by Ali Vali
“Then your Jorge arrived early and his welcoming committee put a bullet in Rick’s head,” Cain said in return. She flipped through the pages and dropped them on her desk in disgust. “It’s either that, or new players have joined the game and no one gave us a heads-up about it.”
“I talked to Katlin and she’s trying to find out. If there’s something to know, somebody on the street will tell us eventually.”
“Eventually might be too late.” Cain stretched before standing up and waved Muriel into her chair. “Make some more calls and see if we can’t speed up the process before we end up planning someone else’s funeral.”
“Where are you headed?”
“To visit Rick’s mother and to see a man about a fake ID,” Cain said, waving as she left.
The first visit was short, but Cain sat with the grieving mother as long as the woman could keep her emotions in check and went willingly into Cain’s arms when she could no longer keep her tears at bay. She’d lost her son, but Cain promised that her daughter could stay in college, and they wouldn’t lose their home now that Rick was no longer the main breadwinner. Lou had only been able to shake her hand and step back to the doorway, unable to say anything. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to pay his respects, but Cain knew Rick’s loss had made Lou feel guilty.
As Cain started to leave, a young woman in her early twenties stopped her at the door and asked to speak to her. “You’re Cain Casey, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, and you must be Sabana. I didn’t know your brother long, but he did a good job of describing you.” Cain held out her hand but, from the angry set to the redhead’s mouth, didn’t expect her to take it. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“My father worked for yours when he was alive.”
“I remember him.” Cain brought her fingers together and dropped her hand when Sabana ignored it. “He died too young as well.”
“After my dad died, getting cancer was Rick’s biggest fear, since everyone always said how much alike they were. I guess he should’ve worried about getting killed doing something he really liked.” As Sabana spoke, she sounded as if her throat was closing with emotion. “Can you promise me something before you go?”
“I’ll try my best.” Cain accepted the hand that Sabana now held out.
“I know you talked to my mom and you’re not going to forget about us. But you don’t have to feel like you’re responsible for this, because you’re not.” She held Cain’s hand in both of hers. “I know you can make this right. I want you to get justice for Rick.”
“Help your mother through this and call me if you need anything. Leave the rest to me.”
She pulled slightly on Cain’s hand as if she were desperate for her to listen to what she was saying. “I know you think I’m too young or too naïve to know why this happened, and the FBI has already sent a couple of guys over here to see if me or Mom would roll on you, but I’m not and we didn’t.”
“Your mother didn’t mention that,” Cain said, trying not to sound surprised.
“I stopped them before they got to the door. Rick always told me they’d be the first ones over here if something happened to him, since those maggots are always looking for a way in, no matter what’s going on.”
“If they bother you again, will you call me?”
“I’ll call if you consider something else.”
Cain had to smile at this girl’s grit. “What’s on your mind?”
“I promised Rick I’d finish school, but when I’m done I want to work for you. I’d have asked sooner, but I gave him my word I’d graduate first.” Sabana let go of Cain and stood up straight. “Before you give me your list of reasons why I can’t, remember this has nothing to do with what happened to my brother. If I’m with you, though, I can help you catch whoever did this.”
“I’m not turning you down, but I expect you to honor your commitment. When you’re done, call me and we’ll see what we can work out.”
“This isn’t a brush-off, is it?”
From the inside pocket of her jacket Cain took out a card. “A brush-off consists of me saying something close to what you want, then going on my way. I want you to finish like Rick wanted, because by then you might’ve changed your mind. But if you don’t, I’ll see where you fit in with us.”
“Thanks, Ms. Casey, you won’t be sorry.”
“I’m sure I won’t, but remember to call sooner if your new friends come back.”
“They didn’t stay long, so I’m sure they won’t be back.”
Cain nodded and was about to leave when it struck her that Rick hadn’t worked for her long enough for the feds to have picked up his scent.
“Just one more thing, Sabana. Who did the feds send to talk to you?”
Cain waited while Sabana went into the other room and a minute later came out holding up a card. “Only one of them did the talking. The other guy stood there and scanned the yard because I wouldn’t let them in the house.”
The name on the card was Shelby’s, so it wouldn’t be hard to narrow down who she’d brought with her. “What did she ask you? Try to remember the exact words.”
“She told me what had happened to Rick and asked if I knew he worked for you. No matter what she said I stood there and stared at her and never opened my mouth, unless it was to tell her that she couldn’t come in and talk to Mom.”
“Nothing else?”
Sabana closed her eyes as if that would make her recollect better. “She did ask me something weird, or at least I thought it was. She asked if Rick had ever mentioned a guy named Anthony something.”
As soon as Cain heard the name, she shot Lou a glance to keep him quiet. “Was it Anthony Curtis?”
“Yeah, that was the name. Was he the one who shot Rick?”
“I don’t think so, but I want you to do me a favor. The funeral’s tomorrow, and after that I want you and your mom to get away for a while. Do you have family anywhere you’d like to see?”
“We’ll be fine here.”
