Heart of Fire (8 page)

They stood there looking at one another.  Danni could feel the itch of her trigger finger; she was ready to take him down but, what she wanted to do and what needed to be done were two different things.  There was no doubt in her mind that this man was not acting alone.  “
We need to trace his calls,” she sputtered ready to bring this mystery to an end.

“Already on it,”
he said triumphantly.  “Calm down killer!”  He winked and laughed as he saw the frustration on her face.

“What did you find out from that dirt bag I wrapped up for you?”
the question was accompanied by a jab in the ribs.

“The same thing you heard.  He’s working for someone else.” 
He frowned and put his hand in his pocket as he looked down.  Frank explained how he interrogated the man for eight hours and his story never wavered.  He insisted that he was contacted by the phone and money was sent to him via career.  “I got the impression that all the killings have been a murder for hire.”

“Who is he?”
she interrupted.

“He’s a licensed P.I.  I checked him out and it’s confirmed.  He said a woman hired him not our perp.  He said the first time he met our man was last week.  He said our guy gave him instructions to follow you and Detective Flanery.  He also said he didn’t know what he was getting into until Mallory threatened his life.”

“What the fuck is going on here Frank, a woman hired him?” she snapped.  “This case is getting stranger by the minute.”  The case did not make sense to her.  Why would a woman order the murders of prostitutes, and what did the Mayor have to do with it?  “I want to talk to our P.I later if that’s okay?  And…” she stopped mid-sentence when another car turned down the alley and pulled next to them.

“Danni this is Special Agent Kent, he’s been working the case with me.”

She extended her hand but he disregarded it with a nod of his head.  “Is he in there?” he asked as he strapped the bullet proof vest around his mid-section.

Frank looked at Danni who answered for him.  Kent radioed his team to move in.  Danni was ordered to stay put while they stormed the house.  She was dismayed but said nothing.  She watched as the men maneuvered themselves around the perimeter of the property and within seconds stormed the front and back door.  All clear came across the radio.  That was her cue to join the team.  She walked in the backdoor and through the house.  Mallory was face down on the ground and hand cuffed.  She saw his cell phone on the coffee table.  She casually picked it up and thumbed through his history.  The last number displayed had no name.  The time of the call coordinated with the time she heard him talking.  She wrote the number down on a pad.  She viewed his contacts.  There were no names she recognized.  She sighed a little relieved but disappointed for mentally accusing her superior of being involved.  The killer was now in custody and his partner was not a man.  Who was the mystery woman behind all of this? 

“Pacelli, Pacelli?” Frank grunted trying to get her attention.

“Yeah?”
She looked up at him as he towered over her.

“We need to let the team do their job here.  I’m going to transport this piece of shit.” 
He smirked.  “I’ll call you when I’m finished with him,” he said over his shoulder.




The morning sun blinded her as she drove back to the house.  She cursed when a deer ran out in front of her.  She was tired and aggravated and the last thing she needed was to total her truck.  The aroma of the food she picked up on the way smelled so good it was hard not to reach in the bag and nibble.  When she pulled in the driveway Annabel met her at the door.  She watched as Danni exited the truck and could visibly tell she was angry and knew the last thing Danni needed after a long night was for her to act foolish.  She opted to take the six steps down to help with the bags of breakfast.

“Well?”
she questioned as Danni deposited herself on the dining room chair.

“We got our man,” s
he assured as she shoved a piece of toast in her mouth.  “Is there coffee made?” The question was an indication that Danni was in no mood to talk.  Annabel retrieved a cup from the china cabinet, filled it and placed it on the table.  She sat down and opened her food container, but her appetite was suddenly gone.

With a sigh, Danni sat back in her chair.  “
Aren’t you going to eat?”

Annabel rolled her eyes and moved the food around with her fork. 

One last sip of the coffee and Danni stood up walked out of the room and deposited herself on the couch in the sitting room.  She was so exhausted from her night she stretched out and closed her eyes.  She tried to switch her mind off but that voice in the back of her head would not be silenced.

It was apparent to Annabel that the details of the collar were not going to be shared.  She cleaned the table annoyed and the total disregard of her feeling was inconceivable.  “
Screw this shit,” she hissed and stormed into the adjoining room and stood directly over Danni.  “Are you going to tell me what happened or not?”

“I am now my love.” 
Danni sat up surprised by the anger in her voice.  “I’m just gathering my thoughts for another long night.  But this time, I’ll leave the stress at the door when I come home.”  She smiled at her and chuckled nervously already feeling bad for being an ass.

Annabel blinked back in surprise.  She was angry but the sweet look on Danni’s face melted her heart.  “
So, tell me all the details then.”  She blushed at the sound of her own voice.

