The Devil's Orchard

by Ali Vali

  “I’ve got you all to myself,” Dallas said, and kissed across her abdomen, “and you’re ignoring the phone.” She moved her lips to the inside of her thigh. “You’re crazy if you’re getting off that fast.” Dallas licked the back of Remi’s knee.

  “I thought you wanted to reward me for my giving ways.”

  Dallas’s smile made her take a deep breath and hope the torture wouldn’t last too long. Her expression must’ve telegraphed her wish, because Dallas started again. As much as she’d learned about Dallas, she had returned the favor and sucked down hard enough to make Remi come. It was aggravating to have it so fast, but after a few more strokes she was done.

  “When’s your next day off?” She was so relaxed her muscles felt like oatmeal.

  “For a couple of days and this weekend, all we have to do is run lines. If you want we can have everyone come here.” Dallas kissed her navel as she moved back to the head of the bed.

  “Call Vincent’s place and have food sent over. Once the crew finishes work and dinner, we’re going to bed.” She carried Dallas into the bathroom and waited for her to adjust the water.

  “It’s a date.”

  They took a quick shower, and she had to pick another suit since the clothes she’d first put on were a wrinkled pile on the floor. As Dallas started on her makeup again, Remi called Simon back and found that Ronald Chapman was still waiting.

  “Let me go see what this guy wants and we’ll leave when I’m done.”

  Maria was in the kitchen making fresh coffee, a new luxury Remi was fast getting used to. For years she’d lived on her own and had eaten out often, so she’d been comfortable fending for herself except for the cleaning women her mother sent over twice a week. When Dallas and Kristen moved in they’d decided to hire someone full-time. Once they’d started asking around, Cain’s longtime housekeeper and house manager recommended her cousin Maria. She was young but had learned and understood from Carmen that the most important part of her job was discretion.

  “Good morning,” Maria said as she poured her a cup. “Simon say she will be up in a few minutes with your guest.”

  “Gracias,” she said before moving to the dining table. She didn’t want breakfast, but she didn’t want to invite these guys too far into their home. The elevator opened and the two men followed Simon out but stopped a few feet in.

  Her first impression was that both of them had an overabundance of arrogance, so she predicted a session of strong-arming. “Are you here to critique my decorating or to talk to me?”

  The African American man in the front stared at her long enough and with an expression that made her guess he found her lacking. Without a word he walked over and sat close to her and folded his hands in front of him on the table.

  “Do you often keep federal agents waiting an hour?”

  “It’s not often the FBI shows up at my house without an appointment and demanding things of my staff. I don’t treat anyone well who does that.”

  “I’m Special Agent Chapman, I don’t need an appointment, and usually innocent people fall over themselves to not only see me, but to help and answer questions. It’s called cooperation, which goes a long way in getting me to leave.” Chapman spoke in a tone that encouraged her to react in a way that’d land her in handcuffs.

  “What do you want, Agent Chapman? I actually make appointments to see people and I don’t want to appear guilty, so I’m curious why you’re here.”

  Ronald’s laugh made him appear cruel. “You’re as funny as your friend Cain. Both of you have had free rein in this town too long, and because you have, you’re under the misguided belief that we don’t know what’s on the second floor of the Pescador Club.” His delivery was smooth, and by the way he studied her, she knew he was waiting to see her reaction to his statements. “Or that we don’t know what kind of liquor you pour there from Casey’s supplies. I’m here to clear all that out of town.”

  “So the agents, like the guy you’re with, have been incompetent up to now, and that’s the only reason my business has thrived?” She laughed and didn’t have to glance to the elevator to know Emile stood there.

  The mountain of a man had spent years at her father’s side but had enjoyed his new responsibilities protecting Dallas. At first he’d been there for Dallas’s scumbag manager, then her father, but when given a choice even with no real threat against Dallas, he’d chosen to stay.

