08 Trigger Snappy

by Camilla Chafer

  "I'll purchase something nice for your baby shower," he offered.

  "Thank you!"

  "Now who can outdo the pregnant lady, who, I'll remind you now, isn't even an investigator? Can anyone actually find this nutcase?" he continued. His gaze swept over the small crowd as he jabbed a finger at Penelope's headshot.

  "I'm monitoring traffic cam footage," said a disembodied voice. "Hi, everyone."

  "Hi, Lucas!" we chorused as though we were Charlie's Angels and he were Charlie.

  "Hello, angels," whispered Lily in my ear.

  "Any sightings?" Solomon asked.

  "Hi, everyone. No, not yet."

  "She might have changed her appearance," said Delgado. He was crouched at the far end of the van with his back to the wall.

  "You think she might run?" asked Solomon.

  "Maybe. She had a lucky escape when Lexi fought her. She must have expected we would find her jacket and mask eventually, and maybe even draw some DNA evidence."

  "If there's gunshot residue on her hands, the case against her is a slam-dunk," said Delgado.

  "She wore gloves when we fought," I pointed out. Swallowing hard, I added, "And we still can't find my gun."

  "I got the hospital to bag her clothes for Detective Donahue to collect," said Solomon. "They might find gunshot residue that would tie her to firing a weapon, not just getting shot at."

  "Is Detective Donahue taking this seriously?" I asked.

  "He is." Solomon paused as the van door slid back and Maddox's head appeared in the gap. "Get in," he said and Maddox climbed in, but not before briefly nodding in my direction. I smiled back.

  "This is cozy," said Maddox, looking around. "What did I miss?"

  "We found Penelope's disguise in the trash," I told him. "Then, Solomon got a call from the hospital with concerns about the trajectory of Penelope's wound. Apparently, her surgeon worked a bunch of shooting cases in New York and was suspicious of her story."

  "So I didn't miss much," Maddox quipped. "Where is she?"

  "No one knows," said Lily. "It's really disappointing."

  "We're looking," explained Solomon. "I've got Lucas monitoring traffic cam footage, and Detective Donahue put an APB out on Penelope's car. He has people posted at her home, too, but it doesn't look like she returned after she discharged herself from hospital."

  "Where's her kid?" I asked. "He's not with Rob or Juliet. I think Rob said something about him being with his grandparents, but I expect he'll be at the fake wedding."

  Glances were exchanged. Finally, Solomon said, "I'll ask Donahue to put an alert out on the kid."

  "We should tell Rob," I said. "He should know his son might be in danger from his own mom."

  "Keep him in the dark for now. We have nothing to tell or warn him about."

  Behind me, Lily huffed her disapproval.

  "I mean it. That's an order," said Solomon, his voice denouncing any attempt to defy him. "Notify me the minute the kid is spotted, and then keep your eyes on him."

  "Still nothing at the house," said the beefy guy in front of the monitor. "Guests are starting to arrive."

  "Everyone in place? Fletcher, are you watching?" Solomon asked the air.

  "I have eyes on the front of the house," came Fletcher's voice.

  "Flaherty?

  "Eyes on the west alley," said another voice. I looked up, wondering where the voices where coming from. Lily, I noticed, was doing the same thing.

  "Ferrara?"

  "Eyes on the east alley," said a voice I didn't know. Ferrara, I deduced.

  "Where do you want me?" I asked.

  "Where do you want to be?" Solomon countered.

  "At the house. Juliet is still my client."

  "Keep in contact," he said, handing me an earbud. He leaned in and attached a pretty pin to my lapel. "You'll be able to communicate with me at all times using this. You can listen to me via the earbud and speak to me using the pin."

  "Do I get one?" asked Lily.

  "Again, are you on my payroll?"

  "No, but neither is Lexi," said Lily smartly.

  "But we are working as a team," said Solomon.

  "I really don't know why I help out when I don't get to play with the gadgets too. And to think I was going to name my firstborn after you!"

  I rarely see Solomon surprised, but this time, his eyebrows rose and he blinked. "You were?"

  "Not anymore!" quipped Lily, folding her arms.

  He smiled and winked as he caught my eye.

  "Lily is with me," I said. "We'll blend in as guests."

