by Carter, Dawn
She skipped a few steps as she dropped the rest of the copies on the Lieutenants desk with a note. Next stop Northwest Texas Hospital to check on Annabel, she smiled, but soon her lips lost their luster when the phone lit up with a text message from Frank saying he needed to see her. She spun her car around and sped in the direction of his office. The elevator on the way up was packed with Federal Agents. She listened as they discussed cases without using names. She listened to the excitement in their voices and the procedures they used to catch suspects, it intrigued her and she knew if she only had half the availability to the resources they had she could find anyone she was looking for. The door opened and she walked briskly to Frank’s office.
He smiled as she approached him. “I got what you asked for.”
Danni gleamed with excitement as the news registered. “We got a name for our suspect?”
“Better.” He smiled as she sat down and retrieved the papers he handed her.
The thick packet was filled with aliases used over the years, but one thing was consistent the picture was always the same woman. “There’s a lot of names here Frank, which one is her real name?”
“That we have not narrowed down yet.” His smile faded. “But, give it a few more days and I think we should pin it down. I was only able to go back twenty years. Before then, she didn’t seem to exist, but Kent is on it, and he always finds his man.”
The silence increased as she looked over the documents. “This doesn’t make sense.” Her eyes fixed on the occupations the woman had.
“If you look down on the bottom left, she worked security. Her job was to patrol areas that had the security systems installed.”
“I see that, but what makes that so significant?” Her head shook in confusion.
“I didn’t see it at first until the report came in. Look at who was on her route.”
“Shit, so she’s been following the Mayor for the past twenty years. Frank she couldn’t have been older than nineteen then. What the fuck does the Mayor have to do with her? Where the fuck is the connection?” Her eyes went to Frank then back to the data in her hands.
“Were looking into it and as soon as we find out who she really is then we will find out.” He stood and extended his hand to hers. “Send my best to Detective Flanery, and I will call you as soon as I find anything else.”
Danni took his hand in hers and smiled. “Frank thank you, I will as soon as they let me see her.”
Within twenty five minutes she was standing in the lobby of intensive care. She could see Annabel through the glass as the nurse checked her vitals and gently rubbed slowly almost sensually over Annabel’s shoulder. A mix of jealousy knotted in her stomach. No smile, no sparkle, the concern now etching itself onto her forehead as she waited patiently for the nurse to leave the room and give her an update. With a firm grip, she placed both hands on her temples her head pounded from the lack food and sleep. When the nurse finally exited her room, Danni looked at her and waited for a response. She shook her head no and let out a sigh with a hint of frustration.
The look and the response gave her the answer she needed. There was still no improvement; Annabel’s chances were becoming slimmer the longer she stayed unconscious. She was not ready to give up on her and did not care what the neurologist said. None of them knew Annabel the way she did and she was sure she would fight her way back.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
The wait at the precinct was excruciating. Danni watched as officers and detectives walked in and out of Hagerty’s office. Her anger built as the she kept looking at the clock on the wall. She had already been waiting a few hours and now it was three o’clock. “What the hell is he waiting for?” the question escaped her lips catching the attention of Detective Gillespie who was walking out.
“He’s not in a good mood Pacelli, watch yourself.” He winked as he patted her on the shoulder.
“Just fucking great!”
“Pacelli?” she heard her name being called from the inside of his office.
Hesitantly she stood and smoothed her pants. She was sure she was going to be reprimanded for allowing Annabel to follow-up on the lead while on medical leave. She sat down ready to be yelled at, but no words were exchanged as he sat there looking over a file. He glanced over from time to time, but said nothing. Finally she heard him huff then growl.
“I should be suspending you, but for some reason the higher up’s want you on this case. You are being reassigned to protect the Mayor until we catch the suspect.” He locked eyes with her then looked out the window. “Apparently the Fed’s want you on this. Is there something going on that you are not telling me Pacelli?” his question had a hint of suspicion.
“I need to talk to you about that. Can I shut the door?” He nodded his approval and within seconds she was seated back in her chair.
She diligently explained everything they found out and the latest leads leading to the apprehension of the suspect. Then she swore him into secrecy before explaining in detail how the woman had been following the Mayor for the past twenty years. He did not seem surprised as Frank had already told him enough information to keep him off her back. Once she was done explaining the case she gave the unexpected news of her future prospect. “I was given an offer to apply for the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Once this case is over, I am going to take them up on the offer.”
“You’re a good detective; I hate to see you leave Pacelli.” He bit his bottom lips as he sighed. “Is there anything we can do to keep you with us?”
The offer made her smile, she never felt appreciated before, but now he was trying to keep her there, and also telling her she was good at her job. He was making the decision harder, but she needed to progress in her career and she knew she would not move up if she stayed. “Sir, I have put a lot of thought into this, and I need to do this for myself. I kept putting it off when I was asked a few years ago to apply, but the time I spent working with the Fed’s, I realized I would be a good agent. I appreciate the kind words, but I need to do this for me.”
