Shadows of Deceit (A Series of Shadows) (15 page)

“So, you must be pretty excited Lou?” Frank grinned at her.

“What?” Lou nearly dropped the bread pan on the floor, startled by Frank’s question. “Excited? Me? Why, no. Why?”

“To get back to work tomorrow.” Abby clarified, jabbing Frank in the ribs for being cruel. It was a safe bet that everyone but Max had noticed Lou’s staring but it was mean to tease her about it. Max and Lou were the only two on the planet that couldn’t see the sparks that flew between them. The rest of the group had all decided they would keep their mouths shut and let nature take it’s course, with a little nudge here and there whenever it was appropriate of course.

“I am?” Lou stammered, still trying to gain some composure. “I get to go back?”

“Yes, I checked with Davidson before we came over and all the paperwork has been filed.” Max smiled at her softly knowing she would be thrilled. “He let me tell you, although someone beat me to the punch.” He tossed a scolding look at Frank.

“Sorry!” Frank pouted.

“Oh lovely.” Shevaun muttered, clearly displeased.

“Don’t worry.” Max reassured her. “She is on modified duty and has two partners to protect her for a while.”

“Vinny and Dillon will both be with her?” Lou’s mother stopped stirring the pot and zeroed her gaze on Max.

“Yes. At least for the remainder of this case. Lou and Vinny still need to make up their mind on this applicant.” Max poured himself a glass of wine then leaned back against the kitchen counter. “Davidson seems to think Vinny likes this one. I’m looking forward to meeting him.”

“You are meeting him?” Lou set the last loaf pan onto the rack and unstuffed her hands from the mitts.

“Yes. I am going to be there during the reenactment of the helo transport.” He swirled the wine around in his glass and measured her reaction. “That a problem?”

“No, of course not.” Lou’s heart thumped a little harder again. “I’m just surprised.”

“Well, it is my helicopter after all. I am entitled to observe how my thirty million dollar machine is being used, aren’t I?”

“Of course!” Lou felt embarrassed on a whole new level now. He was being so generous and gracious letting them use his multimillion dollar aircraft to prove a hunch.

“Besides...” He sipped from his glass then grinned. “It sounds like fun!”

“Boys and their toys.” Caroline teased.

“Alright children...” Shevaun spoke sternly. “This is family style so grab a bowl and dig in. Silverware is on the table.”

As the line formed in front of the stove for Shevaun to ladle out her stew, Lou snuck a text to Vinny letting him know he needed to pick her up in the morning. She was almost bouncing up and down with excitement.

“We can discuss the situation while we eat.” Max declared as he helped Marta bring the baskets of bread into the dinning room.

“The way Frank eats, he’ll be done before the rest of us sit down!” Yuri snickered and everyone but Frank laughed.

“Very funny.” Frank was not amused. “Remember to use a spoon, Yuri. You remember which one is the spoon right?”

More laughter erupted and Yuri held his side in a mocking manner, as if his side hurt from laughing at Frank’s insult.

After everyone was seated and enjoying Shevaun’s wonderful food, the discussion as to whether Lou’s triple homicide had Sanguinostri hands on it began. Lou went through her reasoning as she did with Niko the day before when she learned about the BMH, or Bring Me the Head order. Everyone agreed that she had a sound argument that needed to be followed up on. Niko took the liberty of briefing everyone where Vinny was on the investigation and how Lou’s possible partner had come up with the stealth helicopter theory that they were going to test. Finn and Connor both agreed that if the theory held water, it was very high level and most likely did in fact have some thread of Sanguinostri attached to it. Sanguinostri pockets were deep and vast after all, something Lou was barely beginning to wrap her head around. She understood the men’s thinking that an operation of this magnitude had a big price tag attached and required a great deal of finesse and discretion. It was only natural for them to think Sanguinostri, something that needed to be checked out carefully.

An hour and a half, two giant pots of stew and eight loaves of brown bread later, everyone had their orders and knew that they were a priority. While Connor and Frank made a round of Irish coffees for the group, Max went down his list to triple check that everyone was clear on what they had to do. Finn, Niko and Caroline cleared all the dishes while Abby and Yuri went over a couple security issues on Max’s house. It was then that Lou noticed her mother and Joe huddled at the end of the table, whispering about something and then watched her mother get up and whisper in Max’s ear. He listened to whatever she was saying intently then nodded and got up from the table, following her and Joe into the other room. Lou had no idea what was going on but she expected it had something to do with her going back to work and her mother not being happy with it. She took a big gulp of her Irish Coffee and followed after them.

