The Dragon Tree Legacy

by Ali Vali

  The bike started on the first try, but as she quickly pulled away from the curb, she wished again for the old van. She loved the vintage ride, but it was definitely more noticeable. She couldn’t take any chances now, since nothing about the entire night made sense to her.

  Could Aubrey have changed so dramatically in the time they’d been apart that she would’ve hooked up with a dealer? She couldn’t wrap her brain around the answer, so she wasn’t even wasting energy wondering about Tanith.

  The guy she was following didn’t go far, stopping at the valet section of Harrah’s Casino downtown. The guy threw his keys at the attendant who’d run up, and from the greeting, he was a regular. The valet who stepped up to help her never took his eyes off the hundred she held between her fingers.

  “You think you can leave it parked up here ready to go in case I have shitty luck in there?” She held the money at his eye level.

  “No problem.”

  She took a right after entering, hoping to spot the uniformed man since she’d lost sight of him. He was walking fast enough to make her sure he was there to meet someone. “Either that or he’s got a bad gambling jones,” she said softly as she scanned the room.

  She skipped the slot machines and headed to the tables. Because of his clothes he instantly stood out at the craps table, but he wasn’t interested in the action. He was standing behind a guy she was sure was carded on the way in because he was the only player dressed like he’d finished his paper route before heading to the casino.

  Whoever he was, he’d had a good run, judging by the number of chips in the tray in front of him and the way the crowd was cheering him on. The guy appeared young, but fake cop waited patiently to be addressed. That took ten minutes, as if his being there had changed the guy’s luck since he rolled a seven after only three more tosses. The seven cooled the crowd, but the dealers looked relieved.

  The heated conversation she watched take place close to the cages was short, and the younger man couldn’t seem to stop saying the word fuck. They were both upset, and from what Aubrey had said to the police, these guys had three and a quarter million reasons to worry if it had been their responsibility to get that duffel full of money back. From the tall blond paperboy’s reaction he was higher up the food chain than fake cop but wasn’t the boss.

  “Did you stay to make sure?” the younger man asked.

  “The fucking cops answered Peanut’s phone, so no, I didn’t, but I saw enough black Hefty bags to carry away Maria and your gang of mental giants.”

  It was the only part of their conversation Wiley overheard when she went to the cage to get a couple of hundred dollars in chips. To stand there after the cashier counted them out would’ve made her, so she pocketed them and put a twenty in the nearest slot machine with a good view of the two men.

  They talked with their heads together a few minutes more before heading to the front entrance that led out to the valet stand. Wiley pressed the maximum-bet button and kept her eyes on the reels as the two walked past her in a hurry.

  “Hey, look, you won,” the woman next to her said, and pointed to the triple bars with two three-times symbols lined up. Six hundred bucks on her first try made the woman smile on her behalf. She was casually dressed and had a convention nametag with LISA written in big block letters.

  “Must be your lucky day,” Wiley said, waiting for the two men to walk out of her line of sight.

  “Don’t you mean your lucky day?”

  “I’ve got someone to meet, so play it out for me,” Wiley said as she stood. “If you hit the big one you can buy me a drink.”

  The cop’s car was all ready to go and Wiley saw both guys get in, making her job easier, but the relief was short-lived when they drove a half block and got out at the Hilton. The valet this time paid more attention to the paperboy.

  “We’re in for the night, Jimmy, so park it,” the cop said, leaving his engine running.

  Wiley didn’t bother with the parking service and left her bike on the street so she could catch up. Inside she saw them at the top of the escalator that opened to the lobby and entertainment area. The bar facing the river was still open, but only a few stragglers sat there nursing drinks.

  Her two leads were standing at the guest elevator bank waiting. Her only clue from the chase was that these guys who’d hired the dead men in Aubrey’s house were on the twelfth floor. She’d hack the system but doubted she’d find their real names on the registry. They weren’t the two smartest-looking players, but what they’d tried to pull off had taken some skill and connections to accomplish.

