by J. E. Neiman
Dan's expression did not change. "I'm telling the truth, Allie."
"But why send you, my ex-fiancé?" She paused and glanced around. "That's weird."
"The agency received two telephone calls from Jake Tansey the day you flew to Phoenix. He knew you were there and would fly home today. We have no idea how he received this information. The calls were traced to a hotel in Monterrey, Mexico."
"I can't believe this." She pulled her hands out of Dan's grasp and placed them over her face. Peering between her palms at him, she raised one eyebrow. "If they know where he is, they should arrest him."
"Believe me, the Mexican police and the agency have searched exhaustively. Jake's not at the hotel."
The plane jerked forward resuming movement toward the terminal. Allie steadied herself by grabbing the headrest in front of her. "Are they positive it was Jake who placed the calls?"
"Yes. The couple who occupied the suite the calls was charged to have been missing for a week. Hotel staff observed this couple with Jake on several occasions before they disappeared." Dan paused to glance behind their seats and up and down the aisles.
"If someone was trying to kill me, I'd know it."
"Allie, face the facts. You didn't know Jake made the calls taunting the FBI nor did you know we were following you." Dan reached for her hand.
"I'd know if I was in danger."
He grimaced and looked away. "Allie, this is why we broke up in the first place. Your Pollyanna, nothing-can-hurt-me-shit"
"Let's stick to the moment. Can the agency prove the calls were from Jake?"
"You bet. They have his voice prints."
Allie rubbed her hands together and grimaced. "I don't get it. I didn't see any of this coming." She turned away and grabbed a tissue.
When the plane reached the gate, a myriad of seatbelt clicks joined the sounds of impatient passengers preparing to exit the plane. Many stood hunchbacked in the tight rows. Dan and Allie reached under the seats in front of them to retrieve carry-on bags.
"Okay. Here's what's happening. FBI agents are inside monitoring the terminal. Sam here . . . " Dan gestured to the big man across the aisle. “Sam will lead the way out of the plane. You follow. I'll be right behind."
Sam gave Allie a Boy Scout salute.
"Crap. You mean he's an agent? Another thing I missed." Allie gritted her teeth.
The passengers began to shuffle toward the open cabin door. Sam, panting with the exertion, moved slowly up the aisle. Allie and Dan filed in behind.
Allie breathed deeply and thought, "Damn you, Jake Tansey." She clicked her phone on and saw she had a text message.
"Allie," Dan shook her shoulder. "Stay behind Sam until I tell you differently. Got it?"
"Yes, I've got it." She hesitated. "Jake just sent a text."
"What?"
"He says I'm dead."
Chapter 44
1875-Georgetown, Colorado Territory
The wind and snow had lessened when we left Levi Morelli's business, but the two-block trek to Mc Gregor's was still daunting. We hung onto buildings and posts during rigorous wind blasts until we reached McGregor's.
After removing his coat and hat, Levi kneeled beside Anna's limp body on the floor. His brown duffel bag sat next to him. I saw medical instruments and bottles inside. Levi asked Sonny to hold up a blanket for privacy while he examined Anna.
"She's in a coma. What's her name?"
"Her name is Anna," I said. Then I whispered in his ear, "She's pregnant."
Levi glared at me. "How old is she?"
"Thirteen. She's thirteen," I said. "Fourteen next spring."
"Too young to be pregnant." Levi prodded her enlarged belly. "The fetus is dead and she's full of infection. I need hot water and clean rags." Levi caught my arm before I left to get supplies. "I doubt I can save her."
Tears rushed into my eyes but I didn't cry. "Please try."
Lulu rushed outside and brought back a bucket of snow. She set it on the stove.
Kate and I ripped strips of fabric from a bolt of material we had found earlier in the store. We created rags from the white fabric printed with pink rosebuds.
Levi paced the floor, waiting for the water to boil. "Who's the father?"
I handed him the torn pieces of cloth. "We don't know."
Levi labored over Anna's thin body, making a small incision to remove the
dead baby. "A girl," he said, as he handed it to me in a rag.