“You are certain this is what you want to do? Both of you?” Max asked them as Lou walked in to the Library.

“Certain about what?” Lou clearly wanted to know what they were talking about. “This is between Joe, Max and I.” Shevaun was decidedly brusque.

“Mother, I know you don’t want me going back to work yet.” She was annoyed.

“This has nothing to do with that.” Joe held his hand up.

“You expect me to believe that?” Lou was not convinced.

“It’s true, Lou.” Max reassured her. “Your parents have another issue they are dealing with.”

“What sort of issue?” She wanted to know, still not believing they were not conspiring behind her back.

“Lou please, this is difficult enough as it is.” Shevaun was even more irritated then she had been. “I need you to go back with the others.”

“What’s going on? Something is clearly wrong.” Lou sat down on the couch, refusing to budge until someone filled her in.

“Why do you have to be so damned nosy! Can’t you just go back with the others and let me deal with my own business?” Shevaun snapped at her and looked as if she were about to cry.

“Momma!” Lou got up and went to her mother. “I am sorry. What is it? Please tell me what has you so upset?”

Max and Joe exchanged worried glances and waited for Shevaun to speak up. Lou wrapped an arm around her mother and made her look at her.

“Oh sugar, I know you don’t mean to be so...” Shevaun chuckled and wiped a tear away. “So, you!”

“Gee, thanks.” Lou grinned. “Tell me what’s going on, please?”

“It’s Seamus.” Shevaun finally spoke her brother’s name.

“Seamus?” Lou looked at Joe with concern. “Is something wrong? Is he sick?”

“No, he’s not sick, Lou.” Joe joined the women and put a reassuring hand on Lou’s shoulder. “He’s in a good bit of financial hardship though and he refuses to accept my help.”

“What?” Lou was confused. “Since when? They seemed fine last time I visited. What’s happened?”

“Nora lost her job several months ago, you know that part.” Joe filled Lou in on the details. “But what you don’t know is that the company declared bankruptcy and she lost her pension, her stock options, everything.”

“Seamus’ medical bills were not all paid by the Department despite his injuries being work related. Suing would cost a great deal of money up front that they simply don’t have and then there is the economy. Everyone has taken serious hits but them most of all.”

Shevaun was clearly upset but continued the story. “Your cousin Liam came to us last week and told us all of this. Joe confronted Seamus and he is being so stubborn!”

“I offered him a job anywhere he wants, at any one of my companies, but he refuses!” Joe was just as upset as Shevaun now. “Liam said he overheard his parents talking about bankruptcy. It looks really bad for them. We have to do something!”

“Your parents told me last week that your cousin, Liam, also heard Seamus telling his wife that he had put a call into a head hunter.” Max interjected. “A head hunter that I happen to know and they asked me if there was some way I could intervene. Of course I will but I posed a very serious option to them at the time. Something that they have been considering that would be the optimum outcome for everyone, even you.”

“What kind of serious option?” Lou didn’t want to even speculate.

“You know we have set up Aegis International as our front operation as opposed to using the law firm, as was the original plan.” Max gestured for her to sit back down on the couch.

“Yeah. It’s a better plan with everything that’s happened.” Lou agreed it made sense.

“Right, well, we are going to be building our headquarters down the road, remember I told you that?” He sat down next to her.

“Yes. It will look like an Aegis International storefront but really be the Council’s operations center.” She remembered him mentioning it.

“I need people I can trust.” Max looked her dead in the eye. “You are my Principate, you need assistance as well. We can’t tax our law enforcement agents to be doing two jobs at once so I need a good, solid person under Frank and the Council.”

“You want my uncle?” It suddenly clicked in Lou’s head.

“Right.” Max nodded, looking to see if she really grasped what was being said. “To me, it seems a perfect choice but this has serious consequences and your family has to be alright with it. Your mother and Joe just informed me they agree it’s the ideal solution.”

“You mean indoctrinating my uncle? My aunt? My cousin?” Lou could not fathom how that would be possible. All three of them agreeing and swearing fealty. Pledging their lives as Lou and her mother had only weeks ago.

“Think about it.” Shevaun told her. “Seamus would be in a pig mud to be in law enforcement again. Even peripherally.”

