Dangerous to Her (16 page)

“Did he ever hurt you?”

“Not physically. But he would say things. Steal things. It was really hard for a long time.”

“Then what happened?”

“Linda happened. He loved her, but he blew it. I thought losing her had finally made him turn a corner.”

“I think you’re right. I think he decided to give up the drug life in a major way.”

Wide-eyed she stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I think Tony wanted to go straight and wanted to help get rid of his supplier, despite the risk. What better way to prove his resolve to Linda?”

“And his supplier was Guapo? Sabon?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. I think Tony called the station and got in touch with an officer there named Frank Manelli. Manelli applied for a warrant to search Guapo’s premises. To get it, he filed an affidavit, citing information from a confidential informant. Guess which judge authorized it?”

“Judge Butler?”

“Judge Butler.”

“Okay, so why can’t we call this Officer Manelli and find out if Tony is the one who talked to him?”

“Because Manelli’s been missing. Ever since Joel was murdered. We don’t know if it’s because Guapo took him down, as one of the major officers who searched the premises, or if he’s now working for Guapo.”

“But if Manelli’s working for Guapo, and he knows Tony is the confidential informant, that means Tony’s life is in danger, too. That’s what you’ve been trying to tell me.”

“I’m telling you it’s a possibility. The bug I found in the courtroom is very high-tech stuff. If Dusty planted the bug in the courtroom, it’s very possible he got it from the officer who arrested him—Manelli.”

Mattie gripped his arm. “What are you going to do?”

“I need to find Tony. Fast. He’ll need protection if Guapo or Sabon really suspect him. If they don’t, he still might be able to give us an advantage in tracking down the person who hurt Linda.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that they know him. And they trusted him once. If they don’t suspect that he snitched them out…”

As his words trailed off, Mattie slowly rose. “Then what?”

“Mattie—” He reached out to her, but she wouldn’t let him touch her.

“You’d use him again? Even though he’s already in danger from having helped the police once?”

“We’re getting ahead of ourselves, Mattie. We don’t know if that’s the case.”

“But what if it is? What if Tony does have an in with Sabon? With Guapo? What then?”

“He could save lives, Mattie. What about Linda? If there had been a way to stop that, don’t you think he would have wanted to?”

“Don’t you dare use her to support your argument. That’s unfair.”

“Why? Because you care about both of them?”

“Because you’re telling me that you would willingly use my brother to help you with a case. If he helped the police once, it was because he wanted out of that world. And you’d have him go back in?”

“I’d be there, too, Mattie. Undercover operations are some of the most well thought out and strategically planned. We just don’t run in without making sure everything’s covered. We don’t just set up a sting and go in and arrest people. We make sure our operatives aren’t compromised.”

“Tony is not an operative. He’s a waiter. He’s a recovering drug addict.”

“I’m sorry,” he said starkly, his expression radiating regret. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say that you won’t do it. Say that if you have a choice between choosing to use my brother—use me—to help with a case or not, that you’d choose not to.”

His eyes narrowed with a combination of anger and frustration. “Do you think I want to use him? Do you think I want to use anyone? I do what I need to in order to get the job done. But sometimes I need help. Sometimes, everyday people need to have the courage to stand with the cops. And in this case, I owe it to Joel and his wife to find out what happened to him. Having someone on the inside could help me do that.”

“So you’re saying no? You won’t leave him out of it?”

“If I thought I needed him, Mattie, it would be his choice. I wouldn’t force him to do anything he didn’t want to do.”

She smiled sadly. “That’s not good enough. Goodbye, Dominic.”

“Don’t do this, Mattie. You’re asking me to give up who I am, to give up the opportunity to get a very dangerous man off the streets. To possibly prevent more deaths, if not from Sabon directly, then from the drugs he deals.”

“What about Jordan?” she asked bitterly. “Would you use her to obtain your precious justice?” Hurt flashed briefly on his face, but Mattie was too angry to accept it for what it was.

“Is that what you really think? That I would willingly use a child?
My
child?”

She said nothing, and his face closed up. He grabbed his jacket and put it on with jerky movements. “I’m telling you the only person you can trust right now is me. Not Tony. And not even yourself. If he contacts you, call me first. I’m his best protection.”

“Don’t pretend you care about his safety,” she scoffed.

“I did my job well, didn’t I? It’s not just that you don’t trust me. You really hate me, Mattie, don’t you?”

