“I was doing this for you, Robert. Goddamn it, but I can’t stand the thought of you rotting away.”
“Oh, Victoria, you should have forgotten me and moved on, because now they’ll have you too.”
Belle gave a tiny shake of her head, which made me slide my right hand an inch closer to my holster.
Victoria Belle’s pictures didn’t do her justice. She was very beautiful and there was a vitality in her, a fire in the eyes that might be the flames of insanity, but they were bright nonetheless. I kept watch on her and ignored all else, because one way or another, things were about to get intense.
“I can’t go to prison, Robert; I’d rather be dead.”
“I can understand that sentiment, but please, don’t take Claire with you, please don’t harm my wife.”
Belle made a half-smile as she gazed at Rothman’s image.
“You poor lovesick fool.”
“Victoria… I’m begging you.”
Belle’s eyes flicked downward, checking my hands. When she saw that they were still empty, she looked back at Rothman.
“Goodbye, Robert.”
Belle flung Claire aside even as she turned her gun toward me. I drew my weapon and fired twice.
My daddy was the fastest with a gun I ever saw, and my Cousin Jake Caliber is lightning quick as well. While I wouldn’t put myself in their class, I am still faster than most. I was certainly faster than Belle, as both of my shots slammed into her right shoulder and rendered her gun arm useless.
Before Belle slid fully to the concrete floor, members of the swat team were on her and placing her in restraints.
I went to Claire, helped her to stand, and she collapsed against me while crying. When Rothman’s voice came seemingly out of nowhere, it startled both of us. I had forgotten he was still connected.
“Claire, honey, are you all right?”
Claire backed away, gazed at the face of her ex-husband, and asked me a question.
“How do you turn that thing off?”
I stared at her. “With lethal injection,”
I hadn’t meant to be flippant, but to my surprise, Claire began tittering, then giggled, and soon the two of us were laughing aloud. I knew most of it came from the relief we felt now that the crisis had passed. I turned the tablet off and Rothman disappeared in mid-sentence.
“Claire, I still lo—”
When Victoria Belle was yanked from the storage unit and strapped down atop a gurney, I saw that my shots had done serious damage on their way out of her shoulder.
Despite her wounds, Belle struggled against her bonds as she kept shouting the same six words.
“You were supposed to kill me! You were supposed to kill me! You were supposed to kill me!”
The cops loaded her aboard the ambulance and off she went with a police escort.
I turned back to Claire, who was being examined by a paramedic.
“You’ve nothing to fear now, the two people who could cause you harm will both be locked away.”
“That’s true, isn’t it?”
I nodded yes, as Marshal Vasicek and his two colleagues gathered around Claire with smiling faces.
I excused myself and made a call away from the activity.
“Yes, Blue?”
“Hi Lawson, Victoria Belle is in custody and Claire Rothman is safe.”
“Excellent, but I’m afraid there will be no, ‘Do the job and disappear,’ on this one, you’ll be credited with her capture.”
“I’ll gladly file a report, and I plan to give credit to that DC cop that was wounded. He picked Belle out of a crowd of tourists at night and came close to ending this whole thing early.”
“Would you happen to remember his name?”
I thought for a moment and it came back to me.
“Yes, his name is Officer Damon Stark.”
“I think I’ll keep an eye on him; I’m always in need of talented people.”
The rest of that day was spent dealing with the aftermath of the hostage crisis and arrest. Ramón joined me at the FBI field office, so that we could have dinner together after I was done.
As we were leaving, I saw Claire Rothman standing alone in front of the building and looking lost.
“Claire?”
She smiled at us, and when she walked over, she hugged me.
“Your name is Blue, right?”
“Yes, and this is my husband, Ramón, but tell me, why are you alone? Where are the Marshals?”
“I’ve left the witness protection program. It’s voluntary you know, and as you said, I’ve no one to fear now.”
“But where will you live, what will you do?”
The lost look entered her eyes again and she glanced around helplessly.
“I… I just know that I can’t stay here, not in this crowded city, and I have until the end of the month to decide where I’ll go.”
“I read in the reports that you sold your farm before entering the program. Why not use the proceeds from the sale to buy a new one somewhere, or at least a house with some land?”
“Oh, I don’t have that money. I donated it to the relief fund created for the children of Robert’s victims; some of those girls were single mothers.”
“You have no money?”
“None to speak of, but I’m still healthy and I’m not afraid of work.”
Ramón put out his hand.
“As Blue said, I’m her husband, Ramón. Mrs. Rothman, would you like to join us for dinner?”
Claire smiled as she shook his hand.
“Yes I would, but my name isn’t Rothman, it’s Wylie. I’m going back to using my maiden name.”
Ramón offered her his arm, and Claire took it.
I leaned over and whispered to him.
“What’s going on?”
He smiled. “I have an Idea.”
Three weeks later, we were back in Santuario. Accompanying us was Claire Wylie.
Ramón had told her in general terms about the town over the dinner we shared the night of Belle’s capture. Claire later called us and said she would give it a try.
