Puppeteer

by Schultz, Tamsen

  “So, how long have you been working this case?” Ty asked, pulling his mind away from the gutter, or bed, as the case may be, or kitchen table, or elevator.

  Dani stared out the window for a long moment. “About a year, more or less.” Her voice held a weary tone that suggested more. But her voice shifted back to ‘agent’ with the next comment. “Take 88 North toward Broad Cove. Then take the third right.”

  “And he's big enough to warrant the interest of an entire team of DEA agents?”

  “Getz is a man of interest to a great number of people,” she answered. “But yes, he is of interest to us, for all the reasons I mentioned today. The network is big enough now that it's showing up on the radar in a number of cities. That and the apparent tie to the Eagle's Wing group upped the priority to bring him in. Or down, whichever works.”

  “So how long do you think this will take?” he asked, following her directions. It was early still, so as he turned east toward the water, the sun hit them full in the face and they both reached up and flipped down their visors. With brilliant blue skies, cool temperatures, and calm winds, it was Ty's favorite kind of day. But a storm somewhere out at sea caused waves to crash against the rocky coast, throwing spray high into the air. The juxtaposition between the peace and violence of nature, in his mind, defined Maine. Defined a lot of things.

  To his right, he caught Dani lifting her shoulder in response to his question. “Hard to say. Our intelligence indicates the transfer is going to occur at his place, here in Portland, sometime in the next few weeks. Of course, we all know how reliable dealers are, so that could mean tomorrow or it could mean two months from now.”

  “And you're here for the duration?”

  Dani hesitated for a second before answering. “It's likely, yes. But where I go and how long I stay is up to the team director.”

  “But it's unlikely the director is going to reassign you.”

  Ty felt her gaze fix on his face as he focused on the road. From the corner of his eye, he saw her big brown eyes narrow in calculation. Not a coy, catty calculation, but a professional, agent-to-detective assessment. He'd wager her mind was firing in rapid sequence.

  “What makes you say that?” she asked, turning her body back around and transferring her eyes to the side mirror outside her window. Her nonchalance surprised him given the intensity of her focus seconds ago. And then he recalled her control earlier in the day. She had moments when it looked like she thought about letting her guard down—like that one, brief moment in the hotel room—but he would do well to remember she was a trained federal agent. He would be able to read her only when she wanted him to.

  “Just a guess.”

  He glanced over in time to see her take a quick study of him before turning again to the window. For a while she remained silent, except for telling him the turns he needed to make. After a few moments dragged on, she seemed to come to some conclusion.

  “It's unlikely my director will reassign me,” was all she said.

  “And why are you so adamant about ignoring what happened last night?”

  The only indication that she'd heard him at all was her sudden stillness. And then she spoke. “Last night was personal.”

  “Very personal,” he said.

  She ignored him and continued. “And work is work. They have nothing to do with each other.”

  “Personal is personal and professional is professional and never the twain shall meet,” he offered.

  “I hope that's not a problem for you.”

  It was, but he wasn't going to tell her that. He understood the situation. It wasn't that he was blind to the problems that could happen when colleagues became romantically involved. But depending on how things progressed, he also wasn't one to use the ‘problem’ as an escape hatch.

  “Here,” Dani interrupted his thoughts by pointing to a driveway all but hidden by landscaping. He pulled in and stopped at the gate. Dani gave him a code to punch in.

  “If you're alone, use the code we just used,” she directed. “If you're traveling with someone authorized to be here, add a one at the beginning. If you happen to be traveling with someone who isn't authorized to be here, add a one to the end, before you press the pound sign.”

  He glanced at her to make sure she wasn't joking with him, hazing the new guy. Between the gate and the four cameras he saw hidden along the shrub-covered fence, it was a hell of a security system for a DEA sting.

  “The house is a private home that has been loaned to us,” she explained. “The system was a standard, code-based system but the two additional features were added by our team. We've got good people and expensive government technology on this case, we want to make sure we protect all the assets.”

