The Case

by Lee Cunningham

  “Our guardians were convinced that the people who killed our parents would continue to look for the missing master file and might eventually try to use us to acquire it. My grandfather was determined you and I would survive, so he hired a security team that guarded us both, full time for the next five and half years. By then, I was 18 and attending a private college, with its own high level of security, and you were out of college, and had graduated from the police academy.”

  “Granddad’s private investigators were convinced that there had been no evidence of any attempt to gather intelligence on either of us, or make any move on us, so the security was greatly reduced.” Kate’s emphasis on the words “greatly reduced” led Shane to begin to inquire, but Kate cut him off with a stern look, and he relented. He found “the look” adorable.

  “Your surveillance team only occasionally got involved to assist you…in making sure you were safe…a few times. I mean, once you were off probation, and working alone as a police officer, you rarely needed a hand.”

  Kate winced as she said the phrase, “a hand.” Shane bounced up as if shot from a cannon. “You mean I was followed while I was on duty?” he demanded.

  “I swear I didn’t know anything about it,” Kate pleaded. “They kept most of this from me until four months ago.” Once the words “4 months” were out, she knew she couldn’t take them back, and her chagrined look gave her away even more.

  “Four months ago!” Shane exclaimed. ‘Are you telling me that you knew all the time I was looking at you, and you were looking at me in the café… and I didn’t know who you were, and you knew who I was…and we were supposed to…and what about Pete? Well, of course, he knew all along…and your grandfather knew, and everyone else knew…but me?!”

  Totally perplexed, Shane gave a great long sigh, and sat down in a slump of defeat. This knowledge, however, kicked his mind into overdrive.

  Kate flew off the loveseat as effortlessly as she had landed, and said, “Drink?” as she refilled the martini glass from the iced pitcher.” The irresistible look had returned to her face.

  Shane gave her a pretend irritated look as she handed him the glass. “Well, they’re small glasses,” she replied in defense, successfully changing the subject.

  “Does anyone in our families make any moves on their own?” Shane asked as he glared down at the floor. Kate dropped back down on the loveseat, cross-legged, as effortlessly as always, and this time with the martini in her hand. Not a drop was spilled…Shane just looked at her and groaned. He knew he was completely taken by this captivating woman he just couldn’t seem to be angry with.

  Shane said, “Let me ask this then. Am I the only one in the dark about everything?”

  Kate smiled wide. “Why, no, Shane, we haven’t told Heath anything! You know a lot more than he does!”

  Shane knew Kate was playing with him now to lighten the moment. He said, “Well, that’s just fine, since Heath has spent most of his last few years in prison! I suppose it was just way too difficult to bring him up to speed while he was in the pen!!”

  Kate leaned close, took Shane’s hand in both of hers, and said gently, but playfully, “So, you are upset with all of us?” Before he could respond, Kate offered, “Well, you can take it out on those mean old men, when you see them at breakfast. And remember, I had nothing to do with it until four months ago. I was just the girl who wanted another date with her dream-man,” Kate smiled.

  “So if you’re angry with me, I guess we could go back to just being friends…if that’s really what you want.” Kate didn’t even bother looking up at Shane. She knew for sure now where his heart was. She smiled, looking down at the loveseat, with full knowledge that Shane was unable to be angry with her for telling the truth.

  Shane couldn’t resist Kate’s smile, but he couldn’t shake the feeling he had always been one step behind. Now he knew he had been one step behind for the last 16 years! He decided he had questions that someone was surely going to answer.

  He took a long, slow sip from his martini, put the glass down authoritatively, and began to state his position, when Kate said, “So where was I?” as she slyly eyed the ceiling. Once again, Shane slumped back in the cushions out-maneuvered, as Kate took control...again.

  “So you’ll want to know how we all got here now. And please remember, I only know what I have learned in the last few months.” After a little pause, Kate said, “Well, that’s not entirely true, because I did manage to force Grandfather to keep me updated on your whereabouts while I grew up and went to school. I knew you had never married, and I had all the pictures. And I was at some events that involved you and your life.” Shane groaned and closed his eyes tightly.

  Kate playfully repeated the wince as she waited for the reply.

  Shane rolled his eyes at the ceiling as he said, “Oh, I give up.” He folded his arms across his chest and waited for the explanation.

  “Well, I kept pestering grandfather about you, and asking when I could see you again. He finally told me that your parents had been killed, and I guess he felt sorry for me, and gave me a picture. By the time I was 18 and off to college, I had a room full of pictures and articles, following you through high school sports, going to college, graduating from college, and going to the LAPD police academy.”

  “My roommates at college teased me about my shrine, dedicated to a secret lover.” Kate stopped and looked down, as if remembering something painful. Her voice became softer and almost frail as she continued. “After losing my dad, you and Grandfather became my family. And later, Pete, of course,” she added.

  Shane unfolded his arms as he looked at the tender sadness in the face of this woman he loved more and more each moment. His heart was bursting, but he tried to remain collected, even as the martinis continued to relax him a little more than usual. He thought he really had lost track of his controlled existence. Looking at Kate, Shane saw an innocent child, who had become a woman, still concealing feelings that had been crushed by a childhood tragedy.

