by L. K. Hill
Gabe nodded. He met Tanya’s eyes before following Shaun out, hoping she would keep Mrs. Carlotta calm. The older woman gripped Tanya’s hand tightly, seeming genuinely comforted by her presence. Tanya gave him a single nod, as though she understood.
“This is bad, Gabe,” Shaun said when they were in the hallway with the door firmly shut behind them. Gabe stood with his back to the conference room while Shaun faced him. Shaun kept his voice low and barely moved his lips, as though afraid Mrs. Carlotta would read them through the conference room window.
“How bad?” Gabe asked, knowing Shaun wouldn’t want to see him privately unless there was something he didn’t want to alarm the girl’s mother with. “What doesn’t Mrs. Carlotta know?”
Shaun heaved a sigh. “Apparently this secret play spot the little girl has is in a cubby closet under some stairs in one of the unused guest bedrooms. The housekeeper has cleaned it before. She remembered what wing of the house it was in, but not which specific bedroom. That’s why it’s taking some time. They have a dozen or so rooms to check.”
“How will they know the right one? I mean, what if she’s not in her hiding place? How will they know they’ve found it?”
“Apparently there’s a fireplace in the room with a short little door next to it. Inside the door is where she goes. Even if she’s not there, the housekeeper says there are fluffy pink pillows and Barbie dolls and probably a pink tea set. Should be pretty hard to miss.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“To get there, the unies went through a narrow corridor used only by the servants. They found blood on the wall.”
Gabe frowned. “Wasn’t the house searched earlier?”
“Of course, but this is a passageway only the staff uses. No one thought to tell us about it and it’s somewhat camouflaged so the unies missed it in their sweep.”
Gabe groaned. Wonderful. Always great to learn they’d overlooked something important. “Do we know whose blood it is?”
Shaun shook his head, looking worried. “We’ve dispatched CSU to take a sample, but none of the employees have reported any injuries, and they’re all accounted for. The only person who isn’t is Evelyn Carlotta. If she was dragged through that hallway…bleeding…” Shaun shook his head.
“You think they’re going to find a dead child in that closet,” Gabe said quietly. It wasn’t a question.
Shaun sighed again, and it occurred to Gabe how exhausted he looked. He wasn’t the only one who hadn’t slept in more than twenty-four hours. “I honestly don’t know, Gabe. I hope not, but I think it’s something we should prepare for.”
He glanced over Gabe’s shoulder and into the conference room. “What’s the delivery girl’s story?”
Gabe quickly related what Tanya told him outside the bar. “Hm,” Shaun grunted. “You think she’s being forthcoming?”
Gabe hesitated. “Yes and no. I think she genuinely cared about Kenny and the Carlottas. I think she wants to help.”
“But?”
“She’s still hiding something. She thought a little too long about her answers, even if they did seem genuine. I think she’s being careful not to reveal too much.”
“About what? Kenny?”
Gabe shook his head. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. She’s got bruises all over her face and neck. Could be that she doesn’t want to get involved because she’s got an abusive ex-bastard out there she doesn’t want to make angry.” Gabe sighed. “I just don’t know.”
Shaun nodded. “Well, we can respect her privacy to a certain extent, but if there’s anything else she knows about the murder…”
“I know. I’ll keep working on her. She does seem to care a lot about this little girl. If Evelyn isn’t in the closet, or is…hurt, it may be enough for Tanya to break down and tell us whatever she’s been hiding. Not that I’m hoping the little girl isn’t okay.”
Shaun opened his mouth to answer but just then his phone rang. He glanced into the conference room again and stepped in front of Gabe. Gabe straightened to his full height. He was four inches taller than Shaun and, from where Mrs. Carlotta and the others sat in the conference room, they wouldn’t be able to observe Shaun’s expressions or even know he was taking a call.
“Thatcher.”
Gabe watched Shaun’s face carefully. At first he frowned, then his eyes grew wide. His eyebrows rose to his gray-peppered hairline and his mouth fell slightly open.