“Liam would be another agent within the Sheriff’s department with all our protections and resources at his disposal.” It was Joe that chimed in now. “Then there is Nora. You know how savvy and efficient she is. Can you imagine her helping Abby with the new headquarters? It would run better than a Swiss watch! So that is two very well paying and benefited jobs with one stone, so to speak.”

“It would also be a good safety net for you, with Vinny, since your uncle and he are so close. If Vinny suspects anything, you know Seamus can run interference.” Max had another valid point.

Lou sat in silence for a long while as they all stared at her. She was regretting butting in on their conversation in a big way. Lou really didn’t want to have any part in this decision. What if it failed? What if they told her uncle, aunt and her cousin and they all flipped out? What if Frank had to wipe their memories? Lou didn’t want that pressure as cowardice as it was, she simply couldn’t deal with it right now.

“I will support whatever you want to do.” She finally spoke.

“Are you sure?” Shevaun looked hopeful.

“Of course I am sure.” Lou got up and hugged her mother. “You know I would be happiest if all our family were together in this! I hate having to lie and walk on egg shells with them. I just pray they go for it.”

“I do too, sugar. I do too.” Shevaun hugged her daughter back. “You want to be there or let us do the dirty work?”

“That is all yours!” Lou threw up her hands and chuckled. “I’ll be there if you need me but I would rather not deal with that pressure right now.”

“We understand.” Joe hugged Lou and smiled. “Sorry to have excluded you from this but as you just said, you have a lot of pressure on you right now.”

“I get it!” Lou turned for the door. “Let me know how it works out! Or not! Crap. I need alcohol.”

Lou felt like she did when she first woke up in the morning. Disoriented and confused. She had never expected to walk into that conversation when she followed them into the library. Just another bit of proof Lou was far better at butting in than she was at butting out.

Lou had expected not to sleep a wink given the emotional roller coaster
ride she was currently on. She had laid in bed wide awake, staring at the ceiling for hours. She had already been on edge about whether or not she was truly ready to go back to work as well as the new partner situation. When Max and her parents dropped the bomb about her uncle, that had thrown her for a loop. Lou had completely forgotten to ask Abby and Frank if they knew anything about candidate number eight and if he had been planted or otherwise filtered into the mix. She resigned herself around 2:30 a.m. that if Dillon had been Sanguinostri, they would have told her by now. There was nothing else she could do so she put that at the bottom of her worry list and some point after that she fell into one of the deepest sleeps she had experienced in over a month.

“Tallulah Louelle!” Lou heard her mother screaming at her but couldn’t open her eyes. “Do not make me get the squirt gun! Wake up!”

“Hmm?” Lou fought the fog and finally opened her eyes.

“Tallulah you need to wake up now!” Shevaun shook her daughter’s bed, having already ripped the blanket and sheets off of her.

“I’m asleep?” Lou finally started to sit up.

“Vinny and Dillon are on their way to get you.” Her mother stuffed a mug of coffee in her hands. “Drink fast. The shower is running.” Shevaun had this routine with her daughter down to a science.

“Drinks at Vera’s shower?” Lou took a gulp of the coffee. “I thought the caterers were handling that?”

“Yes Lou, the caterers are taking care of that.” Her mother had the patience of a saint. “You need to get in the shower. Come on.” She took the mug out of Lou’s hands and dragged her by the arm, stuffed her in to the shower, pajamas and all. “Time to wake up sugar pie!”

Shevaun had been dealing with her daughter’s Sleep Inertia all her life. Lou had been diagnosed at a very early age after Shevaun came to the conclusion that it was not normal how difficult it was to get Lou up and ready for school. She had learned a few valuable tricks along the way, such as lowering the temperature of the shower water once she finally got Lou in. This was the method Shevaun opted to employ this particular morning. While Lou stood in the shower like a zombie, Shevaun lowered the hot water until she heard the indicative shriek fly out of her daughter’s mouth.

“OK! I get it!” Lou surrendered. “How long do I have?”

“Vinny tried calling you seven times before he called me. You have fifteen minutes tops.” Shevaun shut the shower door. “I’ll dig out clothes for you and stall them as long as I can. Something serious is up though so don’t slack!”

“Gotchya.” Lou peeled her wet pajamas from her body and proceeded to shower properly.