The infant, the size of my hand, although perfectly formed was heartbreaking to see. Lulu took it from me. Tears ran down her cheeks.
"Its name could be Rose," Kate said, peering over Lulu's shoulder.
The room filled with the smell of antiseptic as Levi cleaned the incision and sewed it carefully together.
The winds had quieted down at dawn but thick snow still fell. There was no one on the streets of Georgetown. In the quiet of the early morning, Anna's labored breathing stopped. Lulu, Kate, Sonny and I huddled together and sobbed.
We placed little Rose in Anna's arms and wrapped both of them together with layers of the white and rosebud material. Levi helped us carry them to a storeroom attached to the building. He told us we might have to wait until spring to bury their bodies. He walked back inside and searched each of our faces, as if for answers. "I'll get food. Please make coffee."
After he left, we cleaned ourselves with melted snow-water and put on our cleanest clothes. We needed to do laundry but it would wait.
I told Kate and Lulu the story I'd told Levi. "And we can never mention Empire. We were never there. Do you understand?"
They nodded. I gazed at Sonny, walking in circles nearby.
Lulu called Sonny over and told him to sit by her. "Pearl, nobody's gonna believe I'm you's and Kate's auntie. My mama was a slave, my daddy white. Sonny's part black too. You knows that. Don't you?"
I knew, but it didn't seem important until now. Levi may have caught this lie. My mind raced. "Where's Sonny's dad, Lulu?"
"We killed him back in Empire."
"What? Mac was Sonny's dad?" I trembled at the thought.
"He done raped me after he killed my mama. Kept me as his own. Made me stay with him. Beat me. That's why Sonny's dimwitted. Then, I's had to do what Mac telled me or he'd kill my boy." Lulu hugged Sonny. She turned to me. "Pearl, you's helped us. But what we gonna do when the law comes after us?"
"They won't Lulu. They won't."
Somebody kicked at the front door. We all stood. The others backed away but I did not move. It was at that moment I decided to tell the authorities that I had killed Mac, all by myself. The pounding continued. I glanced at my friends, marched to the door and opened it.
A blast of snow blew through the open door. A figure hesitated in the white swirl, then rushed past me.
"Hey," Levi Morelli said, holding a large basket in front of him. He laughed and called back at me, "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you Pearl."
Lulu, Sonny and Kate hurried from behind the counters were they had hid.
"Mr. Morelli. I's made coffee," Lulu said.
Levi brushed off an empty countertop, threw a red-checked tablecloth over it and placed bread, homed canned jars of meat and fruit on top. Famished, we huddled together serving ourselves.
After we ate, Levi stretched his arms wide and plopped down on the old sofa near the fire. Kate followed him and snuggled up beside him. It embarrassed me. She ran one finger up the side of his face and whispered into in his ear. Levi blushed and shook his head.
He stood and walked across the room to me. "What you going to do with the store?"
I glanced around the inside of the building. "Lots of cleaning to do. We'll order stock from Denver."
"Do you know what you're doing?" Levi moved closer and stared at me with his deep-brown eyes.
A strange sensation washed over me. I turned my head slightly as the feeling frightened me. I tried to analyze what it could be. Yes, he'd impressed me with his brave attempt to save An
na, and his generosity in bringing the much-needed food. But this emotion stirred my insides. It made me long to tell him my secrets and seek refuge in his arms.
I looked at Levi again and felt my cheeks flush. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"
"I asked if you knew how to set up a store?"
My mind raced. It was difficult to remember exactly what I'd told him last night. I couldn't alter the story. I glanced at Kate, Lulu and Sonny. "My parents . . . I mean our parents, owned a clothing store. Kate, Anna and I worked there after school, weekends and vacations. And with Aunt Lulu's and Sonny's help, we can do it." I gazed at the others. "Can't we?"
Kate remained on the sofa. "Of course." Her face wore a suggestive pout. "We can do anything."
"Yes, we's can work hard," Lulu said.
Levi stared out the window. "The snowstorm's over. Miners will be coming in for assays."
