by Robin Mahle
Milo had handed her an opportunity to walk away right then and there. Insisting that he could take it from here and there was no need for her to continue going down this road. That would’ve been the smart thing to do since Allison was, without question, unqualified to handle the situation. But she couldn’t do it. She was impelled by what Lucy had gone through and that outweighed concerns of being in over her head.
Allison pulled onto her driveway and noticed Leo’s car in front of the house. “Leo.” No doubt he was there because she hadn’t had an opportunity to call him back on the multiple occasions he had phoned over the past two days. He was indifferent to the fact that they were no longer married and still harbored unnecessary responsibility for Allison. What he didn’t seem to understand was that it still hurt her. He thought he was being a stand-up guy, but he only made it harder for her to pull away from him. She stopped the car and walked to the front door that was unlocked. “Hello?”
Leo emerged from the kitchen with a half-eaten sandwich in his hand. “Hope you don’t mind. I helped myself to some lunch. I thought you would show up eventually.”
“What are you doing here, Leo?” She walked inside and checked the living room. “Where’s Nolan?”
“Still at school.”
“And why aren’t you at school?” Allison started into the kitchen and noted his lunch. “Luckily, I’ve already eaten.”
“It’s my break. I thought I’d stop by seeing as how you haven’t returned any of my calls for the past few days.” Leo set down his sandwich on the counter. “I needed to know that you were okay. With everything going on…”
“I’m fine. It’s not your job to check up on me,” Allison replied.
“Sorry if I still give a crap about my wife.”
“Ex-wife.” She opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. “As you can see, everything is fine. I’m fine. The kids are fine. So, you can go back to work with the knowledge that you did your duty.”
“Alli, come on.”
Charlie was the only person who called her Alli except for Leo. The familiarity it conjured was distressing. She had been married to Leo for twenty years and it had taken every bit of the last five to put enough distance between them so as to feel whole again. Leo was well aware of the feelings it brought up when he addressed her that way.
“Sorry. I’m just worried about you, Allison. You’re the mother of my children and you’ve turned your life completely upside down. You’re involved in something that, honestly, scares the hell out of me.”
“I know it does, Leo. And if I’m being honest, it scares me too—a little. That said, I can do this. I know I can.”
“But this? Really?” Leo pleaded.
“It’s too late and you have no say. I’m in it. And I’m going to do what I have to do to find out who killed a good man.”
“How do you know this Tommy Boyce was a good man? You knew him for 5 minutes.”
“Because Milo Nash said he was, and I trust Milo.”
“Okay fine. I can see I won’t be able to change your mind.” He put his plate in the sink.
“Is that why you came here? To try to change my mind?” Allison chuckled. “Since when have you ever been able to do that?” She noticed the look of concern on his face and approached him. “Leo, I already told you I’m taking precautions. I’m not being stupid. I need you to trust me. Please. And I also need you to give me some space, okay? You can’t just show up, let yourself in and expect that to be perfectly normal. This isn’t your house anymore.”
Leo held her gaze. “You’re right. It’s not my house and you’re not my wife—anymore. I’m sorry to have bothered you.” He headed to the door. “Tell Nolan I’m sorry I missed him and I’ll see him this weekend.”
His ego had been bruised but Allison didn’t have time to coddle him today. “Nolan has that tryout with the Triple A team,” she began. “You’ll be there, right?”
“I’ll be there. I’m still his father.” Leo closed the door on his way out without another word.
Allison stood alone in her foyer, dumbstruck. Leo was using the same old tactics he employed when they were married. Yes, he was afraid for her and while she never intended to make him feel that way, worrying about his feelings wasn’t her problem anymore. This was about her now, not him. If Allison ever hoped to move on with her life, she had to remember that he couldn’t put that emotional hold over her anymore. It wasn’t fair. There would come a time when he would realize it. And for Allison, it couldn’t come soon enough.
She walked into the living room and opened her laptop. There was much more for her to do and now that she’d overcome one problem, it was time to tackle the next.
Milo was forthcoming with several details about his investigation and how it involved Tommy and Tracy. When Allison insisted that she wasn’t going to stop trying to find Tommy’s killer, he relented. Milo enlisted her to continue the forward momentum until such time as Montoya and Alvarez gathered enough evidence to arrest whoever murdered the three victims. Neither was confident that would happen anytime soon.
Allison learned through Milo that Tracy Diaz held a board position with a charity that helped local youth. She was about to research this charity because the more she learned about this woman who had been an adulterer and possible blackmailer, the more she realized Tracy Diaz was desperate to get out of her marriage to a wealthy and powerful man. Allison had nothing in common with that life.
As it turned out, Laura Young was a well-respected contributor to this same charity. It was a detail Allison could exploit at her next meeting with Laura to convince her that “Emma” had been a friend to Tracy Diaz. And that meeting was conveniently scheduled for happy hour this evening. The woman liked to drink. So, Allison was going to have to drink too, even if she was still recovering from the other night’s alcohol consumption.
