by Ali Vali
“I did.”
“I’m not saying you didn’t, but I’m having the house swept today. If I find the kind of devices that require the walls to be ripped up, I’m going to deduct five thousand for every one I find.”
He took a step forward but stopped when Merrick put her hand in her jacket. “You can’t do that,” Jimmy said in transparent panic.
“I’m not,” Emma said calmly, almost laughing at how he puffed out his chest, thinking she’d backed down. “I’ll let my partner Cain collect however she sees fit. I love my privacy, but Cain is rather fanatical about hers. Once I’m done with the sweep I’ll have Cain call you so we can settle our bill.” She stared at him until he broke first and lowered his head. “Any problems with that?” Jimmy shook his head. “Anything you’d like to tell me?” He hesitated but shook his head again, only not as enthusiastically. “Thanks for stopping by, then. If there’s a problem, like the fact you might owe us some money, I suggest you secure a line of credit before you meet with Cain. She’s not only a stickler for her privacy, but she won’t tolerate you owing us money.”
As soon as Jimmy was out of earshot, Merrick started laughing. “It’s going to take a week for his balls to fall back into place. Whatever happened to that farm girl I met not that long ago?”
“She found out the world is full of wolves, and they all wear gray suits. Thanks for putting that picture in my head.”
Merrick sat across from her and leaned closer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine. Could you call in the guys and let’s see what we’re up against?” She whispered, figuring from Jimmy’s subdued demeanor the bugs were not only there, but were operational.
“How’d you guess Jimmy would’ve taken the chance?”
Emma let out a short, sarcastic laugh. “He was in here working one day when I came by with the decorator. It was the Confederate-flag tattoo with the words ‘live free or we’ll take you out’ that made me think he’d fall for the hype the feebies are always selling.”
“He didn’t look all that brave when he left,” Merrick said.
“I grew up with guys like that and they never are, unless they’re dealing with women or someone weaker. Confront them and they crumble like stale cookies, but for the most part they like to beat their chests and show the world how macho they are. Lucky for me I married the cure for jerks like that.”
The guy standing at the door waited until she finished before interrupting. “You have a visitor, ma’am.” He stepped aside so Dallas was visible.
“You said I could stop by if I wanted,” Dallas said.
“I’m glad you did.” Emma stood and smoothed her skirt.
Dallas appeared almost shy and unsure of herself, and she reminded Emma of the girl she was when she’d first arrived from Wisconsin. Back then she’d never had Dallas’s sense of style or level of success, but looking at Dallas, Emma could tell she had started something that excited and terrorized her.
Remi, like Cain, could devastate anyone with her looks and win anyone over with her charm, but she still had that dark side that couldn’t be ignored. That side of both Remi and Cain could stop you cold if you thought too long about what they were capable of, but loving them meant accepting all of who they were. For her it was easy. Cain was ferociously protective, but she’d never felt that Cain committed the atrocities, as the government tried to define what she’d done, for pleasure.
Now, with Dallas, she had the chance to give someone the insight she’d had to gain for herself, after getting over her own mistakes. It would be nice to have a friend on a journey similar to hers.
“How about an early lunch?” Emma asked.
“That sounds great because I wanted to take you up on your offer to talk.”
“Then how about an early lunch at our current address? If we’re going to talk, I’d rather it stay between friends.”
Chapter Nineteen
“My uncle’s stuck in the past,” Juan said to Anthony Curtis. “He doesn’t understand that the world has changed even though he refuses to.” He shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth, some of it falling and staining the napkin he had tucked into his shirt collar. “He said no, didn’t he?”
Anthony crossed his legs and ran his finger along the top of his coffee cup. He couldn’t appear too eager, because after reading the morning’s paper he wanted in more than ever. If he played this idiot just right, he could use him to find his way in and eventually to Cain.
“Mr. Luis is entitled to his opinion and to whom he has working for him.” He took a sip of coffee and shrugged. “His opinion of me isn’t good, and yes, he turned me down. That’s okay, though. I’m looking into other options.”
“Why not work for me?” Juan dropped his silverware so quickly his plate almost shattered. “I’ll take over for my uncle soon, and I could use you.”
“I don’t want to come between you and Mr. Luis.”
Another mouthful of eggs wrapped in bread disappeared but were still visible when Juan laughed. “I’m sure that’s your main concern, but don’t worry about it.”
“Then I’ll be happy to help you out.” Anthony nodded to the waitress when she removed his plate.
“Just one thing, Mr. FBI,” Juan said, the others with him laughing as he carefully enunciated the three letters. “You in the big leagues now. If you’re thinking of fucking me over, I’ll feed your nuts to my dog with a bowl of salsa.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Anthony said, pushing away from the table. When he stepped out of the restaurant, he took a page out of Cain’s playbook and smiled wide enough to show teeth for the cameras as he put his sunglasses on. For once he felt in control instead of trapped being a watcher. “Twenty bucks dear Annabel calls before the day’s out.”
*
“He’s with who?” Annabel screamed into the phone as Shelby placed the ballistics report on the rifle they’d found at Kyle’s crime scene on her desk. “Just stick with your assignment and I’ll take care of it from my end.”
