Hackett opened the door to the SUV, blinding sunlight stabbing at my sore puffed-up eyes as I collected my things. I slid out of the backseat, loose gravel crunching beneath my feet as we headed for the warehouse entrance. Today was the first day the team would be together after Meg’s death, and I already dreaded the conversations that would take place.
As I stepped into the hollow belly of the warehouse, I was shocked to see everyone fast at work, as if nothing had happened. A frown worked across my lips as I trudged to my messy little desk. With slow, sluggish movements, I dragged ass across the room, dropped my briefcase at my feet next to the cluttered desk, and slumped into the squeaky leather chair, closing my eyes to the world for a brief moment. It wasn’t much in the way of relieving my sore puffy eyes, but it would have to do.
Crying all weekend hadn’t done me any good and it damn sure hadn’t solved any of our problems either. Before I could clear my head, the distinct sound of shuffling footsteps and the horribly disgusting wheezing of one Mr. Davis Jackson approached my desk. I groaned. I didn’t feel up to a conversation today with anyone.
Eyes pressed closed, fingers rubbing slow circles over my temples, I spoke before he had a chance. “Good morning, Davis.” My voice was laced with exhaustion from lack of sleep.
“Morning, Haven. I think I’ve found our guy!” he exclaimed as he rustled a handful of documents to and fro in front of my face. I damn near jumped out of my skin at his words.
Sitting ramrod straight, eyes wide as dinner plates, I waved my hands about, wildly urging him to continue on. “Well? Out with it, Davis. Who the hell is he?”
He thrust the documents into my open hand. “Theron Christakos. Placed in an orphanage shortly after birth. The orphanage is still in business and was more than willing to provide information on our boy. Sick little bastard, they said.”
“Not surprised by that description at all. Not after what he did to...” My voice broke off, unable to say Meg’s name. No matter how much I told myself there was nothing I could have done to stop this psycho, I still felt responsible for her death.
“I know, Haven. We all want to see him pay for his crimes.”
I stood frozen, eyeing a spot on the wall across from my desk, fighting back the tears that were welling in my eyes. At least we had a name now. Theron Christakos. Bastard.
Killer.
Psycho.
So many names fit him and his actions. The vicious way he had killed Astra and Meg spoke volumes to me. He hated women, of that I was sure. A cold chill ran down my spine as I realized I could be next. “Davi,s we need to hasten our efforts to catch the son of a bitch before he kills again.”
“You think he will come after our team?”
“Yes!” I shouted. The sound of my voice echoed throughout the room, heads turned from all directions. Taking a steadying breath, I gripped the armrests on my chair. “I feel that he is angry. Beyond angry, actually. He doesn’t want Sebastian released. He wants him to rot away in that prison. Don’t you see? It’s revenge, and he’ll do anything to stop us from making our case.”
“But we already know of his existence.”
“Right. But he doesn’t know that. He only knows that we are looking deeper into the case. He’s nervous. He’ll make mistakes. They always do.”
“Then we need to take a trip to the orphanage, and soon. You’ll be updating Sebastian on Friday again right?” Davis asked, rubbing one chunky hand over his sweaty bald head.
“Yes, sir. He knows of our suspicions. I made sure to fill him in on that last Friday. He was shocked. I don’t think he knew he was a twin.”
“Any word on the blood sample results?”
“Not yet. I hand-delivered them to the medical examiner’s office. Becky assured me she would push it through quickly. She will contact me as soon as she has the results.”
“Good.”
The rest of the day, the team worked their fingers to the bone, trying to find out more about Theron. We needed to know everything we could about his life. For one, we needed to know what he looked like. Did he resemble his brother? We had no way of knowing at this point. He could be anyone? I glanced around the room at the men, wondering how close he could get to us without being detected. Fear raked me at the realization that he could be so close to us and we would never know.
