The Plane and the Parade (Veronica Barry Book 3)

by Sophia Martin

  “Why would Daniel need your help with a police case?”

  Veronica thought about how to answer this for a moment, and said, “Because I’m the only one who has seen this woman before.”

  “He is looking for this woman?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why not call him and tell him where she is?”

  “Because he’s busy with other stuff right now.”

  Eric, still following Veronica’s quick pace, considered this. “Alright. Let’s see where she goes.”

  Although she worried that things were only going to get more complicated with Eric tagging along, Veronica decided it couldn’t hurt to have another person on her side. Where Ms. A was headed, other than up 13th, she didn’t know, and she wasn’t sure following her would turn out to be such a great idea in the end. Eric’s suggestion about calling Daniel was sounding better and better, so she pulled out her cell and speed-dialed him.

  “Hey,” he answered.

  “Hey,” she said. “Are you watching the parade?”

  “Yep.”

  “Your guys still watching Roeder?”

  “They lost him. I’m trying to keep an eye on the vets.”

  “That’s a good idea,” Veronica said.

  “Where are you?”

  “I’m following the woman I saw. We’re headed up 13th.”

  “She’s here?”

  “Yeah. I think she was checking out the cops and all in Capitol Park, and I saw her.”

  “Ronnie, I don’t think you should follow her.”

  “It’s okay, I’m keeping my distance. And Eric’s with me.” Veronica glanced over at Eric when she said this, but he had his eyes focused ahead, on Ms. A.

  “Fine, just be care—oh shit.”

  “What?”

  “It’s Roeder. He’s here and he has bottles of water in his hands. I think he’s headed to the vets. I have to go.”

  Veronica blinked as the call ended, then looked ahead at Ms. A, who was crossing the street to go to the right. If Roeder was carrying out the plan just as before, what was she doing here? And Roeder wasn’t the one who passed out the water bottles in Veronica’s vision of the parade, so something had changed. Was he working alone now? Was Ms. A just there innocently? It didn’t seem likely. She was moving with too much purpose. Something else was going on.

  “She’s turning,” Eric said, and sure enough, Ms. A was headed east down J street.

  They followed, staying just under a block behind her.

  “Where do you think she’s going?” Eric asked.

  “I don’t know,” Veronica said. Now that they had left the crowds behind, Ms. A’s earth tones were acting more to make her blend in with the concrete than make her stand out, but since there were few people on J Street because everyone was going to the park or somewhere south or east of it to see the parade, it still wasn’t too hard to keep sight of her.

  Ms. A crossed 14th street.

  “What did she do?” Eric asked.

  Veronica weighed the different things she could say to this, and finally settled on, “We think she may be a terrorist.”

  “A terrorist?” Eric echoed, the shock in his voice evident.

  Nodding, she picked up her pace a little as Ms. A crossed to the other side of the street.

  “Vero, I think there is another woman following us,” Eric said after a moment.

  Her breath catching, Veronica whipped her head around to look over her shoulder.

  The first thing her eyes caught sight of was the flash of sun on red hair.

  “Shit,” she hissed.

  “What, who is it? Another terrorist?”

  “Of a sort,” Veronica said, then clenched her jaw in irritation. Felsen. Tracking her like a damned mad dog. “What is her freaking problem?” Veronica muttered.

  “Is it someone dangerous?” Eric asked with anxiety.

  “No,” Veronica said. “Well, yes. But not in the same way. She works with Daniel, and she hates me. She’s trying to ruin my life. And now she’s following me.”

  Eric glanced back over his shoulder. “How is she ruining your life?”

  “It’s complicated.” Veronica cast another glance back, hoping her eyes had played tricks on her. No such luck. It was Felsen alright, dressed in a tan jacket and yellow blouse. Her face was set in a determined look.

  “What is her problem with you?” Eric asked.

  With a sigh Veronica turned her focus back to Ms. A up ahead. “I know something about her that she doesn’t want anyone to know.”

  “Vero, tell me how is she trying to ruin your life.”

