Speak (The Voice trilogy Book 2) (19 page)

“No, it shouldn’t jeopardize anything; I just needed to get that off my chest. It’s been a long time coming. I believe the only reason Riley accompanied you is because eight almost nine years ago he was the lead investigator. So, since he’s so privy to the case he knows what to ask and what to look for,” I smile only to appease them both. When in reality I’m retreating into the cold hearted bitch that I’m known for.  I don’t want to let Riley know how he affects me. So I did what I’m best at, being a bitch. I know it’s childish, but I needed to do that so I could appear strong.

“The reason for our visit today is to go over some information that has been brought to our attention. I know that the original investigation took a few years to come to some type of conclusion. I’m sure after discussing it with your attorneys you still felt like something was off. Well, I’m part of the cold case division and I’ve gone over everything with a fine tooth comb for the past 18 months.”

“Wait, you decided to look into this 18 months ago and it never occurred to you to give myself, my lawyers, or my sister a call?” I challenge him with a little bit of an edge. I’m a little pissed that this guy is just helping himself to my family’s privacy. I want to know what he is going to gain out of all of this, I want to know why he is digging his nose into something that needed to be closed tightly and walked away from...very, very far away from. I have a feeling it is Tanner’s idea, so the bastard could get on my good side again. I also have a feeling that Agent Adam Chase knows that he needs to involve Riley Tanner in this little adventure, because he knows I wouldn’t speak to him on a personal level, only professional. I admire the little shit for being that smart, but for bring Tanner into this I am also pissed. I won’t do anything to let him know how much the good agent affects me, I will just keep it simple and senseless.

“I apologize for not getting in contact with you sooner. I didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up and then disappoint them.  I wanted to be certain before I came to you. Would it be possible for me to ask you just a couple of questions? I just want to make sure what I’ve come up with matches,” you can hear that he is pleading a little bit. I want to get this over with as soon as possible so Riley can leave, and I don’t have to look up and see his face anymore. It just brings back too many memories, bad ones.

I shake my head a little to clear it and answer, “sure, ask away.” It looks like he is holding his breath, because he looks a little bit relieved. He turns to glance at Riley, but catches himself before turning back to look at me.

He clears his throat before speaking, “I have, please excuse me; we have reason to believe that your parents were murdered, and not the bullshit story you were fed of murder/suicide. After looking over all of the reports, the forensics, the pictures, and interviewing some people again, I’ve come up with a conclusion. This was an ordered hit, and it was set only for Alexander. Angelina just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I have a feeling that your father knew who killed him, because he trusted this person enough to let them into your home. Your mother just happened to walk in on it. Also, I know your father had strong ties in the DA’s office. He was given certain cases  so some people could get off on a technicality. The reason I know this is I looked over his case log from the past twenty years. I, again, wanted to be sure before I brought this to you. Basically, I wanted to have all of our ducks in a row...Now that I have you thinking about that, I have also dug a little farther than most. At that time the police resources where so limited, and still are. They were dead set on murder/suicide because of the ME’s toxicology report as well. I was certain that it was a fake, and looked over all of the other information that had been collected and saved. Then, I went to the most noticeable...You moved into your family home in 1996. Before that you had lived in a modest ranch style in the Clear Lake area, and had a ‘normal’ lifestyle. Then, one year it seemed to change. Is that correct?” I just nod to him and let him continue on. I have a feeling as  to where this was going. “Well, as I said, I looked over all of Alexander’s case logs and noticed something that was questionable. I was wondering why it hadn’t been brought up before...Have you ever heard of Fabian Milano?”

I’ve heard of the Milano last name. I remember my father talking about a Giovanni Milano, but never a Fabian. I just look over at both Agents and wonder if I should tell them. Riley  is looking at me so hard, his eyes look as though could fall out of his head, or burn a hole into my forehead. I narrow my eyes at them while thinking back. I know it was before we moved to River Oaks.