Glancing at Hackett and Eamon standing guard at the main entrance, I wondered if Eamon knew more than he had said in his story. He didn’t seem to be the type to leave anything out, but I hadn’t really questioned what he had told me. No, I had only listened. But it was time I dug a little deeper into the Christakos family’s past before someone else died.
“Eamon? I need to speak to you.” I shouted across the room. He glanced at Hackett who gave him a nod as he took a drag off his cigarette.
I really didn’t know exactly what I should ask Eamon about Sebastian’s family, but at this point, any information provided could make a difference. Sitting back in my squeaky-ass chair, I snatched the papers on Theron Christakos, gripping them snuggly in my hand.
“Yes, Miss?” he ground out in a deep raspy voice as he approached.
“I have a few more questions about the night Sebastian was born. And the family.”
“I will tell you what I can. For Sebastian.”
“I know that you have served the family for many years and you know a great deal about them. I will not ask about their business as that would be crossing a fine line I don’t wish to cross.” He nodded, remaining quiet. “Who took the baby away that night?”
“I...” He hesitated.
“Please, it is very important that we know as much as possible.”
“Sebastian’s father took him away. I heard him whispering to someone that night. He spoke of heirs and the danger of having two brothers so close in age. He took the boy away. Nobody saw the child. But we all – everyone in the house that night – knew about the second child.”
“Could someone in the family be working against Sebastian to gain control of the family business?”
“I have no idea. I wouldn’t think anyone would be crazy enough to stand against the rightful heir to the Christakos family business.”
“Okay. Did Sebastian’s father communicate with the boy he sent away?”
“I wouldn’t know, Miss. I was not part of the inner circle at the time.”
“Do you know who would know?”
“Like I said, I wasn’t in Sebastian’s father’s trusted circle. Only his most trusted men would have known. Maybe not even them. They’re dead now anyway, Miss. His secret has been buried along with them.
“No, Eamon. The secret he kept is alive and well and it’s killing innocent people.”
“Yes, Miss, it is.” Eamon’s voice was filled with sadness. I could see the hurt in his eyes as much as I felt it in my own heart. He had cared for Meg. I’d only witnessed them together talking a few times, but her smile was electric in his presence. I couldn’t imagine what he must be feeling. But his pain seeped from his eyes like a rolling chaotic river breaking free from its bed.
Davis and I held a meeting with the team, instructing them to travel in pairs; that safety was of the utmost importance. Davis spoke privately with Hackett and Eamon about our trip to the orphanage, where we hoped to find more information about Theron. We knew it was a shot in the dark that the employees at the orphanage would know anything about him or the man he was now, but we had to try.
Hackett had not been at all happy with our plans to travel alone but had agreed in the end. Davis had only needed to mention the need to protect the team members from any attack Theron might have planned to get Hackett to agree.
I was still scared of traveling alone with a chubby old lawyer that couldn’t run if he wanted to. Just as well I suppose. If Theron wanted to kill us, he would. He hadn’t feared attacking Meg, even with two large beastly looking men like Eamon and Hackett around.
The trip to Shiner was only an hour and a half from Austin, and I was re
ady to get it over with. Grabbing my laptop, I shoved it inside my bag and slung it over my shoulder before digging my purse out from under the edge of my desk. Hackett gave me a strange look as I padded across the room, passing him on the way to the door where Davis waited. He reached out, grabbing my arm, pulling me to a dead stop. His grip was a little snug, but not painful. “Be careful. The man we seek is dangerous. Keep your eyes open for anything unusual.”
“I will, Hackett. You make sure all of these people stay safe and alive.” I kept my voice low and even, waving my hand at the people working tirelessly to help Sebastian.
“We will.”
The trip to Shiner was nice and quiet. The bluebonnets were in full bloom all along the highway, as if leading somewhere special. It was such a majestic sight. Horses grazed the ocean-like fields of bluebonnets, bright green grasses bursting forth in clusters, only making the colors more vivid – more magical – like a painting.
