The Devil's Orchard (24 page)

“Hello, is everything all right? I’m surprised to hear from you.”

“Everything’s ready for your return, and I’ll get into a world of trouble if Sal knows I’m making this call.”

“If anything’s wrong he won’t hear it from me.”

“Colin Mead called Sal and told him someone was asking about your kid, but the interest shifted to you quick enough. You know how much Sal likes questions, so what are you doing down there?”

Victoria might’ve been Sal’s assistant, but she was also his mistress, and he loved pillow talk. No subject about his business was off-limits. If someone like Fiona ever flipped someone like Victoria or her, the head of the mob on the West Coast would go away for life. Then the streets would run red with blood for the betrayal. Sal had been good to her, as had Colin Mead, but a lifetime of lying to Fiona about who her mother really was had been burdensome. There was no way out, though, except a pretty casket for a job well done.

“Someone called Colin about me?” Colin’s operation wasn’t as large as Sal’s, but he was as deadly. The Chicago transplant was a big Irishman who loved to laugh and drink, and his crew ran part of the docks. He’d been one of her first clients and still tried to get her in bed whenever he came to the house for his ledgers. “Who?”

“You know someone named Casey?” Victoria’s voice dropped, and Judice pictured the pretty brunette hunched over her phone somewhere in Sal’s office.

“Cain Casey?” Dread spread through her like fire through dry brush.

“No, it was Muriel Casey. Colin talked to her because Sal said they were somehow related. Maybe this Muriel was asking because they want to use your services, but I’d suggest coming by when you get back and talking Sal off the ledge. He’s not paranoid about much, but he’s rethinking outsourcing his books. You could hurt him if you really wanted to, but I told him you weren’t that stupid.”

“Sal and Colin don’t have anything to worry about. I took a blood oath with both eyes open, and I know the consequences of breaking that.” In reality she wasn’t worried about herself. Fiona was her priority. If Cain felt threatened by her daughter, she knew from experience how she’d react. “Do you think I should talk to him now?”

“No.” Victoria’s voice rose suddenly. “You promised you wouldn’t say anything,” she said through what sounded like clenched teeth. “That goes for Colin too.”

“Did Sal say what Colin told Muriel Casey?”

“All I know is what I just told you, so relax and enjoy your visit. If anything else comes up I’ll call you.”

“Thanks.” She hung up and grabbed her stomach. Such sudden fear always made her nauseous, as did not having a good answer to avoiding a bad situation.

Her phone rang again, and she lunged for it as if whoever the caller was held the key. “Hello.”

“How are you, pretty lady?” Colin’s voice boomed through the receiver, and she had to pull it away from her ear.

“Enjoying my visit with Fiona, but I’m looking forward to coming home.”

“Good,” Colin said, in a more normal tone. “Good,” he repeated. “Judice, you know I trust you, and I’ve stuck by you even when that kid of yours picked the road she did. Having the woman I trust with my money living with a detective of the LAPD was a gut check for me. You promised, though, that this wouldn’t ever be a problem, and so far you’ve been right. Fiona’s gone about her business, which was to stay the hell away from ours.”

She glanced at the clock, grateful Fiona wasn’t due for another hour. “Colin, nothing’s changed from our end.”

“Don’t stress yourself. As far as I’m concerned, your place with me is the same, but Sal ain’t as quick to calm as I am. From what we hear, little Fiona’s gotten herself a gig with the FBI that’s concentrating on organized crime.”

“That’s true, but in Louisiana,” she said as the room closed in on her. Eventually there’d be no place to hide, and Fiona’s badge couldn’t protect either of them. “She moved here and has no interest in you or Sal.”

“If she was working the same as she was here, I’d agree and start flirting with you, but the ‘F’ stands for Federal. NOPD might not have heard of us, but I can promise you the FBI has, and they’ll keep coming until they know all about us.”

“I’ve tried talking to her, but she’s hardheaded when she feels strongly she’s doing the right thing.”

