Conspiracy (Alex and Cassidy Book 4)

by Nancy Ann Healy

  Dylan came bounding over and looked at his baby sister. He wrinkled his nose at the green gush. Mackenzie started laughing and banging her tray in excitement. Dylan repeated his expression.

  “Oh, you’re a big help,” Cassidy playfully scolded her son with a laugh.

  “What’s going on in here?” Alex asked, coming into the kitchen and setting down her briefcase.

  Cassidy smiled. “I would call it an exercise in futility,” she said.

  Alex looked at her mother who was merrily going about the task of placing cookies on a cookie sheet. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” Alex asked her wife.

  Cassidy scratched her brow and sighed softly. “Dylan, see if you can’t entertain your sister by getting her to actually eat, will you? Please?” Cassidy asked her son.

  “Sure, Mom. Come on Kenz, look…Mmmmmm,” Dylan said spooning up the peas and making a face. Kenzie reached for the spoon and smeared it onto the tray. “Kenzie,” Dylan laughed.

  Cassidy rolled her eyes as she followed Alex into the living room. “Your daughter is as picky as you are,” Cassidy began. Alex turned around to face her and Cassidy sighed again.

  “What is going on?” Alex asked pointedly.

  “I’ll assume we are not talking about your daughter’s aversion to anything green,” Cassidy replied. Alex’s expression was harsh and Cassidy met it with an equal stoicism.

  “What the hell is Mom doing in there?” Alex asked.

  “I’m pretty sure that was obvious. She’s making cookies.”

  “Yeah, I saw that. Why is she making cookies, Cass?”

  Cassidy took a moment to compose herself. She did not appreciate the tone in her wife’s voice. It was one thing for Alex to be protective or concerned. It was another to speak to Cassidy as if she were Alex’s child. “I would guess she’s doing it because she wanted to,” Cassidy answered evenly.

  “Cassidy. Jesus. She just had a heart attack. She shouldn’t be…”

  “She had a mild heart attack a month ago, Alex.”

  “You know,” Alex began to raise her voice.

  “What I know is that if you don’t lower your voice, this conversation is over,” Cassidy said pointedly. Alex took a deep breath. Cassidy could see her wife simmering. “I understand that you are worried, Alex. She knows her limits. Her doctor encouraged her to get moving. You need to stop treating her like a child. She’s not your child. She’s your mother,” Cassidy reminded her wife.

  “You don’t think I know that?” Alex barked.

  “Actually, Alex, I’m not sure what is going on with you right now.”

  “She should be relaxing. That’s why she is here. You know…”

  “I know that I am not your child either. I have two of those already,” Cassidy said. She loved Alex beyond words, but she had no intention of being interrogated like a teenager that got caught taking the car without permission.

  “She’s staying here so that she can rest, not cook!” Alex snapped.

  That was it. Cassidy was done. She nodded and took a step closer to her wife. They rarely argued. When they did, it was almost always caused by some outside pressure that made Alex short with her wife, or made Cassidy irritable enough that she snapped at Alex. The first had started this altercation, the latter would finish it. “Keep this up Alex, and your mother will be home before you want it. This house is not the Army, Captain Toles. You’re my wife and Helen’s daughter. You want to have a discussion? Fine. You want to express a concern? I will listen.” Alex started to interject and Cassidy warned her with a glare. “Don’t you come in here and dress me down like some soldier in your command. When you are ready to talk to me like the woman I married, you let me know. Right now, I need to feed our daughter and help your mother. Contrary to what you seem to think, I worry about her too.” Cassidy turned on her heels in disgust and left the room.

  Alex closed her eyes. She knew Cassidy was right. “Shit,” she mumbled. She hated feeling guilty. The guilt just made her frustration and anger rise closer to the surface. Alex headed up the stairs, taking them two at a time. She quickly shed her suit and slipped into her running clothes. She needed to calm down. She needed perspective. She needed to get away from everyone and everything. Alex needed to run. She hoped the cold February air might cool her off. Cassidy heard the front door close with a bang and jumped.

  Helen smiled at her daughter-in-law. “No cookies for her,” she joked.

