Deep Cover (17 page)

“Why did you feel the need for a watchdog?” Shaine asked.

“The neighborhood isn’t what it used to be when I was growing up. Our grandmother raised us here and left the house to me and Darcy when she died,” Olivia said.

That explained the antique furniture.

“It’s a lovely home,” Poppy said. “Your grandmother must’ve had good taste.”

“She did.” Olivia paused and then asked, “Why did you say you were here? Darcy has been dead for months. Is there a break in her case or something?”

“It’s too early to tell, but we’re just running down some leads in our spare time. We’re not detectives, but when you work with dead bodies all day, sometimes you want to vary the routine.”

Olivia nodded but remained puzzled. “I can’t imagine what else I could say that I didn’t already say to the detectives on her case.”

“Sometimes a fresh set of eyes is all one needs to break open a case,” Poppy said.

“I guess so. Here goes nothing.” Olivia drew a deep breath before continuing. “Darcy was a wild child, always running off to do her own thing. She gave our grandmother more than her share of gray hair worrying about her. I’m just glad Grandma had already passed by the time Darcy started running with that party crowd.”

“Did you know that Darcy was dancing at a club called Lit under the name Tinsel?”

Olivia made a look of distaste. “Yes,” she nearly spat. “That disgusting place. We were raised better than that. I don’t know what came over her. She was obsessed with this guy named Angelo and thought he was in love with her. Then packages started coming to the house. At first, I didn’t think anything of it, but then they came every week and each time she would snatch them up, saying they were for a friend. I took a peek at the label and it was from China. I thought to myself, ‘What the hell was she ordering from China?’”

“Did you ask her?”

“Yeah, but she clammed up, saying it was none of my business and it was better for me if I didn’t know. Of course, that freaked me out and I told her as much, but she didn’t care. She was completely over the moon for that Angelo guy and would’ve done anything for him if he’d asked.”

“Did you ever find out what was in the packages?” Shaine asked.

“No, Darcy moved out suddenly, saying she was moving in with a friend and I didn’t have to poke my nose into her business anymore. I tried to get her to change her mind but she bailed and I never saw her again.”

“Did you try to contact her?”

“Yes, but then she changed her number when she realized I wouldn’t stop calling.”

“Sounds like you really cared for your sister,” Poppy said gently. “Why didn’t you claim her remains?”

Olivia’s eyes watered and the dog whined, thumping his tail nervously. She soothed the pup with a soft pat on his broad head. “I couldn’t bear to admit that she was gone. I know it’s stupid but somehow I think I got it into my mind that if I never claimed her body, it couldn’t be real. By the time I realized that was preposterous, they had already cremated and buried her and there was nothing left for me to claim. It was over.”

So it wasn’t a rift between the sisters but extreme grief that had kept Olivia away.

“Do you know who Darcy moved in with? Was it Angelo?”

“No, a woman. That’s all I know.”

It could be anyone from the club or even someone Darcy had met on the scene. Finding her roommate would be near to impossible.

“Thank you for your time,” Poppy said, rising. “I’m curious...how did Darcy meet Angelo?”

“One of her friends from high school started dancing at that club, Lit, downtown, and invited her to try it out. Angelo was the bartender.”

“Do you know the friend’s name?” Shaine asked.

“Yeah, it was Christine Wilson,” Olivia answered, wiping at her eyes. She reached for a framed picture and handed it to Poppy. “Here’s a picture of them in high school. It’s my favorite.”

Poppy stared, unable to believe what she was seeing.

Brandi.

CHAPTER 21

“H
ow does this make any sense that Brandi and Darcy were friends and we’re just now hearing about it?” Poppy asked as they drove back to their apartments.

“It does raise a lot of questions,” he agreed. “Do you think she’s involved with Darcy’s death? She seems hard enough to commit cold-blooded murder.”

“Something doesn’t add up. Why would she convince her friend to come dance at Lit and then do nothing when her friend goes missing?”

“Maybe she was jealous?”

“Jealous enough to kill?” Poppy asked, shaking her head, not buying it. “I think we’re missing something vital here. Brandi is seemingly head over heels for Angelo, which is how Olivia said Darcy acted about Angelo, too. How could two friends fall for the same guy?”

“From my experience women can fall for the same guy all the time and it can ruin friendships. You mean to tell me you never fought with a friend over a guy?”

Poppy shook her head. “No. If a friend liked a boy or dated him, he was off-limits. It was easier that way, no drama.”

