Of Stone and Sky

by Charissa Stastny

  To summarize: Duke’s Canadian cousin ran an organized crime syndicate that had cells from Canada to central America. Duke had been given control of the Salt Lake cell, a smaller, but more specialized group that worked in sex trafficking and drug distribution.

  My stomach churned as Angel unveiled gory details of girls as young as eight and women into their fifties being stolen off the streets or lured into Duke’s evil web by social groomers—handsome men who enticed victims to send them revealing photos to be used later to threaten or blackmail them into submission. Like the letter to me, Duke would promise they’d only work a few hours a month for his silence. But after the victims met for the horrid exchange, Duke would wield even more power over them. Once-a-month sessions became twice a month, then weekly, until victims were either killed by abusive clients or took their own lives to escape the guilt, horror, and pain of their ruined existence.

  Poor Angel had worked in various capacities in this vile environment for years. To protect me!

  “Is there a chance Duke could be set free,” I asked, “even after standing trial?”

  “There’s always a possibility,” Officer Tayne said.

  That wasn’t what I wanted to hear. “Have you checked out that cafe where I left my blackmail money?”

  Officer Tayne nodded. “We’ve had a plain-clothes officer watching it for the last several weeks. So far, nothing suspicious.”

  “Son of a ditch,” I muttered.

  Lincoln smiled.

  “What if I reached out to Duke—with a note or something, saying I’m willing to make a deal with him?”

  “Absolutely not!” Both Lincoln and Angel stood and scowled at me.

  “But I could draw him out for the police.”

  “I said no!” Lincoln growled. “I won’t risk your life.”

  “But Duke has to be stopped. Besides, I wouldn’t be in real danger, right?” I looked to Officer Tayne for backup.

  “Not technically. My men could put a wire and tracker on you so that—”

  “My wife will not be part of this,” Lincoln snapped.

  Angel nodded vigorously. “He’s right, Gem. It’s too dangerous. Duke would take out his revenge if he ever got his hands on you.”

  I squeezed Mama’s amulet. “Isn’t it more dangerous to sit here and wait for him to catch us by surprise again? Next time, someone could die. At least, if I go—”

  “You aren’t going,” Lincoln said again.

  I smoothed the protective amulet, then looked closer at the stone. “Could Duke have tampered with this?” I asked Angel. “He tracked me with my phone to Park City. I got rid of it by throwing it out the window on the freeway, but he still found me at Lincoln’s.”

  “You threw your phone out the window?” Lincoln said.

  I ignored him and watched Angel’s face. “This is the only other item I have that might link me to him.”

  Angel shook his head. “He didn’t care about the necklace. He put it out in the bin of things to grab for payment.”

  “Don’t you find that suspicious?” The others were all watching me now. I twisted my necklace. “He cut my neck pulling this off me. Did you ever ask him about it?”

  “Of course.” Angel glanced around the room then back at me. “You tried not to act upset, but this was your last link to your mama. I knew how important it was to you.”

  I let the stone dangle on its chain. “So, Duke knew. And he just happened to allow you to take it as payment?”

  “You’re overthinking this, Gem. You always do.”

  I pulled the necklace off and walked over to Officer Tayne. “He put a tracker in this. I’m sure of it.”

  “Is that true?” Lincoln put a comforting hand on my back as the detective held my stone up to the light.

  “I can’t tell. The stone’s too cloudy. But I can have the lab check it out.”

  “Do it,” Lincoln said. “Get that thing away from my wife.”

  I put my hands on my hips. “That stone’s not going anywhere without me. My mama gave it to me.” I focused on Officer Tayne. “Can I go to the lab with you?”

  “Of course. That might be best if your theory’s right and Duke is tracking you with it.”

  “I’m going with her,” Lincoln said, his arm moving around my waist.

  I pushed his arm off me. “Stop treating me like a little girl.”

  “He’s treating you as a good husband should,” Gramps said. “I’ll come with you guys.”

  I sighed, knowing I couldn’t argue with him.

  “You’re all welcome to come,” Officer Tayne said. “But it might be a wait. The lab’s not known for their efficiency.”

  “That’s fine,” I said. “I need to know. If he’s tracking me, we can lure him out of hiding. I could—”

  “You’ll do nothing,” Lincoln said.

  “Your wife has a point, Mr. McConnell,” Officer Tayne said. “There is no one better to lure Duke out than her.”

  My husband gave the detective a scathing look. “My wife is not to be used as your bait to draw out the monster. If you risk her life in any way, I will sue you and your precinct for everything they own. Do you understand?”

  The poor detective paled. “Completely.”

  “Then this discussion is over.”

  I stared again at my amulet, knowing that no matter what Lincoln wished, this wasn’t over.

  Not by a long shot.

  58

  Lincoln

  My wife had holed up in the craft room since the detective’s visit. The meeting had left her out of sorts. Me, too. I couldn’t stand to look at her amulet now, knowing it might be tampered with. But we would know in the morning, when we took it to the police station.

  I slipped into the craft room without knocking. Saemira appeared like a Roma queen, sitting before a table, a beaded barrette in her hair, wearing an orange and purple top that brought out her golden skin tones.

