The security agents were ready for her, but not the discrepancy between her looks and her ID. “I came directly from a party.” It was all she said, not wanting to protest and cause suspicion. Eventually they let her and her bag with her gun tucked inside through into the airport proper. She wheeled the plain black duffel down to the gate, once again looking horribly out of place in a party gown, spiked heels, and jewels that she only just now remembered she’d borrowed from her mother. But she didn’t lift her hand to check them. The movement had been trained out of her during her teen years.
Instead, she explained the necessity of her bag to the flight attendants and whisked her way into first class where she said no to more alcohol and yes to ice water. With lime. Because she was in a party gown and still wearing that whale-boning and a color of lipstick that said she belonged in noir film. She had her water and her skirts tucked up around her while she tried to get intel from Donovan on her phone.
Not much they could say, but she managed to convey she barely made her flight and, so far, was on time.
Just then, someone slipped into the seat next to her. Thankful for the first class opening and debating if she would catch any sleep on the short flight, she wasn’t prepared for the resonant voice and the introduction.
She was looking up and taking stock before her brain cataloged his words. Dark jeans, a belt, a pressed white button-down shirt. She was taking his outstretched hand by habit before she felt the jolt of his too-blue eyes. He was just a little too rugged to be pretty with his neat brown hair. His voice almost lulled her. “Avery Darling of the South Georgia Darlings.”
The words registered.
Lord. It must be because of the dress, the hair, the makeup. She couldn’t take it again. Though she was on duty again with the Bureau, she was damn well off duty with the pageantry, dress be damned. She smiled sweetly back. “Eleri Eames of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
He blinked.
She tugged her hand back and turned her attention to her phone, alerting her partner that they were finally taxiing.
Just then, Avery Darling of the South Georgia Darlings busted out with the laughter he’d apparently been trying to hold back and nearly choked on his beer.
25
Donovan watched as Eleri exited the town car in front of the small house. It was nearly three in the morning but she looked like a million bucks. Red lipstick, bare leg leading the way out of the back seat of the car, foot encased in a heel the likes of which he’d never seen on Eleri’s feet before.
He wouldn’t have guessed it was her if he hadn’t known she was coming, known she’d had no time to change and would have worked instead of changing anyway. If he hadn’t seen her face, he might have thought someone else had taken her car from the airport to here. But it was Eleri in the long, sunset colored gown that swirled around her ankles and bared a shoulder to the cool L.A. night air. It was Eleri who laughed to someone in the car, then stood and talked over the hood as the other occupant stood, too.
A man. Donovan smelled him as soon he saw him. A sniff, a slow inhale, and he got a few assessments, none of them worth anything. He was a guy. He bathed regularly. Before Donovan could figure anything out, the man headed around the back of the car and knocked on the trunk that popped open even as he did it.
Though Eleri reached out for the bag, the man slung it over his shoulder and his voice resonated through the air.
“Well, I must admit that I’m disturbed that you’re involved with a case right now and I won’t get to see you again.”
She was facing away from him, but Donovan could hear the grin in her voice, and he took another sniff of the air as she spoke. “Who knows when it will wrap up? But you could give me your number?”
Her hand was out, and Donovan ducked back inside, not sure exactly what he was witnessing, but as they came closer he smelled the pheromones between the two of them and it was best he get out of the way.
“Donovan!” She called to him, stopping his retreat. “I’m so glad you’re still up. As soon as I change . . .” She pointed a finger up and down her form. She was severely overdressed compared to both her date for the evening and needs of the situation.
“Yes. Vasquez is here and we’re on it.”
She turned to him again. “Donovan, this is Avery Darling of the North Dakota Executioners.”
The porch light must have lit his face up, that or Avery Darling had superior vision. Because he immediately caught Donovan’s confusion. “Professional Hockey.”
He almost said, “Looks like you still have all your teeth,” but bit his tongue. Instead he said, “Nice to meet you.”
Then Eleri continued with her introduction, telling Avery Darling about her partner. The man laughed at her, then whispered.
Donovan turned away, trying not to hear, but he did.
“I can have your number, too?” Even the words had a goofy grin in them.
Words sang in Donovan’s head, someone’s got a boyfriend. He shut the door behind himself hoping not to hear more. A moment later, they came through the doorway, Avery Darling still carrying her bag which he set just inside the small entryway as he looked at Donovan for the first time in the light.
Should he growl? Play the overprotective friend?
But Avery’s smell changed. Oh shit. Dude was threatened by Donovan. So he overplayed it. “I’m heading into the kitchen to catch up with Marina. Let me know if you need anything.”
It was for show. He’d hear the two of them just fine from in here and Eleri knew it.
But Eleri was Eleri. Inside of a minute she’d exchanged numbers and shuffled Darling boy out the door, back into the waiting town car. She passed by, bag in hand, her body tilted away to balance the weight, quite the feat on the heels.
“Holy shit.” Marina finally chimed in from her post at the small kitchen table. “You are all dolled up. Didn’t change for the flight?”