“You’re in the minority. I remember being at the center of many girl fights.”

Poppy cast him a derisive glance. “Oh, and didn’t that just feed your already monster-sized ego.”

“Hey, you didn’t know me in high school. How do you know that I wasn’t shy and nerdy?”

She laughed and he didn’t know if he should be flattered or insulted, but he grinned, anyway. “Okay, Miss Perfect, what were you like in high school aside from a paragon of virtue who always took the high road?”

“You’re mocking me,” Poppy said. “I didn’t say I was perfect. I’m just saying I didn’t chase after boys that I considered off-limits. It wasn’t so much taking the high road as taking the less complicated road. I hated girl drama and did whatever I could to avoid it.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mock you. Actually, I think you were pretty wise for a teenager. I wish I’d been as mature.”

He earned a smile for that one and he gladly took it. He liked making her smile. But soon enough they needed to return to the case.

“All right, so tonight I’m going to talk to Big Jane and see if I can’t get some background information on Darcy and Brandi. Big Jane knows everyone and everything that goes on in the club.”

“I thought you already asked Big Jane about Darcy?”

“I did but I didn’t press. She didn’t seem interested in talking about her so I dropped it, thinking there were more pressing leads to chase after.”

“Why was Big Jane reluctant to talk about Darcy?”

Poppy shrugged. “I don’t know, she just changed the subject.”

“Knowing now that Brandi and Darcy had history, doesn’t it seem odd that she wouldn’t want to talk about it?”

Poppy looked troubled. “Yes, it does. I’ll definitely dig at that when I see her.”

“You know Ramirez thinks our best bet is the Hernandez siblings, but I don’t know... Something doesn’t feel right with that angle,” Shaine said, not quite sure why he didn’t think much would turn up with that lead. “I know Ramirez wants them for El Escorpion, but my gut says we’re wasting our time with that one.”

“They have a legitimate access to a drug pipeline from China. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to acquire the raw materials. I can see how Ramirez would think that they’re good for it.”

“True,” he conceded, pulling up to the private location where they’d left Poppy’s car. Shaine put the car in Park and turned to Poppy. “Be careful out there. With Marcus gone...this operation feels more dangerous than ever before. I don’t like the feeling that maybe we’re the ones being played. If our covers have been blown, then we’re sitting ducks. I don’t like that feeling at all.”

Poppy stiffened a little. “Do you think I can’t take care of myself?”

“Stop, no. That’s not what I’m saying,” he said, putting a quick end to whatever nonsense was brewing in her head. He didn’t want a stupid misunderstanding to destroy all the good work they’d put in so far. “I’m saying, as a fellow agent and your partner...stay sharp.”

Poppy relaxed and nodded. “Sorry, I guess I’m a little oversensitive.”

“It’s all right. I know where it comes from.”

Now would’ve been an opportune time to apologize, to just let himself be vulnerable with Poppy, but he couldn’t do it. He wasn’t one to embark on useless endeavors and that’s what apologizing felt like. They weren’t going to fix what’d happened in the past, so why bother dredging it up?

“You’re a good man, Shaine Kelly,” Poppy said, smiling warmly.

A blush actually climbed his throat to heat his cheeks. “Don’t be saying that too loudly. I wouldn’t want to ruin my street cred.”

But then she reached over and brushed a sweet kiss across his lips and a surge of something tender washed over him. He wanted to hold on to that moment forever but it was gone much too soon and he was forced to watch her climb out of the car and drive away.

For a long moment he sat in his car, thinking.

Thinking about how things might’ve been.

Thinking about how stupid he must’ve been to let her go.

Thinking he’d give his left nut to go back in time so he could make the right choice this time.

But most of all, he was thinking of that kiss.

And how he wanted a million more just like it.

* * *

That night Poppy found Big Jane as she was trying to help Missy into a skintight pleather bustier.

“Good God, girl, stop with the cupcakes,” Big Jane admonished, squeezing Missy until the girl yelped. “You’ve gained a metric ton. There’s no way you’re going to fit in this thing now.”

“I’ve only gained ten pounds,” Missy said, sucking in her stomach so Big Jane could yank the enclosures closed. “See?” she said, barely able to breathe. “It still fits.”

“You’re going to pass out like a Victorian lady with her stays too tight,” Big Jane retorted, watching as Missy tottered off unevenly. She sighed. “That girl’s dancing days are numbered if she doesn’t lay off the sweets. She’s eating her feelings, poor thing.”

