“Sure we can,” Flint said. “I will make you a deal that of you behave yourself in prison you might get early parole before you're ninety.”
Landon's face went pale, then began to cry into his hands.
Flint grinned. “Just wait until your first night in prison. Then you’ll really be filling the lake up.”
“Yeah,” Tori added. Maybe in her earlier days, when she had just begun work as a homicide detective, Tori might have felt an inch of compassion for Landon. Now, she felt disgust and anger.
I'm becoming like Flint, she thought to herself, not sure whether to be proud or horrified.
*****
Flint leaned against the doorway leading into the hidden passage under the stairs. With Landon hauled off to jail and the mansion finally clear of all eager co-workers wanting to take a peek at the sewer rat who had strangled an old man to death, he had time to think. “Arnold, where would an old man hide a safe in this joint?”
Tori took a bite of cheese pizza Flint had ordered. “Are we sure the safe is even here?”
Flint opened the hidden door, stepped into the passageway, and vanished. A few minutes later he returned with Judith. Tori watched Flint remove a white handkerchief that was wrapped around Judith's mouth. “You're crazy,” Judith nearly screamed in anger. “You gag me and handcuff me down in a closet upstairs and you call me a criminal!”
Flint walked Judith back to the stairs and sat her down. “Pizza?” he asked, reaching forward to a brown and orange pizza box sitting on the third step and grabbing a slice of pizza out.
“No,” Judith frowned. “What's the big idea, anyway? Why didn't you have me arrested along with Landon?”
“In time,” Flint promised. “First, I have to find some missing gold, take down a filthy FBI Agent and his lackeys, and then, take a very special woman out to a nice dinner.”
Tori smiled. “Melinda will be very happy to hear that.”
“You're paying for the dinner,” Flint joked.
Tori finished off her slice of pizza and grabbed a second slice. “So what's the plan?” she asked Flint.
“We have to find the safe,” Flint said, chewing on his pizza. He sat down next to Judith. “How much gold are we talking about?” he asked her, not really expecting an answer.
“Over one hundred million dollars,” Judith said.
Flint nodded, eyeing her with suspicion. So Judith answered his question, so what? The woman could be lying. “Any idea where the safe could be?”
“Not a clue,” Judith confessed. “You know, Detective, I really didn't want to kill my grandfather. But he had to die. It was that simple. It was either he died or a whole bunch of people were going to die.”
“Explain,” Tori said in a stern tone. “We want straight answers, too. No lies.”
Judith looked up at Tori. “I get it, okay.”
Flint finished off his pizza and grabbed a second slice. “Start talking.”
Judith sighed. “Amanda Parsons arrived in America from Sicily. Her maiden name was Fiore. Does that name ring a bell?”
Flint shrugged and looked at Tori. “Arnold?”
To Flint's surprise, Tori nodded. “Fiore was a Mafia family in Sicily, Flint. The Fiore family was at war with the DeDonato family.” Tori saw Flint give her a strange look. “The Mafia has always interested me, okay?”
“Fine with me,” Flint said, and took another bite of pizza. “So what happened? Did the DeDonato clan run the Fiore folk out of Sicily?”
“More than that,” Judith jumped in. “They joined forces and located people to Los Angeles. At the time, the LaGana family was running New York. But Los Angeles had the Mazza family.”
“The new kids in town ran the old kids out,” Tori said.
“Okay,” Flint said, and began thinking. “We have a new mafia family in town.” Flint finished his pizza. “The studios are notorious for being infected with mafia hounds, which might explain how Fiona met Henry Parsons.”
Tori agreed. “Judith, who were your parents?”
Flint grinned. Tori was way ahead of him. Judith didn't grin. She frowned. “I was wondering when you were going to get around to that.”
“Your parents were involved with the DeDonato family, weren't they?” Tori asked.
Judith sighed. “Yes. My dad ran guns. My mother did the books.”
“What was Amanda responsible for?” Flint asked.
“She ran the books for the Fiore family,” Judith explained. “She was a crook, though. She stole money from the Fiore Family and blamed my mother. She nearly started a war. Amanda was a very bitter woman who hated the DeDonato Family.”
