by LS Sygnet
Instead of easing her worry, I held her hand and coached her breathing until the paramedics arrived.
“Please, please help me!” she wailed. If not for the slimy lubricant on her hands, I doubt anything could’ve broken her death grip on me. “Helen, please. We’re practically family! Help me. Someone is going to hurt my baby!”
I let the paramedics pry us apart and stumbled backward against Devlin’s chest.
“You all right?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea what to make of that. What just happened?”
“Hysterics, I think,” he said. “Datello probably staged the whole thing for sympathy.”
“I don’t think so, Devlin. You don’t fake that kind of bleeding. She’s in trouble.”
“Really?”
“I think it’s called an abruption. The placenta tears away from the uterine wall.”
Devlin’s eyebrows inched close together. “Is this something someone could’ve done to her?”
“No,” I said. “If someone had attacked her, believe me, we’d have known about it. This was spontaneous.”
“Do you think somebody is really threatening Datello’s family?”
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. It’s like I said before, Devlin. Datello is living on borrowed time. What I find shocking is that Stefano got this hearing before the judge in the first place. I wonder why Zack looked so worried.”
“Let’s ask him,” Devlin said.
The crowd was pushed back to the prosecution’s side of the aisle anyway to make room for emergency treatment of Celeste Datello. Devlin and I inched our way toward Zack and his co-counsel.
“Hey,” Dev tapped on his shoulder.
“Oh, hello detective. Helen.”
“You looked a little worried when we came into court today, Zack. What’s really going on behind this motion for a continuance?”
He shook his head. “I wasn’t certain. We thought that Stefano might’ve hurled accusations that the police department was behind these threats.”
“Not the department,” I said. “You were afraid that Datello would point the finger at me, which he did, but not before the judge already made her ruling.”
“You haven’t had any contact with him since his arrest, have you, Helen?”
“Not a single word. I hadn’t seen his wife until the first pretrial hearing. It’s not my style to do something like that anyway. If I have a problem with someone, we’ll have it out then and there. I have no interest in Mrs. Datello, beyond feeling a great deal of pity over her poor choice in husband.”
“Curious that she seems to think you’re the one to protect her family now, isn’t it, Helen?” Zack said. “Danny and Celeste seem to be divided on their opinion of you.”
I snorted softly. “We’re practically family. That’s what she said. She ought to be careful about making such statements. Might get back to her husband. God only knows what he’d do to her if he heard her say such a thing.”
“Helen, about that,” Zack said.
“About what?”
“I have concerns about them using this familial relationship in open court. Now I know that you never had anything to do with Datello while you were married to his cousin, but –”
“Don’t go there, Zack,” I said with soft finality. “I didn’t even know that my ex was related to Datello while we were married. Had I known before, there wouldn’t have been a wedding. If you need someone to testify that I was targeted for marriage as a potential insurance policy, contact David Levine. They concealed that family relationship so well that not even the FBI uncovered the truth when I was vetted for employment.”
“I already know they’re going to try to drag your father’s criminal history into this to impugn you, Helen,” he said.
“Oh, so now I’m responsible for what my father did when I was a child?”
“Of course not,” Zack said. “But on the other hand, you know as well as I do how juries eat this stuff up.”
“Then you need to focus on a few facts to bring them back to reality. For instance, when David Ireland was murdered sixteen years ago, I was twenty-two, unmarried and had never heard of Rick Hamilton or Danny Datello and Sullivan Marcos. I was fresh out of undergraduate school, working on my master’s degree in psychology.”
“I know that, Helen.”
“There wasn’t a damn thing even remotely related to these men in my life. As for my father, I hadn’t seen him since his arraignment hearing three years earlier. It’s been almost twenty years since I’ve seen or spoken to him.”
“I know, but –”
“Then it’s your job to make the jury see that, to make sure they don’t forget that I devoted my life to stopping men like my father, like Datello and Marcos. For heaven’s sake, Zack. Look at what we’ve accomplished in less than a year in Darkwater Bay.”