“Yeah, I heard Brandi say something about Missy giving a kid up for adoption?”

Big Jane nodded sadly. “Yes, but it’s better this way. Missy is a hot mess and she’s in no shape to parent a child. She made the right choice.”

“She seems like she might need some help, though,” Poppy suggested, wondering if Missy suffered from postpartum depression. “Giving up a baby must be terribly hard.”

“Yes, I’m sure it is,” Big Jane agreed but shrugged, saying, “Better to give the kid a chance at a good life than to selfishly hold on to it and drag the kid through hell.”

Poppy looked at Big Jane. “Speaking from experience?”

“I was never so lucky,” Big Jane answered wistfully. “But I always wanted kids. Just never worked out that way.”

“You would’ve been a great mom,” Poppy said, playing to Big Jane’s soft side. “You’re so maternal with all of us. I really feel safe and welcome with you around.”

“Why, thank you, honey,” Big Jane said with a bright smile. “It’s good to be needed.”

Raquel stalked out, pushed past Poppy and Big Jane and hit the stage. It was then Poppy realized that Brandi wasn’t there for a second night in a row. “Where’s Brandi?” she asked.

“Angelo said she’s still not feeling well. Poor kid. Probably caught the stomach bug going around.”

But suddenly Poppy got a queasy feeling in her gut. “Has anyone aside from Angelo checked on her?” she asked.

“No, but I’m sure Angelo is taking good care of her.”

Somehow she doubted that. Angelo was having fun while the ball and chain was otherwise occupied.

“Big Jane, did you know that Brandi and Tinsel were friends in high school before Tinsel came to dance at Lit?” Poppy decided to just put it out there and see what turned up.

At the mention of Darcy’s stage name, Big Jane stilled and, after a long moment, seemed to force a smile. “That’s right. I’d forgotten about that. Well, to be honest, she was only here for such a short time I’d almost forgotten about her.”

“Did Brandi and Tinsel have a falling-out or something?”

“If they did, it was probably over Angelo. That man seems to have a way with women. I don’t see it, personally, but then, maybe I’m past that stage in my life where I need a man to tell me what to do and when to do it.”

She was the second person who thought Brandi and Darcy had squabbled over Angelo.

But how did Darcy end up dead?

Poppy decided to leave the questions or else it might seem odd that she kept poking at the subject with more than just passing curiosity. Besides, her set was coming up and she hadn’t even applied her makeup yet.

A few moments later, she took the stage and began her usual routine. She allowed the lights to blind her so she didn’t see the leering men, and some women, as she worked her set.

The thing was, stripping at the right place was a good way to earn a lot of money, and while she hated that some girls fell into this career, not by choice but by circumstance, she found dancing to be more liberating than she would’ve imagined.

When she was on stage, she allowed herself to really become Laci Langford, the small-town Connecticut girl who wanted more than her small town could provide.

And when she managed to catch Shaine’s eye, she pretended that she was dancing only for him, instead of the throng of people throwing their cash at her.

A part of her wished she could keep her earnings, but she knew it would all go into the department logs and it would be absorbed back into the budget. She was paid well; she didn’t need her stripper money.

But it wasn’t easy parting with all that sweaty cash.

And because of that, she could understand how girls got themselves into trouble with this lifestyle. The tease of more money was always there. Private dances, escort services, hell, even flat-out prostitution were always options for the right price.

Was that the road Capri had gone down? Poppy knew the girl had done some extracurricular activities, but she hated to think that Capri had sold herself like that.

Poppy pushed thoughts of Capri away, needing to focus. Tomorrow she would check on Brandi, but for now she needed to dance.

CHAPTER 22

R
osa received an email from forensic accounting later that evening as she was winding down with a glass of wine. She sat up straighter and set her glass down. The smile on her lips growing wider as she read. It was as she suspected; Amerine Labs was up to something hinky.

In the past year several shipments from Shenzhen had been flagged with improperly classified chemical compounds and not one had been investigated, which told Rosa that palms had been greased.

“You better ring up that fancy lawyer team of yours because I’m getting a search warrant, you snotty bitch.”

Rosa tried not to gloat but it felt pretty good. Rosa had spent her life being judged by women like Selena Hernandez. She’d done her research and Selena had been born to a wealthy family. It wasn’t as if she had ever known what it was like to go to bed hungry, unlike Rosa.

Miami was a beautiful town and she was proud to be a native, but it could be a harsh place if you were born on the wrong side of the tracks.

