Deep Cover

by Kimberly Van Meter

  Poppy wasn’t sure. “I’ve seen jealousy between these girls but this seemed deeper.”

  “I’ll run a check on Big Jane and see what comes out on her.”

  Both Shaine and Poppy nodded in agreement.

  Shaine recapped, “So here’s the deal, we’re still no closer to finding out who El Escorpion is and we have a dead girl. We need to broaden our search beyond Lit because I really don’t believe they wouldn’t be so stupid as to mess where they eat.”

  Shaine added, “Angelo had mentioned bringing me into a business proposition but he hasn’t said anything since. I don’t know if he’s gotten cold feet or he’s just distracted. I don’t know the guy well enough to know if this is normal or if I should be concerned.”

  “Maybe bring it up?” Victoria suggested, but Shaine shook his head.

  “I don’t want to seem overeager. Besides, if he is our guy then I don’t want to do anything to spook him. Right now, I think he trusts me and I want to keep it that way.”

  “We can check out Grind and Tank but I think Lit is our best chance,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “I believe Angelo’s our guy. He fits the profile. Slick, smart and hungry. The guy has ambition. See if there’s anything we can pull out of his background to use as leverage. We’ll have Miami PD run his prints and see if anything shakes out. Even if we can get him into custody to shake him up, that might be enough to make him make a mistake. Right now he’s too comfortable, too secure in his own safety. Whoever El Escorpion is, they must be pretty damn powerful.”

  Victoria pulled some documentation. “I did some research on my own, widening the search. I came across something in a customs report that flagged my interest.”

  “What is it?” Shaine asked, reading the document. “It looks like a bunch of pharmaceutical chemicals.”

  “Exactly. And they were headed to a pharmaceutical company right here in Miami—Amerine Labs. However, none of those drugs listed are on the manifest for that company. All companies dealing with this type of chemical compound must report what they’re using it for.”

  “And what happened to the shipment?” Marcus asked.

  Victoria shrugged. “Nothing. No one has come forward to claim it. The name on the packaging is a dummy name. The address doesn’t exist. Whoever was coming for that shipment disappeared with the wind.”

  “Then I guess it’s time to make a trip to Amerine Labs to talk with whoever may have ordered the chemicals.”

  Poppy frowned. “Don’t you think it’s a little stupid of whoever ordered the shipment to put it in the name of the pharmaceutical company? That’s way too easy to track down.”

  “What if they’ve been doing this for quite a while and it always passed under the radar? They’d have no reason to feel insecure or nervous until now.”

  “True. If that’s the case it could mean that the pharmaceutical company itself is dirty.”

  “Or, it could mean that someone within the company is dirty and is using the company as a front.”

  So many variables. So many alternate and completely viable conclusions.

  Shaine mused quietly, “I can’t shake the feeling that Capri was killed for a reason. The girl wasn’t afraid of anything. She was too young and too dumb to realize that she was in danger. But I think she knew too much and whoever did this to her knew that one slip on Capri’s part could bring everything tumbling down. Basically, she was a liability.”

  Poppy agreed, saying, “That makes sense. Capri brought me to the party and secured the Bliss.”

  Victoria said, “And what if that was done purposefully? So that if any questions arose there was plausible deniability. And now she’s dead, so no one can be asking her any questions about where the Bliss came from.”

  But Poppy didn’t agree. “But I know where the Bliss came from. It came from DJ Raven. I saw him give it to her.”

  “DJ Raven is likely a lower level dealer. Chances are he has no idea who he’s getting his product from. However, let’s bring him in and shake him up. Maybe if we squeeze hard enough something interesting will pop out,” Marcus suggested, seeming as if he would enjoy that interrogation.

  Shaine nodded. Maybe there weren’t so many dead ends, after all. “So while you’re chasing down the Raven angle, I’m going to find Carly. Poppy is going to talk with Big Jane and Victoria is going to find more information on where that customs shipment originated from.”

  Victoria and Marcus nodded and scooped up their paperwork, leaving Shaine and Poppy behind. It was important that none of them left at the same time, so Poppy and Shaine agreed to hang back.