  “I run a film studio, Agent, and I pay my taxes. My family does own a slew of businesses, and there’s nothing irregular about them. If you’d like to try to prove otherwise, good luck. We’ve been under your microscope for years with nothing to show for it. Maybe you should all accept there’s nothing to find.”

  “You’ve never been under my microscope, Ms. Jatibon, so we’ll see, but that’s not why I’m here,” Ronald said, and almost as if he couldn’t help himself, he turned around to find Emile closer than he appeared comfortable with. “We’re investigating the large number of murders caused by three explosions, and numerous drive-by shootings. Would you have any information on that?”

  “No, but even I read the paper, so you should try asking some of the gangs responsible for the city’s drug trade. In the news that’s who they reported the victims worked for.”

  “Did you and Casey rehearse your lines?”

  “Only one person memorizes lines for a living in the house, and it isn’t me,” she said. The other guy leered in the direction of the bedroom, and she doubted he was admiring the artwork when she heard the click of Dallas’s heels on the marble floor. “If that’s all, I really need to get going.”

  “Ms. Montgomery, I’m a huge fan,” Ronald said, his demeanor softening dramatically. “Are you and Ms. Jatibon friends? Such unsavory characters can’t be a wise career move.”

  “Is that pertinent to the investigation?” Remi smiled at Dallas to reassure her.

  “Like I said, I’m a fan.” Ronald stood and smoothed down his jacket. “I’ll be seeing you soon.”

  “Jackass,” Emile said when the elevator doors closed. “We brought the car around if you’re ready.”

  “Simon, did this Chapman guy visit my father or brother today?” Remi asked, still confused by the strange visit. Either Ronald was a real amateur at interrogation, or this had been about something else.

  “No, he really was waiting for more than an hour downstairs, which made me believe he was some intern for the coming summer, but that’s not what he said.”

  “Have the areas they were in swept, but tell me before you remove anything. Call my father and tell him to up the security at the club until I figure the guy out.”

  “You got it,” Emile said.

  “Not yet, but I’ll catch on eventually,” she said as a joke. The morning had been puzzling from the moment she’d left the bedroom.

  “It’s no fun when life gets complicated, huh?” Dallas asked.

  “I can handle complicated better than bizarre. Him coming here and sitting around that long to toss out recycled threats is strange.”

  “Maybe it was like an audition,” Dallas said as she put some items into her purse.

  “How so?”

  “He mentioned Cain and cleaning up the city, so if he visited her too, maybe he’s searching for a partner to get all that done. Or you can forget that I love to ramble on about stuff I’m not sure of.”

  “In a strange way that makes sense,” she said, and viewed Ronald more as a joke. “He’s going to try to flip one of us. That’s when he’ll find he can’t lift that kind of weight.”

  *

  Everyone was quiet around the breakfast table, as if taking their cues from Cain and Emma. No one had commented on the extra security that prowled the grounds and had already been assigned to every family member.

  “Do you remember what Mama and I told you?” Cain asked Hannah as she held her on her lap after the little girl had finished her meal.

  “Don’t talk to strangers, and that means anybody I don’t know.”r />
  “That’s right, and you have to be careful about anyone who offers you an ice cream or maybe candy. It might look good, but we have the best candy and stuff here.” She kept the conversation as light as she could and still get her point across to not scare Hannah. “Today we’ll do something fun after I’m finished with work, so go play outside if you want.”

  “What’s going on, Mom?” Hayden asked when Hannah left the room.

  “Juan Luis is back, so I need you to not take any stupid chances. You stick to Mook and the other guys I’ve got with him.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “I mean it, Hayden. If I’m worried about you ditching out with your friends, I can’t concentrate on taking care of this problem.”

  “You don’t have to worry, Mom. I’ll be good, then you’ll owe me one,” Hayden said as he kissed first Emma, then Cain’s cheek before he left.

  “What’s your game plan for today?” Emma asked.

  “I need to see Jasper again. Depending on how that goes, we might have to have another dinner at Vincent’s. This time we might need the other families to finish this.”

