by C. J. Miller
Hyde’s hands were shaking. She put them in the pockets of her medical coat. She got points for holding it together.
Finn was direct. “We’re here about the body found in an alley on Paradise Avenue.”
Dr. Styles tensed. Her shoulders lifted slightly and her hands moved nervously, like she was looking for something out of reach. “Do I need to be concerned about that body? Was it not an OD? A rare disease that killed her?”
“The CDC didn’t indicate we needed to be worried about infectious disease or take any special precautions,” Finn said.
Hyde’s chest was rising and falling fast. Finn wished she would excuse herself. He would bail on this if she didn’t. Worry for her spread across his thoughts.
“Could we take a look at the body?” Finn asked.
“I have not fully processed it yet, and I can’t have you interfering with evidence,” Dr. Styles said, setting her hands on her hips. “Listen, I have work to do. Come back at eight when the next shift arrives.”
“Two minutes with the body and we’ll be out of your way,” Finn said. “We’d be in your debt.” Dr. Styles had a chip on her shoulder. He debated groveling or flirting to get what he needed.
Dr. Styles walked to one of the drawers and pulled out the table. “This is her.” Her voice was wavering.
Finn looked at the body. She was pale white, her skin almost tinged blue. Her body was covered with a sheet. He wanted to look at her arms and between her toes for signs of track marks. With Dr. Styles standing over them, it was impossible.
They needed to know if this death was connected to Whiteout.
“I’ll need a sample of her blood,” Finn said.
“As long as I have a warrant,” Dr. Styles said.
Finn could knock her out. Tie her up and take the blood sample from the victim. But he wouldn’t resort to that. The West Company could obtain a warrant through official channels, but they preferred for their work to be untraceable, and a paper trail complicated matters. “Your administration has the fax the CDC sent over. They will see it first thing in the morning. Let’s save everyone time and effort.”
Dr. Styles narrowed her eyes. “I need a warrant or authorization from my boss. I am not getting fired because the CDC decides they can’t utilize the proper channels.”
Finn tried again. “You can have your boss call me and I’ll explain everything. Again, the emergency nature of this requires I take the blood work now.”
Dr. Styles pushed closed the drawer and made a show of locking it. “Warrant or forget it. You can see yourselves out.”
With a quick exchange of glances, they exited the morgue. Hyde was breathing deep and slow, likely trying to stay calm.
“Why did you stay in there so long?” Finn asked.
Hyde brushed some hair away from her face. “What was I supposed to do?”
Finn put his arm around her. “Make an excuse and leave.”
“I thought she was planning to let us take the sample, then she turned on a dime and got argumentative,” Hyde said. “If we have to wait for the official records or a warrant, we’re losing time.”
“Excuse me!” A loud voice from behind them.
Finn and Hyde turned to see a redhead in her twenties wearing pink scrubs jogging toward them. Her tight curls bounced around her shoulders as she ran.
“Please, just a minute,” the woman said. She didn’t seem to be carrying a weapon, but Finn reached for his.
The redhead was out of breath when she caught up to them. “I’m Nadine. I work in the medical examiner’s office. Paperwork and ordering supplies. I overheard you talking to Dr. Styles about the drug overdoses.”
Finn’s ears tingled. He and Hyde were on to something and Nadine might fill in some blanks.
“Why does the CDC care about the overdoses? I mentioned something to my boss, but nothing came of it. There’s been so many recently and they’re different than what we’ve seen in the past,” Nadine said.
Finn flashed a charming smile, trying to set her at ease and establish they could be trusted. “The CDC is concerned. It’s why they sent us. Working here, we could get the samples faster.”
Nadine seemed relieved. “You know there’s been an influx of cases in the last few months. Drug overdoses that are filed as cocaine usage, but the test results are subject to interpretation. It’s not clear-cut. I have a friend who works at Miami West Hospital, and she heard the doctors talking about another drug. Not cocaine, but similar.”
“What are they calling this drug?” Hyde asked.
“Whiteout,” Nadine said.
Whiteout was on the street, attracting users and killing people. Barnett was aware of it and was either covering up the deaths or ignoring them.
Nadine shifted on her feet and glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t tell Dr. Styles I said anything. It worries me how many drug overdoses we’ve had. In the past, when this has happened, the police have spread the word to warn people. But with this stuff, no one wants to admit we have a huge drug problem. Something more dangerous or lethal, I don’t know.”
Payoffs were involved if the incidents weren’t being investigated. Barnett’s payroll must be huge, ensuring unchecked distribution of his new drug.
“If people know it’s dangerous, why is anyone buying it?” Hyde asked.
Nadine shrugged. “I know about the overdoses and the drug is potent, but not everyone does. When I bring it up, everyone wants me to stop talking about it.”
“Thanks for having the courage to tell us about this, Nadine,” Hyde said.
“I’m glad you guys are looking into it.” Nadine looked over her shoulder. She reached into the pocket of her scrubs and handed them a vial. “The blood from the victim. This should help you. I need to go. I’ll be in trouble if anyone sees me talking to you.” She whirled away and jogged down the hallway toward the morgue.