“I got a call about Fiona from Muriel Casey,” Colin said to cut her off. “Muriel’s a sharp one, but nothing like my distant kin Cain. That’s who Muriel was calling for, so your Fiona’s been noticed.”

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her not to worry about Fiona because I personally vouched for you. Don’t make a liar out of me. Muriel doesn’t know exactly what you do, and for now that’s how we’ll keep it.”

“I won’t betray you, please believe that. How are you related?”

“Cain’s a cousin a couple of times removed on our daddy’s side, and we’ve done some business with her that’s been nothing but legit. I care for you, Judice, but if I’m pressed I’ll side with Cain on this one. If I pull my patronage and my business, I’ll give you fair warning so you can try and run. The only way that’ll happen is if Fiona turns on us. I don’t like talking about such harsh subjects, but I thought you deserved the truth from me.”

She’d realized this side of things going in, but had gambled with their lives anyway. “Thank you, and please think about my years of loyalty before you make any decisions. Fiona blames Cain for something, and it motivated her to work with the FBI. She’ll never get any help from me, I swear it.”

“The problem is though, darling, if she gets too close something will be done, and if that comes to be, that loyalty you’ve shown Sal and me will dry up and die. I can’t protect you from anything if I’m having to protect my livelihood at all costs.”

“I know.” She took a while to lower the phone after he’d hung up. She jumped when it rang again. “Hey, how’s your day going?” she asked Fiona, trying to sound upbeat.

“It’s a short day. You want to eat early and go to a movie or something?”

“I’d love to.” She hung up again and she tried not to cry while she slowly got ready.

“Damn the Caseys. Damn them to hell,” she said as she stared at her reflection.

*

“But, Papa,” Nicolette screamed into her phone to try to talk over her father, Michel.

“Do not interrupt me again,” he said in a stern voice. She hoped he was alone in his office so she wouldn’t have to deal with the embarrassment when they returned home. He’d lectured from the moment he’d answered. “You and that imbecile begged me to let you go close a deal that needed nothing else but to shake hands with those involved. That was it.”

“You can’t blame Luce for trying to sweeten the deal.”

“Then Luce didn’t tell you the truth of what happened. She tried to piss on Cain Casey to mark her territory, and she got slapped down for it at our expense.” Michel took a breath, which signaled her he was starting to calm. “I gave Luce the job she has with us at your urging, my love, but I’m leaving it up to you to clean this mess up. You have to start realizing I won’t live forever, and you need to use your head in business instead of your heart. You built Cain up to mythical status, then sent Luce to do business with her.”

The hospital waiting room wasn’t crowded, but the few people waiting to hear how their loved ones fared through surgery stared at her, she assumed, for her volume and the French she spoke. Luce was finally in surgery to repair the damage to her nose, since the doctor had waited for the swelling to go down. The time and pain had worked Luce into a lather, and she’d concocted a different plan to kill Cain every hour, it seemed.

“This is my fault and I’ll fix it. Have some faith. I’ve already tried to get Remi back to the table, but she laughed and told me to get the hell out of her club.”

“Faith in you has never and will never be a problem for me, but you knew the stakes before you left. We need to expand to survive, and it makes me angry that Luce knew that as well and still chose to screw this up.” He’d softened his tone earlier, but now he was starting to get loud again. “And of course Remi Jatibon brushed you off. That’s what your girlfriend did to her and her family. Insults are hardly forgiven in our business, Nic. It’s time you learned that lesson even at the expense of some of the others.”

“Tell me what you want me to do, Papa, and I’ll do it.” The young couple in the corner who’d been praying the rosary the entire time she’d sat there jumped to their feet when a man in scrubs came to the door. What would it be like to love someone like that? “I promise not to disappoint you again.”

“We need capital, Nic, so write this number down,” Michel said, and rattled off some numbers. “This isn’t what I had planned, but we must do what we have to in order to survive.”

“Who is this?” The only clue she had was that it was a local number.

“His name is Jerome Rhodes. He’s currently the second for Gracelia Luis, but he’s interested in branching out. Meet with him and see if this is a good fit for us.”

“You want to move us into drugs?”

