Slowly, she got her breathing under control. No idea how long she’d been sitting on the floor, she became aware of aches and pains from having remained still. At some point, she’d curled her hands into fists, and the soft flesh of her palms hurt from where her nails had dug in. Her head ached, and she felt a million years old as she sat there on the cold tiles.
With care, Tahlia slowly got to her feet and took a moment to gather herself.
She needed a soothing cup of tea. When she took a sip, however, she found her tea was ice cold, so she threw it out before boiling water for a fresh cup. While she waited for the water to heat, her mind raced trying to figure out what her next move should be.
Tahlia mentally went through all the people she could possibly reach out to for help. Despite all the contacts she’d made during the time she’d been gone, there was no one she felt she could turn to. Then it came to her.
Laurence. He’ll be able to help me, keep me safe.
With shaky fingers, she found his number and called his office. Waited for his secretary to answer. She was taken aback when Laurence, in fact, answered the phone himself.
“Keon.”
Unprepared, Tahlia stuttered. “La–Laurence. Hi. I–it’s me. Tahlia.”
“Hey. How are you?”
“Not so great actually. I was wondering, do you think you could maybe come over? There’s something I want to show you.”
“Sure. Is it urgent, or can it wait a bit? I’m just in the middle of something.”
“I– um, yeah. Sure. It can wait.”
“Sweetheart, is everything all right? You sound a bit strange.”
“Yeah, yeah. All good. No problem. I’ll text you my address.”
There was a beat of silence before Laurence replied, “Great. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
It hadn’t been easy reaching out. It never was, asking for help. But she couldn’t do this alone, and now it was done. All that remained was to wait for him to arrive.
Larry hung up the phone and turned back to Finn, sitting on the opposite side of his desk. He didn’t speak for a moment as he reran the odd conversation he’d just had with Tahlia through his mind. She’d sounded off. Like someone under immense strain.
“Everything okay there, Boss?” Finn asked.
“I’m not sure. That was Tahlia O’Connor and she sounded funny. Panicked, almost. She wants me to come over to show me something.” Shaking his head, Larry experienced a sense of unease. Even when things were at their worst with Marcus, Tahlia had always maintained a calm persona. He didn’t like that she sounded frightened, even though she was clearly trying not to.
“You think it’s got something to do with the case?”
“No idea. She gave no indication what it was about.”
“Why don’t you go find out then, sir, and we can pick this up again when you’re back? It can wait.”
“Yeah, I think I’ll do that. Thanks.”
He grabbed his jacket off the hook on the door, patting his pockets for his keys. Satisfied he had them, he and Finn headed for the elevators.
As Finn got off on his floor, Larry said, “I’ll let you know once I’ve returned.”
With a two-fingered salute, Finn walked away as the elevator doors closed.
The entire drive, Larry pondered what Tahlia had to show him. He couldn’t imagine what she could possibly have that would, in any way, relate to him. As he pulled up to the address she’d sent him, he parked and just sat in the vehicle. He scoped out the area he could see, appreciating how pretty it was. A wholesome family neighborhood, quiet and well-tended.
He got out and headed for the front door, taking note of the various vehicles parked in the street. One, in particular, seemed out of place. A little more run down, less maintained than the sleek sedans surrounding it. He memorized the license plate number. One never knew when something like that might come in handy.
While he waited for someone to answer the door, he took in the security of the place. Noted with approval the cameras and security gates around the house. Smart woman.
A tiny lady with a pleasant face and a shock of wild, gray curls greeted him. “May I help you, dear?”
Larry smiled. “Good day, ma’am. I’m looking for Tahlia O’Connor.”
“Of course. Come on in. You’ll find her upstairs. Down the hall, last door on the left.”
“Much obliged, ma’am.” As he made his way up the stairs, Larry couldn’t help but shake his head. He’d just been silently congratulating the owner of the house on their security only to have this woman welcome him in with a smile and no questions asked. It completely defeated the purpose of the external security. He wondered if he should say anything to Tahlia.
Stopping outside her door, he knocked.
“Just a second, Mrs. Wilson.”
He heard her moving around inside and wondered what she was doing. No sooner had he thought it, she was opening the door. A look of surprise crossed her face before she gave him a nervous smile.
“Laurence. I wasn’t expecting you quite so soon.”
“Sorry, I should have thought to call.”
“It’s no problem. I just know you’re busy. Please, come in.”
He stepped past her, taking in the room beyond. Feminine in its color and décor, it suited her. His mind automatically took in the number of windows, internal doors, the layout of the small space.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Tahlia asked.
“I’ll take a soda, if you’ve got any. Thanks.”
“I’ll be right back. Have a seat.”
Instead of following her suggestion, he wandered over to the nearest window and inspected the street below. From this part of the house, he could see the section where he’d parked, but the car he’d spotted was just out of sight. Were they still there? What were they doing on this street? The agent in him was concerned about a vehicle so clearly out of place being parked so closely to the house Tahlia lived in.
“Here you go.” Tahlia stood beside a sofa, a glass of soda in her hand.
