by David Carner
“You ok?” Trip asked John.
“Not hardly,” John replied. “See, I’ve got this thing you all know about, but what you don’t realize is I just assume everyone thinks the same way I do, and, well, that never ends well. What I’m fumbling around with Trip, is I’m sorry. I made that crime scene about me, I made Thelma’s death about Sam, and frankly I acted like it was all about me. I’m sorry.”
Trip was quiet for a minute. Jessica stomped on Trip’s foot.
“What!?” Trip exclaimed. Jessica motioned toward John. John was chuckling.
“It’s ok, Trip,” John said. “I get it. If I was you I’d relish this moment as well. We both know that it’s not often that I apologize.”
“And that moment’s over,” Chet deadpanned. The group began to laugh. Trip put out his hand with a broad smile on his face, and John shook it. John couldn’t remember the last time he had this many people around him that he had felt comfortable with. “Maybe I’m growing up,” John thought . . . “Nah.”
Chapter 68
A tech, looking extremely nervous, approached the group of four.
“Director Smothers?” The tech asked.
“Right here, Son,” Trip responded. The tech handed Trip a document. John’s eyebrow went up.
“Is that what I think it is, Trip?” John asked.
“If you mean a warrant to search Archibald Staples home, you would be correct,” Trip replied. John was stunned.
“How did you pull that off?” John asked.
“After you left to pick up Bruce, I called in a favor with a judge. I laid out the facts; the senator was thought to be in a building in a shell corporation in his daughter’s name,” Trip replied. “Veronica is now living with daddy dearest. The judge said if we find the Senator or proof that he was there he would sign off on the warrant. Once we found the Senator I called him back. The judge wasn’t crazy about it, but he eventually signed off.”
John was smiling broadly. Trip got very serious.
“Look you three; this is our best chance to bust this guy,” Trip said. “Go in there and do what you do best, but do it by the book. This weasel has slipped out of every trap that has been set for him. I want him. I want him locked up for the rest of his pitiful life.”
John was staring Trip right in the eye.
“Any chance that warrant covers phones?” John asked, his mind already turning. He was thinking about finding some link between Archibald and the killer.
Trip smiled broadly, thinking the same way John was. “It does, John, but you and I both know he probably used a burn phone if he ordered any deaths.”
Jessica stepped between the two of them. “Gentlemen, we’re looking for anything to do with the Senator’s kidnapping,” she said. “We have no proof on Archibald having anything to do with anyone’s death. Are we clear?”
John and Trip both nodded. John glanced at Chet. John knew there was no way Chet could go to Archibald’s given what he uncovered. John glanced back at Trip. Trip was having the same thoughts. He thought for a second, and nodded. He started to stay something, but John held up his hand. Trip nodded, but Chet cut both of them off.
“Director Smothers, I would like to be recused of this case,” Chet said.
“I thought only judges could recuse themselves,” John said. Jessica stomped on his foot, never taking her eyes off of Chet. John hopped in place. Trip rolled his eyes at John. John tried to look sheepish as he hopped. Trip turned back to Chet.
“Trip, I can’t be on this case,” Chet said. “We all know what might come out if I was. I don’t care about me, but it could cost you your job.”
Trip nodded. He turned toward Jessica and John.
“If you two can behave for 5 minutes, I want you, along with 50 or so agents to execute this search warrant. In fact, I want the 50 or so agents to execute the warrant and you to watch Archibald. I want you to get any clue you can off of that man!”
John smiled and saluted. Jessica grabbed his arm and dragged him away before Trip strangled him.
“What is wrong with you?” Jessica asked.
“I just enjoy irritating Trip,” John replied.
“Well, you’re irritating more than just him,” Jessica replied.
“Pfffbbtt,” John replied. “Don’t worry about Chet, he’s used to me.”
Jessica opened the car door and looked over at John.
