With all of my strength, I rose to face the situation I had helped to create.
~~~~~
As I entered the living room, Tanner stood. Mom and Tanner’s sympathetic expressions were my undoing. All of my strength disappeared as I bit my lower lip to keep from sobbing again. Pull it together.
“Heather,” Tanner said gently. “I wanted to stop by to fill you in on what happened and to thank you personally for your help. Plus, I wanted to check on you. It took a lot of courage doing what you did. There aren’t too many seventeen–year–old girls who would have handled things as well as you did. And I know it came at a great price for you.”
“Thanks,” I mumbled. “I should be used to rejection, but this one is hard to take.”
With tears welling in her eyes, Mom walked over to me. Guilt began piling up, forcing me to turn my head away. As I studied the floor, she came over and wrapped an arm around me.
“Let’s go sit down, honey. You look exhausted,” she said kindly.
I nodded and we walked toward the couch.
Tanner sat back down before clearing his throat. “Your sacrifice wasn’t in vain; they’ve made the proper arrest. The feds staged an exchange between Paul, the owner of the bar where Jillian works, and an undercover officer. We raided Jillian’s house at the same time.”
“What will happen to Barry?” I asked.
Tanner’s mouth flattened as he stared at me. With an exhale, he finally said, “He’ll be brought in for questioning.”
“What!” I shrieked. I couldn’t believe that Barry would be dragged into this mess. There’s no way he was involved, so I figured a simple question or two would suffice.
Tanner held up his hands in protest. “It’s just routine. The feds don’t know him, and it’s their duty to see if he was involved or knew what was happening.”
“But...”
“Don’t worry, he’ll be cleared in no time. If what you say is correct—that there’s no way he could have known about the contents inside of that shed—then they’ll let him go home right away. Unfortunately, he’ll have to live with his grandma until things get wrapped up.”
My gut clenched. “I hate this. I caused him all this stress and tore apart his family. God, he will never forgive me.” Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over again.
Tanner’s eyes softened. “Heather, you’re not the one who brought this upon him. His mother is. Her wrong doings have caused this to happen, not you.” I shut my eyes; hearing those words hurt. “And besides, just give him some time, I saw the way he eyed you. He’ll come around.”
“Yeah? You didn’t see the look in his eyes before he walked away. He detests me.” I groaned.
“Give him time, Heather. He’ll come around, and if not, than he’s lost the best girl he will ever meet,” Tanner said.
With a glance, I could read the sincerity in his eyes. His kind words brought a sense of warmth throughout my core as nobody had ever spoken to me so kindly. “Thanks, Detective.”
“What will happen to Bart?” I asked. That bastard better not get off scot–free just because he was a cop.
Tanner shifted in his seat. “There isn’t enough evidence to convict him yet.” I protested, but he cut me off, saying, “I said yet. He’s still being investigated.”
I balled my hands into fists and pressed them into my thighs. “What do you mean?”
“The feds are compiling evidence against him. We think Jillian and Paul will testify against Bart in exchange for a lesser sentence. But even with them doing that, there’s nothing to link him to the mayor.”
“That’s totally not fair, they both benefited from the operation,” I protested.
With a nod, he shifted in his seat again. Was Tanner nervous? He paused before speaking. “There’s a plan, but it will take both of your cooperation to work. Well, technically I only need Heather’s cooperation, but...” He turned toward my mother. “In the state of Missouri, seventeen is considered an adult in criminal law, but I’d prefer to have your permission.”
Mom raised a fist and tapped it gently against her mouth. Her eyes shifted to me and I shrugged. I was just as confused as she was.
Tanner cleared his throat again. “This can’t leave this room because no one else knows about Bart’s involvement yet. But I’m working with the feds on this, and it was hard enough just convincing them to let me talk to you. We would like to move quickly to prevent any leaks. Understood?”
We both nodded.
