Unauthorized Affair

by Lisa Ladew

  Sadler’s reply chilled her as much as it confused her. “Perfect. Lock the door and you three get your asses over here. Change of plans.”

  ***

  Hunter sat in a chair behind Sadler and watched him light into their three undercover officers. He knew what Sadler’s issue with Ryker was (although he didn’t think it was relevant - Ryker had proved himself, in Hunter’s opinion), but he didn’t know what Sadler’s issue was with Ivy and Jen. He just didn’t seem to like them. Maybe he didn’t like anyone. Maybe it was because they were women. Hunter sighed and idly thought about asking for a new partner. Sadler was a good cop, but he was such a brutish jerk. It wasn’t worth having to walk on eggshells around the guy’s crappy mood all the time.

  He pulled himself out of his thoughts and tried to listen to what Sadler was saying. “Does the name Savoy mean anything to you?” Sadler was asking Jen, his voice too loud and harsh. His hand out-stretched, with Savoy’s card in it. Jen shook her head no.

  “How about you?” He turned to Ivy and waved the business card in her face. “No.” Ivy said, and Hunter could hear a thin wire of anger in it.

  Sadler turned to Ryker and a vicious smile crossed his face. “I know you have heard the name Savoy before, Wells. Enlighten your partners.”

  “He’s referring to Fiore Savoy. He’s the head of the oldest organized crime family in Northern California. Coleton is his son.” Ryker said, his voice neutral and calm. Good for you, Hunter thought. Don’t let him get to you.

  “That’s right,” Sadler said, pulling the card back triumphantly. “The head of the oldest organized crime family in Northern California, and the only organized crime family Westwood Harbor ever had to deal with until these three new assholes moved in!”

  Hunter clenched his jaw in frustration. What was Sadler getting at? What was the point of this? He chanced a glance at Jen and saw she looked visibly upset - her eyes were red and her face looked strained. Hunter stood up, intending to get in between Sadler and the three recruits. It was their first day. They’d done a good job. They didn’t need a lecture right now.

  “So now, Coleton Savoy just waltzes in to our pawn shop and starts asking about watches? There was more to it, wasn’t there?” He stepped forward in front of Jen and asked this question directly to her.

  “Well, he did ask if I was new. And where the old employees were.”

  “Exactly!” Sadler paced away from Jen. Hunter moved into the spot he’d just vacated. Sadler kept talking, pounding his fist against his open palm, seeming almost to be talking to himself. “I bet there’s something we’re missing here. There’s some way that all of these guys are related. How else is there no fighting between them? And why else would Savoy not have moved to get them out of his playground yet?”

  Hunter saw that Ivy looked perplexed, Jen looked still upset, and Ryker wore his usual placid expression. Hunter felt most like Ivy. Perplexed. Was Sadler really trying to say that Coleton Savoy was working with their three targets?

  Hunter decided to put a stop to this. “You know that Coleton Savoy has never been connected with any illegal activities. And that it has never been proven that he works with his father in any capacity.”

  Sadler spun at him. “It’s never been proven! But that doesn’t mean it’s not true! Of course he works with his dad! Of course he’s going to be running the family when papa finally kicks the bucket. What else is someone who has been raised by a criminal going to do?”

  He started pacing again. “But I saw the way he looked at her.” Sadler pointed at Jen. “Ten bucks says he comes back within a week. Twenty bucks says he gets hot and heavy on Tinkerbell here. And if I’m right, she could be the key to pretty-boy Savoy. And pretty-boy could be the key to his dad.” He rounded on Hunter again so fast that Hunter stepped back. “Imagine if we locked this up tight, and not only did we get our three targets, but we got Savoy junior and Savoy senior too. I smell Lieutenant rank, for both of us!”

  Hunter drew back again. His mind was spinning. He felt like knocking Sadler on his ass for being such a jerk, but Sadler just kept piling it on thicker and heavier, so much so that Hunter wasn’t sure what to be most pissed off about. Sadler didn’t give him time to decide.

  “I say, if he comes back. No, when he comes back, she flirts with him. You saw the way he was all over her. He would go for it. If she dated him we could have a front row seat into daddy’s camp. And no one would ever suspect her.”