“For someone so good at picking up clues, you miss the obvious,” Jessica said. “That was strike two.” Jessica got in the driver’s side leaving John standing with the door opened. He was confused.
“You’re getting irritated with me?” John asked.
“Getting implies I’m not there yet, and that would be a wrong assumption,” Jessica said very quietly.
John got in the passenger side and looked over at Jessica.
You do realize you’re driving my in-laws car, right?” John asked. Jessica ignored him, started the car and drove off. John didn’t say anything for several miles down the road. When he spoke it was quietly and somberly.
“Are you breaking up with me?” John asked.
“What?” Jessica exclaimed, almost wrecking the car. She looked at him for a moment and realized he was being very serious.
“John, was Sam your only girlfriend? I mean are you telling me you didn’t have one in middle school, high school or college. I just assumed you meant she was the only serious girlfriend you ever had. Are you saying she was the only one . . . ever?” Jessica asked. John sucked in one side of his jaw and stared straight ahead at the road.
“Is that a trick question?” John asked.
“How could that be a trick question?” Jessica asked.
“Is it a trick question?” John asked. He looked at Jessica. Jessica was very confused. “I guess I only have . . . “ John stopped and then started again. “I guess it depends on how you define . . . “ He stopped again. He swallowed and spoke quietly. “I mean are you . . . do you consider yourself . . . “ John looked down at the floorboard.
“I would be your second girlfriend in your entire life if I was?” Jessica asked.
John slowly nodded his head. Jessica didn’t know what to say. She thought for a moment. She reached over and took John’s hand.
“We’re not breaking up, John,” Jessica said quietly.
Rosa Martinez
Staples Home, Virginia
Chapter 69
Rosa Martinez hated her job. She had worked for the Staples for 10 years. During that time Archibald believed she was an illegal alien and that she didn’t understand English. Rosa had tried to talk to Archibald many times when she was first employed but the only thing Archibald would ever say to her was, “No hablo espanol.”
Rosa had heard things over the years that sickened her. Archibald would always talk about his deals and plans in front of her. If anyone said anything about Rosa, Archibald would say things like, “She doesn’t understand,” or “She’s not from around these parts,” and laugh about it. Everyone talked in front of Rosa like she didn’t exist. Rosa hated the way it made her feel.
Rosa realized over time if Archibald ever found out she could speak and understand English she would be killed. It was that simple. Archibald was a dangerous man. She had told herself many times she would quit over the years, but Archibald paid her such a good wage she didn’t know if she could. Plus she worried if she did try to quit, Archibald would have her killed.
Today was worse than usual. Her best friend, Thelma had been murdered last night. Rosa and Thelma had been paintball enthusiasts. They played in Dale City, where Thelma lived. Rosa never told Thelma who she worked for. She knew if she did Thelma would try to get Rosa out from under Archibald’s influence, but Rosa worried for Thelma’s life.
Rosa felt awful. Thelma had talked to her last night about her friend from New York. Rosa knew Thelma was in love with him, even if Thelma would never admit it. Thelma had told her that he was working on a big case and she was doing him a favor. Rosa smiled a
t the memory. The only time Thelma had ever not wanted to play laser tag with Rosa was when Thelma’s special man was in town.
If all of this wasn’t bad enough, “The Princess” as the staff referred to her, had returned. Rosa wasn’t sure which was worse, the mood Archibald had been in when he thought Veronica’s life was in danger, or the mood he had been in since she had been arrested. Rosa just wanted to finish her work and go home for the day. As luck would have it, it was this moment and place that Veronica chose to confront Archibald in front of Rosa.
Chapter 70
Archibald was at his desk going through reports. Rosa was quickly, and quietly, cleaning. Archibald watched her for a moment. Something seemed to be bothering her. Archibald shook his head in disgust. There were days he thought about getting rid of her, but Duck had told him she was worthless to him. Archibald thought about having it taken care of the old fashioned way, but decided against it. There were too many eyes on Veronica right now. The last thing he needed was an investigation over an illegal. His thoughts were interrupted by Veronica bursting in the room. She was holding a newspaper.
