Heart of Fire (19 page)

She stopped at Starbucks on her way back in, one vanilla latte for her and a plain black coffee for Frank.  She reached the desk he assigned to her and explained her findings when he finally approached.  She gestured to the chair next to her which Frank took willingly and sipped at his coffee.  He smiled then became serious as he handed her the file.  She read over the contents then peered at him over the folder.  With her free hand she handed him the paper with the address on it that O’Sullivan gave her. 

She whispered that she was sure that it was where the suspect was living then looked around the room, but they all seemed too busy in their own discussions to pay her any attention so shaking her head slightly she jotted down a few notes and then went back to reading a file he handed her.  She looked over the note, her brow had furrowed like it did every so often when she worked.

She was stilling looking through the file when she felt the warmth that she already knew so well right behind her, she looked over her shoulder and smiled at the tall blonde who reached past her and sat a fresh cup of coffee on the desk where there was space

“Have you been at this all day?” Annabel asked as she scanned the desk.

“Do I look that rough?”

Before Annabel could answer Frank barked out the first of his orders but spoke softer to Danni as he gestured to Annabel who was looking a little pale despite the slight flush on her cheeks.  “It’s time to get down to business!” His face masked the fury as he spoke.

They walked into the conference room where the team was already waiting on instructions.  When Danni stood to talk, Frank relaxed his stance and stepped back.

“Gentleman, we need to cover all the places the Suspect has been known to frequent.”  She directed her attention to Annabel.  “Flanery, I need you to wait until this evening, we have a special assignment for you.  Montgomery, I need for you to keep Lopez under surveillance, and take a few men with you.”  Before he could object she reminded him the Suspect was a professional body builder and was probably stronger than most of the men in the room and it could take a few of them to take her down.

Frank smiled towards Annabel who stood in utter admiration the way Danni handled the meeting.  She gave instructions like a pro. 

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE

Glancing sideways Frank pulled the notepad back to his chest and scribbled down the address for Annabel.  “Go there, park just outside, and watch,” he said getting down to business.  “If you see anything, call for back-up.” 

She did not question his authority, she was just grateful she was still able to be on the case.  Frank had made a few calls and all interviews with Internal Affairs were ended.  She was ecstatic when Lieutenant Hagerty called her and said he was filing her statement in the garbage.  She was ready to protest but he talked over her and warned her how lucky she was to have the Fed’s on her side.  She smiled and knew no explanation was needed from there.  She still would have her job, and her life would go on as normal thanks to Frank.

Frank drove to his next location on the list hoping to interview possible witnesses.  He had split the list with Danni that O’Sullivan provided.  She was positive that her cousin frequented each place since she had followed her several times to each. 

An hour of driving to one location to another offered no information, he was frustrated.  He must have showed the suspect’s picture he acquired from the newspaper to about fifteen people and no one recognized her. 

“Any luck?” he asked when Danni called.

Her answer was as grim as his.  Both tired and frustrated Danni told him she still had one last place to go, he told her he would join her and soon pulled up beside her at a bar located just off interstate 40 and Eastern.  He licked his lips wishing he could have a drink, but he could not be tempted, he has been sober for fifteen years and would not allow himself to be tempted to throw it all away.  The demon almost destroyed his marriage and career, but he woke up from his stupor one day as Tiffany was packing her bags.  She was tired of picking him up off the porch each night because he was too drunk to put his key in the lock.  That was the day he found the strength to get help and had not had a drink since. 

He looked at the sign and breathed the smell of alcohol which filled the evening air.  He licked his lips and took a deep inward breath, the demon would not win he said to himself.  “Ready?”  He pulled himself together and held his hand out to allow Danni to pass.

The bar was small, and there were only a few occupants who also included the one waitress and the bartender.  “I need to know if you’ve seen this woman in here?” Danni called to the waitress and showed her the picture.

“Yeah, I've seen her around,” the waitress said, nodding, “She's practically a regular and comes in here almost every Thursday at night.  She sits down over there.”  She pointed toward the end of the bar near a pay phone.