She sent a quick text to Patrick to let him know of her findings and then went to get the bottle of wine from the kitchen to celebrate their good luck when she was interrupted by a knock at her front door.

Rosa never had visitors this late. She unholstered her gun and went to the door, peeking out the spy hole. No one was there, but a package sat on her front stoop.

Well, that wasn’t suspicious at all.

Rosa immediately called Miami PD to make a report. In light of the situation, the bomb squad responded to remove the package.

Using a robot drone, the package was removed from the stoop and x-rayed to determine if there were explosives. When the all clear was given, the package was opened and its contents revealed.

A fashion doll wearing an exact duplicate of Rosa’s current outfit was lying in the box with duct tape over her mouth and a note pinned to her breast.

“Clever,” Rosa murmured, amused by the attempt at intimidation. She thanked the boys in blue for helping her out and then released them.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to take that to our forensics department?” the officer asked.

“This may be related to an ongoing case under DEA jurisdiction. I’ll have our forensics team handle it. Thank you for your help.”

The officers nodded and left, the hubbub of having the bomb squad in her tiny neighborhood finally settling as people returned to their homes, the excitement over for the night.

Using gloves, she sealed the doll into an airtight plastic bag and locked the door, making sure to use the dead bolt and the chain. Then she closed all her windows, making sure there was no way anyone could peer into her house while she slept.

And most important, Rosa made sure her gun was within grabbing distance. If anyone tried to pay her a visit in the middle of the night, they were going to discover what a bad idea that was.

Obviously, Selena Hernandez must know that the manifests were going to show something wasn’t right with their shipments and this was her attempt at scaring Rosa into backing off.

Yeah, right
. Like that was going to happen. It would take more than a plastic doll with questionable fashion choices to scare her away from the biggest case of her career.

But it meant they were on the right track. Someone was nervous. And nervous people made desperate choices.

And desperate choices led to mistakes.

Bam
.

Can you feel the noose tightening around your neck? Here it comes, baby. You’re going down.

Rosa fell asleep with a smile.

* * *

Poppy found Brandi’s apartment and knocked on the door with her free hand while balancing a bowl of covered soup in the other.

When there was no answer, she knocked harder, saying, “Brandi? It’s Laci? Can I come in?”

A long pause followed and Poppy heard shuffling inside the apartment, which told her Brandi was at least home.

When the door finally opened a sliver, Poppy tried not to gasp. Her right eye was black and blue, swollen and weeping, and her lip was busted.

“Brandi...can I come in?” she asked, worried for the girl. Poppy wasn’t going to ask if she was okay because she could plainly see that she wasn’t. When Brandi reluctantly let Poppy in, she saw that Brandi also walked with a limp.

“What happened?” Poppy asked, setting the soup down and watching as Brandi levered herself painfully into a recliner. “You need to go to the hospital. I think you need a doctor. How long have you been like this?”

Brandi shook her head weakly, tears leaking down her face. Gone was the self-assured, sassy brunette Poppy had first met at the club. This woman was broken.

What the hell had happened?

The smell of old blood and sweat filled the small apartment and Poppy knew she had to get Brandi to the hospital somehow or she was going to go septic from her injuries.

Rising, she went quickly to the sink and wet a clean dishcloth with cool water. She returned to Brandi and gently wiped her face, blotting the dried blood away, trying to get a better idea of her injuries.

“What happened?” she breathed, horrified for the girl. “Who did this to you? Was it Angelo?”

Brandi didn’t answer, but tears leaked down her face, confirming Poppy’s suspicions.

She peered at Brandi, trying to do a rudimentary assessment of her injuries. “I think you have a broken orbital bone. Your nose may be broken, as well. And what about your leg? It might be fractured, too, judging by the way you’re limping. I’m calling for help.”

Brandi whimpered, trying to shake her head, making mewling noises in protest as her fat lip prevented her from forming words.

“I can’t let you sit here and die,” Poppy said firmly, knowing she was taking a risk but she couldn’t leave Brandi like this, particularly when it was Angelo who was supposedly her caretaker.

She couldn’t carry Brandi on her own and she knew better than to call an ambulance, as it would attract too much attention that would get back to Angelo.

Poppy called Shaine.

“I need you now,” she said quietly. “I will text the address. Come immediately and quietly.”

Shaine didn’t ask unnecessary questions, just affirmed he was on his way. She texted the address and returned to Brandi, who looked nearly delirious with pain.

