by Carter, Dawn
Her mind shifted to Annabel’s confession, and the things she had to endure as a child, she knew she was a strong woman and would be okay, but the fear still lingered in the pit of her stomach. She felt anger for the young woman she had pulled from the house, she felt bad that she had to carry the pain of that night for so many years, but to see the pain in her eyes as she explained how he abused her and her mother made her angry. How could she have lived next door to them and not know what was going on? The anger increased as she drove the last few miles on the interstate that led into downtown. When she arrived at the address she had to shake of her feelings and focus on the job at hand. She could not afford to be sloppy, that was how officers were taken by surprise.
Danni walked down the dimly lit alley to where Frank waited patiently. The loud bang of the garage door made when it was forced open caused Danni to jump. She looked around to make sure no one heard. Frank walked in first with his gun drawn and she followed close behind and surveyed the area using her flashlight on the path to light the way. It was a typical garage, nothing out of the ordinary. It smelled like gasoline and old rust. A name finally accompanied the face in the photo when Frank informed her that the garage was being rented by Detective Langston. They searched through everything and just as she was ready to give up Danni found a box of files. Each dated with the months and year. Her eyes widened when she found pictures of her and Annabel in the first set of files. She pulled out the note pad and began to read. It seemed to be a diary of where they went and who they spoke to. But nothing about the murders, so she put that one aside and flipped open the next. The notes accompanied pictures of the Mayor with Hollywood standing by his car. By the serious look on his face she could only guess what they were talking about. The file was dated three days ago. Danni found that odd. He was supposed to keep his activities low key. “What a dumb ass,” she whispered under her breath as she placed the file with the other. The next dozen or so had nothing to do with the Mayor or her case. It appeared he was taking notes and pictures of stake outs he had done on burglaries in the past.
“I have a strange feeling about this Frank,” Danni voice echoed through the garage.
“What’d you find?” he asked walking over to her.
“Look at these.” She pointed toward the box. “Before last week there are no notes indicating he was even interested in the case.” She pondered other possibilities.
“That’s the way it’s starting to look. Last night I tailed him, and there was nothing out of the ordinary. He sat one block north of a house on Florida and north third and just took pictures of the people coming in and out. I waited and about an hour later he busted in the premises with uniformed officers and arrested the occupants.” He frowned. “It’s starting to look like he is not our perp.”
“Shit, but why does he have pictures of Detective Flanery and me?” she questioned handing him the folder. “This smells fishy Frank.”
“Take what you have. We need to follow up on John Mallory.”
“Who’s that?”
“The fictitious I.A. officer, I did face recognition and he came back in codas. He has a rap sheet going back twenty years. Mostly petty theft but he was under suspicion for several unsolved murders back in the Nineties.” He blinked back when he witnessed the angry look build on Danni’s face.
“Son of a bitch, where is he now?”
“I had Travis and Kent following him, but they lost him in the hospital district a few hours ago.”
“Did you find a connection? Does he have a past with Burns?” she asked feeling her anger increase. Her ears felt hot, and her head started to pound. She needed air as the tin walls around her began to close. “Did you get an address on him?” She finally inquired hunched over in the cool air outside the metal doors.
“Are you okay?” Concerned, Frank walked up beside her and put his hand on her back.
“I’m good!” She shrugged his hand off of her. “Langston could have just stumbled on it while investigating burglaries.” She looked at him as the scenario played in her mind.
“Kent is looking into that as well, he picked him up an hour ago,” he confirmed then looked at her with admiring eyes. “You really should consider the job Pacelli. You would make a good Agent.”
“Like I said before, let’s solve this case first, then talk to me about it.” She waved him off not concerned about anything but Annabel’s safety. She was distraught after learning the man had been tied to several murders and was still on the street. “Do we have an address on the perpetrator?”
“Sure do and that is our next stop.” He closed the garage door and walked quickly to his car. “I told you, we will make an arrest tonight.”
Frank drove slowly with the lights off down the alley. He had already dropped Danni down the block so she could watch the front. They already rationalized they had enough probable cause since he had misrepresented himself as an officer of the law. Give me one reason and I will take you down, Frank mused as he turned off the engine and pulled his gun from its holster.
As Danni crept down the gangway alongside the house, she looked in the window; she could see a shadow on the wall. It appeared to her, he was seated watching the television. When she peered inside an open window and listened, she could hear his voice carry from the other room. She listened closely to the one sided conversation. “I will find them and take them out!” the man said. Danni made a mental note of the time of the call. She knew they could trace it and find out the identity of the accomplice.
Frank crept up beside her. “Anything?” he whispered.
She motioned him away from the window and explained what she heard. That was all he needed to put a raid into action. He walked away and dialed a number on his phone. “They’ll be here in twenty.” He said a moment later and motioned for her to follow him into the alley.