  “And everyone is based here?”

  “It's a big house.”

  He wanted to ask how the DEA managed to get the wealthy owner of a prime, ocean-view estate to ‘loan’ the house out but, as they made their way up the winding drive, he just closed his mouth and stared.

  Ty had a few investments and had done well for himself over the years. His salary wasn't much, but his investments more than made up for it. He considered himself a fairly wealthy man with a nice loft and a few small properties scattered around the country. But he had never seen anything quite like the house looming in front of them.

  The place—the grounds and the building—was huge. The house itself was a combination of traditional Colonial, with an Italian influence, and easily over ten thousand square feet. With a façade of white, painted brick, it was more along the style of the Hamptons or Newport than the cute summer cottages of Southern Maine. Long, black shutters lay open and lined each of the tall and numerous first floor windows. Matching shutters lined the windows on the second floor and half of the third. The other half of the third floor was all glass and looked to be some sort of sun room. In a more traditional Maine house it would be a widow's walk where, in days past, a sea captain's wife would sit and watch for her husband's ship to come in. But this was unlike any widow's walk Ty had ever seen.

  “Park in the garage around the corner,” Dani directed, pointing the way.

  He pulled to the side of the house and saw a discreet five-car garage. From the front of the house, the garage looked like another room on the first floor. Modern convenience meets old-world charm.

  He pulled into an empty bay and killed the engine.

  Dani moved to exit the car but he held her back with a hand on her arm.

  “Is this your usual boondoggle? Whose house is this?”

  Dani laughed. He'd heard her laugh last night, but this was the first time he had heard it since they had met this morning. Maybe because the genuineness of it was such a juxtaposition to her cool control, or maybe because it reminded him of last night—either way, he liked it. A lot.

  “No,” she said shaking her head. “It's not our usual boondoggle. Usually we cram into a couple of dirty hotel rooms in the parts of town most normal people like to pretend don't even exist. But none of us are complaining now, that's for sure.” She smiled again, slid out of her seat, and headed for the trunk.

  “Wait,” he said as she grabbed her duffel and headed toward a door. “Whose house is it?” It was public record, he could look it up, but he was more interested in hearing the story behind how the DEA ended up using it, which the public records wouldn't be able to tell him.

  “Oh, the house?” she turned, looking around the cavernous garage. “It's my sister's.”

  Chapter 5

  “HEY, SPANKY,” DANI SAID, dumping her bag in the small hall next to the butler's pantry.

  “Hey, Mack,” he called back from the kitchen.

  Dani strode in, leaned her hip against the kitchen island, and surveyed the scene. Spanky, one of the skinniest people Dani knew, was making a sandwich stuffed with some sort of meat. Mustard, mayonnaise, and horseradish jars were scattered around him. It wasn't even ten in the morning.

  “I'm not backing you up if you get heartburn
or die of a heart attack.” She made a face at him.

  He grinned and took a bite of his sandwich. Then his eyes moved to a point behind her.

  “Ty,” she said motioning him forward. “This is Conner James. Conner, this is Detective Ty Fuller.”

  Ty stepped forward and the two men shook hands.

  Dani didn't miss the quick assessment Spanky gave Ty. She wondered what he saw.

  Ty was an imposing man. At well over six feet, he wasn't quite muscularly bulky, but not lean either. He was built solid and, even with clothes on, it was easy to see he kept in shape. Aside from his physique, his eyes were dark and flashed with a combination of intelligence and a healthy dose of wariness. He was the kind of man who watched, observed, and took stock. Though it might make her job harder, she had a certain amount of respect for that.

  “Call me Ty, please,” he said.

  Conner smiled. “You can call me Spanky, everyone does.”

  Spanky was one of Dani's favorite people to work with. At a few years younger than her, his off-color and irreverent humor, coupled with his intense focus and intelligence, balanced the team well. Just seeing his goofy grin could cut any escalating tension in the group, whether it was from an external source or from frustration with a colleague.

