Castillo shook his head. "No one asked you," he snapped. He hated the thought of anyone thinking that they were smarter than him.
"And close your damn mouth! You know how I hate looking at all those gold teeth!"
"Yes boss." Manny shut his mouth and looked down at the floor.
"Now, I think I want to start playing with Madison West. Let's send someone over to 214 Ridgecliff Road. Jackson, Tennessee."
"Sure boss. What do you want done?"
"I just want to send a message, for now.
I want whoever she is going to see, to get so pissed off and frightened over what's occurred, that they kick her the hell out of their house and tell her not to come back! I want Madison West to know exactly what it feels like to be isolated and alone," he snarled.
"Sure thing boss. Consider it done."
****
It didn’t take long for Juan's contact down at the Marshals office, to show up at his house. The minute he spoke to Detective McCann on the phone, he could tell that something was wrong.
McCann told him that he didn’t want to say too much over the phone, but he told him to get down there right away. "Your secret... ain't so secret no more," the detective mumbled into the phone.
The sun was ablaze when he got there and judging by the amount of police officers and crime scene techs, he knew that something bad had happened.
Marshal Dane Spear shook detective McCann's hand and introduced himself.
"Watch your step," the detective said.
Dane looked at the detective, eyebrow raised. "I've been to crime scenes before detective," Dane snapped.
"Yeah, well, you've never been to one of mine, so like I said, watch your step." The detective shot back.
Juan was still lying on the kitchen floor. They covered him up now and were waiting on the coroner's office to come and take the body down to the morgue.
"How'd it happen?"
Dane looked around the room.
Crime scene techs were busy placing evidence markers around the room, drawing chalk outlines, going over spatter marks and dusting any and all surfaces.
"Looks like a hit was put out on your witness."
"How can you be so sure that it was a hit? It could have been staged to look like a hit."
McCann looked at the young marshal and shook his head.
"I hope you're not suggesting that this was some random attack. Nothing from the house is missing, not even the state of the art flat screen television that's sitting in the backroom. Besides, if this was supposed to be a robbery, they would have kicked in the door and lit him up. No guns were used for this hit marshal. Whoever did this, wanted your boy to die a slow and horrible death.
Now I may not be a marshal, but I've seen plenty of bodies after a hit.
And this, my friend, was a hit. And correct me if I'm wrong Spear, but doesn’t cutting off a person's tongue usually indicate that they've talked when they shouldn’t have?"
Spear turned towards the body and let out a heavy sigh. "Yes it does detective, yes it does."
McCann patted Spear on the back. "When you report back to your bosses, make sure you tell them that Redmerrow may be small, but it's not invisible. It's not one of those towns where a person can get lost in. That's what big cities are for.
You want to know something that I've never understood?" He asked and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"What's that detective?"
"Well, you WITSEC boys think that relocating a witness to a remote town such as this will keep them safe. But what you fail to realize is that in towns like this, everybody knows everybody. And if there is a newcomer in town and someone asks about said newcomer, you can guarantee, that people are going to talk.
So maybe next time the government wants to relocate somebody, they'll think twice before relocating them here. Now I know that the feds need some place to hide their rats, but you tell them that Redmerrow is no longer that place.
And might I also suggest that you head on back to your air-conditioned office and liaison, or do whatever it is that you need to do, with your superiors, so that they can get this entire mess taken care of. I've got a town to look after and I can't have a bunch of murdering thugs running around."
Detective McCann lowered his head in a polite nod and walked away.
Spear stood in the kitchen dumbfounded. The entire conversation had been one sided and McCann didn’t let him get a word in edgewise. He looked around nervously and at that moment, realized, just how inexperienced he was.
He felt guilty. I should have come to this place more often, to check on him. Should have told him to call every night, just to check in, Spear thought to himself.
He remembered the last words he'd told his witness.
"There are three ways you’re getting out of the program, either you get caught violating the laws and get kicked out, you leave on your own accord, or you get carried out in a body bag.”
"I bet he wasn’t expecting the latter," Spear mumbled as he watched Juan's lifeless body being placed inside a body bag.
Chapter Eleven
Donna was in the kitchen preparing her homemade barbecue sauce when Madison arrived. After showing her around and helping her unpack, they both settled in the kitchen.
"Things are going to get better Madison," Donna said as she finished marinating the chicken.
Madison nodded her head. "I know they are. I just wish that it was sooner rather than later, that's all. I know this may seem selfish of me, but I want to feel normal again. And being back here, well, it makes me feel better." She sighed heavily before taking a sip of coffee.
Donna wiped her hands on her apron before sitting down next to her. Her voice was soft and Madison had to move her chair closer so that she could hear.
