Magic Rising (25 page)

“Relax. The gate is to keep other people out, not you in.”

The tension on Gladys’s faced eased, although she didn’t fully relax. Her head kept turning from side to side while her nimble fingers worked at pulling the denim fabric in her shirt apart.

In the back, Lora kept quiet. Her eyes stayed focused on her hands, which were in her lap. Deirdre imagined Lora was lost in some childhood daydream, wishing she had a better life and building it in her mind. She might be wishing for her father. Lora hadn’t mentioned missing him but Deirdre recognized the look of loneliness, the kind of space only family could fill.

“You’re home. At least for the next few days.”

Deirdre parked in front of the massive house, built in a French style, with balconies, long curving surfaces, and arched windows. She went up first, as Gladys and Lora lingered by the car, clearly afraid they were in the wrong place.

This place looked beautiful, unsuitable to actually live in. Its perfection seemed for display purposes only. It was the security measures she had affection for. The architectural beauty was nice but lost on her after her last job here. She’d had a guy at gunpoint on this very porch. Seeing the crack of a man’s hairy ass as she bent him over and cuffed him had made the house lose its appeal.

She punched in another security code and the outer door released. This house didn’t work on standard locks unless the power went out. She’d go next door and get a real key from the neighbor once Lora and Gladys were settled. For now, the series of numbers would suffice.

The door swung open and the smell of citrus air freshener wafted out. The maid must’ve just left. The foyer had a few damp places from being mopped and the heater ran, although it wasn’t very cold outside. A house this large must stay fairly cool, even in the heat of summer.

“Come on in.” Deirdre spoke, returning to the car for their bags. “The maid just left.”

“I don’t need no maid cleaning up after me.” Gladys planted both hands firmly on her hips.

This would be a long assignment if Gladys didn’t ease up a little. Deirdre pulled both of their bags from the trunk and carried them to the foyer without commenting. Gladys and Lora stayed behind, making Deirdre go in first.

She glanced back and found Gladys standing on the porch, not entering the door and her hands still on her hips. Deep lines ran through her forehead and Deirdre wondered if she wouldn’t grab Lora and run away after all.

“The maid stopped by to make sure the place was nice for you.” The house looked immaculate. “I’m bringing in two of my employees to help watch you two until we get this mess sorted out.”

Her cell phone rang. She plucked it from her belt and saw Smythe’s number. Now wasn’t a good time to talk. She silenced the ringer and turned her attentions back to Gladys.

“I’ve only been here a few times but I’ll try to show you around.”

They went into a larger foyer with coat closet and two mirrors. To the left were doors to the kitchen and first sitting room. On the right was the library, which she was sure Mooney rarely used, a bathroom, and a guest bedroom just before a door continuing to a lanai and pool. Most people in his bracket had a separate pool house but he didn’t swim and had the basics installed later for his children.

At the back, just before the doors to the lanai, was a wide staircase going up to more bedrooms and who knows what else on the second floor. Deirdre carried their bags up the steps, unsure of which bedrooms to put them in.

“I’d like Sabrine to stay downstairs near the door. She’s an excellent guard and would hear someone before they made it to the steps. Tech, her…associate will spend most of his time in the library. For protection.”

Deirdre found two bedrooms that didn’t look regularly used. She’d rather give Mooney as much privacy as needed, especially when he dealt in dangerous and confidential information. She doubted Gladys would snoop, but Mooney would appreciate the consideration.

The first bedroom went to Lora. It had to have belonged to Mooney’s daughter, years ago when she lived at home. The room was rich in pink and yellow flowers, with white accents and ribbons touching every surface.

Gladys’s room looked like a guest room. It was generic, without pictures, only odd paintings for decoration. Deirdre left her bag there and the three of them went back downstairs to finish exploring the house.

“What do you think Lora?”

“It’s kind of big.”

“It’s got a great security system though.”

Lora stopped, a dead serious expression on her face. “Nothing can stop them. You’re only postponing the inevitable. Dad knew it and I know it too.”

A cold chill ran up Deirdre’s spine as if she’d heard a prediction for the future. It was true that keeping Niam or anyone associating with him at bay forever, would be impossible. She had to finish this before they found Lora. That much she could do.

“Maybe I am postponing things,” Deirdre said, trying to be honest. “My plan isn’t to keep you hidden forever.”

“They want to kill you. I know they do.” Lora’s eyes looked blank, too big for her face. “I can feel it.”

So Lora has the gift of sensing too. Interesting.

Lora’s voice stayed even, sounding too adult in the very small body of a child. Maturity didn’t always follow age though. This young woman had probably seen and heard more than the old readying to meet their maker.

“It won’t be the first time.” Deirdre knelt in front of the girl. “I know you’re afraid. I also know that you miss your daddy, even when you try not to.”

Lora nodded slowly, then pulled a small silver object from her pocket. It was a good luck charm. Deirdre recognized the symbols on one side and the words in Latin running around the back.

“Dad gave this to me. He told me that I was special and this might help keep me safe.”

Deirdre didn’t have the heart to tell her that it was only a trinket. Luck as much as power, came from inside. It couldn’t be given or taken like some silly silver charm. It gave her hope though and some days that was all anyone had to keep them going.

“Keep it close.”

“Deirdre, are you going to let them take me? When the time comes, are you going to try to save me?”

Lora’s expression was too intense. Tears swelled in her eyes and one trickled down the little tan face and dripped from her chin onto her shirt. Deirdre didn’t want to wipe it away, didn’t want the physical contact with such a pure soul. After all, Deirdre was raised to be a weapon, raised evil.

“I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe.”

“You promise?”

