SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, And Revenge (Beauty 0f Life Book 8)

by Laura Acton

  Sanchez said, “According to my sources and this journal, Tapia bemoaned the fact Daniel Broderick got away with murder. He claimed Broderick executed a soldier and ended up with an honorable discharge.

  “Tapia was one of Broderick’s guards in Afghanistan. He and three of his buddies received bad conduct discharges after they tasered Broderick when he tried to escape the brig. It appears Tapia holds a grudge against General Broderick too. His written rantings claim the general pulled strings to get his son a favorable discharge while persecuting him and his fellow MPs for a lesser infraction. His writing is full of vitriol for both Brodericks.”

  Pope watched as the crime scene crew bagged and tagged the material. “So, none of this is related to gang activity?”

  “No. Apparently, Garcia fell out of favor with the Blooddrop Crew when his cousin came to stay with him, and he started helping Tapia with a personal vendetta. Not how gang politics work.”

  “So, who killed him?”

  “Might be the major that Tapia hooked up with to finance purchasing the explosives and the ticket to St. Lucia. My contact said Tapia talked non-stop about getting his revenge and he would be paid well by some major who also had a beef with the general. Though, Tapia never named the man.”

  Nodding, Pope said, “Well, seems like I’m making a trip to speak with Mr. Smellie and Constable Broderick today. Thank you for your efforts. I’ll take it from here.”

  “Sure. If I find out anything else of use, I’ll call you.” Sanchez strode out, relieved this coverup left him in the clear. Pitbull outdid himself.

  TRF HQ – Gun Range – 12:00 p.m.

  Dan set his ear protection on the shelf and then turned to Rob Tanger, the rookie sniper on Delta Team, and the man who covered for him over the summer. “Almost made it into third place.”

  Chuckling Rob said, “Need to spend more time practicing if I’m going to beat out you, Jon, and Lexa. But watch your back, I’m aiming to do so soon.”

  Sergeant Glen Turpin smiled. Rob made an excellent addition to his team, filling the spot Aaron Plouffe once held. He and his tactical lead, Bill Raffin were both satisfied with their team’s performance on the range today and happy for the assistance in the eval process. Dan offered his guys some useful tips, which would increase their skills.

  Glen holstered his weapon. “How long will you be gone?”

  Shrugging Dan replied, “Not certain, but hoping only a few days.”

  Frank Hudson patted Dan’s back. Despite the passage of time since the incident, he remained surprised Aaron’s uncle tried to murder Dan at Aaron’s funeral. “Hope Major Plouffe is locked away for life. The man is pure evil.”

  Dan’s response was terminated as Bram called from the doorway, “Hey, Dan, the commander and Pope are in the briefing room. You need to join us. Pope stopped by with information on the hospital attacker.”

  Pivoting, Dan jogged to Bram, “Coming.” His phone began buzzing, and he answered without checking the ID. “Broderick.”

  “Hello, Son. I’m calling to inform you of a change. The court-martial location is now CFB Edmonton. Plouffe assaulted his lawyer yesterday, and the risk of transporting him here is too great.”

  “Am I traveling to Ottawa and then Edmonton?” Dan inquired as he slowed his pace.

  “No. Hammer’s unit is landing at CFB Trenton shortly. They will head directly to Toronto. You and Blain’s unit will take the vehicles back to Trenton. Upon arrival, you’ll board a military flight to Edmonton. Quarters have been arranged for all of us on base.” William glanced at Yvonne who was busy packing his bags for him and smiled at his beautiful wife.

  “Sounds like I’m departing earlier than scheduled. I committed to working my full shift today.”

  “Sorry, but there is only one flight out of Trenton today. You could always fly commercial, but that might be a bit costly with last-minute tickets.”

  “No. I’ll speak with Gambrill. I’m on my way to talk with him and Inspector Pope. Bram indicated the inspector possesses news on the person who tried to kill Loki.”

  “I’ll see you soon. My plane leaves in forty minutes. Stay safe.”

  “You too.” Dan hung up as he approached the conference room.

  TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 12:05 p.m.

  Dan strolled in and caught the commander’s eye. “Sir, there is a change in my travel plans. I apologize, but I will be leaving between two and two-thirty today. The location of the trial changed, and I must fly to Edmonton.”