“Sabana, if you want to work for me, remember that when I make a friendly request, most of the time it’s for your own good. I don’t want whoever killed Rick to connect the dots back to you and your mother, if they think Rick might have talked about him.” As she spoke, Cain took out her cell and called Muriel to send over a couple of guys to sit on the house. “Is that all Agent Philips asked you?”
“I cut her off after that question, and I promise your name didn’t come up again after she asked if I knew Rick worked for you.”
“I believe you and I’ll see you tomorrow. Have your mom ready to go after the funeral, and I’ll get you both home as soon as possible.”
“What’s on your mind, boss?” Lou asked when they were in the car headed back to the city.
“After our next appointment we’re going hunting, Lou, and I’m not going to stop until I get my fill of trophies.” Cain glanced down at Shelby’s card, sure that Sabana hadn’t noticed that she’d taken it. The fact that Shelby had gone to Rick’s family right after his death and the question she’d asked made Cain more sure than ever that Rick’s death had been an unfortunate incident, and one that had been totally preventable.
“Some I’m going to hang on my wall, and the rest I’m going to lock in little cages for the rest of their miserable lives,” Cain said. She tore the card in two, crumpled the pieces together, and threw them on the floor of the car.
*
“Think the kid will tell her we were there?” Joe asked Shelby as they watched Cain disappear into the house.
“I’m sure she’ll be more talkative since Cain just offered to keep them on the payroll in exchange for Rick’s life. She’d have to kill a litter of kittens on live television for these people to see her for what she is,” Shelby said as she worked on her daily surveillance report.
“Even if she did that, she’d have a good reason that’d still make her out the hero.” Through his headphones Joe could hear Rick’s mom crying, and nothing else.
“Do you think she knows what went down?”
“We can’t piece together what happened for sure. What makes you think she can?”
Cain’s voice came through again and it startled Joe. As much time as they spent watching and listening in on Cain, it still surprised him when they actually heard her voice. It was like sighting the Loch Ness monster.
“I think she’s motivated,” Joe said when Cain stopped speaking.
Shelby finally slammed her pen down and broke the silence. “And you think we’re not?”
“We are, but you know how it is when one of your own gets killed. If Cain’s not careful, though, this could turn into an epidemic. We’re motivated but she’s driven.”
Their subjects were quiet again, and Shelby scanned the outside of the house. Then Joe noticed her stop her sweep.
“Why aren’t you inside?” Shelby asked, almost to herself.
“What?”
“Second oak outside. She acts like she’s looking right at us, like she knows we’re here.”
Joe glanced from Sabana, who was leaning against the tree, to the front door, where a few of Cain’s men were standing, staring at their van as well. “If she’s waiting to talk to Cain, all she can say is that you came by and tried to ask some questions. It’s not like you broke the kid.”
Sabana straightened out and took a step in their direction before turning and heading into the house. From inside they could hear Cain telling the mother good-bye and not to worry about anything, followed by Cain’s talk with Sabana. Everyone in the van was quiet as they eavesdropped on the hushed conversation, and then came Cain’s question of “nothing else?” As Sabana started to answer, Cain cut them off so quickly they didn’t even catch the first word.
Joe saw Shelby press her fingers to her forehead as if trying to remember what she and Joe had said after that. The door opened and the group, followed by Lou, stepped out. They could see Cain’s lips moving, and she appeared as tight as a bow.
“I asked her if she knew or heard the name Anthony next, didn’t I?” Shelby asked him. “My notes are back at the office.”
“It was, but there’s no way in hell Cain puts him at something like this. Anthony’s not that stupid.”
“Willing to bet your badge on that?”
“Not quite yet, when it comes to Anthony.” Joe’s cell phone vibrated on his hip and he answered it. “Call in our backup unit to stay with Cain. Agent Hicks arranged a meet with the other teams we’ll be running into as we work our case. Mark Pearlman from DEA and the crew investigating the Jatibons are due in the office in thirty minutes. It’s time to start sharing information.”
“Tell them not to lose Cain,” Shelby said. “Whatever that kid told her sparked something, and we do not want to miss the fireworks once they start.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Cain had her driver stop in front of the Piquant, and she and Lou walked quickly through the boutique section to the elevators. From the lobby on the third floor, they crossed to the bank of elevators and punched the eighteenth floor. When the doors opened they headed for the stairs at the end of the hall and jogged down a couple of flights in case their tagalongs made it in on time to see what floor they’d gone up to. By the time they ran background checks on the guests on eighteen, Cain planned to be home.
She could hear the television when she opened the door of the room farthest away from the elevator, but closest to the stairs. Katlin was sitting with Nathan Mosley, who was in town at Cain’s request, and when they were done he’d be on the next flight to Los Angeles. She wanted him gone as quietly as he’d come.
“Mr. Mosley.” Cain walked in and offered him her hand. “Cain Casey, and I want to thank you for agreeing to meet me.”
Nathan was an even five foot, slender man with the reddest hair Cain had ever seen on an individual, and judging from his age someone had concocted the color for him in a bottle. He was stylishly dressed, wore a pair of wingtips whose heels were higher than normal, and glasses that overall made you want to peg him as an eccentric accountant.
