by Ali Vali
“Good thing for the women in our lives, but not for the asshole sending gifts. I’m going to feed them a roll of tape until they choke on it.”
*
Shelby stood next to Muriel as the pallbearers removed the casket from the hearse. The mausoleum next to the one that held Cain’s side of the Casey family was barely visible through the sea of flowers.
That’s not what held her interest, though. In her experience with funerals, which was her grandmother’s service when she was twelve, the people who’d attended had told her family good-bye at the church. Only her parents and grandfather had been at the burial site as the preacher said the final prayers.
Jarvis’s day had been something foreign to her from the start, and it was ending with a sea of people whose numbers rivaled the blooms blanketing the area. All of them truly seemed to mourn his passing as if they’d lost a big part of their private brethren.
If she had one wish, it would be to know their stories—every detail of their lives, not only for her job, but simply because the way they lived every day on the edge of ruination fascinated her.
Her phone vibrated on her hip and she wanted to ignore it as they set the coffin on a wheeled stand on the path leading to the mausoleum. But she answered when she recognized the number as the secure line Annabel had set up to communicate with her during this assignment. If Cain somehow got the information, it would trace back to her ninety-two-year-old grandfather in California.
“Hey, Granddad,” she said for Muriel’s benefit, then turned and stepped away. “I’m at a funeral and don’t have a lot of time.” The reminder was more filler than information. Annabel knew exactly where she was, and Shelby truly didn’t have much time. The team’s new leader, Joe, was standing with a new guy at the gate. One of the good things about this assignment would be to figure out how to make the surveillance harder to spot.
Annabel quickly told her about the new developments and how she was working on a warrant for Emma’s and the security footage she was sure Cain’s people had removed from the cameras their people had spotted when they arrived on the scene.
“Don’t lose sight of Muriel today, and call me if there’s anything new from your end. Maybe the distraction of her father’s death will help us finally get somewhere.”
“I’ll call you later, then.” When she turned around Cain was staring at her with a perturbed look. Shelby was sure her lack of respect had caused the reaction.
“I’m sorry,” she said to Muriel. “Granddad forgot where I was and he sends his condolences.”
Shelby took her place by Muriel’s side and wrapped her hand in the bend of Muriel’s elbow. As Muriel placed her hand over hers, Shelby had a feeling this would be the first of many funerals to come. Annabel’s news implied that Jarvis’s death had caused a break in the peace that people like Cain, Ramon, and Vincent had achieved. Not that Jarvis was a major player, but his passing was like the end of an era. What would follow was an unknown.
Chapter Eight
“Your honor,” Sanders Riggole said from the comfortable leather chair in Federal Judge Winston Lemoine’s office. Sanders was an associate in Muriel’s office, and his opportunity to impress his boss had finally come. He wasn’t about to miss the chance to pay off his lingering student loans. “On behalf of my client I take offense that the government continues to think we’re hiding something.”
“What we’re asking for isn’t unreasonable, Judge,” the federal attorney said. “Our investigation is beginning, and considering it concerns five Casey employees, Ms. Casey’s attorney should be more cooperative. Or are they holding back crucial evidence because it implicates his client?”
“If we’d been in open court I’d have slapped you down for that one,” Winston said, pointing to the young prosecutor Annabel had sent for what Sanders imagined she thought was a slam dunk. “What exactly do you believe the management at Emma’s is holding back? From your report, they turned over the security tapes and gave you access to the cleaning staff who found the boxes.”
“We don’t know if they’re hiding anything unless you grant us the right to enter the goddamn building, your honor.”
Winston stood and slammed his hands down on the spotless desk. “Boy, does this look like a cheap barroom to you?”
“No, sir.”
His response sounded contrite enough to Sanders, but the damage was done. Back at the office Muriel kept a meticulous file detailing the likes and dislikes of every judge in their jurisdiction, and at the top of Winston Lemoine’s tally of dislikes was using the Lord’s name in vain for any reason.
Twice a month, Winston frequented the high priced-call girls who worked Ramon’s club to get his dose of submission, which always was at the end of a flog wielded by a beautiful woman in high red spiked heels, but the man had to have some enjoyment in life. And even though the girls whipped hard enough to make Winston cry as he jerked off on those shiny red shoes, he never uttered one curse word.
“Your honor,” Sanders said, and placed his right hand over his heart, “I can assure you as a Christian that they have everything we had as far as surveillance footage to investigate what happened. But please remember that our law offices are also in that building, and the hub for the security cameras is located on the same floor. This would be an opportunity for the government to trample Ms. Casey’s attorney/client privilege.”
“Are you willing to let my investigator in with a strict set of parameters as to what needs to be looked at?” Winston asked.
“Certainly, your honor. We have faith in you to protect Ms. Casey’s civil liberties.”
“With respect, sir,” the prosecutor said.
“The warrant is granted. Only my office will execute it,” Winston said.
“Sir, our agents will be seriously impeded if they are not allowed in the building, so I ask you to reconsider.”
“Do you have the tapes?” Winston asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“Did your lab prove they’ve been tampered with in any way?”