“But…” Flint said.
Judith sighed. “My mother sent proof to the Fiore Family that it was Amanda stealing from the books and not her. Amanda was given one year to return the money or... sleep with the fish, as the old saying goes. By this time Amanda was married to my grandfather... I mean, Henry.”
Flint began putting the pieces together. “How much money did Amanda steal?”
“More than my grandfather had under his mattress,” Judith explained. “I was told my... I mean, Henry, told Amanda about a story about missing gold.”
“Who told you that bit of information?” Tori asked.
“My mother,” Judith confessed. “My mother made a deal with Amanda.”
“Your mother made a deal with her enemy?” Tori asked.
Judith nodded. “My mother told Amanda that she would rig her books to balance out the accounts that were in the red. In return, Amanda would help my dad run a separate illegal gun operation out of Nevada under the disguise of an old west touring company. The sad part, though, was that my, I mean Henry, actually believed that Amanda moved to Nevada to search for the missing gold.”
“How did Henry Parsons lose so much of his money?” Tori asked. “It seems to me that Henry Parsons didn't go broke running Old West Tours.”
Judith looked down at her handcuffed hands. “My parents began blackmailing Amanda for money. My dad's gun smuggling operation didn't go as smooth as he hoped. He came across a corrupt FBI agent who was working undercover.”
“Edwin Wayberry?” Tori asked.
“Edwin Wayberry's dad,” Judith corrected. “This man began demanding money from my parents and threatened them with prison if they didn't pay up and, unfortunately, Amanda Parsons became their money box.”
“All the while Henry Parsons is out there looking for missing gold,” Flint said in a sad voice. “Poor old guy.”
“Henry loved Amanda, Detective Flint, and Amanda loved him,” Judith explained. “My mother said Amanda was heartbroken over the fact that she was deceiving her husband. Eventually, Henry found out the truth, though... I guess Amanda fessed up? Who really knows how Henry found out.”
“With the truth out in the open, Henry Parsons closed his business, packed up his bags, and moved back to Los Angeles,” Flint said.
“Kinda... I guess. My parents said one day Amanda told them both to drop dead. When my mother threatened to tell the Fiore Family about how she had rigged the books for Amanda, Henry stepped forward and told both of my parents to take a hike and that if they ever bothered Amanda again he would personally make sure they both ended up dead.”
“How did you parents react?”
“Who knows?” Judith shrugged. “All I know is that they never bothered Amanda again. But a few months after Amanda Parsons died, both of my parents were found dead in their house outside of Sacramento. Murder-Suicide was ruled the cause of deaths.”
Flint nodded. “You don't seem too upset.”
“Both of my parents, Detective Flint, were truly evil people. Henry wasn't the nicest man, but he was always very kind to me. He truly did take a liking to me. I don't know why. And I truly loved him... I didn't want to kill him, honestly.”
“Yet, you said you had to, why?” Tori pushed.
“Edwin Wayberry works for the crime family in New York,” Judith said. “My dad was betraying t
he DeDonato Family... Maybe they killed him and my mother?” Judith stopped talking. “You’re the detectives. You figure it out.”
“The LaGana Family is going to try and take Los Angels away from the DeDonato and Fiore Families,” Tori said quickly.
Judith looked up. “The LaGana family is low in cash. They need money because... well, the gun cartels in Mexico have stopped running guns unless the LaGana Family puts up one hundred million dollars in cash.”
Flint whistled. “That's a lot of guns.”
“It's just not guns, Detective… it's also drugs.”
“I'm all ears,” Flint said.
“The LaGana family wants to flood Los Angeles with drugs, which will be controlled by Mexican gangs crossing the border illegally. The gangs will be given guns and assigned certain areas to control. The gangs will start selling drugs all over the city, on the beaches, everywhere.”
“But the LaGana Family has very strong resistance in the form of two very dangerous Mafia Families,” Tori pointed out.
“Henry threatened to tell Edwin Wayberry where the hidden gold was,” Judith said in a low whisper. “I... oh, it was a mess. Henry hated the Fiore Family and the DeDonato Family. He blamed them for Amanda's death. If Edwin Wayberry gets his hand on the gold... how many people will die?”
