“I’m not saying it was a pleasant chat, I’m just saying he didn’t do anything to me.”
Eric’s brows drew together. “Stella, you’re keepin’ something from me.”
“No, I’m not. You know I didn’t want to be back together with Mace. I just decided to make it clear,” I lied.
Yes, I lied.
Yes, again.
And no, I didn’t mind going to hell. It couldn’t be much worse than my life was at that very moment.
Eric watched me again. It did, of course, occur to me that he was a federal agent and likely could read the body language and facial expressions of much more accomplished liars than myself but at that moment I was too tired to care.
“I need to sleep,” I told him.
“You need to eat then you need to sleep,” Eric returned.
“I’m not hungry.”
He pushed up, rolled over me, got to his feet and then pulled me to mine.
“Then you get a bowl of cereal,” he decided.
“Eric.”
“No argument.” His voice was firm, so was his grip on my hand which led me straight to the kitchen.
* * * * *
Eric
Eric forced a bowl of cereal on Stella.
Then he sat on the couch and watched a movie with her which she fell asleep halfway through.
Then he carried her to his bed, pulled a blanket over her still-clothed body, left the room, closed the door and walked into the living room.
He made a couple of calls and got the number he needed.
Then he dialed Lee Nightingale’s cell.
“Yeah?” Nightingale answered.
“It’s Special Agent Turner.”
Lee’s voice went on alert. “Stella?”
“She’s fine,” Eric responded. “You still got that boy wonder at your computers?”
Lee didn’t reply.
“You do, you get him to work on Preston Mason and whatever the fuck he’s holding over Stella. Something happened in that car. She’s not talkin’. There’s gotta be a link.”
“We’re already on it,” Lee responded.
“She doesn’t know about Caitlin Mason,” Eric went on.
“I know,” Lee replied. “You said ‘doesn’t’, you didn’t share?”
“Not my place.”
Silence then realizing from Eric’s words the lay of the land, Lee went on, “Mace wants the papers kept from her.”
Eric thought about the papers the last two days, rehashing every last, juicy, devastating detail of Caitlin Mason’s kidnapping and murder and Kai Mason’s involvement as part-martyr, part-hero. Worse, his now very public relationship (making out onstage with a local rock star, for fuck’s sake) was quickly becoming legend. Stella was cast in the dual role as balm to soothe the wounded soul alongside damsel in distress. A dual role that would only be intensified after her version of “And So It Goes” (Eric didn’t see it, the agent he’d assigned to watch her had reported to him about it, in detail) and her post-gig kidnapping complete with the Nightingale Men publicly (and therefore open to cell phone cameras) engaged in pretty fucking brutal physical skirmishes in an effort at her protection.
“I don’t blame him,” was all Eric said but his point was made. While she was with him, Eric wouldn’t let Stella see the papers.
“You get more –” Lee started and as much as Eric hated it, he interrupted.
“I’ll call.”
He beeped off his phone, set it on the end table, went to check the house alarm, looked out the window in the door to check for the car on the street, two houses down, two agents sitting inside. Spotting the car, he got his gun, put that on the end table too, grabbed a blanket, yanked off his boots, lay down on the couch and finished watching the movie.
Chapter Sixteen
Squirtable Cheese
Hank
The next morning, Hank and Mace walked into Lee’s office. Lee was sitting on the front edge of his desk, his head bent toward a file in his hand. It came up when they entered. He closed the folder and dropped the file on his desk.
“What did George say?” Lee asked.
George Riverside was a prosecuting attorney. Hank, Eddie and Mace had a meeting with him that morning to discuss the Sidney Carter case. Primarily, the discussion centered around if it was strong enough to arrest him.
“He says we don’t have enough,” Hank replied and Lee’s eyes narrowed.
“You are fuckin’ shittin’ me,” Lee muttered.
Hank shook his head.
George Riverside was a good attorney. He was also ambitious. He knew the Sidney Carter case would make headlines. It could even make careers. George liked headlines and he had big ideas about his career. He wanted people to remember his name, especially come election day.
He also liked to win cases.