“Thanks.” Taking the glass, Laurence sat on the chair closest to him.
She remained standing, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. Clearly, she had something on her mind and didn’t know how or where to start. His eyes on hers, Laurence waited. When she started chewing on a thumb nail, he couldn’t hold his silence. He knew the gesture well. When Tahlia was stressed, something big was worrying her, she chewed her nail.
“All right, Lia, out with it. What’s got you so rattled?” In a bid to put her a little more at ease, he resorted to his nickname for her.
Tears gathered in her eyes, but before he could do or say anything, she turned and walked to the kitchen. With her back to him, she reached for her cell phone. She fiddled with it for a moment, came back, and handed it to him.
He dropped his gaze to the phone, taking it from her. When he saw the message displayed on the screen, his blood froze.
Unknown number: Know what we do to snitches, bitch? Stay out of shit that don’t concern you none, or you gonna find out.
“Talk to me.” The words came out harsh, his tone uncompromising. He hadn’t intended it to sound that way, but he was worried he knew what the message meant, and that was nothing good.
Tahlia’s body jerked in surprise at the hard sound of his voice. The tears that’d gathered when he’d spoken gently to her moments earlier spilled over. “I don’t know who sent it or what they mean. I don’t even know how they got my number.” Her voiced cracked. For a moment, she was silent as she gathered her composure. She continued, “There’s more. It’s in the kitchen. I don’t want to touch it again.”
He followed her into the kitchen where he noticed a white flower box lying on the counter. As he drew closer, he noticed the stench of decaying flowers.
“This arrived not long after the first message and then, not long after that, I received the second text. I didn’t know who else to call, Laurence. I don’t know what to
do.” Tahlia couldn’t quite contain the sob that escaped.
Without thinking, Laurence reached out and gently wrapped his arms around her. He felt her body shake with fear, and, in an instant, he was transported back to years gone past. A time when he’d held her like this as she’d cried in pain and distress after yet another beating.
“Shh, sweetheart. It’s okay. I’m always here. I’ve always been here.”
“You were always there. But then you weren’t. And I had to learn how to get by on my own.”
Guilt of old sliced through him, leaving him a bloody mess in its wake. Tightening his embrace, he replied, “Ah hell, Lia. I couldn’t stay. You knew that. You weren’t willing to leave Marcus, and I couldn’t stand by watching helplessly from the sidelines. If I hadn’t left, I would probably have wound up in jail for murder.”
There was so much that needed to be said, on both parts. Now just wasn’t the time. The message and dead flower were the first phase of intimidation techniques he knew the underworld used. Which meant somehow Tahlia had landed on the wrong person’s radar. The question was, why? Did it have something to do with the accounting records she’d given him? Or was it something else, something he didn’t know about? And if it was the former, how had they found out?
There were only a handful of people who knew he had them and even fewer knew where he’d gotten them from. Had someone been talking out of turn? Had Marcus been talking out of turn? Did they have a leak somewhere? Neither of those thoughts gave him the warm and fuzzies.
Suddenly, he remembered the vehicle he’d seen down the street. He’d known something was off. Now, the question was, if he looked into the vehicle’s ownership, would he be alerting the mole?
“Lia, do you have anyone you can call to come be with you, sweetheart?”
Laurence felt Tahlia’s nod against his shoulder. “Yes, I can call Maddie.”
“Good. Then call her from my phone and get her to come over. I need to take your phone and the flower back to the office, but I don’t want to leave you here alone.”
He let go of her, and she stepped back.
“Do you have a paper shopping bag and some clean rubber gloves, by any chance?” Laurence asked. She nodded, walking around the small kitchen area. After she gave him the items he’d requested, he gathered the flower box together gingerly, careful not to disturb the outside of the box too much and smudge any possible fingerprints they might find. He slipped her phone into his pocket. “I’ll get the lab on this right away. See if we can lift anything of interest off the box or cell.”
He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his own cell phone, handing it to her.
“Um, I don’t know Maddie’s number by heart. May I?” Tahlia pointed at his pocket.
“Yeah. Sorry. I should probably have thought of that.”
“I’ll be right back,” she murmured as she headed for the only other room he could see.
When she came back from making her call, she seemed more composed.
“She’s on her way. Shouldn’t take her too long to get here,” she said, handing both phones back to him.
Laurence nodded. “No problem. I’ll wait.” Now it was his turn to stand awkwardly, not knowing how to say what was on his mind.
Tahlia’s soft gaze, fixed on his, steadied him. “Lia, we need to talk. Not right now, but soon.”
She opened her mouth to answer, seemed to think better of it, then simply nodded.
“So, tell me about Maddie. The last time we talked, you hadn’t been in touch with her yet. How’s she doing?”
It was a pleasure to watch how Tahlia’s expression blossomed like a flower opening to the sun.
“She’s really good. In the thick of things with wedding plans. In fact, she was coming to fetch me later today for some flower shopping.”
“That’s good. It’ll get you out and about for a bit. And her fiancé? Have you met him?”
