“Wha…what Connor did,” Julie gasped, “that…that was just wrong!”
“Tell me about it.” Ellie sighed, leaning back. “My Mom’s called me everyday since Christmas, ragging on my single status.”
“My Mom tortures me at every family get together,” Julie admitted, launching into a humorous, high pitched sing-song voice. “You’re over thirty… your hair’s too short to attract men… you dress like a spinster school teacher… you’ll never attract anyone with that arrogant attitude of yours… you need to get out more… let me fix you up with a serial killer, at least then I might get more grandkids… wear a little makeup, you look like night of the living dead… you…”
Julie stopped as Ellie started chanting duh da da da duh in between pauses, nodding her head and laughing. Ellie leaned over, resting her head on Julie’s shoulder for a moment.
“Can you be my sister, Jules?” Ellie asked, in comically beseeching tone with hands clasped as if in prayer.
“No problem, Sis, we’ll file the papers right away,” Julie agreed as Ellie straightened in her seat. “I forgot to ask. Why is it we’re leaving so early? Didn’t you and Connor have to work until eight this morning? I was surprised when you asked me to pick you up at three thirty in the afternoon. You couldn’t have gotten much more than five hours sleep.”
“Well… about that… see, Connor doesn’t really know yet he’s going to a New Year’s Eve party.”
“You’re kidding me… aren’t you?” Julie glanced over with disbelief on her face and then laughed when Ellie just shrugged. “So this added time is for coercing Connor into going? How do you think that will work out, Sis?”
“Better than asking when I can’t physically threaten him. Besides, we have a great excuse to stop over. He’s been driving this week. I haven’t had a chance to see his cat, Nasty. The vet released her to him days ago. With double shifts it’s hard as hell to come up with any free time.”
“This sounds like mission impossible. What’s your plan exactly?”
“We let ourselves into his place. We rattle around in the kitchen until he comes out and then we jump him. We shower and shave him, dress him, and away we go.”
“It seems so simple when you explain it like that. Won’t he just shoot us when we break in?”
“We exchanged keys on vehicles and apartments nearly two years ago in case one of us gets locked out or something. We’ll slip in the door looking fantastic and then let him discover us. We then double team him until he surrenders and agrees to go with us.”
“Can I hide behind you until we see if he has a gun?”
“I didn’t know you’d be such a wimp when I asked you into the family.”
“You’re already beginning to sound like my Mom,” Julie complained.
* * *
Ellie led the way into Connor’s apartment building and to the elevator. After exiting the elevator the two women crept down the hallway trying to make as little noise with their high heels as possible. At Connor’s door, Ellie gently unlocked the door, turning the deadbolt slowly while keeping pressure on the door. Behind her, Julie grasped her arm with some trepidation. Ellie eased the door open enough to allow the two women enough space to slip inside.
“I don’t like this,” Julie whispered.
“Shush!” Ellie whispered back, pulling Julie aside enough to close the door.
“Roooorrrrrrrrhhhhhhhhhh!” Nasty the calico cat screeched loudly. She leaped from the nearby couch onto the floor in front of the two women.
Julie screamed, latching onto the startled Ellie around the neck. Ellie spun with the attached Dr. Morrison. In the dim entryway light, Ellie saw Nasty leaping sideways at them, growling and hissing. As Julie pulled at Ellie, yanking her closer to the door, Nasty pounced and retreated, swiping at the air between them. The mottled cat inched nearer, rending the air between her and her intended prey while leaping first right and then left.
“What the hell?” Connor’s voice called out as he ran into the room, Ruger auto now held down at his side. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. “C’mere, Nas.”
The calico cat backed away from the two women immediately, turning and running to Connor. While crouching and stroking the cat from head to tail as Nasty purred and rubbed up against him, Connor looked up with mild annoyance at his partner. Only then did he notice how Ellie was dressed.
“To what do I owe this intrusion? I could understand Ellie pulling a surprise break in. I must admit, Doc, you signing on as her sidekick gets the alarm bells jangling.”