  But that also meant that they were alone together, which was intensely uncomfortable.

  “How are Sawyer and Silas?” Poppy asked, making conversation.

  Ah, his favorite. Small talk. “They’re good. Sawyer is in the white-collar crime division chasing down identity thieves and Silas is working in the child abduction division. But I haven’t seen either since Christmas. Things have been pretty busy for all of us.” He waited a beat then asked, “How are your parents?”

  “Same judgmental pair. Still colossally disappointed in my choices. Good times.”

  Shaine could genuinely say, “I’m sorry, Poppy. That sucks. They ought to be proud of a daughter who can kick ass like you.” He’d never understood how Poppy’s parents could be so hurtful to their only daughter. “You deserve better.”

  Maybe he hadn’t meant to be so honest, but that sentiment flowed from his mouth with ease. Poppy was a good agent. If he hadn’t been in love with her, he would’ve been wildly impressed with her ability to jump into any situation without hesitation.

  Funny how things change when the heart is involved.

  Was it ironic that the very thing he loved about her was the thing that had torn them apart?

  Poppy accepted his condolences, her eyes suddenly glassy. “It is what it is.”

  True words.

  Nothing could change from the past, whether they wanted to change things or not.

  “Look, I know you’re really broken up about Capri. I don’t blame you. She seemed like a nice kid. I know sometimes we get into this business and we run across people we want to try to save but that’s not our job. We can’t save them all. Just try to remember that it wasn’t your fault what happened to Capri.”

  “I know,” Poppy said, rubbing at her nose. “I don’t know why it’s hitting me so hard. I’ve seen countless kids fall through the cracks. She’s just one of many.”

  “It doesn’t get any easier,” Shaine said. “One of my first cases involved a kid who was being used as a mule to move drugs from one place to the other. His own parents had offered him up in exchange for a steady flow of product. Before I could get him out, he died of an overdose. A balloon of heroin broke inside him, killing him instantly. The kid was fourteen.”

  “That’s terrible,” Poppy murmured. “Do you remember his name?”

  “I can’t seem to forget. His name was Walter. Sweet kid. Loved school. Just wanted to learn. He drew the short straw and ended up with shitty, drug addict parents.”

  “Did you manage to arrest his parents?”

  “Yeah,” he answered, dissatisfied with how that case had ended. “They got off with probation because the defense attorney argued that Walter had been old enough to make his own decisions and they’d claimed they had no knowledge of his drug running. It was all bullshit but the jury bought it. They walked.”

  “That is, indeed, bullshit,” Poppy agreed. “I’m sorry.”

  He drew a deep breath. “My point being, there will always be a Walter or Capri out there needing to be saved, but who will be ultimately crushed beneath the wheels of the machine they’re riding. That’s what I meant by ‘we can’t save them all.’ You just have to let that go.”

  Poppy nodded, accepting his advice, which surprised him. He half expected her to reject anything that came out his mouth on principle, but to her credit, she didn’t.

  She shouldered her pu
rse and headed for the door, pausing to offer a soft, “Thanks for the pep talk. I needed that,” before leaving.

  Why did that feel like a victory?

  Maybe because even though he talked a good game, he never wanted to be at odds with Poppy.

  They couldn’t be together, but they didn’t have to be enemies.

  Certainly something to work on.

  CHAPTER 14

  Poppy managed to talk Big Jane into a lunch date. It was important that Poppy got Big Jane away from the other girls, particularly Raquel and Brandi.

  Although Poppy had suggested a café, she was surprised when Big Jane invited her over to her apartment, saying she wanted to make her famous BLTs.

  “I don’t get to cook much for anyone anymore. And it’s not the same cooking for myself. Capri used to love my BLTs. That girl would eat anything. Surprising that she kept that cute little figure.”

  “Did you know her well?”

  Big Jane fluttered around her kitchen. “As well as anyone can know a person, I suppose. Girls in our profession tend to keep things close to the vest, if you know what I mean.”

  “I have to ask, was she really eighteen?”