“Unfortunately, there are still pockets of citizens who think Datello was good for Darkwater Bay.”
“You were supposed to minimize their presence on this jury, Zack.” Devlin said. “And while I realize that there are bound to be some union guys on the jury, they need to understand in no uncertain terms that his arrest hasn’t had the negative impact on jobs in this city that Datello’s lawyer would have everyone believe.”
“I have concerns that this isn’t going to be the slam dunk we hoped it would be,” Zack said. “If I can keep the jury focused on the evidence and make them ignore Stefano’s distraction tactics, we should be fine. This alleged death threat business has me concerned.”
I understood why without a single word spoken. “You’re right Zack. I’d suggest getting a pair of officers guarding Celeste Datello as soon as possible.”
“You believe this bullshit is for real?” Devlin couldn’t hide his shock.
“I believe that Danny Datello would kill his pregnant wife if it created reasonable doubt in this trial,” I said. “Remember, family doesn’t mean the same thing to these guys as it does to normal people. If Celeste dies, he’s got a shitload of built-in sympathy. The cops didn’t protect her. We didn’t believe them when they pled to the court to intervene and protect his family. You get the picture.”
“Shit,” Devlin said. “I guess I do.”
My cell phone rang.
“You’re not supposed to have those on in here,” Zack grinned.
I smirked and answered the phone. “Hello?”
“Hi.”
“Well that was fast. Miss me already?” I turned away from two men trying hard not to eavesdrop.
“Are you at the courthouse?”
“Yes. Datello’s lawyer got another continuance – a week reprieve, or so it would appear. He convinced Judge Gates that Datello’s wife is receiving death threats. Then she went into labor or something,” I said. “Don’t you wish you were here for the fun?”
“Doc, I’m not so sure there isn’t some kind of credible threat here.”
“Seriously?”
“Chris Darnell called me about two minutes ago. Stefano had the evidence messengered to OSI while they were still in court.”
I squeezed through the crowd and found a quiet corridor, the one used to usher defendants into and out of court. “Talk to me.”
“I guess I have a huge favor to ask. You know I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t think it was a last resort. The last thing I want is for you to feel like we’re trying to drag you back into the fray, but honey –”
“I know this family and how they operate better than anyone. Tell me what you need.”
“Could you go with Devlin over to the office and take a look at the evidence? If Sully is reaching out right now, we need to know it. I would imagine that your former brethren back east would want to know that information as well.”
“Of course I’ll do it, Johnny. I think Zack is taking the threat seriously too. We talked about a protective detail for Celeste while the police get to the bottom of this mess.”
“Well, Datello’s lawyer doesn’t want the locals l
ooking into it,” he said. “He wants the state police on the job. I’m pretty sure that’s an indictment against Darkwater Bay PD, but considering that I run that particular branch, and Devlin is one of my detectives now, I’m not so sure that’s the driving force behind Stefano’s decision to keep Darkwater Bay out of the loop.”
“I’ll go find Devlin and we’ll head over to your office right away.”
“I’m not gonna ask you to sign some sort of employment arrangement, Helen. I know that’s not what you want. But …”
“If you need me helping, I’ll do more than review whatever these threats are, Johnny. I’ll be your eyes and ears until you can come home.”
“You understand then.”
“That Joe Collangelo better have a damn good reason to drag you away from such an important case right now? Yeah, I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll tell you what we’re doing every step of the way.”
“Any gut instincts after hearing what Stefano had to say in court this morning?”
“Not really, Johnny. It’s always hard to gauge what’s real with men like Datello and what’s a ploy to gain sympathy. We were just talking about how it wouldn’t be unlike him to be the threat to his wife, a threat he would full well act on if he thought it might help him in some way.”
