Catch Me if You Can

by Christine Bell

  He touched her arm, but she jerked away like he’d burned her.

  "Don't."

  "Don’t touch you?"

  "Don't come back.” Her throat ached so much, she could barely speak, but she swallowed hard and lifted her head to face him through tear-filled eyes. “I can’t invest in this. I need to be focused on my family right now. Taking care of Clarissa is my only priority and I can't do that effectively if I get caught up in you, wondering if you're okay or when you’re coming back. It could be a month. Or a year. Or never. It’s not fair to ask me to wait for a tomorrow that might never come."

  "It doesn't have to be this way," he started, but she held up a hand to stop him. The second she left even a hint...a breath of space there, he was going to take it and in short order, he'd have her all turned around, changing her mind. He spent the past seven years as a con artist. That was what con artists did. She knew that better than anyone.

  Her best bet was to shove him out the door and toss his clothes behind him. Even now, as she took in his stricken expression, she wanted to take it back. To tell him she'd sit and wait for him while he went off to find another way to get revenge on Alistair Hannigan. But she had her own promises to keep.

  She stayed silent as he gathered his things and padded to the door, turning one last time to look at her. “Sadie, I’m so sorry it turned out this way…”

  “Me too. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

  She waited until the door closed behind him before letting the first tear fall.

  ***

  Jake stared at the jeweled colored bottles behind the bar, seeing them but not really seeing them, the untouched rocks glass filled with whiskey sweating in front of him.

  For the past week he’d been desperate for some new idea...some brilliant new plan to make Alistair pay for what he'd done, and fast. It had never been a problem before. In fact, his only issue was trying to pick between which con he was going to run. The ideas were plentiful, like chocolates in the Wonka world of his mind. But ever since he'd left Sadie's apartment, all he could think about was the look on her face.

  That should’ve been a catalyst. Now he had two axes to grind. One for his father, and one for Sadie. Instead, the burning anger that had roiled in his gut for the past seven years had dulled to an ember and all he felt was lost.

  It was a dangerous game he was playing. If he dropped out, he would be betraying his father. If he didn’t and kept Sadie in his life while he played it, he could be putting her in danger.

  Again.

  There was no good solution, and it was eating away at him more every day.

  "You want to order some food?" The bartender had given him a wide berth since he'd gotten there. Probably because he looked exactly how he felt. Like a miserable prick.

  "No, thanks."

  "Actually, I'll take a menu," a familiar baritone voice said over his shoulder.

  He turned and gave his brother a curt nod. "Mike."

  Mike’s face gave nothing away as he took the stool next to him. He ignored Jake, scanning the menu quickly. "I'll take a cheeseburger, medium rare, extra onions and a side of fries." He shot a look Jake's way. "You sure you don't want anything?"

  "Yeah, I'm sure."

  The bartender jotted down the order and strode away, leaving him to face his brother again. Something he didn't feel like doing in the least.

  "Where were you last Friday night, Jake?"

  His eyes were glued to the TV above the bar, but there was no doubting he was very interested in the answer.

  "I was with Sadie," he answered honestly. “The woman I mentioned on the boat a couple weeks ago.”

  "Where?"

  Jesus, he sounded like their dad sometimes. So much, it made Jake's gut clench. Mike was a cop through and through, and a damned good one at that. His father would've been so proud.

  He couldn’t help but wonder if he’d feel the same about Jake right about now.

  He shoved aside the thought and took a deep swallow of his drink. "At Alistair Hannigan's house."

  He'd considered lying but he was sick of it. Sick of the deception, sick of having to hide things from his own flesh and blood. Besides, nothing had happened. What was he going to arrest him for? Accessory to attempted cheating at cards where he’d wound up losing tens of thousands of dollars? He wasn't up on all the law in America, but he was pretty sure that wasn't a thing.

  "Doing what?”

  "Playing poker."

  "Did you win?"

  How was that relevant? "Did I win? No, I didn't win. What are you on about, brother?"

  “I know what happened at Hannigan’s that night because I finally got clearance two weeks ago to tap his phone.” Mike turned and locked eyes with him. "We got 'em, Jake."

  His pulse kicked hard as the words sank in. "Got 'em how?"

  "Dead to rights. At first, it was garbage. We got nothing but vague double talk, and some nonsense about your little stunt at the poker game. It was getting to the point that I was wondering if we'd wasted our time and any goodwill we had left with that particular judge. That there was no way, secure line or not, that Hannigan was ever going to give anything up. And then, he did."

  "What have you got on him?"

  "Racketeering, fraud, forgery..." his brother trailed off and took a long pull from his beer bottle before swiping a hand over his mouth. "And human trafficking. He was selling young girls to brothels in Bangkok."

  Jake's stomach pitched as he digested that news.

  "It's over, Jake. Time to let it go."

  Let it go? It had been his whole world for all these years. How the fuck was he supposed to do that? Just blow on his fingers and let it float away, like the white fluff on a dandelion? Who was to say any of this would even stick? Mike knew, of all people, Hannigan was notoriously hard to hold. And more importantly…

  "What about Pop? We just let this be a black mark on his good name forever?"