Chapter 12
Another hotel room, another frustrating conversation with Barnett. He wasn’t a patient man and at times, he was completely unreasonable. This was one of those times.
Finn paced across the plush maroon rug, stifling his frustration. This hotel room was smaller than the last and the geometric print wallpaper—and this conversation—was giving him a headache.
“Have you found a new warehouse?” Barnett’s voice was terse.
Even with the West Company’s considerable resources, scouring the city and surrounding towns for the perfect location was a sizeable task. The dimensions of the warehouse and the distance from the port were critical. Finding an empty warehouse available immediately added to the challenge.
Finn was learning more about Barnett’s network. The closer he got to Barnett, the sooner they could take him down. For now, Finn kept his temper. “I have a few possibilities. I am scouting them and running surveillance. I need to know who’s in the area and if our sudden presence will bring interest.” Finn had told Barnett about his run-in with Holt and the Shadow Crew, and despite Barnett’s promise to handle it, Finn hadn’t heard more from him. By handle it, he could mean taking out a hit on members of the gang, like he had on Ramirez, or he could mean ignoring the problem and leaving Finn to fend for himself.
“Hurry up. My contact at the port and in the DEA is costly. It’s not like I can make this move in a day,” Barnett said.
His DEA contact? Barnett was paying off someone in the Drug Enforcement Agency? Finn was curious about that, but asking too many questions would raise Barnett’s suspicions. “Give me a few names of men who can run surveillance for me,” Finn said. “I need to know if the location is secure.”
Barnett grunted. “I’ll email you. Any further provocation from Holt or the Shadow Crew?”
It had only been a day since Holt had shown up in their hotel room. “Nothing.” As of yet, they hadn’t tracked
Holt’s location, but he hadn’t approached him or Hyde again.
“Stay on top of it,” Barnett said. “I’ve got to go. Don’t let me down, Finn.”
* * *
Hyde looked up from her computer. She was catching up on personal emails over a secure connection. Victoria had posted pictures on a social media site of her and Thomas poolside at their resort. Hyde felt a twinge of jealously at the scenic photos.
When this mission was over, Hyde would take a vacation and treat herself to great food and wine. Her ideal trip would include Finn. He may take a week or two away from work. Then he would move on to the next assignment. A pang of loss struck her.
Finn stood by the window, holding his phone in his hand. “Barnett has someone on the take at the DEA.”
Not surprising. “Did he mention who?”
“No.”
Hyde shut down her computer and focused on this conversation. “We’ll mention it to Abby and keep our eyes and ears open.”
“If Barnett has a DEA agent or agents working for him, who else does he have in his pocket?” Finn asked. He leaned on the table next to her computer, folding his arms across his chest.
Barnett knew how to pave the way to what he wanted. Hyde set her hands on Finn’s thigh and rested her head against them. “We can’t know. We can only trust each other,” Hyde said.
Finn ran his hand through her hair. “Just each other.”
She had more to say on that thought. Admitting that Finn was the person who knew her best, the man whom she trusted with her life, felt overpowering.
Hyde’s phone rang. Lydia was calling. Hyde answered the phone, trying to keep her voice casual.
“They suckered you back in, didn’t they?” Lydia asked.
Hyde forced a laugh to cover how close Lydia was to the truth. At the beginning of this mission, her express intent was getting in and getting out without forging any ties. Believing that was possible had been a lie she had told herself. She was involved in this mission and she was getting in deeper with Finn, too. “It’s taking longer with the client than we initially thought. But it’s just this one client. Then I’ll be back in Bearcreek.”
“If I asked you to babysit Thea this Friday, you’d be okay with that and not stand me up?” Lydia asked.
Hyde couldn’t commit to Friday. She was hopeful about bringing Barnett down, but not that quickly. Lydia was hundreds of miles away. “Not that soon.”
A labored deep breath in and out. “Hyde, I need the truth,” Lydia said.
Had Lydia stumbled on something about her life? “About what?”
“About what you’re doing. I was counting on you to be back here with me. You said you’d help me with Thea. Between the worry when I was pregnant and the last year, I haven’t slept through the night in a year and a half. Now Victoria is married and she’ll be starting her own family. She’ll have this great life with a man who provides for her and I have sleepless nights and money problems and—” Lydia choked back a sob.
Hyde’s heart ached for her sister. “Please don’t cry.”
Finn shot her a questioning look. Hyde closed her eyes and searched for the right words to comfort her sister. Hyde couldn’t fully understand what Lydia was going through. Raising her daughter alone, working full-time and not having much help was wearing on her. “I can wire you money if that would help. Use it for whatever you need. A babysitter, a day care or bills.”
Lydia scoffed bitterly. “If you could pay my bills eternally, that would help. Oh, and be the person who I can call at two in the morning when Thea has a fever and I can’t decide if I should take her to the ER or wait until morning and call the pediatrician. Or you can come over every day so I have ten minutes to myself. Can you do that?” The harshness of the words and Lydia’s anger bit into her.
“You can always call me,” Hyde said, feeling inadequate and knowing she had let her sister down.
“You’re nowhere around,” Lydia said.
