The Trouble Legacy

by E. R. Fallon

  Tommy didn’t know about her meeting with Seale, and Dana didn’t plan to tell him. She left the station at the end of the workday, and went straight to the café at the corner. She spotted the detective as soon as she entered, a tall, older man, handsome, with a couple of distinguished creases in his face that added to his charm, and thick, salt-and-pepper hair. He was wearing a dark suit without a necktie.

  He seemed to recognize her right away, too.

  “Detective Fitzpatrick?” he asked, waving her over.

  Dana walked to his table, and he rose to shake her hand.

  “Thanks for taking the time to meet with me,” he said.

  “No problem at all,” she replied. “I’m very interested in hearing what you have to say.”

  “Likewise,” he said as she sat down. Then he sat and asked her if she wanted a coffee. She saw that he’d waited until she arrived to order.

  “Sure, that’d be great,” she said. And he signaled for the waiter.

  The waiter, a thin young guy, stepped over, and they ordered two coffees, but nothing to eat.

  “Who do they have working the case with you?” Seale asked Dana, when the waiter had left their table.

  “Oh, some uniform cop who wants to be a detective,” she said without revealing too much.

  Detective Seale chuckled. “They’ve got you playing babysitter, huh?”

  “Yeah, something like that,” Dana said with a smile, not wanting to give anything away about Tommy.

  “Feels like a lifetime ago when I was still involved with all of that,” he said, changing the subject, and she relaxed.

  “I know what you mean,” she said. “My father was in law enforcement, and he retired a few years ago.”

  “You come from a police family; that’s very interesting. My father was a bit of a gambler, and he didn’t much care for policemen. In my case, the apple did fall far from the tree.”

  Dana laughed politely at his joke.

  The waiter returned with their coffees and after he’d left, Detective Seale asked her, “How much do you know about the McCarthys, their history in the neighborhood?”

  “Only what I’ve read in the files,” Dana answered honestly, for she had never pressed Tommy for more information despite his connection.

  “There’s a lot of history, dating back to Catherine McCarthy’s father, Violet’s grandfather, Sean, who used to be the boss of the neighborhood. He ran the local racket, but was also involved in small-arms dealing, an all-around bad character. But perhaps what he’s most known for around here, is being the murderer of Colin O’Brien, an up-and-coming gangster. Alleged murderer, that is. No charges were ever brought against him. Of course, the actual murder occurred out of our jurisdiction, in Los Angeles. This was during the ‘60s. Rumor has it that Catherine was also involved in O’Brien’s death. They’re an all-around very nasty family. I’d be careful if I were you. The grandfather was known to bribe law enforcement, and if he didn’t get his way, he was known to ruin their careers in various ways, or eliminate them. Catherine was capable of similar things before she got sent away. I’m not sure about her daughter, but I would assume, in this instance, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

  “I’m new around here,” Dana said. “Who controls the area now? Violet? I mean, she and her boyfriend are running the local drug operation.”

  “No, that’s the strange thing, because I heard it was Colin O’Brien’s daughter, and her husband, Johnny Garcia, who control it these days. The daughter’s mother, Sheila, is involved as well, apparently. Of course, this is just what I’ve heard over the years. I’ve never had it confirmed.”

  “What’s her name, O’Brien’s daughter?”

  “Camille, I think. I don’t know much about her. She’s fairly secretive and keeps a low profile.”

  “I’m surprised she would allow Violet and Sam Paul to run a drug ring in her neighborhood,” Dana thought out loud.

  “Unless she’s part of it?”

  “No, I don’t think she is. Maybe she doesn’t know. And what happens if she finds out?” Dana said, and Seale nodded solemnly, as if he knew she meant it would cause a gang war.

  Colin O’Brien. He had to be the same man her mother had known, her mother’s beloved friend who’d died tragically. In a way, she felt some affection for the man, as her mother had always talked so fondly of him.