“I’m not so sure about that. You weren’t around when he fell for his wife. She’s very young, you know. And Datello… well, let’s just say that the way he behaves where Celeste is concerned is pretty antithetical to what we’ve come to expect from him over the years. Also, this pregnancy, don’t underestimate the impact it had on his motivation to cover up the original crime in the first place.”
“Hmm,” I wasn’t convinced. Men like Johnny Orion might be tempted to read something chivalrous into the behavior of men claiming love. I knew better. I was once the new bride that one of them pretended to adore. In the end, it was a steaming heap of bullshit.
“Keep an open mind, please.”
“I’ll try,” I said. “But I won’t be so open that my brain falls out. I don’t trust Datello, and I will never forget that these men will throw wives under the bus in a heartbeat if it means saving their own asses.”
“Call me later,” Johnny said. “I don’t want to pester you while you’re reviewing information.”
“Since when?” I chuckled.
Chapter 3
I rubbed my eyes and listened carefully to the audio recording submitted by Carlos Stefano for the dozenth time. “I can’t hear it.”
“Right there,” Dev said. “Hear it?”
Crevan tapped the eraser head of his pencil on the table in the conference room. “I’m with Helen on this one, Devlin. I don’t hear a thing.”
“Then let’s take it down to tech and have them pull the background noise up so you two deaf –”
“I’m deaf?” Crevan chuckled. “You’re the dude that listens to heavy metal. For all we know, your ears are ringing.”
“I’m telling you. You can hear the sound of a ship’s horn blowing in the distance in the background.”
“And I’m telling you, even if the sound is there, it’s virtually meaningless, Devlin. Celeste Datello lives on Hennessey Island, in the penthouse suite of her husband’s hotel, spa and casino resort. One of his employees could’ve made the call from the hotel lobby for all we know. On top of that, how is this invitation to register for baby gifts deemed a death threat?”
Crevan chuckled, “Because Celeste Datello would probably rather die than register at some local mom and pop store for anything her child would use.”
“And I’m the one who can’t hear?” Devlin scoffed. “Jesus Christ, Crevan. Could it be anymore blatant? Listen to what this woman is saying.” He rewound the tape and pressed play.
“Mrs. Datello, this is Estelle from Sullivan’s Boutique in Darkwater. We’re calling to confirm that you’ve registered for your daughter’s baby shower. We have a number of items already gifted to your daughter. Please call at your earliest convenience so we can make sure we’ve got the correct address for delivery.”
“And I don’t hear a damned thing in that message that sounds remotely threatening,” Crevan said.
“Hold on,” I stared hard at Devlin. “How much have you been studying the case file against Datello, Devlin?”
“Enough to know that there are three distinct things that jump out of this message.”
“Go on,” I said.
“Estelle was Datello’s mother’s name. Her brother is Sullivan Marcos. And she doesn’t leave a phone number for Celeste to call back. She just wants to confirm that they’ve got the right address.”
“Hmm,” I frowned. “Good points. Has anybody bothered to call this boutique and find out if one of their employees is named Estelle?”
“We’ve been going over this tape for an hour, Helen. Have you seen either one of us make any phone calls?”
“Don’t be a smart ass, Devlin,” I said.
He slid the phone on the table toward me. “Be my guest, wise one.”
I dialed directory information. “Darkwater Bay. Sullivan’s Boutique.”
The near robotic voice responded. Her words drifted through the speaker on the phone and left silence in her wake. “I’m sorry ma’am. There is no such listing for Darkwater Bay.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Are you sure that’s the name of the store?”
“Positive.” I disconnected. “Well it certainly would’ve saved a load of time and debate if we’d checked to see if there was even such a store in Darkwater Bay an hour ago.”
“Then you see this as a credible threat now?” Devlin asked.
“I don’t hear this alleged death threat,” I said. “Then again, Sully wouldn’t want to be obvious. Asking her to call to confirm an address and not leaving a number to call, yeah,” I mused. “I can see now why she might’ve felt threatened by that. Sort of a subtle message that they already knew where she was.”