“Opie… that is one creepy ass cat.” Ellie took a deep breath. “The sound it makes is like a fracking horror movie. Jules! Climb the hell off me, will you?”
Julie, realizing suddenly she still retained a chokehold on Ellie, pulled her arms back and stepped away from Ellie. She smiled sheepishly at Connor, giving him a small wave.
“Your cat is very impressive,” Julie stated.
“Don’t feel like Nasty doesn’t like you.” Connor kept stroking the cat. “She attacks me every time I come through the door. Nasty’s territorial. You two look like you’re on your way somewhere. Don’t let me keep you. Thanks for stopping by to say hello and see Nasty, El. Next time… call first. Oh, and Happy New Year.”
“Actually, we’re not leaving Wild Kingdom here without you,” Ellie informed him, arms folded over her chest, while Julie continued peeking out from behind her at the purring calico uneasily.
“El… you’ve gone round the bend… one too many double shifts.”
“Shave, shower, get on your suit, Opie,” Ellie ordered. “We’re going to a party with the cast of all our recent acquaintances in one place.”
“I don’t think so.” Connor stood up with Nasty cradled in his arms.
“You’re going, hard or soft, your choice.”
“Okay… hard.”
“You forced me to this, Opie. If you get dressed and go, Jules will show you her boobs.”
“I will not!”
Connor laughed. “Look, El, you can’t even take my cat. If you’re forcing me into something against my will, you’ll need more than the Doc’s boobs.”
“Gee, thanks,” Julie griped at Connor’s inadvertent slight.
Nasty growled and Julie let go a short squeal.
“I’ll type up all our reports for the next month,” Ellie offered.
“Are you mental? You hate typing up reports.”
“One month,” Ellie reiterated.
Connor held Nasty up to eye level. “Sorry Nas, you’re on your own for New Year’s Eve.”
The calico licked his face and Connor put her down, gesturing for Nasty to follow him into the kitchen. “C’mon, I’ll give you a can of tuna.”
The two women began following. Nasty turned on them, growling and pouncing in her sideways attack mode. Julie yelped and backed up against the door again, with Ellie retreating next to her, grinning at the attack cat. Connor walked back out of the kitchen, holding Nasty’s food dish with tuna in it. He set it down in the kitchen doorway.
“Nas, quit showin’ off and come eat.”
Nasty turned and ran to the food dish, gorging herself while purring loudly.
“That cat must be rabid,” Julie whispered.
“I learned something tonight.”
“What? Carry tuna when you come to Connor’s apartment?”
“No. I learned Connor would rather get out of writing reports than see your boobs.”
“He knew I wouldn’t stoop to such a thing so he refused to go along with it.”
“You’d have flashed the girls in a heartbeat.”
“Would not!”
“Oh, you so would have.” Ellie laughed. She patted Julie’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, you can throw down some Tequila shots at the party and flash him later. We’ll say it was the booze made you do it.”
“Frack you, Ellie!”
* * *
“Who the hell invited them?” Stennis asked Luke Morton who stood next to
him in a corner of the San Francisco’s Carnelian Room.
Morton turned his attention to the entrance where guests of Sebastion Gravitts’ New Year’s Eve party filtered in past heavy security. Ellie James looked gorgeous. Morton’s mouth tightened into a thin bitter line as Connor Bradwick walked in behind her. He recognized Julie Morrison walking so close to James and Bradwick, Morton knew she must have arrived with them.
“It seems Joe Gravitts decided to have some fun tonight. He must have made up the guest list for his brother,” Morton replied. “I would have figured you’d be more pissed off he invited those two FBI agents.”
“They swim in a big pond. Bradwick and James tread water in our little one. They jump to too many of the right conclusions. It looks like they’ve attracted a groupie in that damn shrink, Morrison. Her sister’s married to Joe. This whole thing smells like a setup. Between James demanding a confession as payment for helping and the FBI investigating my financial dealings, I feel like flying back East with my family and putting this whole mess behind me.”
“I doubt they’ll let you, Ray. We have to play this out. We’ll contact Araya next week and set up the meeting. What have you decided about the video taped confession?”