“No, sir.”
“Then I seriously doubt you’ll stumble on a group of people covered in blood hiding in the Casey Law Firm. You can accept my compromise or appeal—your choice. I doubt that a higher court will overturn this, especially after I call them.”
The speech, Sanders knew from his limited experience, was Winston’s warning shot across the bow. Attorneys who habitually appealed his decisions had to come back with clear-cut cases to get him to throw them a bone.
Winston’s gavel came down and he stood when the prosecutor was smart enough to keep quiet. It might’ve been a small victory, but Sanders felt great. He’d kept them out, which not only was a win in court but a test of his loyalty.
And he was smart enough to know that his true employer rewarded loyalty above all else. To get what he wanted out of life, he needed to get Cain to notice what he could do for her. If that happened, then he could ask her to do what he couldn’t do for himself.
*
“Who were they?” Cain asked the group gathered in her office. She’d sent a reluctant Emma home with Dallas, Kristen, and Ramon’s wife, Marianna.
“Two of the cleaning staff, a bartender, someone we haven’t identified,” Katlin said, then paused as if she knew Cain would have a real problem with who the last person was.
“You and the cops hovering outside like biting flies said five boxes. So far you’ve mentioned four,” she said, already wanting to hit something or someone for taking six innocent lives to send whatever twisted message they had in mind. “Rip the bandage off already, cousin.”
“Bryce was the last of our people and was the one with the most damage to his body. Whoever did this tortured him to try and get something out of him.”
Bryce White was a young college dropout with a vast knowledge of the computers who made sure all Cain’s phones and electronics were clean. Long ago, when she’d left for Wisconsin after Hayden, Bryce had made all the arrangements with Vincent and
had carried out the surveillance on Barney Kyle. By his own admission he was a nerd who’d found in Cain someone who accepted him for who he was, and they’d both benefitted from the relationship.
Whoever had killed him had to have lured him out of the windowless room he’d designed when Muriel bought the building. And if they’d tortured him, they knew what Bryce did for her. If they broke him it wasn’t devastating, but they would have to change a lot of their security.
“How hard is it to torture a kid who weighs maybe one-twenty soaking wet?” Cain asked, rolling her head around to crack the bones in her neck. “And there’s another possibility, Katlin. They might have done it just for the hell of it.”
“They’ll get theirs soon enough, then,” Katlin said.
“Who was it on your end?” Cain asked Remi.
“New bartender upstairs at the club. If you compare at least three of the ones on your side they’re about the same level of employee, making Bryce the odd man out.” Remi stood and took her jacket off. “What I haven’t figured out is why.”
“I’m sure you have a theory.”
Ramon sat next to his daughter and flexed his hands but stayed quiet. He wasn’t impatient. He was worried. He’d told Cain before the meeting that he hadn’t been able to get in touch with his son, Mano, and it was driving him insane.
“If they were trying to prove we aren’t untouchable, it wasn’t much of a threat,” Remi said. “Aside from Bryce not one person on the list was valuable to them, so why piss us both off?”
“What we need to figure out is who. Then we’ll know the exact reason for the why. Right now I can only guess that it’s a simple game of knocking over castles made of wooden blocks.”
“I might need that one translated for me, Cain,” Katlin said.
“Hannah’s like me,” she said as she brought her hand down and slapped her other one with it. “She likes to smash blocks from the top down, but if you start to pull blocks from the foundation, the house will crumble just the same.”
“So someone’s starting a war by taking out people who really have nothing to do with our big money-making businesses?” Remi asked. “Who’s that stupid?”
“You can recite the list better than I can,” she said before the intercom buzzed. “Yes?” she asked her secretary.
“I know you don’t want any interruptions, but Nelson’s on the line,” she said, meaning the general manager of Emma’s. “He wants to talk to you.”
“What’s going on?” Cain asked Nelson, figuring the building had to be on fire for her secretary to have put him through.
“The FBI is in here and upstairs looking around.”
“Impossible. We won that battle this morning.”
“Sanders called and told us what the score was, but the team who showed up said they got consent from Muriel. And since it’s her office, they didn’t need to follow the judge’s ruling.”
Cain stood and her chair crashed into the wall behind her. “Why are they in the club?”
“Muriel gave consent for that as well.”
“Get Sanders on the phone right after you pull the fire alarm and evacuate the building.” She knew she sounded calm, but inside, something cracked away from her heart, leaving a cold, empty hole. The only thing that would’ve hurt more would’ve been if Emma had betrayed her.
“Katlin, find Muriel and tell her I need to speak to her.” The phone was still in her hand, but she clenched it in the fist resting on the desktop. “Bring her to the house minus her new shadow, and I’ll be there shortly.”
“Where are you going?” Katlin asked.
“I didn’t think I’d have to repeat myself, cousin. Right now isn’t the time to ask questions.” The receiver rocked a bit when she slammed it down and she put her fingers on it to make it stop. “Remi and Ramon, if you don’t mind, we’ll finish this later. I’ve got to take care of something.”
