by Ali Vali
Chapter Twenty-Two
“Comfortable?” Shelby asked Cain when she finally picked a seat that gave the folks behind the mirror a good view of her face.
Cain just stared, wondering what was bothering Shelby so much that she sounded pissed. “What are you hoping for here, Agent Daniels?” She drummed her fingers in an uneven beat that made Shelby glare at her hand.
“It’s Agent Philips, Ms. Casey. I know how much you pride yourself on getting our names right,” Shelby said, her voice lower than before and her face paler.
Cain whispered right into her ear, after jumping up quickly and grabbing her head, “Tell them to turn off the built-in sound system until my attorney arrives or, trust me, it’s going to be entertaining for me and interesting for them.” Joe Simmons magically appeared at the door, gripping the frame.
“Shelby?” he asked when Shelby looked straight at him but didn’t try to move away from Cain.
“It’s okay. Tell them to turn off the equipment until Ms. Casey’s attorney gets here.” She pointed at him and in a serious voice repeated, “I mean it, Joe, turn it off.”
Cain straightened up and laughed. She knew better than to believe Simmons would stop the tape. “Are we alone now, Agent?” Shelby stared at her but stayed quiet. “Is it safe for us to share all our dirty little secrets?”
Shelby barely shook her head. She saw it, but doubted anyone else looking in would. Of course it wasn’t safe. And one word from Cain about the night she’d first met Shelby and convinced Vincent to spare her life, and Shelby could lose all she’d worked for. Her fear was written all over her face. Shelby Daniels was the name she had given Cain on that flight when she agreed to lie in exchange for her life.
“It doesn’t matter, though, does it, that I have nothing to say. That I’ve done nothing to warrant you dragging me away in front of my partner and my children like a common thug simply because you can.”
Cain moved closer again and lowered her voice. “Power is intoxicating, Agent, but like anything else, too much of a good thing isn’t healthy. You wield it indiscriminately, and I’ll show you how it’s done. I’d love nothing better than to teach you all how to take away little by little everything that’s important to the lot of you. I’ll talk, and you know the Irish, we can weave a tale, we can. Do we understand each other, Agent Daniels?” Cain’s lips were so close to Shelby’s ear she could smell her perfume.
“Perfectly.”
“Good. Then to answer your question, I’m comfortable.” It was the last thing she said until Joe walked in with Muriel.
“Why is my client here?” Muriel said. She sat next to Cain and crossed her legs. When Shelby and Joe stayed quiet she snapped her fingers. “Now would be a great time to answer.”
“Your client assaulted a gentleman on the street. We brought her in for questioning in that matter and about a few other topics.”
Cain smiled and shrugged when Muriel glanced at her. “Let them tell us what I’ve done now, Muriel. It’ll probably save time.”
“Let’s start with your altercation with Mr. Luis this afternoon,” Joe said.
Cain leaned back in her chair. “Did he press charges or define it like that?”
“He didn’t have much to say on the subject, but after more conversations he may change his mind,” Joe said, his hand resting on another file. “There is another matter.” He patted the file.
“Would it create more tension if you played dramatic music?” Cain asked, making Muriel snort.
Shelby bristled. “This isn’t funny, Ms. Casey.”
“You’re right, this is serious business. Go on, Agent Simmons, let’s hear it.”
“Agent Barney Kyle was murdered last night.”
“I’m aware of that,” Cain said, never losing eye contact. She laughed when he leaned forward. “Don’t look so eager. I do know how to read. That was the headline story in this morning’s paper.”
“You visited Agent Kyle yesterday in jail,” Shelby said.
“You would know. You did, after all, follow me there from my office and had someone analyze every word we exchanged. Not to mention study every blink I made, and every facial expression. I visited Barney, but I don’t believe that’s a crime.”
Shelby nodded. “Considering your past relationship with Agent Kyle, why bother seeing him?”
“Just a couple of things before we go on,” Muriel interrupted. “Cain’s ‘past relationship’ consisted of Kyle shooting her with the intent to kill. And why do you insist on calling him Agent Kyle? The guy was in jail facing some serious charges.”
Shelby and Joe dropped their eyes to the table and didn’t dispute her right away. The door opened again and Annabel took a deep breath before pointing to Shelby. Without hesitation Shelby gave up her seat and left the room.
“We meet again, Agent Hicks.” Cain offered Annabel her hand.
“Thank you for agreeing to come in,” Annabel said, accepting the handshake.
“You’re welcome, even though it wasn’t exactly voluntary.”
“Before I arrived, Ms. Casey asked a question about Agent Kyle, and I’m here to answer it,” she said, ignoring what Cain had stated.
“We’re all ears,” Muriel said.
“Agent Kyle was in the sheriff’s custody when this happened, but in light of the report released today, I seriously doubt the District Attorney’s office would’ve filed charges.”
“Why is that?” Muriel asked.
“The FBI concluded that the incident with your client was an accident.” Cain put her hand on Muriel’s leg to keep her quiet until Annabel finished. “Furthermore, there was no evidence that Agent Kyle was working for, or affiliated with, the Bracato family. As far as the federal government was concerned, he was free to go as soon as he finished with local law enforcement. I understood Agent Kyle planned to retire after this to pursue other interests.”