  “I thought you weren’t fond of owing people favors.”

  “If Gracelia and Juan establish themselves here on the same scale Rodolfo had planned, it’s in all our best interests to take out the trash. This business has too much of an allure not to thrive here, but having a major player with such a grudge against us isn’t healthy.”

  Emma nodded and stretched forward to hold her hands. “Do you want me to do anything?”

  “For now I need you to be pregnant and happy.” She stood and leaned over so she could kiss Emma on the lips.

  “I got that covered since I should get my own show at the aquarium soon.”

  Dallas and Remi arrived at the end of their conversation, and Dallas asked, “You don’t think you’re fat, do you? Get that notion out of your head, because you look fantastic.”

  Remi nodded, and after all their greetings were done, Cain and Remi headed for the office.

  “What do you need us to do?” Remi asked when they were locked in the office with Simon, Lou, and Katlin.

  “I might need a few people to cover some territory from here to Biloxi. We had enough for my plan for Gracelia, but I had no choice but to recall them after Carlos called me.”

  “Your first phase got some attention, but from the wrong people,” Remi said, but laughed, which made Cain believe she wasn’t upset. “Ronald Chapman and some other asshole he didn’t introduce came to see me this morning.”

  “I got the same visit, but it was at Hayden’s game. Ronald and his mentally challenged sidekick, Brent Cehan, I’m sure meant to embarrass me with the location.”

  “You know the other agent?”

  “Brent’s who put Cain in the hospital,” Lou said in anger. “Asshole needs to be taken care of.”

  “He will be,” she said, “but that’s not my priority right now.”

  “So far no one from the list you gave me has come through any airport close to us. If Juan got here, he’s got fresh papers with a name we don’t know yet.” Remi placed a thick file on the corner of her desk. “This is everyone through Houston, Dallas, and Miami in the last two weeks. If you get a clue, we have a starting point to verify from.”

  “Thanks.” It was good to know Remi was as thorough as she was and hadn’t minded the task she’d delegated her. “You up for a visit with Jasper?”

  “Sure. We’re looking at real estate this afternoon, but I can reschedule if need be.”

  “Snake Eyes is settling down?” She slapped Remi on the back. “Congratulations, my friend. Now I understand what all the wailing around town is all about. All those beautiful women are heartbroken they’ve missed their chance.”

  “Laugh it up, Casey. The same thing happened to you when Emma got here and wrapped you around her pinkie.”

  They told their partners they were going out, and she noticed the way Remi’s eyes lingered on Emma. She wasn’t concerned that it was inappropriate, but maybe Remi was ready for more than simply a new house.

  “How’s your mom with Dallas and Kristen?” she asked as they rolled through the front gate.

  “After Emma talked to her, she’s better, but it’ll take her some more time to figure out that Dallas isn’t on the FBI’s payroll.”

  “Once you hand her that first grandbaby, she’ll be fine.”

  “That might have to wait until Dallas’s career is more set and she’s ready for that kind of commitment.”

  “Buddy, Dallas might be waiting on you, so don’t hesitate to ask all those questions she wants to hear.”

  Jasper’s men pulled their barricades aside as soon as they drove up, and she wondered what the FBI and DEA were thinking about the large number of vehicles inside Jasper’s little kingdom. She knew most of the old-timers, but Jasper had added plenty of new people, each looking scarier than the next.

  Jasper ran his business at the main house at the center of the cul-de-sac, and that’s where he stood and waited for them. “He might erect a statue of you out here since you’ve helped out so much in the last few days,” Remi said.

  “I’m not done.” Katlin unbuttoned her jacket for easy access to the guns she had holstered under it. Then she opened the door and Cain got out. Katlin always reminded her of a walking armory, but it did give her a sense of safety.

  “Jasper,” Remi said as she embraced him. “You’re looking healthy.”

  “Nothing but the good life will do that,” he said as he put his arms around Cain. “And my life is good because I’ve got great friends.”