“Cain, please.” Katlin tried again when the room cleared. “You know I’d never question you about anything, but think before you do something that you can’t take back. Muriel’s lost, but she’s family.”
“Find her and drive her to the fucking house and wait for me. If that’s too hard a job then tell me and I’ll have Lou do it, but if I get there and see Shelby I’ll assume your loyalties have gone off-kilter like Muriel’s.”
“You know better than that.” Katlin put her hands on Cain’s shoulders. “I don’t have to look for Muriel, so why don’t we both go to Emma’s and talk to her.”
If Muriel was there, then she knew the ruling Sanders had won in court. The gates were locked and yet Cain’s enemies had slipped in easily because one of the people she trusted the most had opened them from the inside.
“She’s there?” she asked, not wanting to believe that possibility.
“Cain, there’s nothing in Emma’s that will damage you, and Muriel knows better than to let them search her office.”
“You look at me and tell me that six months ago Muriel and I would’ve had to have the conversation about to happen. Love comes to some of us and it awakens the blood of our family, but in others it brings only blindness.”
Katlin nodded. “Not that long ago you thought I was blind.”
“You were preoccupied with someone who knows nothing but loyalty, so that wasn’t a problem.” She glanced at the family photo on her desk and remembered the promise she’d made Emma and her uncle. “I know you think I’ll be harsh, but I’m tired of beating my head against a wall trying to change something I can’t.”
“Can I ask what you plan to do about that?”
Cain opened the door and saw Lou talking to Sabana Greco. “When have you ever heard of me beating my head against anything?” The conversation across from her stopped.
“It’s not the best time, but I need to talk to you,” Sabana said.
“What’s the word?” she asked Lou.
“The guys pulled the plug like you said, so everyone is in the parking lot while the fire-house guys from up the street check things out.”
“Get in the car,” Cain said to Sabana.
“I know you wanted—”
“The best option you have right now is to shut up.” Control was something she’d always enjoyed and the reason she could live how she wanted. She couldn’t figure how she’d lost that now that the rest of her life was perfect. Did people suddenly see only that part of her that was in love and had settled down and think she’d lost her edge?
“Tell me what you want,” she said to Sabana.
“I want you to hand over the man who gave the order to kill Rick.”
A perimeter of police, fire, and federal agents circled her club, giving Lou no choice but to stop so they could walk the rest of the way. “Lou, see if they’ll let you through.”
“You want to go inside if they’re done?” Lou asked her.
“See if that’s an option.” While they waited she thought about Sabana’s answer and how to some it would probably sound foolish. “If I do that, what do you plan to do with him?”
“You have to ask?” Sabana stared at her as if she’d suddenly lost her reasoning.
“Rick worked for me from the time your father passed away, so you know how long that was. He did his job well, did as he was told, and never unholstered his gun in all that time.” Lou was walking back, obviously ignoring the short police officer following him.
“That’s all true, but if something had happened to me or my mother, what do you think Rick would’ve done?”
Lou opened the door, a clear sign that she could enter the building if she wanted to. “Get with Lou later and work out where and when you start. I’ll okay it after I hear from your most important reference.”
“You know you can trust me.”
She looked at Sabana and saw the same eagerness in her expression that she saw on Hayden’s face, and remembered how she felt at Sabana’s age. She had considered only the freedoms that would come by embracing the lifestyle she wanted, but never imagin
ed some of its burdens. “If I didn’t trust you, Sabana, you wouldn’t have made it through the door. This isn’t about that,” she said as she got out of the car and didn’t stop Sabana from following her. “When I hear your mother’s okay, you have a place with me.”
“And if she doesn’t give it?”
“We already have an agreement in place, and you’ll have to live with it if you want to get anywhere with me.”
Sabana walked fast enough to keep up with her, and Cain could tell the anger that drove her was on a thin leash below the surface. “And what if I just go it alone?”
“This is a free country, little girl, but if you decide to work alone, you’ll be cut off from me and everyone who works for me.” She stopped and locked eyes with her so there’d be no misunderstandings later. “That means no more advice from Uncle Lou and no one to cover your back.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“Do we understand each other? The answer is yes or no, so I don’t need any other explanation.”
“I understand perfectly, and I’ll have Mama call you.”
This would be a problem, she felt it in her gut, but if Sabana blew, she would do her best to guide her or at least aim her in the right direction. Now, though, let me deal with the other cluster brewing in my life, she thought as she entered Emma’s, having passed the large group of federal agents who stood close to the door appearing anxious to swarm back in.
“The gatekeeper’s back, boys and girls, so I don’t think so,” she said softly to the empty room, and empty is how she planned to keep it.
*
“They said they don’t give out that kind of information,” Deidi Morgan said to Johnny outside the studio offices. The young prostitute had been as willing to go with him to start his search for his daughters as she had been to spend her nights with him. Or at least she’d kept mostly quiet as he painted her body with bruises.
“Did you tell them what I told you to?”
She nodded. “The woman in here said Dallas Montgomery doesn’t have any sisters, and she’d call security if I didn’t leave.”