Heart of Fire

by Carter, Dawn

  She ran back to the house and pulled with all her might to get Andy inside. “Careful now,” she told him as she guided him to the couch. “Don’t put too much weight on that leg yet, it may have been a clean shot, but you’re losing a lot of blood.” She called through the house for the Mayor or Tom, but there was no answer. She motioned for Andy to stay put as she ran up to the Mayors room and pounded on the door for a response. He yelled through the door that he was okay, but she hesitated when she saw a light silhouette from under the door from across the hall. She opened the door slowly and there on the floor, the lifeless body spread out. The words written in blood on the wall, ‘I can get to you at any time.’ Panicked, she pounded on the Mayors door and demanded he open it. She rushed in around him and searched the room. There was no sign of an intruder. She couldn’t understand how someone got in the house without her hearing and how did they get past the alarm system. She was sure she set it before falling asleep.

  She escorted the Mayor down the stairs, he tried to argue with her but she insisted that it was not safe to be alone. After she pointed to the dead body guard in the other room he hurried down the stairs ahead of her.

  Hagerty was the first to rush in through the front door, his thin face was full of alarm and his prominent Adams apple rippled excitedly as he swallowed. “What the hell is going on Pacelli? We got a call that shots were fired. Is everyone okay?”

  “We got one down upstairs, and one wounded here.” She pointed to Andy seated on the sofa.

  He turned his attention briefly then back to Danni. “Do we know how the perp got in?”

  She shook her head no. “I haven’t had a chance to check the rest of the house. I had to secure the Mayor first.” She briefly looked at him awaiting his disapproval but none came.

  He turned and ordered the officers on the scene to search the home and to find the point of entry. He smiled at Danni and waved her into the hall with him. “We got a problem.” He scowled when she joined.

  The look on his face as his cheeks sunk in made him look older than his age. Danni said nothing as she waited for him to lay into her.

  “Conner was found dead in the parking lot, his throat was slashed open and his badge is missing, we search the lab and all our evidence is gone.”

  Eyes wide, Danni peered into his eyes. “Conner’s dead? How did this happen, what the fucks going on Hagerty?”

  He lowered his head and said nothing. He was still in shock. “The perps knocked out Andrews and Cameron on the way in. Danni, this woman is a ghost; she has managed to get past every obstacle we’ve set up.”

  Her heart pounded in her chest as she listened. “Does Frank know?”

  “I called him as soon as I was called. I haven’t been there yet. I was on my way when the radio dispatcher said shots were fired here.” Tears flowed over the brim of his eyes as he explained. “I want to get this bitch and I want to pull the plug on her personally!”

  Before Danni had a chance to respond, a team of agents that Frank sent arrived to assist in collecting the clues, and a few moments later another team arrived to transport the Mayor to a safe house. Danni was given instructions to call Frank’s phone as soon as possible. A reassignment was on the agenda she thought as she watched the coroner wheel out Ted.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Burns paced back and forth in the kitchen as he looked down as his watch. The thought of not being able to conduct his daily business upset him. “You better find this piece of shit Pacelli!” his voice echoed from the distance but Danni disregarded his apparent outrage as she went over the notes and potential leads.

  “I need you to shut up and get your ass over here and make that list that I need,” she huffed as a pain shot in her head. She pressed the palms of her hands against her temples in attempt to relieve the pressure that was building. She planned on spending the day at the hospital but all that was halted last night. The list already supplied only went back ten years and with the data collected this woman had been following him for at least twenty years.

  He did as ordered and sat and looked at the blank piece of paper. “I was an attorney twenty years ago, and without my client list I don’t know where to start.”

  It was as if a light went off in her head. “Wait stop with the list.” She looked at him then back to the notes. “How old are you now?”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Humor me.”

  “I’m sixty four.” He smirked as he slicked back his hair. “I know I look good for my age.”

  With her left eyebrow raised, she sat back, in the chair trying not to laugh. “Oh lord.” She shook her head and handed him another tablet. “Just write down every man and woman you had contact with or relations in the past twenty years.” While he wrote, she explained there seemed to be an underlining reason why she was after him, Danni reasoned it had to be someone close to her that she was getting revenge for; a tormented lover took her life, or a father he did not represent hard enough.

  He looked at her, and shook his head. “I never lost a case.”

  Danni smiled as she watched him scratch all the men’s names off his list. “Okay, let’s shoot for a scorned lover.”

  Tears spilled over his eye lids as he looked up. “I never had a serious relationship with anyone,” he admitted. “It was not from lack of trying, but with my schedule I never had time.”

  The thought of a woman really taking him serious seemed farfetched, Danni thought maybe it was more rejection from the women, versus him rejecting them Danni concluded when he slumped in his seat.

  “We’re not getting anywhere,” he whined looking down at the names scratched out on the pad.

  “Actually we are, and I need to ask you a few questions. What was your real relationship with Hollywood?”