  Poppy needed to know if Big Jane had known all along that Capri had been a minor.

  To her credit, Big Jane looked troubled as she shared, “I had my suspicions, but she had an ID that said she was. It’s not my job to be the social services, Lord knows I’m in no position, but I did have my suspicions. I think that’s why I tried to keep her out of trouble as much as possible. I like to think I was sort of a mother figure to her.”

  “She seemed like a nice kid. I really miss her.”

  Big Jane sniffed back a tear, which was probably the most genuine emotion Poppy had seen out of any of the girls thus far. “I remember when she first came to Lit, all big eyes and pouty lips and absolutely no fear. She just walked straight up to Angelo and asked for a job. I think he respected that gumption. Angelo likes people with ambition. It’s something he can understand.”

  “He didn’t think she looked a little young? He didn’t think to check to see if her ID was legit?”

  “You know how it is in this business—the less questions the better. We all try to mind our own business. Poking around is dangerous and, most times, unwelcome.”

  Poppy couldn’t resist. “Do you think Capri got caught poking around where she wasn’t supposed to?” It was a bold question; maybe she was even taking a risk posing such an obvious question to Big Jane, but the older woman didn’t seem to notice.

  “Oh, honey, it’s hard to say. Capri had a knack for finding trouble. She was never satisfied, always wanting more. The girl had a hole inside her heart and she kept trying to fill it with all sorts of sparkly things. I’m not saying we haven’t all done it. But I think it got her in trouble.”

  Poppy didn’t disagree on that point. “I gotta ask something. I saw Angelo and Capri go in the back room together... Were they sleeping together?” Poppy tried not to cringe, hoping against hope that Angelo had not been sleeping with a sixteen-year-old child. Not because she had any kind of faith in Angelo, but because she didn’t want to think of Capri lowering herself in that way.

  Big Jane remained silent while she cut the lettuce, then said, “Here’s the thing, and listen well, women in this business have to do all sorts of things to stay on top. You’re only as useful as you are able to be used. Capri had a young face and a young body. That was a huge commodity. And she used it well. Whether or not she was sleeping with Angelo... I hope for her sake she wasn’t. Brandi doesn’t share.”

  “What about Raquel? She seemed to have a beef with Capri.”

  Big Jane snorted in disgust. “That whore? She’d have a problem with Mother Teresa. She doesn’t know how to be anything but a bitch. Frankly, I’m surprised she gets any business. If I were a man, I’d be afraid to have my tender parts around her sharp teeth.”

  “Big Jane, what if I told you that the word on the street was that Capri died from taking Bliss. Would you believe it?”

  Big Jane chewed her bottom lip, plainly troubled. “I tell the girls not to mess with that shit. But they don’t listen. I’ve seen too many go down that road and never come back. Capri is just one of many.”

  Curious, Poppy asked, “Have you ever taken Bliss?”

  “Of course not,” Big Jane retorted as she sliced tomatoes. “I have enough problems. When you reach my age you realize when it’s wise to walk the other way.”

  Was that what’d happened? Had Big Jane walked the other way when it came to Capri? Had she known that Capri was in danger and known she couldn’t do anything to save the girl without putting herself in danger?

  “You seem like you really cared about Capri. I appreciate you talking to me about this. I didn’t feel like I could talk to anyone else,” she said, creating a bubble of intimacy between she and Big Jane. “I really liked Capri. She seemed like the little sister I never had. I’m just trying to understand what happened.”

  “What happened was she died,” Big Jane said flatly, sniffing back a tear. “And we can’t bring her back. And that’s that. Now let’s just enjoy these wonderful BLTs and try to remember the good times we shared.”

  Poppy nodded as if she agreed, but her mind was racing. There was something Big Jane wasn’t talking about, something she was holding back. Did she know more than she wanted to share or was she afraid to share? Maybe she was deliberately being ignorant to protect herself. Either way, all signs pointed to Poppy needing to dig around in Brandi’s and Raquel’s background.

  “Hey, I noticed that Brandi and Raquel were arguing the other night. Is everything okay between them?”