“No time. I boarded in full regalia.” She disappeared down the hall and was back far too quickly in jeans and a t-shirt, but still with the hair up and makeup on. She turned to Marina, who appeared both captivated and confused by Eleri. At least Donovan had known for a while what her background was. Marina had only a few hours to deal with it.
“He sat next to me on the plane and introduced himself as though he was from an old money family. Which he’s not. He just did it because he thought I was overdressed for the plane. Which I was.”
Marina stifled a small laugh. “What did he say when he found out you actually are from an old money family?” Then she stuttered, “You are, right? Or do I have that wrong?”
“Oh no, I am. I’m Eleri Grace Eames of the Virginia Eameses, who came over on the Mayflower. My father is Thomas Hale Eames of the Massachusetts Hales.” She gave them her best classy background recitation.
“And your mother?”
“Oh, she’s Nathalie Beaumont, of the New Orleans Remis. A family from the wrong side of the graveyards and the levees.” She grinned just as wide at that.
Donovan hadn’t known any of that. But Marina was nodding and getting straight to the point. The two of them had been up, talking with Walter and organizing what they had. But Eleri was the senior agent and Donovan didn’t want to move forward without her. He didn’t want the responsibility, especially after Westerfield told them to handle probable terrorism themselves. Whatever this was, it was already going to have his fingerprints all over it.
Was it cowardly? Possibly. But he also reminded himself it was smart. Two heads were better than one. Marina was great, but couldn’t factor anything of the NightShade directives into her advice or decisions. And Eleri was the senior agent because she’d been out in the field before, worked various units in the Bureau. He was on his second case, not a lot to recommend him there. Pretty much zero experience.
She was picking up the tablet they had out and flipping through the pictures they’d collected from Walter. “Is she still out?”
She meant Walter and Don
ovan shook his head. “The group disbanded about an hour ago,” He checked his watch, “Shit. Two hours ago. And she followed Kellen back to his place and we told her to call it a night.”
“Did she have any idea if he knew he was being followed?”
Good. He was doing the right things. The pride in his chest was that of a self-pat-on-the-back. “I asked specifically that question, and she said she didn’t think so. It’s always possible he knew and wasn’t letting on.”
Eleri thought for a moment and again came to the same conclusions he had. “But if he’d known he was being followed, he probably would have called off the dogs and not distributed the guns.”
Donovan nodded at her. “I agree. He would have to know the images we have are grounds for arrest and questioning. If we can locate just one illegal gun, then we can convict him.”
But conviction wasn’t their job. He looked to Marina who was nodding her agreement. She was agreeing with the idea that Kellen probably would never have done what he did had he known about Walter. She probably thought they were leaving smaller fish in play as bait for bigger ones. If only that’s truly what they were doing.
He interrupted the thoughts that were rolling over Eleri’s features as she looked through the pictures and notes. “It gets worse.”
She looked up at him.
“I told you on the phone that he said people would die. That he caught Marina and me in the adjacent building watching him. And we were dumb.”
“What do you mean?” She squinted a little as though that would help her sort out his dumbness. Beside him Marina sighed, obviously feeling as stupid as he did at getting caught by Rollins.
“He set up a dummy at his computer. Back facing us, and we watched it for a while. He then called and issued the threat and the dummy didn’t move at the computer.”
She fought a grin. “How long did you stake out the dummy?”
“Twenty-five minutes.” He looked at the ceiling as though it would forgive him when even she wouldn’t.
“Seriously, the guy is special ops. This had to happen sooner or later. If it makes you feel better, when I was just starting, a perp once came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder at a stakeout. Total rookie mistake. Didn’t account for a second guy.”
“Were you okay?” Marina jumped in. Donovan wanted to know, too.
“Yeah. He tried to jump me, but the tap on the shoulder gave him away, and I managed to get the better of him. The gun helped.” She shook her head, her eyes far away as she recalled her own stupidity to help ease their frustration. Then she came back to the pictures in front of her. “What do we have on each of these guys?”
“Wait. I didn’t tell you how it gets worse.”
“Oh, staking out the dummy wasn’t it?”
Shamed, he shook his head again. “No, that was stupid, but with no consequences beyond what we already had. No, when we left, we passed Aziza.” He sighed, then continued before Eleri could prod him. “I think she knows who we are.”
“Why? What do you mean?” The string of questions tumbled over each other as she fought for some level of clarity where there was none.
“I can’t say for sure.” Donovan turned to Marina who shrugged her shoulders even as she agreed with him.
“It was the way she looked at us.” Marina filled in. “She didn’t say anything, but as she passed us on the street she paid too much attention. Examined us just a little too closely to be casually passing by someone she didn’t recognize in some way.”
Eleri felt frazzled. The one time she’d taken a break from the middle of a case! She’d never done it before. Never let her mother browbeat her into these things when she was working. She’d always managed a solid “no” before.
Honestly, she expected the anniversary party wasn’t as last-minute as they’d said, still she’d been suckered. The gown, the champagne, the flying, it had all been useless by nature, and she’d missed an important development in the case.