An hour passed by the time Danni finished explaining.  Annabel took in the information and then winced at the last line.  A woman hired him.  She could see the same look of confusion in Danni’s eyes but was pleased to know the list of suspects was narrowed down to a gender, but with the Mayor’s history, this could be hundreds if not more of angry women wanting revenge on him.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Danni couldn’t sleep, she lay in the bed and connected the dots above as she had done so many times with her life.  She struggled to keep herself in place as she thought of Annabel who sacrificed her afternoon to snuggle in next to her.  She tossed to her right and did what always worked when she was a little girl, she imagined she was gazing at the stars, but it didn’t work, it was light outside and her brain was on overdrive.  Frustrated she crept from the bed, she paused at the door long enough to ensure she did not wake up Annabel.  She took the stairs down into the kitchen and found a seat at the small kitchen table and put on her gym shoes.  She needed to release her anxiety, something she had not done since she took on the case.  Just as she was going to get up and head out the door, she heard footsteps walking down the hall. 

“You’re up late,”
Annabel said nonchalantly as she deposited herself across the table.  Danni looked and smiled.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I figured I would go for a run.”

“Is everything okay?” Concern filled her eyes as she watched her fiddle with her fingers.

“I need to clear my head, and what better way than to run.” 
The truth at that moment was she needed to run from her.  She needed to finish absorbing the confession and find peace with her own anger over not seeing it happening under her own nose.  She needed to come to terms with the fact that she was sleeping with the girl she pulled from the fire, the same girl she failed to protect, but most important, the feelings of love that overwhelmed her.

“You want to talk about it?”

Danni just looked at her, her mind reeled with the list of questions that had plagued her every thought.  But, there were a few questions she needed answers to.  “Once this is over what do you expect to happen between us?”

“Well, I…”
Annabel chose her words carefully.  She knew if she was not careful how she said things, she would spook her.  “I would like to see where this will take us.” 

That was not the answer she was expecting to hear and
she assumed she was not asking the right question.  “Do you want to be exclusive or date other people?”

The answer was right there on the tip of Annabel’s tongue but she could not find the right words.  She had never wanted anyone or anything more in her life, but now she was being asked and she stood there and no words would come out.  The lack of words sent Danni into a panic.  She ejected herself from her seat and ran from the house before Annabel could react and by the time Annabel reached the front door, Danni was nowhere in sight.

Danni ran like she had never run before.  She didn’t answer me, maybe I am reading more into this than there really is, she thought and by the time she looked up, she had reached the highway.  She bent over and put her hands on her knees to support her shaken frame as she caught her breath.  She told herself over and over again that it was a bad idea to mix work with pleasure, and she did not listen, she allowed her libido to override her sensibility.  As she stood there, she started to laugh, she knew she was reacting to her own fears of the age difference between her and Annabel, she tried to rationalize there was only seven years difference, but seven years could mean the difference between wanting to settle down, or still enjoy the single life. 

She was going to have to make a move soon, and after she solved the case she would take Frank up on his offer to join the FBI, that way if Annabel didn’t break her heart she will not have to look at her every day knowing she was with someone else.  With a deep breath, she stood tall and dashed back towards the house.  With long strides she made it back in half the time but stopped in her tracks when she saw Annabel seated on the bottom step with her face in her hands crying.  She approached her cautiously, but to see her cry tore at her heart.  Annabel never looked up as Danni sat down next to her.  When Danni rubbed her gently along her back, the sobs got louder.

“I’m sorry.”  Danni could hear through the sobs.

That was all it took, she pulled her into her arms and held her tight.  “
I’m sorry for running off,” the words escaped before she could stop them.

“I love you Danni.  I love you so much and I never want to lose that,” she whispered
shyly.  “You asked me what I wanted.  It’s you I want and it’s you I need.  It’s always been you Danni.” 

“You have to be sure; I don’t want to hold you back from finding someone your own age.” 

“Are you kidding me, someone my age?  The way I feel about you is not a child hood fantasy Danni, I’ve dreamed of this since I was a kid and now it is no longer a dream, I am here as long as you will have me.”  She wanted to kiss her, but she needed her to understand her true feelings so she would never run from her again.

“I always dreamt of one day having a wife, and maybe one day having kids, but I never thought I would find her, the one, the only, so don’t break my heart Annabel, if this is not what you want, I am giving you the out now.”

The tears of joy streamed from her eyes as Danni professed her love.  Annabel moved in closer taking her into her arms. “I’m not going anywhere, but you are.  Yuk, you’re sweaty, let’s go inside to shower.”

Her eyes focused down on the sweat that stained her shirt
“I’m not sweaty, I’m drenched.”  She laughed as she took Annabel by the hand and led her up the stairs.

“So we don’t have any more misunderstandings I think we need to put everything out on the table.” 

“I agree, but before we do that, I’m going to take a shower.”  Danni smiled as she let go of her hand.