“I want to sell wine at inflated prices. Leave the judgment to God, and concentrate on the survival of our family.”

She got up and the guards followed her out. Luce could wait, but her father’s wishes couldn’t. “This will be better than the original deal, you’ll see.” She tried to sound confident, but unknowns were, in her opinion, the first step toward ruin.

*

“It’s a shame we can’t keep the shades open so we can wake up to that view,” Emma said as she took off her earrings and bracelet.

“You can if you want to. Believe me, you can see out, but no one’s peeking back at you.” Cain sat on the bed in her sleep pants and watched Emma’s nightly ritual. The jewelry went into a small pile; then she brushed her hair, removed her makeup, and applied some kind of cream to her face. When they’d been apart and she’d snapped the bathroom light off, she’d lie there alone and miss the sight.

Emma wore a silk robe and smiled at her in the mirror. “What are you thinking so hard about over there, mobster?”

“Hard is the operative word, so hurry it up in there.”

When Emma turned she pulled the tie on the robe so Cain could see she was naked underneath. Emma was incredibly beautiful, and she’d thought so from the beginning, but this surpassed all that. She’d forgotten how extraordinary she was pregnant, but it all came back. The swell of her belly and the larger breasts made her even more gorgeous in her eyes, and it made her want her.

“You’re a gift to me, lass,” she said, but didn’t get up. Right now she didn’t want to so as not to miss this very personal view. She didn’t give a damn what was outside the window.

“From the day I met you, I’ve wanted to always see this look on your face,” Emma said as she started for her, the robe billowing out as she moved. “Take your pants off.”

Cain stripped and sat back down. Emma straddled her leg when she did and reached down to open her sex so it pressed against her thigh. Cain could feel how wet she was, but she wanted Emma to set their pace.

“You always appear so hungry whenever my clothes are off.” She opened her mouth to Emma’s finger and her heart to her words. Emma never spoke like this to anyone but her, and never outside their bedroom. “Do you know how flattering that is? You could have anyone, but you want me.”

“Therese Casey raised no fools,” Cain said after she’d sucked on Emma’s fingertips. “What I should do, though…” She placed her hands on Emma’s hips and helped her slide forward a little. The friction was enough to make Emma moan and Cain clam up.

“You should do what?” Emma placed her hand under her breast and pressed the nipple to her lips.

“I ought to put you over my knee and spank you for the torturous night you put me through.”

“Tonight I’m yours to do with anything you please,” Emma said with a smile as she stood and lay across her lap before she could protest.

“Are you comfortable?” Her concern was for the baby with Emma in this position.

“Incredibly so,” Emma said, her voice peaking at the end when she grabbed her ass.

“Good.” She squeezed both sides before she slid her finger down Emma’s sex to the hard clit, then back up to ease it in to the knuckle. Emma lifted her bottom the fourth time she repeated the move, and from how she was dripping, she was ready. One small taste and she’d give her what she wanted.

She put two fingers in, then put them in her mouth. Emma was unique and she savored her until she got a slap to her foot. “A faster tempo would be good,” Emma said.

Another slap came when she laughed, but she gave Emma what she wanted and filled her up, letting her move however she wanted. The first orgasm of the night was fast and hard, and made Emma press her legs together when she came. She was so limp, Cain was able to pick her up and carry her to lay her down. Once her head was on the pillow, Emma kissed her and fell asleep. Another side effect of pregnancy she’d forgotten and had to get used to.

“I love you, lass, even if you’ve left me in a sorry state,” she said as she wrapped her arms around her and tried to ignore the pounding between her legs. As much as she tried concentrating on what Muriel had found, she couldn’t hold the thought with Emma this close to her.

She closed her eyes and found sleep instantly, with her parents waiting in her dreams. They both had the same wide smiles and the same message. “Be sure of who you are, love, and what your position is,” her father said first, like he had so many times in his life. “Nothing can change that.”

“Listen to your father,” her mum said. “There’s a little boy on his way who’s counting on you like his brother and sister are.”