  Tomorrow she’d have to face two likely scenarios to keep Aubrey and Tanith safe, but that would remain a mystery until she got to know these guys better. Depending on who they worked for and how badly they wanted their money back, she started planning for option one. That consisted of another pack of goons showing up at the Tarver home, grabbing Aubrey and Tanith, and killing Peter and Karen. These people couldn’t afford witnesses after tonight.

  Had it been her, she’d be at the Tarvers’ house already, making sure the police were still in New Orleans putting together their case. If they were, she’d have been in and out by now with whatever information she needed. That had been her training when something went wrong. You struck when the target didn’t expect you, and the best time for that was right after you fucked up the first plan.

  I bet these aren’t the types who like to get their hands dirty, Wiley thought as she headed for her bike. She was tired, but she had to move all the Tarvers tonight. “I’m sure Karen can’t wait to see me.” Wiley laughed at the way Aubrey’s mom always turned into a shepherd trying to lead her one little lamb away from the career-military wolf. “If you approved of Maria more than you did me, I hope you’re happy with the death and destruction she brought to your door.”

  *

  “She didn’t say anything on the way home?” Karen said to Peter as they watched from the kitchen while Aubrey and Tanith talked in their den.

  “You had to see that bathroom,” Peter said as he poured himself a whiskey. He couldn’t get the smell of vomit out of his nose, but didn’t want to take his eyes off his family to shower and change. “That bitch was into drugs, and now the scum she was doing business with knows who Aubrey and Tanith are.”

  “Aubrey told you she was involved in this?” Karen took a sip out of his glass. “There’s no way I believe Aubrey has that in her.”

  “She said that’s why she was leaving, because she found out that’s what Maria was up to.”

  Karen finally met his eyes and put her hands up. “What? You’re talking in that tone of yours. What aren’t you saying?”

  “It’s what she’s not saying.” He pointed at Aubrey with the hand he held the glass in. “Don’t you think this is odd?” Peter shook his head. “I’m not judging her, only making an observation.”

  “She didn’t have anything to do with this, and we don’t need her to bolt. And if she thinks we don’t have faith in her, that’s exactly what she’ll do.”

  “Karen, I’m telling you what I think, not planning to turn Aubrey in.” He kept his voice down, but the nerves that had tied themselves in a bundle were unraveling in his stomach. Instead of relaxed, though, he was agitated.

  The knock on the back door stopped their discussion, and even Aubrey pulled her head away from Tanith and stood. Peter put his finger to his lips and smiled at them, trying to ease their obvious terror.

  Whoever it was knocked again. How had the visitor gotten over the fifteen-foot fence circling the entire back without triggering the alarm and motion sensors? By the third knock he opened the kitchen drawer closest to the door, took out the .357 he’d placed there earlier, and removed the trigger lock he’d attached to it because of Tanith.

  “Take the girls to my study and lock the door,” he whispered to Karen. “You hear me fire, you arm everyone and call the cops. No matter what, don’t open the door.”

  “Mr. Tarver,” someone said throug
h the door. “You can stand down, sir. It’s Wiley Gremillion.”

  “I should’ve known she’d eventually show up in all this,” Karen said as she yanked the door open.

  “Hello, ma’am,” Wiley said with a smile that made her appear as if she were there for a root canal on every tooth in her mouth. “May I come in?”

  Karen’s concerns about Wiley were hers alone, but Peter felt confident that whatever came next would be that much easier to handle. Wiley was the exact opposite of Maria, but he’d given up hope that Wiley would find her way back to Aubrey.

  “Just happened to be in the neighborhood?” Peter asked as he embraced Wiley, then closed the door.

  “Saw the lights on so I figured the coffee would be on as well,” Wiley told him, and laughed.

  It wasn’t until Peter laid eyes on Wiley that he realized how much he missed her. Of anyone in Aubrey’s life, Wiley had been the only partner good enough for his little girl, and he loved her enough to forgive her the stupidity of leaving.

