by Ali Vali
Therese was waiting at the top of the stairs and held her hand out. “Come on. You can put me to bed too,” she said with a sad-appearing smile.
“We’d all be better off seeing the world like Marie does.” She entered her parents’ bedroom and could swear she could still catch a hint of her da’s cologne.
The cleaning staff did a great job of keeping the place spotless, but they didn’t move his things from his nightstand. The loose change added up to two dollars and sixteen cents, and his old watch still kept time because her mother wound it religiously. The ring he’d worn for most of his life was there as well, and one more piece of her inheritance. After the funeral home had handed over all the stuff in his pockets, she’d brought it back and put it where he used to drop it every night.
“Your way of seeing things is exactly what it needs to be.” Therese poured two small glasses of the sherry she liked. “Sit and talk to me, Derby, and tell me a tale like your da used to.”
“What do you want to know, Mum?” They sat in the semicircle of the picture window that overlooked the big yard. The rose garden her da had planted for Therese was in full bloom and something her mum never tired of enjoying from this view. Her da had even lit it so Therese could see it no matter the time of night.
“When I met your da, I fell for that charm of his, but I made sure he knew I realized he was charming me. That’s what kept him coming back.” Therese laughed and took a sip of her drink. “He knew he had to be on his toes around me because I wasn’t taking any of that bull he fed all those pretty girls he’d been with before. If he wanted me in his life, he had to make promises first, and he had to keep them.”
Cain smiled and thought about all the nights her parents had spent in this spot talking about their day. Her da had always told her those talks while watching her mother’s face enjoying those roses was the best part of his life.
“Someone shot the man I love from a car window like he was a dog, and I want to know why. Dalton was no saint, never pretended to be, but he was a good man. He deserved better than that, and he deserves for that not to go unpunished.”
“Mum, I wish I could tell you the truth and believe in my heart it was. I haven’t been able to figure out who ordered the hit, much less who actually pulled the trigger, but I’ve got my suspicions.”
“Billy keeps telling me this was the work of Giovanni Bracato. What do you think?”
“You know Da would haunt me from the grave for acting without being sure. If I do that, I could put all of you in danger when someone retaliates. Billy believes that, but he’s leaving out one thing. Big Gino loves to brag more than anyone I know, and he’s been silent on this for a year. If he ordered it, that’s a miracle.”
“Okay. Now tell me what you’ve been doing.” Therese took off her shoes and wiggled her toes. She’d always been the prettiest woman Cain knew, and age hadn’t changed her opinion. “It’s been a year and you haven’t changed anything.”
“Billy’s pissed he couldn’t protect him, but I feel the exact same way.”
“Billy’s a good boy, Derby, but he needs something to believe in. You have to give him a reason to let go of his guilt and be proud of himself again.”
“I’m trying, Mum. This is more than killing Da. It’s a message that his family couldn’t protect him.” She took a deep breath. “They not only wanted to kill him, but the rest of us along with him.”
“So the street, our territory, is in danger?”
“Vincent and Ramon have helped us keep the peace, so no.” She sighed and fought off a yawn.
“It’s time to wake up and remember your father.”
“I’d forget my own name before I forgot Da.”
“Then start keeping all your promises and stop just going through the motions. You’re a Casey, my heart, and more importantly, you were his, but only for a time. This is your time now, and you need to remember that the clan is yours now. You need to claim your birthright. We’ll follow you to hell if it comes to that, so stop holding back.”
“Thanks, Mum. Tonight was my first step.” She stood so she could kneel in front of Therese. She enjoyed her mother’s arms around her and her kiss on her forehead.
“I know, and I want your promise that you’ll become twice as powerful as your da.” Therese rubbed her head before letting her up. “Find yourself someone to love while you’re at it. Grandchildren are the new start this family needs.”
“There’s a couple of barrels of oats I haven’t even gotten to, so don’t go clipping my wings yet.”
“Between you and your brother, you’ll fly around the world five times with those wings of yours before you’re through.” Cain laughed as she glanced at the nightstand. “Go ahead and put it on. He’d want it on your finger.”
She picked up the gold ring that was a replica of one that had been in her family for years. “It should be worn, but someone needs it more than I do.”
“Make sure he doesn’t lose it and that you’re a good girl, Derby.”
She laughed and gripped the ring in her fist. “Now that’s something no fed or cop has ever been guilty of saying about me.”
* * *
Barney Kyle drove through the Garden District neighborhood, slowing when he was close to the corner of the estate he was interested in. The house still had some lights on, but the yard was lit enough to see the guards roaming around outside through the wrought-iron front fence.
“Are you hoping to spot something?” Special Agent Logan North asked as he studied the scene as well. “The Caseys have been laying low since the old man got killed.”
“I came to this hellhole of a city to take down organized crime. With enough arrests I can go back to DC as the head of my own national division, so don’t be such a simplistic thinker.”
“That’s what’s in the record. Dalton Casey got killed, and the wheels came off the train. The operation will probably implode without our help.”
“So we should just give up and wait it out, huh?”