What he didn’t like was headlines about cases he didn’t win. Even though Hank, Eddie and Mace had a tight case, George was being cautious with Carter. He wanted the case locked down, a sure thing, which was impossible. That kind of sure thing didn’t exist. It was not only impossible, it was fucking frustrating.
“Eddie get anything out of the shooter?” Lee asked as Hank stopped at the side of the desk.
Lee was referring to the man who shot at Stella and Mace Saturday night.
Mace moved to a chair in front of the desk, sat down, putting his ankle on his opposite knee.
“Nope, shooter’s closed tight,” Mace replied.
Hank watched as Lee shook his head in surprise and he knew why.
Eddie was known to be particularly good in the interrogation room.
Hank had watched, though, and Eddie got nothing.
Hank also knew why that was.
The shooter was on a semi-suicide mission. He didn’t expect to get away with shooting Stella in a crowded club. He expected to get the job done but get caught and then get rewarded. Likely, Carter made a deal and was doing good deeds for the shooter’s family. It was Carter’s MO. He bought allegiance, one way or another, and paid well for it. So well, the chain was buried under money so deep, no one along the line was willing to break it.
On this thought, Hank took in Mace. Even after yesterday and their bad news from George this morning, Mace looked calm and relaxed. Hank had known Mace long enough to know Mace was neither calm nor relaxed. His body, even at rest, was alert, his eyes were stone cold.
Hank knew why this was too. Hank knew about Mace’s sister, Lee had told him about it in detail, including the fact that Mace was incorrectly shouldering the responsibility for what happened in the end game. Hank also knew that Stella didn’t know about it. Mace had told the team he wanted it to remain that way until he was ready to share. Finally, Hank knew that any conversation Stella had with Preston Mason was likely to reveal that information. Following this thread, Hank could only assume that Stella’s actions after her conversation with Mace’s father were an indictment. Or, at least, Mace thought they were.
“I’ve lost patience with this shit,” Lee said, cutting into Hank’s thoughts. “We’re gonna have to dismantle Carter’s army.”
It was Hank’s turn to shake his head.
“Lee –” he started.
Lee turned to his brother. “I’m gettin’ married on Saturday, Hank. I don’t think Indy’ll like walkin’ down the aisle wearin’ a flak jacket and a helmet.”
No, Lee was right, Indy wouldn’t like that. She’d have a shit fit.
“Maybe you can postpone the wedding,” Hank suggested.
Lee’s eyes went hard. “I’m not postponing my fucking wedding.”
Hank watched his brother.
Strike that idea, he thought.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be here for the rest of this conversation,” Mace put in, gaze on Hank.
Hank’s body went tight and his eyes cut to Mace. “I didn’t give over a year of my life to this investigation to have you guys fuck it up when we’re this close.” Both Lee and Mace tensed but Hank ignored i
t and went on, “You boys aren’t goin’ commando and screwin’ the pooch. It’s not gonna happen.”
“Hank –” Lee started and Hank moved his gaze to Lee.
“It’s not gonna happen,” Hank repeated. “We play it by the book.”
Hank knew his brother didn’t like playing by the book. In fact, it was half a miracle Hank had managed to keep them clean this long. Mainly because not only did Lee not play by the book, Kai Mason had made an art of pissing all over the fucking book.
“We’re close,” Hank reminded them. “And we’ve been clean so far. Don’t fuck it up.”
“The girls –” Lee began but Hank interrupted him again.
“I know what’s at stake, Lee,” he said quietly. “But Carter goes down, he’s gotta stay down. This isn’t under radar. We got reporters watching our every move now. You know it and I know it. We gotta play it by the book.”
Lee looked at Hank.
Hank returned his stare.
Lee’s eyes flashed angrily and Hank knew he had him. He also knew Lee didn’t like it. Lastly, he knew he’d only bought some time. They didn’t bring Carter down soon, Lee, Mace and Lee’s men were going to toss the book out the window.
“Fuck,” Lee muttered, giving in as Mace’s phone rang.
Hank watched Mace fish his phone out his pocket and look at the display. Whatever it said, Mace didn’t like reading it.