  Veronica sucked in her bottom lip and bit it, trying to figure out how to answer that one. “She’s got a video, and she doctored it so it looks like I broke into a church.”

  “And she is a police officer?”

  “A detective, yes.”

  Eric whistled.

  They came to 15th Street and Ms. A crossed, then came to a halt in front of the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. About twenty yards away, on the opposite square of lawn from the one Ms. A had stopped in front of, there were banquet tables, a tent, a dais with a podium, and a milling crowd of people. Some were in suits and nice dresses, and some wore black and white uniforms, and the latter were rushing around like they were trying to finish getting the area ready.

  Ms. A jogged to the side of the auditorium so she was shielded from the crowd, and she tucked herself behind some trees. As Veronica and Eric watched, she pulled a white shirt and black pants out of the shoulder bag and put them on over her beige tee and khaki shorts.

  “She will look like the staff,” Eric whispered, and Veronica nodded. “What should we do? Tell the detective woman?”

  Veronica glanced back and saw that Felsen was closing the distance between them.

  “Probably,” Veronica admitted, although she hated to talk to Felsen at all, much less tell her anything of value.

  In any case her options were shrinking, as Felsen came to a standstill a few feet away.

  Veronica took stock of the situation. She and Eric stood on the sidewalk across the street from the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, where there was some sort of event in the offing. Ms. A was about to infiltrate the event dressed as a member of the staff. Felsen, an aging bruise coloring her left cheekbone from where Roeder had clocked her, was now standing by Veronica and Eric, gazing at her like a cat who’s located a mouse to toy with. If Veronica told her about Ms. A, Felsen might decide to postpone taunting Veronica in favor of going after Ms. A, but it was unlikely. Except that Eric was there to witness it if she decided to ignore what Veronica said, and it came out later that Veronica was right. So even if it didn’t help the situation with Ms. A, at least Veronica might get something out of the humiliation of trying to get Felsen to set aside her animosity long enough to stop Ms. A from doing whatever she was going to do.

  “Felsen,” Veronica said. “I’m glad you’re here.”

  Felsen’s eyebrows shot up at that. She looked genuinely surprised for a moment. Then she recovered and her face returned to its usual bored expression. The bruise was dark purple in the center and spread out around the outside of her eye in shades of green.

  “And why would that be?” she snapped.

  “That woman over there, the one in black and white, headed for that tent, do you see who I mean?”

  Felsen’s eyes traveled slowly along the vector of Veronica’s gesture, and she nodded.

  “She’s up to something. Something bad. Something to do with Roeder’s plan.”

  Eric was watching the exchange like a tennis match. His mouth was set in a firm line, and his eyes looked slightly wider than usual.

  “Is that so?” Felsen said. “And how would you know that, Miss Barry?”

  “You know how I know,” Veronica said, glancing at Eric.

  “Oh,” Felsen said, giving her a smile and a slow nod. “But I take it your friend doesn’t. By the way, does Daniel know you’re out with Mister Sex on a Sti
ck here?”

  Eric blinked at her, but he didn’t show any other reaction.

  Veronica sucked in a breath and told herself that if ever there was a time to be patient with Felsen, this was it.

  “I saw her with Murphy and Roeder,” Veronica said to Felsen. “I heard them talking about the original plan, with the parade. Look, I get it. You hate my guts, you want to destroy me, yada yada yada. I get it. Your fake video tape has me in deep shit, Felsen, so pat yourself on the back, okay? But this is not the time to play ‘Whack-a-Veronica,’ alright? That woman is bad news. We followed her from Capitol Park, and she just got changed over by the other side of the Auditorium into the black and white uniform. She’s up to something.”

  Felsen crossed her arms. “Maybe she’s going to work. Did you consider that?”

  “You are unbelievable,” Veronica said, throwing up her hands.

  “I must agree,” Eric said. “I cannot imagine how a police detective could ignore such information.”

  Veronica saw the realization cloud Felsen’s eyes—if she chose to ignore Veronica this time, and something happened, Eric would be there to testify that they’d tried to get her to act and she’d refused. Then, for a moment, Felsen’s eyes blazed with such hatred that Veronica took a step away from her, moving closer to Eric. He reached out and took Veronica’s hand.

