“Well, you comedians never did tell me what was in this spring chicken thing…”
“Oatmeal, chicken livers, chicken gizzards, and suet,” a woman’s voice said. “All ground up with onions, a few special seasonings, and slowly steamed in a sheep’s stomach.”
Ailleagan was standing behind my friend and now rested her hand on his shoulder. I had seen her coming when she exited the kitchen, but as soon as she saw me looking her direction, she held her finger up to her lips, so I had kept my mouth shut. The look now twisting Ben’s face made me glad I had played along.
“You’re friggin’ kiddin’ me,” he replied, turning to look up at her.
Ailleagan was a petite woman with pleasing curves and an ample bosom. Her hair was a shade or two brighter red than Felicity’s, and it framed a fresh, cherubic face. The sleeves of her chef’s tunic were rolled up to expose intricate and colorful tattoos on her forearms, which continued up to disappear beneath the white folds of the jacket’s fabric.
She looked back at him through her stylish, dark rimmed glasses and without cracking a smile said, “Why would I do that?”
My friend shook his head and held up his hand. “No offense, but that just ain’t my thing. Don’tcha have a coupl’a burgers back there or somethin’?”
“You must be the infamous Benjamin Storm,” she said, holding her hand out toward him.
He took it but maintained a confused expression.
“And, you must be Constance,” she continued, patting Mandalay on the shoulder. “I’ve heard all manner of stories about you two from Rowan and Felicity.”
“How are you doing tonight?” I asked, giving her a smile and a nod.
“Fine, just fine,” she replied, shooting a wide grin toward us. “So I finally get to meet these two.”
“Aye, finally,” Felicity agreed.
“Wait just a minute,” Ben interjected. “Let’s get back ta’ the food. You ain’t really gonna feed us a bunch of chicken guts, are ya?”
“Rowan’s right,” she replied. “You’re awfully gullible for a cop.”
He looked at me. “You said that?”
“Only about certain things.” I shrugged. “Not the important stuff. Mostly just when it comes to food.”
“Food’s important.”
“You know what I mean. For example, I got you to eat ostrich.”
“Yeah, I still haven’t forgiven ya’ for that one.”
“Relax,” Ailleagan told him, patting his shoulder again. “I just gave you the basic recipe for my personal variation on haggis. We aren’t serving that till next week.”
“What day?”
She cocked her head to the side, looked thoughtful, and then said, “Probably Wednesday.”
“I won’t be here,” he grunted.
“Then I won’t set you a place. Seriously though, Spring Chicken Wellington is just chicken,” she continued. “It’s baked in a pastry just like Beef Wellington. I can’t tell you any more of the recipe than that or I’ll have to kill you, and since you’re a cop…”
“Yeah, I see you’re a funny one too,” Ben told her.
“I like to think so. Now let’s see, where was I… Oh yes… On the side, we’re serving Sicilian green beans sauteed with garlic and diced salami. And for dessert, fudge brownie sundaes.”
“I heard salami and fudge sundae,” Ben said with a nod. “Those I can work with. I’ll let ya’ know on the chicken thing. Usually I have mine fried.”
“Believe me, this will be better,” she said.
“So, Ailleagan, this might be too much to ask,” I said. “But you wouldn’t happen to have any of the sacred pie back there, would you?”
She grinned. “As a matter of fact, when Felicity called I made one just for you.”
“You’re a doll.”
She feigned a curtsy. “I know.”
“Okay,” Ben grumbled. “What the hell’s sacred pie?”
“Oh, you’ll find out. If Rowan let’s you have any, that is,” she quipped then paused and gave the dining room a quick scan before adding, “Things look under control out here. Doug should be out with your dinner in just a minute. I think I’ll go grab a plate for myself and join you.”
“That would be wonderful,” Felicity said.
“So you’re gonna eat with us?” Ben asked.
“Is that a problem?” she answered with her own question.