“We need a confession from Bart that implicates not only himself but also the mayor. According to Jillian, Bart started blackmailing Paul after discovering Jillian’s grow op and Nicholas’s involvement. If we use Jillian’s statement alone, there would be enough evidence to convict him on extortion, but not the mayor, so we need Bart’s confession to seal the deal against the mayor. What I’m proposing is to have Heather meet with him wearing a wire. Right now he’s angry and seeing you will stir up those emotions. If he sees you, he may slip up and confess.”
“Absolutely not,” Mom said.
Tanner turned his head toward her. “I know this is asking a lot, Vickie, but I promise she won’t be in danger. I would never allow that. We’ll never be far away from her, and we’ll be able to hear if she’s in trouble.”
As Mom protested, I pondered Tanner’s proposal. At least part of me wanted to agree right away because Bart deserved more than a simple slap on the wrist. I wanted him convicted.
“I want to do it,” I said.
“Heather, no,” Mom said.
“Mom, I’ll be all right.”
“But…” Tanner interrupted Mom’s protest.
“Vickie, Heather’s a strong girl. You’ve done a wonderful job raising her, but you haven’t seen her perform in the field the way I have. Most people can’t believe she’s only seventeen.”
Mom’s mouth tightened, and I could see her struggle with Tanner’s argument. I had to give the detective credit: he knew exactly how to play into her weakness.
After a few moments, she conceded. Turning to Tanner, Mom asked, “She won’t be in any danger?”
“No, we plan on them accidentally meeting in a public place.”
“And you promise to be nearby, just in case?”
“I promise,” he reassured her.
She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Well then, I guess you have my permission.”
“Okay, then. I’ll be in touch with you tomorrow. We have a tail on Bart now, and when the opportunity arises, I’ll come and get you.”
This fairytale notion of having peace seemed unattainable as the pit of my stomach swirled again. I can’t even mourn my break–up like normal girls. I bit my lip to keep from crying again. With a nod, I agreed wholeheartedly.
Tanner rose. “Excellent.” Shifting his attention toward my mother, he smiled tentatively. “Do I still get to see you tomorrow, Vickie?” he asked, a little unsure.
Usually so confident, Tanner’s insecurity intrigued me.
I could see the conflict in my mom’s eyes. She didn’t agree with Tanner’s plan, but the attraction she held for him was obvious. With a small smile, she said, “Yes, looking forward to it.”
“Okay, then.” He visibly relaxed. “I’ll be here around six.”
They walked toward the door to exchange their goodbyes. I backed away toward my room with the intent of going to bed even though it was still early. I just wanted to be done with today. But the growling of my stomach diverted me to the kitchen. I hadn’t had anything solid to eat since lunch at the mall, and that had only been a few bites of salad. I grabbed a quick bite before crashing for the night. My bed called for me. I could picture myself curling up into a little ball, wallowing in self–pity, and succumbing to heartbreak.
~18~
Refocus
“Hey, how are you doing today?” Mom asked the next morning, walking into my room. She sat on my bed. The aroma of coffee awakened my senses as the saucer clanked against my nightstand,
but I kept my eyes shut, unwilling to face the world yet.
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “Let me wake up and I’ll let you know.”
“Well, it’s past nine. You never sleep this late, I was getting worried.”
Past nine? One eye popped opened and I groaned. My face felt puffy and my eyes stung from crying so much the night before. I sat up and ran my hands over my face, trying to rub the grit from my eyes. I sighed. I needed to pull it together before Tanner called. I withdrew my hands from my face and noticed that Mom was wearing jeans and a t–shirt. “Why aren’t you at work?”
“I called in, and they let me take a vacation day. My supervisor’s nice. Understanding.”
“Mom, I hope you didn’t do that because of me,” I said, sitting up straighter in bed.
“Well, yeah. I didn’t want you to be alone today. I realize how much Barry meant to you, so I have an idea how bad you’re hurting right now.” She turned toward the window, her eyes growing distant as she stared out. “It hurts when the person you cared for deeply walks away.”