  "It's likely the perp knows who you are already," pointed out Solomon. "All eyes are looking for Penelope Cera. Remember: she is armed and considered dangerous."

  I nodded. I thought that already. "That's all the more reason why I should be there. If she's going to try something today, Penelope will expect to see me; and of course, expect to outsmart me again."

  "I pity the fool," said Lily, doing her best Mr. T impersonation.

  The main wave of Rob and Juliet's guests had already arrived by the time Lily and I returned to the house. We both got an orange juice from the bar, and I agreed with Lily what a shame that it wasn't a real wedding, and our drinks weren't real mimosas. We moved easily through the guests, trying to take in every face. Rob's family was there, but I couldn't see his son. Juliet's friends were standing together, talking softly and laughing. I smiled, pleased to know they made up with Juliet. At least, she could get something more out of this than just dropped charges, I decided as I turned around looking for her.

  "I'm going to go upstairs and check on Juliet," I told Lily.

  "Where you go, I go."

  "You don't have to. You can sit on the couch and wait, or look out for Rob's son."

  "I don't know what he looks like, and I'm not so pregnant that I can't make it up the stairs yet."

  "Yet."

  "So mean. Oh, is that the cake? Be right back!" Lily shot off before I had the chance to suggest that she mingle instead. With her occupied for the moment, however, I ascended the stairs, knocking at Juliet's bedroom door when I reached the top.

  "Who is it?" she called.

  "Lexi."

  "Just a moment." Footsteps sounded across the floor before I heard a lock click and a bolt being drawn.

  "You had the locks refitted," I observed, as I stepped inside, stopping still when I took in Juliet's dress: full lace with a sweetheart bodice, a nipped-in waist, and a mermaid skirt that pooled at her feet, and left only her satin-enclosed toes peeking out. Her hair was wild and loose, with only a sparkling crystal pin above one ear. "Juliet... You look sensational!"

  "Do you think?" she asked, picking up her skirt to twirl, then dropping it self-consciously. "This is all crazy, isn't it?"

  I shut the door behind me and flipped the lock, securing us both inside the room. "No, it's going to work," I said as I took in the brand new bathroom door.

  "I keep thinking how annoyed everyone will be when they realize it's all a farce. People even brought gifts."

  "They know you've been through a hard time. They'll understand."

  "That I'm just using them? That I've made them get all dressed up for nothing? And bringing gifts, and taking time out from their lives to catch... to catch..." Juliet shrugged as she turned and dropped onto the stool in front of her dresser. She watched her reflection and smoothed her hair before applying a slick of lip gloss. I could imagine how fast her heart must have been thumping in her chest. I unexpectedly felt a wave of sadness for her. I didn't know how she managed to hold it together.

  "It isn't for nothing."

  She met my eyes in the mirror. "You got hurt!"

  "I'm fine."

  "If this doesn't work, they'll know soon that the charges against me are being dropped."

  "You know that for certain?"

  "Detective Donahue came by this morning, and said it was clear to all that I was being set up."

  "That's good news."

 
Juliet recapped her lip gloss and placed it on a small, silver tray before she turned towards me. "Please don't think I'm not grateful, I am. I'm thrilled that I'm not going to prison, and that the police and my employers know this is a big setup."

  "You've spoken to your employers?"

  "Not yet, but they suggested a meeting."

  "You might get your job back."

  "I'm not sure I want it. My job used to be such a huge part of my life until... until all of this happened and I realized how little it matters. All those things that used to stress me out? They seem so irrelevant now. Do you ever feel like that?"

  "I have… at moments."

  "These past few days while I've been stuck at home, I've been thinking a lot. Now, I realize none of it matters. My job is just a job; I make money for people I don’t know. It's not like I'm saving lives, or doing a job with any purpose. I’m just climbing the ladder, achieving the next title, earning more money... and ultimately, it's so irrelevant. I have Rob, a wonderful stepson, and we'll have the baby soon... I have my freedom too. I want to enjoy it."

  "Maybe you need to take some time out to clear your head."

  "It's a shame we didn't book a fake honeymoon too."

  "No. You could book a real vacation. Dedicate some time to just the two of you; and do it now, before your baby comes."

