Into the Devil's Underground

by Stacy Green

  Emilie dug in her bag for her cellphone and keys. It was broad daylight. She’d take the most populated path out of the library and go straight to her car. Her cellphone would be in her hand ready to call 911. Creepy wouldn’t dare come after her right now.

  She gasped at the burst of sweltering air. Her face was damp before she’d taken five steps. Her shoes slapped against the pavement as she rushed to the car.

  Footsteps sounded behind her. Emilie’s heart stuttered and then began to race. She had to keep it together. This was a public library.

  She quickened her pace. The footsteps accelerated.

  Her fingers locked around the cellphone. Her car was in sight. She punched the ‘unlock’ button on her key.

  The person behind her was close. She could hear him breathing.

  She forced her fingers to move.

  “Emilie, wait up.”

  Her fear evaporated along with her adrenaline, and she halted on weak legs. “You scared me.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to yell, and then you started running.”

  “It’s okay.” She tried to catch her breath. “What are you doing here?”

  Nathan toed the pavement with his boot. “Decided I would help you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

  She didn’t buy it. “Not what you said yesterday.”

  He closed his eyes for a moment before giving her a stare that penetrated to her toes. “Listen, I shouldn’t be personally involved with you in any way. It’s frowned on. But I need to help you.”

  Her insides heated pleasantly before icy realization dawned on her. “Because you feel like you failed me at the bank. It’s your duty.”

  “No,” he said. “It’s not that at all. I can’t stop worrying about you, and I’d feel that way even if things at the bank turned out differently.” Surprise flashed across his face at his own words.

  Emilie squirmed, thrilled and embarrassed and confused all at once. She noticed the circles around his eyes and his five-o’clock shadow. “You’ve been up since yesterday?”

  “Yeah. That’s my shift.”

  “The bank robbery wasn’t at night.”

  “I was paged.”

  The silence made Emilie feel like choking. She glanced back at the library. “He’s from the South. Which backs up my idea that he’s the same guy in the picture.”

  “Maybe he hasn’t been in Nevada very long,” Nathan said. “That would explain why Ronson hasn’t turned up any similar crimes in the tri-state area.”

  A chill washed over her. “He’s done this before, then?”

  “We think so.” Nathan yawned. “Where to now?

  “You’re the cop. What do you think?”

  “This is your investigation. I’m just along for the ride. I can’t have you running around by yourself.”

  “Thanks.” Her body thrummed at his tone. Did he want to protect her? “Creepy told Richelle he was working on a project for the historical society. Can you stay awake long enough to follow me there?”

  “I’ll do better than that. I’ll drive.”

  * * * *

  NATHAN SLID INTO the driver’s seat. Emilie sat next to him, hands in her lap. Her face was pink from the heat, and her hair hung loose around her neck.

  He still wasn’t sure what he was doing here. Emilie, a woman he’d helped and felt responsible for, was still part of an active investigation. Surely that had the makings of an intensely complicated relationship that should be avoided at all costs.

  “Why are you driving?”

  “It’s just easier than trying to chase you through traffic.”

  Awkward silence hung between them as Nathan navigated the streets.

  “So tell me about you.” Emilie broke the quiet. “Did you grow up here?”

  “North Las Vegas.” He laughed at Emilie’s expression. “Yeah I know, not exactly suburbia. My dad always said he wasn’t afraid of intruders, but Kelsi and I knew about the gun he kept locked in his nightstand.”

  “Did he ever have to use it?”

  “No, our house never got broken into. My family’s construction office did, though. Dad and my Uncle Jimmy started the business when Kelsi was born.”

  “So why didn’t you go into the family business?”

  That was a loaded question involving too much family heartache. “Long story.”

  “Come on,” she said. “Thanks to the first amendment, you know more of my history than I ever wanted anyone to. Even the score, please.”

  The need to tell her hit him in the gut. Words he hadn’t spoken in years began to tumble out of his mouth. “When I was kid, I made a bad decision, and it got my uncle killed.” He cut into the left lane and passed a van packed with tourists.