Charlie was given a separate task. Her job was to find out where Finley Dawson was going today. According to Shane, Alvarez had discovered several phone calls between Fin and Tommy in the days leading up to Tommy’s death. Shane promised to come to Alvarez with anything he might find so long as he steered clear of Carlos Diaz. Alvarez appeared to be more willing to play ball than his counterpart, Montoya.
Fin made no mention of speaking with Tommy so close to his death which was cause for concern. So Charlie was going to follow him to see who else he might be in contact with. Allison suspected there could be more than met the eye with Finley Dawson.
Joining forces with her dearest friend, Allison, had been the biggest decision Charlie had made since leaving her husband. But it meant leaving the comfort of a secure job. Charlie’s job with the state was lucrative in the form of benefits and the pay was decent enough to allow her a modest home in a nice part of town. Thank goodness, because she got exactly squat in her divorce 8 years ago. Her ex-husband couldn’t hold down a job to save his life and she was used to pulling double-duty where income was concerned. She had already been paying for most of the bills. And forget child support. Her kids were teenagers now, only a few years left until they turned 18, so she had that going for her. But there was so much more to her than filing away claims for the state, and Allison had confidence in her. That alone was enough to move ahead with the proposition.
Now Charlie found herself sitting in her car several yards away from Fin Dawson’s home, waiting for him to surface. She knew whose side she was on. Now it was time to find out where Dawson’s allegiances lay.
The bronzed blonde-haired man, who was too attractive for his own good, walked out of his house. Charlie dropped her head below the steering wheel, and since she was vertically challenged, it wasn’t that tough.
He stepped into his Jeep Wrangler.
Charlie scoffed. “Could this guy be any more of a cliché?”
Fin backed out of his driveway and Charlie waited for him to get far enough away that she could safely trail him without being spotted. The rule was at least two cars between them. She had no idea where that
rule came from, but it sounded reasonable.
Where he was headed was the unknown variable in this equation, but she would tail his butt for as long as necessary. Understanding his role, if any, in what happened to Tommy Boyce was necessary to consider how best to handle him from this point forward.
Charlie eyed his Jeep as it prepared to make a right turn and she followed but dropped back to allow another car in between them. He was heading north.
She peered at the time on her phone for an instant before returning her eyes to the road and to the Jeep. It had been almost ten minutes and she was at a loss as to his intended destination but would stay the course no matter what.
After another two miles, Charlie got a sense of where Fin was headed but it didn’t seem logical. As she drove, hanging back as far as she could, she found herself approaching a suburb where the very wealthy lived. A coastal community lined with mansions and guarded gates.
“No. No friggin’ way.” Charlie dropped back because the closer she got to this place, the fewer cars were available to hide behind. Soon she would have to fall back altogether. There was no chance she’d get past the approaching guard shack and she wondered how it was possible that Fin would.
Charlie stopped along the side of the road fronting a home that was outside the gate and not nearly as extravagant as the ones behind it.
Fin entered without a single hiccup. They just let him on through.
“What in the world?” Charlie reached for her phone. “Hey, it’s me.”
Allison answered. “I’m just heading into the bar to meet Laura Young. Is everything okay?”
“I lost him.”
“Oh no. That’s okay, Charlie. Why don’t you just head back?”
“I said I lost him but Alli, I’m pretty damn sure I know where he was headed.”
“How?”
“Because I’m sitting in front of the community gate where the mayor lives.”
“Wait. Hold on a minute. Are you saying Fin is headed to see the mayor? How can you be so sure?”
“Well, I’m not sure. In fact, there’s a high probability I’m wrong but something in my gut says I’m not. Why would that beach bum, Dawson, have any reason to be in this neighborhood? Only corporate execs, state senators and the mayor live here. Everyone knows that.”
“There must be another explanation. Maybe this was a bad idea,” Allison continued. “Just come back and we’ll regroup when I’m done here.”
“Alli, I realize this is a stretch, but I think it’s a stretch worth looking into. Don’t you?”
19
Allison was sidetracked by the idea Charlie had asserted. It was like a jagged pill that stuck in her throat. Tommy Boyce had known Finley Dawson for years, had introduced him to his daughter. It seemed unlikely Tommy could be duped but maybe he had been. It was beginning to sound like Fin had an agenda just like everyone else.
He hadn’t disclosed that he had been in touch with Tommy in the days leading up to Tommy’s death. He had a key to Tommy’s office and he still had the surveillance footage Allison had trusted to leave with him. Come to think of it, she didn’t know if he had made any progress on finding the owner of this silver Mercedes. Her focus had been on Laura Young and she had let Fin Dawson fall through the cracks.
Allison sat in her car with her hands on the wheel and stared at the restaurant. A bevy of ideas swam in her head. There was still a chance she and Charlie were jumping the gun but why else would Fin be in a neighborhood like that? Could he have been there to see the mayor? Maybe she was making too much out of this. Fin had other clients. Some of them were bound to be wealthy, not unlike Tommy’s client, Carlos Diaz. Yes, that was the only reasonable explanation.
She collected herself and stepped out of the car, shaking off the diversion and refocusing her efforts on extracting information from Laura Young. The casual bar was just ahead, and Allison made her way inside.