  "Rob and I hoped to take Robbie on vacation with us, but there's no way Penelope would let him come with us. Not now, not after everything that happened. She told Rob at the hospital she thinks I'm a danger to Robbie. Now that she got shot, she says it's better if Robbie doesn't come here anymore. She said Rob will have to visit Robbie at her home instead."

  "You know you're not a danger," I said, biting my tongue. There was so much I could tell her, and I had to resist, despite the sadness in her voice.

  "It doesn't matter if the charges have been dropped! Not if everyone around me is still in danger."

  "Okay, enough with the pity party," I said, grabbing her hand and tugging her upwards. "We’ve got this whole day to flush out the crazy; and from then on, your life is whatever you make it. So, stop! Stop with the downer attitude! Get ready for your big, fat, fake wedding while we catch the perp at last."

  "Did anyone ever tell you you're kind of scary?" said Juliet, her expression caught somewhere between laughter and fear.

  "No, most people think I'm cute. I know things seem bad, but..."

  "Lexi, we have eyes on Penelope," came Solomon's voice through my earbud.

  "Where?" I asked.

  "Where what?" asked Juliet.

  I pointed to my ear, mouthing, "Earbud" and she nodded.

  "She just arrived with her kid," said Solomon.

  "Penelope and Robbie are here," I told Juliet.

  "That's great! Maybe she reconsidered. I need to go speak to her, to make things right..."

  "Wait." I caught her by the arm. "You need to stay here. Solomon, where is she now?"

  "They just stepped into the house by the front door. We're waiting to see where she... she's in the bar now, talking to Rob."

  "Do you want me to intervene?" I asked.

  "What's going on?" asked Juliet and I waved her quiet again.

  "No, we need to see what she's doing. She needs to make her move. Everyone hold your positions, until I give you the go ahead," said Solomon. "Lexi, go downstairs and mingle with the guests. Keep a close watch on Penelope. You need to be everywhere our cameras can't see."

  "Got it." Juliet watched me with a puzzled expression that I guessed could quickly turn to panic if I told her what we were doing. "I have to go downstairs. But I want you to stay here with the door locked."

  "How long do I wait? The wedding is supposed to start in thirty minutes."

  "I don't know. Not long, I hope. I'll come back as soon as I can." I reached for the handle, turning the lock and was just about to step out when Juliet called my name. "Are they here?" she asked. "Is the stalker here?"

  "Yes," I said.

  "You know who it is, don't you?"

  "We believe we have a suspect."

  "It's Penelope, isn't it? You still suspect her." Juliet sighed and I wondered, for the briefest moment, whether I should just lie. Instead, I shut the door again. This time, there would be no lies, and no skirting around the truth.

  "We found more evidence today that indicates your stalker has to be Penelope."

  "I don't want to believe you. She's my friend. She's the mother of Rob's son. She was shot, for crying out loud! Why would she do that to us?"

  "I don't know, but we're going to find out. Stay here, okay?" I opened the door and slipped out, shutting it behind me. I paused, waiting until I heard the lock click before I hurried downstairs.

  It took me less than a minute to find Penelope. She was still standing in the bar area with Rob, her arm draped around their son's shoulders. As I entered, a hand grabbed me and pulled me to one side.

  "Lily! You scared me!" I squeaked.

  "Sorry. Look who it is." Lily tipped her glass in Penelope's direction.

  "I know. Solomon told me already."

  Lily huffed. "If I had one of those fancy earbuds, I'd know that."

  "Tell Lily I can hear her," said Solomon, through said fancy earbud.

  "Solomon can hear you," I told her.

  "Ask him when it's going down," said Lily.

  "I don't need to. We're just watching. Did you see them do anything?"

  "Penelope got a juice from the bar for her kid," said Lily. We watched as Robbie slurped the last of his juice. He dropped the cup into his mother's hand and scooted out of the room on shoes with wheels in the heels. He soon skidded through the house out of view. "She's only talked to Rob so far."

  "We need to keep watching while looking like we're not watching."

  "I am not making out with you!"

  "What? Who said anything about..."

  "Undercovers do it all the time," Lily hissed.

  My stomach flipped. "I know, I've seen it. This is not one of those times. Plus, you're wearing a wedding ring and you're pregnant; and everyone knows Solomon is my boyfriend."