  The full weight of what Sadler was proposing crashed down on Hunter. He saw red. Knocking Sadler on his ass suddenly seemed too good for him. Right now, Hunter wanted nothing less than to see Sadler kicked off of the force for good.

  Chapter 11

  Jen’s alarm jerked her out of a deep sleep. She one-handed it onto the floor, her eyelids feeling like they weighed 100 pounds each. Like the night before, she’d gotten very little sleep, but unlike the night before, she did not feel energized this morning. She groaned and turned over. She was actually surprised she’d gotten any sleep at all, with the questions that had been circling her mind nonstop. And those questions were still unanswered.

  She pushed herself out of bed, plodded to the shower, and tried to focus. But her mind returned to last night’s horror show. After Sgt. Sadler had revealed his little plan to get her to date Coleton Savoy as a way to get surveillance on his mob boss father, Sgt. Foley had pulled him into the next room, his jaw clenched tight and his face red with anger. Not that it had done any good. She, Ivy, and Ryker could hear every word they shouted at each other. The conversation was burned into her brain. She could close her eyes and hear the voices like they were in the next room.

  “No way are we asking Recruit Mansko to date Savoy. That’s above and beyond what we are trying to do here. It’s too dangerous,” Foley had said.

  “Why? We’ve had undercover officers infiltrate criminal dens that way before, dating a daughter or sister or mother.” Sadler replied.

  “But she’s a woman.”

  “So? She’s a cop.”

  “She’s a trainee.”

  “She won’t have to do much. Just look pretty, string him along. Maybe he tries to impress her early and we get what we want quickly.”

  At this point Jen had heard banging noises. And Sgt. Foley’s strained voice. “We aren’t asking her to do that, period. No way.”

  “Are you serious man? This is the chance of a fucking lifetime and you won’t even see if she’s willing to try? You’re just going to say No way and think that’s it? Well it’s not up to you. I’m going over your head.”

  More banging noises drifted in from the other room. The wall actually shook. Jen thought maybe someone had overturned a table. She had looked at Ryker but he sat motionless, his eyes far off under his cowboy hat. What if they fought in there? What should they do?

  Sadler’s voice rang through once more. “You’re the one who told me the Chief thought women would be perfect for this particular undercover assignment. And he was right. We’ve got a chance to put this guy behind bars, finally, and I think the Chief will be very interested to know about it. Let’s see what he says.”

  They saw the door open and Sadler come out of it. He went down the long hallway opposite them and left the building in a huff. Eventually Sgt. Foley had come out of the room and told them they could go home. His face had left no room for questions. Jen had practically fled, wanting to get home and process the day.

  And here she was. In her shower the next morning. Wondering ceaselessly what this day would bring. A request by the Chief of Police to date Coleton Savoy? And if it came, what would she say? Yesterday, when she thought he was a regular guy, she would have jumped at the chance to date him. At least get to know him a little bit and see what kind of a person he was. But today? All of that was ruined for her. But did she have it in her to pretend to date him? To gather intelligence for the police department? She thought that was probably out of the league of things she was willing to do. Besides. Could she even do it? Could sh
e put on a false face in such an intimate situation as dating someone? Sure, she could go on a date. But what if he wanted a second date? And a kiss? Could she kiss someone, knowing she was undercover and faking it all? Knowing she could be putting him in jail? And what about the danger? What if she said yes and she was discovered? If she had to wear a wire or something and he found it? Maybe while he was kissing her? His face swam into her mind and she recoiled from the image. He was handsome. But he was a criminal. Correction, a small part of her mind whispered. His father was a criminal. He had never been connected to his father’s activities.

  She thought of Sara suddenly, who was still in the state’s capitol working on something for the president. Sara had done something like this. Sara had done way more than kiss men for her cause.

  Jen felt the water start to get cold and realized she’d been standing under the spray not washing anything. Just thinking. Well at least she felt a little more awake. She jumped into action, trying to finish her routine before the water became ice cold.