A cold pit dug its way into Gabe’s stomach. There wasn’t much that shocked Shaun, not after thirty years on the job. Obviously they hadn’t found the girl alive and well and playing tea party with her dolls. It hadn’t been a realistic hope, but Gabe was disappointed just the same.
“All right,” Shaun said. He’d closed his mouth, though he didn’t seem to be able to return the width of his eyes to normal. “Yes. That’s fine. Call me when you know more.” He hung up the phone.
“What is it?” Gabe asked.
Shaun pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, then ran a hand over his face.
“Did they find Evelyn?” Gabe pressed.
Shaun shook his head. “No. She’s not there.”
Gabe let out his breath in relief. “Thank heaven. Geez, Shaun, by the look on your face, I was sure they’d found a body.”
Shaun’s gaze shifted up to him. “They did.”
Gabe went very still. “If not the girl’s, then whose?”
“The nanny’s.”
Gabe leaned back against the conference room door, trying to process that. “The nanny’s? I thought she went out of town for some family thing.”
“She did. Or she was supposed to. Doesn’t look like she ever made it. Gabe, her throat was cut and she was folded up into that cubby closet like a rag doll. The unies say it’s tiny—most adults couldn’t stand up in it. The nanny’s body was shoved in there to hide it.”
Gabe ran a hand through his hair. “That doesn’t bode well for this little girl.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Shaun muttered.
“What do you want to do?”
Shaun sighed. “We need to tell Mrs. Carlotta that her daughter wasn’t there…”
“You don’t want to tell her about the nanny?”
“No, I don’t,” Shaun admitted, passing a hand over his eyes. “But I don’t see any alternative.”
Shaun moved to go around Gabe and back into the conference room.
“Wait,” Gabe put a hand on Shaun’s arm. “Maybe I do.”
“Maybe you do what?”
Gabe ran plans and scenarios through his head. It was only a hunch, but he felt strongly about it. “Can I use your office?”
“For what?”
“Give me five minutes before you tell Mrs. Carlotta anything. Just say they haven’t called back yet. I’d like to take Tanya aside and tell her the truth.”
Shaun raised an eyebrow. “You think it’ll get her to be more forthcoming?”
“I think if she’s hiding anything pertinent to the case, I may be able to get her to talk. Like I said, five minutes. If nothing comes of it, we’ll tell Mrs. Carlotta everything.”
Shaun hesitated, thinking it over. He nodded. “Fine, but I want to sit in while you question her.”
Gabe nodded. “Yeah. Agreed.” Shaun might be better than he was at getting Tanya to talk. Besides, he’d have to tell Shaun everything afterwards. It would save him time to just have Shaun sit in on the interview.
Shaun opened the door to the conference room. Mrs. Carlotta raised her eyebrows hopefully. “No word yet, Mrs. Carlotta,” Shaun said gently. “They’ll call me as soon as they’ve found it. Any time now.”
Looking crestfallen, she nodded.
“Ms. Roberts?” Shaun said. “Could we see you for a minute?”
Tanya immediately took on a wary look. She glanced past Shaun to where Gabe stood in the hallway before nodding. “I’ll be right back,” she murmured to Mrs. Carlotta, who didn’t acknowledge her. Caleb stepped clo
ser to his employer and took her hand when Tanya moved away.
She made her way into the hall, raising a questioning eyebrow at Gabe.
“We just want to ask you a few more questions,” Gabe said. “We don’t want to upset Mrs. Carlotta, so we’re going to use Shaun’s office. This way.”
He led her through the corridors to Shaun’s shoebox of an office. Shaun followed him in and shut the door. By then, Tanya’s eyes had grown wide.
“What’s wrong? Something’s happened.”
Gabe looked to Shaun, letting him take the lead. Shaun went around behind his desk and sat, motioning for Tanya to take a seat on the other side. She moved to stand in front of the chair, but didn’t sit. Gabe went to stand at Shaun’s elbow.
“Ms. Roberts,” Shaun said, “we need you to tell us everything you know about this case.”
Tanya frowned, looking between Shaun and Gabe. “I have.”