  “We had an arrangement.”

  “Stop dancing around my questions Mayor,” she growled. “What type of arrangement?”

  “I saw her from time to time over the past few years, but we spent a lot of time together in our younger years. She was so beautiful then, I asked her to marry me and she said no.” He lowered his head. “The drugs, I could not compete with them.”

  The room fell silent as he returned to his list. His last statement tugged at her heart strings, but she could not let him get to her. While he worked on the list, it gave her time to call the hospital to check on Annabel. While on hold, she walked to the window and witnessed how well the two federal agents got along. The thought of changing careers scared her but at the same time it was a welcome change. The woman on the other end of the phone announced that Annabel was improving and had been up for a few hours. Danni was ecstatic by the news but sad because she wanted to be there when she opened her eyes. With a shrug of her shoulders she turned to view the shackles that held her prisoner. The rational side of her knew he had no control over what was happening but her heart ached making it hard to have sympathy for him.

  “Here!” he spouted throwing the pad on the table, but she did not turn around as he left the room. The sound of his footsteps echoed from the second floor. She dared him to go into the same bedroom where she and Annabel slept. She stood her ground when he demanded the room, and laughed when she witnessed the worse tantrum she ever saw come from a spoiled rotten adult.

  He was used to getting the best of everything in his life, but Danni had taken his manhood away by talking down to him, then expecting him to stay in a half-finished room with nothing more than a single bed. It annoyed him the way she stood in front of the master bedroom door and dared him to try and walk passed her. “Who the hell does she think she is?” He scoffed and threw the few items he had a chance to pack on the bed.

  When Danni was sure he was asleep, she went back down the stairs and opened the front door. The gust of wind rushed past her blowing all of the lose papers from the coffee table to the floor, but she was so aggravated by his behavior she disregarded the mess and kept walking out, she needed some fresh air, but most of all she
needed out of the confines of the prison she was stuck in. Her nerves were exposed and she needed release. She was well aware she was getting on her own nerves, and it would not take much more to make her snap. She giggled when she watched the two agent argue over who won the last hand. She deposited herself in the seat next to Kyle. She observed his posture and his physic and wondered if he used to play football in his youth. She could see the muscles bulge beneath his white dress shirt as he was passed out the cards for the next game, he asked her if she wanted to play, and when she nodded he nudged her playfully, but as much as she tried to get into the game, her mind was far away.

  “You think I could get out of here for a few hours?” she smiled brightly as she asked hoping they would agree.

  “No problem we got the situation under control.” Daniels, the skinny blonde Agent winked. “Could you pick us up some burgers from Sonic on your way back?”

  “You got it.” A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she got up and went into the house to gather her truck keys. She was eager to get to the hospital to see Annabel. The report on her progress was keeping her going but she needed to see for herself.

  Being an officer of the law has its perks she thought as she flashed her light to get through every red light. Her stomach was in knots as she drove quickly into town.

  It took her longer than she would have liked to finally find a parking spot; the car in front of her blocked the isle as the occupant waited for the other car to pull out. Finally it pulled in and the engine sputtered down to a silence roar. The dwindling noise reminded her to much of her own future prospects, but as she pulled into the next available space her heart pounded in her ears, all she felt was hope as her mind reeled with excitement. She missed her and it had been excruciation lay in the same bed they shared, the same bed they made love in for the first time and not hold her. She could still smell her perfume on the pillow and she loved it.

  When she stepped off the elevator, the hospital ward was empty not a nurse or doctor in site. Danni walked into Annabel’s room and smiled as she saw the bright blue eyes smile back. She did not care if anyone walked in as she wrapped her in her arms around her and whispered how much she loved her. “I’ve missed you,” was all she could say before their lips met in an urgent kiss.

  “I was wondering when you were going to get away to come see me.”

  “I’m here now that’s all that matters.”

  “Yes it is!” With the tips of her fingertips she stroked Danni’s lips. The love projected from her eyes sending the message loud and clear.

  “How long do I have you for?”

  “I can’t stay long, but I needed to see you. I heard you will be moved to a regular room later today.”

  “That’s what they say. The doctor came in earlier and told me if I keep up my progress he will release me by the end of the week.”

  “About time we get some good news.”

  “Tell me how everything is going with the case.” She pulled herself up to look directly in Danni’s eyes.

  “We’re at a stale mate right now and no game plan has been made. Since we had to move the Mayor to the safe house we have no idea where to go next. I’m waiting on Frank to get back with me and tell me.” She shrugged.

  “Any leads on our woman?”

  “We have a few. I faxed the list of names the Mayor gave me to Frank. Now it is a waiting game. This woman is good babe; she always seems to be one step ahead of us.” She looked at her watch and the look of dread filled her eyes. “Baby, I got to go. I promised to pick up food to get away for a little while.”

  “Okay.” Annabel’s sigh gave a hint of her frustration. “I have my cell on now, please call me later.”