They stood there looking at one another. Danni could feel the itch of her trigger finger; she was ready to take him down but, what she wanted to do and what needed to be done were two different things. There was no doubt in her mind that this man was not acting alone. “We need to trace his calls,” she sputtered ready to bring this mystery to an end.
“Already on it,” he said triumphantly. “Calm down killer!” He winked and laughed as he saw the frustration on her face.
“What did you find out from that dirt bag I wrapped up for you?” the question was accompanied by a jab in the ribs.
“The same thing you heard. He’s working for someone else.” He frowned and put his hand in his pocket as he looked down. Frank explained how he interrogated the man for eight hours and his story never wavered. He insisted that he was contacted by the phone and money was sent to him via career. “I got the impression that all the killings have been a murder for hire.”
“Who is he?” she interrupted.
“He’s a licensed P.I. I checked him out and it’s confirmed. He said a woman hired him not our perp. He said the first time he met our man was last week. He said our guy gave him instructions to follow you and Detective Flanery. He also said he didn’t know what he was getting into until Mallory threatened his life.”
“What the fuck is going on here Frank, a woman hired him?” she snapped. “This case is getting stranger by the minute.” The case did not make sense to her. Why would a woman order the murders of prostitutes, and what did the Mayor have to do with it? “I want to talk to our P.I later if that’s okay? And…” she stopped mid-sentence when another car turned down the alley and pulled next to them.
“Danni this is Special Agent Kent, he’s been working the case with me.”
She extended her hand but he disregarded it with a nod of his head. “Is he in there?” he asked as he strapped the bullet proof vest around his mid-section.
Frank looked at Danni who answered for him. Kent radioed his team to move in. Danni was ordered to stay put while they stormed the house. She was dismayed but said nothing. She watched as the men maneuvered themselves around the perimeter of the prop
erty and within seconds stormed the front and back door. All clear came across the radio. That was her cue to join the team. She walked in the backdoor and through the house. Mallory was face down on the ground and hand cuffed. She saw his cell phone on the coffee table. She casually picked it up and thumbed through his history. The last number displayed had no name. The time of the call coordinated with the time she heard him talking. She wrote the number down on a pad. She viewed his contacts. There were no names she recognized. She sighed a little relieved but disappointed for mentally accusing her superior of being involved. The killer was now in custody and his partner was not a man. Who was the mystery woman behind all of this?
“Pacelli, Pacelli?” Frank grunted trying to get her attention.
“Yeah?” She looked up at him as he towered over her.
“We need to let the team do their job here. I’m going to transport this piece of shit.” He smirked. “I’ll call you when I’m finished with him,” he said over his shoulder.
The morning sun blinded her as she drove back to the house. She cursed when a deer ran out in front of her. She was tired and aggravated and the last thing she needed was to total her truck. The aroma of the food she picked up on the way smelled so good it was hard not to reach in the bag and nibble. When she pulled in the driveway Annabel met her at the door. She watched as Danni exited the truck and could visibly tell she was angry and knew the last thing Danni needed after a long night was for her to act foolish. She opted to take the six steps down to help with the bags of breakfast.
“Well?” she questioned as Danni deposited herself on the dining room chair.
“We got our man,” she assured as she shoved a piece of toast in her mouth. “Is there coffee made?” The question was an indication that Danni was in no mood to talk. Annabel retrieved a cup from the china cabinet, filled it and placed it on the table. She sat down and opened her food container, but her appetite was suddenly gone.
With a sigh, Danni sat back in her chair. “Aren’t you going to eat?”
Annabel rolled her eyes and moved the food around with her fork.
One last sip of the coffee and Danni stood up walked out of the room and deposited herself on the couch in the sitting room. She was so exhausted from her night she stretched out and closed her eyes. She tried to switch her mind off but that voice in the back of her head would not be silenced.
It was apparent to Annabel that the details of the collar were not going to be shared. She cleaned the table annoyed and the total disregard of her feeling was inconceivable. “Screw this shit,” she hissed and stormed into the adjoining room and stood directly over Danni. “Are you going to tell me what happened or not?”
“I am now my love.” Danni sat up surprised by the anger in her voice. “I’m just gathering my thoughts for another long night. But this time, I’ll leave the stress at the door when I come home.” She smiled at her and chuckled nervously already feeling bad for being an ass.
Annabel blinked back in surprise. She was angry but the sweet look on Danni’s face melted her heart. “So, tell me all the details then.” She blushed at the sound of her own voice.