Annabel started a fire in the fireplace and wrapped the afghan around her shoulders; she shivered from the breeze that forced its way in through the cracks.  Such a beautiful house this is, but it sure needs updating and winterizing, she mused rubbing her hands together.  It was starting to get cold as the day wore on, and it was obvious winter was almost upon them, and in the Panhandle it was always unpredictable.  One snow and the entire town would shut down.  Finally feeling warm, she tried to make herself useful, she went through the case files and added the new information for Danni, there were still a lot of unanswered questions but the picture was starting to come into focus. 

When Danni returned, she sat down beside her and watched her put the stack of folders off to the side.  “Find anything looking through that mess?”

“No, just organizing and laying out a profile.”  She sighed and cuddled in next to Danni.

“We’ll figure it out babe.  Let’s just relax for a while before I have to head out.”  An hour passed as they watched the six o’clock new, neither said another word other than an occasional sigh.  The silence was finally broken when Danni cleared her throat and got Annabel’s full attention. 

“Is it time for you to go?”

“No I don’t have to meet him for a few more hours, but I need to explain why I acted like I did earlier.”  Danni explained her fears of failing as a cop, not finding the unknown female conspirator, and then finally admitted what frightened her most.  The feelings she was having for her.  Annabel just smiled as she listened.  It was all making sense to her.  Danni portrayed herself as fearless, but inside she was just as scared as she was.  It gave her some comfort to know she was not alone.

“We can get through all of this together Danni.  I’m scared too.  I never thought I could love anyone as much as I love you, I never thought I would let anyone around my defenses, but you broke them down.” 
She smiled brightly.  “But, with you in my life now most of my fears have subsided.  I’m still scared of failing you.  That’s my biggest fear.”

“Fail me?  How could you ever fail me?”

“What if I am not experienced enough as a lover or a cop?”

“How could you think that?”
Danni held her close.  “You are everything that I have ever wanted.  You will build experience over time as a detective that takes time, but as a lover, you’re amazing.  I’ve never been as happy as I am now.”  Annabel fell into her embrace and kissed her softly.

“Thank you.” 

“For what?”

“For being everything I have ever dreamt of, and for just being y
ou.”  They both felt safe within each other’s embrace and all doubts about what they found in one another were gone.




The cracking of wood in the fireplace startled Danni awake.  The strange dream drained from her vision, but she wondered what part of it was a dream.  Still groggy, she lifted her face off the couch cushion, and wiped the drool from her chin.  She stood up and took the afghan and covered Annabel who was still in a sound slumber.  Feeling rested she walked to the kitchen and turned on the coffee maker, she pulled her phone from her pocket afraid she missed the call from Frank, but no missed calls.  That meant he still had no leads on the mystery woman or her identity.  The week was coming to an end, and it would be time to return to work and leave Annabel unprotected and that was unacceptable.

She stood in the doorway and looked on at the sweet face that offered her so much delight.  It brought an unwilling smile to lips.  The emotions that crept from the inner most part of her made all the challenges worth it.  She had decided before falling into slumber that the past was the past, and her future was with Annabel and she would protect her with her own life.

From the distance she thought she heard her phone vibrate, she dashed back into the kitchen and snatched it off the counter top.  “Pacelli!” she eagerly announced.  She listened to Frank on the other end.  A smile lit her face as she heard the words.  ‘We have a lead.’  She deposited herself on the edge of the counter writing down instructions.  It was time to put an end to this.

“Let’s get ready,” she said
softly when she tapped Annabel on the shoulder waking her up.  “Time to get this bitch!” she snarled.  Annabel could see the lust for vengeance in her eyes.  A bright silver-green swirled in her pupils as she told her all what Frank had said.  It was entirely understandable.  The unknown woman orchestrated so many deaths and she was now within their grasp.

It did not take long for them to eat and gather their gear.  Annabel was unsure why Danni was willing to let her go with after being so adamant about keeping her at bay, but after pondering it, she came to conclusion to leave well enough alone.

The trees along the stretch of road leaving the property shaded them from the wind.  Danni watched as a family of deer fed in the pasture to her right.  She watched them with curious eyes as the babies did not stray more than a few feet from the mother.  She suddenly felt sad.  She always wanted to be a mother, and acknowledged how difficult it was for a lesbian to adopt in a conservative town.  But, she realized being a single mother who was devoted to her career was not fair to a child either.

“You’re in deep thought,”
Annabel teased and giggled as she nudged her in the arm.

“You ever think about having kids?”

“One day yeah, but not right now, I’m too selfish to give up my free time.”  The honesty of the response put a smile on Danni’s face.

“But one day, maybe?”

“Yes.  One day.”  She gleamed at the thought of them raising children together.

“Good.” 
They both sat silent basking in the aftermath of future possibilities.  Neither knew at that very same moment, they both overcame the fears that prevented them from being happy.