Logan straightened up and shook his head. “No, sir. Do you have something in mind?”
“We need to talk Annabel Hicks into twenty-four-hour surveillance. The old man’s death can come in handy, and if we can get one, we can get them all.”
“Did you have Benton transferred? I waited for him all last week, and no one will tell me anything.”
Barney pulled over across the street and turned off the ignition. “I asked, and he volunteered for an undercover assignment. Since he’s unavailable, I need a new number two. You interested?”
“Yes, sir. Can you tell me what he’s up to?” Logan asked in a way that telegraphed his ambition.
“It’s on a need-to-know right now. I want you to concentrate on Casey for now. If we can get something on her, the only way out I’ll give her is to flip on Ramon Jatibon and that fucker Vincent Carlotti.”
“You tell me what you need to get that done, sir, and I’m on it.”
He restarted the car after scoping out a few spots that surveillance vehicles could use. “I’ve got a meeting set for tomorrow so we can all be on the same page. I don’t want any screw-ups on this.”
“Not to worry, sir.”
He pulled away and took one quick glance back. “We’re getting ready to come down hard, so we’ll see if Casey is up to the game.”
Chapter Three
“You still want to head out?” Cain asked Billy when she came back downstairs.
“Let’s head to Emerald’s and have a few drinks. I know the owners, so I promise a good time.” He winked as he put his shoes back on.
“You’re a riot, and you need to wear more jewelry.”
“What? You want me to look more like a pimp?” He combed back the thick strand of hair that had fallen over his eyes.
“I think a ring won’t turn you into an asshole, especially this one,” she said, holding up her father’s ring. “I want you to wear it.”
“That’s yours, Derby.” He didn’t often use her g
iven first name, but he seemed to want to make a point. “It’s past time for you to put it on. That’s what Da would’ve wanted.”
“I want you to wear it. I’m his heir because I was born first.”
He topped her by only two inches, but he was bulkier and stronger, so when he put his arms around her, she smiled at his kindness. “No, you’re his heir because he trusted you with the family. He always recited that family motto to remind us of where we came from and how much he loved us.”
“You’re mine, but only for a time,” she said. It was engraved around the ring in Gaelic.
“Well, you’re my sister forever, and you’re my clan leader. I’ll follow wherever you take me. I’ll do that proudly, and I’ll kill anyone to keep you safe or who tries to take what’s rightfully yours.”
She pointed to his finger and he put the ring on. “It’s home again,” she said.
“How about if I wear it until you have a son? Your kid can be the next one to have it.”
“We’ll both be ancient before I have a kid, Billy boy. Come on. Let’s go show the world that the Caseys are still alive.”
A couple of years before, Dalton had given them the money they needed to open the high-end nightclub Emerald’s. It hadn’t taken long for them to pay him back and bring in a good monthly profit.
The club was one of their legitimate businesses and had been so successful Cain had opened a smaller and very different place about a mile away. Between Emerald’s and the Erin Go Braugh, she had two venues to clean the cash inflow from the real family business. They’d built their fortune bootlegging booze and cigarettes, but what good was money if you couldn’t have a good time every so often, her da would say.
Lou pulled up to the door of Emerald’s, and she was glad to see the line of people waiting to get in. A popular place in the French Quarter was worth more than a boatload of gold, so two of them were going to help fuel what she had in mind. It was time to start spending on more than just a good time, but that could wait until the morning.
“Let’s go find some lucky women, Cain.” Billy was already out of the car waiting for her.
“Let’s go, Casanova.”
Merrick and Lou followed them in and stood in the VIP section, where Vinny Carlotti, Vincent’s son, was waiting for them. “The old man sends his condolences. He didn’t forget what day it was,” Vinnie said to both of them.
“Papi sends the same,” Remi Jatibon, Ramon’s daughter, said when she came up from the bar.
“Thanks, guys.” Cain waved a waitress over. “How about we lift a glass of good whiskey to Da.”
Each of them grabbed a glass and said, “Dalton.” It was the first of many that night, but it was a time to celebrate. They were alive, and because they were, they’d beat the shit out of whatever and whoever stood in their way.
“Papi said to come by whenever you want. He might have some answers for you,” Remi said when they stepped into the soundproof office.
“So he found out who it was?”
“Wait for the meeting, Cain. No sense driving yourself crazy until you’ve got all the facts. You need to be careful though.” Remi dropped onto the sofa that faced the double mirror overlooking the dance floor.
These two strong women would take their families forward, but that wasn’t the only thing they had in common. Remi also shared her love of women, but they were too alike to end up together.
“I’ve had my head up my ass since last year, but I’ve tried not to be sloppy. Thanks for picking up the slack. You and your family are good friends.” She sat next to Remi and exhaled. “It’s time to step up and take responsibility for my business.”
“Give yourself a break, and you don’t have to thank us. Your father helped us make it here. We’ll never fully repay that debt.”
“Da considered that debt paid years ago, and you know it. Ramon has been a good friend, and our friendship is even stronger since we grew up together.” She handed Remi a glass. “To the future, and everything that goes with it.” They tapped their glasses together and smiled.