“Araya’s forcing my hand. He called me instead of sending a courier. He wants to meet the day after New Year’s Day. On one hand, it’s good news because he doesn’t think anyone is on to my dealings with him. On the other hand, I know the FBI monitors every call I’m getting now. Luke, do you think the FBI bought our undercover operation?”
“Not a word of it.”
“Shit! Why go through with it at all then?” Stennis whispered in an increasingly tension filled voice.
“Calm down. If it works, you probably won’t go to prison. The undercover ploy was only to give us a thin façade of cover so you’d have a chance to make things right. Araya is dealing with some kind of terrorist cell, Ray. You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of that.”
Stennis nodded in reluctant agreement. “Do you still think we need Bradwick and James?”
“Right now, they’re the only ones giving us any credibility. I’d like to take a lead pipe to Bradwick’s head but if you hold up your end, he won’t turn over anything he gets from you. James follows his lead.”
“Okay, I’ll get it to them on New Year’s Day. They’re on duty. I checked. Take my word for it, Luke, you don’t want any part of Bradwick with anything less than a gun in your hand.” Stennis looked across the room, locking eyes with Connor before turning away. “Good God in heaven, what an idiot I’ve been to be so screwed up I have to put a confession in the hands of those two.”
“Better than Araya’s,” Morton observed.
Chapter 14
Party Time
Connor kept scanning the room as they worked their way through security. He marveled at the number of people already inside he recognized. Thinking the guest list crammed with all the people Ellie had told him about was a hoax ended the moment he could look around the get together for himself. Stennis and Morton, standing in the back corner of the room, were in grim consultation when Connor saw Stennis look up and eyeball him. Guzman and Fulton sat together six tables away from where Stennis and Morton stood. Guzman waved at Connor and he acknowledged her wave. Fulton pointed at the empty seats around their table. Connor nodded in silent acquiescence.
“We’ve been invited to join the FBI for the night,” Connor told Ellie.
“I’m not sittin’ with the damn MIB’s tonight, Opie.”
“This is your chance to avoid any tax misunderstandings, El.”
“Not if I wind up busting Guzman in her chops.”
“What’s an MIB?” Julie asked, trying to figure out what the initials could mean in relation to FBI agent Guzman.
Ellie chuckled putting an arm around Dr. Morrison’s shoulders. “You know, Jules, hanging with you is like hanging with that little naïve robot, Wall-E.”
“Who?”
“It means Men In Black, Doc,” Connor explained.
“Oh, like in black helicopter conspiracies and men in black arriving to cover up UFO sightings?”
“Seriously, Jules, you’ve really never seen the Men In Black movie with Will Smith?”
“Who?”
“Look Jules, a word of advice - only answer direct questions over at the MIB’s table. When they find out you’re from off world they may try to take you into custody.”
“Frack you, Ellie!” Julie began to realize avoiding pop culture put her at a distinct disadvantage with Ellie.
“Do you know where the word frack comes from, Jules?” Ellie asked as Connor was thoroughly enjoying this humorous line of questioning, along with the other people in line near them.
“I thought you made it up.”
“Then you are not allowed to use it until you find out,” Ellie declared.
“Frack you, Ellie!” Julie repeated with passion, drawing laughter from the people listening in as well as Connor and Ellie.
A moment later, they were passed through the security line. Connor took Ellie’s arm suddenly.
“Don’t look now but the Terrances are heading our way. They don’t look happy.”
Ellie nodded without looking. Julie looked and immediately dropped back beside Connor at the malevolent look Janice Terrance was giving Ellie and Connor as she approached. Victor Terrance kept a restraining grip on his wife’s arm.
“I hope you two are happy now!” Janice Terrance blurted out.
“Use your inside voice Ms. Terrance or walk the hell away,” Ellie ordered, meeting the woman’s angry stare without blinking.
“We’ve had to hire a bodyguard so Jimmy can still attend school. Ray Stennis had to send his family away. We’ve had death threats,” Janice continued in quieter voice.