"I know that this entire experience has been painful. And I'm sure that you feel as if the sadness will never let up. But sweetheart, it's been a year and although there is no right or wrong way to grieve, I'm pretty sure that Tristan would not want you to spend the rest of your life living like a zombie. You have got to learn how to feel again. He would want that for you. And more importantly, you should want that for yourself."
Madison found it a struggle to keep her voice light. "I'm trying so hard."
Donna laid her hand on Madison's arm. "I know you are sweetheart, and that may be the problem. Don’t try so hard, let things come naturally, let your feelings come naturally. If you're having a good day, then embrace that day and throw away the guilt. If you're having a bad day and you want to crawl into bed and cry, then do just that, cry. But, with each day, things will get better and before you know it, you will be at peace with what’s happened and you will want to start to live again. Right now, the pain still has a tight grip on you, but soon, if you let it, that strong hold will start to loosen."
Madison stared forward with unfocused eyes and released a shaky breath.
"It's been a year now and I don’t miss him any less, I suspect that I never will. But I have learned that the awful moment when I learned of his passing, is not permanent. It is just that, a moment and it took me a while to understand that, but I learned to work through it and I replaced that dark moment with a happier, more joyful one."
Donna studied Madison's face for a moment, and then smiled. "Madison, you are going to be alright." She said in a tone that made her sit up and smile.
Donna patted her on the shoulder as she got up and went back to preparing the dishes for the barbecue.
"Now how about you help me finish getting ready for the party?" She smiled warmly.
"Of course." Madison nodded and made her way over to the counter and busied herself stirring a large pot of beans.
Donna was chopping vegetables when she stopped and casually leaned against the counter.
"So…how was it seeing Cole again after all these years?" She asked hesitantly.
Madison stopped stirring the pot of beans for a minute before shrugging and returning to her duties.
"It
was fine, just fine."
Donna clicked her teeth and snickered.
"I'm not being nosey or anything and I realize that I have no business mothering you… but last night at the party, we couldn’t help but notice a connection between the two of you."
"We?" Madison stopped stirring again and turned to face her. Donna saw the slightest hint of a playful smirk on her face.
"Yes. Hank and I. He may be a man Madison, but he's not stupid. One would have to be blind not to see the connection you two have."
It took only seconds for Madison's eyes to go from delight to guilt.
"Oh sweetheart, it's okay to want to laugh and smile. He'd want that. You think you gave Tristan everything that you had, am I right?"
When Madison agreed, Donna continued.
"You did not give him all that you had honey, you let him borrow it. And now it's your turn to reclaim it for yourself. You've got to live in the moment. You have nothing to feel guilty about, you're a human being, and it's alright to want to feel again."
"How do you know all of this stuff?" Madison wiped tears from her eyes.
"Trust me honey, I know. I'm a lot older and wiser than you are." She winked at her.
"I don’t know what I'm feeling right now. All I know is that I would have never thought in a million years, that the connection he and I felt three years ago would return with such a vengeance."
Madison blushed at the thought of Cole. It was the first time in a very long time that someone other than Tristan had invaded her thoughts. And it was the first time since his death that she allowed it.
"I don’t think that Cole's gone a day without thinking about you. He's divorced now you know? Eight months. Did he tell you what happened?"
Madison shrugged her shoulders and moved on to chopping lettuce.
"Just that she cheated on him, that's all."
"Well, if you ask me, he's better off. He's a good man, a very good man." She put her knife down and looked Madison square in the eye.
"Cole Harding was the first person to help us out after that animal set fire to the bar. When he got to the hospital, he never left Hank's side until he knew that we'd be safe. And if you ask me, he did it because of you."
"Me? I'm sure he was just doing his job.".
"No. The police were already there, Cole was under no obligation to show up. They could have sent any marshal that was working on the case.
But, it wasn’t just any marshal. It was Cole Harding. And now that you're back, I'll bet that connection will be stronger than ever."
Madison felt her face, along with the rest of her body go warm at the thought.
She thought it best if she changed the subject. Donna meant well, but she was forgetting one thing. Connection or no connection, Cole would be leaving in a few days.
"Salad's all finished. I think I'll go see if Hank needs any help outside." She handed the oversized bowl to her and hurried from the room.
When Donna made no motions to follow her, she breathed a sigh of relief. The intimate talk of her connection to Cole was beginning to get to her. Thoughts and feelings were one thing, she could always hide those, but it was the real-time talk that scared her.
But then she remembered that hiding her feelings and thoughts was something she was never good at, especially when it came to matters of the heart and Cole Harding.
"What the hell am I doing?" She questioned herself as she headed outside to help Hank.