Remi finished her drink and pointed to Billy on the dance floor, surrounded by four women. “Think he needs help?”
“He’s going to run dry by the time he’s thirty.”
“With any luck, we all will. Papi said to enjoy it while it lasts. Once you settle down to only one, all you’ll have left is the memories of nights like this.”
“Let’s go add a few to our memory banks then.”
They laughed and headed out to the club. Billy took two of the girls by the hand and twirled them in their direction. Cain didn’t feel like dancing, but this was as good a thing as any to get her mind on something else.
“Did you invite that asshole?” Billy said right into her ear, then laughed to cover up the serious question. “At the end of the bar.”
Jake Kelly was sitting with his elbows on the bar, drinking and staring at them. “You can’t believe that. He’s like an untrained puppy who’s trying way too hard.”
“You want me to pound some Gaelic into his jaw?” Billy asked, lifting the hand he’d put the ring on.
“Not tonight, so set him up with some drinks and keep him by the bar. I’m not in the mood to deal with business right now.” One of the girls put her hand on her inner thigh and moved closer. “At least not his kind of business.”
“Then let him buy his own damn drinks.”
“Don’t alienate him now, brother. He might not want to play when the time comes. And for what I have planned, he needs to think he’s the smartest guy in the room.”
* * *
“So do you think you can remember the nicknames for all the beers we went through? We sell plenty of different kinds of booze, but beer and ale are our bread and butter, so try to concentrate on that for now.” Josh poured Emma a soda and let her ask as many questions as she wanted. Despite his insistence that she get here at four, she’d arrived an hour early to prove to him he hadn’t made a mistake hiring her.
“I think so, but I’m a fast note taker, so I’ll write it all down.”
It was early in the afternoon, but people were still in there drinking, so she did what Josh asked and followed one of the girls around for the next hour. The place felt like it’d seen its share of fun times and parties, and from what she could tell so far, the employees seemed to be a tight-knit group.
“You’re doing good, but remember to hold that tray with both hands until you learn how to navigate the crowd in here,” Josh said when she gave him her order.
“Okay, and the guys over there want to run a tab.” She pointed to the group that had just walked in and pushed three tables together. “Do I need to get a credit card or something?”
“The guy in the nice khakis is Mano Jatibon. He’s a good friend of the owner, so don’t worry about it. Just ask when you’re not sure, but you’ll start to get to know the regulars.”
Josh loaded her up with the ten drinks she’d called out, and she took a deep breath before she picked her tray up. It was heavy, but she smiled as she lifted it and turned to head to the table. She made it two feet before the load shifted off balance and slid into a huge mess on the floor.
“Sorry…sorry.” She held her hands up and threw the tray over the glasses on the floor so no one would get hurt. “If you point me to the mop I’ll take care of this.”
“You sure about the job, Emma?” Josh asked, staring at the puddle of spilt booze.
“I promise I’ll get better, but I really need this job. Please. I’ll try harder.”
“Josh, stop giving her a hard time and put the spills on my tab, along with the glasses,” the man Josh had said was Mano yelled from his table.
“Carry them in two loads, okay?” Josh repoured and sent her off with five beers. “Tell him not to worry about that first set.”
It was the first of her many screw-ups that night, but Josh simply shook his head and kept encouraging her. Like the night before, the crowd was getting thicker, and the room was g
etting harder to navigate. Once the band arrived it was nearly impossible to get around.
“Emma, pick up for table five.” Josh had explained that everyone had to pitch in when it got this busy. “Try your best to keep it on the tray, okay.”
“Don’t worry, Josh. I think I’ve got the hang of it now. This place’s so crowded it takes a miracle to make it to the tables without spilling something.”
She headed toward the table, and an image of her mother popped into her head for some reason. The thought of her mom finding out she worked in a bar made her want to laugh hysterically. That knowledge would drive the ultra-conservative religious zealot to an early grave.
The funny musings came to an abrupt end when she crashed into someone, tipping her tray up and out. The tall woman was now wearing every drop of ale she’d been carrying.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you.” She used her hands to try to skim some of the liquor off the thick, heavily starched linen shirt, but it was no use. When Josh suddenly appeared at her side, she guessed it was one spill too many.
“Josh, where’d you find this one?”
The woman had the deepest voice she’d ever heard a female have, so she took a chance and looked up.
“I’m sorry, Cain. Emma’s training day hasn’t been working out quite as planned.”
“Emma, huh?”
Emma nodded and held her hand out, even though it was now sticky with ale, but her target took it anyway. “Emma Verde. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She grimaced at how wet her hand was and because of the strong smell of ale.
“Cain Casey, and the pleasure’s all mine.” Cain didn’t let go of her, and everyone walked around them, seeming to be careful not to run into them. “Where are you from?”
“Hayward, Wisconsin.”
Cain’s laugh, like her voice, was a low rumble that seemed to start deep in her chest, and it made Emma’s ears intensely hot.