  “Alright,” Felsen said between gritted teeth. “I’ll go check it out.”

  Jogging across the street, Felsen pulled her badge off her belt, clearly intending to flash it around.

  “She really does hate you,” Eric whispered.

  Veronica tugged Eric’s hand and together they followed the detective. Up ahead, Felsen walked up to one of the male staff members, showed him the badge, and asked him something Veronica couldn’t hear, jerking her thumb towards where Ms. A had gone through the crowd.

  Then, literally out of nowhere a dark haired young woman appeared in Veronica’s path. She started out as just a shadow, and materialized faster than any ghost Veronica had ever encountered, except maybe for the one that scared her half to death once five months before when she was crossing the road and thought a bus had hit him.

  Veronica froze in her tracks, releasing Eric’s hand.

  The girl was wearing a ragged denim jacket and faded black jeans. She looked so much like Miguel Santiago that Veronica knew at once that she was Ariana, Miguel’s sister, the shade from the jail.

  “Ariana,” Veronica said. Vaguely she heard Eric say something, but she didn’t take in what it was, because Ariana’s presence was so strong Veronica couldn’t think about anything else.

  I wanted to thank you. He came for me. There will be a funeral, and I will have my own grave.

  Veronica stared at her, and after a moment she said, “You didn’t have a grave yet?”

  They keep unclaimed remains for two years. My time was almost up. I would have been buried in a mass grave in the county cemetery. Now, I will be with my family. Thank you.

  “Um, you’re welcome. I’m glad I could help.”

  The others say I can give you something, to show my gratitude.

  Veronica didn’t know what to say to that. Give her something? What could a ghost possibly give her?

  I am here, now, to give you a choice. Will your choice be vengeance?

  With that, Ariana reached out to Veronica, and touched Veronica’s forehead with her fingertips.

  ~~~

  Veronica was standing right where she’d stopped when Ariana appeared, as if nothing had changed, but she knew this was a vision because she couldn’t move, and Eric was also frozen beside her. Ahead, Felsen was moving much more slowly than was natural.

  The detective spoke to the same man in black and white as before, and their actions picked up speed until they looked normal, but Veronica was still motionless. Felsen nodded to the man, and moved on to another man in a suit, showing him her badge.

  Beyond Felsen, on the other side of a long banquet table, a man in black and white carried a large cooler that partially obscured his face. Setting it down with a thud, he straightened, and Veronica knew him: Scotty Haines. At first he didn’t seem to notice Felsen, and then his gaze went sharp as he noticed the badge. Felsen turned and recognized him. Then movement out of the corner of Veronica’s eye drew her attention, and she saw Leopold Victor standing in the crowd of well-dressed people, flanked by two dark-haired men. Victor had noticed Felsen’s badge as well, and he was taking in the fact that she’d recognized Scotty Haines. He ducked down—or at least, that’s what Veronica thought he was doing—and then he straightened again, holding up a gun. He fired immediately, and Felsen’s body jerked once, twice—dark red stains blossoming in the yellow cotton fabric of her blouse. Felsen’s body started to fall, and then Veronica flowed back into herself.

  ~~~

  Ariana was gone, and up ahead, Felsen was moving from the man in black and white to the man in the suit, flashing her badge.

  “Felsen!” Veronica yelled, but either her voice didn’t carry or Felsen was ignoring her.

  “What is it?” Eric asked.

  Scotty Haines, carrying the cooler, appeared on the other side of the banquet table.

  “Felsen!” Veronica shouted, but still Felsen didn’t respond. Scotty put down the cooler, and Veronica spotted Victor in the crowd with the two men.

  Veronica pointed to him. “That man has a gun!”

  For a moment she stood, frozen, with her arm up, as Scotty straightened after setting the cooler down. Then she dropped her arm, pushed off, and ran all out.

  She hit Felsen with her full weight just as the first gunshot cracked through the air.

  People began screaming and a second shot cut through the shouts and cries. Someone landed in the grass next to Veronica and Felsen, and there was blood. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw people rushing and someone falling to their knees, and the yelling and screaming continued, but no more gunshots sounded.