  Gambrill grinned. “No problem. In fact, I wanted to tell you I canceled you assisting at the Fourteenth. Captain Fleetwood called to inform me Constable Gould would be there this afternoon to clean out his locker. We both felt given the circumstances it would be better if you were not there.”

  “Isn’t he still in jail?” Jon still harbored resentment towards the man, certain the second vehicle he planned to trash was his.

  Walter explained to Jon. “He is on house arrest. Someone from Internal Affairs will be escorting him to and from his place. Fleetwood wanted all trace of the dishonorable officer removed from his building, and I can’t blame him.” He turned to Pope and motioned to a chair. “What can you tell us regarding the attack on Baldovino?”

  Dan took a seat along with Gambrill and Pope but shot Lexa a grin as he recalled his extra-large Timmy’s coffee and the bag of timbits she had for him when he arrived this morning. The guys all begged for some, and he shared. When Ray asked why she didn’t bring them donuts and hot coffee, she shrugged and said they weren’t the ones facing a few days of rehashing crap.

  Pope turned his gaze on Broderick, he felt a slight bit of compassion for the man, but he also wondered about the killing Tapia mentioned in his notes.

  When Pope only eyed Dan, Nick prompted, “What did you find?”

  Clearing his throat, Roman directed his comments to Gambrill. “Detective Sanchez followed some leads, and we now believe the pieces of the man with the four red teardrop tats found in Lake Ontario are those of Luis Garcia. He was a member of the Blooddrop Crew.”

  Ray’s gut seized. Perhaps Alonzo Nores’ threats were more than words after all. He remained silent waiting for the shoe to drop.

  Pope tapped an evidence bag containing the notepad. “He tracked down Garcia’s home address and visited the place early this morning. What he discovered links him to his cousin, Miguel Tapia, and Uranus Smellie.”

  “Smellie? Are you sure?” Walter asked.

  “Positive. We found makings for another bomb with a map circling TRF HQ, and another backpack like the university bomber uses. Also, this notebook contains the rants of an angry man. Tapia wanted revenge against Constable Broderick for something which occurred while he was an MP stationed in Afghanistan.” Pope kept the supposed murder of a soldier to himself. He would speak privately with Broderick to suss out details. His team didn’t need to be made aware of it at this point. Although if he found any truth to the matter, Broderick’s constable career would be over.

  Dan groaned as his shoulders slumped. “Loki was almost killed because of me.” He surged to his feet. “Dammit!” He gazed out the window, his voice dejected, he said, “If only Tapia had shot me instead of tasering me after I blew Brody away. None of this would be happening.”

  Redirecting his eyes, Pope stared at Broderick. Did he just admit to killing another soldier? “So, Tapia is justified in his vengeance?”

  Jon and Walter both rose, piercing eyes boring into Pope as Jon exclaimed, “Hell no!” as Walter commanded, “Tread carefully.”

  Her eyes searching the team, wanting to go to Dan but afraid of how Boss might interpret her move. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief when Bram stood and went to him.

  Bram’s hand laid on Dan’s shoulder. “I’m glad he didn’t. Brody’s death was not your fault. You were cleared to fire. It was a terrible accident. Tapia’s anger was misplaced, as is Plouffe’s. You did nothing wrong.”

  Ignoring Pope for now, focusing on his greater
concern, fear that Plouffe’s reach might extend beyond Tapia and Garcia, Dan turned worried eyes on Bram. “Do you have an alarm system at your home?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Think you should install one. Everyone should. Even from prison, Plouffe somehow manages to make my life hell, by targeting people close to me.”

  Loki’s knee bouncing he said, “I can hook one up for you.” He turned to Ray, “If your apartment complex gives you approval I can put one in for you. Boss, Lexa, my offer goes for each of you too.”

  Nick nodded and addressed Pope. “Tapia’s revenge is not even remotely justified. We are aware of the incident which occurred in Afghanistan, and it is not anyone’s business. The man’s behavior was abhorrent and the direct result of his dishonorable discharge.”

  Not liking the tone, Pope’s hackles rose. “Explain to me. I will be the judge of what is relevant in this case.”