  “Spanky is in charge of audio and tech surveillance. He's got a couple of people working with him. Some may be around, but most likely they're out now. If you have any questions about the audio, talk to Spanky.”

  “Where are you set up?” Ty asked, propping his hip on the kitchen island too.

  Spanky finished his bite before answering. “Phones, satellite, electronic ears, the usual.”

  “Electronic ears?” Ty smiled at the term.

  “Not quite as cool as the eavesdropping devices from Harry Potter, but much stronger and you can't see ‘em.” Spanky took another bite.

  “I can't imagine you're dropping them down stairwells. Where do you set them up?” Ty asked, genuine curiosity clear in his voice.

  “Cars most of the time but, since he's so isolated, it would be too obvious. So, little does Getz know, but his trees, and his walls, have ears,” Spanky gave them a dramatic, conspiratorial wink.

  “Trees?” Ty responded with surprise. “Aren't they visible?”

  “If we'd been here two months ago, when none of the trees had leaves, yeah, that would have sucked. But, there are enough leaves now that, unless his goons are building a tree house, they aren't going to see a thing. And believe me, from what little we've seen, his goons don't carry anything heavier than a Glock.”

  “How big are they?”

  “The goons? I've seen bigger,” Spanky shrugged and smiled.

  Ty's mouth curled into a half grin. “The ears.”

  Spanky held up half his sandwich in response.

  “And they're good?”

  Spanky's eyes glittered with admiration. “They are fabulous. We've picked up some interesting things in the last few days. Come see when you're done with the meet and greet. I'm housed in the parlor,” he winked at Dani. “Oh, wait,” he paused for dramatic effect. “Maybe it's the morning room, or the blue room, I just can't keep them all straight.”

  Ty chuckled. Dani rolled her eyes. “It's the third door on the left from the center hall.”

  “Come by, I'll show you my toys,” Spanky added, as he waltzed out of the kitchen.

  “Interesting character,” Ty commented.

  “Yeah, don't let the grin fool you though, he's one of the best surveillance guys I've ever worked with. It's frightening the things he can pick up.”

  Ty's expression turned thoughtful as he watched the empty doorway. Then his eyes swung toward hers. She sensed he was about to say something about their night together. She remembered how vocal they'd been and it wasn't hard to come up with a few things herself. She cleared her throat.

  “Come on,” she motioned for him to follow. “I'll introduce you to the rest of the team so you can then forget their names.”

  Marmie looked up as they entered and pushed to her feet. “Mack,” she said holding her arms out. Dani stepped into the hug without hesitation. Marmie was stick thin with no figure to speak of, with black hair pulled back into a low bun and glasses hanging around her neck. Her clothes, always gray or black, hung off her body at least a size too big. But, despite her somber and somewhat stern appearance, she had a heart of gold. And, truth be told, Marmie was the only one capable of keeping her teammates sane—capable of keeping them out the black abyss of helplessness that tempted them with every new mission.

  When Ty shifted behind her, Dani remembered she and Marmie were not alone. “Ty, this is Rose Davies, also known as Marmie. Marmie, this is Detective Ty Fuller.” Ty stepped forward and shook hands with Marmie.

  “Marmie is our sifter.” Dani took a few seconds to explain what that meant. “She also has a couple of folks downstairs who focus on finding patterns and connections. You might meet them but my guess is they don't come up very often?” She added this last bit with a confirming look at Marmie who nodded her head.

  “They're kind of a unique breed,” Marmie shrugged. “There's a kitchen down there, bedrooms and tons of space. When I have my meetings, which is twice a day, you'll see them dragging themselves upstairs. If you need something or have any questions, come to me.” Marmie paused, glanced at Dani, and then nodded to the door behind them. “Or Adam.”