  Cassidy appreciated the levity. Dylan had settled at the far end of the kitchen table with his homework. Kenzie was banging on her tray, and Cassidy laughed softly. “Tell me about it,” she said to her daughter. Kenzie pounded harder. “Why do I think you are going to be just like her?” Cassidy asked as her daughter began to throw a fit over her food and threw the peas forcefully onto the floor. “That was not nice,” Cassidy said gently, but firmly. She picked up the jar and tried not to laugh at the quivering lip her daughter sported. Cassidy wiped Mackenzie’s face and looked at her seriously. “Not nice to throw things,” she repeated, placing a kiss on Mackenzie’s head. Mackenzie reached out for her mother and Cassidy lifted her happily, delighting in the way the baby clung to her. “Yep, just like her,” Cassidy smiled. “I am in so much trouble,” she said.

  Helen laughed. “That’s an understatement.”

  ***

  “What is so important about this ghost of yours?” Claire Brackett asked her father.

  “Let’s just say that I am curious if such a person exists, and why that person would hide his identity for so many years.”

  Claire swung her feet up onto her father’s couch and reclined casually. “Please, you obviously have some idea who this is. Maybe you should just put his picture on a milk carton and see what you get.”

  “You are the milk carton, Claire,” Admiral William Brackett explained.

  “Just who do you think this is?” she asked. “Wait! I know! Peter Pan, right? Jesus, you have me chasing a shadow.”

  The Admiral laughed. “Cute, Claire. I’m glad you find this task so amusing.”

  “I don’t. I find it pathetic.”

  “Pathetic? I see. I would say vigilant,” her father answered.

  “You’re afraid,” Claire said. She sat upright and regarded her father carefully. “The great William Brackett afraid of a shadow.”

  Admiral William Brackett swirled the scotch in his glass and considered his response. He turned to his daughter slowly and nodded. “Not a shadow, Claire—a ghost. A shadow you can see. It reflects an object’s existence. Ghosts are careful never to project a shadow. A ghost is present and unseen, not the same thing. Ghosts move without your knowledge. They see things. They move things. They change things without you ever knowing. You should be afraid of ghosts.”

  Claire snickered. She often thought her father should have written science fiction or fables. He had spent hours reading tall tales to her when she was a child. This mission her father persisted with, finding this ghost, was out of character for him. She followed his directives mainly out of curiosity. She was beginning to question her father’s sanity. “Pretty soon you’ll be telling me this guy pulled the sword from the stone,” she said with a roll of her eyes. “Or better yet, he holds the keys to the Lost Ark of the Covenant,” she said with a caustic chuckle.

  William Brackett sipped his scotch. “If he exists, you have no idea how close to the truth that may be,” he murmured. “No idea.”

  ***

  Cassidy stood in the doorway of the nursery and watched Alex as she stood over Mackenzie’s crib. Alex had been on edge more than usual the last few weeks. Helen’s heart attack had shaken Alex to her core. Alex had spent years estranged from her parents. Over the last couple of years, she had not only rekindled a relationship with her mother, but the two had also become closer than Alex could remember. Cassidy was certain that the thought of losing her mother now frightened Alex beyond what she was able to articulate. There was more driving Alex’s earlier tension and outburst. Cassidy kne
w that as well.

  “I don’t think she’s planning to escape—yet,” Cassidy said from the doorway. She heard Alex sigh through an uncomfortable chuckle and made her way across the room. Cassidy wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist and kissed her back.

  Alex sighed again and closed her eyes. Cassidy’s touch always soothed her anxiety. “I’m sorry,” Alex said softly.

  “I know you are,” Cassidy replied. Alex turned and pulled Cassidy to her. “You all right?” Cassidy asked. Alex nodded. “Not very convincing Agent Toles,” Cassidy said with the raise of her eyebrow. Alex nodded again and looked back at Mackenzie. “Alex, what’s got you so upset?”

  Alex pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She bent over the crib and touched Mackenzie’s hair. “It’s hard to believe that this time last year we hadn’t even met Kenzie,” Alex smiled as she spoke. Cassidy watched silently and waited for Alex to continue. “I’m always thinking, how do I take care of you? What if something happened to me or what if I…”

  “Alex,” Cassidy pulled Alex gently to face her.