  Shane thought how that look of hurt innocence was a chilling reminder of the small child in each of us that sometimes hurts intensely, and desperately needs love and support. Shane thought about his own loss, as words from somewhere deep inside him welled up...his mom and dad telling him they loved him each day.

  “What about your mom?” he asked tenderly.

  “What?” Kate looked up, as if pulled from the trance of her thoughts by a distant question. “Mom died in childbirth. That’s why Dad and Granddad and I were so close, I think. I always wanted a mom, but they more than made up for it, and gave me all the love I needed…until I needed you.”

  Kate looked into the eyes of the man she knew was now the center of her life. Whatever came, she knew they would face it together. The two lovers stared at each other, with love in their hearts, and growing sad smiles on their faces. They had come to an unusually clear understanding of the importance and depth of their powerful new love in a very short time.

  They both realized this love and need would live forever in their hearts. Each had found what they had needed to complete their souls. They could already feel that together they were more loving, more powerful, more sensual, and more complete than they could ever be alone or with someone else. They were in love that special way people were supposed to be in love.

  They both leaned in at the same time, as if on cue, for a passionate and sensuous, yet gentle kiss. Kate finally pulled back and placed her free hand over Shane’s lips, feeling his warm hot breath. She explained, “I have to finish my part of the story before breakfast, and we still have to go to bed and get some sleep.”

  She smiled up teasingly at Shane, as he said, “Part? We have parts? Who else has parts?”

  Kate kissed Shane again seductively, and again withdrew, saying matter-of-factly, “Well let’s see…there is Grandfather, Pete, and then you’ll want to hear from Jim and Doug among others.”

  Shane couldn’t believe his ears. “Who the hell are Jim and Doug?�
�� he demanded.

  “They have been your bodyguards off and on for many years, and it’s about time you met them and showed some appreciation, mister!” Kate said with a smile. She continued, “Besides, they have to bring you up to speed on your investigation, and what the rest of the team has uncovered.”

  “My investigation?” Shane challenged. “Now, wait just a minute, Kate,” Shane said as he stiffened in response. He tried to stand to protest, but was stopped cold by Kate’s firm hand on his shoulder, and the fingers from her other hand over his mouth.

  “Now, which is it, buddy, are we in love and listening to our partner, or stubbornly refusing to cooperate, over some misplaced sense of macho pride?” she said, only half-teasing.

  Shane marveled at how quickly Kate had mastered him. It caused him some concern, but he thought that with time, he might learn to outmaneuver her enough to keep her interested. He thought he should heed her grandfather’s earlier cautionary warning. Once again he sank into the cushions.

  Kate started again. “So, you became a police officer, then a narcotics detective, and finally, you were assigned to vice and intelligence. But then, you discovered the Chief of Police, and one of his captains (and closest friend) in your department, were both corrupt. You began an investigation on them that looked promising. They were into everything from theft of public money to misappropriation of drugs and evidence. You linked them to a series of high dollar residential burglaries that resulted in the theft of millions of dollars’ worth of cash, guns and jewelry.”

  “You worked the case and turned it over to the California Department of Justice investigator, assigned to finish what you started and prepare it for prosecution. The case went nowhere, because someone in the DOJ was paid off. So you quit and went to DEA, and worked for deep cover in a task force for four years, and we all know how badly that turned out. Corruption and pay-offs once again destroyed the chance at bringing down a lot of bad people.”

  Shane threw his arms up and asked in dismay, “Who are you really? CIA? NSA? You know everything about my life, and how, I can’t even imagine. After all, I just met you again after many years. Kate, this just isn’t fair for you to know everything, and me to know nothing!” But the short protest was once again cut off by the look from Kate that was disarming, to say the least.

  She continued, “You’re in too much danger now, and we had to get more involved, Shane. If you can give me a little more time to explain, you’ll understand everything.”

  Shane nodded in resigned agreement. He knew that the assignment had been dangerous. But this additional information already made it considerably more perilous than he could have imagined, at least in his mind. After all, he worked alone, or so he had always believed.

  “First, your police career was going to die there with your nemesis, the Chief and his unholy henchmen, still in place, and then things went so badly at DEA…so Grandfather used a contact that needed someone with your talents, to uncover corruption, and you were recruited by Denver PD for that brief assignment.”

  “Then, there was Huntington Beach PD, where you worked undercover for a year in narcotics, without anyone in the department aware you existed, except for the Chief. After that, you worked the special assignment at Houston PD, and then the long assignment in Florida. Then you had the job offer from Phoenix PD and, here we are now, on assignment in Carson City. We may have all continued on the way we were, with me working in Grandfather’s company and you doing your work, but then something unusual happened.”

  Shane couldn’t resist the barb, “Oh, something unusual is going to happen in this story?” Kate again gave him the look that said it all. Shane called it the “stink eye” when anyone else did it, but Kate’s unique “look” was different and conveyed so much more.

  She continued, uninterrupted. “For several years, our private investigator firm has been making behind-the-scenes inquiries into the deaths of our parents, slowly building a case through the years. Our law firm, your dad’s old firm, has been working with our PI firm.”

