by Ali Vali
“Muriel, that’s great,” Emma said.
“Not when your dear spouse gets the bill. They figured you wouldn’t mind if we upgraded a bit.”
“Of course not, the mobster’s made of money,” Cain said.
“You’ll be giving them all raises when you see what else they got you.” Muriel dug through her briefcase for the right paperwork. “Your new deed, barkeep.”
The address at the top made Cain smile. When she was a kid, both her father and uncle had talked about this old warehouse by the river where their grandfather had worked as a young man fresh from Ireland. The property had been part of a furniture store chain for years, and they hadn’t been interested in selling off their holdings in pieces. Years and urban renewal in that part of the city had eventually changed their minds, but the warehouse Cain had been interested in for sentimental reasons had been the one thing the company had hung on to.
“What made them agree to sell?” Cain looked up from the document to her cousin, delighted.
“Not to sound like a canned movie, but you gave them an offer they found hard to refuse. The space downstairs is big enough for what you have in mind for the new club, and with a little insulation and work, the other five floors will do nicely for the new digs of the Casey Law Firm. Hell, they even threw in some furniture they didn’t feel like moving out.”
With Cain’s trust, Muriel had already negotiated, signed the act of sale, and cut the company a check. “If the crew working on renovations keeps up their pace, we should be in there in three or four months. That means you’ll have to stick to the pub for your drinking pleasure until they’re done.”
“What about our friend Blue?” Cain asked. “Has my lucky manager been behaving himself?”
“I’ve had a couple of our men sitting on him.” Another folder came out of the bag, and Muriel flipped through the paperwork and pulled out some photos. “The dumb bastard’s been busy.” The first picture she handed over showed Blue standing next to a new Porsche.
“Man, baby, I’m not sure how much you pay your people, but if you’re looking for a new club manager, I’m interested,” Emma said, peering at the car.
“I pay a good salary, and with some careful planning, he could afford this ride. Problem is, though, our boy Blue likes to spend his days at the track, and he’s got the luck of a two-legged dog in heavy traffic.” Cain examined the next picture taken at the horse track. The wad of bills in Blue’s hand didn’t compute. “Who’s he been talking to? Or should I ask, who’s he working for?”
Muriel handed over the last one taken at the same track, only now Blue was sitting in a box watching the race through some binoculars. It was the man standing next to him that made Cain crumple the picture and throw it to the floor. Stephano Bracato didn’t look too interested in the afternoon horse racing.
“He spent the afternoon with Stephano, losing steadily and drinking. Before they parted in the parking lot, Bracato handed him another thick envelope and they shook hands. You’ll have to talk to him, but I’m guessing his going out to his car had a lot more to do with knowing what was going to happen than sheer luck. The little son of a bitch even called to ask if you were still going to pay him even though the club was gone.”
“Where is he now?” Cain’s voice dropped to a dangerous tone, and not even Emma’s calming presence was enough to relax her.
“Little place off Airline Highway watching the ponies run at Belmont. I got Karl sitting in there having Cokes and placing a few bets to make sure he doesn’t disappear.”
They’d started to descend, causing Cain to look at her watch. It was still early afternoon, but the skies over New Orleans were gray and heavy with rain.
“Merrick.”
Merrick materialized at Cain’s side.
“I want you to take Emma to Uncle Jarvis’s. Don’t take any detours,” she warned, looking at Emma.
Before Emma could start to protest, Cain put her hand up. “Not this time, lass. For an envelope full of money, Blue traded the lives of people who were guilty of nothing more than trying to make a living. Our talk might be long and ugly, and I don’t want you exposed to that.”
“You’ll call and tell me if you’re all right when you’re done?”
“I sure will.”
“And you’ll have Katlin and Lou with you all the time, right?”
“I’ll have a couple more than that, as will you.” Cain stopped to place a kiss on the tip of Emma’s nose. “I plan to put a wall around you, with Merrick as the cornerstone.”
“Just don’t be gone long.” Emma rested her head on Cain’s shoulder and sighed. “I understand why you have to do all this, but after having you all to myself for these past weeks, and knowing this is dangerous, it’s going to be hard letting you go.”
“I’m thinking this bloke is going to start talking the minute I see him, so you’re not going to be by yourself very long.”
“I’d like to go by the house instead of Uncle Jarvis’s when we land to look at the damage and see what we can do about that situation. What do you think?”
Cain looked over Emma’s head at Merrick before answering.
When she nodded, Cain agreed with the plan. “Just remember to stick close to Merrick until all this is done. That house won’t mean shit to us if something happens to you.”
“I’ll keep my head down if you remember to do the same, Casey.”
The time had come for Emma to stand up for what she wanted and to keep her word.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Blue sat at a table in the back corner staring at the closest screen and screaming for a pony named Eagle’s Talon to get his ass moving. From the pile of ripped-up tickets on the floor around him, Cain could see his luck, or lack of it, was holding as steady as his losing.
The off-track betting bar Blue was sitting in reminded Cain of a cave. With the total lack of windows the patrons were bathed in the glare of television sets and neon. They all looked zombielike.