  “That’s awful.” Emilie’s husky voice softened. Her left hand shot toward him, but she clenched her fist and returned the hand to her lap. “But you were a kid who made a mistake.”

  “One bad decision can ruin lives.”

  “Believe me, I know.”

  “I’m figuring that out about you.”

  “Is that why you’re a cop?” She diverted his attempt to turn the conversation around. “To atone for whatever happened?”

  “Perceptive. That sounds like something my sister would say.”

  “Did you always want to be in SWAT?”

  “To be honest, I never even thought about it.” Saving lives and making a difference was all he ever cared about. “I just wanted to be a good cop. SWAT recruited me.”

  “You’re one of those guys, aren’t you?” Emilie laughed.

  “What guys?” He risked a glance at her, enjoying the way her laugh sounded.

  “Success comes naturally to you. It’s like a genetic trait.”

  “Is that bad?”

  “Not at all,” she said. “I just mean you’re good at everything you set your mind to. Some people are just like that. I envy you.”

  He thought of the strained relationship with his father. “Don’t. My life certainly hasn’t been perfect.”

  “That’s not what I meant. Some people have to struggle just to be average while others excel. That’s all.”

  She fell silent again. Nathan wondered what category she would put herself into. Emilie didn’t strike him as the type to consider anything she achieved as something to be proud of.

  * * * *

  THE NEVADA STATE Museum and Historical Society was located in Lorenzi Park, a neighborhood edging toward the rough side. Nathan pulled out his badge for the guard and asked to see the historical society’s director.

  A short man in a three-piece suit greeted them. “Rick Tanner. How can I help Las Vegas Metro today?”

  “This isn’t official business, but we’re looking for someone,” Nathan answered. “How many people are working on your storm drain project?”

  “Storm drain project?” Tanner shook his head. “We don’t have anything like that going on.”

  “Did you a few months ago?” Emilie asked.

  “Nope. We haven’t done a lot on the drains. Not exactly a favorable part of history.”

  “Has anyone else come around in the last few months asking about the drains or the mob’s history?” Emilie asked. “Looking for hidden tunnels?”

  Tanner shook his head. “Was there anything else?”

  “No,” Nathan said. “Thanks for your time.”

  Outside, Emilie kicked the decorative pebbles that lined the museum sidewalk. “Now what?”

  “You’ve already contacted Ronson about your grandmother’s pictures, so tell her about the accent and the guy in the library and let her handle it.”

  “There’s got to be something more I can do.”

  “There isn’t.”

  “What about going back to the art gallery?” Emilie said. “I could get the sign-in sheet and cross-check names with the names of hotel employees. Maybe I could come up with something.”

  “Emilie, the cops are already d
oing that. And they’re going through surveillance videos from the Bellagio.”

  “I have to do something.” She grabbed his arm. “Please, help me.”

  The air surrounding them grew thick. A loud sound rushed through Nathan’s head—a strange gust of fast moving air. Energy flared between them so strongly Nathan’s ears rang. Heat crept through his body, every nerve ending on high alert as he reacted to the look in her green eyes and the feel of her hand on his hot skin.

  “Please,” Emilie whispered.

  “There’s not much else you can do.” His mouth had gone dry. “We need more information.”

  She let go of his arm. “I hate this.”

  “I know.”

  She fiddled with her necklace. It was shaped like a bell and chimed softly when Emilie touched it.

  “This is never going to end. I’m going to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life.”

  “Yes, it will. We’ll get him.” Nathan was hit with the sudden urge to touch her face and draw her close. He settled for brushing her hair back over her shoulder. The charge was back, crackling all around them. He exhaled a shaky breath. He couldn’t let this woman get to him.

  “We better get you back to your car. And I need a nap.”

  21

  JULIAN FUMED. THE cop had touched her. Emilie hadn’t stopped him. Why? Did she care for him? Was there another obstacle standing in the way of their future?