“I remember while I was in high school my father had talked about a Giovanni Milano, at least that’s what I think his last name was. I kind of remember my mom being panicky whenever that name was brought up. I recall my dad having to travel a lot back then, and once I picked up his office line and a man was speaking Italian on the other end. Suddenly, things started to change, my father started to change. One day, he came home with a black Jaguar and a silver Mercedes. Then, other little things started to change, like the furniture in the house, and my mother started dressing and acting differently. It was almost as if she was a trophy wife. She joined a gym and started cooking dinner more often. The meals were not the normal meatloaf, but five course meals. I just figured my father got a raise at work so I never asked. I was 16 at the time; I didn’t question the new clothing or the new car. I was just glad my parents where happier. Ava was 6 at the time, so she was happy with the toys and extra stuff, like a horse,” I reveal to them. “Before long, for some reason, our home wasn’t good enough, and the neighborhood was too poor for us. I couldn’t believe it when my father suggested we look for a new home in the River Oaks area. I never thought anything of it. It wasn’t until we moved to River Oaks did both of my parents change. Some of his ‘clients’ would come over and you could tell they were scum. I just tried to stay as far away from them as possible. I was trying to adjust to a new high school and losing most of my friends from my old high school. Then, we turned into celebrities overnight and it was really hard to adjust to. You had to dodge everyone because you couldn’t trust anyone anymore. I remember a guy named Giovanni coming over a couple of times and he had a thick accent. He always had two younger boys with him. Older than Ava, yet younger than me,” this is the most I have ever said about my past. It isn’t something that I truly like to talk about. I always had a feeling that my father was into something shady, but never questioned it. I had anything and everything I needed or wanted, so I didn’t want to rock the boat in any way.

Agent Chase looks at me before he speaks; it’s almost like he’s trying to word his next question correctly. “We have reason to believe that your father was receiving money from the Mob,” his face looks a serious as can be, but I can’t help but look at him and laugh. This is the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard.

My father, Alexander Kincaid, getting money from the Mafia; that is the most absurd thing I’ve heard all day, and trust me on this, I’ve heard a lot of crazy shit. I look between the two men sitting in front of me and see that they are speaking the truth. I’m going to have to call my sister Ava and tell her this; I’m sure she’ll get a kick out of it just as much as I am right now. I am laughing at this preposterous idea, because it isn’t true, it couldn’t be. “Agent Chase, my father was well paid as a District Attorney. I know he had to convict some horrible people, people whom all deserved to rot in prison, but to be on the mafia’s payroll? I highly doubt that. Is this some kind of sick joke?” I still can’t believe what he is trying to suggest...the Mafia in Houston, Texas of all places. Why would they ‘set up shop’ here?

“Alexia,” I turn to towards Riley as my name spills out of his mouth, and I just glare at him. “Do you know how much a district attorney makes a year?” How dare he come in here and talk to me as if nothing had happened between us.

I give my best blank face and stare at him for a full minute before I answer. I know it’s petty, immature bullshit. He had hurt me damn it, and here he is acting like it was nothing. “I’m guessing at least 30 million? I have no clue, because it’s not something I ever cared to aspire. I was more into marketing and talent, if you couldn’t tell.”

“Try $350,000 a year. So, if he’s only making that much, how does he afford a $15 million dollar mansion? How could he afford the cars, the clothing, and whatever else that was his requirement? Please don’t tell me you are that blind,” Riley speaks to me as if I’m some little kid that doesn’t understand the situation.

“Don’t speak to me like that! Who do you think you are coming in here and acting like that? Yes, we have a history, however, it’s changed and you know it. Also, it’s rude to speak to me like that in front of Agent Chase,” I snap back at him. I’m getting so worked up over this and I know it’s because of Riley Tanner. I just want him out of my office. I really don’t want to answer any more questions without my attorney.

“Look, I’m sorry that I talked to you like that. I know you’re a very smart woman, but you can’t tell me that while growing up you never once questioned why things were changing. You never got a bad feeling in your gut telling you that this was wrong? I mean I could understand the whole buying your love thing to get you to shut up, but you never thought to ask your mother?” he quietly pleads to me in that damn sexy voice of his.