Currently she was helping Marina sort through individual pictures Walter had sent of each of the participants. Though the previous meeting had been more male, this one had almost half the attendees as women. The way people sat, leaning toward someone, a hand on a shoulder, or just the position at the table, led her to pull her old psychology training out of the back closet of her brain. She was pretty convinced there were maybe two or three singles in the group, and the others were couples. Husbands and wives most likely.
Despite the fact that she’d gotten dressed yet again to head into the Bureau, and despite the fact that she sat at the conference table, her brain kept pulling to the side. She was trying to play catch-up here and trying not to think about the benefits of flying to Vegas. She’d seen Haley Jean and she wanted to visit her friend’s farm in her downtime. Grab some wine and eat vegetables Haley Jean had cross bred and grown herself. She wanted to relax. But that wasn’t coming soon; she had to live through this case first.
Certainly it wouldn’t happen with Avery Darling on her mind.
Eleri told herself it was stupid to think of him. But he’d already texted and wished her luck with the case and said he hoped he could see her again. She reminded herself she was not a schoolgirl with a crush but a special agent with a gun and badge and a werewolf for a partner.
She turned her face back to the pictures as Marina started talking.
“This looks like Warner Salling—the owner of the house.” Marina pointed to a government ID shot on the tablet as Donovan leaned over Eleri’s shoulder to see.
“Lord. Warner Salling sounds like an evil name. If we arrest him, he’ll never get a fair trial.” Eleri sighed. He even looked determined and rigid, like part of a terrorist cell.
Marina held up her own tablet with the man’s driver’s license picture enlarged. Visually, he looked a few years older, and Eleri was confident of the match. Next Marina pulled information on his wife, and they quickly found her face at the meeting too.
Warner Salling’s son was not present at the meeting, but his twenty-three-year-old daughter was.
Donovan finally spoke. “The family that slays together, stays together.”
“Oh, not funny.” Eleri cringed before turning back to Marina while Donovan shrugged. Morbid humor was not uncommon in medical examiners, cops, or agents. Donovan was now two out of three. She should have seen it coming, but instead of saying anything more, she turned to the other woman, “Do we have any intel on the missing son? Let’s find him and see if he’s just absent from this meeting or if he’s not part of his family’s regime.”
As Eleri flipped through the pictures one by one, she was more and more impressed with Walter’s skills. There were dead-on pictures of each person at the meeting. There was not a single back of a head anywhere that didn’t have a corresponding clear shot of the face. She’d also managed as many shots as possible of people standing.
It was something Eleri hadn’t thought about until she’d made it through the Academy, but knowing how tall your perp or suspect was changed the game in finding them. Facial recognition was great, but you wanted whole body stats if you had to run anyone down.
Walter had given them everything. She hadn’t just hidden in the bushes below one window, but must have stayed for hours, changing locations and knowing what information to get. Eleri wanted the woman at Quantico, but didn’t think Walter would agree. Instead, she’d be an investigator for hire, and soon enough Eleri wouldn’t be able to afford her.
“Give me a minute.” Marina started tapping away at her keyboard while Eleri examined the pictures for any additional clues. Walter had them time-stamped and Eleri hoped something more might be found.
Once Eleri had come back, she’d moved the meeting to the Bureau building despite the late hour. Had anyone hacked the modem at the small house or anywhere down the line, the results could have been disastrous.
Eleri was considering moving them entirely. They’d been at the house for a while. Timing was an issue, but Marina and Donovan getti
ng caught by Cooper Rollins and warned off? Then having Aziza seem to recognize them? For a moment she wondered if it was because she’d been gone . . . But that was insulting to both the others. As though they needed her to do the job correctly.
Almost as if he’d read her mind, Donovan leaned over and said, “It’s probably a good thing you weren’t with us yesterday. Rollins and Aziza may recognize us, but as far as we know, at least she doesn’t recognize you. . .”
As his voice trailed off, there was a look in his eyes; Eleri recognized it. They didn’t know the wolf either. There was still hope. They hadn’t been completely busted.
Also, there was now a good reason they couldn’t bring Marina along on surveillance. Eleri had wondered how long they could keep that ruse up. But she nodded at him and turned back to the pictures while Donovan checked out the weapons, trying to see if any makes and models pinged anything useful.
The sniper rifles bothered her. When she let herself trail that thought all the way through, the understanding that several of the members recognized Donovan’s and Marina’s faces made her afraid. Again, she pushed her thoughts to the task. From the pictures, the people in the house either were Oscar-caliber actors, revealing pertinent and almost definitely illegal information, or they had no idea they were being watched.
Go Walter. At least that much of surveillance had gone right.
Donovan set his tablet down, his expression not good.
“I have a link to one of the victims: these guns—the makes and models—exactly match some of the supplies missing from Vivian Dawson’s records.”
26
Once again, Donovan was both exhausted and itching to run. The run wouldn’t happen, and he set his mind to accepting that. The morning had been busy, and the day was nowhere near over yet. In fact, he had to get his shit together since Westerfield called and let them know he’d just parked and would be “attending the conference room” any moment now.
The NightShade Forensic Files: Fracture Five (Book 2) Page 22