We rolled into town, sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the beat-up farm trucks and extended cab pick-up trucks lining the sidewalks all through town. I’d only visited Shiner once before. The history and tradition of the town came to life in every building and person you came across. Being here was a far cry from life in Austin. Things were much slower and happier. Life was what it was here; nothing more, nothing less. A smile worked across my lips as I watched a young mother walking with her young daughter hand-in-hand.
“The orphanage is just on the edge of town. We should be there in a few minutes,” Davis said.
“Good.”
Second Chances Orphanage was a two-story home that had seen better days. The once-gorgeous residence needed a good bit of loving, and from the looks of the chipping paint, it had been years since anyone had shown it the least bit of care. We parked under a large shade tree and headed for the front door. Before we could ring the bell, a tall woman with long salt-and-pepper hair twisted into a tight bun exited.
“Well, howdy there. You must be the lawyers from Austin.” Not a question. As I said earlier, we stuck out like sore thumbs in a place like this. We might as well have been naked for how much our stark black business suits screamed city folks.
“Yes, ma’am.” Davis drawled, his words barely audible for the wheezing.
“Come on in. This heat is enough to kill ya.”
I couldn’t help but let a giggle loose at her words. It was pretty damned hot. The old saying about it being hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk was more than true today. We followed along behind the woman into the house and down a dimly-lit hallway to a large living room.
There was a large mahogany desk in the corner. The woman motioned towards the two chairs in front of it as she walked around and sat down. “Have a seat, please. I’m Rosie Holloway. I’ve been with the orphanage for going on forty years. You’re interested in locating a young man who lived here?”
“Yes,” Davis said. “From what we can tell from our research, the young man is related to my client.”
I hadn’t even thought to ask Davis what our angle was in approaching the orphanage to get information, but he was damn good, terrible health or not.
“Oh. Well, that’s just wonderful. And I guess you have the boy’s name?”
“I do. He is sure to be grown now, but we had hoped you might be able to provide information to help us locate him. His name is Theron. Theron Christakos.”
The woman stiffened at the name. Yeah, she knew the asshole. I could see it in her eyes. She was glad to be rid of him, I suspect. “He... he hasn’t been living here for some time.”
“Are you alright, Mrs. Holloway?” I asked. She suddenly looked a little pale.
“Yes. Well, it’s just that... well... I hate to speak ill about the boys who have been through here, but that boy was a monster. At first, he was so sweet. You see, he was left here shortly after his birth. I had felt so sorry for him. But in his teens, I found him in the office with his file spread out on his lap. He was never the same after that day. For years, he was the devil incarnate. Then he turned eighteen and left. I’d never been happier to see a child leave in all my years.”
“Why is that?” Davis asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“He tormented the other children. If something bad happened, it always came back to him.”
“I see. Do you have a picture of him?”
She nodded, digging a file from her desk drawer.
“I thought you would want to see his file. It’s been in storage for years, I’m afraid, but everything is there. His family history and... well, you’d know all about that.”
Davis and I toiled over the file for almost an hour. The most recent picture of Theron was from his early teens, which didn’t give us much to go on. But we could use it with age progression software to get an idea what he might look like today. Mrs. Holloway answered what questions she could about Theron and his past, finally telling us we could have the file. Davis thanked her for her help and excused himself to use the restroom.
“Mrs. Holloway, did Theron leave anything behind? Personal effects, maybe?”
“He did. Let me get those for you. It may sound cold, but I will be glad to see them gone. You can take them with you.”
“Thank you.”
Davis returned just as Mrs. Holloway walked back into the office with a small shoe box. I’d never thought about how sad his life must have been here, compared to that of Sebastian’s. To have all of your possessions fit in such a small box was heartbreaking. Many women would be brought to tears at a thought like that, but not me. Not for Theron. I wouldn’t cry for him. Not after what he had done.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you. Are you sure you won’t be needing these back?”
“No. You keep them. If you find him... give them to him.”