“He almost kills my cousin, and you’re telling me it was an accident? Did your investigators bother to interview everyone in that warehouse that night?”
“Trust me, the investigation was thorough.” She opened the file Joe had brought in. “We have the murder weapon used last night.”
“Let me save you some more time in this little charade,” Cain said. “Is it a Remington shotgun, silver barrel engraved with Irish roses, circa 1942?”
“No, it isn’t,” Joe said.
“Then it isn’t mine. That’s the only firearm I own. If you don’t believe me, check.”
“The gun used belonged to Giovanni Bracato,” Annabel said.
“Then I suggest you find him and ask him why he decided to use Agent Kyle for target practice.” She said Kyle’s name with as much sarcasm as possible. “Wait, I forgot. There’s no link between Kyle and Big Gino. At least not anymore. It sounds like Bracato made sure of that.”
“I’m trying to locate Mr. Bracato and his sons, but haven’t had much luck,” Annabel said.
“And what? You want me to help you?” Cain stood and laughed. “Call the investigators you put on Barney’s case, Agent. After what you told me today, they should be more than capable of finding things that are lost, because so far they’ve done a beautiful job of finding things that weren’t there at all.” She tapped Muriel’s shoulder and started for the door.
“We’re not done, Ms. Casey.”
“Sure we are, Agent Hicks. You don’t need help with anything. If it doesn’t exist or doesn’t fit in the hole you created, you make it up as you go along. So much for honor and duty, huh? You and your minions are nothing but a pack of lying dirt bags.” She opened the door and faced them once more. “And you call me the criminal. If I was I could learn something from you, because compared to you, I’d be a rank amateur.”
*
Anthony waited in the next interview room, sitting down in the same position Cain had. He showed no emotion when Annabel walked in and sat down. “I never thought I’d be on this end of things,” he said, trying to be flip.
�
��Shut up and listen. This isn’t an interrogation and it isn’t an interview,” she said. “There are people who learn from their mistakes, Agent Curtis, and then there’s you.”
“What—” he jumped in his seat involuntarily when she slammed both her hands on the table between them and stood up, so he had to crane his neck back to see her.
“I said for you to be quiet. You’re suspended, Mr. Curtis. If you’re too stressed or feeble-minded to realize that means you’re supposed to stay home and contemplate where you went wrong—consider this your warning.” She leaned farther in, making him back up more in his seat. “Your new friend is under scrutiny from two agencies. If you do anything, and I mean anything, Mr. Curtis, to interfere in or screw up those ongoing operations, I will mount your head on my wall.”
“It’s my time to do with as I please,” he said, louder than necessary, trying to intimidate her. “You said so yourself.”
“You’re not involved in this situation in any official capacity, and if something goes wrong I won’t be able to protect you. Surely you know what that’ll mean to your career? Why take the chance?”
“At the academy they kept saying if you don’t take chances every so often, you’ll never get anywhere. I’m tired of not getting anywhere.” He slid his chair back, tired of the uncomfortable position. “Juan hates Cain and has some big hang-up about Emma Casey. Eventually one of them will reach the boiling point, and I plan to be there when that happens.”
Annabel sat down and stared at her hands like she’d written her next words on her fingers. “You aren’t taking a chance for the good of the team. You’re set on revenge. I studied your file more closely and it led me to your father.”
“Leave him out of this,” Anthony said with menace. “They never proved he did anything wrong.”
“You know how the Bureau works sometimes. They never publicized his case, but that doesn’t mean nothing was there.” She sighed like she knew she was wasting her time. “Something like that could cast a long shadow if you let it.”
“My father wasn’t on Bracato’s payroll,” he screamed.
“You’re right, he wasn’t on Bracato’s payroll. He was on Vincent Carlotti’s. A lot of evidence proves that. You can live in denial, but it won’t do you any good to fall into the same situation, even if you have good intentions.”
“Why are you doing this to me? This is my father you’re talking about like a common criminal.”
Annabel rested her crossed arms on the table and lowered her voice. “I’m not trying to humiliate you, but I’m still your boss and it’s still my job to protect you.”
His anger ratcheted and he jumped up and towered over her, but Annabel didn’t flinch. “You’re protecting me by tearing down my father? How convenient that he’s dead and can’t defend himself.”
“I’m protecting you by telling you not to accept a salary from Juan Luis, though I doubt he’d take you seriously if you offered to work for free. But if you go that route, you’ll be vulnerable because you’re dealing with a monster and you have no backup.” She stood and shook her head. “If we find stashes of cash in your accounts or in your possession when we’re done, don’t be surprised if we conclude it’s another case of ‘like father like son.’ Once that happens you’ll never throw off the suspicion.”
He took a step toward the door, knowing he could leave whenever he wanted, but he wasn’t ready. “And if people suspect you of something, it’s got to be true, right?”
“That’s Cain Casey’s argument, Anthony. You’re better than that.”
“Maybe she’s not completely full of shit. I consider myself warned, but you don’t own me or my time. If you think I’m doing something wrong, arrest me. If not, I’m leaving.” He stormed out without exchanging a word with anyone.