  ***

  Jen pushed into the pawn shop, knowing she was a few minutes late. Ivy and Ryker were already there. Ryker looked the same as always with his standard cowboy hat, jeans and a t-shirt, but Ivy looked way different than the day before. Today she had styled her long Mohawk back in some sort of sweeping style that pulled back from her face elegantly. Her clothes were black, multi-zippered and buckled jeans and a black tank top, with dog tags swinging from her neck. Jen admired her outfit and the way it clashed with her hair, even as her mind still swam from her inner debate.

  “You made it,” Ivy said, pushing past her and flipping the sign on, then coming back to her. “You OK?”

  “Yeah. Have you guys heard from our bosses?”

  Ivy shook her head no and flicked her eyes to the cameras on the ceiling. Jen eyed them too as she walked behind the counter, hoping today was slow like yesterday, and praying that Savoy didn’t show up. She thought she was safe there. He’d just been in yesterday. No need to come back in the very next day.

  The day wasn’t slow though. As if the first day had been some sort of a weird test, and they had passed with flying colors, the door never stopped swinging on their second day in business. They bought 3.4 pounds of jewelry, 2 watches, 14 knifes, 4 handguns, 1 shotgun, and a whole mess of household tools. Jen barely had time for lunch, and she certainly didn’t have time to think about her predicament anymore, so when the door swung open at 4:30 and Coleton Savoy walked in, she felt her brain go numb. She already had a customer, but Coleton stood directly behind her customer, a small, patient, irritatingly-handsome smile on his face.

  Ivy came over and asked if she could help him. Out of the corner of her eye, Jen saw him shake Ivy’s hand and talk to her for a moment, and then he motioned to Jen and stood behind her customer again. Ivy caught her eye and shrugged. I tried, the shrug said.

  Jen’s mind didn’t want to concentrate on the woman she was trying to help. Something about a camera she had pawned 6 months ago and wanted to get back. Jen tried to explain to her that the camera was gone. It had been sold. She had missed her window to get the camera back and it had been sold like she had agreed. But her words kept getting tangled. When the woman started yelling, Jen looked at Ivy for help. Ivy and Ryker both came, and just like that, Jen was free, and Coleton was standing in front of her. He of the perfect smile and smooth good looks. And criminal father, don’t forget that. Jen’s hands shook slightly and she shoved them under the counter.

  “Hi,” he said, looking at her like they were meeting in the park or at a party, not in a pawn shop. His eyes burned into her and a small smile played on his lips. Was it an arrogant smile? Or was she reading thing into the situation that weren't there? Arrogant, she decided. And just-like-that she relaxed. If he was arrogant, that would make this a bit easier.

  “Hi.”

  “Did you happen to get in any Omega or Breguet?” he asked lightly.

  She shook her head. In fact she didn’t know what the watches they’d bought were, but she didn’t care either. She knew he wasn’t looking for watches today. She just wanted him to get it over with, so she could hear what she was going to say to him.

  He nodded then his smile pinched a little, like a little boy about to confess to something. “I actually didn’t come back to check on the watches.”

  Jen raised her eyebrows slightly, but didn’t say anything.

  “Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me sometime?” Coleton asked, his voice smooth as silk. His smile saying he knew she would.

  Jen opened her mouth, no thank you sitting on her tongue, and yes please crouching behind it. But what she actually said surprised even her. “Maybe. Why don’t you come back tomorrow and ask me again?” She heard the slight teasing in her voice and wondered where it had come from. She looked down and saw her hands relaxed on the counter and her right hip cocked forward, like she was in charge here.

  Jen saw Ivy and Ryker watching them from Ryker’s spot in the middle of the shop. She tipped them a wink and almost laughed at Ivy’s wide-eyed response. A realization came over her. She was enjoying this. Her heartbeat was slow and steady and her brain seemed to be working just fine again.

  Coleton Savoy’s smile widened. His eyes accepted her challenge. He opened his mouth to speak, seemed to reconsider, and then spoke anyway. “Where the lips are silent the heart has a thousand tongues.”

  Jen played what he had said over in her mind. She wasn’t sure what it was or why he had said it. She was sure it was beautiful though. She could think of no response that did it justice. So she stayed silent.