Another tear slid down on the opposite cheek as did the first. This time, Deirdre couldn’t resist and wiped the tear away. The moment her fingers touched the girl’s cheek, she came forward wrapping her arms around Deirdre’s neck.

“I don’t care what the nightmares say. You’d never hurt me. I know you wouldn’t do anything to hurt me.”

“Nightmares?”

Deirdre wrapped her arms around Lora, suddenly needing to feel her in her arms, to know she was breathing and living. For every reason she had avoided the smallest contact with this child, she now wanted to hold her close.

“Tell me about the nightmares.”

Lora let out a small whimper, still keeping her arms tight around Deirdre. “I’ve been seeing you standing over me with a big knife. Then I bleed.”

Chapter Seventeen

The intercom buzzed from the hallway. Deirdre ran from the sitting room, leaving Gladys and Lora watching television. Gladys was trying to make Lora watch an educational program since it wasn’t possible to send her to school under the current conditions. Unfortunately, the only educational programs on at that time of day were geared toward preschoolers.

Lora relented, trying to appease her grandmother by watching puppets recite the alphabet. She was being a good sport about this. Not once had Lora complained and Deirdre noticed that she tried not to talk about her father, probably for Gladys’s sake.

Deirdre looked at the monitor, seeing Sabrine’s Jeep, her spiky red head in the driver’s side. She hit the button and opened the gate. After she watched them pull through, Deirdre went to the door, waiting as they parked.

Tech would pout over having to change locations. He hated to move equipment, unless surveillance was involved. Setting up equipment for research bugged the hell out of him. It had happened twice before, with him complaining about having to leave his comfortable office at home. She dreaded the coming whining.

Sabrine jumped out first, dressed down in jeans, sneakers, and a button-down shirt. Her hair was less spiky today, making her look sharper and more serious. Tech followed. He clutched something to his chest, hugging it too tightly for Deirdre to see what it was.

“About time.” Deirdre teased, seeing Sabrine’s expression change to the softer fun-loving person she was when not on assignment. “Has your boy been giving your trouble?”

“He’s been quiet but not really upset.”

Deirdre raised an eyebrow, seeing what he clung to, a laptop, and a thick folder of paper. He usually packed more for a quick trip across town, much less an undefined length of stay during an assignment.

“That all?” She tried to sound cheerful, if for no other reason than to ease tensions with her team but no one seemed to respond.

“There’s more in the car.” He looked at her, brows furrowed. “This is the stuff I need you to see.”

“I think you should set up in the library.”

She led Tech to the library, letting Sabrine handle her own introductions. The serious edge in Tech’s voice held her attention and a twang of pain grew at the thought of what information he’d uncovered. It was probably about her. Anything else would have him excited, wanting to brag over his discovery.

“Nice,” he said, stepping into the library and doing a three-sixty. Upon closer inspection of the books lining three walls, he grimaced. Deirdre already knew what he’d seen. The books were odd collections, had to have been bought in random lots to decorate a room Mooney didn’t care to visit. A few odd encyclopedias were mixed among the good leather bound novels, and strange nonfiction titles Deirdre had never heard of.

“Mooney has this room for show, not function.”

Tech nodded, setting his laptop down on the large table in the back and opening the folder that he carried. She could only see the top piece of paper, but the picture on it jolted her. There was a head shot of Scorpion.

“Deirdre, we’re getting into something serious. Whatever Stone House was, I think some version of it is starting again. We’re already in danger and I think it’s time for you to come clean with Sabrine and me. We need to be informed. This is more than a case or protecting a little girl, or a nosey detective, and you know it. That is why you brought us here.” Tech paused and Deirdre started to say something when he started again. “I hacked into the FBI’s computer database and pulled your mother’s records. There’s some serious shit in there but I didn’t read it. I have a feeling that you don’t know everything about your mother.”

“What does she have to do with the Haas case?”

Tech hesitated, the wheels in his mind moving at a fantastic rate. She hated when he got that look. It reminded her too much of a computer. The unfeeling machinations finished and he spoke.

“This is tied to you and to whatever secrets you’re hiding. I want you to face it so you can let us in on what we’re really up against. Don’t lead us into this thing blind.” He slid the folder over to her. “I’m going to get my things set up in that corner.” He pointed to a heavy mahogany desk at the far corner of the room. “When you’re done, we’ll talk.”

She sat in the formal leather chair near the table and stared down at Scorpion’s photograph. Her mother looked younger than Deirdre remembered. The photo looked official but there was a slight smile on her lips. This must’ve been before Stone House, before Deirdre.

There were the details, height, weight, and special training. Information was listed in a little paragraph, small bragging rights her mother had earned over the years. The folder was thick with all the abbreviated specifics from the front page.

Deirdre closed the folder. It was one thing to relive memories but these were facts, hard and cold. The picture was a hint to what Scorpion could’ve been if not for her little Deirdre. Surely, Deirdre had ruined her mother’s life.

She didn’t want to deal with this now. There was a case and a little girl who needed her. Chasing ghosts wouldn’t help anything or anyone. She stared at the closed manila envelope. The past couldn’t repeat itself. Tamara wouldn’t take that little girl to live in some cult disguised as a prep school.

Had Scorpion taken her to the cult because she wanted to?
Deirdre had always wondered but never asked her mother. The answer might hurt too much. What if Scorpion had done it on purpose? Pulled Deirdre from some loving family the same way Lora had been?

The evil sensation she picked up from Niam, sometimes she feared it emanated from within herself. Given that, she had to assume she’d been the reason Scorpion had stayed in that cult for so long. Deirdre was the cause of her pain, although Scorpion never said as much. Deirdre had seen the truth in her eyes.

Cult. Why would someone start one? Power? Control?