“That doesn't excuse you from participating in the murder of an innocent man,” Tori snapped at Judith.
“I know,” Judith said, looking tormented. “I...”
Flint stared at Judith. “You were helping Edwin Wayberry. You wanted the LaGana Family to come to Los Angeles and start a war. You blame the Fiore and DeDonato Families for the death of your parents. It does bother you that they were killed.”
Judith shot hot, fiery, eyes at Flint. “Yes, okay... when my parents were found dead, I knew who killed them. I wanted revenge. So I went to Edwin Wayberry and told him about the missing gold. At first, Edwin thought I was a joke. But when I showed him evidence, the situation became real serious.”
“Evidence?” Tori asked.
“Photos,” Judith said in an angry voice. “Henry had taken photos of all the missing gold. I found the photos hidden in the hallway upstairs. But I could never get Henry to confess to me the actual location of the gold.”
“And then you had a change of mind, is that it?” Flint asked. “All of a sudden you didn't want a mafia war taking place, huh?”
Judith looked at the box of pizza. “No, I wanted the LaGana Family to wipe out the Fiore and DeDonato Family. I still do. The fact is, it was something Edwin said to me that made me change my mind. Edwin and I were having dinner one evening. He explained to me that the amount of money the drugs were going to bring in was going to be very substantial. He asked me to become a senior bookkeeper. At first I was flattered, but then I had time to think about what the drug money really meant... How many kids might die... How many lives would be destroyed... How many playgrounds would be turned into selling post... It's the children I'm trying to protect, can't you see that?”
“Sure,” Flint said. “One last question. You set Detective Arnold and me up for the kill. What was in for you?”
“The truth,” Tori demanded.
“I called Edwin and told him about you,” Judith confessed. “My job was to trick you. If I helped Edwin, then he would... kill my boyfriend for me.”
Tori gasped. She certainly hadn’t been expecting that.
“Oh what a sticky web we weave when we first learn to deceive,” Flint said. “Old Edwin had different plans, though, didn't he?”
Judith closed her eyes. “He must have found out where the gold was hidden,” she said. “It was clear that Edwin was going to kill me, along with you two. I'm very grateful that you saved us, Detective Flint... but I guess I should have run when I had the chance.”
“Why didn't you?”
“The truth,” Tori warned again.
“You figured out that the hidden ticket was a code to a combination on a hidden safe. I was going to use you to find the safe and...”
“And kill us,” Tori said in an angry voice.
“Yes,” Judith confessed. “Hey, it's not personal... it's just business, right?”
“Please, not that stupid line,” Tori said. “Don't make me vomit up my pizza.”
Flint reached into the pocket of his overcoat and pulled out Judith's cell phone. “Call Edwin,” he ordered. “Tell them we arrested your slimy boyfriend and that you're on the run. Tell him that you found the hidden safe. In the safe, you found a very interesting map. Tell Edwin you will be returning back to Nevada in a few days.”
“But if Edwin wanted me dead, that must mean he has the gold,” Judith said.
“If you truly believed that you wouldn't have come here this morning hoping Detective Arnold and I would lead you to the safe,” Flint said. “Edwin wanted you dead for a separate reason.”
Realizing that Flint had caught her in a lie, Judith glanced up at Tori. Tori shook her head. “Oh the lies,” she said.
Flint heard a knock on the front door. He tossed Tori Judith's cell phone. “We have a visitor,” he said and hurried to the front door. Curiously, Tori watched Flint jog to the front door and open it without using any form of caution.
Melinda appeared, wearing her uniform. “I'm here,” she told Flint in a voice that let Flint know he was walking on thin ice.
“I know you are... and I appreciate it,” he told Melinda in a soft voice. “Listen, I'm grateful for all you do for me, Melinda.” Flint nervously rubbed the back of his neck. “Without your help, I wouldn't be able to solve cases. You're a valuable member of the law enforcement community... one of the best, as a matter of fact, and... yeah, smarter than I'll ever be. I'm... also... sorry that I ruined your dinner the other night. If you can forgive me, I promise to take you out to someplace real nice.”