  “Sorry about the interruption.” Rick Tanner waddled back into his office.

  Julian waved him off. “No need to apologize.”

  “I don’t like to waste your time, Mr. Batier. You’re one of the museum’s most valued benefactors.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “Now, let’s get down to business. You’ve something to show me?”

  “I have.” Julian sat a small box on Tanner’s immaculate desk. “A friend of mine procured this, and I thought the museum would enjoy it.” He opened the box. Tanner reached inside, his tongue darting over his lips.

  “This is a 1900 Double Eagle,” Julian said. “Made from the gold discovered in the Southwest, including Nevada. The double eagle symbolizes the immense riches of the Old West mining period, of course.”

  Tanner ran a chubby thumb over the coin. “If this is authentic, it could be worth a few thousand dollars or more.”

  “I can assure you it is. This coin would be a great addition to your Nevada history exhibit.”

  Julian kept the other trinkets he’d found in the bootlegging tunnel for himself. There were several wheat pennies dating from 1911-1923, worth only a few dollars each, and an old soda bottle with remnants of ginger ale still inside.

  He should have disposed of them. But they represented his labor of love, despite its ultimate failure. The double eagle was a true gem, however, and deserved to be seen.

  “The museum would love to have the double eagle,” Tanner said. His pasty skin flushed with excitement. “Let’s talk price.”

  “Consider it a gift.”

  “Mr. Batier, this is worth—”

  “I’m well aware of its value, Mr. Tanner. I’ve been doing this for a long time. As I said, this is a gift. I don’t feel right taking money for it.”

  Tanner thanked him profusely, but Julian’s mind had drifted far away from the museum. What was Emilie doing right now? Was she with Madigan, allowing him to touch her? Had she offered herself to him? Were their lips mashed together, tongues entwined?

  “Mr. Batier, are you all right?”

  He stood. “Of course.” His stomach churned at the thought of his Emilie with another man.

  “Let me walk you out.”

  “No need. I know the way.”

  He strolled through the halls, impeccable in his black suit and red tie. Several of the employees nodded in greeting. They had no idea of his inner torment. He couldn’t allow Emilie to slip through his fingers. After years of searching, she was the one to fill the hole Josephine had left in his heart.

  Near the exit, Julian halted in front of an exquisite print of John James Audubon’s Mourning Doves. He stared at the birds. On that day so many years ago—a lifetime, it seemed—the mourning doves had been calling, their haunting coo resembling a strange lullaby. But when the wood cracked, the horrible splintering sound had startled the doves. Their high-pitched twittering echoed his own panic as he’d watched helplessly. He’d lost Josephine forever that day.

  He wasn’t about to lose Emilie too.

  22

  EMILIE’S HEAD ACHED. She’d spent the last hour in Jeremy’s office going over marketing plans. Across the hall, the vault door stood wide open while a technician installed a new alarm.

  “Em?”

  She started at the sound of Jeremy’s voice. “Yeah?”

  “Sorry about this. Timing of the vault repair stinks.”

  “I’ll manage.”

  “Vault’s the safest place in the bank.” Jeremy rambled when he was in uncomfortable situations. “It’s supposed to be strong enough to withstand a nuclear blast. With this new alarm, if…” His voice trailed off, and he looked sheepish. “Anyone gets stuck in there, they’ll be able to get help.”

  “I’ll remember that.” Emilie checked her watch. “Let’s finish this tomorrow, okay? I’ve got some paperwork to wrap up.”

  She headed for her office. The bank’s door dinged as it opened. She didn’t allow herself to look back. If she did, the fear that took hold every time that bell chimed would drive her insane.

  Heels clicked into the lobby, most likely stiletto by their sharp staccato sound. The faint scent of cigarette smoke covered by a fruity perfume wafted past Emilie. The smell reminded her of juicy fruit and a high school girl’s bathroom.

  “May I help you?” Mollie asked.

  “I’m looking for my daughter.”