He flipped open his phone and clipped, “Yeah?” as a knock came at the door.
Lee called out a terse invitation to enter as Mace said, “Fortnum’s. In an hour,” then flipped his phone shut and shoved it back in his pocket, mouth tight, body tense.
Hank didn’t have a chance to question Mace. Brody, Lee’s computer guy, came in and shouted, “I found the link!”
All the men turned to look at Brody.
Brody’s pale face under his dark-rimmed glasses was full of excitement. He bounced in, probably wired on copious intake of energy drinks and over-processed food and threw his doughy body in the other chair in front of Lee’s desk as he shoved the glasses more firmly up his nose.
Brody was a computer genius and looked the part. He could do anything with computers, hardware, software, wiring, programming, troubleshooting, searching and, most important to Lee, hacking.
He was dark-haired and goofy as all hell. He was in his early thirties but he acted like he was twelve. Still, you couldn’t help but like the guy.
“Did you guys see it? We made front page again today. Totally awesome!” Brody was still shouting. “Fuckin’ great picture of Luke tossin’ some guy over a railing. Man, I wish I was there.”
Hank moved to the side of Lee’s desk, crossed his arms on his chest and rested his thigh against it, his body turned mostly to Brody.
“What’d you find, Brody?” Mace asked but either Brody didn’t hear him or he chose to ignore him and his eyes swung to Hank.
“They did you today. You and Roxie. All about your thing which people knew about, kind of, as it made the news after Vance blew off Roxie’s ex’s hand at Daisy’s party,” Brody informed Hank unnecessarily as, early that morning, Hank, sharing coffee with a sleepy, seriously grumpy (but still cute) Roxie, had read the whole thing. “Got a great picture of her from some beauty pageant when she was in high school. Dude, she was hot even back then,” Brody proclaimed.
Hank took a deep breath and settled in. Brody was on a roll and they’d just have to ride it out.
“And they did Jules and Vance too. It was killer. They made her sound like a superhero. I forgot how good she was at kicking ass. Too bad she’s into this mom-to-be shit, she was awesome!” Brody went on.
“Brody, did you find the link?” Lee cut in and Hank could tell by Lee’s voice he was losing patience.
“I wonder who’s feedin’ them this shit. They got everything,” Brody ignored Lee and kept at his theme.
“The link,” Lee repeated, voice firm.
“What link?” Mace asked.
“They’re doin’ Ava and Luke tomorrow,” Brody continued with excitement.
“Brody, shut the fuck up about the paper and focus. The link,” Lee had lost his patience and now his voice was not only firm but low and vaguely threatening.
Brody clamped his mouth shut and stared at Lee in confusion for a beat.
Then he said, “Oh, yeah. Right. Sure, I found it. I got the link.”
Brody stopped talking and all three men stared at him.
“Well?” Lee asked, now crossing his arms on his chest.
“It wasn’t that deep but I had to call Kim in on it,” Brody started.
Kim was another employee of Lee’s who worked the computers. She ran searches mostly but also did some phone investigation.
Brody kept going. “See, The People’s Bank is owned by Canault Limited. Canault Limited is owned by SunPower. SunPower is owned by –”
“Cut to it,” Lee interrupted Brody, having, from experience, learned how to deal with Brody’s exuberance but never having learned to have patience with it.
“APM Holdings!” Brody finished on a shout, the room went hostile and that hostility was coming entirely from Mace.
Everyone in the room knew that Preston Mason was the man behind the multi-national, multi-billion-dollar APM Holdings.
“What the fuck?” Mace asked, his voice low and unhappy, his eyes on Lee.
Hank knew that, after Stella was kidnapped by Mace’s dad, Lee had ordered both Brody and Vance to look into it. Brody could find a computer trail, amongst other things. Vance could find everything else. Lee was protective of his team and seeing as Preston Mason could pose a significant threat and had made a move, Lee wasn’t taking any chances.
What Hank hadn’t known, until now, was that Lee hadn’t shared this with Mace.