  “I do think about all of that.”

  “I know you do. It’s part of having a family,” Cassidy said. Alex nodded, closed her eyes, and started rubbing her temples. “Honey?” Cassidy called to her wife. Alex tried unsuccessfully to smile. “Come on,” Cassidy said, leading Alex across the hall to their bedroom. Cassidy shut the door and watched as Alex flopped back onto the bed in defeat. This was not Alex’s typical demeanor. Cassidy had seen Alex injured, in pain, even sick. There were only a handful of times in their relationship that Cassidy witnessed Alex feeling defeated. The first was when John Merrow had been assassinated. The second occurred when Alex’s father had died. And, the third happened when Helen was rushed to the hospital just after the New Year.

  Cassidy crawled onto the bed beside her wife and laid her head on Alex’s chest. “I know you are worried about your mother. She knows her limits. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have agreed to stay with us,” Cassidy reminded Alex.

  “I know,” Alex said.

  “Um-hum. And, I know there is something else bothering you, so spill.”

  Alex closed her eyes and took a moment to gather her thoughts. “This merger with MyoGen,” she began and then hesitated.

  Cassidy was aware of the reasons for MyoGen’s acquisition, perhaps not in detail, but Alex did not hide anything she deemed important from Cassidy. “Go on,” Cassidy encouraged her wife. Alex just sighed. “Alex, are you worried that the merger will fall through?”

  “Not really,” Alex confessed softly.

  “Okay? What is it?”

  Alex sighed and turned on her side to face Cassidy. “Jason called on my way home tonight.” Cassidy watched Alex closely as she continued. Alex had hired Jason Stratton soon after assuming her father’s role at Carecom. He was a Harvard educated economic guru. Alex had learned a great deal about corporate life and managing a company, but that was not her area of expertise. She had been concerned about how to manage the business successfully while still utilizing Carecom’s resources for her investigative efforts. Alex’s time and attention would always be split. Jason Stratton had been her answer to that equation.

  Cassidy noted the tension that was pulling at the corners of Alex’s eyes. “Alex?”

  Alex let out a heavy sigh. “There’s going to be layoffs, Cass. No way around that.” Alex always worried about the people Carecom employed and the people who would be affected by any of their acquisitions. It was Alex’s nature to be a protector. While Cassidy understood that Alex loved a challenge, it was her desire to protect others that drove Alex’s decisions. Cassidy smiled and her eyes twinkled slightly. “Why are you smiling?” Alex wondered.

  “Just remembering why I love you so much,” Cassidy said.

  “Yeah? I’m glad you do because I don’t like me very much right now.”

  Cassidy kissed Alex gently. “How many people?” she asked.

  “I don’t know yet. As few as possible. If I didn’t think this was so important…”

  “You would cancel the merger?” Cassidy guessed.

  “Yeah. I would.”

  “I’m sorry,” Cassidy said sincerely.

  “Those people have families, Cass. At least, a lot of them do,” Alex said sadly. “How did he do this all those years?”

  “Your father?” Cassidy asked.

  “Yeah. How did he do it? I mean all the things he did.”

  Alex’s discoveries regarding her father’s business dealings had been unsettling to her. He had directed funds to warlords in Northern Africa, engineered the use of Carecom for the delivery of weapons and parts to terrorists in Iraq, Afghanistan and a host of other nations. He had managed to funnel currency from illegal arms sales to foreign governments and devised secure pathways for money from campaign donations to the Central Intelligence Agency’s many business fronts. He had done it all through loopholes. Nicolaus Toles was a legal genius. The discovery that surprised her most was the evidence of his concern for Carecom’s employees. She had confided in Cassidy more than once that living in her father’s world only served to confuse her more about the man. It was the only puzzle in Alex’s life that she seemed incapable of solving.

  “I don’t know. How do you do it?” Cassidy asked.

  Alex shook her head. “Some days, Cass….I’m not sure what I am doing. It’s bizarre.”

  Cassidy caressed Alex gently. “Alex, you can’t save everyone all of the time. You know that.”

  “This morning I was in meetings about salary reviews and benefits. This afternoon Pip was sitting across from me.”