Without having to be told, Lou headed to the chair behind Blue, and Katlin stood behind Cain, who sat in the table’s other chair. The look of panic in Blue’s eyes was clear even in the dim lighting. He pulled his drink closer as if trying to find protection behind the glass of rum.
“Cain, what are you doing here?”
“It should be obvious. I’m here to see you.” Cain crossed her long legs and leaned back. “I hear we have a lot to talk about.”
Blue laughed and stood up, getting ready to deny whatever she was accusing him of. “I’m just placing a few bets, boss. What’s to talk about?”
“I suggest you take your seat, Blue,” Lou said from behind him. “You make me ask again and I’ll break your kneecaps so you don’t forget your manners. The lady wants to talk to you, so sit and talk.”
“Come on, Cain, there’s no reason for the muscle. And where’s Merrick? I’m sure she’d vouch for me. I didn’t do nothing wrong.”
A waitress came over with an empty tray and picked up Blue’s glass. “Can I get you anything?”
“A shot of Jameson, neat,” Cain answered.
“The good stuff’s extra.”
Katlin waved a twenty in front of the waitress. “This ought to cover it.”
“Now, Blue, what makes you think I’m here because you did anything wrong?”
The question sounded innocent enough, but Blue hadn’t worked for Cain for a couple of years without learning a few things. There was something behind it.
“That’s what I’m saying. I’m just sitting around waiting to go back to work.” The fresh round of drinks was placed on the table, and Blue smiled up at the girl he’d been trying to flirt with for the better part of the afternoon.
“Of course you’re out of work. That’s as good a reason as any to set up my family and get some of my people killed. You were just looking out for your own interest. Who could blame you for that?”
Blue spit the rum he choked on back onto the table. Swallowing wrong set off a furi
ous round of coughing, and he knew the color of his face lived up to his name. “Wha…what?” he finally got out through the wheezing.
“Let’s go for a little ride, Blue,” Cain said. She stood, pulled out a money clip, and peeled off a couple of bills. The waitress reappeared as if by magic. “What’s your name, darlin’?”
“Mitzi.” She looked greedily at the crisp one hundred dollar bills in Cain’s fingers. “You need another drink or something?”
“No, Mitzi, I need to know where the back door is. Then I need to hear you give a complete description of me. If you can do that”—the money clip came out again and Cain peeled off another two hundred—“you can go shopping for something pretty.”
“The door’s by the restrooms, through there.” She pointed to Cain’s left. “And you, it’s going to be hard to say anything about somebody I’ve never seen before.”
Before the money exchanged hands Cain laughed, never taking her eyes off the woman. “See, Blue, we just met, and already this girl’s got something up on you. She’s smart, and she knows when to keep her mouth shut.” Cain handed the money over and walked out the front.
Behind her Blue was about to scream when Lou put a small knife up to his throat.
“You gonna be needing change on that twenty?” Mitzi asked Katlin.
“Keep it, sugar. I’m not as generous as my friend, but not many of us are.” The third race Blue had bought tickets for concluded, finally breaking his losing streak.
“Hey, I won.” He held up the stubs now worth five grand.
“On second thought, sugar, I think this might just be your lucky day.” Katlin ripped the stubs out of Blue’s hand and gave them to the waitress. “Go buy yourself that something pretty my friend mentioned.”
“That’s mine,” Blue whined, temporarily forgetting the trouble he was in.
“It’s just not your lucky day…again…you fucker,” Lou whispered before pushing him toward the door. “Let’s go so I can explain to you what the trifecta of screwups means.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
“You ever get the feeling all hell’s about to break loose and there’s nothing you can do about it?” Joe asked. It was starting to frustrate him that everyone they’d targeted was being so circumspect. “Maybe if we recap what we have so far.”
“This started with us following Kyle’s lead by raiding Cain’s warehouse and finding a legal shipment of liquor,” Shelby said.
“Right, only the real crime was Kyle shooting Cain on Giovanni Bracato’s behalf. As retaliation for losing his inside man, Bracato orders the hit on the house, Muriel’s office, and Emerald’s.” Joe was pacing now as Lionel wrote the timeline on the board in the conference room they were using. “We have no real proof he ordered the hits, but who else would have held such a grudge against her?”
“Did we check with the police that day about any identification on the people Cain’s crew was able to bring down?” The blue marker in Lionel’s hand was starting to dry up from all the writing he’d done. “I don’t remember reading that in their report.”
“You’re right,” Joe agreed.
“If we had the names we could run down any leads on who they were working for. It could make it easier for us to find a way to bring someone in for questioning. At this point I don’t care who it is, just as long as we get a little something out of it.”
Shelby ran her hand through her hair and felt tired. They’d spent so many hours at the office trying to prevent the mayhem they were all waiting for that she was starting to feel like she’d never have any personal life. “I did ask about that, and the detective on the scene said there was no ID on any of the perps. If I was a betting woman, I’d say Muriel or Merrick has those right now and knows who they worked for.”
“You wouldn’t want to call her and ask her nicely to let us have a look at them, would you?” Joe drooped his lips into a pathetic frown and cocked his head to the side like a begging puppy.