He stood up and shook her hand holding it tight in his own. “You will make a good federal officer Pacelli. When the time comes for you to leave, you and me, we are going to go out and have a drink.”
She blinked back surprised by his offer. “Sir, a drink?”
He laughed by the tone in her voice. “Once you’re not working with us anymore, I cannot be charged with misconduct by having a drink with you.”
“Sir, I would really like that.” She was seeing a side of Hagerty she never saw before. She really like this side of him and was a little saddened she never saw it before.
“Good. Then keep me informed on the process of the case. Your assignment starts in two hours. Call the Mayor and make the arrangements.” He ushered her off as his phone rang.
The snow cascaded down onto the city streets making the streets slick and dangerous. Danni drove with care as she watched the oncoming cars slide on the black ice and try to regain control of their vehicles. Just up ahead a black SUV with Oklahoma tags drove slowly, she tried to focus on the rear lights to guide since the heavy snow obscured her view. The weather cast called for six to eight inches of snow within the hour, and the city was not prepared for it. The sand trucks and plows had not made it out yet. She began to regret not buying the snow tires the salesman at discount tires tried to convince her to purchase. Several times she slid to the right and just before hitting the curb was able to recover in time. She let out an exasperated breath as she pulled in front of the Mayor’s mansion. She was annoyed that she had to protect the Mayor when he already had body guards on his payroll. She chuckled as she thought about the short fat want to be cop trying to fight off an intruder. “Suck it up Pacelli.” She rolled her eyes as the house came into view. She rationalized how she would have to get used it, because once she was working for the government, she would have to defend scum that were being hunted from other scum. She shrugged and knocked at the door. Several knoc
ks later a man dressed in all maroon opened the door, she stepped back and looked at the address again. She had to stop herself from laughing as the house and the man reminded her of the Adam’s Family mansion. She half expected to see a hand crawling across the floor as she stepped back to survey the entrance.
“Can I help you?” his deep and raspy voice gave her chills.
Danni flashed her badge and he stepped inside. “We have been expecting you.”
She walked into the foyer and eyed her surroundings. She winced as she thought how easy it was to just walk in after flashing her badge. Where are the body guard’s? She thought scanning the adjacent rooms. “Is the Mayor here?” she questioned as he closed the door behind her and made a mental note that he did not lock it.
“The Master will be down for dinner in a quarter of an hour,” he said emphasizing each word. He waved his hand for her to follow, Danni watched closely as he walked, his back hunched slightly. She assumed either he had osteoporosis or some other type of bone disease. The home was designed elegantly, and if she did not know for sure he was a single man, she would have automatically assumed a woman lived in the house.
The sound of glass breaking from one of the rooms in the house caused alarm. Panicked, Danni ran from room to room with her gun drawn. She ran into what looked like an office and found a picture frame window broken. She surveyed the window then the surrounding area outside. There were no branches which would have broken it, so ran back in the house and there on the floor next to the desk was a brick. She could not believe that no one else came running. What kind of protection did he hire? She frowned as she stood in the room alone.
She must have been taking pictures with her cell for twenty minutes before Andy Smith the short fat guard finally graced her with his presence. “Lazy Fuck.” she hissed the cuss word as she shot him a look of disgust as he strolled in acting like nothing happened. “Where in the fuck were you?”
“I was in the kitchen eating,” he said as a matter of factly.
“You fat bastard, you are hired to protect him and the only thing you care about is eating?” Her anger spilled over, and before he knew what was happening her fist connected with his jaw knocking him to the ground. “I am not going to let you get me killed. Either you go, or I quit,” she scorned, but before she could continue, the Mayor walked in from the hallway.
“You’re fired Smith.” Burns fumed as he stood over the man still spread out on the floor.
He scrambled to his feet and spoke calmly, though there was a powerful underlying authority style tone to accompany it. It had a rich texture but it didn’t need much more to make people take a step back. “When she gets you killed, I’ll laugh and say I told you so.”
Before he could continue, Danni wrapped her hand around his throat. As he struggled to get away, her grip got tighter around his neck and he turned a slight shade of purple. “Get the fuck out of here.” She let go and pushed him towards the front door.
“All the trouble he caused and he did not have the courage to be a man about it,” she hissed under her breath. “Spineless coward!” she spouted at the other body guard that just pulled up behind her car, but when he saw the look on her face and the Mayor’s, he trailed behind one of the Mayor’s black bulletproof cars. For a spit second, she could have sworn she saw the jelly fish sliding around out there.