“Connor and I are sorry it’s not easier to stop being a drug dealer at a high school where your customers are kids,” Ellie answered with an unmistakable sarcastic tone. “Look at the bright side. If you all make it through this, maybe your kid will end up with a college degree, family, and no time as someone’s bitch in the penitentiary.”
Connor handed Victor Terrance his card. “Give this to your son. We’ll do all we can to help him stay straight. If you’re looking for an apology, you’re wasting your party time with us.”
Victor took the card and tugged on his wife’s arm. “Come along Jan.”
“And you didn’t want to come,” Ellie clucked disparagingly at Connor after the Terrances walked away.
“She nearly went ballistic, Ellie,” Dr. Morrison whispered. “Uh oh, my sister spotted me.”
An older, more elegant version of Julie Morrison glided toward them in a full length black gown. Connor recognized Joseph Gravitts on her arm, dressed in a more casual dark business suit.
“Well… Julie,” Joan greeted her sister with a quick formal hug. “Are these your two friends from the police department?”
“This is my sister Joan and her husband, Joseph Gravitts,” Julie said, after receiving an affectionate hug and kiss from her brother-in-law. “Joe… Joan… these are my friends, Connor Bradwick and Ellie James.”
Connor shook hands with Joan and then with Joe Gravitts. “Nice to see you again, Sir.”
“I’m glad you could make it, Connor. What did it take to get you here?”
“A month of my doing reports, Sir,” Ellie stated before Connor could speak, evoking laughter from all, including Joan.
“Nice to finally meet you both,” Joan said. “Julie has spoken of her police friends often over the last couple months and I understand from my husband she actually helped with a case.”
“Jules did add professional testimony in a rather difficult situation. She witnessed an arrest while doing a ride along with us.” Ellie could not get a read on Julie’s sister yet. She decided to speak in a deliberate tone until finding out how close to Julie’s description her sister was.
“How exciting,” Joan remarked, not excited at all. “I
s that related to the greeting Janice Terrance gave you?”
Ellie smiled. “I’m afraid so.”
“I’ll bring my brother Sebastian over to meet you both later,” Joe Gravitts said.
“We’ll be with the FBI tonight,” Connor told him, pointing out the table where Guzman and Fulton sat.
“Very good – maybe we’ll have a little chat together. My brother has consulted on a few cases in the area they were also involved in.”
“Have fun, and I’ll see you later, Julie,” Joan told her sister while giving Connor and Ellie a hand wave goodbye before leading her husband away.
“I don’t see Donaldson yet,” Ellie commented when Joe and Joan had continued on to greet others. “Look at that view!”
“Haven’t either of you ever been in the Carnelian Room before,” Julie asked.
“Nope,” Ellie answered as Connor shook his head. “We’re here now. Let’s check out the sights, Opie.”
The windowed walls offered a breathtaking panoramic view of the Bay below. Ellie threaded her way between the tables to where Stennis and Morton stood with Connor and Julie following. At the room corner, the vista beyond with lighted buildings and Golden Gate Bridge were in sharp relief to the clear night sky. Ellie swept past the two men with only a small wave on her way to the windows. Connor paused as Stennis stuck out his hand.
“Happy New Year, Connor,” Ray Stennis greeted him. “Nice to see you here too, Dr. Morrison. I understand you’re Joe Gravitts’s sister-in-law.”
“Bradwick… Dr. Morrison,” Morton acknowledged Connor and Julie with a slight nod.
“Happy New Year, Councilman… Detective,” Connor replied. Julie smiled uneasily at the two men but remained silent. “El and I have never been here before so we’re just checking out the view.”
“By all means,” Stennis replied, stepping further aside.
“Wow, I could stay here all night by the window, guzzling Champagne,” Ellie said when Connor and Julie joined her at the window.
“After they serve everyone, I’m sure things will be less formal and we can gawk all we want.” Julie looked around at the nearly filled to capacity room. “Perhaps we should sit down for now though.”
The Protectors: Vigilante Justice (Vigilante Cops Book 1) Page 17