Her mouth moved to answer, but she couldn’t force any words out. His mouth twisted bitterly.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to answer that. I hear your answer loud and clear.”

Chapter 16

O
n the drive to the station, Dom tried not to think about the hurt and betrayal on Mattie’s face. He also tried not to remember the sweet feel and smell of her in his arms; chances were he’d never experience it again, so why torture himself?

Anger that hadn’t quite cooled flamed yet again inside him. He’d known she’d be upset when he started asking questions again, but she’d actually had the gall to suggest he’d willingly put his own daughter in danger. All because he couldn’t lie and promise to keep Tony completely out of the investigation. What was wrong with maneuvering circumstances to get the information needed for the greater good? If Tony was willing, why shouldn’t they take advantage of that? He was a grown man, despite what Mattie seemed to think, and it wasn’t as if Dom would force him into it.

Would he? The question pricked his conscience, compelling him to answer honestly. Force, maybe not. But he’d used strong persuasion in the past, hadn’t he? Wouldn’t he have brought up Tony’s drug addiction to get him to help? Told him that he needed to do it to protect those he loved? To get justice for Judge Butler and Linda? To protect Mattie and their daughter?

And what did that say about him? Was that carrying things too far?

Because it would certainly insure he would never see Mattie again.

That thought made the slow burn in his stomach suddenly explode. He grimaced and rubbed his side. It took more than a few deep breaths this time to make the pain disappear. When it did, he stared at the building in front of him.

This isn’t about me,
he reminded himself.
It’s not even about Mattie. It’s greater than that.
Tony was an adult who could make his own decisions. So Dom would do what he needed to do, just like always.

Slamming out of his truck, he strode into the station, then the back room where the detectives worked. Cam was pouring himself a cup of coffee. His eyes were shadowed, his jaw covered in the beginnings of a five-o’clock shadow. For Cam, the scruffiness was a surefire sign that Grace Manelli’s rejection was weighing heavily on him.

“Cam, I’m looking for Lewis. I want him to track down a witness for me. One that might be related to the warrant Frank wrote up in the Guapo case.”

“Lewis is off. Anything I can help with?”

“I’m trying to track down a guy by the name of Tony Cooper. I have reason to believe he may have information on the Guapo case.”

“What kind of information?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I think he might have been the CI who talked to Frank.”

“And you can’t look for him, why?”

“I’m looking for him, too. I just want to cover more ground. If I’m right, then this guy’s life is in danger. I need him protected and fast.”

“Why? So you can get more info on Guapo?”

“No. Because he’s Mattie Nolan’s brother.”

Mattie’s phone had been ringing off and on ever since Dominic had left. Each time, the caller ID told her that the caller wasn’t Tony, the hospital, or her in-laws, so she let it ring, wanting to shut out the world for just a while until she could figure out what she was going to do.

Dominic’s blatant honesty about his willingness to use Tony had angered her, but after replaying their argument over and over again, she had to admit she hadn’t exactly been fair. She’d let her fear of the intimacy they’d just shared drive her when he’d shown her time and again his main motivation was fairness and justice. He wouldn’t understand Tony’s weakness for drugs in the first place, and would probably see his willingness to help the police as some kind of penance owed.

It wasn’t the same, not to him, as using her or Jordan.

Still, it made no difference. Tony was her brother and she wouldn’t allow him to risk himself that way, which meant she and Dominic were still at opposite ends of the spectrum. He’d risk himself and others for justice—she wasn’t willing to do either. But that didn’t mean she hated him, and the vile things she’d said to him had been wrong.

When her phone rang, she expected it to be another unknown caller. Instead, the display blinked with Tony’s cell phone number. “Tony! Where are you? I’ve been looking everywhere—”

“Linda.” His voice cracked and Mattie cringed at the grief enveloping the sound. “I needed to see her, but there’s a police officer posted outside. I’m afraid that cop of yours will have me arrested if I try to see her.”

When had Dominic become “her” cop? Oddly, despite their fight, the moniker felt right.

“He thinks I want to hurt her,” Tony whispered. “Just like you do.”

She’d known her brother all her life. The hurt and grief in his voice wasn’t an act. “No, Tony. I never said I believed that.”

“I saw it in your eyes, Mattie.”