  I cleared my throat, and she looked up from her project.

  “Hey, sexy,” she said.

  “Hey, beautiful.” I lifted a gift bag.

  “What’d you bring me?”

  “It’s for both of us.” I set the bag down and studied the half-done pants in her lap. “Those pockets are too angled and loose. Things will fall out of them.”

  She held up the muted-gray material, twisting it back and forth. “Have I told you I love you today?”

  I leaned down to kiss her. “Several times, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

  “I love you, my missing Link.”

  I groaned. “Joe’s infected you.”

  “You didn’t think that was clever?”

  I slipped my hand up her blouse. “So clever I want to lock the door.” I tugged her blouse up.

  She giggled and pushed my hands down. “Behave.”

  “Look in the bag,” I said.

  She pulled tissue out and lifted two matching T-shirts with a picture of us from our wedding day, goofy grins on our faces. “Oh,” she breathed out, “I love these.”

  “I love us, too. Maybe we can model them for each other tonight. With nothing else on.”

  She smirked. “What kind of girl do you think I am, Mr. M?”

  “My girl.” I gave her another quick peck, then sobered. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”

  “Yes. I need to know.”

  We both needed to know if her amulet posed a threat.

  “You’re not going to offer yourself up as the sacrificial lamb again, are you?”

  Her shoulders sagged. “I want to. Duke’s been an anchor holding me down since I was a child. I’ll never feel safe until he’s caught. Let me work with the police. You heard Officer Tayne. He thinks I’m the best chance to trap him.”

  “I don’t care if you’re the only chance to trap him. I won’t put you in harm’s way. When I married you, both times!”—I smiled as I thought of the quick ceremony at the courthouse downtown yesterday afternoon, with just Joe and Janey standing in as witne
sses—“I vowed to honor, cherish, and protect you. That doesn’t mean letting you risk your life needlessly.”

  She concentrated on her pants and changed the subject. “You don’t appreciate my wonky pockets?”

  “They’re crooked.” I hated when things weren’t precise.

  She waved a dismissive hand. “I think they’re perfect. A work of art.”

  I tugged her into my arms. “You’re a work of art. A masterpiece.”

  Saemira, Gramps, Angel, and I sat around a table in a conference room at the precinct. My wife’s amulet sat on the table in front of Officer Tayne, along with a lab report.

  “A microchip is embedded in the bottom of the stone.” He held up what appeared to be an X-ray. “You can see the laser cuts here. It was inserted and pieced back together. The lab tech said it was an amateur job but the stone’s cloudy texture hides it well. It’s only detectable with jeweler’s glasses.”

  “Can you get the chip out without destroying the stone?” I asked. “It has sentimental value to my wife.”

  “No,” Saemira said. “Leave it in. Let’s use it to trap Duke.”

  I scowled at my wife. “We’ve already discussed this. I cannot in good conscience let you be involved. You’re not trained. You could be hurt.”

  Gramps patted her hand. “I agree with Lincoln, sweetheart.”

  Tayne pursed his lips. “I understand your reservations, so I’ve come up with an alternate plan. We’ll have a female officer dress up as you and lure Duke out where we can catch him.”

  “Excellent idea.” Any plan that didn’t involve my wife was a winner.

  “That won’t work,” Saemira argued. “Duke’s men will know right away the decoy isn’t me.”

  Tayne frowned. “You’re still our best option.”

  “Leave my wife out of this.” How many times did I have to tell him?

  “Can you insert another tracker in the stone?” Saemira asked.

  Tayne smiled. “I like the way you think.”

  What was she thinking? I wasn’t following their train of thought.

  He dropped the amulet back in the plastic bag. “Let me take this back to the lab. Get yourself a drink from the vending machine in the hall while you wait.”

  I turned to Saemira after the detective left us. “I don’t want to take that cursed amulet home if Duke can track you with it.”

  “I’m not leaving here without it.” She folded her arms.

  Gramps put a hand on both our shoulders. “Trust your wife, son. She’s got a good head on her shoulders.”

  And I wanted to keep that head on her shoulders.

  59

  Saemira

  The small knife dug into the bottom of my new sandals as I carved a geometric design to work out my frustration. Lincoln needed to chill out. He wasn’t willing to listen to any plan to bring Duke down that involved me, even in minimal roles. He didn’t even like me wearing Mama’s amulet now.

  But Tayne knew better. I did, too. In my heart, I knew I was the only one who could get Duke to show his face.

  It wasn’t that I was necessarily brave. I didn’t want to be anywhere near the monster. But by luring him out and getting him to let down his guard, the police would have a better shot at catching the bastard and putting him behind bars where he belonged.

  I finished cutting the last curlicue and slipped the shoe onto my foot. Time for step two. I placed my shoe into a pan of glow-in-the-dark solution I’d mixed earlier, then stepped onto the concrete and walked around the room.

  I pulled out a bin of rice that’d been drying for the past week. I’d soaked it in the same solution. I ran my hands through the dry kernels, then walked around the room and dropped rice near the walls. After I concluded this experiment, I’d sweep up the mess so as not to attract mice, although mice might not like the tainted rice. That would be an experiment for another day.