  “The thing you should know, and why I wanted you to come here, so I could tell you, is that you shouldn’t underestimate the women in the McCarthy family. They’re just as pure evil as the men. If I had to bet on it, I’d say that Violet is probably in charge of the ring, not her boyfriend.”

  “Really?” Dana said, feeling a bit guilty that she hadn’t considered that.

  “Sure,” Detective Seale said. “During my years of work, one thing I learned is that the Irish mob are not as traditional as the Italians. It wouldn’t surprise me if the whole thing was Violet McCarthy’s idea, and Sam is just along for the ride.”

  “Just how evil is Violet McCarthy?” Dana asked, although she felt she already knew the answer.

  “Years ago, she and her mother, they murdered a friend of mine,” Seale replied. “Left his wife widowed. They’ll do anything to get money, anything to get power. Not even the threat of Camille O’Brien is going to stop them from trying.”

  “You really think she’s in charge of the whole drug operation? In my experience, it’s usually the men in charge with the women assisting.”

  Detective Seale replied, “The McCarthy women aren’t like most women involved in gangs. I’d be careful if I were you. If Violet McCarthy discovers you’ve been sniffing around, she’s likely to send someone after you.”

  Dana sat there, quietly considering her own safety. What if Tommy told his mother they were onto her? He wouldn’t do that, right? But truthfully, she didn’t know him very well. She’d never been paranoid before, but she’d always been careful. And with Tommy, she’d slipped up.

  “You must know them very well,” she told Detective Seale.

  “Yeah, they’ve remained a hobby for me for many years after my retirement.”

  “Are they a close family?”

  “Yeah, they’re as close as they come. They’d do anything for one another, kill, you name it. Violet has a son, but he fell of my radar when he became an adult. She’s been with Sam Paul on and off for years. He isn’t the father of her son though. Some Italian thug was. I forget his name. I don’t think the son’s involved with her activities or else I would’ve heard about it.”

  “Is Violet’s son close to her?”

  “I would assume so. They are a very close, secretive group.”

  Dana didn’t say anymore, for fear of giving too much away. But, inside, she wondered, would Tommy be able to keep their work separate from his family? And what about a gang war? Dana didn’t want one occurring on her watch, and so she couldn’t risk Tommy giving his mother a head start.

  She sighed and made casual conversation with Detective Seale as they finished their coffees.

  And she left the café knowing what she had to do.

  17

  Did Tommy love Dana? He hadn’t known her for long, but he felt that he might. No woman had ever made him feel that way before. Instant love. He’d never believed in that, he’d thought it was rubbish, until he met Dana. But why had he told her his secret so soon? Because he felt like he could trust her, although he hardly knew her? Even he didn’t understand it. He hardly knew her, but he loved her.

  He went into work in the morning, and he couldn’t wait to see her. He’d brought them both a cup of coffee, but he didn’t see her when he arrived. Something wasn’t right in the station. Everyone became quiet and started looking at him when he entered. The whole place felt like someone had just died, and that someone was him. They’d looked as if they’d seen a ghost. What the fuck?

  Tommy set the paper cups of coffee down on his desk, then Lieutenant Andrews stepped out of his office and said he wa
nted to speak with him.

  “Yes, sir,” Tommy said and left his coffee on the desk.

  Where was Dana?”

  “Should we wait for Dana? I mean, Detective Fitzpatrick?” he asked Andrews.

  “No, I only need to see you,” the lieutenant responded.

  Tommy nodded and followed him into his office. What the hell was going on? Perhaps it was something good, like he was receiving his promotion early.

  “Sit down,” Andrews said without making the usual small talk.

  “Sir, what’s going on?” Tommy asked, his voice suddenly thickening with concern.

  Tommy sat in the chair across from the lieutenant’s desk. The lieutenant didn’t sit down.

  “I’ve known you for a long time, Tommy,” he said, as he stared out his office window overlooking the city’s skyline. “But I’ve never known that much about you.”