“No…” he said. “I don’t guess so. Just not used to the chef sittin’ down with me.”
“Welcome to Flipdoodles,” she said with a disarming smile.
“Yeah, thanks,” he grunted. “So lemme ask ya’ somethin’. If you’re gonna eat with us, can I just call ya’ Jewel?”
Without missing a beat she replied, “Can I just call you Geronimo?”
It was obvious from the look on his face and the length of his pause that Ben hadn’t been expecting the quick retort. Before he could answer, she nodded her head and winked. “Ailleagan will do just fine, Benjamin.”
He shook his head and cast his gaze back and forth between Felicity and her. “Ya’know, if ya’ had an accent I’d swear you two were sisters.”
“Oh, you have no idea,” she said with a grin. “I’ll be back in just a minute. Doug might be needing some help, and I still need a plate for myself.”
As soon as she scurried off, Ben looked across the table at my wife and said, “You’re enjoyin’ this, aren’t ya’?”
“Why shouldn’t she?” Constance interjected. “I am.”
“This is gonna be a long friggin’ night,” he muttered.
“I wouldn’t worry,” I told him. “If Ailleagan didn’t like you, she wouldn’t…”My sentence was interrupted by the trilling of my cell phone as it started to vibrate on my belt. I reached for it while finishing the thought. “…she wouldn’t screw with you. Relax. You’re all good.”
I pulled the device up and glanced at the LCD. The caller ID was displaying an unfamiliar number with an out-of-state area code. I pursed my lips thoughtfully for a second and then slid the warbling phone back into the belt holder without answering.
“Screenin’ your calls?” Ben asked.
“Sort of, I guess. I don’t recognize the number, and it’s from out of state. I’ll just check my voicemail later. If it’s a client or something, they’ll leave a message.”
After a few seconds, my cell fell silent and stopped tickling my side.
“Okay, so since according to you your friend apparently thinks I’m okay, is she gonna be pickin’ at me for the rest of the evenin’?” Ben asked.
“No more than Constance or me,” Felicity replied.
“Great. Like I said, long friggin’ night.”
“What are you complaining about?” I asked. “All this attention from three beautiful ladies… I’m a bit jealous, myself.”
“Yeah, right. Ipecackle or whatever it is Firehair always says.”
“ Cac capaill,” she corrected him. “Horse shit.”
He wagged his finger in her direction and said, “Yeah, that. Twice.”
The conversation was again interrupted by the jangling tones of a cellular phone, but this time it wasn’t mine. Felicity raised an eyebrow and then reached under the table for her purse. Pulling it up she extracted her cell and gazed at it.
“That’s odd,” she mumbled then held the device over in front of me. “That look familiar?”
I glanced at the number and let out a soft humph. “Actually, yeah. I think that’s the same number I just ignored.”
My wife pulled the cell back then flipped it open and leaned her head to the side as she slipped the earpiece beneath her bright auburn tresses.
“Hello?” she said. A look of recognition spread across her face a split second later, but it definitely wasn’t accompanied by happiness. “Yes, Doctor Jante,” she continued, turning to look at me as she talked. “I’m fine, and you? That’s good… Yes, actually he’s right here, but I am afraid we’re out to dinner at the moment. Is
there any way I can have him call you back?… Oh… I see… Just a second then.”
Felicity pulled the phone from her ear and held it out to me. I returned a slightly puzzled look but took it from her anyway. A solid month had passed since we had spoken with the FBI psychologist, so the fact that she was calling, especially late into a Friday evening, piqued my curiosity at the very least.
Constance was already whispering across the table, “Is that Doctor Ellie Jante with the BAU at Quantico?”
Felicity nodded and mouthed, “Yes.”
“Doctor Jante,” I said into the phone, my voice guarded. “This is Rowan.”
“Mister Gant,” she replied. “I’m sorry to bother you this evening. Your wife already explained that you are out to dinner, but I personally felt this was important enough to warrant a call.”