When Walter saw his new housekeeper, his eyes lit up in surprise and he sent Claire a bright smile to match the one she was sending him.
Walter showed her the tiny room that sat off the kitchen. It held a double bed, a dresser with a TV on top, and a bookcase, however, it did have a window. Claire stood in front of it gazing out at land that stretched to the horizon.
“Look at that view,” she murmured, “Not a building in sight.”
Walter shrugged apologetically.
“I know it’s not much of a room, but the work is easy, and I’m sure we’ll get along.”
Claire turned and smiled at him.
“I’m sure we will.”
While Walter and Ramón went into the living room to discuss town business, I stayed in the kitchen with Claire.
She whispered to me. “You didn’t tell me that he was such a handsome man.”
“Walter? Yes, he is cute, isn’t he?”
“He certainly is.”
Ramón and I stayed for three more days until we were sure that Claire and the town of Santuario were a good fit, they were.
Ramón had driven us to town, and so, I was driving us home. As we drove away, I looked over at him.
“I have a feeling that Claire might turn into more than a housekeeper someday; those two seem a good match.”
Ramón looked startled by the idea.
“Walter and Claire? Blue, the man is a former priest.”
“With the emphasis on former.”
“Hmm, you know, he did say something about her eyes, about how blue they are.”
“Just don’t be surprised if it happens.”
“Maybe they’ll make me a little brother someday.”
I let out a loud laugh.
“Can you imagine?”
“I’d rather imagine us doing it, having children I mean.”
“Soon?”
“S
omeday, someday soon, when you’re ready of course.”
I pulled my truck to the shoulder of the highway and stared at him.
“What?” he said.
I took his hand.
“That day may be sooner than you think, I’m late, not very late, but it’s rare for me to be late at all.”
“Are you serious?”
I nodded, and he kissed me.
“When will we know for sure?”
“I’ll take a test when we get home.”
Ramón squeezed my hand.
“Are you ready for that, having a baby?”
“I’m ready for whatever comes, and if it’s true, I’ll be in heaven.”
I pulled back unto the road and headed for home, while wondering if we were two… or three.
BLUE STEELE 6
BLUE STEELE – PAST SINS - Book 6 of the Blue Steele Series
Featuring TAKEN! & TANNER
Chapter 25
VENICE BEACH, CALIFORNIA
I watched the woman known as Prophet walk along the famous Venice Beach boardwalk. She was dressed as a gypsy fortune teller. I’d been watching her for a day and a half, and despite the dyed red hair and the fortune teller outfit, I was certain that I’d found the right woman.
Around us were people dressed in all sorts of costumes as they made their living as artists and performers.
My friends, Jessica White and her husband had been targeted by Prophet for death on more than one occasion. Prophet had even been so bold as to threaten their young twins. Prophet had also used one of Mr. White’s grown daughters as a naïve pawn and afterward had tried to have her killed.
White’s daughter, Viola, recently recalled that Prophet once said she loved the energy of the Venice Beach community and its eclectic mix of tourists, bodybuilders and vendors. After hearing that, I thought that Prophet might think it would be the last place the police would look for her; now it appeared that I was right.
While she sometimes told fortunes, Prophet was really just blending in, and so was I. I was dressed up as a cowgirl. I entertained the passing tourists by doing tricks with a lasso. A family friend had taught me how to work a lasso when I was just a young teen and I was putting that skill to use as a disguise.
Prophet’s lips seemed to be stuck in a half smile of pleasure. It likely gave her a great deal of satisfaction to think that she had evaded the authorities. She knew they would expect her to be alone, cowered, and staying out of sight, not out among the public and in plain view.
As she drew closer to where I was, Prophet noticed me looking at her. I sent her a big smile as I tried to appear guileless. I wanted her to see me as a fresh-faced cowgirl.
I figured that I was good looking enough to attract her interest with my long dark hair and big green eyes. Still, I was older than Prophet’s usual young lovers; there was always the chance that she would pass me on by.
I was wearing shorts that barely covered my ass cheeks while my blouse was tight and showed a generous amount of cleavage. Despite being pregnant, a baby bump had yet to make an appearance and my midriff was still flat and taut.
Prophet’s eyes roamed over my body as she watched me put on a show by twirling the lasso. There were also a pair of realistic-looking six-shooters hanging from my gun belt. The six-shooters should look realistic, since they were the real thing and fully loaded.
Prophet walked by me, then looked back to make sure that I was still watching her. When I sent her a wink to go along with the dazzling smile, Prophet crooked her finger and called me over.
When I reached her, I sent the lasso over her in a playful manner as I spoke to her.
“Hi there, gypsy lady.”
“Hello, yourself,” Prophet said, but as she spoke, she felt my lasso tighten about her. Before she knew it, her arms were pinned to her sides.
“Hey, loosen this rope; it’s too tight.”