  Adam Francey stepped into the room and then smiled when he saw Dani.

  “Dani!” he exclaimed stepping forward and giving her an enthusiastic handshake. Dani liked Adam, but he was a little like a puppy dog. He was the new kid on the block and a little over-the-top enthusiastic, but he also showed an incredible ability to absorb and sift through intelligence. Marmie had spotted him early in his training and snatched him up.

  “Adam, good to see you again. This is Detective Ty Fuller, Portland Vice. He's our liaison on the case,” she added, indicating the man who had somehow managed to move a little closer to her without her even noticing—which was a bit disconcerting.

  “Detective, it's good to meet you,” Adam pumped Ty's hand, sharing his trademark enthusiasm. Dani hadn't noticed the tension in Ty's body until she saw his shoulders relax with Adam's effusiveness. She glanced at his face and wondered if it was tension related to meeting new people, or related to her. She frowned, wondering if it was a mistake to not address the night before. Ty had given her no indication so far that he had any serious issue with her insistence on leaving the personal out of the investigation. But he hadn't said he agreed either.

  “How long you been with vice?” Adam asked, still smiling.

  “A few years. I was a SEAL before that, though,” Ty answered, much like he would if he were talking to a young boy.

  “A SEAL? Really? Wow.” Adam eyed Ty again.

  Dani smiled to herself. Ty might think the young man was looking at him in awe. Adam's voice was a pretty good imitation of admiration. But Dani knew the real Adam. The enthusiasm was real, but he was not naïve or easily impressed. Knowing Ty was a SEAL, that he was more than just the average, small city detective would change the filter Adam used when talking to Ty. She had no doubt his brain was sifting through information right now, breaking it down into categories—information he could share and information he could not, or would not, share.

  “So, Dani filled you in?” Adam asked, clearing a spot on the desk across from Marmie's and leaning against the edge.

  Ty wagged his head, “More or less.”

  Adam's eyes sought hers.

  A twitch of her brow communicated her answer. Just the bare minimum. Adam's acknowledgment was even smaller. Spanky and Marmie had both done an excellent job of giving Ty information without actually giving him information on the case.

  “Good, glad to hear it. If you need any information or have any questions, I'll be happy to help as much as I can.”

  Ty's look of mild amusement was becoming very familiar. The last part of that sentence hadn
't gone unnoticed.

  “Thanks, I appreciate it. I do have some questions. Where can I find you later?” Ty continued.

  Again, Adam cast a glance in Dani's direction. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. She trusted Adam.

  “Here or downstairs. If you can't find me, ask Marmie. She always knows where I am.”

  Adam rose from his perch, thumbed through some papers and then straightened. “Well, we're running some numbers downstairs so I guess I'll see you around. Good to see you Dani,” he added as he disappeared down the hall.

  “Nice meeting you Detective Fuller,” Marmie said as she turned back to her computer, dismissing them.

  “We have a couple more people to meet,” Dani said.

  While her team had been a team for a long time, they didn't usually work in the same proximity. It did happen on occasion, but much of what they did could be done from remote locations, leaving just the field agents on the ground. But that wasn't the way the DEA operated, so here they all were. Keeping up appearances. It made for long introductions, but if Dani were pressed, she'd admit it was kind of nice to be surrounded by everyone. Especially on this case. They weren't all personally friendly, but she didn't doubt for a second that everyone in the house would have her back if needed.

  “This way.” As Dani ushered Ty out of the room, she recognized the look of interest in his expression. His eyes were sweeping the room, taking it all in. And judging by his wry comments, her unspoken communication with Marmie and Adam hadn't gone unnoticed either.

  She walked ahead of him through the enormous main hall of the house in silence, cursing the fates again, whatever their names were, for throwing a man like Ty onto this case. He wasn't going to miss a thing.

  “What was that look about?” he asked, as if to prove her point.

  “Nothing,” she responded, climbing the stairs to the second floor.