"Assays?" I asked.
"After finding gold or silver, miners bring in samples. They can't stake a claim until our company determines the quality and content." He leaned toward me. "I have to go. I'll check in tonight."
"Thank you." The kindness I saw in his face made me want to cry. He touched my hair lightly, pushing it away from my eyes, then opened the door and walked into the bright daylight.
I stepped outside and stood until he disappeared from view. A story my father had told me about the early settlers flashed into my mind. When Europeans finally landed on the northwestern shores of America, the Indians were not surprised to see them. The reason was simple. Over several generations the tribes had occasionally seen ships far out at sea. Since the natives knew it wasn't their own, they surmised that some other group of people would be coming soon. It foreshadowed things to come.
I knew what I'd experienced in the last few months, and especially today, had altered my future and were impossible to change. I shivered and walked back into our building. For a moment, I stood staring out the door of our building.
A vision of Levi and me in another place came into my mind. We were laughing together about something silly when men stormed onto our premises. I saw Jake's silver-tipped boots first, Red and Eli followed, the same men that murdered my family near Fort Wicked. I tried to escape but didn't get far. Jake grabbed my hair and twisted it. The vision evaporated as quickly as it had come.
I glanced across the street before I shut the door at a man who looked familiar.
Chapter 45
Denver, Colorado
Near Allie's gate at the Denver International Airport, Jake spotted a woman wearing a navy-blue blazer and slacks. She scanned the area like a hawk searching for prey. Has to be FBI, he thought. But the biggest giveaway was the wire snaking out around her collar to her ear.
A minute later, two other undercover agents caught his attention. "Idiots, a child could spot you," he murmured, pleased with his disguise. He'd lifted a black stocking hat from a teen and a pair of glasses from an old man on the airplane.
He turned, stepped onto a moving walkway and took the elevator to the underground train. The vehicle was as crowded as a sardine can. The loud "All Aboard" announcement and the horrendous western-guitar music gave him a headache.
The contraption jerked and twisted around sharp curves in dimly lit tunnels. He was glad to get off the thing.
Taking an escalator up to the main floor, he gazed at a giant mural that depicted a Gestapo-like figure knifing the dove of peace with a bayonet, surrounded by crushed cities and starving citizens. Jake had read once that the painting represented the end of civilization with intense military oppression. The airport had many bizarre murals, but what the hell, it's a weird terminal. And the fact that the place sat in the middle of freakin' nowhere and at the end of a toll road, irked him. Jake avoided DIA like the plague.
He hailed a taxi. When he entered the car, Jake noted the cabby's name on his license display. A plaid shirt and faded jeans hung on Ben Stahl's small frame. He looked to be in his sixties. The empty passenger seat held the driver's basic needs—cell phone, water bottle, newspaper, jacket and oddly, a large Crescent wrench.
Ben seemed familiar with the Cherry Creek area near Allie's apartment building. "It's an hour away. Lots of new construction. A big office complex there too."
Jake sat back to relax, but Ben began a lecture on Denver history. God, how Jake disliked old farts who memorized useless facts and insisted on sharing them with everyone they met. The moron blabbed on and on about Denver's gold mining days. Jake could care less. He ignored the lecture until he heard the man mention prostitution. Now, he thought, this could be interesting.
The driver stopped at a red light, glanced at Jake and continued, "This street's called 'The Row.' For years Jennie Rogers lived in the 'House of Mirrors.'" He pointed proudly with a grin. "Beautiful woman. Men in the late 1800's fought over her." The driver laughed, squirming on his beaded seat cover. "She haunts the place. You believe in ghosts?" He paused, waiting for a response then continued, "You ought to go to Breckenridge. Pearl haunts the Prospector Bar there. Hundreds of people have seen her."
Jake kicked the seat and snarled, "Pearl? I know all about that dead bitch. Just drive."
"Sorry," the driver said meekly. "Thought you'd be interested."
"Don't give a shit."
The driver pulled to the curb in the shade of a large evergreen. "Sir, we're here. That'll be thirty-five dollars."