“I’ll do right by what you taught me, and by my name,” Cain said, and became peaceful when her parents turned and walked away toward a beautiful sunset. “Keep watch over us.”

“You were talking in your sleep last night,” Emma said as she came up from between her legs. Having an intense orgasm right after you woke up was both wonderful and aggravating. Wonderful since any orgasm was great unless you disliked sex, and aggravating because you somehow slept through the buildup.

“I’m surprised you heard anything over all your snoring,” Cain said jokingly, grabbing Emma’s hands as she started to tickle her and then gently pulling Emma’s body over hers. “I’d puff my chest out over the coma I put you in, but all this fresh air might kill me.”

“Get up and take your children for a swim, and if that tires you out, I might take a nap with you later. Maybe I can stay conscious this time until the festivities are over. Oh, and while
you
were snoring, Muriel phoned. She said to call when you got a minute.”

“How about we pay someone to take the kids swimming and we stay naked.” Cain ran her hands up the curve of Emma’s butt. “Maybe it’s not too late for twins. I think we can do it.”

“I’m not exactly immune to your persuasion, so don’t make this harder than it has to be, mobster. You keep me in here all day and I’ll probably go into labor from the full-body blush that’ll cause.” Emma seemed so happy that any trace of the horror Juan had put her through was gone.

“Put your bathing suit on, Mama, after you take a shower with me.”

Cain called Muriel and found out about Jerome and her call to Colin. Before Muriel finished, she’d asked her to fly up and join them so they could get through all their business from the new study in the cabin. Muriel didn’t hesitate to accept her offer, and she promised herself to try to help Muriel find what she’d lost when Jarvis died.

They swam and had lunch on the back patio, where it was hard to keep the kids quiet as they played with the baby. For some reason the dream she’d remembered from the night before came to mind, and she took it to mean she had to enjoy moments like this, to savor the light so the dark times weren’t so bad to bear.

“I had a dream last night about my parents,” she whispered to Emma.

“About what?”

“Mum said we have a little boy on the way, so you were right.” The news wasn’t exactly scientific proof, but it made Emma smile and tear up as she kissed her.

After lunch she walked the field they’d herded the cows out of with Ross and Hayden, all of them cradling shotguns. Lou had set up the skeet machine and checked the field the day before to make sure it was clear of anyone who’d be in the line of fire, especially any brave federal agents.

“Let the cheese and casino king go first,” Cain said to Hayden as Lou loaded the clay pigeons into the machine.

Ross kidded back, “I might want to put money on this, so watch it.”

It was on Ross’s second shot that she noticed the small satellite dish halfway up a tree. Someone had put it up and pointed it toward the house. She cocked her head in that direction so Lou would hopefully notice what she was staring at.

“It wasn’t there yesterday, boss.”

“You want to go next, Mom?” Hayden asked when she stepped in front of him.

“Give me a second.” She loaded two shells into the chambers of the crack barrel she owned. “Anyone out there?” she yelled, and walked closer to the tree line. “This is private property, so show yourself and any warrant you’ve got on you, or I call my pal the sheriff.” She snapped the gun closed so it was ready to fire.

“Last chance.” She repeated her warning before she put the gun to her shoulder and seated it. The dish splintered when the buckshot hit it, and she hoped they were listening like rats in a wall when it did. Lou jogged to catch up as she entered the woods because her gut told her the dish was a decoy. The Feds had to have more sophisticated equipment than that.

A hundred feet in she saw the short wand-like mic about the same height as the dish, so she let loose the other shell. “I can do this all day, and Lou here is calling to close off all the access roads to the property. Why not save yourself some embarrassment, Agent Chapman?”

“For future reference, it’s Special Agent Chapman,” Ronald said from somewhere deeper in, but still not in view.

“There’s not a fucking thing special about you, Ronald.” She removed the two empty shells and replaced them. “I’m not usually one for cursing, but you and your little minion are out of place here. Do you have a warrant or not?”

“I already told you, you live the way you do, Ms. Casey, and you have to accept certain things.”