“You’re wrong,” she insisted, remembering what she’d told Dom. Working through a scenario or questioning what the evidence appeared to be wasn’t the same as believing Tony had hurt Linda. Deep down, she’d always believed in Tony’s innocence. That’s why she’d been so reluctant to talk to Dom about him. Doing so had felt too much like conceding Tony’s guilt. “Whatever you saw, you’re wrong, Tony. I know you love Linda. That you’d never hurt her like that. I know you’d never hurt Judge Butler, either.”

Silence filled the line and she wondered if he’d hung up.

“Judge Butler?” Tony’s voice was stronger now. “What are you talking about?”

“He was—he was at your apartment, Tony. I used the key you gave me and when I went inside, he was there. He was dead. You haven’t been back there?”

“No! I’ve been staying with a friend. This is the first time I’ve come outside.”

“Tony, when I went to your apartment, a man named Michael Sabon was there. Do you think he killed Judge Butler?”

His hiss was audible over the phone line. “Did he talk to you? Did he hurt you, Mattie?”

“He grabbed me, but—”

“No! Damn it, no! I’m going to kill him, I swear.”

“So, you do know him?” She couldn’t help the slight accusation infused in the statement.

“He used to be my supplier. He’s been trying to get me back in, but I’ve told him no, over and over again.”

“Is he the one who called you on your cell phone when you were at my house?”

“Yes. I—I don’t want to piss him off. There’re things you don’t know—”

“You mean that you’re the informant that gave the police information on Guapo?”

“You know?”

“Dom figured it out. He thought Guapo would make an attempt on Judge Butler. And then when Linda—”

“Mattie, listen to me,” Tony urged. “If the cop knows, then he might be the one working for Guapo. That man has spies everywhere. He’s going to come after me, Mattie, and then he’ll come after you. You need to leave—”

She grabbed her purse and rifled through it for her keys. There was no way she thought Dom was working with Guapo. “Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you. Will you wait for me there?”

“Where’s Jordan?”

This time she didn’t even hesitate to tell him. “She’s with John’s parents. Safe. I want you safe, too.”

She held her breath in the silence that followed. Finally, Tony said, “I’ll wait for you, Mattie, but then we’re all getting out of here.”

“We’ll talk it about it when I see you. Just wait for me.”

Mattie hung up the phone and stared at the receiver. Dom’s voice haunted her. “If he contacts you, call me first. I’m his best protection.” He hadn’t said those words lightly, or just to scare her. But although she trusted him, Tony didn’t. So she’d pick up Tony first and together they’d discuss their options.

She owed her brother that chance.

Before she could change her mind, she opened the door. She froze when she saw the man standing there.

“We found Frank Manelli.”

Dom’s head snapped up at the lieutenant’s voice. He’d been out on the street, driving around searching for Tony—at his apartment, at the restaurant he worked at, even going door to door to see if any of his neighbors had seen him—and had only come into the station to see if Cam was back. Upon hearing Frank’s name, a rush of hope filled him. Frank Manelli was the one person who might be able to provide the information Dom needed to help Mattie’s brother. When his gaze found the lieutenant, however, hope dissolved. From the look on the other man’s face, Dom knew there was no chance Frank was going to be providing anything to anyone.

“Was there evidence that Guapo’s killed him?”

“No.” The lieutenant’s face was pale, his eyes bloodshot. “Of course that’s possible, hell, it’s the most likely explanation, but not even Guapo’s men have done anything quite like this. He was tortured, Dom.”

“Where was he found?”

“In an old meth lab near Franklin Blvd. By the looks of things, he was there for a long time. The coroner placed time of death sometime yesterday. Grace is beside herself.”

“My God.” Despite his resolve, Dom’s control slipped. The fact that Frank had been tortured, and that they hadn’t been able to find him for so long, meant they were dealing with someone smart. Powerful. Without conscience.

“This was personal, Dom. A cop signing a warrant doesn’t generate that kind of violence. Who could have hated Manelli that much?”

“I don’t—” The words stalled in Dom’s throat.

Frank’s wife, Grace, beside herself with grief.

Frank taken by someone smart and powerful.

Why not the man that loved Frank’s wife?

The man he’d sent after Mattie’s brother.

Cam.

“No,” Dom breathed.