“I’m sure she’d not only do that, but tell us exactly how her cousin has evaded detection from doing God knows what for so long.” She gave the answer in the same teasing tone as she addressed Joe’s question. “Come on, guys, we’ve been at this for days, and it isn’t getting us anywhere. How about we knock off early today and start fresh tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I can’t really see anything shaking out today.”
*
The inside of the Casey house seemed dark and ominous because the back windows had been boarded. When they reached Cain’s office, Emma had to put her hand on the doorjamb to steady her balance. Behind her, Merrick still looked irritated at having to be stuck with her as long as Cain ordered. “You know, Merrick, if you stop sulking long enough, you might find that my company really isn’t all bad.”
“I’m not sulking.” The long sigh that followed didn’t make Merrick sound all that convincing. “Are we almost finished here? Cain and the others might need me.”
“If you find this assignment so unacceptable, I’ll be happy to talk to her tonight and see if she’ll change her mind. I’m sure Cain can find someone else to work with me.”
Emma ran her fingers along the holes in the leather chair and closed her eyes. It chilled her blood to think of her lover sitting here. “There’s no sense in you being miserable and making me miserable watching you frown all day long.”
“No, I appreciate your concern, but she’s right,” Merrick conceded. “You need someone competent to watch you, and I’ll do it as long as necessary. Do you want to start calling repairmen? I could get the household staff to give me a list of who we’ve used in the past.”
“Maybe tomorrow, but for now I want to talk to Cain about all this. Fresh paint and new windows might fix what’s broken, but I don’t know how the kids would react to coming back here.”
“How do you feel about the prospect?”
“I’d be happy living in the pool house out back, Merrick. Just as long as I get to share it with her. I was scared before because I didn’t fully understand.”
“And now?” Merrick didn’t look entirely convinced.
“We’ve talked a lot in the last few weeks, and now I understand far better what makes her tick. Before, I just knew about what she needed from me here.” She waved to indicate the house. “But what she needed to get done out there was a foreign concept.”
“She’ll still need to do all the things you left her for. It might be even worse.”
Emma’s grip on the leather chair strengthened. “The upstairs looks just like this. Those men and the people who sent them came solely to harm my family. I’m sure it was only business to them. They didn’t think or feel anything, so I can only return the favor. Whatever she has planned for them won’t be enough.”
“That’s a good start, Mrs. Casey. Shall we go?”
The small phone in Emma’s purse rang as they headed to the car, and she answered it as Merrick opened the back door for her. “Hey, baby, everything going okay?”
“Just like I said, piece of coconut custard pie,” Cain said. “Listen, I was thinking—”
“Always a dangerous proposition,” Emma interrupted. “I’m sorry, honey. I couldn’t resist. What were you thinking?”
“How about you go buy yourself something devastatingly sexy for tonight, and I’ll take you out to dinner?” Cain relaxed into the leather of the vehicle and watched suburbia melt away as they entered the city. Somewhere behind her, Lou and Katlin were following with the little package they’d picked up at the bar. “It could be our coming-out dinner.”
“You outed me years ago, lover.”
“My, we are in a playful mood, aren’t we? I was thinking perhaps some veal at Eleven 79.”
“Let’s see. Who, pray tell, has a standing reservation every Friday night? They’re known for their northern Italian, right?”
“I really may just retire now and let you handle things from here on out. It’s nice to see you didn’t lose that observant streak of yours living the quiet life
in Wisconsin.” The back of the vehicle was filled with Cain’s laughter. “It’s Friday night and Mr. Bracato, the senior scumbag, has a standing reservation. And yes, they are known for their renditions of certain Italian dishes. What do you say, Mrs. Casey? Care to join me?”
“I’d love to. Hold on, baby. Just let me tell Merrick about our new destination. Can I pick you up anything while I’m out?” They headed back toward Jarvis’s house, so Emma leaned up and tapped Merrick’s shoulder. “Merrick, could you please take me downtown.” Then she asked Cain, “Can I pick up anything for you while I’m out?”
“Do you remember how to spend real money?” Cain asked.
“I can muddle through. It’s easy when you’re so encouraging.”
“Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve got to go. Have fun, and I’ll see you at Uncle Jarvis’s soon.” There before her was the warehouse Muriel had bought while they were gone. The workers were packing up for the afternoon and starting to pull out of the parking lot. “I love you, and tell Merrick not to lose sight of you. I have plans for you later.”
“I love you too, and be careful.”
Emma knew this was her first true test, but unlike Blue, she planned to prove just how loyal she was to Cain.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cain’s footsteps echoed hollowly as she walked to the center of the room. There was no furniture in the new Emerald’s yet, considering the sawdust and hanging wires, but she could envision the final product. The unfinished carved oak bar fit in well since the builders had left alone the brick walls as well as the old wood floor along the perimeter of the new dance floor.
From the back a large door opened, and Lou pulled the SUV in far enough for the door to close behind him.
Blue started for Cain, and Katlin caught him just before he touched her, dropping him to his knees with a kick to his legs.