“I know you had something to do with this!” Veronica exclaimed. “Are you getting senile, or just old!?!”
Archibald groaned inwardly. He knew Veronica would be impossible to live with for a while. In a few days she had gone from being what she thought was the most powerful woman in the US, if not the world, to having to move back in with Daddy. Archibald chuckled at that thought. Millions of people would give anything to move into this mansion. Veronica was waving a hand in front of his face.
“Hello,” she called sarcastically. “Is there anyone home in there?”
“Lisa, dear, or is it Veronica again?” Archibald asked. Veronica looked irritated for just a moment, and then she laughed.
“Do you really think it bothers me?” She asked. “Do you think I care what those fatcats in Washington think?” She walked over to the window in the office and looked outside. “I think I will go back to Veronica. The world knows how I was attacked, so there’s no need for secrecy any longer.” Archibald loved how she had practiced the lie of how she was attacked so many times over the years she kept up the appearance even with the one person that knew the truth. She turned back toward her father, pointing at the lead story. It was the death of Thelma. Rosa could see it clearly from her position in the room.
“Did you do this, Dad?” Veronica asked. “Did you have this woman killed? Are you stupid enough to do that, Dad?”
Rosa held her breath as she waited for the answer.
Chapter 71
“Veronica, you’d better sit down,” Archibald said.
“Oh, Dad,” Veronica began. She sat in the chair. “What stupid thing did you do?”
“I tell you what I didn’t do,” Archibald said, appearing to be getting angrier by the second. “I didn’t lead on some fool Secret Service agent until he thought up the crazy scheme of kidnapping one of the most powerful politicians in the world!!”
Veronica was sitting in the chair across from her father, with her right elbow on the arm of the chair. Her thumb was under her chin with her index finger over her upper lip. When she heard her father, instead of getting angry, a slow grin began to cross her face. She began to lightly chuckle. She was quite proud of herself.
“I did do that didn’t I?” She asked. “But he got you to go along with it.” The anger left Archibald’s face. He leaned back in his chair and began to chuckle as well.
“You did, and well done may I add,” Archibald said approvingly.
“What a dope,” Veronica said, referring to Luke.
“He was, but it’s time we talked about some steps I had to take to ensure your safety after you were arrested,” Archibald said. “I did what Luke couldn’t and reached out to Bruce Cosby, the FBI agent. That boy does not seem to like his father.”
Veronica smiled at the last statement her father made. Rosa continued cleaning, while listening intently. She was being ignored as usual, but she made sure neither of the Staples realized what she was doing.
Archibald paused for a second. He was internally debating how much to tell Veronica, but he knew she would harass him if he didn’t. Besides, she knew so much on him that the death of an FBI employee was actually quite small on the list of his transgressions.
“Bruce and I set-up your boy toy to be a fall guy,” Archibald said. Veronica visibly winced at the term for Luke, but continued to smile wickedly. “The problem we ran into was John and his little troop.”
Veronica scowled. “We may have to do something about them,” she said. Archibald nodded in agreement.
“Apparently someone got wise to Bruce, so I had Duck’s inside man to intercept some evidence John’s group was trying to collect on Bruce. I informed Bruce of the situation, and Bruce actually took care of the person in the paper, but he was very unhappy to hear about the inside man.”
Rosa’s heart leapt in her throat with that revelation. Her friend had been killed by an FBI agent. Rosa had to fight back tears. She couldn’t let the two of them find her out now. She promised herself that she would tell someone what had happened. In fact, she needed to find the agent Thelma always talked about being the best in the FBI. She needed to find John Fowler.
Chapter 72
“Wouldn’t Bruce be surprised to learn there’s more than one inside?” Veronica asked. Rosa nearly fell over hearing that. Archibald squirmed uncomfortably in his seat.