  Cassidy took a deep breath. “Everything okay with Pip?”

  Alex chuckled. “You mean professionally or personally?” she asked.

  Cassidy didn’t answer. Alex pulled her a little closer. Cassidy adored Jonathan Krause, but Alex knew that the mention of her brother’s name when it came to business always made Cassidy uneasy. Alex suspected it conjured images of danger. That was justified. It always brought Cassidy back to the time Alex had been shot. Alex held Cassidy and attempted to lighten the mood. “I think his personal frustrations might be making him see things,” she chuckled.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing. He’s following Claire, worried about what she is doing,” Alex commented.

  Cassidy propped herself up. “You think it’s because of Eleana?” she asked curiously.

  Alex groaned. “Only partly. There’s reason to be vigilant where Claire is concerned.”

  Cassidy lifted her eyebrow. She had little use for Agent Claire Brackett. The first time she had crossed paths with Alex’s brief lover had been less than pleasant. Alex’s revelations that Claire had moved onto an affair with Cassidy’s ex-husband, Christopher O’Brien, deepened Cassidy’s dislike and distrust in the woman. It was Claire Brackett’s role with her ex-husband in Alex’s injury that tipped the scales completely. Cassidy had been surprised to learn of the love affair between Eleana Baros and Claire Brackett. Eleana was intelligent, beautiful, and genuinely kind. Claire was beautiful. Cassidy could not deny that, but she was also conniving. That made her ugly in Cassidy’s estimation.

  “I don’t trust that woman,” Cassidy said.

  Alex laughed. “Neither do I.”

  “Do you?” Cassidy asked again. “Do you think that this is about Pip’s feelings for Eleana?” she clarified.

  Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She and Cassidy were both aware that Krause had feelings for Agent Eleana Baros. Eleana had become as much a part of their family as he had. The two were nearly inseparable, but something consistently held them back from a romantic relationship. Alex suspected that Eleana’s history with Claire Brackett was the primary driver, perhaps more so for her brother than for Eleana. Alex also knew that Krause’s concerns about Claire were warranted. Krause was an adept agent. He’d been immersed in the world of international espionage longer than Alex. He had learned to obe
y his senses as much as the information he gathered. Alex understood that. Her gut inclinations and reactions were almost always correct.

  “I do—partly, only partly. Claire is up to something and that never leads to anything good.” Cassidy’s face grew concerned and Alex kissed her gently. “He’s on his way to talk to Edmond in Paris. We’ll see what develops from there. Nothing for you to worry about.”

  “Alex…”

  “I’m sorry, Cass, about earlier.”

  “I know you are,” Cassidy said. “I know that you are worried about your mom. I am too.”

  “I know that. I didn’t mean to take it all out on you,” Alex said. Cassidy snickered. “Cass?”

  “Does that mean you are willing to make it up to me?”

  Alex tried to conceal her grin. “Did you have something specific in mind?” she asked Cassidy suggestively.

  “Yes, actually,” Cassidy said as she nuzzled Alex’s neck seductively. “I do.”

  “And, that would be?” Alex breathed heavily.

  “Oh, well,” Cassidy continued her assault between words. “You see,” she stopped and kissed Alex tenderly. “It seems,” she stopped again for another kiss. “That I have a little problem,” she began to explain while kissing her wife’s neck.

  “Anything I can help with?”

  “Mm...Possibly. Are you willing?” Cassidy asked as her hands lifted Alex’s T-shirt.

  “Anything,” Alex whispered.

  Cassidy smiled deviously down on her wife. “Glad to hear that. Your mother has an appointment tomorrow and your son has a birthday party at the same time. I’ll let you pick,” she said pulling back from Alex with a playful grin.

  Alex narrowed her gaze at her wife. Cassidy was pleased with herself. Alex could tell. It was a tiny, harmless bit of revenge after Alex’s earlier attitude. Cassidy was on the verge of laughter when Alex grabbed her and flipped them around. “Okay. Tomorrow we will decide who plays Mom and who plays the daughter,” Alex said.

  “Oh?” Cassidy asked. “And, tonight?”

  Alex’s answer was a passionate kiss. “Questions?” she asked her wife.