Rosie walked us to the front door, wishing us well in our search. Davis waddled down the rickety steps to the car, leaving me to thank Rosie for her help. I heard the alarm beep as he unlocked the door and hastened my final thank you’s. Just as I began to shake Rosie’s hand, I heard the engine roar to life then BOOM! The car exploded into a blaze of roaring fire. Rosie and I were tossed against the house by the sheer force of the blast alone.
My head ached and my hearing was fuzzy as the world slowly came back into focus, the explosion still echoing in my head. The sight of the car I had been minutes away from climbing into was a rolling ball of fire, torn open like a tuna can. And then it hit me that Davis Jackson was gone. Just like Meg and Astra. I snapped my head around, looking for any signs of Theron, as if I’d know what to look for. I huddled against the wall of the orphanage, tears streaking down my cheeks, covered in dirt from the blast. I could just make out Rosie’s voice saying something about the police as she crawled to her feet and disappeared inside. Closing my eyes to the flames, I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and called Hackett.
“Hackett? Hello!” I shouted.
“Haven? Why are you screaming?”
“Sorry. Hard to hear you. He bombed the car. Davis is dead.”
“What the fuck! Where are you?”
“Shiner. At the orphanage.”
“Stay put. Don’t leave the orphanage. Eamon and I are on our way.”
“But the police. Stay put, damn it.”
Hackett sighed over the phone. “Okay.” The line when dead after that. I couldn’t tell if he was angry, upset, or just being his usual non-chatty self.
I didn’t move. No matter how much I tried to keep myself from looking at the car, I found my eyes falling on the twisted wreckage. I could have been in that car. I could have died. Every horrible thing I had thought about Davis swept through my mind in an instant and guilt followed, licking at its heels.
The police and fire department showed up within minutes, putting out the raging inferno. Plain-clothes officers wearing wranglers and dusty boots asked tons of questions. I had expected that, as I explained countless times to several different officers why we had paid a visit to the orp
hanage. Almost an hour after the bomb blasted through the silence of the calm country town, Hackett and Eamon pulled into the driveway. Hackett hopped out of the car and ran to me, slamming the door so hard the SUV shook.
“Are you hurt? Please tell me you’re okay. The boss will have our asses if you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” My voice cracked as the words slid over my tongue. “Davis didn’t make it.” I tilted my head to the black body bag on the ground, some twenty feet away.
“I’m sorry. Were you able to find out anything?”
“Yes. Fuck!” I yelled, suddenly realizing something. “Davis had the file on Theron from his years here at the orphanage in his briefcase.”
“What’s that?” He asked, pointing at the dusty old box I was holding.
“It’s his belongings.” I lifted the lid, taking a quick look inside. Photographs? Tons of them. Photographs of his family, including his mother and father.
Hackett spoke with the officer that was in charge of the scene to make sure it was okay to take me home. It was. And I had never been so grateful to get the hell away from anywhere in my life. On our way out the short driveway, I caught sight of a camera at the intersection, aimed damn near straight at the old house.
“Stop!” I screamed.
Eamon laid on the brakes, giving me one hell of a scary look. “What? We need to get the hell out of here.”
“There’s a camera over there.”
“So what.”
“It’s facing the house. What if it caught him placing the bomb on the car? What if it caught a shot of his face?”
Eamon slammed the car in reverse, sending gravel flying everywhere. We skidded to a stop only feet away from a half dozen cops. Hackett jumped out, rushing to the cops, his hand pointing at the street camera across the way. Heads nodded and everyone seemed to jump into action.
Twenty minutes later, we were piled in the police department, watching a video of a tall man with short dark hair placing a bomb under the hood of the SUV Davis and I had been traveling in. Then it happened. The man turned, giving us a clear look at his face and my heart stopped. “Oh my god!” I squealed, jumping out of my chair. “He looks just like Sebastian. Exactly like him. They’re identical fucking twins.”
Convicted: A Mafia Romance Page 6