  Emilie stopped walking so quickly she almost lost her balance. Her skin turned clammy, even as rage and adrenaline and disgust whipped through her system. The voice hadn’t lost any of its haughty, bored tone, as though she was physically pained to acknowledge Emilie.

  Slowly, she turned to face her past. “Hello, Mother.”

  Claire turned, her expression coy. Emilie expected to see wrinkles, perhaps a spattering of age spots from too much sun. But she should have known better. Claire’s face was a strange version of the face Emilie remembered, stretched and stiff from plastic surgery. Her normally ash-blond hair was a shade darker, most likely an effort to cover the gray. Stylish charcoal-colored glasses sat low on her beak-like nose, giving Claire the impression of a schoolmarm.

  Her hourglass figure was still her best asset and the one trait she’d passed on to her daughter. Her black, fitted silk dress—designer, no doubt—made a soft swishing sound as she strode forward. Matching stiletto heels completed the outfit. Did her mother see this visit as an act of mourning?

  “Emilie.” Claire’s attempt at cordiality sounded forced and lacked any sign of sincerity or affection. Her gaze swept over Emilie. “You look well.”

  “I am.”

  “Physically, of course.”

  “Claire, what are you doing here?”

  Faux surprise crossed her waxen face. “After we spoke, I decided to see for myself you were all right. Against my pride, I decided to come visit.” Claire slipped her black and white Chanel bag onto her shoulder.

  Liar. You’ve got an agenda. “Well, you’ve seen me. I have work to do.”

  Emilie stalked toward her office. Her mother wasn’t here to make peace. There was no sign of contrition, no rush of compassion as she spoke. Her motivation was personal.

  “I came all this way,” Claire said. “Can’t I have five minutes to speak with you?”

  Emilie saw her coworkers watching. Lisa had crept around to the front of the teller’s counter and stood with a catty smirk on her face. Jeremy appeared frozen in his doorway, eyes wide in surprise. Mollie and Miranda had the grace to pretend they were working.

  Emilie motioned to h
er office. “Five minutes.”

  She quickly straightened the mess of papers on her desk and set her shiny nameplate on the edge for Claire to see. She sat up straight in her chair. Emilie wasn’t going to let Claire get to her this time.

  “A nice window, desk neat and tidy.” Claire settled into one of the chairs facing the wide desk, her gaze roaming the office. “Not much of a personal touch. Typical you.”

  “Your five minutes have started. Better get to the point.”

  Claire glanced at the carpet and then placed her bag on the edge of the desk. “I told you, I wanted to see how you were. You’re my child, Emilie, whether you like it or not. I want to be here for you.” Claire looked as though she were choking on the last sentence.

  “Really? If that were the case, why did you wait so long to come see me? Why did you tell that blogger my personal history they had no business knowing?”

  “I thought I was helping. I wanted to come sooner, but I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me.” Claire adjusted the diamond tennis bracelet on her right wrist. Her voice lowered in a pathetic attempt at sincerity. “After you called, I finally decided I was going to come and risk your reaction.” She smiled thinly.

  “We’ve lost so many years, Emilie. All because of my own stupidity.” Her botoxed lips trembled. Tears slipped out of her eyes. “Thinking about what you must have gone through in here and knowing that man probably wanted to do awful things to you is so upsetting.” Claire rubbed her tears with the back of her hand. Emilie waited for her to pull out her compact to check her makeup, but her mother kept talking.

  “How you’re able to come back to work is beyond me. I would be in constant fear, wondering if he’ll return. After all, no one knows what this stalker looks like. He could pose as a customer and wile his way into your good graces. God knows what he could accomplish.” She dabbed at her eyes with a silk handkerchief. “You’re just not safe.”

  Emilie’s fingernails dug into the leather arms of the chair. Claire’s skill at manipulation had not diminished over time.

  “Cut the shit. I’m not a kid anymore. I know all your tricks. You’re wasting your breath. What do you want?”