  “Sir, is everything okay?” Tommy asked, unable to disguise his apprehension. “I really don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  “Your family, Tommy, I don’t know anything about them, other than you’re a local guy.”

  “There isn’t much to tell,” Tommy replied, hoping to drop the subject quickly. “They’re just ordinary people.”

  “Just ordinary?”

  “Yeah.”

  Lieutenant Andrews didn’t speak when he finally sat down at his desk, across from Tommy, looking at him in silence. Staring the man face to face and lying to him was a lot harder than Tommy realized.

  “You know, Tommy, to say I’m surprised by you would be an understatement,” he finally spoke.

  “I’m afraid I don’t understand, sir.”

  Tommy glanced out the window that faced the rest of the station. Everyone seemed to have stopped working to watch him. They all seemed to already know something about him. But what?

  “Tommy, Detective Fitzpatrick came to me earlier this morning with a very serious accusation,” Andrews said bluntly.

  “It was consensual,” Tommy quickly replied, then saw from the look on Andrews’ face that wasn’t what he’d meant.

  “Tommy, I don’t care what you do outside my office as long as it doesn’t interfere with work. But that isn’t what I’m talking about.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tommy, is it true that Violet McCarthy is your mother, and you have a different last name than her?”

  It felt like all the air had been sucked dry from Tommy. It had never occurred to him that Dana would betray him. And why not? Because he’d loved her. Like a fool, he’d trusted her. Because he loved her. In the process, he’d broken the long-standing rule his mother had taught him: Never trust anyone outside of the family.

  For a second, Tommy considered answering no. But what would have been the point? Now that Andrews knew the truth, he’d only find out more, and that would only make things worse for Tommy if he continued to lie.

  Still, he couldn’t believe Dana had betrayed him. “She told you?” he said to Andrews, his voice faint. Why had she?

  “Of course she did; she’s a good officer.”

  “What exactly did she say to you?”

  “That you admitted to being Violet McCarthy’s son,” he said as if it were a curse.

  “Did she tell you we got drunk and slept together, and I told her after?”

  Andrews’ face reddened and he shook his head. “She didn’t mention that, no.”

  “And how is that okay, huh, her sleeping with her underling?” Tommy asked, suddenly furious with Dana.

  “That’s another matter.”

  “Yeah, well I hope you treat her accordingly,” Tommy said bitterly, though he didn’t really mean it. As angry as he was with Dana, he still cared about her, and he didn’t want anything bad to happen to her. “Anyway, it’s not what you think,” Tommy said after a moment. “I haven’t been helping my mother out during the investigation. I haven’t done anything criminal. I haven’t told her anything. I’ve been investigating her with Dana, with Detective Fitzpatrick, just like I would anyone else.”

  “But you didn’t disclose to us that she’s your mother. You continued to work on the investigation and chose not to excuse yourself. Why would you do that, if not to help her?”

  “I didn’t want anybody finding out that she’s my mother,” Tommy answered honestly.

  “Tommy, I am so disappointed in you,” Andrews said, setting his hands on the desk. “This was such a stupid thing for you to do. You had such a promising career ahead of you—”

  “Had?” Tommy said.

  “Now that I know the truth, I have to suspend you.”

  “Are you firing me?”

  “I’m not sure what will happen, Tommy. This is very serious,” he said somberly. “I need your gun and your badge.”

  “What will happen after?” Tommy asked, suddenly very worried, now that the whole thing seemed real.

  “They’ll be a hearing. A representative from your union will be there with you.”

  “I can’t come to work in the meantime?” Tommy asked, because reality still hadn’t really sunk in yet.

  “Tommy, you’re suspended. You can’t come near this station. And stay away from Detective Fitzpatrick.”

  “That won’t be a problem,” Tommy said, although he knew it would be. He removed his badge and gun and set them on Andrews’ desk. “Is that all, sir?” he asked.

  “Yes, for now.”

  Tommy left the lieutenant’s office and planned to get absolutely fucking drunk, but, first, he asked one of his colleagues if she had seen Detective Fitzpatrick.