“What’s that? Being spied on while I’m enjoying a vacation with my family? Were you after my father-in-law’s secret cheese recipe, or are you curious about what my wife and I are up to in the master bedroom?” She snapped the gun closed again and kept walking. “Lou, call some guys and let’s flush these people out of here.”

“Ms. Casey, I’m warning you that you’re coming precariously close to threatening the lives of a number of federal agents.”

“My attorney will go through the finer points of people on my property claiming they’re agents but not showing themselves.” She saw another distance mic and blew it out of its tree. Lou fired from fifty feet away, and that got Ronald to step out from behind the tree that hid him.

“Let’s take a breath before this gets out of hand,” he said, his palms showing. “What the hell’s the matter with you? I could have you shot and I’d be justified.”

She laughed at Ronald’s dress shirt and slacks. This guy really was an odd duck who must always have trouble fitting in. “I find you a threat, not because of why you’re here but because of my recent experience at the hands of your people. You’re right. You can have me shot and get away with it and get a medal for your troubles. It’s happened before, but you can’t have it both ways either, Ronald.” She removed the shells from her gun and left it open; she didn’t want someone like Brent to take a free shot.

“What do you mean?”

“A guy with a badge with the discretion to do anything he wants makes me
have
to defend myself. If you think I’m letting Cehan beat me while I’m cuffed again, you don’t know me at all.
You
were the one who forgave him, so I’m done with this and your tough-guy act.” She looked at him and came close to laughing at his glare. “Get out of here now, and I don’t call George Talbot.”

“George is the U.S. Attorney, not your personal crusader, and the reputation of someone like Agent Cehan will trump you in court every time.”

“We’ll see about that. You’re right, George is so very far away right now, but eventually we’ll find out in court who wins that argument. Will it be you in your frilly shoes or me with the family and pregnant wife who had to sit by my bedside while I recovered from the head injury that asshole gave me?” The taunts were hitting their mark, and she never looked away from his face as it twisted in anger.

“This isn’t the last of this.” He turned his back on her and walked away.

“He’s going to double down now,” Lou said as he pumped his weapon.

“What a better alibi then,” she said low, but didn’t really care if she’d missed any microphones. “I’ve come to the end of my patience with this,” she said, this time louder.

Lou nodded as if he understood this sudden break in composure. She seldom called the watchers out, especially the way she’d done with Ronald. It’d been a knee-jerk reaction, but she realized she could work it in her favor if she could convince Emma of a few things once they got back to the house.

“Let’s finish up with Hayden. Tell everyone not to make like a clay disk while we’re out here.”

They were out for another hour and were laughing by the time they walked home. She never glanced back, secure that Ronald hadn’t ordered his people to leave. When the prey was hostile and coming apart because you had them backed to a wall, they seemed easier to catch. Right now she needed Ronald to relax because she’d be cakewalk prey, in his opinion.

*

When Ronald turned around he shoved his hands into his pockets and tried to calm his gut. He was so close to throwing everything he’d planned into the toilet for the chance to strangle the life out of the bitch who’d dared treat him like a punk with no balls.

“Agent Chapman,” Lionel said, but shut up when he shot him a look.

“Leave, and I’ll transfer you somewhere you’re guaranteed to be miserable.”

“She’s not kidding about the sheriff.” Shelby moved Lionel behind her. “It’s happened before, and he’ll rush over here given the chance because he loves her.”

“We still have ten mics pointed at the house, with double that in cameras,” Joe said, obviously much more comfortable than him in his jeans and hiking boots. “We can monitor from the hotel room.”

“If you have a hearing problem, then you’re worthless to me as a field agent.” Ronald kept going until he reached the car and came close to hitting Brent as he tried to get in the passenger side.

The game was harder than he imagined, but nothing in Casey’s file mentioned a reaction like today’s. Maybe confronting her from the beginning had thrown her and he was getting to her. If that was true, any humiliation she wanted to give him would be worth it. His priority would have to be keeping the respect of the team and prohibiting them from reporting back to Annabel.

“Fuck,” he screamed, and slammed his hand on the seat next to him. Of all the places in the world for this to happen. He needed something to get himself together, but it’d have to wait.