“It doesn’t look like that went well,” Shelby said when she joined Annabel.
“Something in him has changed, and I can’t reach him,” Annabel said. “I’d like to, though. We don’t need another person to watch, but that’s what we’re faced with.” She closed the door and made sure the monitors were off. “Meet with Mark Pearlman at DEA quietly and give him a rundown. That’s all we can do for now.”
“Something’s got to be driving him.”
“Until he decides to share that with me, my hands are tied.” Annabel stared at the closed door Anthony had walked through and sighed. Some days she wished she cut grass for a living. They were supposed to be the good guys, but after talking to Anthony and reading the report on Kyle, she knew those strict lines of right and wrong weren’t always so clear.
“On another subject,” Shelby said, sounding hesitant, “how did the investigation into Kyle’s murder ignore the mountain of evidence we had?”
“They only shared their findings with me, not their rationale. Kyle probably offered them more as a free man than a convict. Sometimes the higher-ups think it’s a good idea to bargain someone’s freedom for information.”
“That’s not fair. We put some work into that case.”
“No, it isn’t fair, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Shelby nodded. “What does it matter now? Kyle traded whatever he had, but last night wasn’t the outcome he expected.”
“Some would call it justice, though.”
“When they’re standing trial, I doubt they’ll feel so sanctimonious.”
Shelby said it, but Annabel could tell she wasn’t confident that would happen. If Cain had something to do with Kyle, one more secret would eventually be buried with her, because Casey gave new meaning to the strong, silent type.
Chapter Twenty-Three
“You need to breathe or you’re going to pass out,” Cain told Muriel. They were headed home since Cain knew Emma would be a wreck until she arrived.
“Hicks was serious, wasn’t she?” Muriel’s voice was low and tight, both signs that she was angry. “They were going to let that asshole go.”
“From what I understand, yes. Kyle was Giovanni’s flunky but he was smart enough to figure out his operation. He definitely had a unique insight into Giovanni’s dealings, since he was carrying out some of them himself. If Kyle ever got caught, he’d turn on him.” Unlike her cousin, Cain felt as relaxed as if they were talking about the weather.
“You knew, didn’t you? That’s why you went to visit him. You knew.”
“You’re upset right now, Muriel, and because you are I’ll try to explain something so we never need to have this conversation again. Somewhere in the building we just left, I’m positive, is a thick file containing a psychological workup labeling me a psychopath. A textbook example of a murderer so thirsty for blood I’ll prey on the innocent just to get my fix.”
When Muriel shook her head as if to disagree, Cain put her hand behind Muriel’s neck and squeezed. “Sometimes when I decide on a course of action, you don’t agree with it, but you never say anything.”
“That’s not my job,” Muriel said.
“I always make those questionable decisions alone, because if I don’t, the results will harm my family. My decisions,” she said, speaking in broad terms, “are necessary. I’m no butcher, but I am a realist. Our world is full of bad people, but as long as I’m here I’ll make as many hard choices as necessary so that you, Emma, and the kids are safe.” She pulled Muriel forward and kissed her forehead. “That answer your question?”
Muriel nodded, then described her earlier visit with Shelby and explained she didn’t believe Shelby’s story of Anthony not being undercover. “She thought I’d just start talking, I guess.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this,” Cain said, exhaling loudly, “but you need to withhold judgment on Shelby. She’s working against us, but she can listen to reason when necessary. Don’t completely alienate her yet.”
“I don’t want a relationship with a liar, Cain.”
“I don’t want that for you either. Just be cordial. I think she’s partly right. Anthony isn’t working for Annabel. He�
�s working to see all of us go down. If that’s true, he’s twice as dangerous.”
“Then let me help you,” Muriel said. She turned in her seat and stared at Cain so intently Cain could tell her emotions were still fueled by the day’s events. “I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines while you take all the chances. This is my family too and I want in.”
“We put you on the sidelines for a reason, Muriel, so I want you to really think about what you’re asking.”
“You’re willing to start teaching Hayden to take chances and give Katlin a chance, but not me?”
“We’re all born into our roles for a reason, but no one forces you to follow the path we think is right for you. You already take plenty of chances, so why the sudden change?” Cain put her hand on Muriel’s knee and did nothing when she slapped it away.
“I’m not a child you have to protect.”
“How about a deal?” The offer made Muriel’s head come up again. “Take a few days off, I mean really take off somewhere, and forget about the office. Then if you still feel the same way, I’ll consider broadening the scope of your job.”
“No more arguments to get me to change my mind?”
“I’ll not force your path, Muriel, but I do want you to consider it before we veer in that direction.” Cain would honor Muriel’s decision, but it was like a cold wind slicing through her soul. She couldn’t restore Muriel’s innocence once she lost it, no matter how much power she wielded.
*
Emma didn’t say anything when Cain walked through the door. She’d been standing in the foyer since Cain had called that she was on the way home, and she didn’t smile until she actually saw her. “Welcome home, baby,” she said when Cain put her arms around her and lifted her off the ground.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine, and I missed you, but you do have some damage control waiting for you upstairs.”