“We don’t think you’ve told us everything,” Shaun said, shaking his head His voice was firm, but not judgmental. “What else do you know?”
“I know you haven’t told me everything, Tanya,” Gabe said quietly. “What is it you don’t want to say?”
Tanya opened her mouth defiantly when Shaun spoke, but after Gabe’s words, she closed it, looking away. “I…” she shook her head. “I can’t…I’ve told you what I can about the case. I have kept other things from you but they’re private.” She put her shoulders back and managed to raise her gaze to Shaun’s. “I’m allowed to have my privacy.”
“You are,” Shaun nodded. “But sometimes things can have a bearing on a case and you might not realize it. It’s a judgment you need to let us make, Ms. Roberts. It’s our job.”
She didn’t look convinced, so Gabe leaned forward, resting his hands on Shaun’s desk. “Look, whatever it is you’re hiding, you don’t have to be afraid of us. We would never put you in danger. On the contrary, we want to help protect you against…whatever it is you’re hiding from.” He couldn’t keep his eyes from sliding toward her bruises. Tanya shrugged self-consciously. She swallowed, rubbing her chest, and looked away. “Tanya,” Gabe said quietly, and she turned back to him, chest heaving. “This little girl has already been missing for twenty-four hours. We don’t have much time to find her.”
She studied her hands, looking torn. “We should…we should wait and see what your officers find in her hiding place.”
“They’ve already found it,” Shaun said quietly. “We just didn’t tell her mother yet.”
Her eyes widened in alarm. “Why? Is she there?”
“No.” Gabe said.
She let out her breath, but the worry didn’t leave her eyes. Gabe could read the thought there. She’s not dead, but then where is she?
“Tanya,” he said, still keeping his voice calm. “It gets worse.”
She looked up at him, then, and he could see the dread filling up her eyes. “How?”
“Her nanny is dead.” Gabe watched Tanya closely.
Her eyes widened to the size of saucers. “What? Jeanine’s dead?”
“Jeanine Tully—yes.” Shaun nodded. “She was found in the little girl’s hiding place with her throat cut and no sign of Evelyn.”
That did it. Tanya’s shoulders slumped. She fell into the chair behind her and clapped a hand over her mouth. Gabe exchanged expressions with Shaun before going around the desk to squat in front of Tanya.
“Tanya? What do you know about this? We need you to tell us.”
Her eyes were suddenly moist, and she pulled her hands away from her mouth with obvious effort. She glanced at him several times, each time immediately shifting her eyes away again. “I’m not,” she swallowed. “I’m not a delivery driver. Or at least not just that.” She swallowed again. “I’m a writer. I’ve been undercover, in a way, doing research on the Sons of Ares gang.”
Gabe’s eyebrows jumped in surprise. He glanced over to see his emotions mirrored on Shaun’s face. “You’re…a writer?” Shaun asked, truly surprised for the second time in ten minutes.
Tanya nodded miserably. “What I can tell you is that the Carlotta family has powerful ties to the Sons of Ares.”
Gabe frowned and even Shaun looked skeptical. “Kenny told you they were making deliveries to the Carmichael district, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re part of the gang.”
“The Carlottas are a respectable family,” Shaun put in. “Old money, from Italy.”
Tanya shook her head. “That’s true, but so is what I said. They have ties to the gang, they just hide it very well. Most of their business is legit. They keep the extra-curricular stuff off the books. I’m not even sure if their accountant is aware. But I’m telling you, it’s there.” She took a deep breath. “What I told you Kenny said…”
“Wasn’t true, was it?” Gabe asked.
She hesitated. “It was and it wasn’t. Not all of the things I told you came directly from my conversation with Kenny that night in the bar. They’re all things I’ve come across in my research. I gave you just enough so that, if you’d had the chance to look into it over the next few days or weeks, you would have come to the same conclusions I have.”
“Then why didn’t you just tell me?” Gabe asked, exasperated. “Do your trust issues run that deep?”