Shocked at Flint's confession, Tori waited for Melinda to respond. Melinda stared into Flint's apologetic and sincere face. “Flint, let's just grab a take-out and movie.” She smiled. “In the meantime, I have the information you asked for.”
“Forget the information,” Flint said. Drawing in a deep breath, he grabbed Melinda and kissed her. Tori's mouth dropped open. “I want to take you out to a nice restaurant and I will,” he told Melinda.
Blushing and out of breath, Melinda managed to nod. “Okay... Flint... whatever you want.”
“Way to go, Flint!” Tori cheered.
Flint rolled his eyes and snapped back to his regular cynical self. “Now, what about the information I asked for?”
Melinda followed Flint to the stairs. Ignoring Judith, she focused on Flint and Tori. “Fiona Parsons’ maiden name was Fiore.”
Flint nodded.
Tori withheld her shock. “The woman was married to—”
“Patrick Parsons,” Melinda confirmed. “It seems, guys, that Amanda Parsons knew exactly who to marry when she arrived in Los Angeles.”
“Okay,” Flint said, and began pacing back and forth. “We know that Patrick Parson was found dead. Afterward, Fiona Parson, who was pregnant at the time, moved away to Sacramento, right?”
“That's the information I could dig up,” Melinda said.
Flint glanced at Judith. “Her parents were found dead in their home outside of Sacramento.”
Tori caught the connection. “Seems there more to her story than she's letting on.”
“I'm through talking,” Judith said. “I want to call my lawyer. I'm tired of being held as your prisoner. Call Edwin yourself.”
Flint squatted down and looked Judith straight in her eyes. “You'll help us, young lady, because if you don't, I'm going to see to it that you are sent to the worst prison in the state of California. And let me warn you, Warden Bates is a woman that is very fond of hot sun and heavy shovels. You won't be sitting in a nice, air-conditioned prison cell on death row, wasting the tax payers’ money. No way, sister. Warden Bates makes sure you earn the right to sit behind her bars.”
“Are you
threatening me?” Judith asked.
“I'm making a promise, sister,” Flint replied. “When you look in the mirror you may see a pretty young woman. I see an ugly murderer. And that's all Warden Bates is going to see, too.”
Judith swallowed. “And if I help you?”
“You can go rot in a comfortable prison where you'll sit in air conditioned cells and paint pretty little pictures all day while some liberal quack talks to you about your childhood and begins to petition the state of California for an early release on your behalf, claiming that you are the victim of a horrible childhood filled with crime and violence. And most likely, you will get an early release and be treated as a celebrity.”
“All she has to do is claim the part of the victim and ride that wave all the way through her trial,” Tori said in a disgusted voice. “Our society will have a bleeding heart over this girl, Flint, and demand she be set free instead of going off to prison.”
“Most likely,” Melinda agreed, studying Judith's pretty face. “She's a pretty one. The media will eat her alive and make her a star overnight.”
Judith suddenly saw a light in the darkness. If she manipulated the courts and the media correctly, perhaps all she would get was a few months on probation and some mandatory counseling sessions. “I'll call Edwin for you, Detective Flint. You know how to play your cards right.”
“So do you,” Flint said. “Arnold, Melinda, watch this young lady. I'm going to go search for a missing safe. I think I might know where it is.”
Flint walked up the stairs and walked toward the main bedroom. His mind was formatting an attack plan. “Might work,” he said, entering the main bedroom and stopping at the large bed. “What game are you playing, Mr. Parsons? That's what Edwin Wayberry wanted to know.” Flint sat down on the edge of the bed. “I'm going to bring you justice, sir, don't worry. But first I have to figure out your mind.”
Flint sat quietly for a very long time, allowing his eyes to wander around the bedroom. Outside he heard a soft rain begin to fall. “Where could the safe be?” he asked himself. Then excitement ballooned in his chest. “Of course, in the most obvious place!”
Detective Flint Box Set: A Detective Story Box Set Books 1-3 Page 34