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“That remains to be seen,” she replied. “Annalise Devereaux is asking to have a face-to-face meeting with you.”
I didn’t reply. I simply sat with the phone against my ear and pondered the words she had just offered. This was something I had been trying to make happen for what seemed like forever. But now, just coming off this recent case that still had me questioning myself, I wasn’t so sure I wanted to be mired back in the ethereal quicksand so soon.
“Are you still there?” she asked.
“Yes, sorry,” I replied. “I’m just… Just a bit surprised I guess.”
“I understand,” she told me. “Normally this is something I would advise against, especially with the way her attorneys were posturing in recent weeks. However, this morning she fired the entire team. And, since you seemed rather adamant about just such a meeting when we spoke last week…”
“Fired?” I asked, a bit of disbelief in my voice. “All of them?”
“Yes, Mister Gant, the entire legal team. I haven’t quite figured out what her ploy is, but on a clinical level she seems to be extremely vulnerable at the moment. If we are even going to think about putting you into a face-to-face with her, now would be the time.”
“By now you mean…”
“I’d like to get you on a plane as early as tomorrow morning if you are agreeable.”
“Tomorrow morning?”
“Yes.”
“If I say yes to this, where am I going?”
“She’s currently being held in the psychiatric wing of FMC Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas while awaiting trial. It’s a federal medical center specializing in female inmates.”
“Sounds lovely,” I huffed then paused for a moment. “Okay… I’ll come… Just let me have my dinner, then when I get home I’ll look into a plane ticket and get…”
“That won’t be necessary,” she interrupted. “The Bureau will handle the travel arrangements. I’m going to have the Saint Louis field office assign an agent to accompany you as well.”
“I said I would be there,” I replied. “Do you think I’m lying?”
“No, Mister Gant. I would just be more comfortable if you had an escort.”
“Okay… Can I have you hold on a second?”
“Certainly.”
I clicked the phone over to mute but held it under the table with my hand covering the microphone pickup just in case.
“What’s going on?” Felicity asked.
“It seems Annalise Devereaux wants a one-on-one meeting with me,” I replied.
“She wants, or you want?” Ben asked.
“Yeah, I know I’ve been pushing for one. But now she’s the one asking for it,” I replied with a shake of my head.
“And you’re goin’…” he returned, the words more an observation than a question.
I glanced over at Felicity’s frowning face then back to him and nodded. “Yeah. This is something I really need to take care of.”
“What does Doctor Jante think about this?” Constance asked.
“She seems like she might be a little on the fence,” I replied. “But, apparently Annalise fired her entire legal team, and Jante thinks she’s in a vulnerable state at the moment. She said if this is going to happen, the time is now.”
“She’s one of the best, Rowan,” Constance told me. “She knows what she’s doing.”
“You really think so?”
She nodded. “I took several of her classes at the academy. In my opinion you can trust her. If she is sanctioning this, even reluctantly, there must be a good reason.”
“Okay, then let me ask you this. How do you feel about Texas?”
“What do you mean?”
“For some reason Jante says she wants to have the local field office assign an agent to escort me.”
“If I heard you correctly, you’re leaving tomorrow morning?” she asked.
“That’s apparently the plan.”
She nodded. “I can pack tonight.”
I looked over at Ben. “Mind if I borrow your girlfriend for a day or two.”
“Not a problem,” he replied. “At least Firehair and I will know you’re not runnin’ off gettin’ yourself into trouble if she’s with ya’.”
I turned back to my wife. “Honey… I know you aren’t exactly okay with this, but… Well… Are you okay with this?”
She nodded, but her expression was still sour. “Aye. It’s something you have to do, I know that. And I agree with what Ben said. If Constance is with you I’ll at least feel a bit better about it.” She turned her gaze toward Mandalay and added, “Just don’t trust him if you tell him not to do something and he agrees with you too easily. It’s a good bet he’s lying.”