“She just sits there?  Does she order anything?  Does she talk to anyone?” Agent Frank Alexander asked.

“She usually didn't talk to anyone.”  The bartender answered, “She waits by the phone until it rings.  Sometimes she's here for a few minutes.  Sometimes she's here a few hours.  She usually had a draft or two while she waited.”

“Does she ever meet anyone here or leave with anyone you recognize?” Danni inquired as she walked the length of the bar.

“She met a guy here a last night,” the bartender replied.  “She seemed upset or nervous.  They had a few heated words, and he stormed off.”  He frowned trying to recall everything.  “I do remember him telling her she was no family of his and he wanted nothing to do with her.”

Frank looked towards Danni, and they both nodded.  Lopez was telling the truth.  He had no idea he was related to her until last night. 

“Hey,” the bartender shouted out as they reached the door.  “Do you want me to call you if she comes back in?”

Frank turned and handed him his business card.  “That is my direct line to my cell call me the moment she walks in the front door,” he concluded knowing that it was not one of the nights he had said she came in. 

Meanwhile driving along the busy highway Annabel had time to think on her past, police and paramedics swarmed about her house, the day she became orphaned.  One man who had destroyed the life she knew.  She still remembered nineteen years later the hollow feeling that even now was not completely gone when she had found her father smothering her mother.  She hadn’t cried that day, she hadn’t cried at all for the death of her parents, she simply put it out of her mind, passed it off as something that could happen but did happen to her.  As much as she tried to escape the memory, it would find the worst time to surface. 

She believed it haunted her on this night because of what Danni had told her, how the O’Sullivan woman’s life ended and her life swirled out of control after.  She could not compare the two, as much pain they both shared, the circumstances were different.  They both understood the loss as well as betrayal.  She understood her needing to know who her father really was.  She understood the shock of learning her life was a lie.  She never told Danni, the man who ruined her life was not really her biological father.  She found out be accident one night when her parents were arguing. 

His voice was angry as it carried through the house.  He called her mother a slut, that she was nothing more than a common whore.  She learned that day, when her father was deployed fighting for his country in the Gulf war, her mother, her idol had found comfort with another man.  She never asked her mother who her real father was, but figured one day, maybe by accident she would.  Annabel was secretly happy to know his blood was not running through her veins, he was a drunk, mean and abusive.  She never understood why her mother stayed with him. 

In the distance she saw her exit, taking in a deep breath she sighed grateful the memories would fade as the investigation progressed.  She geared off to the right and turned left at the first stop sign.  She paid attention to the numbers on the houses to her left, she was close so she cut her lights and drove slowly. 

“I think I found the place,” Annabel called over the radio when she pulled across the street from the house. 

“Don’t go inside yet.  I’m sending backup.  Wait until they get there.”

“Backup?  Why?” she asked confused.  “The house is dark, no one’s there.”

“There was a change of plans.  Just don’t go inside.  It may be dangerous.”   She didn’t say anything as she walked the perimeter of the building.

“You’re already inside aren’t you?” his voice bellowed.

She did not answer as she peered through one of the windows on the side of the house.

“I’m not in the house Frank,” she reassured him and strolled back to the car.

“Damn it Flanery! You are going to cost me my job.  Just stay where you are and don’t go inside,” his voice trailed off.

“Tell me what’s going on,” she questioned frustrated.

“The Perp is not at any of the locations.”  He frowned.  “This is the time of day she is known to be there.” 

“Okay boss, I’ll stay put.”  She scoffed under her breath.  She really wanted to tell him she was not a child and could handle herself, but she was well aware her past few altercations ended her in the hospital.  She had to be smarter than the suspect.  It was time to start listening to her superiors and stop going rough. 

He did not believe her, his thin face was full of alarm and his prominent Adams apple rippled excitedly as he swallowed.  He put his car in drive and sped off.  He recalled O’Sullivan saying she followed her to the house and she would enter the premise and not come back out, she was sure either she knew the people who lived there, or she was holing up there.  Frank confirmed it earlier in the day, when he questioned the neighbors.  The elderly man who lived in the house next door told him after looking at the picture that he had just missed her.  He told her she leaves first thing in the morning and does not return until night.  He said she was either on foot or riding a bike and that she couldn’t be missed since she was built like a man. 