The car fishtailed down the dirt road and Shelby stared at the receding taillights. “What exactly happened?” she asked the others. “And who’s volunteering to walk to town and pick up the other car?”

“I vote for Brent,” Claire said. “You’re team leader. Lionel and I have to stay with what’s left of our equipment, and Joe’s the best shot of all of us.”

“Kiss my ass,” Brent said, but did start the walk toward the highway where they’d left their car.

“In all our years together, have you ever seen Cain do something like that?” Joe asked, and Shelby nodded. “This feels like the first time we were here. She totally did a one eighty of how she did things, and she played us.”

“This time, though, she’s not planning anything out of the ordinary that we know of. You all had to notice the split second she saw that dish. The short-fuse reaction felt real to me,” she said, because she understood that point where you snapped.

“How do we play this?” Joe asked.

“Not like we did last time.” She thought about all she could get out of Cain with a little leverage. That’s what she’d been missing before. Something on Cain was better than her great idea of giving her their complete playbook in exchange for help in finding the men she was searching for. “We need to be ready for anything.”

“It’s good to have you back,” Joe said as they sat back on their camping folding chairs. “Anything you need to help you get past the rest of what you’re going through, just ask.”

“Thank you, but this is better than moping around my house. Like I told Annabel, Cain might not be responsible for ordering the hit on my parents, but it’ll tie back to her somehow.” Again she went with a little of the truth. “Someone wanted us to zero in on Cain, and when that happens, you take your eyes off something else.”

“Or you use the cops to get rid of your competition,” Joe said.

“Her competition’s a possibility, but they’re nowhere around here, so let’s hope ape man brings coffee. It’s going to be a long week.”

*

Muriel studied the notes she’d made on her conversation with Colin and the research she did afterward. There was a lot that didn’t make sense and even more she couldn’t find, which to her was as troubling as finding too much on someone. She took off the reading glasses she’d recently had to get and pinched her nose.

Alone in the cabin of Remi’s plane, she stared out the window and wondered if her parents had been reunited again and if she’d ever find someone she’d cherish as much as her father had her mother. Even after she’d encouraged him to search for someone to share his life, he’d smiled and declined.

“We’re a hundred miles out. It shouldn’t be long now.” One of the attendants had come out and was clearing away the remnants of the sandwich and soda she’d served.

“Thank you.” Muriel went back to staring at clouds.

The plane stopped, and when the door opened only one person was waiting by a big SUV. She laughed at the shorts and plain T-shirt. Cain never looked this undone, but it was a good thing. “Are those your cow-milking clothes?”

“It’s my fishing outfit, smart-ass, and I bought you some, so don’t make too much fun of me.” Cain accepted her bags and tossed them in the backseat. “Come on. Let’s go have lunch in town. I’m sure the waitress needs new shoes by now.”

“I guess I don’t have to ask if you’re having fun. We should’ve talked you into a vacation home years ago.” The last time Muriel was here she’d seen only this small part of the airport. It felt like a million years ago, when her life had been as uncomplicated as a ten-year-old’s.

“I’m already planning to add on.” Cain put her hand on the back of Muriel’s neck. “Something occurred to me as I was in a rowboat baiting Hannah’s hook. I want them to grow up the way we did. When we were kids I had Billy and Marie, and you and Katlin were always there. Think about how much harder this would be without that foundation we had from the beginning.”

“You sure about that?”

Cain had come alone with a plan to spend a day trying to get Muriel to open up. It might turn out to be easier than she’d thought. “Why don’t you want to believe me?”

“About what? I haven’t accused you of lying, that I know of.”

She parked a block from the café, glanced in the rearview mirror, and saw the blue sedan about fifty feet behind them. “Will you promise me something?”

“Sure. If you need something I’ll be happy to help out. All you have to do is ask.”

“You see that?” She pointed at the mirror. “We can’t talk now, but tonight, once everyone’s asleep, I want you to have a drink with me.” She shook her head to keep Muriel quiet. “Only accept if you’re ready to talk to me.”