“Well,” Archibald began. “I had to let that fish off the hook.”
“WHAT!!” Veronica exclaimed. “WHY!?!”
“Settle down,” Archibald said. “You know that piece of land I’ve been trying to get out of the Moores?” Veronica nodded. “Arthur agreed to sell it on two conditions. One, he bought out the FBI agents marker. The second condition was he bought the private student loans off of me.”
Veronica took a second to process the information. She nodded as she thought. She looked sharply at her father.
“They know?” She simply asked. Archibald looked slightly annoyed.
“They suspect,” he replied. “If they knew, there would be a thousand agents swarming this house. They suspect small things; they don’t know the big things.”
Veronica sat in the chair with her elbows on the arms, and her fingers drumming together in front of her face. Archibald watched her for a second.
“The most they suspect me for is covering up that George girl’s death,” Archibald said. “They have tried for years to bring me down. We’re untouchable, Veronica. Don’t worry. Besides, I’m quite sure Bruce is going to clean up any lingering mess.” Archibald smiled as he reached for his drink; he paused right as the drink reached his mouth. “That boy does have a voracious appetite for violence.”
Veronica stopped drumming her fingers together with that last statement. She looked at her father suspiciously. A slow grin crossed her face.
“You’ve used him before.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. A large grin came over Archibald’s face. He finished his drink, and then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. An evil grin covered his face.
“Well,” he wavered, smiling the entire time.
“Tell me,” Veronica said. Archibald looked toward the ceiling, thinking back. He looked at Veronica and smiled broadly.
“Do you remember when the Senator was making serious noise about running for President against your,” Archibald paused. Veronica tried to look putout about what her father was dancing around, but she didn’t really care about her ex-husband. Well, he wasn’t her ex-husband yet, but in her mind he might as well be.
“Let’s say former husband,” Archibald said. Veronica nodded. “I had been wondering what would stop Jeremiah from running, but not be directly traced to me, and then everything just fell in my lap.”
Chapter 73
Veronica was leaning forward in her seat, intrigued with what she was hearing. Rosa couldn’t believe her ears. Archibald continued.
“I wa
s at an event and ran into Bruce,” Archibald said. “He had just been upstaged again by John Fowler, and would have been watching John and his father having their picture taken together . . . again, if John had been there and hadn’t been working undercover.” Archibald paused for a second. “You know, you have to be impressed with the FBI. They made it believable John had been drummed out of the FBI. Duck was smart though, he didn’t buy it. He didn’t think that a girl like Samantha Moore would have stayed with a drunk, on the take, former FBI agent. Duck was smart enough to jump on the leftovers though, wasn’t he?” Archibald’s eyes twinkled. He was very proud of what he and Duck had pulled off those years ago. Archibald pulled himself back into the present and continued the story.
“Where was I?” Archibald asked to no one in particular. “Oh yes, Bruce was looking extremely upset, and I decided to see what I could do to stir the pot. I was trying to make small talk with Bruce, and I jokingly asked him about his father.” Archibald lit a cigar and began to smoke it. He was clearly enjoying the memory. “I told him it looked like his father was on the way to being President. I said the only thing that would keep it from happening was some skeleton in the closet. I paused, and jokingly asked Bruce if his father had anything in the closet that the press might dig up. Bruce looked even more upset than before and stormed off. I had no idea what button I had pushed, but I was enjoying myself.
“Well, what I asked Bruce clearly bothered him. He asked me about it again later in the evening. He wanted to know if it was true. I asked him what he was talking about, and he pointblank asked me if the rumors of his father and the Moore lady were true.
I was stunned by the question. I asked him what had brought that up. He told me an interested party had asked him, ‘Don’t you find it odd that Sam has the exact same color eyes as your father and not the color of her parents.’ I didn’t say anything, but just smiled. I wanted to work this for all it was worth, anything to mess with Jeremiah. Bruce left me for a bit. When he came back, he was visibly shaken.”