  “Did you have anything to do with this?” Karen asked.

  “With what exactly?” Wiley answered in the same forceful tone Karen had used. Karen’s mouth twisted in a way that looked like she’d suddenly sucked on a lemon.

  “This mess with Maria and the police—don’t act coy.”

  “Mrs. Tarver, I answered a call from an old friend in trouble,” Wiley said, and her easy manner made Peter think of those dead guys in Maria’s house. The shots were identical and the only reason Aubrey and Tanith were fine.

  “If she tells me the trouble is over, I’ll disappear as quickly and effectively as I did the first time. You don’t have anything to worry about. I won’t ruin Aubrey’s life.” Wiley was sure Aubrey had shed tears of suffering because she’d left, but Karen’s had most likely been tears of joy.

  Aubrey had come into the room. “She’s right. I’ve done a great job of that all by myself.”

  “I need to talk to all of you,” Wiley said.

  “We can handle it from here,” Karen said, and stepped between her and Aubrey.

  “Tonight you walked within ten feet of the man those guys worked for.” She glanced at Aubrey first over Karen’s shoulder, then Peter. Until she’d found and eliminated every target, they didn’t have time to spin stories, even if Tanith was within earshot. “He was dressed like a cop and he saw the two of you leave. After you headed back here, this guy met another man, who’s either his boss or partner, to let him know everyone but Aubrey and Tanith were dead. The three dead guys and Maria can’t tell them where the missing money is, so no later than tomorrow they’ll come looking for the next breathing target who might know. If you can handle the same scenario that played out earlier on your own, that’s great. If you can’t, then drop the attitude, Mrs. Tarver, and this won’t be as painful to get through.”

  “Are you getting thin-skinned, Lieutenant?” Karen waved her farther into the room. “You were always so polite, no matter what kind of mood I was in.”

  “I’m retired Major Gremillion, and age has taught me that it’s a waste of time to butt your head against immovable objects.” She thought of the time she’d wasted trying to win this woman over and never come close. “You won, ma’am, I concede that fact, and I’m only here because your family’s going to need my help, starting now.”

  “That was you, Wiley?” Peter asked as if Wiley would understand the question. “Can I talk to you?”

  “Daddy,” Aubrey said softly. “Could both of you back off? I didn’t call Wiley because I needed help, but she was nice enough to show up even after I told her what was going on. She’s right that this is beyond what we can handle.”

  “Listen.” Wiley was about to laugh at what bullshit they were concentrating on. “I wasn’t kidding about the guy outside the house. You’ve got until maybe tomorrow morning before they send someone else to ask you what your partner didn’t answer. You need to get out of here.”

  “Whatever you say,” Aubrey said. “If you want out, though, you can go. You’ve done more than I have a right to ask.” It sounded like she was still stinging from being deserted.

  “You’d leave us?” Tanith asked Wiley.

  “No.” She looked Tanith in the eye. “What happened to you is weird, isn’t it?”

  “I thought my mom and me were going to die.”

  Even Karen stopped breathing. As the adults in Tanith’s life for the duration of this nightmare, they needed to draw the terror out of her. If they couldn’t, the horror would grow and fester in the dark corners of her mind. Once the ghouls set up shop there, they sucked away pieces of your soul.

  “Come on, let’s you and me talk,” Wiley said.

  Tanith led her back into the den and sat next to her on the sofa. “Thanks,” Tanith said as an opener.

  “How old are you?”

  “Almost nine, why?”

  She held her hand out to Tanith and saw that Tanith noticed her shoulder holster. Tanith didn’t hesitate to take her hand, and she felt a surge of jealousy and anger toward a dead woman. Here was someone too precious to sacrifice to a quick buck.

  “Only a liar wouldn’t admit they were scared, so it’s good that you told me the truth. Whenever you ask me something I promise to do the same, no matter what.” She shook Tanith’s hand to seal her vow. “And I’ll listen whenever you need to talk.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Tanith’s question was a good opening to lay out her plan. Not that she’d had a lot of time to put an acceptable one together. Those types, where every contingency was accounted for, took months, weeks if she pushed it, but she couldn’t come up with anything even half-assed in a few hours.