  "Breaking Hannigan wasn't going to give Pop his good name back. But I know something that can, and I need your help to do it. If I let you in on this, let you consult with me, you have to promise that once it's over, you're going to let it go."

  He didn't ask the one question that was on his lips. If he let it go, what would he have left? He'd been doing this for so long, he wasn't sure what else there was beyond it.

  "What if he gets off again? What if he manages to get to the right people and-"

  "Not this time. Won't happen. That was Dad's mistake. He held his cards too long. I've got a whole team behind me, all who have seen the evidence and have as big a stake as I do in seeing Hannigan punished. I'm not alone here, and neither are you. We have to trust the system, bro. I need you to trust me."

  He wanted to. In fact, as he thought of the end…the possibility of closure and a new beginning for himself, the confusion and fog of the past week lifted, leaving behind nothing but determination. It was time.

  He held Mike’s gaze for a long moment before nodding. "Tell me what we need to do."

  The sooner they could start, the better, because he had someplace very important to be…

  ***

  "Wow. You look like total shit."

  In spite of the hunk of ice lodged in her chest, Sadie managed a smile at that. Clarissa was looking great. Cheeks pink, her eyes were clear and not wracked with pain or dulled from sedatives. If anything could've lifted her spirits, it was that.

  "Thanks, sis. You, on the other hand, look awesome.”

  Clarissa had been home for three days and being out of the hospital clearly agreed with her. “Four more pounds and they’ll take the tube out,” she said with a grin.

  For once, the joy at her news wasn’t tempered by worry about how they were going to pay for that. The day after Jake had left her apartment, a FedEx package had arrived containing fifty thousand dollars in cash with a note tucked inside it.

  For Clarissa, so don’t even think about trying to give it back. I’m sorry…for everything.
>
  -J

  Sadie shoveled another spoonful of salted caramel truffle ice cream into her mouth and swallowed without tasting it.

  "If you're not going to enjoy it, stop wasting it."

  “You’re not the boss of me,” she muttered, knowing she was being impossible and not caring.

  “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but you better call him and get it off your chest. Tell him how you feel.”

  She’d told Clarissa as much as she could, leaving out the parts about stealing and cons, but leaving in the parts about Jake wanting to avenge his father. She didn’t want to worry her, but at the same time, she knew Clarissa would see right through her and worry even more if she tried to pretend she was okay.

  She knew it was the right thing to do, but she was regretting it sorely now as her sister ramped up for lecture number twenty-five.

  “Maybe you should’ve given him a little time to think, you know? I’ll bet he’s as miserable as you are right now. Call him. Let him know that there’s someone else in his corner, someone who cares and doesn't want him to continue down this destructive path."

  "Right. And if I manage to convince him, he can resent the hell out of me a year from now, once it all sinks in? No way.” She set her spoon down and flopped back on the couch. “I said everything I needed to say. He can't move forward until he closes the cover on the last chapter in his life. My only concern is that this has been poisoning him so long that he's scarred on the inside. He can't even see what's right in front of him. Revenge isn't some magic potion. He's not going to wake up once this is all over and feel reborn."

  "So why don't you tell him that?"

  "Because he doesn’t want me around."

  It was a nice way of saying it, but there was no skirting around the fact that she'd been summarily dumped.

  She picked up her spoon, filled it with ice cream and plugged it into her gaping maw, chewing defiantly as she held her sister's gaze.

  "That's it." Clarissa made a grab for the container and Sadie pulled it away.

  "Wow, those new meds got you moving fast."

  “Fast enough to kick your ass,” she said, lunging for her again.

  They were wrestling over the carton when the doorbell rang a few seconds later. The sound shocked her and her fingers went slack. Clarissa took full advantage and skipped into the kitchen with the ice cream, a triumphant smile on her face. “Think of it as an intervention,” she called over her shoulder.

  Sadie stood and headed for the door. Probably her upstairs neighbor wanting her to sign a petition to get the lady across the hall evicted for smelling up the hallway with her salmon patties again.

  She peered out the peephole and froze, the ice cream threatening to make a re-appearance as her stomach flip-flopped.

  Jake.

  It took a second to sink in. After days of misery, when she would’ve given anything ro hear from him, here he was. She yanked open the door before she could think better of it and glared at him. "What are you doing here?"

  “I wanted to see you.”

  She refused to think about how handsome he was in his T-shirt and jeans, black hair a tousled mess. He also looked exhausted. She ignored the sharp pinching sensation in her heart and dug deep for more anger.

  “How did you get in the building, anyway?”

  “I paid your doorman twenty bucks. That’s some pretty shoddy security you have there. He didn’t even ask if I was going to murder you or anything.” In spite of his earnest expression, that nefarious dimple made an appearance and she fantasized about spackling over it for her own sanity. What was she asking him again?

  Oh yeah. “Why are you here?” Her palms started to sweat as all the possible scenarios when through her mind. She couldn’t even let herself think that maybe he’d come because he missed her. Having thoughts like that was a surefire ticket to Disappointmentville, and her heart couldn’t take another blow so soon.

  "I needed to see you."

  "What makes it important for you to see me now when it wasn’t important at all a couple weeks ago?"