  “The investigation has gained ground on uncovering documents leading to the creation of the task force that AG Mayfield ordered which led to your parents’ deaths. Our attorneys say we are getting close to a release of necessary information under the Freedom of Information Act, and other related motions they have filed. They learned the investigation has been closed for years, but some documents do remain.”

  “The constant investigation and filing of court documents has made some people nervous. There are too many of us involved now to kill or attempt to silence all of us. They can’t just ‘make it go away.’ A few months ago, our private investigator firm received an anonymous tip that an investigation was going to be conducted into the death of California State Attorney General Scott Mayfield, who hired your father.”

  “Within a week, the PI office received an email, containing an attached PDF, sent by an unknown person using a library computer in Sacramento. The PDF attachment was a copy of the order to exhume Mayfield’s body. The order included an affidavit, with the witness’s names blacked out, stating there was new evidence that 16 years ago, Scott Mayfield had been murdered by an overdose injection of the experimental drug Cardacan. Two days later, you were offered this job by the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.”

  Shane was filing and calculating information as fast as Kate threw it at him, trying to find the pattern that led to the answers.

  She increased the pace of the information with each sentence. “Carson City Undersheriff, Brian Grant, worked at the California Department of Justice when your dad was the working with the task force. He was involved in a suspected bad shooting that resulted in the death of a suspect in another corruption case. The suspect may have been trying to surrender and cooperate with law enforcement, when Grant shot and killed him.”

  “Grant’s father was a wealthy, influential California politician. Grant breezed through a low-key shooting review board, took an early retirement from DOJ, and with his father’s help, landed a job as a patrol officer at the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. Fifteen years later, he was promoted to Undersheriff, and when Sheriff Roberts hired you, he placed Brian in charge of the administration of the assignment, not knowing who you really are, or the details of the case.”

  Shane’s mind was racing. Kate guzzled some iced lemon water from the pitcher and sipped her martini. She then resumed the story, increasing the pace to a machine-gun-like delivery.

  “Pete had purchased the law practice and moved here, as you know. Grandfather and I built the home on lots we bought here about the same time Pete moved. By that time, the investigation our PI firm had completed, led us to believe that Big John Galliano had been involved in your parent’s murder. They located a microfiche copy of a traffic citation Galliano received, just four blocks from the scene of your parent’s accident, one day before their deaths.”

  “They located rental agreements, showing he rented a series of vehicles in the week leading up to the deaths of your parents, and one of those vehicles was a semi-truck with a tanker trailer. He had a CDL and was licensed to drive a truck that size. We know no body was ever found in that truck, but the coroner said that the heat of the burning gasoline could have consumed the bones.” Shane winced and closed his eyes at the thought of the heat consuming his parents, too.

  Kate squeezed his hand, but didn’t slow her pace. “The details on the semi-truck and tanker trailer registration disappeared almost immediately from the traffic accident records at the LA County Sheriff’s Office. And, sometime later, those from the California Highway Patrol accident investigation went missing also.”

  “In those days, the Sheriff’s Office employed some Records Clerks that have been linked to biker gangs that supplied methamphetamine to Franky Magadinno in the LA area. They did favors for organized crime, as directed by their gangs, like making case files disappear.”

  “Franky and his father made several trips to the area just after the accident. They even attende
d a social fund raiser for the then LA County Sheriff, who was running for re-election.” As an aside, Kate noted, “The Sheriff has been cleared of any ties to Franky, but two of the Sheriff’s Office Records Clerks made sizable deposits to their checking accounts after the accident. Both of them died in suspicious accidents within a few months.”

  Kate again picked up the pace of the recap of events. It was like a sprint to the finish, and Shane wasn’t about to stop her. “While you have been here on assignment, Mayfield’s body has been exhumed, the autopsy completed, and the Coroner’s conclusion is that he died of an overdose of Cardacan.”

  “Before his death, a relatively new company, known as Delta Pharmaceutical Exchange, worked in a joint venture with Regenisis Developmental Laboratories, to develop Cardacan. This new drug, Cardacan, was never released, due to the severity of common side effects. Our PI firm has just received another email containing records proving that the Cardacan development had already been cancelled by the time it was administered to the Mayfield, so he could not have been a test subject or under a doctor’s care. In addition, Mayfield’s family has released medical records showing that he had no known heart-related disorder.”

  Kate had become increasingly excited as she got to the guts of the investigation, and Shane was impressed with her command of the facts of the case. He smiled in admiration, as she continued.

  “The night you prepared to make entry into the Magadinno compound, your back-up surveillance team, provided by us, observed a car park on the far side of the compound, away from your line of sight. A subject exited the car, wearing all black clothing, a balaclava, and a black hooded sweatshirt. While you were inside the compound…and I was biting my nails, by the way...” Kate stopped to emphasize to Shane in a glare, that she thought the entry was too dangerous.

  Shane understood the implied meaning, nodded, and Kate continued. “The unknown subject later jogged to your car and left a note on your windshield. He then jogged off, on foot, out of sight. He knew your car, Shane!” Kate glared again.