After the fight with Mattie, he’d just wanted to cover twice as much ground. Wanted to get Tony someplace safe so he could prove to her that he had everyone’s interests in mind, not just his own. While he’d checked out the most likely places, Cam was supposed to have been working the streets.

What if Cam hoped to find Tony through Mattie?

“Can I help you?” Mattie asked the tall man standing on her porch and blocking the path to her car.

“My name is Cam. I work with Dominic Jeffries.”

He pulled out a wallet and showed her his ID. Visions of uniformed men bringing bad news to family and friends made her knees wobble. “Is Dom hurt?”

Shaking his head, Cam took her hand in both of his. “Mattie, I’m here because Dominic is frantic. He’s told me everything. We’ve doubled up, trying to find your brother. He’s on his way to Tony’s apartment right now.”

Assured that Dom was okay, she scrambled to think straight. To remember where she was headed and why she hadn’t called Dom to meet her there. “I’ve already told Dom that I’m not—”

“Guapo knows Tony snitched him out,” Cam interrupted. “He’s put out a bounty. $100,000. Do you understand what men will do for that kind of money? If Tony’s seen by any of his old buddies, he’s not going to last long.” Cam gripped her arms, squeezing her so tightly she gasped. “I need you to tell me where he is. Now.”

“I—I—” Wrenching out of Cam’s grip, Mattie raised a hand to her forehead. “Tony’s at the hospital,” she cried. “He went to visit—”

“The D.A. who was attacked.”

“He wanted to see her—”

Cam shook his head. “We need to get Tony into protective custody as soon as possible.”

Protective custody. Oh God. “Okay, okay. Let’s go.”

Mattie followed Cam down the walkway to a four-door sedan, clearly police issued. As soon as she was seated, she took her cell phone out of her purse.

Cam pulled onto the road. “What are you doing?”

“I want to call Dom. There may be men waiting for Tony at the apartment and he should get out of there.”

“Here, let me do it.”

Mattie stared at the hand he held out. “Why?”

Cam’s gaze was unflinching. “Because Dom told me about the fight you had, Mattie,” he said softly. “It’s why he didn’t come here himself. He—I’m sorry, but he doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Hurt ratcheted up her guilt. Of course he didn’t want to see her. She’d been nothing but trouble for him. “He thinks this is my fault, doesn’t he? Because I didn’t help him bring in Tony sooner.”

Cam said nothing. Slowly, Mattie handed him the phone and turned to stare out the window. Had she endangered Tony when she’d just been trying to protect him?

“I have to call my daughter when you’re done. If I’m going to be with Tony, I need to arrange for someone to pick her up.”

Cam held up a finger. “Hey, Dom,” he said into the phone. “We’ve got him. He’s at the hospital, and Mattie and I are on our way right now. We’ll meet you at the station. Oh, and Mattie’s worried about picking up her daughter. Can you do that and bring her to the station with you?” He nodded at Mattie and held the phone away from his ear. “He wants to know where she is?”

Confusion came first. Then unease. Then fear.

Dom knew where Jordan was. She was with her grandparents, exactly where Dom had arranged for her to be.

When she failed to answer, Cam jiggled the phone impatiently but shifted his gaze to the road in order to pass a slow-moving car. “I assume she’s at a friend’s house?”

Staring at his profile, Mattie slowly said, “Yes—she’s at a friend’s. The Malcolm family. 482 West Harbor Boulevard,” Mattie fabricated. Digging her fingers into the edge of her seat, she forced herself not to lean away from him as she wanted to.

Continuing with his act, Cam nodded. “The Malcolm family,” Cam said into the phone, then repeated the address. “You got that? Good.”

Mattie didn’t take her eyes off him. She was acutely aware of the fear that had grown inside her, but she was also aware of a strong sense of calm. Keeping her expression closed, she finally understood what made Dom so reluctant to wear his emotions on his sleeve. Sometimes the more you cared, the more you had to pretend you didn’t.

Cam snapped the phone closed and tucked it into his shirt pocket. “He’s got it covered. He’ll meet us there.” He reached out and placed his hand on her knee, patting it. “Don’t look so worried, Mattie. Tony should be fine at the hospital until we get to him.”

She stared at his hand, wanting to throw it off her. Instead, she said, “May I have my phone? I should call Tony and tell him where to meet me.”

Annoyance flashed across Cam’s face, but he retrieved the cell phone and handed it to her. “Tell him to meet us at the administration desk.”