by Jessica Ashe
I might end up becoming quite familiar with bullet wounds if I carry on as a detective. Most of my colleagues moan that the job is all paperwork these days—I hope they’re right.
“All I’m saying,” Dad says, “is be careful. I’m worried you don’t know how to handle yourself around men like him. Speak to Sadie if you need to. She has loads of experience.”
“Francis,” Sadie says with mock indignation “you’re getting awfully close to needing to buy me dinner.”
“Sadie, stop flirting with my dad. Daddy, stop treating me like a child.”
“Okay, okay. Let’s go for coffee and I won’t say anything else on the matter.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
“Good, because I really like him. I don’t want you going all ‘retired cop’ on him, and I definitely don’t want to find out that you’ve done a background check.”
“Sweetie, I’m offended by the insinuation. There’s no way in hell I’d let you find out I’ve done a background check.”
I sigh, and grab my purse. That’s the best I’m going to get from him for a while.
“I’ll be back soon, Sadie.”
“Have fun. Oh, and Francis? These background checks? They’re comprehensive?”
“Very,” Dad says threateningly. “If men have secrets, I find them.”
“Interesting,” Sadie says. “I’ll be in touch, Francis.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to be busy,” Dad whispers as we head outside.
We go for coffee, and to Dad’s credit, he barely mentions Tanner at all. In fact, I think I bring him up more often than Dad does.
Tanner said we were dating, and he genuinely sounded like he wanted a relationship when we were in the bedroom. I assumed he was just saying that because he wanted sex again, but now I’m not so sure.
Me, in a relationship. With Tanner.
I only graduated law school five months ago, but I’m already looking forward to a reunion. There will be some seriously shocked faces if I turn up with Tanner on my arm.
I spent two years as the boring girl who had a boyfriend back home, and then one year as the girl who pined over the boy who cheated on her. No one would expect me to hook up with a guy like Tanner.
I hate being the subject of gossip, but just this once, I reckon I could live with it.
Chapter Fifteen
Tanner
That didn’t go well.
I’ve never met a girlfriend’s parents before. I’ve never had a girlfriend before, so it’s not been much of an issue.
Francis fits all the intimidating stereotypes. Strict parent and former cop. I bet he’s scared off a few guys over the years.
Not me. Francis is tough, but he has nothing on my commanding officers in the Navy. In the four years I served, I got yelled at more times than most people will in their entire lives. And I was one of the competent soldiers.
So yeah, I’m not scared of Francis, but he does worry me.
Former cops like to play Mr. Tough Guy, especially around their daughters. They also like to stick their noses into things where they don’t belong. Francis will try and get information out of me every time we meet, and I’m sure he’ll ask Elena plenty of questions as well. Not to mention his contacts in the police force. If he can get a job for his naïve young daughter, then I’m sure he can find out a bit about me.
That’s where the two of us may have a falling out. He’s not going to like what he finds.
Maybe I should come clean to Elena. If I tell her now, early on, she can’t get angry at me for keeping it from her. She can get angry at me for being a violent, lying jackass, but at least I’ll have confessed early. If she finds out later down the road, it’ll be much harder to beg for forgiveness.
But she’s a cop. If she were a lawyer like Sadie then it might be an option. I can’t tell the truth about who I am to a cop. She might even be obligated to act on it. Would she have to turn me in? If she does, I’m making her choose between me and her career. I can’t put her in that position.
I don’t want to risk bumping into Francis again right now, so I head to the bar and open early. Within two minutes of walking in, I remember why it’s not a good idea for me to take Sunday nights off. Empty bottles and glasses are still dotted around the tables, and I don’t even have to touch them to know they haven’t been cleaned. At least it gives me something to do—last thing I want right now is to be bored.
The second the clock strikes eleven—official opening time—Daron comes through the door and orders a whiskey.
“Bit early for that, isn’t it?” I ask.
“Need a bit of Dutch courage today.”
Daron isn’t anything like his ‘business associates.’ He’s not loud and aggressive. He needs a confidence booster every now and again, and it’s not uncommon for him to have a drink before a date with a girl he likes. That’s not what this is.
He’s agitated and can’t keep his hands still. He keeps looking around the bar, as if expecting to see someone he knows. I recognize the signs.
“Big job today?” I ask. I try to sound casual. I’ve done more than enough over the last year to earn Daron’s trust, but he’s always reluctant to share details of the job at first.
“Friday, but yeah, it’s big.”
I usually know when a big job is on the horizon, but this one has caught me by surprise. I’ve been distracted. Instead of listening to the guys talk as they drink, I’ve been thinking about Elena all the time.
Daron looks terrified. He often gets nervous right before a job, but not usually four days beforehand. Whatever it is, it must be huge. And dangerous.
I need to be there to look out for him.
“What sort of job are we talking about?” I ask.
It’s getting harder and harder for me to invite myself along with Daron. He’s gotten suspicious a few times in the past, but his desire to have me around as backup outweighs his doubts. I’m not sure the same can be said for his crew. If they haven’t suspected my motives yet, they soon will.