  With the prep work done, I texted Angel to meet me in the craft room.

  He appeared less than a minute later. “Hey, Gem. What’s up?”

  I handed him my black light. “I’m turning off the lights. See if you can find the trail.” I flipped the switch, and the windowless room became quite dark.

  Angel turned the black light on and shone it against the floor. “Ah-hah. Here’s your footprint. Nice design.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Here’s another. And what’s this?” He shone the light against the wall, illuminating a line of kernels. “Rice?”

  “Yea!” I switched on the light. “I didn’t know if the rice would glow or not.”

  “You have quite the mess to clean up,” he said.

  “All in the name of science.”

  He snickered. “You’re still the same girl who got more excited about a science experiment than a toy.” He handed me the black light, but I shook my head.

  “Keep it.”

  He didn’t realize what a breakthrough this was. My husband might be against me drawing Duke out into the open, but I refused to sit back and do nothing.

  Baba had always said to prepare for any eventuality. And I was.

  60

  Lincoln

  Gramps seemed contemplative tonight. Seven weeks had passed since the doctor’s diagnosis. Besides needing a couple long naps during the day, he seemed fine. I’d caught him wincing a time or two when he thought he was alone, so I knew his days were numbered.

  That’s why I sat with him every opportunity I could. “How are you doing, Gramps?”

  I always asked, hoping he would be honest and tell me if he was in pain. Hoping he would ask for help if he needed.

  “Wonderful, my boy. Wonderful.” He gave me the same answer he’d given for the past twenty years. “Sit by me a moment. I’d like to talk.”

  I got comfortable on the sofa.

  “Where’s your sweet wife? Is she still putting her brother to bed?”

  I nodded. “Altin is on one tonight.” The trip up the canyon this afternoon had overstimulated him.

  “Probably all that ice cream.”

  I smiled. “Probably.”

  “Oh, it definitely was the ice cream,” Saemira said, bending over the couch to kiss my cheek, before joining me on the couch. “Try spoiling him with broccoli or salad tomorrow.”

  I clasped her hand. “Was he awful?”

  “My brother is never awful. He’s determined.”

  Gramps chuckled. “You two do my old heart good.” He reached over to touch a box on the coffee table. “I have something for you both.”

  “You didn’t need to get us anything,” Saemira said. “Your wedding gift was way more than enough.”

  I smiled. My wife really was a treasure, so content with life and unaffected by the trappings of wealth. She didn’t care about what car she drove or the labels on her clothes. She just wanted to be herself and seemed to thrive on finding discounts and deals to accomplish that.

  “This has a more personal connection.” He tapped the box. “Go ahead. Open it.”

  “Why don’t you do the honors,” I told my wife.

  She lifted the lid and sighed. I leaned over to see two jeweler’s boxes.

  “I want you both to carry around a part of me when I’m gone,” Gramps set the bigger box in my hands and handed Saemira the smaller one.

  Mine held a slick-looking watch.

  “It’s engraved on the back,” Gramps said.

  I turned it over to read the inscription. To my grandson, never forget that I believe in you.

  “Thanks, Gramps.”

  Saemira unveiled a beautiful silver ring. “I am with you always,” she read the inscription inside the band. “Oh, Gramps.” She moved over to hug him. “This is beautiful. Thank you so much.”

  “I love you, sweetheart. Don’t ever forget that.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “You both have made my last days happy and fulfilling. I hope you’ll wear these to remember me now and when I’m gone.”

  Saemira slipped the ring
onto her pinky finger. “I won’t ever take it off.”

  I clasped the watch around my wrist. “Me, neither.”

  Gramps hugged us both. “That means the world to me.”

  He meant the world to us.

  61

  Saemira

  This was the moment of truth. And ugly clothing. I stood beside my desk, wearing a stuffy business suit and wondering how women could stand squeezing into these straight jackets.

  Officer Tayne had called to run through a plan he needed our help with. I was all for helping, though I hadn’t liked Lincoln’s role once I’d listened to the whole thing. He would escort the lady officer impersonating me out of town, hoping to draw an ambush from Duke’s men. Tayne and his team would intercept. I’d been willing to put myself at risk but hated that Lincoln would now be in the most danger.

  My husband kissed me hard on the lips. “Go straight home. Don’t go anywhere else.”

  “Don’t worry,” I said, my stomach churning with nerves. “Everything will be fine. You just stay safe.”

  “You, too. I love you.” He walked out the door with my doppelganger, who didn’t really look like me. She only dressed as me. Hopefully, that would be enough to fool Duke’s men.

  When we’d arrived, I’d switched clothes with the female officer and shimmied into this monkey suit. For my part, I was to wait fifteen minutes to ensure Duke’s minions had left the vicinity before heading to an unmarked car in the parking garage and driving home.

  Not very exciting.

  As soon as my husband and the officer left, I hurried into the restroom to switch out of the horrid suit. I’d brought my wonky pocket pants that Lincoln had made fun of. I took the bag of rice from my fake briefcase and filled my loose pockets. Next, I took out my water bottle with the glow solution and loosened the lid so it barely clung on. Maybe I was being overly paranoid, but better vigilant than victim.