Five minutes later, Lou was out of the shower and haphazardly blowing her hair dry while trying to apply mascara at the same time. Fortunately for Lou, her dark auburn hair was naturally stick straight so she just needed to blow it dry enough that was set in the general direction her sharp asymmetrical bob required. Once the task had been accomplished, Lou gulped the rest of her mug of coffee down then flew to her closet to toss on whatever her mother found for her. On days like these she had little room to argue with her mother’s fashion choices and usually Shevaun took full advantage of that and tried to dress her daughter as girly as possible. Without protest, Lou threw on the cognac sweater, burnt chocolate corduroy skinny pants and the cognac suede boots that Lou had no idea she even owned, then raced out of the closet to gather her things. Her mother was standing at the ready with Lou’s shoulder harness, messenger bag and a chocolate corduroy coat that apparently matched her pants. Another thing Lou had no idea she owned.

“Thank you Momma!” Lou kissed her mother on the cheek before she hustled downstairs. “I owe you another one.”

“Be safe Tallulah!” Shevaun yelled after her. “I mean it!”

“Yes Momma!” Lou yelled back and flew out the front door.

Vinny’s sedan was already waiting. As Lou stuffed herself into the coat the passenger door flung open for her. Before Lou’s butt even hit the seat, Vinny threw the car in drive and nearly pealed out of the driveway.

“Morning detective.” Dillon’s voice came from the back seat, startling Lou.

“Oh, hey.” She was still a bit out of sorts but was at least able to remember who he was. “Morning. So where’s the fire?”

“How’d you know it was a fire?” Vinny whipped his head around to look at her.

“It was a figure of speech. It’s really a fire?” She asked as she went through her bag to make sure she had everything she needed.

“Call came in an hour ago and they’re holding the scene for us.” Vinny filled her in. “A fire broke out at the residence of one Angela Boone at around 5:15 a.m. this morning. Took firefighters about twenty minutes to knock it out. What I got was the fire was isolated to the second floor master bedroom of the beach house.”

“I’m assuming there’s more to it if we were called in.” Lou was watching Vinny’s facial expressions carefully and noticed him give Dillon a look in the rear view mirror.

“Angela Boone, race car driver and former girlfriend of one Casius Arcano.” Dillon began relaying the details. “Fire guys called us in when they found two bodies burnt to a crisp in the master bed. It got routed directly to us when they included the interesting anomaly that there were three severed heads freshly toasted as well.”

“Are you shitting me?” Lou turned around to look at Dillon in the back seat.

“I am not.” Dillon shook his head. “I drove straight to Detective DeLuca’s once I got the call, knowing we would be needing to pick you up. Easier that way.”

“Yeah, he got to my place before I had my pants on.” Vinny snorted. “Well, thanks for getting me.” Lou turned back around in her seat and put her seat belt on, realizing in her daze that she had forgotten it. “As if there was an alternative.” Vinny gave another snort.

“Well, it’s nice to be back, thanks.” She punched him lightly in the shoulder.

“Ow!” Vinny grumbled. “Sorry, welcome back kiddo.”

“Yes, welcome back detective.” Dillon smiled.

“Call me Lou or I’ll start calling you Eight permanently.” Lou glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Right, OK. Welcome back Lou.” Dillon felt a surge of excitement at her use of the word ‘
permanently
’. He caught himself though and silently reminded himself that his biggest test was afoot and he had best be on his toes. Actually working with Lou could kill or cure his chances of securing his position as her new partner.

“Tell me everything we know about Angela Boone.” Lou asked as she pulled her cell phone from her bag and sent off a text message to Frank to pull up everything he had on the woman.

Vinny drove through Malibu Canyon while they relayed what Peter Taylor had told them of Boone and Arcano’s relationship as well as what Arcano’s sister had told Dillon during their telephone conversation. After their lunch meeting with Niko, Dillon had pulled up as much information as he could on Boone but there were problems that he couldn’t reconcile.

“Elaborate.” Lou demanded.

“Angela Boone is a race car driver, of sorts, but I can’t find anything on her up until five years ago.” Dillon was tapping at his tablet while he spoke.

“You got internet on that thing right now?” Lou asked.

“Yes. It has built in WiFi too.” He flipped it around to show her he was connected to the Sheriff’s network. “I can be a hot spot if you need.”

“Yeah, Caroline told me that already.” Lou turned back to watch the road and smirked when Vinny laughed out loud.

“Uh...” Dillon’s face turned beet red. He was not sure what he should say to that, if anything.

“What’s the address, sport?” Vinny asked as he turned off Pacific Coast Highway, saving him from his embarrassment.