  “I will baby.” Danni leaned in and kissed her. “I love you and I will call you later, promise.”

  Annabel rolled on her side hiding her eyes from all onlookers. Tears streamed down forming a puddle on the pillow. She did not know for sure why she was crying. Maybe a mixture of being stuck in the hospital, missing Danni, or the news that she would be on desk duty for the next six months while administrative proceedings were being conducted on her for working while on a leave of absence. She did not want to worry Danni, or make it harder than what it already was. She asked the lieutenant not to tell Danni as she knew there would have been a big blow out and the last thing she needed right now was more pressure than what she already had.

   

  Annabel sat upright looking out the window of her new room, she was one step closer to being released, but the boredom and frustration became too much to take. She called Frank and asked him to let her help; he reluctantly agreed and then called the hospital to insure she had private accommodations. He took her a computer with access to the FBI data bank along with a list of things to look for. Each time she found a lead she wanted to call Danni but figured she had already put her job on the line once for her and she would not do let her do that again.

  While shifting through the names one stood out. An old girlfriend who had tried to sue for paternity but the case was dropped before it saw its day in court. The name stood out to her. Marlene O’Sullivan she said to herself several times as she shifted through documents, she pulled out her cell phone and called Frank’s direct line but there was no answer. She said nothing about her findings only for him to call her as soon as he got the message. She searched for a location of Marlene but came up empty. Then searched birth records and there was a birth record, but no data as it was sealed. It nagged at her, the name kept ringing a bell, when she pulled the list of aliases the perpetrator used was when she saw it, it took her breath away. She had a kid and after doing the math, the suspect fit the right age criteria. She took notes and saved her search to her desktop. She did a further search of county and state records for a location but still came up empty. She pulled vital statistics to see if maybe she had married and changed her last name, but instead what she came up with was a death certificate and the reason listed was complications due to cancer. She put her hand over her mouth as she read on. The suspect could not have been more than nine years old at the time when she died. She pulled the court records for the county and found that Travis, or O’Sullivan as she now had a real name for her, had been sent into foster care. There records indicated there were no other living relatives willing to take her, but as she read on it indicated there was a living aunt, but the aunt refused. She looked down at her list. Paternity test, mother died and foster care.

  She gathered all her information and forwarded it to Frank’s email with instructions on the links she found. ‘This would be enough to make her angry if he is her father and she was abandoned into foster care,’ she thought as she pressed send on the message.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Annabel had to be sure of her findings. She scanned the Mayor’s personal account and there it was. It was there in front of them all along. One thousand dollars transferred to Marlene O’Sullivan on the first of every month, the payments started just as paternity was determined. “He fathered a sociopath who now wants revenge on him, but why?” she muttered scavenging through files. “Bingo, gotcha.” She smiled pleased with herself. “I sure wish the police department had this search engine it would make finding our suspects so much easier.”

  She dialed Frank’s number again this time he answered. When she was done telling him everything she found, she asked him if there was anything else she could do to help. The silence on the other end let her know he was thinking hard but his response was not what she wanted to hear.

  “Are you sure?”

  “You got more information than I thought you could. Both my trained agents could not find that information. Good Job. I will make sure you do not get stuck on desk duty like they threatened.” He took an exasperated breath. “Remember this is between me and you. Do not tell anyone you found this information.”

  “You have my word.”

  “Get some rest and I will call Pacelli and give her what we have.”

&nb
sp; The phone went silent before she could say anything else. The thrill of the chase still soaring through her veins, but her smile turned to a frown when she realized no one else would know how good her detective skills were. She could not even tell Danni and that was the one person who she really wanted to share this with.

  Frustrated she went to the nurse’s station to find out when or if her test results came back. While waiting she saw her chart lying on the desk. She retrieved it and began to thumb through notes, half she could not understand and the ones she could did not make sense.

  The sound of a voice clearing from behind her caused her to jump. The day nurse Esmeralda stood tapping her foot with her hand out for the file. “What are you doing with that?”

  “Oh, um, I was just looking over my file. That’s okay right?” Annabel fidgeted.

  “I guess. Are you ready for physical therapy?” the question came across more like a demand.

  “All ready.” She arched her right eye, suspicious by her tone.

  “Okay then. I guess I will go to lunch after I get your paperwork ready.” She sighed and looked away.

  “Hey if you’re already late for lunch don’t let me stop you. I will still be here regardless.” Her smile reassured the nurse who smiled back and knotted her head.

   

  Meanwhile Frank made several calls while Danni went through the newspaper archives to get the exact location of the cemetery where Marlene O’Sullivan was buried. On a hunch Frank called the director of the cemetery and inquired if there had been any visitors to her plot. He smiled and waved to Danni to hand him a pad. He wrote down several dates that the man on the other end of the line gave him and became excited when he said that each Thursday the grounds keeper complained that someone had been there and left food wrappers scattered.