  Regaining his control, Walter said, “I’m afraid you do not possess the appropriate security clearance. Please box up all evidence you collected at Garcia’s home and deliver it to TRF before two p.m.” He shifted to Dan. “I am sure General Broderick’s men will want to examine the materials.”

  The support of his team shored Dan up. “Yes, sir. I’ll take it with me.”

  His head on a swivel, Pope bounced between the two men. “You can’t do that. This is a police matter.”

  Using his command voice, Dan beat Gambrill to a response, “No, sir, this is a matter of national security and falls under the auspices of a task force created to investigate treasonous activities.” Returning to a normal tone, Dan spoke to Gambrill, “If you will excuse me, sir, I must make a call.” He strode out of the room without waiting for permission, knowing his godfather would grant his exit and comprehend he would be phoning his father.

  Not happy with Pope, Jon glared at the jerk. “If I so much as catch a hint of you spreading word about the Afghanistan incident I will seek all legal recourse. Dan served in Special Forces honorably for six years. He is a valued teammate, and no one on Alpha Team will allow his name to be drug through the mud for any reason.” He turned on his heel and stalked out of the room before he said or did anything which would crater his career.

  As Pope and Gambrill left, Lexa listened to Loki talking about the alarm system he wanted to set up for them. Though she still didn’t believe she needed one, perhaps putting in a bare-bones system would alleviate Dan’s worry. Lexa smiled and joined the discussion.

  The Kiss of Judas

  27

  January 24

  TRF HQ – Conference Room Two – 12:25 p.m.

  Laying his head on crossed arms on the tabletop, Dan released a heavy sigh. He didn’t want to testify, didn’t want to be anywhere near Plouffe, yet he understood only he could provide specific details which would put the man away for a lifetime.

  Another sigh escaped, he also didn’t want to wear his service dress uniform. However, his father conveyed the lead prosecutor’s request he do so as part of his trial strategy. After a slightly heated discussion, Dan reluctantly agreed, only to relieve some of his dad’s stress, acknowledging this court-martial would be tough on both of them.

  He hoped his father’s men swiftly figured out how Plouffe managed to contact Tapia and if he had other minions waiting in the wings to strike out at those he cared about. In this, he was not alone. The worry he perceived in his dad’s tone after he told him all things pointed to Plouffe in the attempt on Loki’s life, brought home the fact, again, that his father did indeed love him.

  This brought to mind Lexa’s comments about her father and brothers. Part of him wanted to suggest to her things might one day be repaired, as his relationship with the general was healing, but without knowing what they did to her, he didn’t dare take the chance. He recognized that not all families remained close. Sometimes things broke, and there were too many pieces to mend.

  The door clicking open caused Dan to lift his head. A genuine smile lit his face, Lexa brought the sun to him even on the dreariest of days. “Hey.”

  “Hay is for horses,” Lexa quipped as she moved to the chair beside Dan. “Did you talk to your dad?”

  “Yeah. He’s not too happy.”

  “Neither are we. How are you holding up?” Lexa laid a hand on his bicep.

  “Okay.”

  “Your side, any pain?”

  “No harm. Would take more than a fly to cause damage,” Dan teased back.

  Lexa chuckled. “Hey, I—”

  “We already established that is horse food.” Dan snickered as Lexa lightly swatted his arm.

  “Wanted to tell you. I decided to put in a security system. Not something grandiose like Loki’s, but a basic system.” Lexa waited for Dan’s reaction.

  Dan gave Lexa a WOW smile. “Thanks.”

  Jon popped his head in the room. “Is this a private party or can anyone join?” He strode in without waiting for an answer and sat in a chair opposite Dan and Lexa. “What are you grinning about, Broderick?”

  “Lexa agreed to install an alarm,” Dan shared.

  “Bout damned time.” Jon leaned back. “Been bugging her to do it for years. Always told me no one would want to steal anything from her wreck of a house. But it isn’t a disaster anymore, is it, Lexa?”

  Eyeing her tactical lead, Lexa grunted. “Still more work to be done. Behind schedule on all the projects I need to do.”