****
The party was in full swing when Cole arrived and if it wasn’t for Donna announcing his arrival so loudly, she might have missed him.
For a couple more minutes anyway.
She'd just gotten off the phone with Zoe when Donna tapped her on the shoulder.
"Look who's here," she said and turned her head in the direction of Cole.
Madison glanced over Donna's shoulder and saw Cole talking to Hank. He was dressed casual in jeans and his sunglasses hung around his white crew neck tee shirt. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw him, but her smile faded when she saw a woman by his side.
"That's Deputy Faith's wife, Jessica," Donna whispered in her ear.
Relief flooded her and she silently scolded herself for being jealous. He's not yours Madison.
Donna gave her a slight nudge. "He's coming over. Now is as good a time as any to start practicing on what we talked about earlier."
Madison smiled at Donna before turning around and greeting Cole.
After the introductions were made, Cole placed his hand underneath her elbow and led her away, to a more secluded spot in the back yard. Light jazz music played in the background and the sound of laughter echoed softly around them.
"Everyone seems to be having a good time." She tried making small talk.
"I wanted to apologize for last night," he said. He was having trouble concentrating. She looked amazing in a turquoise colored, strapless maxi dress. The turquoise emphasized her raven colored hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a pair of strappy sandals and her toes were painted summertime peach.
"You look beautiful by the way," he whispered in her ear. His blue eyes roving over her features.
"Thank you. You look good yourself. So this is what you look like when you're relaxed." She teased.
"Who says that I'm relaxed? I still worry about you Madison, that hasn’t changed and it never will."
She felt a strange flip-flop sensation in her heart.
"Cole, it's been three years. I think it's safe to say that nothing is going to happen to me. But I appreciate your concern, really I do. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to…"
Before she could continue, he planted a soft kiss on her lips. Lips that he'd been wanting to devour the moment he first laid eyes on her.
When she didn’t move, he kissed her again, this time it lasted longer and was more seductive.
"Cole…" her breathing was uneven as she muttered his name against his lips.
"I can't…" when he trailed his lips up her neck and along her jaw to her mouth, she sucked on his lower lip before kissing him again.
Just as she began to melt further into his kiss, she forced herself to push him away. She seemed unsure of what to do for a tense moment or two. But when she came to her senses, she murmured, "I can't do this."
When she turned to walk away, he stopped her. He was silent for a moment, studying her. He didn’t want to come off as insensitive, but the odds of the two of them meeting up again were…well, they were incredible.
"Madison, you coming back here cannot just be a coincidence."
She stood quietly for some time, a ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. And her gaze switched between Cole and the party.
Finally she shook her head and said, "What are we doing?"
He moved closer to her. "What do you want to do?" He asked in his deep, soothing voice.
Madison only looked at him.
When she heard Donna calling her name, she wiggled out from under his grip and headed back towards the party. "We'll talk later," she said, not waiting for a response.
Walking back towards the party, Madison couldn’t stop shaking her head in denial. She couldn’t believe what just happened. After Tristan died, she vowed never again to put herself through such pangs, but now, there was Cole and he kissed her and she kissed him back.
And she had no idea of what to do about it, other than stay away from him.
But she couldn’t see herself packing up and heading back to Maine. No, she wasn’t ready to go back to that empty house. She began to wonder if maybe she should think about joining Zoe, Helen, and George on their trip abroad.
When she turned back to look at him, she saw that he was leaning up against a tree, and he was looking at her with such an expression that it made the breath catch in her throat.
Chapter Twelve
Castillo was finishing up the meal he was having with his parents. He'd told his mother that he would be heading out soon. He had to go away. When she protested, he told her that
if he stayed, things might get dangerous for him. Besides, he had something important to take care of and no matter how long it took, he needed to see things through to the end.
He told her that his life would never be the same if he didn’t take care of this problem. "I have two problems mamá," he told her and cupped her face in his hands.
"And now that one is taken care of, I must get to work on taking care of the other." Lucia nodded her head and kissed her son on the cheek.
After dinner, Castillo went into his bedroom to await a call from Manny. He, along with two other associates, the same men Castillo recruited for the hit on Juan Hernandez, left for Jackson Tennessee hours ago. And by his calculations, Castillo knew that they would be arriving at 214 Ridgecliff Road, very shortly. He told Manny to call him the second they arrived.
"You want us to follow her when she comes out of the house?"
Castillo shook his head. "Manny, I thought you were smarter than that estúpido? No, I don’t want you to follow her, there is a tracker planted inside her suitcase, remember? I want you to find out who lives there, and what is going on. Then and only then will I give you further instructions. We can't fuck this up Manny. We've got to make sure that no one is seriously hurt.
Witness Protection: Hide and Seek Page 6