“Yes. I have. He’s seems like a nice guy. And he certainly treats my Maddie right. Does my heart good to see.”
They chatted for a bit about the wedding plans, Laurence doing his best to keep her distracted from his reason for being there. About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
Tahlia started toward it, intending to open since she was expecting Maddie.
“Tahlia!” Laurence’s harsh whisper stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes wide, she simply stood looking at him. “Check to make sure it’s Maddie before you open up.”
Still not saying a word, she nodded. She walked the rest of the way. With her hand resting on the handle, she called out, “Who is it?”
“It’s me, Mama. Maddie.”
She opened the door and her arms to her daughter. “Hello, princess. Thank you for coming over earlier than we planned.”
“Is everything okay, Mama? You sounded a bit weird on the phone.”
“Yes, of course, darling. I just have a surprise visitor, and I thought you might like to say hi before they leave.”
“Oh. Well, who is it?” Maddie turned her head to scan the room, and she caught sight of Larry standing near the kitchen counter. A huge smile spread across her face, and she launched herself at him. He had a scant few seconds to prepare for impact. “Oh my goodness. Uncle Larry!”
Maddie threw her arms around Laurence, squealing with excitement.
“Heya, Tiger Lily. How’ve you been?”
“Good. I’ve been good. Gosh, I can’t believe it’s really you. How long’s it been? Forever, it feels like. And I can’t believe you still remember that silly nickname.”
Larry couldn’t hold back a smile as he listened to Maddie chattering away a mile a minute. Just like she used to when she was young. He soaked in the sight of the woman before him, remembering the sweet little girl with a smile like sunshine and a heart of pure gold. He rubbed a hand over a suddenly aching chest, right around where his heart was. He’d missed his little Tiger Lily.
After another twenty minutes of catching up, Larry finally said his goodbyes. He hated leaving them, but he really needed to get back to the office. He wanted to get the phone and flower box to the lab as soon as possible. He didn’t hold out much hope, but it didn’t hurt to try.
With a promise to stay in touch, he left. Standing on the sidewalk outside the house, he checked the street to see if the sedan was still there. Sure enough, it was parked in the same spot. As surreptitiously as possible, he pulled out his phone and snapped a couple of quick photos before he started walking toward it.
Clearly, the occupants were watching. They started the vehicle and pulled away as he got within a car’s length of them. He’d been expecting it but had hoped he’d at least get a look at the people inside before they got away.
With a sigh, he headed back to his car.
8
It didn’t give Larry any satisfaction knowing he’d been right about the lab results. There had been no markings or company name on the box and none of the fingerprints they’d managed to lift had led them anywhere. No police records, nothing out of the ordinary. Just ordinary citizens, apparently.
The cell phone had given them only one clue. The call had been traced back to a burner phone. Which, in turn, had been traced back to the general area of the prison. That’s where the trail ran cold. There was no way to pinpoint its exact location. But it did give them a place to start.
He’d run a search on the vehicle himself to avoid alerting anyone if, indeed, they had a mole. His search had led him to a small-time dealer with big dreams and bigger ambitions. Apparently, he’d been getting in with some big hitters lately in an attempt to further his career. Larry intended making time to see the man. But first, he wanted to pay Marcus another visit.
It had been a shock to realize he had a leak somewhere, and it made him twitchy to think it could possibly be someone in his department. He thought long and hard about who it might be, considering how few people were privy to the knowledge of Marcus Forrester’s accounting records.
&n
bsp; Having gone back and forth, his thoughts churning wildly, he’d eventually decided to confide in Finn. After the years they’d served together, the amount of times they’d had only each other to rely on for survival, he refused to believe the man was dirty. He’d stake his life on his innocence, just as he’d trusted the man with his life in the past.
He placed the first of his two calls.
As he waited for Finn to answer, he searched for Jim’s number. A couple minutes later, there was a knock on his closed office door.
“Come.”
“You looking for me, sir?”
“Yeah. Please ask Mary-Beth to hold all my calls until I tell her different.” Larry watched as Finn disappeared from sight for a moment before returning and closing the office door behind him.
“What’s up, boss man?”
He rubbed his hands over his face. All of sudden, he was bone weary. He was getting way too old for this shit. He’d been seriously contemplating retiring after this case was closed. Today had solidified that decision.
“We have a leak,” Larry replied. He watched the other man’s face intently. Reading him. All he saw was anger and disbelief.
“As in a mole?” The incredulity in his voice would almost be funny if the situation weren’t so serious.
“Yeah, as in a mole.”
Finn shook his head. “Are you sure, sir? How is it possible? There’s only a handful of us that know anything worth knowing at this point.”
Larry handed the file lying in front of him to Finn. Nodded at it. “I’m sure. Have a look and see what you think.”
In silence, Finn sifted through the contents of the folder. There were photos of the dead flower in its plain white box, a printout of the message Tahlia had received on her phone, a photocopy of the card that had accompanied the flower. Larry had also included the lab results on the florist box and cell phone, along with the vehicle registration papers.
Trusting Laurence Page 7