Just hearing her mention Barry’s name brought a pang to my heart, but my intuition told me she wasn’t really talking about him. After my father walked out on us, she had never said one word about him. It was if he’d died. All this time, I thought she hated him—the love she must have had for him never once entered my mind. How did I miss that? My hand clutched my throat as I tried swallowing. God, if Barry’s like my father, he’ll never come back to me.
“Mom, he’ll never forgive me,” I said, my voice cracking.
“Ah, sweetheart, don’t count him out yet.” She turned back towards me and frowned. “I won’t lie, it will take some time for him to work this out in his head. First, he has to sift through his mother’s actions, then come to terms with them. Once he realizes that you weren’t at fault for anything, he’ll come back around.” She pointed to the cup of coffee, indicating it was mine.
Without hesitation, I picked up the cup and took a sip. “Mom, it’s the deceit he’s mad about, not the fact I helped get his mother arrested. He thinks I purposely kept stuff from him, which is true.”
“It may seem like that, but eventually he’ll come to his senses and realize you never had a choice. The consequences were too great for you to keep the visions to yourself.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulders, squeezing me tightly. “Either way, you’ll come out strong. You always have.”
Words of encouragement were few, coming from Mom, so the rare ones she dispensed were appreciated. “Thanks, Mom. It just sucks.”
“Yes, it does.” With a sigh, she gave me another squeeze before standing. “When you’re ready for breakfast, I thought we’d discuss colleges. I’m sure there’s a few you’d like to visit soon,”
College? What is up with the sudden college talk? I only have enough space in my brain to think about Barry. “Mom, I can’t discuss college plans right now.”
She frowned. “I understand. I just thought maybe you needed the distraction.” She picked up my half–empty cup of coffee and turned toward the door.
I winced and stared down at my hands. Blinking several times in a row, I tried to stave off the tears that threatened to resurface. Shouldn’t I be cried out by now?
I walked into the kitchen, and skidded to a stop. College pamphlets were spread across the table in a nice, even arc. Really? My mouth fell open. How long had she been researching? There must have been at least twenty different college brochures.
Mom glanced over at me and said in a rush, “I know this seems like a lot, but when you break them down it’s not that much. I have them arranged from smallest campus to largest, so depending on what campus style you were—”
“Mom, please stop,” I begged. “I can’t do this, not now.”
She paused and then nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry. I just hate seeing you go through this pain.”
“I know, Mom. But I have to prepare myself mentally to see Tanner today, and that’s about all I’m capable of thinking about at the moment.”
She gathered up the brochures and placed them in the drawer. “We’ll talk about it another day then.” She bent down and dragged a small skillet out of the cabinet. “Do you want me to fix you some eggs?”
Since Mom worked so much, it was rare that I had food prepared for me anymore. I had become creative with the microwave and crock–pot, because if I hadn’t learned how to cook for myself, I would probably have starved. One of my favorite meals was breakfast, so her offering should have been a treat. Except it wasn’t. I just wasn’t hungry. But Mom had taken today off to cater to me and I didn’t want to disappoint her. “Sure. I’ll take them scrambled, thanks,” I mumbled as I made my way over to the toaster. After shoving in a couple of pieces of bread, I refilled my coffee cup and went to sit at the table.
Mom kept talking, but I had a hard time focusing on her words. The constant ache in my chest tightened with every thought of Barry. I was barely holding it together. The toaster popped and Mom placed the pieces in front of me. I glared at the innocent browned bread as if they single handily were at fault. I shoved them away and placed my elbows on the table, resting my head in my palms.
Mom came over and rubbed my back in a circular motion as if that could erase my pain. The plate of eggs was in her other hand, but she didn’t hand it over until the microwave dinged. “Take this and I’ll grab your bacon out of the microwave.”
“Thanks Mom,” I said, glancing at her. Her lips rose into a sad smile and her eyes glossed over. Since moving here, our relationship had grown stronger. At least I had that.