  Big Jane laughed as she served up the sandwiches. “Those two are ridiculous. They fight all the time about everything. You’d think that they were related.”

  “Is Angelo sleeping with both of them?” she asked boldly.

  Big Jane paused as if irritated by Poppy’s insistence to return to the same subject. “Now, don’t let your sandwich get cold. I worked hard on this.”

  Forget the fact that it was just lettuce, two slices of bread, a tomato and some bacon. Poppy dug into the sandwich as if it was the best thing she’d ever eaten. “Amazing. I can tell why Capri loved them so much.”

  Big Jane smiled, immediately forgiving Poppy. “My girl did know her way around a sandwich. I’m going to miss that kid.”

  And that was the extent of the conversation. The fact was, Big Jane didn’t want to talk about Capri too much, which was a huge red flag for Poppy. There was something going on in that bar, something everyone was hiding. The more she dug, the more people seemed to clam up. That was always a sign to dig a little deeper.

  Finished with her sandwich, she patted her stomach and groaned, “If I’m not careful you’re going to fatten me up and I’ll have to dance at Tank,” she teased, referencing the club that Brandi had used disparagingly. “I hear they like bigger girls.”

  “They like dirty girls. Dancers at Tank aren’t very discerning, if you know what I mean. That’s why Lit is special. Only the top clientele get to spend time with our girls.”

  Poppy chuckled. “Is that so? So tell me about the sugar daddies. Are there any I should look out for? Actually, why don’t you tell me who Capri managed to get a Mercedes out of,” she teased. “I could use a new set of wheels.”

  Big Jane shook her head ruefully. “Oh, honey, I don’t think you’re ready for that one. Capri had a way of twisting people around her little finger to get what she wanted, but she toyed with dangerous men. To be honest, it could’ve been a client who took care of Capri. But since we know it was a drug overdose, at least we know it wasn’t that way.”

  “Just out of curiosity, who were her biggest clients?” she asked, feigning benign interest.

  “Well, I’d say her favorite was Mr. Pennington. She sure had a thing for him. She’d leave with him for hours on end and come back with a wad of cash. I have no idea what she did for that cash but i
t seemed worth it. She bought that Mercedes with cash.”

  Poppy smiled as if impressed, but inside she was feeling sick. “Good for her. That’s pretty impressive. Well, not to be insensitive, but now that Capri’s gone, maybe he’s looking for someone new to hang out with.”

  “You’d have to fight Raquel for him. Raquel has had her eye on Pennington since the day he walked through those doors. She seems to think she’s going to be the next Mrs. Pennington.”

  “Oh? Is that so. And why is that?”

  “Raquel seems to think she’s high society quality. She’s always turning her nose up at everyone at the club. Always putting it in our faces that she’s better than all of us and that she’s gonna get out of this life. She even went so far as to call Lit a shit-hole. Honestly, she’s never worked in a shit-hole. Lit is as uptown as they get. She wants to know what it’s like to roll around in the mud, she ought to hang out at Tank like Brandi said.”

  Poppy chuckled as if amused, but her mind was moving in fast circles. “Thank you so much for this wonderful lunch. I like you, Big Jane. You seem like a really nice person.”

  Big Jane smiled, tickled. “Well, I like you, too, honey. Now, keep your nose clean and don’t find yourself poking where it doesn’t belong. I want you to stick around. That last girl didn’t follow my advice and she didn’t last very long.”

  “Last girl?”

  Big Jane seemed to have something stuck in her throat. “She went by the stage name Tinsel. Very pretty girl. She had a special spark that was hard to ignore.”

  “What happened to her?”

  The older woman paused as if lost in a memory, then smiled briefly and said, “She just wasn’t a good fit. She quit coming. I have no idea where she ended up.”

  “Tinsel? How’d she get that stage name?”

  Big Jane laughed. “Because she liked sparkly things. If my memory doesn’t fail me, I think her real name was Darcy Lummox. Nice girl.”

  Poppy finished up, made some small talk and as soon as it was appropriate made her exit.

  Had Big Jane just given up something important without even knowing it?