by Joe Conlan
Five minutes later, Annie arrived in her fire-red BMW M6 convertible and parked next to the agent’s car. Through the rearview mirror of his Mustang, he watched as the agent held the door of the restaurant open for Annie. He could feel the rage simmering beneath the surface watching both Annie’s and the agent’s body language and facial expressions. It was clear to him that not only did Annie have feelings for this man, but the agent was more than just interested in a friendly relationship with her. He waited several minutes after they entered and then made his way across the parking lot toward the restaurant.
When Annie turned into the parking lot of J. Alexanders, she saw Daniel standing at the front entrance waiting for her. She gave him a quick wave then parked in the available space next to his Crown Victoria. She took a glance at herself in the rearview mirror, unnecessarily adjusted her hair, and exited the vehicle. After they passed through the double doors of the restaurant, Daniel greeted her with a small kiss directly on the lips. A sudden, but not unexpected sensation of heat flushed through her head, causing her face to turn a bright shade of red. She rapidly turned away from him to conceal her body’s betrayal and proceeded toward the hostess’s podium. Her argument that this lunch was completely innocent could have been thrown right out the window if Daniel had noticed.
The restaurant wasn’t very busy, so they were seated immediately at a booth along the rear wall. For the next hour, they talked about their professions, their families, and the good old days. They reminisced about their time together in college and joked about their near miss at the altar. They were so totally engrossed in each other that they didn’t notice within a half an hour of their arrival, the restaurant had filled to capacity. At the table directly across the aisle, the tall blond, well muscled man wearing a baseball cap and thick lens glasses also escaped their attention. If Annie had just taken a hard look to her left, she may have realized the man was the spitting image of Damien Drysdale.
To Shem, they were acting like two teenagers in love. The idea that Annie had that type of passion for another man was almost more than he could bear. There was no mistaking Daniel’s look into her eyes, either. Falcone was in love with her. When he heard that they had a serious relationship which nearly culminated in marriage, in his mind his suspicions were confirmed. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep himself from stabbing the FBI agent in the heart with the eight inch pocket knife tucked in his sock. He would have ended this disgusting display a long time ago if he wasn’t gathering some very useful information. He discovered that the agent was married, had two children, and that they lived in Hallandale. Falcone was very well educated, exceptionally smart, and resolutely ambitious. He would make for an extraordinarily formidable foe.
Shem had reached a point where he could handle no more regardless of the intelligence he was collecting. There was no way he was going to allow this love fest to continue. He got up from his table, found his server, and paid the check. On his way toward the exit, he scanned the restaurant, the wheels in his head furiously churning. A crowd had gathered at the bar and waiting area. The consistent high volume chatter and sheer number of people made for a chaotic scene. It was just what he needed to maintain a low profile. He stood among the flock for several minutes to observe. His eyes were drawn to a young mother standing toward the entrance with an empty stroller. She was involved in an animated conversation with what Shem assumed was her friend. Neither of the young ladies was paying a lick of attention to the two and a half-year-old girl who had become enamored with the stained glass decorating the entry doors. Taking advantage of the opportunity, like a phantom he glided unnoticed toward the exit, opened the door, grabbed the child by the hand and walked out. Once in the parking lot, he wasted no time whisking the crying baby into his arms and carrying her to his car. By the time the mother realized her child was gone, Shem was pulling out of the parking lot onto US1.
The high pitched screams of the horrified woman was the first thing outside of their own world they had created that Daniel and Annie finally acknowledged. Daniel immediately jumped from his seat and ran toward the direction of the commotion. He showed his identification to the distraught mother and the restaurant employee attempting to handle the situation. They informed Daniel that the woman’s child was missing. The mother, her friend, the manager and several restaurant employees had already searched the entire restaurant over the past five minutes. Daniel asked her a few quick questions about the girl’s description and where she was last seen then enlisted the assistance of the manager to check the parking lot. Together, they burst through the front double doors.
Two cars, a Cadillac Escalade and a Nissan Altima were in line waiting to pull out onto the road. Daniel sprinted toward the driver’s side of the front car with his ID held up in plain view, motioning the woman behind the wheel to stop. He ordered her to unlock the doors then searched inside the vehicle. Finding nothing, he moved on to the second car with no better results. Since there were no others leaving the parking lot, he instructed the manager to stand at the restaurant’s only exit to the street to prevent anyone else from leaving. Daniel then began a systematic search of the surrounding area including a visual check inside each parked car. As he combed the lot, he detached his cell phone from his belt to notify the field office of the missing child. He gave them the brief description of the toddler obtained from the mother and the circumstances behind the disappearance. During his search, employees and patrons from inside the restaurant joined him to provide extra eyes. An initial circuit of the parking lot proved fruitless.
Waves of heat bounced off the pavement, creating an illusion of oasis-like water puddles floating over the road surface. No cool front had passed through South Florida. Quite the contrary, the relentless heat wave continued to oppress in full force. Shem’s car’s air-conditioning seemed to have little effect, if any. Perspiration soaked his skin from head to toe. Every few seconds, he had to wipe the dripping sweat from his brow with a paper napkin to keep his vision from blurring. His state of mind was also playing a big role in his body’s failure to regulate its temperature. From the time he left his table at J. Alexanders, a fury had been festering in the bowels of his demented soul. Images of Annie’s lovelorn gaze whenever she looked into the eyes of the FBI agent persistently assaulted his thoughts. His efforts to suppress them had no more than a superficial effect.