She let me eat in peace, or at least nibble in peace. With a little food in my stomach, my strength returned, but that burning sensation in the pit of my stomach wouldn’t go away. I wondered if it ever would. Tears threatened to spill out again, but I squeezed my eyes shut, willing them to disappear.
After a few moments, once I had my emotions under control, I gathered up the dishes and brought them to the sink before scooting off to my room. The last thing I wanted to do was get ready, but I couldn’t mope around the house in my pajamas all day—that would be even more pathetic. I opted for my sweats instead.
As I made my way back into my bedroom, the buzzing of my phone vibrated across my desk. The hope that sprung inside my chest was quickly quashed when I saw Nicole’s name flashing across the screen. I didn’t want to talk to anyone today, so I pressed “ignore.” A twinge of guilt raced through me, pressing me to call her back. I didn’t though. While I stared at the phone, a text message appeared.
Call me ASAP.
Nicole must know something about what had happened at Barry’s house. I guess that wasn’t too surprising—Caleb had witnessed that awful scene, so he naturally would have told her about it. They talked to each other more than they let on, I think. But still, I couldn’t help but wonder if she already knew about Barry breaking up with me. Had she talked to him yet?
As badly as the break–up hurt, my concern for Barry ran deep. It tore me apart knowing he was only twenty yards away, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do for him.
I stared at my phone as if it held all the answers, and then suddenly turned it off, tossing it onto my desk. Biting my lip, I sat there contemplating my next move. I squeezed my eyes shut, and drove my hands into the mattress. Here, on this very spot, I had poured my pathetic life story to Barry, which he taken in stride, never judging me or acting shocked. He was so caring and attentive that day. I wished we could go back to that time. As complicated as those days were, they seemed simple compared to the mess nowadays.
Upon opening my eyes, I glanced around the room. The four walls seemed to shrink, closing in on me as my pulse spiked. The warm, creamy color became nothing but suffocating as my anxiety level rose with each rapid breath. I need to get out of here. With a deep inhalation, I held my breath, forcing it to stay in my lungs for a moment while I calmed down. Tanner’s warning about his impending call flashed through my mind.
I needed to hurry. I picked the phone back up and turned it back on before rushing off to my bathroom to get ready.
~19~
The Mission
“Okay, Heather. Now the plan is simple. You’re only to go inside, walk up to the counter, and order some fries to go. We’ll see if he approaches you. Do not approach him first under any circumstances. Got it?” Tanner asked while positioning the camera in place. Small in size, it blended in with my button.
Our eyes connected and I nodded. With my bravado being tested, I tried to come across as a confident woman, but I was sure he saw through my façade. I was petrified. Too many variables were stacked against us. The main thing the agents counted on was my presence provoking Bart into an admission of guilt, and not just any admission, but one that also implicates the mayor.
Tanner had called me at 10:30 with a tip that Bart would be eating at The Mole Hole that afternoon. When he came by to pick me up, he gave me instructions: go inside, order fries to go, and let Bart approach me. Unfortunately, there was a crucial weakness in our plan. If Bart didn’t approach me, then we had nothing, and how could I instigate a meeting without being obvious? I felt like the carrot being dangled in front of the horse. But if I remembered correctly, the horse chased after the carrot. Perhaps it would work out.
“All right, we will be two blocks away, listening to your every word,” Tanner said.
He held up a small black box with a wire extending out of it, something he had called a “portable surveillance transmitter.” Whatever it was called, I was just glad it fit inside my purse and I didn’t have to wear anything taped on my body.
“If you feel threatened at any point, simply speak out and we’ll swarm in immediately. Don’t compromise yourself in any way. Got it?”
“Yeah, got it.”
I scanned the cramped quarters of the van until my gaze landed on the flat monitor screens hanging against the sides. Below them, a narrow table housed a computer and various electronics. An agent, Bill Larkin, sat in front of one monitor typing information into the computer. My mouth dried, and I forced myself to swallow. This was real.
Deceptions (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 2) Page 13