  He pushed back from the counter, turned slowly away, and walked out the door without a glance back.

  Ivy ran over. “What was that?”

  “I don’t know,” Jen said, and put a hand to her temple.

  Ivy ran to the computer and opened an internet browser. “What exactly did he say again?”

  Jen thought. “Um, something about the lips are quiet and the heart has a thousand tongues”

  “Where the lips are silent the heart has a thousand tongues,” Ryker intoned from the middle of the room. Jen and Ivy turned to stare at him. He shrugged. It’s Rumi. And then he stared at the bat phone like he expected it to ring at any second.

  ***

  Hunter hung up the phone. Laid it gently in its cradle so that he didn’t rip it out of the wall and fly it across the room like he wanted to. Jen was on her way over, and when she got here, he was going to tell her what the Police Chief said. And what would she choose? She was young, eager to please, and eager to achieve. Would that make her choose something that could be very, very bad for her? Dangerous for her?

  When he’d given her the speech before he’d hired her, he’d told her the truth. That they hadn’t lost an undercover officer since he’d been in charge of the unit. And that was true. But he’d left something out. That 12 years ago, before he’d been in charge, the department had lost an undercover officer. Officer Bainbridge had been recruited just like Jen had, and then sent in to try to infiltrate Fiore Savoy’s operation. One day, Officer Bainbridge hadn’t reported in. And he’d never been seen again. No one knew how or why it happened. A neighbor had seen him return home the night before, and that was the last known time he’d existed. His mother had filed a missing persons report. And that had been that. Eventually the department dismissed him. The official reason given was that he deserted his job. No one ever turned up any evidence to the contrary.

  The only reason that Hunter even knew this was because his predecessor, Sgt. Poole, a large man on the verge of retirement, with weeping, red eyes, had taken him out for a beer one night. Hunter remembered him sitting on his bar stool, wiping his eyes, and looking around like they were being spied on. He’d spilled the story in little more than a whisper, saying he’d been forbidden to share it by the Chief (who was not the same Chief they had now) but he felt duty-bound to do so anyway. To save Hunter the heartache that he’d been through. And t
o keep anyone else from dying. Poole said he never felt worse than when young Bainbridge didn’t report in. Said he’d known right away that something had happened to him. Said probably Bainbridge was cemented under some building downtown right now, and his body wouldn’t be found for another 100 years, if ever. Said don’t ever send anyone in to Savoy’s operation. The man’s too smart. And too dangerous. And too well protected by his huge family and his history and yes, even by his moles in the department. Like some giant rat you just can’t find or outsmart.

  And yesterday, when he and Sadler had both taken their case to the current Chief, the Chief had agreed with Sadler. The Chief thought it was a great idea to send Jen in to date the younger Savoy. Hunter had paced the room like an animal, barely able to contain his rage. He’d brought up Officer Bainbridge and what Poole had told him. The Chief had laughed - actually laughed — and said nonsense! That young officer just took off. He couldn’t take the heat so he got out of the kitchen. Vamoosed. And besides, Coleton Savoy wasn’t Fiore Savoy. And she probably would never end up face to face with the elder Savoy anyway. She maybe could just get a little insight on whether or not the younger Savoy was involved in any crimes. And if not, maybe he would spill some dirt on his dad. And Sadler and Foley would be right there, two steps behind her every step of the way. It wasn’t like the old days anymore, where an undercover officer was on his own most of the time. These days, with the technology they had, they could always know what was going on with her.

  His teeth gritted against his anger, Hunter had pointed out that Bainbridge had disappeared from his own house. The Chief had nodded as if that had proved his point. Hunter knew what was going on here. Knew that Chief Carval was under a lot of pressure from the public to produce some good results this year. The Chief of Police in Westwood Harbor was elected every 4 years, and reelection was coming up next year. And last year, there’d been a scandal involving one of Westwood Harbor’s police officers. Norman Foster. He and a few of his buddies had been taking bribes, running drugs and guns, and actually killing people. Foster was dead now, but Hunter knew the Chief was desperate for something big to happen between now and election time. Something that would make people forget all about Norman Foster. Give the people faith in their Chief of Police again.