“Yes!” She glanced around and moderated the tone of her voice. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you. Look, I’ve been doing this for two months. You have no idea how thorough this gang is. They run it like a business—a highly suspicious one, complete with background checks and private investigators to tail the employees. I have to be completely paranoid if I expect to sur—get the information I need.”
If I expect to survive. That’s what she’d been about to say. Gabe huffed out his breath, but before he could speak, Shaun voiced the thought for him.
“This is an extremely dangerous undertaking, Ms. Roberts,” he said quietly. “The Sons of Ares is one of the most violent gangs in the country. One misstep, and you could disappear forever.”
A sad look came onto Tanya’s face, and he thought she was fighting back tears again. “I know,” she managed through clenched teeth.
Shaun gazed at her for several seconds before nodding. “Okay. What does all this mean for little Evelyn?”
She dropped her gaze again, obviously distressed at the reminder. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, almost as though gathering her thoughts, then crossed her legs and straightened her shoulders. “At any given time, there are a dozen or so guys that do the gang’s dirty work.”
“Dirty work?” Gabe asked.
“Executions, beating the hell out of anyone who doesn’t pay what they’re supposed to…you know, muscle work?”
He nodded.
“Now,” she went on, “it changes constantly as people advance in the hierarchy of the gang, but I happen to know who all the thugs are right this minute. I could give you their names and guarantee that it was one of them who killed Kenny…”
She paused and Shaun arched an eyebrow. “That would be…most helpful,” he said.
She fidgeted, her toe tapping nervously in the air. “Of all of them, I can only think of one that might actually take Evelyn.”
“Who?” Gabe asked. She paused again and he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her. The suspense was killing him.
“His street name is Norse.”
Shaun immediately turned to his computer and started pounding on the keyboard. “Like a Norse god?”
She barked a mirthless laugh. “Yeah. I’m sure it’s a name he chose for himself.”
“How do you know about him?” Gabe prodded her while Shaun typed, looking for prior records.
“I’ve been focusing my research on these low-level thugs,” she said, turning to face him. “I know a lot about all of them, but especially Norse. They’re…” she studied her hands. “They’re my ticket into the gang.”
Shaun’s hands froze over the keys. He turned his head slowly to look at her.
She studied the name plate on Shaun’s desk, shrugging. “I don’t want to become a full member. Pretty sure their initiation involves murder. Obviously that’s not something I would consider doing. But their lowest-level members aren’t required to perform the initiation. If I can stay at that level, but be part of the everyday workings of the gang, I can learn a lot about them.”
“Ms. Roberts,” Shaun said diplomatically, turning fully to Tanya, lacing is fingers and resting his hands on the desk in front of him. “I don’t think you fully appreciate how dangerous this is.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I do.” She opened her mouth to say more, but Gabe talked over her.
“We don’t even send undercovers into this gang.”
She frowned at him. “Why not?”
“We had two men deep undercover in the Sons of Ares,” Shaun said. “Last year, one of them was murdered. We pulled the other out because we couldn’t be sure he wasn’t compromised. He’s safe, but he and his family will be in witness protection for the rest of their lives. It’s not something to be done lightly.”
“I’m not doing it lightly,” she protested.
“Even if you can avoid the actual initiation like you say,” Gabe said, “they…do things to their employees, even at the lowest levels. If you piss the wrong one off, they’ll kill you without batting an eyelash. And…” he struggled to find words that would be tactful, but also drive the seriousness of what she was doing home. “Being a woman…they’ll also do other things.”
She gave him a level-eyed look. “If you mean rape, I know they do that too.”
“Then why put yourself in that position?” Gabe burst out.
“Gabe, calm down,” Shaun said quietly.
Gabe stood up and turned away from her, running his hands through his hair. He didn’t know why he was getting so worked up about this, but it was unreasonably dangerous. A pretty woman like her—slender, healthy, sandy-blond hair, very upper middle class-looking—had no chance of infiltrating a gang like the Sons of Ares. If she approached them, they’d have a hearty laugh at her expense and then in all likelihood gang rape her. He only barely kept himself from voicing the thought.