  “Hopefully you haven’t unpacked,” she said, but she looked at Aubrey as she spoke. “I want you and your mom to come with me.”

  “And my mom and dad?” Aubrey asked.

  “Does your sister still live near Natchez, Mrs. Tarver?” Karen nodded. “For tonight do you have somewhere you both can stay and watch the house?”

  “Like a neighbor?” Peter asked.

  “Whoever ordered this knows where Aubrey and Tanith are, and they’ll be back. We need to remove them from any place familiar and not make anyone think that Aubrey’s fleeing. Right now she’s the police’s only credible suspect. If she disappears, she seals her guilt.”

  “So why do you want us to stay behind?” Karen asked.

  “If I’m right, they’ll leave a message when they come looking, and you’ll need to tell the police about it. Let them know you’re going wherever you decide, and that Aubrey and Tanith are off-limits until they arrest whoever’s responsible.”

  “How will we keep in touch with you, Wiley?” Peter pointed toward the kitchen, probably in an effort to talk to her alone. “Why don’t you two get ready to go?” he told Aubrey. That was all Wiley needed to hear—he agreed with her.

  Aubrey looked back at them a few times but did leave them alone. As she moved away, Wiley followed her with her eyes and had to control her breathing to not tear up at the sudden swell of emotion. It was unbelievable to be here only a night after dealing with Dr. Jerry.

  “Do you really think these sons of bitches will come here?”

  “They want their bag of money back,” she said softly, “and Aubrey is their next logical step. It’s best if you’re not here when they arrive.”

  “The three dead assholes—that was you?”

  “Aubrey called and I came. If I was a storyteller, you would’ve stopped listening to my fish tale when I got to the part about what I found when I got there.”

  “So the story Aubrey told the cops was bullshit?”

  “Where’s your gun cabinet?” she asked when she saw Aubrey coming back. “Don’t go outside, okay?” she said to Aubrey and Tanith. “They were both in the house when Maria was being chopped to pieces. What she told the cops is what I told her to, because she needs to clear their radar first. If the cops know where your family is, believe me, so will the p
eople oiling their chain saws. If these assholes don’t show up here by tomorrow, they’ll expand their search until Aubrey and Tanith are found. What in that cabinet isn’t registered?”

  “More than enough to do the kind of damage that’ll convince the police and whoever else is watching that I’m not fucking around.” Two pistols in the bottom left corner caught her attention, since they’d be the envy of any collection. “That’s what you had in mind, right?”

  Peter removed the pistols and placed them in a bag with four new boxes of ammunition. “Think these are enough?”

  He reached in the bag and held up one of the Colt .45s. “These belonged to my great-grandfather. They’ve been handed down since then, and will be after I’m dead. I don’t believe they’ll ever be in an auction, so they aren’t registered. I keep them in perfect working condition and they’re the only forty-fives I own. Don’t worry about me, Wiley. I’ll do what needs to be done, even if it’s burning my own house to the ground. Concentrate on my daughter and granddaughter. I’m glad you answered her call, and I know you’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”

  “Wiley,” Karen said when they rejoined the group. “Don’t make the same mistakes twice. Don’t take your eyes off them.”

  “Don’t worry.” She hugged Karen and smiled when she clung to her. “Before you go, take what’s most important to you. Don’t give them the satisfaction of destroying your memories or treasures.”

  “My memories are safe in here,” Karen tapped over her heart, “and I’m entrusting my greatest treasures to you.”

  “They’ll have to kill me, you know that, right?”

  “Try to avoid that, Major,” Karen said as she placed her palm against Wiley’s cheek. “We have plenty of sparring to do before you’re firmly in my good graces.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Don,” Walter Robinson said after Don answered on the second ring. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”