Honestly, if Brandi hadn’t been in such pain, chances were she would’ve shunned Poppy’s help. As luck would have it, Brandi must’ve been at her limit to even allow Poppy into her apartment.

So much for asking Brandi questions about Darcy.

Shaine arrived fifteen minutes later and Brandi had already passed out from the pain.

“Holy shit. What happened to her?” Shaine asked, frowning as he surveyed the damage. “She’s almost unrecognizable.”

“Someone beat the snot out of her,” Poppy answered. “I think it was Angelo.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Brandi can’t talk. Her mouth is too swollen. Whatever happened, it must’ve been bad. Can you smell the blood?”

“Yeah, and the bleach.”

Chances were Angelo had tried to clean up the evidence of the blood splatter after he’d beaten the shit out of Brandi.

“Can you carry Brandi to the car? We can’t call the ambulance.”

Shaine nodded and Poppy cautioned, “Be careful. She may have a broken leg.”

Brandi’s eyes fluttered open and she groaned when she saw Shaine, trying to turn her head away as if she were embarrassed at being seen so vulnerable.

“I got you, girl,” he murmured as he gently scooped Brandi up out of the chair, hoisting her up.

A choked cry of pain escaped Brandi’s damaged lips, but she didn’t fight Shaine.

Shaine carried Brandi to the car and they all climbed in. Poppy sat in the back with Brandi to help her with the seat belt and to keep her upright.

“Why are you doing this?” Brandi mumbled, wincing as her lip began to bleed anew. Poppy gently blotted the blood away as well as the fresh tears that had begun to fall down Brandi’s cheeks. “Why?” she croaked.

“Because you might be a bitch but you’re still a human being and no one deserves to be beaten and left to die.”

Shaine drove quickly to the hospital and the emergency personnel took over.

As Brandi was wheeled away, Poppy resisted the urge to hug Shaine desperately, so grateful he’d been a phone call away. But they didn’t know who was potentially watching so they played it cool.

“Want to grab a coffee?” Shaine asked, which was code for “let’s talk,” and Poppy gladly agreed.

Once they were certain they were alone, Shaine jumped in. “Why would Angelo beat Brandi like that? He nearly killed her. Do you think she was threatening to tell something she knew?”

“I can only imagine. Did you get the text from Ramirez about her package?”

“Yeah, had to be from the Hernandez duo. And if it is, they are stupider than I thought, which tells me, whatever they are, they aren’t El Escorpion.”

Poppy had to agree. El Escorpion was clever and sneaky. Selena and Mateo were accustomed to using a blunt object when finesse was in order, which is something El Escorpion would never do.

“We can’t let Brandi go back to the club. If Angelo was the one who did this, he shouldn’t be around her,” Poppy said. “I think we should put Brandi in protective custody. Let Angelo think she ran away because of what he did.”

“That’s taking a big risk to our operation,” Shaine warned.

“I know it was Angelo who did it. I’ve been asking for days where Brandi was and he just kept saying she was sick. He knew she was beaten to hell and he didn’t try and get her help because he knew the hospital would be required by law to alert the authorities.”

“If we put her into protective custody, she could be there for months, depending on how long it takes to close this case,” he reminded Poppy, but she wasn’t going to budge.

“My gut says we need to do this.”

Shaine considered it, then said, “All right, I trust your judgment. I don’t think Ramirez is going to like it but I know my director will back me if need be.”

“She’s so hot for the Hernandez brother and sister that she’s ignoring what’s right in her face. If anyone is losing their judgment on this case, it’s her. It feels personal and that’s dangerous.”

Shaine nodded. “You might be right. I’ll discuss our concerns with Hobbs so he’s aware. In the meantime, we need to get the paperwork started so that we can have Brandi moved to a more secure location immediately.”

Poppy jerked a short nod. “I’ll stay here and make sure that no one finds out that Brandi is here. You go start the wheels turning.”

“You sure you’re going to be okay?” Shaine asked. “What if Angelo shows up?”

“Then I’ll handle it,” Poppy answered without blinking. She’d love to show Angelo a few moves of her own, teach him that it wasn’t nice to beat women. If she got her hands on him, Angelo would be drinking out of a straw for the rest of his life.

Shaine seemed satisfied with her answer but he hesitated, looking as if he wanted to kiss her. For a split second she held her breath, hoping recklessly that he would, but the moment passed and he bailed, leaving her missing the kiss that had almost happened.