Dillon promptly relayed the address for the Boone residence which was needed given the rain was so heavy there was no way to see the fire trucks and emergency vehicles in time to turn off the road. When they got close, Vinny slowed down and drove up on the shoulder of Escondido Beach Road until they spotted a deputy decked out in rain gear standing in the road waving at them to stop. When the deputy approached the vehicle, Vinny rolled down the window and flashed his credentials at the sopping young man and was promptly waved in to proceed. It was three houses further up the road when they had no choice but to park given the four fire trucks, one hook and ladder, three Los Angeles City Emergency vehicles and four Sheriff’s cruisers blocking the way.

Given the manner in which the houses on the beach were packed tightly, side-by-side to one another, it wasn’t a surprise to see so many emergency vehicles. It was also not surprising given the amount of money each home was worth. This was prime real estate by any standards. Angela Boone’s beach front home was crisp white and swathed in bougainvillea bushes that draped over the front of the two story Nantucket style structure in flaming fuchsia waterfalls. A huge coral tree that must have been at least thirty years old obscured the front of the house making it look like the front yard was much deeper than it was.

After verifying their identities to at least six deputies guarding the perimeter like rabid pitbulls, Vinny, Lou and Dillon finally made their way into the front door. Lou had anticipated things to be a lot smokier then they were but she guessed the constant rain was to thank for things clearing up. Evidence of fire was everywhere. The walls that surely once were a pristine white, as well as the white-washed decor, was now all a depressing shade of soot. Firemen shimmied past them as they made their way out of the entry hall and into the main section of the house. The back wall of the lower level was made up of glass panels that allowed for a staggeringly beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. Even though it was about as gray and gloomy a day as can be had in Southern California, the bruised sky and the tumultuous surf was a sight to behold. The open floor-plan of the first floor was just modern enough to be clean and unfussy but everything was arranged in a functional and cozy manner. The color scheme had been whites and aquas but the smoke and water damage made it look gray and dingy green. Lou wondered how much a place like this might go for with the fire damage and the owner having been murdered in her own bed. It was tacky and thoughtless, but worth considering.

“Detectives.” One of the firemen hailed them as he came down the stairs. “It’s clear for you to come up. No structural damage. My captain is waiting for you.”

“Thanks.” Lou smiled at the man, unable to locate any sort of name tag on his gear to address him properly.

“Don’t mention it.” He smiled back then headed towards the front door.

“Nice digs.” Vinny muttered under his breath. “You should see how much this place is gonna go for sport.”

“I’m glad I’m not the only one who was thinking it.” Lou grinned.

“Something like this probably goes for a few hundred-thousand, huh?” Dillon asked. Vinny and Lou stopped dead in their tracks and stared at him. “What?”

“Try more like five million, at least.” Vinny poked him.

“Seriously?” Dillon looked utterly shocked.

“Seriously.” Lou concurred with Vinny.

“This can’t be more than twelve-hundred square feet, and no land at all to speak of!” Dillon plodded up the stairs in disgust. “Hell, for that amount of money I could get at least five acres and a six-thousand square foot house on Fox Island.”

“That up in Freeze-Your-Ass-Off Land?” Lou raised her eyebrow.

“It’s not that cold.” Dillon lowered his voice as they walked up the small hallway to the master bedroom.

The floor sloshed with water and the walls were coated with soot much heavier then they had been downstairs. When they entered the double doors to what must have been the master suite, Lou noted the same folding glass doors ran along the wall facing the ocean just as they did downstairs. The fire fighters had made good use of them. The entire wall had been opened and Lou could see two firemen feeding lengths of hose over the deck railing. The master suite was a little more than half the size of Lou’s own bedroom though the view here was just as spectacular in its own right. A small sitting area was set up front when you first entered the room but the two armchairs now looked more like foot high mounds of char. Some sort of console table divided the room from sitting and sleeping areas and was topped with some sort of stone although it was so coated in debris and soot that Lou couldn’t tell if it was granite or marble. They traveled further towards the deck and looked at a square slab of black that must have been the bed at one point. It was then that Lou saw the bodies, or what was left of them. Skeletal arms wrapped around one another with hunks of flesh crisped and fused together. At the foot of the bed were at first glance what appeared to be lumpy bowling balls but upon closer inspection, Lou saw them for what they really were. Three severed heads were placed evenly at the foot of the bed and positioned so they were looking at the entwined couple snuggled and smoldering.

“Why didn’t the water from the hose dislodge everything on the bed?” Dillon asked quietly.