“See?” Devlin shot a defiant glare at Crevan.
“Why are you so up in arms over this? His wife had to know what a scumbag she married,” Crevan said.
Devlin glanced at me, at my burning cheeks.
“Did she really, Crevan? You’ve never met anyone married to a criminal that was completely in the dark about who he really was and what he was doing on the side of his legitimate business?”
“Ah hell,” Crevan muttered. ”I’m sorry, Helen. That came out completely wrong.”
“No,” I said. “It came out exactly the way people think. Devlin’s right, and don’t mistake my silence for feeling lumped into the same category as Celeste Datello. I feel guilty because I was thinking the exact same thing from the moment Datello’s lawyer alleged these threats in court this morning. Shame on me for assuming that she knew she married a corrupt man. Believe me, I should’ve known better than anybody else how adept they are at hiding the truth when it suits their purposes.”
“Hey, don’t beat yourself up too hard,” Crevan said. “It’s not too late for her. She’s in protective custody. It’s merely a formality now, getting this information before the judge that the threat appears to be credible. We can get a team on it right away. We’ll get to the bottom of this and find out who it is exactly that’s reaching out to Datello and intimidating him.”
My stomach felt like it was about to turn inside out. “Well, if it’s all right with you two, I think I’m gonna head home. I’ve been feeling a little under the weather this week.”
“Helen, I promised Johnny that I’d make sure you were looking after yourself,” Devlin said. “We haven’t even had lunch yet.”
“And I’m still reeling over the fact that my hands were covered in someone else’s blood this morning. If I promise to eat after I have a little nap, will that suffice?”
“Do you promise?”
I made an X over my heart. “Maybe it’s the end of the flu. Maybe it’s the notion that the Marcos family is still lurking around watching everything th
at happens in Darkwater Bay. I just feel sick.”
“You can’t possibly think he cares what you’re doing, Helen,” Crevan said. “You basically did Marcos a favor when Datello was arrested. He learned who the leak in his organization was after all these years.”
“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure that my hands are far from clean in Marcos’ eyes. There is the matter of the embezzled money that he blames my ex-husband for taking that they never recovered. God only knows where he thinks it’s hidden. Maybe even in my bank account.”
Devlin began to fidget. “Does Johnny remember all of this stuff, Helen?”
I nodded. Johnny’s memory was fully intact as far as I could tell. It took a few more weeks of spontaneous recollections, but he knew the worst that I shared before Datello’s hit man Mitch Southerby tortured him with a homemade variety of electroconvulsive therapy. “He agrees with the FBI. That money is in the wind, and Marcos knows it. This is the problem when your best money launderer decides to get greedy.”
“And they’re sure he doesn’t think Rick funneled the money to you?”
I knew where Devlin’s thoughts were going. I was a 38 year old woman, retired without the need of a pension. “Dev, my father was wealthy, which I suppose is why nobody believed he should’ve been robbing armored cars. He didn’t need the money. People don’t understand that sometimes it’s the thrill that people seek.”
His hand covered mine. “I’m sorry, Helen. I didn’t mean to be insensitive.”
I forced a bright smile. “You’re not the first person to ask the question. However, the FBI knew about Dad and my inheritance when they hired me. Don’t worry about it, Devlin. I’d have the same questions if our positions were reversed.” I slid back from the chair and slipped my purse strap over one shoulder.
“Can I check on you later?” Dev asked.
“You’ve got the remote to the gate and garage,” I grinned. “I doubt I could stop you even if I said it’s not necessary. We do want to keep the chief happy, after all.”
Truth be told, I was grateful that Johnny and Devlin had forged a friendship, in spite of Johnny’s irrational jealousy at times. Whatever Devlin expressed as interest in me seemed to pass without much ado. Despite my frustration earlier this morning, my life had settled into something far more comfortable than I ever imagined it could be.