“Problems?” Shelby asked.
“Not for long, but this couldn’t have come at a worst time. We’re stretched thin now, and I don’t need another rogue agent on my hands.”
“What?” Shelby sat down.
“We’re splitting the investigation into the Luis family business with the DEA, and Mark Pearlman, the agent heading up their part, just called and said Anthony had breakfast with Juan Luis this morning and met with Rodolfo Luis last night.”
Shelby fell back against the wood of the chair, feeling as if someone had hit her. “What’s he up to?”
Annabel laughed as if Shelby had made a joke. “What’s he up to? He’s asking Rodolfo Luis for a job, of course, and since the old man was smart enough not to hire him, he accepted Juan’s offer.”
“What’s he trying to prove?”
“I don’t give a crap what he’s trying to prove. He’s about to compromise an ongoing investigation.” Annabel picked up her phone, dialed her assistant, and demanded he find Anthony and bring him in. “What’s the word on our gun?”
“The bullet we dug out of the back of the van was mutilated, but it does match the caliber of the rifle we found, so in all probability we have the murder weapon. The rifle itself had the serial number filed down, but the field agent shipped it to the lab at Quantico and they’re working on it. Since this morning they’ve raised the first three numbers,” Shelby said, reading from her notes.
“And?” Annabel glanced up at her from the top of her glasses.
“I ran that little information and got a list of possibles about a mile long. I took into consideration who the players were and narrowed the scope to one person.”
Annabel put the folder down and smiled. “If you tell me you can trace it to Casey I’ll nominate you for agent of the year.”
“It’s never that easy, ma’am. Giovanni Bracato, Sr. has a rifle of that caliber registered to him. He also has a license to hunt deer, which is what the rifle is mo
st commonly used for. I won’t know for sure it’s his until they give me the entire serial number.”
She thought of Cain’s face as she confronted her the night before. No matter what, she was always relaxed, but never really smug like a person who always knew all the answers before the questions were really asked. “Not what we were expecting, but nothing ever is for me.”
“Then keep at it. All we need is one lucky break.”
Shelby pointed to the file on the rifle’s owner. “Some would call that one.”
“No, this is a dead end. Cain’s been lucky up to now, but that can’t last forever.”
Shelby laughed as she stood up ready to head out again. “I wouldn’t go that far. When it comes to the Casey family and luck, they have a lifetime supply. What you should maybe wish is for a little luck of the Irish to come our way.”
*
“Where’d you hear that?” Muriel asked. She was sitting at a table in Le Madeline Café across from St. Louis Cathedral. She wore a pair of dark sunglasses that gave her the freedom to study her surroundings.
After putting the last bite of croissant in his mouth, T-Boy brushed the crumbs from his fingers and pants. “My buddy told me he heard it from the man himself. Said the bitch running the show cut his balls off, and he wanted to work for someone who’d appreciate his talents.”
Muriel had forgone the French roasted coffee and ordered a carton of chocolate milk. It reminded her of a simpler time in her life when all she had to worry about was appeasing the nuns who taught in the school Jarvis and Dalton had picked for her and Cain to attend. “Anthony Curtis is out for hire?”
“To the highest bidder, and from what I hear, that Mexican dude wants to get his hands on him first. I thought Cain would want to know right away.”
She reached into the pocket of her leather coat and pulled out a roll of bills. “Thanks for the heads-up. Call me if you hear anything else.”
He wrapped his fingers around the money and nodded.
After he walked away, Muriel called Cain and told her what was going on. “Want me to dig some more?”
“You might have broken up with a certain agent too soon. Annabel probably figured you were her inside track to me, but sometimes information flows both ways.”
“That spigot’s been shut off permanently, so we’ll have to figure out something else.” Muriel started walking to her office, glad to see she wasn’t being followed.
“I’m not worried about Anthony yet.”
“That guy’s got it in for us, so you should worry.” As she reached Canal Street, a car pulled up and stopped, blocking her path. When she leaned down to see who it was, she figured her opportunity to find out what was going on had come.
“You know me, there’s more than one way to face a problem,” Cain said.
Muriel looked at Shelby and smiled. “For once I believe you.”
Chapter Twenty
“I haven’t been here in a few years,” Remi said, gazing out the window as Cain’s driver took them farther into the ninth ward. Outside, the houses were getting smaller and thinner, perfect examples of shotgun homes—if you shot a gun through the front door, the bullet would pass through every room before it went out the back. “What do you have in mind?”
“We’re here to introduce Vinny to our mutual friend.”
“So there’s soul food in my future?” Remi stretched her legs out as she laughed.
They turned right and four large African-American men stood in front of some street barricades. When the oldest-looking one tapped on the back-window glass, Cain lowered the window and stuck her hand out.
“How are the kids?”
“Costing me a fortune keeping them in shoes.” He shook her hand, then waved to Remi. “Good to have you two back in the neighborhood.”
“Does Maude have some chicken stew on?” Cain asked.
“She even changed into her best apron when she heard you were coming.” He looked behind them. “Go on in and we’ll keep the rats out.”
Cain peeled four hundred dollars from her wallet. “Thanks, and here’s something for your boys and your Nike fund.”