“Afternoon. How many?” A petite hostess wearing denim shorts and a black shirt smiled.
“I’m meeting someone.” Allison surveyed the dining room. “I think that’s her over there. Thank you.” She made her way to the booth where Laura sat alone. “Hi. It’s good to see you again, Laura. How are you?” Allison sat down.
“I’m doing a little better each day. And you?”
“I suppose about the same.” Allison feigned an appropriate amount of grief. “So, have you ordered?”
“I was just about to.” Laura raised her hand to gain the attention of the waitress. “Hi, I think we’d like to order.”
“Of course. What can I get you ladies?”
Allison’s attention drifted away once again. She was concerned about Charlie sitting there out in the open. What if someone was watching her? What if she was in danger? She reached for her phone but was stopped short.
“Ma’am? What can I get for you?”
“Oh, sorry. I’ll have the chicken Caesar and a water. Thanks,” Allison replied.
“Nothing to drink for you?” Laura appeared puzzled.
“Oh, did you order one?”
“I’m having a Mojito.”
“I’ll have one of those.” Nothing sounded worse to Allison right now than booze. The thought of it made her stomach turn sour.
“I’ll be right back.” The waitress walked away.
“You seem distracted,” Laura said. “Is everything okay?”
“Oh yeah. I just need to send a text to a friend. I forgot to tell her about an appointment. I don’t mean to be rude. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all.”
Allison typed the message to Charlie. “Don’t wait for Fin to leave. Just get out of there before you’re seen.” She pressed send and returned her phone to her purse. “There. All taken care of. Now, where were we?”
Charlie had opted to pull down a side street just before the gated entrance into the community filled with lavish homes. Her car was facing the main road. She planned on waiting it out and following Fin when he reappeared. That was until she spotted the text arrive from Allison. She studied the message and pursed her lips. “That’s not the right call, Alli. Come on. I need to know where he’s going after this.” Charlie peered at the gate once again. It had been almost 30 minutes since he went in. Surely, Fin wouldn’t stay much longer. She peered again at the message and set down her phone. “Just a little while longer.”
With the engine off, Charlie rolled down the windows and prayed for a breeze, but none came. The air was stagnant and thick, but she would wait because this was her job now. She considered herself Allison’s partner and the notion Finley Dawson was a bald-faced liar was starting to piss her off. Allison was doing her part and it was Charlie’s turn to step up.
A glimmer in the distance caught her eye. It was coming from behind the gate. This could be it. She waited for the gates to open. “Come on. I’m going to get a heatstroke out here.” A cunning smile arose at the sight of Dawson’s car. “There you are.” Charlie waited for him to exit through the gates and head back out onto the main road where she would tail him once again. And more importantly, find out who he might be going to meet.
When he drove out onto the road, Charlie slowly pulled out and followed him from a safe distance. She wanted to message Allison again, but her eyes needed to stay fixed on Dawson. He was entering the highway and headed south. “Home?”
Several minutes passed and it had appeared Dawson was returning to his beach-side shack. It would be tougher for her to blend into the background when they entered his street. She might have to hang back until he parked and then approach, staying a few houses down. If he was only going back home there might not be a need for her to continue trailing him, but she would give it some time to see how it would pan out.
He’d done as she predicted. Finley Dawson arrived at his house and parked in his driveway. Charlie held back, waiting for him to go inside before she drove to a stop three houses away. “Okay. Let’s just see if you decide to take off again.” She stopped t
he engine and crouched low. Her phone rested on the passenger seat and she considered letting Allison know what was going on. But disrupting her evening with Laura Young might be a problem and she didn’t want to interrupt whatever momentum Allison may have built.
“Well, hell. Maybe there’s not much point in staying.” She was about to start the car again when she noticed another car pull onto Fin’s driveway right behind his Jeep. Her pulse jumped. She knew this car. She’d seen it on a video only days ago.
An older man stepped out from the driver’s seat wearing a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved button-down shirt. He looked like the same man from the video, but it had been grainy, and her eyes were too old to be certain. The man continued toward Dawson’s front door. She reached for her phone and snapped pictures of the car, including the plates. “That might come in handy.”
He went inside and Fin closed the door.
Charlie kept her eyes glued on the house. “What do I do? What do I do?” She still held her phone and pressed on Allison’s contact.
A crack of gunfire exploded. Charlie bounded from the driver’s seat and dropped her phone into the footwell. Her eyes sparked fear as she looked for the source. Her heart raced. “It was just a car backfiring. That’s all it was.” But when her eyes searched for the offending vehicle, there was not one to be found. “Oh, no. No, no, no. This isn’t happening.” She reached into the footwell to get her phone as it wedged between the gas pedal and the floorboard. “Come on. Come on.” Her fingers stretched; her neck craned but she couldn’t reach it.
Charlie returned her sights to the home where the sound of a car’s engine roared. The Mercedes peeled out of the driveway and onto the road driving opposite from where Charlie waited. A stroke of luck if there ever was one.