  "I can still hear you," said Solomon. I ignored him.

  "Let's just chat. If you stand a little bit that way, and I stand a little bit this way, I can see them both clearly. Now all we have to do is..." I stopped as someone shouted from the kitchen. The shouts got louder before a billow of smoke came through the door.

  "Fire!" yelled someone as the smoke alarm began its piercing shriek.

  "Solomon, we have a fire in the kitchen," I said to the lapel pin.

  "Go check it out. Tell Lily to leave."

  "Lily, Solomon says to leave while I check it out."

  Lily leaned into my pin, close enough that she could see the stitches on my lapel. "No way."

  "I'll be right back. Lily, if there's a fire, you have to leave."

  "Fine," I heard her say as I rushed into the kitchen. A small crowd had gathered, making it difficult to push my way to the front as smoke rose.

  "It's nothing," said a man's voice. "Really, it's nothing. I think it's a smoke bomb or something. It's not a fire. Everything's okay."

  "A bomb?" someone yelled to panicked shouts.

  "No! No! Really, it's a kid's smoke bomb. Not a real bomb," said the same man as I got to the front. He wore a chef's apron and wielded a small fire extinguisher. The smoke began to dissolve around us and something small was kicked outside where it continued to fizzle and belch out smoke.

  "It's a smoke bomb," I said to my pin.

  "It's someone's idea of a joke," said someone behind me. "I don't think it's funny."

  Neither did I, but I didn't say that as I turned away from the annoyed chef. In the commotion, I totally forgot about our target. "Solomon, where's Penelope?" I asked.

  "We can't see her. The smoke makes it impossible to see."

  "Someone set this off deliberately!"

  "As a distraction," said Solomon, adding, "Everyone, get eyes back on Pe
nelope. We might have a situation going down now."

  "She couldn't have set it off," I told him. "Lily and I were watching her."

  "Doesn't matter. Anyone, eyes on Penelope?"

  I edged my way back through the meandering crowd, squeezing past a confused couple loitering in the doorway before darting into the bar. It was empty, except for Lily who was waiting, and staring towards the kitchen. "Where are they?" I asked.

  Lily whirled around, her face dropping at the empty room. "They were right here. I just turned away for a moment."

  "Solomon? Penelope and Rob are gone. I'm going to check on Juliet."

  "Location?"

  "Juliet's bedroom," I told the mic as I turned towards the stairs, running for them with Lily right behind me. The door to the bedroom stood wide open. My heart stilled as I stepped inside, looking around the empty room. "Solomon, Juliet's gone."

  "Find her."

  "Let's find her," said Lily, coming to a stop next to me, her hand resting on her belly as she puffed, "She can't have gone far. She's wearing a freaking wedding dress! It's not like she can blend in."

  "Eyes on Juliet? Anyone?" came Solomon's calm voice. "Lexi, Juliet's been spotted heading into the garage."

  "The garage? Why would she go there?" I asked, not expecting an answer. "C'mon, Lily. We have to go to the garage." Lily was out the door, leaving me in her wake as I hurried to catch up with her. The downstairs was largely emptied now, thanks to the smoke bomb scaring people. Some went out the front, and the annoyed chef was chasing others out the back, so we cut through the hallway with ease, darting out the front door.

  "Which way?" asked Lily.

  "Right," I said and she took off again. "Lily, wait; let me go first."

  "Why? I'm faster."

  That was true, even carrying an extra human, Lily was remarkably faster than me. I resolved to start working out at the gym again, something I hadn't done in a while. After my running partner unexpectedly passed away, Lily gave up trying to force me into anything more strenuous than pregnancy yoga. "You're pregnant and Penelope's dangerous. We don't know what we're walking into. Get behind me. I'll protect you." I insisted.

  "My heroine," said Lily as she pretended to fan herself.

  "Everyone. Head to the garage on my count," said Solomon. "And if you encounter an angry, pregnant woman, cuff her and surround her." I made the snap decision not to relay his instructions to Lily. Instead, I stepped around her and jogged ahead, dodging the few guests standing in the driveway. The garage door was shut so we stepped through the garden gate, heading for the side entrance. The door stood ajar and I put a finger to my lips as we slowed our approach, keeping our backs against the wall.