The barricades were moved aside just enough to let the car through, then quickly put back into place, stopping the van as it pulled up. The agents were about to learn a lesson about private property and how close you needed to be to a location to make the trip down here worth your while. The street and every house on it belonged to Jasper Luke, and the people who worked for him knew better than to let you in if you weren’t invited. The agents and their surveillance equipment were out of commission.
Maude’s Kitchen stood at the end of the drive. Jasper’s aunt was the chef and served from a large pot of whatever she felt like cooking. The front was jammed with cars, and Remi and Cain shook hands with the guys hanging out near the door.
As soon as they stepped inside, Maude said, “I been waitin’ on you all morning.” Cain had been enjoying Maude’s cooking since she was a teenager and tagged along with Dalton when he came down to talk business with Jasper.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, sugar.” Cain kissed both her cheeks and laughed at the strength of Maude’s embrace. “Miss me?”
“I’m waitin’ for you to leave that skinny blonde and take me out of that hot kitchen.”
Cain hugged her again and kissed her forehead. “We’re trying for number three, so she won’t be skinny for long.”
“Just don’t forget me if you’re looking for a change. Now get your butt to that table and let me feed y’all.”
Remi reached the table first and accepted Jasper’s hug. Neither she nor Cain could be considered small, but standing next to Jasper, Cain felt like a child. He was tall and built like a solid wall of muscle, topped with a completely shaven head so shiny it looked polished.
“Tell your dad I’m pissed I haven’t seen him in awhile,” Jasper said to Remi.
“You know how he is when he’s got something going on. He did say there’s a pair of dice waiting for you at the club.”
As Jasper gave Cain a similar hug, Vinny Carlotti stepped out of the restroom. The four sat down and smiled at Maude when she carried out four bowls of chicken stew, ruffling Cain’s hair when she got to her.
“What’s on your mind, Cain?” Jasper asked. He emptied half a bottle of hot sauce into his portion.
“We’ve got a problem, but this time around it’s not just our problem.”
“Something I can help you with?” Jasper asked.
After a few bites of the spicy stew, Cain sipped her beer. “I’m sure Vinny’s already clued you in on some of the stuff he’s got in the works. He’s going into business on his own, with backing from Remi and me. That’ll help some, but he needs a network to deal with the competition. That’s not something Vincent, Remi, or I am equipped to provide.”
“Stephano’s let his business go to crap, and his father’s never took off,” Jasper said. “Some say they’re coming back and others say they’re not. But some young punks looking to make a name are stepping in.” He dipped a piece of French bread into the bowl and put it in his mouth. “Makes no difference to me. Been a lot of killing down here, though, because they’re not taking care of things.”
“It’s time to rein it in, Jasper, if you’re interested,” Remi said. “We all agree nobody can fully control this business, but it’ll destroy us all if we don’t try.”
“You want my boys working with you?” Jasper asked Vinny.
“It’s the only way to make sure you’re not answering to Rodolfo Luis in a few years.”
“What’s yours and Remi’s cut?” Jasper asked Cain.
Cain lifted her spoon and finished her meal. “I’m just here making introductions, my man. What you and Vinny work out is up to you two. Remi and my interest lie elsewhere. We did agree on a price for our unique form of protection, but that’s coming out of Vinny’s part.”
“You’re not interested in Juan Luis then?” Jasper laughed when Cain bent her spoon usin
g just her thumb. “Thought so. Little shit was here earlier asking to make the same deal.”
Remi pushed her plate away and put her hand on Vinny’s forearm when he pulled his chair out. “Are we wasting our time?” she asked Jasper.
“I let him down the street because I was more interested in the company he’s keeping. First time that white boy been in this neighborhood, if I had to guess. Five-O was quiet, but he’s a guppy swimming by hisself in a pool of angry alligators.” Jasper stood and led them to his office upstairs.
“You let Curtis in here?” Cain asked.
“He was too busy making sure nobody got behind him to get a good look. Butt head who brought him had to figure I wasn’t doing business with someone who’s setting a trap for me.”
Cain almost cracked up at the thought of Anthony trying desperately to fit in. “What’d you tell Juan?”
“Told him to fuck off and the donkey he rode in on. We’ll work the particulars out, Vinny, so stick around. And, Cain, keep an eye on Emma. Our boy’s got a crush and he’s looking to prove his manhood. He mentioned your lady more than once.”
“Thanks, and remember I owe you one. Call if you need anything.”
Remi and Cain left after a stop in the kitchen. When they got to the car they had a message that Nunzio Luca wanted a sit-down.
“How long do you want to keep him waiting?” Remi asked.
“Couple of days should leave him in a mood to talk business. Right now I’ve got snakes to flush out of their holes.”
“Need help?”
“Are you sure? Mano sounded gun-shy this morning.”
“My brother is the cautious one, but he’ll learn you can’t always be too careful. Do that and it makes you seem weak. None of us can afford that.”
“What are your plans for tonight?”
When the car stopped in front of Remi’s building she put her hand on the door handle. It was the only complex in the downtown area built on the river. “I don’t have any yet,” she said, chuckling. “Will I need a date?”