  Jon shifted topics. “Sorry about Pope’s remarks. He isn’t a bad cop, only a jerk. Glad you gave him a taste of his own medicine, you have an icy command voice. Sounded an awful lot like your father’s.”

  “What is it with him?” Dan asked, ignoring the comparison.

  “Gets his panties in a bunch when he deals with TRF. Eons ago he tried out and didn’t make it. Ever since, his attitude shifted. Like many on the police force, they think we swoop in after all their hard work.”

  Lexa chuckled. “It’s why we get to wear the cool pants.”

  After searching a couple of places, Ray found his three missing teammates and grinned as he overheard Lexa’s remark. He stepped into the doorway and said, “Boss ordered pizza for everyone. Should be here soon. Join us in the briefing room. Oh, and Dan, call Blaze and Winds, he got enough for them too if they want to come in and eat with us.”

  As he rose with the others, Dan dialed Blaze. This team is the best.

  Fourteenth Division – 1:00 p.m.

  Under the supervision of Detective Dieter Fulco of Internal Affairs, Dane Gould finished clearing out the meager possessions left after IA seized his duty tablet, and a few other personal objects he noted were missing from his locker. After being arraigned, he was stripped of his badge, subjected to wearing a house arrest ankle device, and put on unpaid suspension until his court date.

  Slamming the locker shut, Gould pivoted, grabbed his plastic bag, and glared at his official shadow. “Guys like you are the scourge of the force.”

  Fulco only raised his brows. He listened to the same crap from dirty cops, those who believed carrying a badge put them above the law, too many times in his career to bother commenting. “Let’s go.”

  As Gould stalked out of the lockers, he expected support from his fellow officers as they had supported Snow, Riqueti, Bozonnet, and Turner years ago. What he received was vastly different than he anticipated. Every constable and support staff member turned their back on him as he walked past them. Many wore scowls, and two spat at him. Approaching the exit, he spotted Captain Fleetwood. The ordinarily jovial man frowned at him.

  Fleetwood took one parting shot. “You are a disgrace to the uniform. I never want to spot your face in my division again.” He turned his back on Gould, like the rest of the men and women under his command, effectively shunning the soon-to-be former constable.

  Gould exited the building and encountered more officers turning their backs, even Barrios and the other five who stood with him only nine days ago ready to give Broderick a beatdown. Fair weather friends.


  A growl followed by a bark pulled Gould from his musing. In front of him was a snarling dog. The German Shepard stood alert and ready, tugging on his lead. His eyes didn’t move to the handler until she spoke.

  Cadet Ashdown gave the puppy she was training the command to sit. After Timber obediently followed her order, Ivy met the scowling face of Gould, a man until now she had somewhat feared. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

  “I find dogs are an excellent judge of character. Timber doesn’t like you, and neither do I,” Ivy spoke her mind for the first time, well, not first, the second was more like it. The first was with her mother after talking to Dan about her real passion. She stood proud and tall as the disgraced officer descended the remaining steps of the station.

  Sergeant Ashdown grinned at her daughter. She was glad Ivy came to speak with her the evening after she assisted Constable Broderick with the evaluations. Ivy spoke honestly and with conviction about her desire to train dogs. When she suggested Ivy might like to work with the K-9 unit, either as a trainer or an officer, it was the training part Ivy eagerly talked about all through dinner and late into the night.

  Seeing her reserved daughter light up, she made a quick call to a friend, and arranged a meet and greet for Ivy with the commander of Toronto’s service dog division. With the full support of Captain Fleetwood, Ivy’s internship quickly shifted to the canine unit and her girl beamed with joy ever since.

  Narciso Ricigliano’s Home – 1:00 p.m.

  The staccato click, clack, of Alicia Ricigliano’s three-inch heels echoed off the marble flooring in Narciso’s home office as she tramped in with determination on her face and two beefy men at her side. She slapped a folded stack of paper on his desk, backed up, crossed her arms, and waited.

  “What is this?” Narciso peered up at his busty, trophy wife. Her bleach blonde hair glinting with the sunlight. Her pouty lips adorned with bright red lipstick, and the rest of her face crafted with at least several hundred dollars’ worth of makeup, creating an illusion of beauty which he came to realize after marrying her did not come close to her drab natural features.