He called over to Danni and told her was going to stake out the house with Annabel and to take over in a few hours after she checked on Patricia O’Sullivan and the Mayor.  She agreed and added she would pick up food on her way.

He told her there was no need for her to bring him anything to eat; he went on to say he had agreed to meet with Tiffany a
t the in-laws house for dinner.

Danni knew he was trying everything to make sure his marriage did not fail and she admired that.  She was grateful that Annabel worked in the same field and already understood the hours the job demanded.




The lights shone from the distance, Danni could see there was someone sitting on the front porch.  When she pulled up she was greeted by Patricia who sat alone.  She could see the distant look in her eyes as she walked closer.

“All okay here?” she asked concerned knowing the Mayor was not the easiest person to get along with.

“I guess.”  She exhaled a deep breath.

“Want to talk?” Danni sat on the step next to her.

The tears spilled over the brim of her eyes as she looked to Danni for comfort.  “He acts like I’m one of his staff,” she squealed out the words through the sobs.

“Give him some time he’s never had to worry about anyone but himself.”

“I know you’re right, but it hurts.”  She wiped her nose on the sleeve of her shirt.  “I don’t know what I was expecting.”

She looked into Danni’s eyes for an answer then looked down to her feet which formed a pile of dirt just on the ground below.

“Let’s go inside, I have to talk to him about a few things and I think he and I need to have a come to Jesus meeting.

“A what?” Patricia giggled.

“Trust me,” Danni laughed.  “Things will be different when I leave.”

She walked from room to room and her search ended when she found him seated on the recliner.  She eyed him from the distance she could see a transformation in the way he looked at her.  He appeared sad, maybe a little off balance.  She thought either Patricia was getting to him, or playing dead was boring him to death.

“We need to talk,” the words echoed in the room as she sat in the chair across from him.

“What’s there to talk about, my career is ruined, and when the papers get a hold of this story I will not be able to show my face in public,” he snarled and welcomed the double shot of bourbon in his hand.

He was a sad example of a man to stare at and his barely visible neck dripped with day-old sweat.  The permanent stains on his shirt warned Danni he had not bathed in days.  He was in uncharted territory and she was sure he was drowning in the depths of depression.

She did not know where to begin, Patricia was feeling alienated and alone still recovering, and here was the Mayor dwelling in the pits of darkness and of self-pity.  A few minutes passed and she had all the misery she could take.  He had such a wonderful gift bestowed to him and he could not see it, the only thing that mattered to him was people finding out.

She slammed her fist down on the table which made him jump.  “I’ve had it!” she raised her tone as she hovered over him and pointed to the door.  “You will go upstairs now, wash your ass, and then apologize to your daughter for making her feel like you hate her.”

His eyes widened as he took in her demands.  “I don’t hate her,” he sobbed, confused by the entire situation and how it got so out of control.  “I just don’t know what to say to her.”

“A good place to start would be to tell her how sorry you are for not taking her in and sending her off,” she lowered her tone, trying to maintain her composure.

“And then what?” He stood and walked over to the window.  “Do you really think she will rush into my arms and tell me she loves me?  Oh how I wish she would,” he whispered his confession.  “The moment you dropped her off and I looked in her eyes; I realized how much of a fool I have been.  But I just don’t know how to answer for my mistakes,” he paused and took a deep breath.  “It was easier when I thought she was the killer, I knew the only time I would have to face her is when she would execute me.”  He looked away in shame.

“She told me outside she only wants your love and acceptance,” she said and watched the transformation take over as he smiled.

“She really said that?”  He clapped his hands

“Yes I really said that!” Patricia stood at the base of the door smiling.  She had been secretly listening.

He opened his arms and she rushed into them.  The both sobbed and held onto one another tight. 

Danni tried to hold back the tears.  It reminded her of a Lifetime movie where things like this do not happen in real life, but here she stood witness to the most heartwarming, life altering experience.  She did her good deed for the night and slipped out unnoticed.