  Inside, Vincent and Vinny Carlotti sat at the long old cypress table Fats had supposedly won in a card game from a former chief of police. Maude sat in the corner, as if she didn’t want to get in the way but still wanted to listen in. Cain walked over and kissed her cheek and pulled on the strap of her apron. Maude might’ve been better known for her cooking skills, but Cain had always thought her guidance had gotten Fats and Jasper through the tough times.

  “Have you come to an agreement?” she asked when she sat at the head of the table across from Jasper.

  “Right now it’s a sixty-forty split only because we’ve had to take over where Jasper’s missing people because of all the shit that’s gone down. Once he’s back up to full strength we’ll readjust the numbers,” Vinny said.

  “You okay with that?” she asked, her eyes on Jasper.

  “Still making more than before, so I got no beef.”

  “How about you?” she asked Vincent, out of respect.

  “Kid’s making it work and it’s good business. I’m happy, but I don’t think I’m here for you to ask me that. Am I right?”

  “We’re going to have to deal with the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room, and if left unchecked Hector Delarosa will take over every street corner from San Francisco to Miami, and all points north of there.” They all looked at her with an expression that summed up her feelings. Life was extremely unfair at times, but you had no choice but to acknowledge it and move on. “I’m sure we all agree that none of us wants to answer to Hector in our city.”

  “That fucker’s got a lot of muscle, though,” Vincent said, and no one said anything even though he had no stake here.

  “Alone, none of us has a chance, so it’s important for both of you to establish everywhere that’s suddenly become clear of competition.”

  She glanced at Maude and smiled when she blew her a kiss. She didn’t have any reason to admit here, or anywhere, that she’d given the order to kill a large number of Gracelia’s people, but Maude didn’t need someone to spell it out for her.

  “We’re moving quick to do that, but not so fast we’re not vetting people along the way. I want this to work, but not at the expense of letting a cop on my payroll,” Vinny said. He was quieter than his father but just as savvy, so she trusted him as much as she did Remi.

  “You got any clue as to what sections might be opening up s
oon?” Jasper asked. “You’ve always been good at predictions.”

  “Gracelia is about to run into some problems in Mississippi and Alabama. With the heat on Florida, she wisely located everything outside the state. They’re shipping it in but ready for sale, no cutting or packaging there.”

  “Good to know,” Vinny said, and glanced at Jasper.

  “What kinda timeline we looking at?” Jasper asked.

  “If you want in, have a group in place by tomorrow this time. I’d lay low so no one blames me for the Luis misfortune, but it’ll keep someone from beating you to the territory.” Her phone buzzed and it was Emma. “Excuse me a moment.

  “Yes, lass, is something wrong?”

  “Hector and Marisol Delarosa are here for coffee,” Emma said flatly. “They’re extremely disappointed you’re not home, but they don’t want to leave even though I told them you’d be a while.”

  “Could you put him on the phone if he’s nearby?”

  “Gladly,” Emma said, and she heard her footsteps for a short walk.

  “Hector,” she said, but he immediately started talking.

  “Cain, are you arriving soon? We have much to talk about.”

  “If you want to see me anytime soon, get the hell out of my house right now. You’re upsetting my partner and our guest, and neither of them can help you, so there’s no reason to sit and wait.”

  “No need for rudeness,” Hector said, and he sounded suddenly angry.

  “Rude is showing up and staying without calling first. My wife is expecting, and if you stress her, believe me I’ll make you pay.”

  “Careful of such threatening words between friends.” If she could’ve reached through the phone she would’ve strangled him. “Tomorrow, then, at my home.”

  “Tomorrow at a coffee shop of my choosing. There’s no need for privacy since you’ve got my answer about us doing business together.”

  “Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be nice, girl,” Jasper said when she hung up. “I know he’s a shit, but I get a craving to gut that oily bastard every time I see him. That is, if you were talking to Delarosa.”