  "It was always important, Sadie.” His beautiful gray eyes shined with sincerity and he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. The move sent a shiver through her and she took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest.

  He held up a hand and nodded. “Okay, I get it. I won’t touch you. But believe me when I tell you the only reason I left that night was because I could've gotten you seriously hurt.”

  His words cut through the shock of seeing him and she stared at him, her pulse kicking hard.

  “If that happened, I don’t know how I would've lived with myself,” he continued, spearing a hand through his hair. “Short of finding a hidden cave on the shores of Ireland and secreting you away there while I tried to figure out what to do next, there wasn't much else to do but move forward as best I could and keep you out of harm's way."

  “Why didn’t you at least tell me that?”

  “And what would you’ve said? That you were street smart and tough and didn’t need my protection. You would’ve badgered me relentlessly and worn me down eventually.”

  She opened her mouth to argue but then snapped it shut. He was right about that. But still, “So what’s changed?”

  “Me.” He shrugged and shook his head. “You changed me. Made me realize what I’d been missing all these years. Made me want more.”

  His words sent a ripple through her and that burning ember of hope she’d thought was long dead blazed to life again.

  “What about Alistair?”

  “After I left your apartment that night, I was a wreck. As much as I still knew Alistair needed to be taken down, I found myself unable and unwilling to move ahead. It was like something died inside me.”

  She could see that pain reflected on his face and it was a struggle to keep from comforting him even now.

  “Then Mike came to me last week and told me that he has a real shot at nailing him. They gathered some compelling evidence and we’re confident that it’s going to cost Hannigan some real time. They’re still piecing it all together. He may never get everything he truly deserves, and I have to live with that, but now that they’ve uncovered him for what he is, all eyes will be on him. He won’t be able to take a shit in this town without someone taking notes."

  "What about your dad?" Her heart was in her throat as she waited for his answer.

  "Mike and I have been working on something. Once the criminal investigation turned up the fact that Alistair wasn’t above bribing officials, the powers that be in London have agreed to meet with us to consider reopening Pop’s case.” As he spoke, the shadow that always seemed to hang over him when this topic arose seemed to have lifted, and it made her spirit soar. “It's going to take a while, but Mike said the buzz is all positive. If it works out as planned, some days soon he'll get a proper send off and all the honors he should've gotten before. It won't bring him back, but people will know who he was and what he stood for, and it will allow us to bring charges against Hannigan over the pond as well."

  “That’s wonderful news, Jake. Not everything you wanted, I know, but it’s a start. Are you happy?” The last word stuck in her throat and she tried not to let the riot of emotions she was feeling show on her face.

  “No.”

  Her stomach sank and she nodded slowly. “I’m sorry to hear that.” So if nothing had changed, if vengeance to the fullest was the only way he thought he could ever find happiness, what was he doing at her apartment? Surely, they’d said all that needed to be said.

  “It’s not because I didn’t do what I set out to all those years ago. I’m content with continuing the fight by supporting Mike, but I’ve realized you were right. It’s time to move on. He cupped her nape in his big, strong hand, and held her gaze as his words washed over her in a wave. “The reason I’m not happy is, because without you in my life, there’s this gaping hole. I miss your laugh and your sense of adventure and your wit. I love you,
Sadie. From the second I laid eyes on you, with that terrible wig and those ill-fitting clothes, I loved you. Fuck, I tried, but I couldn't look away. I still can’t. Tell me you feel the same way. Tell me you love me, too.”

  Her heart was so full and she was so overwhelmed with emotion, for a second she couldn’t speak.

  “Tell him you love him too, for crying out loud,” Clarissa called through the kitchen door. “She’s been eating ice cream by the bucket-loads. You’re lucky you got here when you did. If you were any later, she’d have been a real fat ass.”

  Sadie’s cheeks went hot at Jake’s grin.

  “She’s exaggerating. But she’s right.” She leaned into him, letting her heart guide her. “I do love you. And I want more than anything to have you back in my life.”

  It was a risk. If Hannigan got off, maybe Jake would crack and wind up hurting her all over again. But she knew one thing for sure. He was worth the risk. The best things in life were.

  "So what do you say we firm this up some? Make it a real partnership?” He held out a scroll tied with a red ribbon and she took it from his grasp.

  "What is it?" she asked almost reverently. The paper felt smooth and worn beneath her fingers and the musty smell rose to greet her nose as she untied it. He pushed aside a pile of mail on the table in the entrance and she carefully unrolled the paper, spreading it out on that flat, walnut surface.

  It was a map. The words were hard to read, a slanted scrawl, but the symbols were clear as day and a tremor ran through her.

  "Is that what I think it is?" she asked breathlessly.

  "It is," he said, never taking his eyes off her. Her heart clattered wildly in her chest as she met his gaze. "A map."

  "To find sunken treasure. Are you being serious right now?"

  "I am. I figured you and I are used to excitement. It’d be hard to go to some nine to five jobs after living on the edge. Seemed like the perfect solution. What do you think? Want to go find some sunken treasure with me?”

  She stared down at the yellowing map and tears blurred her eyes. "I can honestly think of nothing in the world I want more."