“I’m not sure how much I should say,” Daron replies. “Only the four of us know about this one, so it’s being kept tight.”
“Those three idiots can’t keep a secret to save their lives. They’ll be in here later today talking about it once they’ve got couple of drinks in them.”
Daron smiles, relieved to have an excuse to tell me. “We’re making a move on the Adams brothers.”
The Adams brothers? I don’t know them, but I know of them. Everyone in the city does. If even half of what I’ve heard is true… they are dangerous bastards and not to be messed with.
“What kind of move?”
“The ultimate move. The type of move you can only make once. We’re going in big.”
“Why? That sounds risky. You know I’m not a huge fan of Jay and the lads, but they don’t usually take risks like this. You’d be better off making small moves and trying to remain undetected. If you fuck up—”
“If we fuck up, we’re dead. Trust me, I know that. I tried to convince them to stay away from the Adams brothers. Jay is determined to claim that territory, and he thinks it’s best to do it in one go. He figures if we can eliminate the brothers themselves then everyone will step in line with us.”
“That’s not going to happen,” I reply firmly. “Their organization is huge. Even if you manage to eliminate both brothers, they have plenty of cousins and nephews ready to take their place. You really think they’re going to follow Jay?”
“Honestly, no, but what choice do we have? We’re barely scraping by as it is.”
I’d suspected as much. Jay and his crew have done some huge deals in the last year. I’ve even been there on jobs when they’ve pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in cash for little risk. I’ve also been there when they’ve spent it. You’ve never seen people get through money so quickly.
They’re getting desperate. They must be if they’re going after the Adams brothers. This job is g
oing to be dangerous and I’m not sure me coming along will be enough to keep Daron safe. We’ve been on jobs with guns before, but even if we go in armed to the teeth, we’ll still be overwhelmed.
“Maybe now is the time to retire from all this,” I suggest. I’ve tried to get him to leave many times, and my words always fall on deaf ears. Still, I have to try.
“You know I can’t do that. I need the money for Mom and Dad.”
“I’ll have a word with the owner of this place again. We need another set of hands.”
“He ain’t going to hire me. He made it quite clear last time that he’ll never hire anyone with a criminal record. He isn’t the only one. No one looks twice at a guy like me. Look on the bright side; if this job goes well, I can take a year off. Maybe more.”
“If it doesn’t go well, you’ll never have to work again.”
“This is huge,” Daron says emphatically. He’s trying to pretend he’s excited and not scared. I know what’s coming. “If we can take over their organization the money will just flow in. Have you seen the cars they drive?”
He’s going to ask. He’s gearing up to it, I can tell. Might as well put him out of his misery.
“I want in,” I say firmly.
This is usually the part where Daron pretends he doesn’t want me to come along. This time he’s too desperate.
“You sure?”
I nod. “I could do with a few months off work. Tell the lads I want in.”
“I’ll ask them to invite you, but don’t let them know we discussed this. Seriously, they’re intense about secrecy this time. What do you want to carry?”
“I’ll bring my own piece.”
“Better to use unmarked weapons. This shit is going to get noticed. We won’t be able to keep the fuzz away from this one.”
“Trust me, my gun is untraceable.”
Daron’s visibly relieved, but he shouldn’t be. I’ve kept him safe before, but this isn’t a casual shake down or a bit of debt collection. Jay and his gang are in way over their heads. They don’t know how to plan for an operation this big, and no matter how good a shot I am, it’s not going to be enough.
They need to let me in on the ground floor. At the very least, I might be able to stop them walking in through the front door and getting blown to bits. Jay has watched one too many action movies and thinks he’s invincible. I don’t give a shit what happens to him, but Daron is a different story. Daron is my responsibility and I’m going to make damn sure he makes it out of this alive.
“We could go on vacation together,” Daron says. “Fucking hell, can you imagine how much pussy the two of us will get if we go out on the town splashing the cash.”
“No offense, man, but if I go on vacation, it will be with Elena. That’s the only pussy I want right now.”
“Shit, that got serious quick. How did she lock you down so easily?”
“Honestly, I have no fucking idea. But I’m not complaining.”
“She’s a good lay then? I got to be honest, she looked kind of boring to me. Figured she would be the type to lay there stiff as a board.”
“She’s nothing like that,” I reply angrily. “Just because she doesn’t have her tits hanging out and walk around in little more than a belt, doesn’t make her boring.”
“All right, calm down. Glad to hear one of us is getting some.”
“I’m not just getting some; I’m getting a lot.”
“Shit, no need to rub it in.”
I smile smugly and offer Daron another drink on the house. I am rubbing it in, but it’s nice to have something to brag about for once. The other lads have always been jealous of all the women I fuck, but it’s never been a big deal to me. I just did that to pass the time. Now I have something and someone to look forward to. Damn straight I’m going to brag about it every chance I get.