Lee ignored Mace, eyes still on Brody, he prompted, “Let’s go back, Brody, this all means…”
Brody blinked then said, “Oh yeah. The People’s Bank owns Travis and Sherry Gunn’s mortgage.”
“Stella’s parents,” Lee guessed and the hostility in the room increased.
Mace’s calm and relaxed posture started to disintegrate. He hadn’t moved but his entire body had become visibly tight.
“Yeah,” Brody confirmed.
“Explain,” Mace growled at Brody and Brody’s eyes moved to Mace. With one look at Mace, Brody’s face lost even more color.
“Well, they’re behind on their mortgage, like, seven months behind. The bank has already sent foreclosure notices.”
Any trace of calm and relaxed was history. Mace unhooked his ankle from his knee, sat forward and put his elbows to his knees, body leaning toward Brody.
Brody took this in and swallowed but pressed on, “It gets weirder.”
“Yeah?” Mace’s voice was deceptively light.
“Yeah,” Brody replied. “See, Stella’s folks’ve been having problems for some time now. That’s what Kim looked into. Stella’s Mom’s got cancer and they don’t have insurance. They’re in debt out the ying yang, drowning in it. They were already behind on payments when The People’s Bank bought the mortgage. It was a bad purchase but that shit happens all the time. What’s weird is that, even though they weren’t current on their payments and fallin’ behind on their other bills, their credit rating is in the shitter, by the way, they went to the bank and borrowed more money against the house and the bank gave it to them.”
“God damn it,” Lee muttered.
“It gets weirder,” Brody went on and Hank watched Mace close his eyes for a second, sit back in his chair again then train his gaze on Brody as Brody carried on. “This isn’t new. This all started to go down a year ago.” Brody turned back to Mace. “I wasn’t here then but Kim said it was when you first started to see Stella.”
Hank watched as Mace traced his teeth with his tongue behind closed, tight lips. Hank knew this wasn’t a good sign.
“Mace –” Lee started but Brody was still talking.
“It gets weirder.”
/>
Mace’s jaw got tight.
“Brody, just finish it,” Hank put it quickly.
“Well, I found out all this shit about Stella’s folks in, like, an hour. Kim’s good at asking questions and friends and neighbors talk, especially when someone’s sick, so we had the story real quick.” Brody stopped, swallowed, turned to Mace and said, “Ovarian cancer. That’s where it started. They thought they caught it but it spread.” He paused again and shared quietly, “It’s not looking good.” Mace sucked breath into his nose but nodded at Brody to go on and he did. “Well, I don’t know why I did it.” Brody shrugged and fidgeted. “I’m no detective like you guys, but it was weird. I mean, why would anyone fuck with a sick woman? Kidnap her daughter?” More hostility from Mace but Brody soldiered on, “So, I started to look deeper and this is where it gets really weird.”
“Fucking hell, Brody, just –” Lee cut in.
“I’ll finish, I’ll finish,” Brody said, putting a hand up to Lee then dropping it. “You know that guy who came around awhile ago? Out of the blue, makes a meeting with you, wants to invest in Nightingale Investigations, tryin’ to talk you into expanding?”
“Yeah,” Lee answered but Hank was watching Mace and he didn’t like what he was seeing.
“You shut him down but I got a hunch. I looked into him. That trail was deeper, harder to track but I got it eventually and that guy, and his money, is linked to Mace’s dad too.”
Lee’s eyes sliced to Mace and he muttered, “Power play.”
“What?” Brody asked.
Lee’s gaze moved back to Brody. “Anything else?”
Brody shook his head. “That’s it so far.”
“You feed this to Vance?” Lee pressed.
“Yeah,” Brody answered.
“Keep diggin’,” Mace ordered and Brody’s head turned to Mace as Mace kept talking. “Everything. Look into Stella, me, Lee, Nightingale Investigations –”
“Luke,” Lee said.
“Fuck,” Mace mumbled.
Hank closed his eyes. He knew about Luke too. It would be a long shot; Luke’s past associations were buried in a lot of folders where black marker was undoubtedly used heavily. Still, you had enough money, you could find out anything. And Preston Mason had more than enough money.