“Your bonus made it hard to refuse.” After turning the television off, he sat back down and Cain took Katlin’s seat. “And don’t worry. If anyone looks, the room was occupied by Edward Miller. Just another tourist from the Midwest and no one anyone will concern themselves with.”
“I’m sure that as long as no one actually gets a look at you, you’re right. Your work, after all, speaks for itself.”
“I love a woman who knows how to flatter an old guy like me, but I doubt you went to all this trouble for that alone.”
“That’s not why you’re here, Mr. Mosley, but before we start I do need to know if you’re as discreet as you are talented.”
Nathan picked up a gold-plated cigarette case and held it up before taking a stick out. When Cain nodded once, he lit his smoke with the matching lighter. “I’ve been doing this for close to forty years, and I haven’t had a problem yet. The whole purpose of coming to me is that you want to start fresh. If I give you up the first time someone asks, what’d be the point?”
Cain smiled at him because he showed absolutely no fear, considering who he was sitting across from, and she wasn’t alone. “Before we’re done then, both of us are going to have to bend a little and trust a lot.”
“Agreed, Ms. Casey. I can assure you that if anyone asks, we’ve never met. What can I do for you?”
“Dallas Montgomery.”
He took some drags from his cigarette and stubbed it out in the crystal ashtray the hotel provided. “Actress, I believe, with relatively good success recently.”
Cain’s laugh was heartfelt. “You’re discreet all right, or do you work for Entertainment Tonight? I know who she is. What I don’t know is if she’s a former client of yours.”
“Tell me first why you need to know.”
“Where she started from doesn’t matter to me, but Dallas has recently come to mean something to a friend of mine. Like I found you because of what you do, I’d hope you know who I am before you accepted my invitation. If you do, then you realize in my world I can’t afford to let someone with no past in without question. My friend is in the same position.”
He lit another cigarette and seemed to be strategizing his next move. “Why are you here and not your friend?”
“She ran into your carefully constructed brick wall and asked for help. In my opinion, there are ways through it, no matter how well built or how high you made it.”
“Are you a blaster, Ms. Casey?”
“If the situation calls for it, but not today. What I want today is the key to the gate, and I believe it’s up here.” She tapped the side of her head then pointed at him. “Is Dallas one of your creations?”
“I’m not saying I won’t answer, but one more question before we move on. Is your friend good at keeping secrets? Dallas is a lovely girl I won’t have hurt.”
“Remi Jatibon is as honorable as they come, and you have my word Dallas won’t suffer from this.”
Nathan waved Cain closer and started to talk. In a low murmur he told Dallas’s story, or as much of it as he knew. When he finished he fell back in his seat and spread his hands in front of him. “I’ve had all kinds come to me, and she was the first I almost did for free. It’s good to know the papers I forged have worked up to now.”
“I know how I broke through, but how did Bob Bennett?”
“Dallas never did give up all her secrets, but I think Bob was there before she came to me. He’s got time and history on his side.” He pulled a black book from his bag. “I’m not sure if he’s aware I drew up more than one set of papers for her, but Remi needs to know if she wants to help her.” His finger went down the page and stopped near the middle. “Dallas Montgomery wasn’t the only one who I gave birth to that day. There was a Kristen Montgomery as well, but her I never met.”
“On the documents you forged, what was their relationship?”
“Kristen is her younger sister, or at least that’s w
hat she was when I was done. She’s a better-kept secret, though, than who Dallas really is.”
“Thanks for your help, Mr. Mosley. One more thing,” Cain said as Nathan repacked his stuff. “Because of who Dallas has become, you might get other requests similar to mine. Before you’re tempted by the money, I want the chance to counteroffer.”
“After today I plan to destroy any connection between us.”
The decision made Cain raise her brows. “She must’ve really made an impression.”
“She did, but that’s not why. What Dallas paid me was a fraction of what you offered, and your money finished burying who Dallas was and whatever she did. If anyone finds out what I told you, it won’t have come from me.”
“Still,” Cain said tapping her finger on the briefcase where he’d put his book of potential blackmail, “sometimes the money’s hard to pass up.”
“That’s true, but let me play the devil’s advocate.” Nathan picked up his gold case and lighter and slipped them into his front pocket. “What happens if I renege on our agreement? No amount of cash is worth gambling my life. Your friendship guarantees her past stays buried.”
“It’s been a pleasure,” Cain said as she shook his hand. “If social security doesn’t cut it for you, give me a call.”
“I’ll do that. If you’ve got the occasional job it might be good to stay in practice, in case I get bored out of my mind playing shuffleboard.” Before Cain opened the door Nathan had one more thing to say. “If Dallas finds out I told you, could you apologize for me.”
“Because of you I’m going to wield whatever power I have to wipe her slate clean. Instead of requesting an apology, she’ll probably want to send you a thank-you card.”
“You’re an interesting woman, Ms. Casey.”
“It’s the romantic in me I didn’t know existed until my wife came along,” she said, making him chuckle before she disappeared behind the door.
Chapter Thirty-Eight