"You don't say." Jake reached over the back of the front seat, grabbed the Crescent wrench and slammed it against the driver's temple. The man fell forward onto the steering wheel without a sound. "Old man, I did both of us a favor. You're miserable life's over and I have transportation, and another cell phone."
He looked up and down the street, exited the taxi and opened the passenger door. Jake yanked the dead driver's body across the seat, crammed it down on the floorboard and covered it with the dark-brown jacket. He wrinkled his nose in distaste from the stench of the vacated bowels. Washing his hands with the bottled water, he laughed.
Since the FBI probably assumed he was at the airport, he parked the cab a block from Allie's apartment complex. He strolled to the building, entered the lobby and rode the elevator to the sixth floor. When he got off, he heard a woman yelling.
"Let me in. I know you're in there." A thin woman with waist-length brown hair stood in front of Allie's apartment. She screamed and pounded the door. "Who killed my Pauly? Tell me." Sobbing, the lady collapsed to the floor. "Please tell me."
Jake recognized the retard's mom and saw an opportunity for some fun. Dan and Allie probably had to retrieve their luggage and wouldn't arrive for a while. He leaned over the crying woman and touched her shoulder. "Can I help," he said softly.
Jake picked the lock and entered the apartment with the loony lady. She talked in riddles but he got the gist. She was certain that Allie knew who killed her son Pauly. He calmed the woman with shots of vodka he'd found in the freezer. When she passed out on the couch, he whispered in her ear, "I did you a favor. I killed your snot-nosed son."
He thought of Allie and her crippled twin. "Soon, very soon," he murmured, snuggling his head on the limp woman's breasts.
Chapter 46
Denver, Colorado
"Okay. Just because Jake Tansey didn't show himself at the airport doesn't mean
he wasn't there," Dan said, rolling the car window down.
"I know but . . ." Allie glanced at Dan in the passenger seat. "Hey, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I should've been happy the FBI sent you to watch over me." She gave him a faint smile before she maneuvered the car through the heavy traffic on Pena Boulevard.
"No problem." He grinned. "I'll send police to your apartment because you said someone was trying to break in your door. But I doubt if it's Jake."
"Why do you say that?"
"He knows where you're at and what you're doing."
"How?"
"Well, he told the FBI on the phone that he's psychic too."
"That's ridiculous."<
br />
"Maybe. But remember most serial killers are highly intuitive. That's how they avoid getting caught for such long periods of time."
"I know. But it's difficult to believe he can do anything besides destroy."
"I … wait. Have to answer this." Dan pulled his cell from a lapel pocket. "Yes. You're kidding. Yes sir. We'll head to your office on Stout Street immediately."
"But I wanted to go to my home." Allie honked at a car crossing into her lane.
"Someone did break into your apartment."
"Jake?"
"No, Pauly St. Claire's mom. She thinks you know who killed her son. Forget about going home now. The agency wants us in their office."
* * *
Agent Fairfield met them half way to his office. Time hadn't been kind to him. In less than five years, he'd developed jowls and his mouth held the sad look of a Basset hound. He led them into his large corner office on the tenth floor of the building. Allie looked through his windows to a stunning view of the city and the distant Rocky Mountains.
She focused on Fairfield. "Tell me how the agency's certain Jake Tansey's in Denver? And in the future, I expect to be informed when threats are made on my life."
Fairfield looked uneasy. "I can understand your concern —.
"Concern? I'm pissed."
"We felt—"
"Please do not patronize me," Allie said, shaking her head. She was angry and wanted Fairfield to know it.
Fairfield looked startled, but spoke in a calm tone. "All right. Here's what we know. He used a stolen passport to enter the United States at Nuevo Laredo and to purchase a ticket to Denver, at the San Antonio International Airport. Unfortunately, this information came after he exited the plane this morning. Allie, we're certain he's in the Denver area."
"Thank you," Allie said, relaxing her arms.
"Fairfield," Dan said, sitting down in a padded leather chair. "How about protective custody?"
Allie sat next to Dan. "I don't want protective custody, but I'd like protection."