind she would be the one traveling into the unknown. The thought of her being gone for months, even years, made him crazy.

  ##

  Rachel, Jacob, Regina, and Matt materialized in the dining room as their family was sitting down to breakfast. “That is great timing.” Mika laughed. After hugging everyone, the four took their seats at the table.

  Mika gave thanks and the older children began helping the younger children serve themselves.

  Adam passed the eggs to Rachel. “Sis, did you know the documentary on you was aired last night? I thought it wasn’t supposed to air until after we launched.”

  Rachel inhaled deeply. “Oh, no!”

  ##

  Mika and Leah walked in the garden outside their bedroom. It was definitely a good time to be in Texas. The trees were losing their leaves and one could smell the impending cold wave headed their way. It was cool and exhilarating.

  The PTA’s Oktoberfest and Halloween haunted house had been a tremendous success. People from all the surrounding communities had supported the endeavor. Juanita Vega had proven to be an excellent organizer for the PTA’s fundraisers.

  They had raised enough funds to cover the costs of the school projects they wanted to undertake. The entire community was singing Leah’s praises

  Leah’s due date was any day. At the end of her last trimester, she looked about three months pregnant. She was shocked at how complete strangers would congratulate her then ask when the baby was due.

  Always the queen of evading questions she didn’t want to answer, she would laugh and say, “Not nearly soon enough.”

  Mika laughed and told her they had a name for her evasiveness. In Texas, it was called the Texas sidestep.

  Mika’s phone rang. “Mika, you need to see this,” Jacob spoke barely above a whisper. “Can you transport to me? Don’t bring Mom.”