  “She just left,” the woman replied.

  “Shit,” Tommy muttered under his breath and ran toward the exit.

  He heard the woman say, “Is everything okay?” But he left without answering.

  In the lobby, he saw Dana’s gorgeous, shapely frame ascending down the large front steps. He tore open the door and ran after her.

  “Dana, wait!” he shouted, not caring if he made a scene.

  “Tommy, don’t make a scene,” she said to him over her shoulder, but she didn’t stop walking. In fact, she walked faster.

  “I don’t care,” Tommy said. “Dana, why? Why did you do it? I was in love with you.”

  “I cared about you, too, Tommy, but you should’ve known you shouldn’t have asked me to keep a secret like that.”

  “Why did you do it, Dana? I cared about you. What about the night we spent together?”

  “I’m sorry it happened,” she said, and her words wounded him. “But I can’t risk my entire career for you. What did you think we were going to do, run away together?” she said with an edgy, bitter laugh that jolted him.

  “I would have run away with you,” Tommy told her. “If you had asked me to, I would have.” He neared her and reached out for her shoulder, grabbing her. “Dana, look at me.”

  Dana finally stopped walking and looked at him. “Well, I wouldn’t have done the same for you, Tommy. I’m sorry, but that’s how it is.” She shrugged her way out of his grasp. “Get off me,” she said. “I actually have work to do.”

  The implication being that he didn’t.

  “You bitch!” Tommy shouted to her back as she left him, not caring who heard. “You cold, fucking bitch,” he said faintly to himself, as he watched her walk away.

  Then reality began to set in. He could forget about becoming a detective now. If the hearing didn’t go his way, he could lose his job entirely. He began to panic and looked for the nearest pub, anywhere to get his mind off the situation fast.

  Tommy settled on a rundown place on the next street, a place frequented by hardcore alcoholics as well as prostitutes and their pimps looking to get out of the cold for a few hours. The place had worn seats and shabby decorations on the walls.

  Tommy stood out in the place like the cop that he was. Was. Tommy had to laugh about that. His career really might be in the past tense. He sat at the bar, alone, drinking shots of whiskey, avoiding the women w
ho tried approaching him. His misery was such that he didn’t even want to fuck anyone to help soothe him. Although that might change as the night wore on.

  He liked this pub because the bartender never asked him if he’d had enough. The guy just kept pouring him drinks.

  “Another?” the bartender said, and he poured him another drink anyway, before Tommy could answer. “Tough day?” he asked.

  Tommy nodded.

  “Feel like talking about it?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

  Tommy glanced around the pub and saw that he was one of only a few patrons. It must have been a slow night. “No,” he answered bluntly and kept drinking.

  Tommy didn’t want to make small talk tonight. He was at the pub for one reason: to get completely, absolutely, totally fucking smashed.

  18

  The bartender left the area, but returned every so often, to pour Tommy more drinks. After about an hour, a woman sat next to Tommy at the bar.

  “Got a light?” she asked him, not long after she’d sat down.

  Tommy didn’t want to talk to anyone and didn’t know if she was trying to pick him up, or what, so he ignored her.

  “Hey, you got a light?” she asked him again, and he sensed she wouldn’t shut up until he answered her, so he was forced to look at her.

  Next to him sat a very attractive blonde woman, in a low-cut top. He couldn’t believe how much she looked like Dana, and he did a double take.

  “I don’t smoke,” he said when she continued looking at him, waiting for his answer, but he didn’t smile, despite her beauty. Although, she certainly piqued his curiosity. What was a woman like her doing in this awful place alone? It occurred to him that she might be a prostitute, so he looked around for a pimp lurking nearby, but didn’t see one.

  “That’s too bad,” she replied, in a soft, beautiful voice. “I’m Pillow. What’s your name?”

  Her name made him smile. “Pillow? What kind of name is that?”

  Pillow shrugged. “My mother gave all her children odd names. I have a younger brother named Cheese.”