I just look at him trying to get a feel as to where he is going with this. I don’t like the fact that he knows so much about me and my past. He used that to his further along in his career. I wonder what he is being offered from the FBI just by coming here. I almost question him about it, and if it wasn’t for Agent Adam Chase I would have. At this point ten years have passed; my sister and I were given a bullshit excuse about my parents death. I had to be the strong one; I had to take care of my sister, because we didn’t have extended family that we knew of, or that we could trust.

I take a deep breath and confess to him how I had felt back then, “Riley, you think I grew up blind? I told you this many times before when you asked me. Yes, at the time it was pillow talk, but I told you. You knew how scared I was of my father. You knew him and what he was capable of doing. So when big scary men come to your house and leer at you, and their sons repeatedly hit on you, you learn to shut up and walk away. I did what I had to do to protect myself and my sister. I didn’t want to end up like some of the people that I had heard them talk about; I just wanted to get out of that damn house and lifestyle. I wanted to go to college, to UT, and get my degree like any other normal teenager. Was I hurt that I didn’t have the ideal relationship with my father that I once had? Yes! Who wouldn’t be? So please, just spare me the whole ‘you really didn’t know what was really going on in the background’ speech.” At that moment I am done, I am sick of this horrible feeling that I continuously get. It is exceedingly difficult to trust anyone.

“Agent Chase, do you have any further questions? It’s been a really long day and I’m really just ready for this to be done and over with. If you feel that you have enough information and want to try to find the real killer, then please do so. If you could just keep me in the loop from now on by contacting my attorney, I would appreciate it. If you don’t have any other questions, I really do need to get going,” I am mentally exhausted, and am trying really hard not to start crying. It has been ages since the last time I had cried, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to be just a small cry.

I get the feeling that he wasn’t expecting that at all, but I have had enough. Riley being in front of me again brought back a lot of painful memories, ones that I really want to put behind me so I can move on. I stand up to get my point across, I glance at the clock and see that they have been here for almost three hours. The Houston skyline is twinkling because it is now dark.  Both men turn to look out the windows and then turn back to me and get up.

Agent Chase looks at me and hands me his card, “if you could, please email him the contact information of your attorney.”

“Of course,” I respond as we shake hands.

He turns to Riley, “I’m going to go back to the office to finish up some things. I’ll see you in the morning.” Agent Chase says goodbye to me and all but runs out of the office, shutting the door behind him. This leaves Riley alone with me in my office. The last thing that I want to deal with is Riley. I just want to go home, get a glass of wine, take a bath, and cry. I don’t want to look at or talk to Riley Tanner, excuse me, Agent Riley Tanner, FBI.

I just look over at him, waiting for him to talk to me. He just stands there staring at me. I can see that he is giving me the usual cop stare, the one that you have no idea what he’s thinking of, and it drives me nuts. “Riley, can you please leave? I really don’t have anything else to say to you. I’ll be in contact with Agent Chase, so you can leave,” I speak softly.

He takes a deep breath before he speaks. “Alexia…I don’t know how to tell you that I’m sorry for how things happened between us. If I could go back and fix it I would, in a heartbeat. I know I’m the last person you would ever want to see, let alone talk to, but I need to talk to you. We need to get over this so we can work together. You assume that I don’t think about you. Have you considered that I beat myself up everyday over how I screwed up? It takes a man to admit when he’s wrong and when he’s messed up, and I’m that man. I fucked up beyond repair, and I know you would love nothing more than to kick my ass. Trust me, I wish I could kick my own ass. I guess I thought that after all of this time you had somehow forgiven me. I had at least hoped that you had forgiven me. Once we were given the case I did try to have myself removed because of the conflict of interest. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to sit in front of you and not be able to touch you. I just wish we could get past this and try to work together. I want to get this solved, and I know you need it to be so you can move on,” he almost plead with me.