The toddler provided little distraction. The instant he saw her, his plan was formulated. The ruckus caused by her disappearance would force the agent into action. Shem wasn’t prepared, however, for the intensity of the baby’s response. Her annoying shrieks weren’t what the doctor ordered for his volatile frame of mind. After leaving the restaurant, he picked her up, tucked her legs around his right hip and let the child instinctively grab behind his upper arm like the many fathers he had seen carrying their babies. At a normal pace, he walked to his to his car still parked in the Dunkin Doughnuts’ lot. He threw her in the back seat like a sack of potatoes, locked the door then assumed his place behind the wheel. The girl was now out of control. Her wailing filled the car and pounded against his temples. His screams to shut her up only made matters worse.
He checked the surrounding area to be sure they were not attracting any attention. The lot was packed with vehicles, but the closest people were on the other side of the restaurant. They were paying no mind. He started the car and pulled out of his space and onto Federal Highway. The child’s cries had reached a pitch that seemed to pierce through his skull to wring his brain. This could not last much longer. He had to put an end to it. He turned off the road into the parking lot for the California Pizza Kitchen and took the alley to the rear of the building. Seeing no signs of human presence, he parked his car beside one of two large dumpsters. There was no time to waste. It was one of the busiest hours for the restaurants in the area and an employee could show up at any moment. He grabbed the baby from the back seat, jumped out of the car leaving his door open and tossed her over the side of the dumpster.
The shock of flying through the air momentarily shut the girl up. Shem felt instant relief from her silence but didn’t wait to listen for her landing. He was already back in the driver’s seat. Minutes later, the hysterical child already erased from his thoughts, Shem was driving southbound on Federal Highway with no real destination. Cool blasts from the Mustang’s air-conditioner turned up to its maximum setting finally began to clear his mind of the stress of the afternoon. It was unusual and totally unacceptable that he had taken so long to calm himself. He had always been proud of his ability to modulate his anger and control his emotions in order to work through an issue with a sound mind but without mistakes. Now was not the time for it to desert him. Shem couldn’t afford to let the FBI agent get to him if they were going to be mortal enemies. His confidence in his ability to outwit the most brilliant of law enforcement officers was not enough. Being even-keeled, well-prepared, and at least one step ahead was absolutely essential. Before long, he would know everything there was to know about Falcone’s private and professional life. Maintaining the upper hand was more important than ever. While he remained nameless and unknown, he would be able to read the agent like a book.
Daniel had swept the parking lot of J. Alexander’s twice with no better success finding the toddler who had disappeared into thin air. The agency had already sent several more agents and representatives of the local police department to assist in the search. Daniel was about to begin the interrogation of potential witnesses inside the restaurant when his cell phone rang. The squad secretary for the FBI’s kidnapping division called to inform him that a child matching the missing girl’s description was found alive in the dumpster of the California Pizza Kitchen. Their head cook had called the Fort Lauderdale Police Department to report finding a screaming baby in their dumpster. They in turn notified the FBI who had put out the initial APB. The secretary was not sure if the victim had suffered any injury.
After sharing his intentions only with a colleague, Daniel hopped in his car and drove the short trip south to the California Pizza Kitchen. He wanted to be sure the victim was in a condition her mother could handle before he notified her that her child had been found. The head cook was standing just outside the restaurant’s entrance holding the hand of the crying girl who was standing on her own two feet- a good sign. Daniel quickly exited his vehicle looking closely at what appeared to be a perfectly healthy two year old toddler, though he called for an ambulance for confirmation. She had red stains covering her Kids-R-Us polka-dotted dress and pizza sauce on her face and in her hair, but otherwise she seemed unharmed.
The head cook explained that he had stepped out back for a cigarette break and heard the child’s echoing, ear-piercing wails. He knew immediately they were coming from inside one of their two dumpsters. A man well over 6 feet tall, he was able to step on the edge of its air vent and look inside. The child sat crying at the top of a pile of restaurant garbage filling the container to nearly ¾ its capacity. Luckily, the garbage men weren’t due until later that afternoon or the bin would have been empty. The girl was just outside of his reach and his footing on the slanted vent top was unstable. He quickly jumped down to the ground and ran back inside to grab a step stool from the maintenance closet. The couple of feet it elevated him was enough to allow him to lift the baby to safety.
Daniel immediately called his colleague at J. Alexanders to request that he escort the mother to the California Pizza Kitchen. When the agent notified her of her baby’s location, he didn’t have time to offer a ride. She was already on her way, sprinting almost faster than the agent could keep up. Being no more than one hundred yards from J. Alexanders, it took her well less than a minute to arrive. Once inside, she found her precious baby unscathed, in the arms of the restaurant manager, chomping on a big slice of cheese pizza. An indescribable wave of relief washed through her when she saw her daughter’s broad, tomato stained smile. They chose the perfect pacifier. It was her favorite food in the world.