  After a few more minutes of pandemonium, the crowd settled down, and Veronica risked propping herself up. Felsen still lay under her, stunned, but quickly recovering, if the look on her face was any indication. Veronica scooted away from her and took stock.

  The man that Felsen had been questioning lay two feet away, bleeding from his shoulder and moaning, and a woman in a navy dress was kneeling next to him, putting pressure on the wound. Veronica got to her feet and looked towards Leopold Victor. She didn’t see him. She looked around, and still caught no sight of him. She also didn’t see Eric. Veronica whipped around, her breathing accelerating as she searched. Then she saw a couple of men wrestling on the grass a few yards away.

  “Felsen, Eric’s got him!” Veronica cried, offering a hand to the detective, who ignored it and stood by herself. Felsen looked around and spotted Eric and Victor. She marched over, pulling the cuffs out of a pocket the light gray linen jacket she wore over her yellow blouse. She fell on Victor’s back with one knee, yanking his arm behind him at a painful angle and hitting his wrist with one cuff as if she’d hoped the cuff would break his bones.

  Victor was caught.

  Veronica blinked her eyes, her vision blurring a bit. Felsen’s blouse, slacks and jacket had some grass stains, Veronica noted, but no blood—she’d saved Felsen from being shot. As she watched Felsen haul around Victor’s other arm, Veronica’s heart began to thud against her chest like a panicked bird. She wondered, in an increasingly detached way, if Felsen even knew she had almost been killed. Veronica started feeling dizzy, so she found a folding chair and sat down.

  ~~~

  The paramedics arrived shortly afterwards. Three of them focused on the man who’d been shot in the shoulder, and Veronica watched, feeling very removed, as one male paramedic checked the shooting victim’s airway and flashed a light into each eye, checked his pulse, and told him to squeeze his hand, then moved to his feet. A female paramedic patted down his body, while another rapidly took his blood pressure, firing questions at him and the woman who’d
tried to stop the bleeding.

  Eric came over. Veronica flicked her eyes to his face. He had a small bandage on his eyebrow. “Vero, are you okay?” he asked.

  Nodding, she managed a smile. “Eric, how did you disarm Victor?” she asked as her gaze traveled back to the paramedics.

  The male paramedic was done with the hand squeezing and toe pushing. He worked with the wound, cutting off the man’s shirt and bandaging him while putting pressure on his shoulder.

  “Was that his name? Victor?” Eric said. “Was he French? He swore at me in French. It was so strange.”

  “Belgian,” Veronica said. “How did you get him to stop shooting?”

  The first female paramedic, having finished the exam of the man’s body, put in an IV on each arm, while the second continued to talk to him the whole time. Veronica frowned, trying to make out the words.

  Eric’s voice tugged at Veronica’s attention. “I came at him from the side. I do not think he even noticed, he was so intent on what he was doing.”

  “That was incredibly dangerous,” Veronica said, but she couldn’t put any force behind the words.

  After a graceful flurry of activity, the paramedics had the man strapped to a backboard, his neck and shoulders in a restraint. The whole process took about five minutes.

  Several other paramedics moved through the remaining crowd. A few people had sustained minor injuries in all of the chaos.

  “I could not allow him to keep firing,” Eric said. “He might have hit you.”

  One paramedic stopped and checked on Veronica, and once he’d determined she was just reacting to the situation, and not physically injured, he wrapped a blanket around her and moved on.

  As he left, Eric frowned. “Vero, before you ran to that woman, you said things I did not understand…”

  He’d witnessed her talking to Ariana, Veronica realized, flushing. How was she going to explain that away? Veronica looked over Eric’s shoulder, and spotted Daniel running down the sidewalk. Relief washed over her and she stood, feeling shaky, and moved past Eric, who turned to watch her go. In a moment, she crossed the lawn, and Daniel saw her, and then they were in each other’s arms.

  Daniel’s hold was so tight that after a moment she had to push just a little away, to breathe. He released her body and put his hands to the sides of her face.