The guilt nearly crushed her. “I’m sorry, Lydia. I want to make things right for you.” It was part of her motivation in avenging Simon.
“I know that. You, Victoria and Mom and Dad have tried to help me. I probably sound hostile, but this has been hard. Thea is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me. I wish it was easier. I wish that Simon hadn’t been a lying coward,” Lydia said.
To hear those words spoken about a man Hyde knew had been honorable and decent cut to her soul. “Simon wouldn’t have wanted this to happen.”
At the mention of Simon’s name, Finn’s eyes met hers.
Hyde wanted to defend Simon without upsetting her sister. “Simon would have done things differently if he could.”
Lydia sniffed. “You’ve said that before. Yet, this man who you brought to visit our family, who you brought into our lives, is gone. You can’t contact him. No email address. No phone number.”
She had told her sister those things. “Are you blaming me?” Hyde asked. Blame or not, she was carrying the guilt.
“At first, I did. But I believe you would tell me if you knew where he was. I hired a private investigator about six months ago to track down Simon. Victoria gave me the money. She thought that Simon would pay child support.”
Hyde hadn’t known about this. Simon’s cover had been deep. No way could a PI track Simon’s identity or find out what he had done for a living. “What did you find out?” Hyde asked. She was almost afraid to hear the answer. Finn knelt on the floor next to her, listening.
His hand was on her shoulder for support.
“It’s as if he was a figment of our imagination. If I didn’t have Thea, I would question my sanity and if I made up the whole thing. The PI said he was probably a criminal. He fooled you, he tricked me and when the whim struck, he disappeared.”
Finn looked at her and his eyes were filled with deep wells of sadness. He didn’t want his friend remembered this way.
Hyde’s chest ached. Her sister had no idea what she was saying. But if Barnett was no longer a threat, Hyde could tell her the truth and it would free Lydia. She could move on with her life. Hyde heard Thea in the background.
Lydia sighed. “I have to go. I understand you can’t come Friday. But when you come home, do us a favor and come home alone.”
The line went dead. Hyde looked at the phone and then at Finn.
She fell into his arms and Finn held her. He kissed her cheek, and his strong arms kept her afloat. The overwhelming urge to burst into tears pressed into her. Simon’s memory should be honored. Lydia deserved happiness. Compounded with her feelings for Finn, she felt lost. Her relationship with Finn was confusing and difficult to process. The distance hadn’t kept her from wanting him and when this was over, those feelings would persist.
She leaned away and Finn wiped at her cheeks with his thumbs. “We’ll make this right, Hyde. I promise you.”
Hyde pressed her lips to his, ending the conversation before she told him the truth. Helping Lydia with closure was important and so was bringing Barnett down. But there was something more important. She had fallen for Finn a long time ago, and being with him in the future was what she most wanted. But did she want it enough to give up a family of her own?
* * *
Hyde strode into the newly scouted warehouse. It was empty, but a delivery was expected soon. She and Finn were waiting to meet one of Barnett’s Miami contacts to show him the warehouse.
The West Company had outfitted it with discreet surveillance devices. They could monitor what went on inside. It would go a long way to building their case against the men involved with Barnett’s enterprise.
Hyde hid her shock when James Sydney stepped out of his luxury sports car and strolled to the door. He was tall and slim, outfitted in a Hawaiian button-down shirt and a pair of khakis. A pair of sunglasses was tucked in his
shirt pocket and he wore a crisp pair of brown loafers. His hair had begun to recede and he was gray around the temples. Hyde stepped away from the door and occupied herself looking in her handbag and watching from her peripheral.
Sydney pulled the door open and stepped into the building. He extended his hand to Finn. “I’m Sydney.”
“Finn. Glad you could make it. This is my girlfriend, Alex.”
Sydney glanced at her, but said nothing.
Finn gestured around the space. “Let me show you the place.” At the first opportunity, Hyde would message the West Company about this development. The West Company believed that Sydney was involved in the Barnett cartel and had been for a decade. They suspected he was responsible for seven deaths and an uncountable number of crimes. Having him at the warehouse confirmed his connection to Barnett.
“You’re new. Let’s see if you make it. You’re off to a rough start,” Sydney said.
Word had spread about what had happened to Barnett’s previous associates. Their bodies had been found inside the burned-out warehouse. The cost of doing business with Barnett had gone up.
Finn pointed out the features of the building. He had already sent Barnett the necessary documentation including the access roads, the surrounding area and the building specs. Hyde trailed behind them, pretending to be involved with her phone.
“This place isn’t as big as the other one,” Sydney said. “I was hoping for something larger.”
“We’ll move the goods here and ship them as soon as possible. This isn’t a long-term storage facility. We want the product on the street,” Finn said.
Sydney stroked his goatee. “That’s a good point. You know, you look familiar. Have we met before?”
Hyde mentally checked her weapon. Finn and Sydney’s families had a connection. The men may have briefly crossed paths. If Finn resembled his father or brother, Sydney may realize who Finn was.
“I’ve done business up and down the East Coast,” Finn said.
Sydney had his hands in his pockets, and on his hip was a prominently displayed gun. Hyde wished she could flash her gun to show him that she would take him out if he hurt Finn.