She understood why the Mayor wanted her on his team. She was shocked how the coward ran from the house and jumped in his car. She actually wanted to leave herself, but she had a job to finish and when she committed herself, nothing or nobody would get in her way.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The perimeter of the house was secured. Danni supervised Stan the glass repair man as he measured the window for the new glass. He advised he would have the new window ready to install in the morning, and for a temporary fix he put a board over the window and secured it into the window frame. “I’ll be back in the morning, is there anything else I can do for you tonight?” He looked at her with curious eyes.
Danni just looked at him up and down and shook her head no. He gathered all his gear and put it all back in the truck. Her suspicious nature kicked in, she did not recognize the company name on the truck from around the area. She wrote it down and called for Tom the one body guard who stayed behind. “Did you call this guy?”
He stood a foot above her and had to lean down to talk. He explained the cook’s brother was dating the sister of the man who owned the repair shop. “He had to call him because no one else would come out in this weather this late at night.” He shrugged and stormed off aggravated that he had to explain anything to her, but Burns was adamant that he had to treat her with respect and give her full control or he would find himself in the same situation as Smith.
Danni dismissed his attitude as jealousy. He’s just mad because he has to report to me, well he can get over it. The thought made her laugh as she found the recliner in the living room which offered comfortable accommodations for the evening. Danni wanted to be on top of her game. Whoever threw the brick was not done yet, and she wanted to be ready and able to apprehend the person if something came up.
She made herself comfortable and dialed the number to the hospital. She had been busy all day and did not have a chance until now to check on Annabel. She prayed there was a change and let out a frustrated sigh when the nurse came on the line and offered no fresh news.
She recalled the last time they spoke. Annabel understood why Danni ordered her to stay in the car. She had leaned in closer and kissed her softly on the lips and assured her everything would be okay, but that was not the case. Something drastic changed, and if she did not pull through Danni did not know how she could face a tomorrow without her. She was crying again, she wanted nothing more on earth than to be with her. Just one more night, not even a whole day; she wiped the tears from her eyes as she watched the ugliest cat she had ever seen lay on the other chair curled in a ball. It opened one eye and glared balefully at her, she was a little startled and ready to shoot it if it attacked, but it did not move instead it closed its eyes again and let out a purr. Her own eyes heavy she was exhausted and emotionally drained, and just ready for this nightmare to be over.
She caught the scent of honey suckle, as though under a spell, she let the fragrance steer her through the pasture. Her eyes strained to find some indication of sanity. A strong gust of wind drew her further into the scent. She felt like she was being transformed, changed in some way but she understood the transformation, she knew she was in a dream state where time was not measured, and reality was what she made it. The grey haired man who sat beside her on the park bench hinted how to find the suspect, he told her to be aware of those around her and whispered a name, but she could not make it out.
Then her dream changed, she was dashing towards Annabel in seemingly slow motion. She was a few feet away but could not reach her. Then, it all went black and when the light came back on she was standing next to the surgeon as he operated on her. She could hear him say Annabel’s chances were slim. She bent down and kissed her hand and prayed for God to take all her strength from her and give it to Annabel. The scene suddenly changed, she was no longer in the hospital, but by a graveside. Three headstones erected in the ground and each had the last name Flanery. It was not until she saw Annabel’s name etching out slowly as she stood watching that she finally reacted. She reached out for the tool to stop it from scratching into the surface, but she could not stop it. She cried out and begged for anyone who was listening to not take her future happiness away. Suddenly a bright light blinded her, and the open field of gravestones changed. She sat side by side with Annabel on the couch laughing as they watched a toddler run around the house. The little blonde curly haired girl was the exact replica of Annabel. A banging noise echoed from a distance, it appeared to come from within her dream, and then all of a sudden she opened her eyes still groggy from the blissful dream. Reality was still blurred, until the noise got loader. She ju
mped up from the chair and surveyed the area.
The sound came from outside, she ran to the front door and flung it open with force and looked in every direction. She heard a grunt then a moan. Andy Smith the short fat no longer employed body guard lay stretched out on the ground outside the picture frame window. He choked and gagged as she lifted him up from the ground. A rope was wrapped around his throat. He tried to pull it away but it held him firmly. She reached down to help him up and released him from the bondage that was choking him. “What are you doing here?”
“I came back to get my gear that I forgot earlier and got attacked from behind,” he choked out the words.
“If you would have died tonight, it was no fault but your own.” She laughed but she did not think it was funny. She tried to support his heavy frame against her own. Just as they reached the front door a shot fired. The roar swept past her head, she put pressure against her right ear as it started to ring and then pulled her hand back down quickly to ensure there was no blood. Just as she pulled her gun and helped him up to get him inside, another shot was fired. This time it hit Andy. He went down and hit the ground with a thump. Danni ducked down behind the bush and tried to see where the shot was fired, but the snow and lack of lighting made it impossible. She thought she saw something move but it must have been her imagination because when she ran to the spot there was no one there. Flashes of lights filled the air; she could see the flashing lights of two patrol cars and one unmarked pulled in front of the house.