Her struggling only tightened the lasso. When Prophet saw several men in suits approaching from the front, I saw sweat break out on her forehead. The men had federal agent written all over them. She tried to free her gun from where it was hidden beneath her shawl, but her arms were held fast by my lasso. After the men reached her, the rope went slack and her arms were wrenched behind her and cuffed.
When Prophet looked back, she saw two female agents smiling at her.
I then stepped close to Prophet.
“Viola Poe recalled that you once told her how much you loved Venice Beach. She also remembered you saying that the best way to stay hidden was to hide in plain sight. It might have worked too, If Viola hadn’t survived your attacks on her.”
I leaned in closer and whispered.
“Tell me something, Prophet, what do you think the future holds for you, hmm?”
Prophet said nothing, but her eyes burned at me with hate.
Chapter 26
I returned home from California, and the next morning I was gazing at myself in the bathroom mirror when Ramón came up from behind and hugged me. My right hand was atop my stomach, my very flat stomach.
Ramón kissed me on the cheek.
“It will happen any day now, so don’t obsess over it.”
“I’m not obsessing, I’m just frustrated. I mean, I’m four months pregnant, I should be showing a little by now.”
As I lowered my blouse, Ramón took me by the shoulders and grinned at me.
“We’re having a baby.”
“Yes, we are, and apparently it will be a very flat baby.”
“You’ll begin showing any day now. Just remember what the doctor said and enjoy being skinny while you can.”
I gave Ramón a peck on the lips and walked back into the bedroom to grab my purse.
“I need to get going. I have to meet that police detective in New Jersey and my jet leaves in an hour.”
“This is about that cold case that Lawson asked you to help out with?”
“Yeah, and frozen is more like it. The woman we’ll be looking for went missing nearly forty years ago.”
“If anyone can find her it’s you, Blue.”
I sighed. “She’s likely long dead. The cop I’m teaming up with is named Detective Olson. She’s established the fact that the missing woman was last seen in the company of a drug dealer who was murdered during a deal gone bad. Apparently, the scene was a real bloodbath of a shoot-out between rival gangs, but still, the woman’s body was never found.”
“If she wasn’t found then she must have survived the shoot-out.”
“Maybe, there was unidentified blood found at the scene. But this was decades ago, years before DNA testing was available, and there are no samples of the blood left. The new theory is that the woman fled into the surrounding woods and later died from her wounds.”
“Wouldn’t someone have found her?”
“It’s a very dense area of trees and undergrowth. It’s possible that her bones are still out there. Detective Olson told me on the phone that she’s pushing for a search of the area with a pair of cadaver dogs.”
“How long do you think you’ll be gone?”
“Only a few days. No one is expecting any miracles here, but maybe the dogs will find a body and we’ll be able to give the family a sense of closure. From what I understand, the missing woman left behind a daughter who is the force behind the reopening of this cold case.”
“She must have clout if she can get Lawson in her corner,” Ramón said.
“Actually, Robin Dyer, Lawson’s girlfriend is the one who asked for help. The missing woman’s daughter is an old friend from her college days.”
I gathered my travel bag and walked out to my truck with Ramón following, after sharing a long kiss, he placed his hand on my stomach.
“Take care of yourself and our baby, I love you both more than I can say.”
I kissed him again, then I was off to the airport, I had no idea that I would soon be hunting down three very dangerous men.
Chapter 27
Detective Carol Olson was
in her late thirties, fit, and had a reputation as a top homicide detective. A pretty woman with auburn hair and hazel eyes, Olson stayed trim by entering various 5K runs for good causes. She told me that it gave her a reason to exercise while also helping out local charities.
We were getting along well within moments of meeting. When I told her I was pregnant, she looked down at my stomach and shook her head.
“You’re not showing a bit.”
“Yes, I know.”
She must have heard the disappointment in my voice because she reached out and gave my hand a squeeze.
“Oh, don’t worry, Blue. You’ll start showing any day now. And in a few months you’ll be lucky you can walk without waddling.”
I smiled at her. “I look forward to waddling. I can’t wait to be a mother.”
“Have you always wanted to be one?”
“In the back of my mind, yeah, but now that I’m actually pregnant I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas day.”
We ate lunch in an interrogation room while talking over the case.
The woman we were looking for was named Donna Weaver and she had been missing since before I was born. Donna Weaver had been a beauty with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was smiling in each of the three photos we had of her, and in one of them, she was hugging a young girl. That girl was her daughter, Shannon Weaver, now Shannon Reed, who was the driving force behind getting the case reopened.
Detective Olson, who I was already calling Carol, handed me a current photo of Shannon Reed. She looked a great deal like her long missing mother, but there was no smile on her face and her eyes held a haunted look.
“What is she like? I hope she doesn’t have any unreasonable expectations. The odds are we won’t find her mother, given how much time has passed.”
“Shannon is very realistic about the odds. She’s just determined to do everything possible to solve the mystery of what happened to her mother. She knows that her mother wouldn’t have abandoned her. That’s why she’s been looking for her since she was a girl.”
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