For the next hour and a half, Daniel interviewed the mother, her friend, the head cook and potential witnesses at both restaurants. There was not one person who could say they saw the child leave J. Alexanders, nor did anyone see her at any time between her disappearance and when she was found by the cook in the dumpster. Though the mother indicated her child had an adventurous spirit and could climb like a monkey, Daniel didn’t believe she was capable of getting into the dumpster on her own. Fortunately, he could leave the resolution of that mystery to the kidnapping division. At least the paramedics then Imperial Point Hospital emergency room staff had determined the girl was in perfect health and not abused or sexually assaulted. It was probably some nut trying to teach the mother a depraved, perverse lesson for not keeping an eye on her child. He had seen crazier things. As for Annie, she left shortly after the child was found. Daniel never even got the chance to properly thank her for the lunch.
The heads of three construction workers turned in perfect unison as the beautiful woman in tight Donna Karan jeans and a red Michael Kors tank top strolled through the lobby of the Maya Marca Condominium. Annie Bryan felt as though she was walking on air. Having lunch with a gorgeous, intelligent, well put together man could have that effect on a woman, especially, she thought, when she was in love with him. Yes, she had to admit to herself she was still head over heels for the guy. For today, she wasn’t going to let the fact he was married with two beautiful sons bother her.
As she passed the security station and waved to Harry, the overweight security guard, she noticed her next-door neighbor, Hannah Richards, was waiting at the elevators. Annie’s mood was more than obvious in her cheerful greeting.
“Hi Hannah, beautiful day isn’t it?”
In her heavy New York accent, Hannah replied, “Well, hello sweetheart. I like your positive attitude, but it’s way too hot and sticky out there for me. It doesn’t do much for my hairdo. What do you think of it?” she asked as she felt along the side of her beehive with the flat of her palm.
Annie’s eccentric neighbor and dear friend always had a dome of perfectly quaffed, bright auburn hair rising about six inches above her head. For an elderly lady, she had unusually smooth skin and a trim, athletic body. Left widowed and filthy rich at the tender age of twenty-nine, she’d never remarried. She was now in her early seventies and living alone in a 5,000 square foot ocean-front condominium. She could thank several very expensive encounters with one of America’s most talented plastic surgeons for her youthful look. Annie thought that, at times, she dressed and applied excessive make-up like a common hooker. In spite of her appearance, she was one of the sweetest ladies on Earth and Annie adored her.
Thinking her hairdo looked the same as always, but not daring to say so, Annie responded, “It looks gorgeous, Hannah. Don’t tell me you were at the beauty parlor again. Doesn’t that make three times just since Friday?”
The elevator door opened and the two women stepped in. Annie pressed the button for the 14th floor as Hannah retorted, “Yeah, honey, they were havin’ trouble getting the color right and you know how picky I am when it comes to my hair. Do you like the color?”
Again, Annie noticed no difference. She said, “It’s perfect, Hannah. You look absolutely stunning.”
“Thank you darling. It takes a lot of work these days. More than I care to admit to. But you keep that beautiful mouth of yours shut. That’s between you and me.”
“Mum’s the word. My lips are sealed.”
They arrived at their floor, exited the elevator, and continued up the hallway. Hannah’s apartment was on the right. Annie’s was at the opposite end across from the elevator bank. Placing her key in the door, Hannah asked, “Annie, what are you doin’ for dinner tonight? I’m fixin’ a nice brisket. I’d love to have some company.”
Annie’s memory of Hannah’s previous brisket dinner was all too fresh in her mind. It tasted like braised shoe leather. Hannah wasn’t the greatest cook in the world and that was a monumental understatement. Annie politely decline
d, lying that she already had plans for the evening.
Disappointed, Hannah entered her apartment. Just before she closed the door, she said, “By the way, I’m going to New York this weekend to visit family and maybe catch a show. Would you mind keeping an eye on the apartment?” Hannah travelled quite frequently and Annie had a key to her apartment and mailbox.
“Sure thing, Hannah. I’ll pick up your mail too and leave it on your dining room table.”
“You’re a doll. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye. Take care. And if I don’t see you before you leave, have a great time in New York.”
Annie entered her apartment, threw her Cross bag on the kitchen counter, and decided she was going to treat herself to an afternoon nap. Lying on her favorite sofa in the living room, she daydreamed about her lunch with Daniel. Inevitably and quite intrusively, it led her to think about her conversation with her mother, regarding Michael. She had to admit it was getting old justifying her actions by telling herself she had always been excessively clear with him. It was obvious the man was very much in love with her. She tried to break it off several times, but Michael was so stubborn. He always assured her with the lie that he was happy with the way things were.
She knew if she were to be honest with herself, her mother was right. She wasn’t being very nice. In fact, she was probably stringing him along. She was sure Michael had hopes that some day she was going to have feelings for him. That just wasn’t going to happen. As she drifted into sleep, she made a commitment to herself and Michael. She would break up with him and be firm this time. It was best for both of them.