I want to show her off to everyone I know… except everyone I know tends to stay clear of the police as much as possible. And I have certain acquaintances she should never meet.
We’re going to have to lead separate lives for the time being, but one day soon, I’m going to get myself out of this mess. I can’t hide my past from Elena forever… but perhaps a few more weeks won’t hurt.
Chapter Sixteen
Elena
No sooner do I get one project off my desk then another one appears.
I try to see the positives. Everyone here knows I only got the job because of my dad, but they’re still giving me work to do. That must mean I’m not completely useless, right?
Better to be busy than bored, I suppose.
Chicago has an organized crime problem. Actually, it has two organized crime problems. There are two main families who control the city to a degree I thought only happened in Hollywood movies. The Adams brothers, and the Connellys. From what I’ve gathered, the Adams brothers are the most powerful, but the two families generally avoid direct conflict. They’ve laid out their territory, and they stick to it.
This high-level organized crime isn’t my problem. Not directly, anyway. We have a task force dedicated to bringing them down, or at least keeping them on their toes.
I’m dealing with the second organized crime problem. The wannabes. The Adams and the Connellys live lavish lifestyles, and other criminals want a piece of the action. Over the last year or so, small groups have popped up and tried to challenge the bigger families. Most of them disappear quickly, but a few are sticking around.
My job is to find out which of these small groups are operating in the city and which of them pose an immediate threat to innocent citizens. Identifying crime isn’t a problem; the difficult part is distinguishing between random acts of violence and attempts at something more organized.
Is a broken shop window an act of mindless vandalism, or is it punishment for not paying protection money?
There are at least three small groups underneath the two main families, and in a strange way, they are the most dangerous. I’ve read enough of the files to know that the Adams and Connelly families are dangerous and ruthless when they need to be. They’re also intelligent. They don’t do anything to attract attention, and for the most part that means they don’t kill or seriously injure innocent people. These other groups vying for power are not so clever. They have been known to conduct armed robberies in broad daylight and are clearly unaware of the word ‘subtlety.’
Arlene thinks trouble is brewing, so not only do I have a lot of work to do, I need to do it fast.
“Stop what you’re doing.”
I look up to see Arlene standing beside my desk just as she drops down a pile of papers an inch thick.
“I’ve been reading your analysis,” Arlene says, “brilliant stuff by the way.”
“Thanks.”
“I want you to focus on these gentlemen.”
I flick through the files and see three familiar faces. They’re working together as a small and nimble unit, and as far as I can tell they’ve been going for at least a year. The most serious crime I’ve pinned on them is an armed robbery, although no shots were fired, and the victims were drug dealers. Not exactly a high priority for the police department.
“Why these three?” I ask.
“They’re getting desperate. You linked five crimes to them in the past month, and that’s just the ones we know about.”
“They were fairly small offenses. Just debt collection stuff.”
I’m amazed at how quickly I’ve become so blasé about these things. ‘Debt collection stuff’ in this case means beating someone to a bloody pulp because they owe money. People recover from black eyes and broken noses. Some of the other things I’ve seen… not so much.
“That’s how I know they’re desperate. I’d wager they’re struggling to get by right now, which means they might try something big. They have a record of armed robberies, and sooner or later one of those robberies will end in something much worse.”
“What do you want me to look for?”
“A location. It’s ti
me we get out there and introduce ourselves to these monsters.”
We?
Arlene disappears before I can ask her to clarify. That had to be a slip of the tongue. She must have meant ‘we’ as in her and the more senior detectives. I haven’t even passed my gun safety course yet. Until I pass that, there’s no way I’ll be out on the streets. No way in hell.
“Get changed, we’re going out for a drink,” Sadie says as soon as I step in the door.
I’m amazed she’s home before I am, let alone that she has time to go out for a drink.
“Don’t you have to work?”
“I’ve billed over sixty hours in the last five days, and I’ve gotten four hours sleep a night at most.”
“Then maybe you should get some sleep.”
“Fuck that. I need a drink.”
My stomach’s still in knots from the fear that I might have to ‘hit the streets’ for work. What I need is Tanner, but he’s at the bar tonight. Oh well, two birds, one stone and all that.
Sadie gets far more dressed up than she needs to for a dive bar like Hard Times, which means she plans on hooking up tonight. So do I, but fortunately I don’t need to brave the cold evening air wearing little more than a boob tube and a short skirt. Not that I’m completely covered up—I’m showing enough skin to distract Tanner.
The bar’s practically deserted, so Tanner notices us as soon as we walk in. He immediately stops whatever conversation he was having with one of the customers and starts making us drinks.
I act cool and casual, assuming Tanner won’t want any public displays of affection, but he reaches over the bar and kisses me passionately on the lips. For a blissful moment, I forget where we are and kiss him back so intently I’m almost climbing on the bar to get closer to him.
“Don’t mind me,” Sadie says dryly.
“Yeah, Tanner,” the man at the bar says. “We don’t need a reminder of how happy you are.”