I ignored the addendum then drew in a breath and muttered, “Okay,” as I noticed Ailleagan and Doug coming through the swinging door that led in and out of the kitchen. Both of them were hefting food-laden platters that looked amazing even at a distance.
I quickly thumbed the mute button then tucked the phone back up to my ear and said, “Sorry about that Doctor Jante.”
“That’s all right. I assumed you would want to speak to your wife.”
“Uh-huh,” I acknowledged. “So as far as this whole escort thing goes, do you mind if I make a request?”
“What is that?”
“Agent Mandalay has returned to…”
Before I could finish the sentence, she replied, “And you would like for her to be assigned as your escort.”
“Well, yes. Since we’ve worked together and she’s familiar with…”
She interrupted me again. “Understandable. Consider it done.”
Saturday, April 22
4:56 A.M.
Saint Louis, Missouri
CHAPTER 35:
“I should be back sometime Monday afternoon,” I told Felicity. “At least that’s what Jante said. I suppose it all depends on how this goes.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid,” she replied.
“That’s why Constance is going with me, remember?”
“Aye.” She nodded. “But I’ve never been able to stop you from getting yourself into trouble, so why should I believe she can?”
“She has a gun?” I replied.
She sighed as she slipped her arms around me and laid her head against my shoulder. “I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I know you, Caorthann…”
As usual, my wife had a tendency to resort to the Gaelic pet name when she was deeply concerned. I knew she was already bothered by this trip, but her whisper drove the point deep.
“I’ll be okay,” I soothed. “I promise not to do anything stupid. And I’m not just agreeing with you to…”
“Don’t make a promise you know you can’t keep,” she said, cutting me off before I could finish. “Just…be safe.”
“I will.”
She pulled back slightly and looked up into my face. Her jade green eyes were already glistening with dampness, and the corners of her mouth were turned slightly downward. I brushed a spiral of wayward hairs from her cheek then pulled her close once again.
“You call me when
you arrive,” she mumbled.
“I promise,” I told her. “And that’s one I can keep.”
The pendulum clock in our dining room softly thunked, and then a muted whirr sounded as the spring began to wind out. A half second later a dull bong echoed through the room, followed by four more to announce the top of the hour.
“I’m loving you,” Felicity said.
“I’m loving you too,” I replied.
As if on cue, the doorbell chimed through the house, setting the dogs off as usual. Felicity began shushing them as I released my grip on her and turned to answer it.
“You ready?” Ben asked as soon as I had opened the door.
He was holding the outer storm door with one hand and cupping a travel mug in the other.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Give me just a second.”
He glanced at his watch. “All good, we got a few minutes.” Nodding toward the floor just inside the doorway, he asked, “That your bag?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll put it in the van and wait for ya’,” he said, holding the storm door with his leg as he reached in and grabbed the handle of the small suitcase. “Heya, Firehair,” he said, nodding at Felicity as he straightened up.
“Ben,” she replied.
The metal door slowly swung shut with a slight creak and hiss of the closure piston as he backed out with my luggage then turned and started down the front steps.
I bent over and scratched the dogs behind their ears while saying, “You two take care of your mother while I’m gone.”
They snuffled and whimpered as if they knew something was amiss. We never could fool them.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said to Felicity, straightening from my stooped position. “It will all be over soon.”
“I know,” she said with a nod. “That still doesn’t make it any easier.”
Taking a deep breath, she wiped her eyes then slipped her arms around me again. Turning her face up, she pressed her lips against mine in a deep, longing kiss that was tainted slightly by the sense of sadness it also carried.
When we finally parted, I pulled back and looked at her before saying, “I’m missing you already.”
“Me too.”
I lingered for a moment, though I knew prolonging the inevitable was just making this harder. I took in my own deep breath then slowly let it out as I nodded. I turned to leave, but as I stepped through the door I paused again then looked back at her and said, “Why don’t you see about booking that vacation while I’m gone?”
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