An hour passed by the time Danni finished explaining. Annabel took in the information and then winced at the last line. A woman hired him. She could see the same look of confusion in Danni’s eyes but was pleased to know the list of suspects was narrowed down to a gender, but with the Mayor’s history, this could be hundreds if not more of angry women wanting revenge on him.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Danni couldn’t sleep, she lay in the bed and connected the dots above as she had done so many times with her life. She struggled to keep herself in place as she thought of Annabel who sacrificed her afternoon to snuggle in next to her. She tossed to her right and did what always worked when she was a little girl, she imagined she was gazing at the stars, but it didn’t work, it was light outside and her brain was on overdrive. Frustrated she crept from the bed, she paused at the door long enough to ensure she did not wake up Annabel. She took the stairs down into the kitchen and found a seat at the small kitchen table and put on her gym shoes. She needed to release her anxiety, something she had not done since she took on the case. Just as she was going to get up and head out the door, she heard footsteps walking down the hall.
“You’re up late,” Annabel said nonchalantly as she deposited herself across the table. Danni looked and smiled.
“I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I would go for a run.”
“Is everything okay?” Concern filled her eyes as she watched her fiddle with her fingers.
“I need to clear my head, and what better way than to run.” The truth at that moment was she needed to run from her. She needed to finish absorbing the confession and find peace with her own anger over not seeing it happening under her own nose. She needed to come to terms with the fact that she was sleeping with the girl she pulled from the fire, the same girl she failed to protect, but most important, the feelings of love that overwhelmed her.
“You want to talk about it?”
Danni just looked at her, her mind reeled with the list of questions that had plagued her every thought. But, there were a few questions she needed answers to. “Once this is over what do you expect to happen between us?”
“Well, I…” Annabel chose her words carefully. She knew if she was not careful how she said things, she would spook her. “I would like to see where this will take us.”
That was not the answer she was expecting to hear and she assumed she was not asking the right question. “Do you want to be exclusive or date other people?”
The answer was right there on the tip of Annabel’s tongue but she could not find the right words. She had never wanted anyone or anything more in her life, but now she was being asked and she stood there and no words would come out. The lack of words sent Danni into a panic. She ejected herself from her seat and ran from the house before Annabel could react and by the time Annabel reached the front door, Danni was nowhere in sight.
Danni ran like she had never run before. She didn’t answer me, maybe I am reading more into this than there really is, she thought and by the time she looked up, she had reached the highway. She bent over and put her hands on her knees to support her shaken frame as she caught her breath. She told herself over and over again that it was a bad idea to mix work with pleasure, and she did not listen, she allowed her libido to override her sensibility. As she stood there, she started to laugh, she knew she was reacting to her own fears of the age difference between her and Annabel, she tried to rationalize there was only seven years difference, but seven years could mean the difference between wanting to settle down, or still enjoy the single life.
She was going to have to make a move soon, and after she solved the case she would take Frank up on his offer to join the FBI, that way if Annabel didn’t break her heart she will not have to look at her every day knowing she was with someone else. With a deep breath, she stood tall and dashed back towards the house. With long strides she made it back in half the time but stopped in her tracks when she saw Annabel seated on the bottom step with her face in her hands crying. She approached her cautiously, but to see her cry tore at her heart. Annabel never looked up as Danni sat down next to her. When Danni rubbed her gently along her back, the sobs got louder.
“I’m sorry.” Danni could hear through the sobs.
That was all it took, she pulled her into her arms and held her tight. “I’m sorry for running off,” the words escaped before she could stop them.
“I love you Danni. I love you so much and I never want to lose that,” she whispered shyly. “You asked me what I wanted. It’s you I want and it’s you I need. It’s always been you Danni.”
“You have to be sure; I don’t want to hold you back from finding someone your own age.”
“Are you kidding me, someone my age? The way I feel about you is not a child hood fantasy Danni, I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid and now it is no
longer a dream, I am here as long as you will have me.” She wanted to kiss her, but she needed her to understand her true feelings so she would never run from her again.
“I always dreamt of one day having a wife, and maybe one day having kids, but I never thought I would find her, the one, the only, so don’t break my heart Annabel, if this is not what you want, I am giving you the out now.”
The tears of joy streamed from her eyes as Danni professed her love. Annabel moved in closer taking her into her arms. “I’m not going anywhere, but you are. Yuk, you’re sweaty, let’s go inside to shower.”
Her eyes focused down on the sweat that stained her shirt “I’m not sweaty, I’m drenched.” She laughed as she took Annabel by the hand and led her up the stairs.
“So we don’t have any more misunderstandings I think we need to put everything out on the table.”
“I agree, but before we do that, I’m going to take a shower.” Danni smiled as she let go of her hand.
Annabel started a fire in the fireplace and wrapped the afghan around her shoulders; she shivered from the breeze that forced its way in through the cracks. Such a beautiful house this is, but it sure needs updating and winterizing, she mused rubbing her hands together. It was starting to get cold as the day wore on, and it was obvious winter was almost upon them, and in the Panhandle it was always unpredictable. One snow and the entire town would shut down. Finally feeling warm, she tried to make herself useful, she went through the case files and added the new information for Danni, there were still a lot of unanswered questions but the picture was starting to come into focus.