“You can come up. I ain’t decided on the shootin’ part yet.” There wasn’t the slightest bit of humor on the old woman’s face.
“Fair enough.”
Deirdre went up the stairs and sat next to the woman on the floor of the porch. She liked the look of this old farm. Everything was organized, simple and beautiful. It hadn’t been used for farming in a long time. The nearby pasture grew high with weeds. There were no cattle or crops to be seen. Gladys had changed the setting to a kid’s wonderland. Flowers grew in front and Deirdre saw the edge of a tree house on the outskirts of the woods. In the back, part of a swing set could be seen from the sidewalk.
“Start talking.” The old woman kept staring straight ahead.
Confronting Gladys wouldn’t be easy. This woman was frightened, hardened by fear, and it would be difficult for her to trust anyone. Regardless, Deirdre had to try. There was a little girl’s life at stake.
“Ma’am, I took a job from Tamara Haas. It looked like a cut and dry security run with a stalker. Tamara claimed she feared for her life. Not long after, your son arrived with a pistol. As I continued to investigate, there were inconsistencies.”
“That’s a bunch of hogwash. At one time she loved Jack. She’s the one who called him and tried to reconcile. It was stupid for him to go out there. I tried to tell him but he had this idea that Lora needed a mother. That child don’t need that skinny white woman as a mother.”
Deirdre watched Gladys. Her old hands wrung together as she spoke and that’s where her focus seemed to be. She wouldn’t look Deirdre in the eyes, only watch her hands rub each other.
“So Tamara Haas is your granddaughter’s mother?”
“You won’t take her back to that bitch.” Gladys reached for her rifle but Deirdre reached around her, moving it from the lady’s grasp.
“Ma’am, I’m not here to take away Lora. I’m here to protect her. I’m just not sure what from. I was hoping you could help fill in some holes for me.”
The older lady looked at Deirdre. Her deep brown eyes stared from puffy skin. It looked like she’d been crying for days. She had to deal with the death of her son and the sudden threat to her granddaughter.
“What do you need to know?”
“I’m assuming Lora is the product of Jack’s marriage to Tamara. I’m just not sure why Tamara would give up custody only to set up Jack and reclaim Lora. None of it makes sense.”
Tears filled Gladys’s eyes and she pressed her lips together in a tight line. Pure hate showed behind the pain and Deirdre thought the old woman might reach for the rifle again.
“At least you believe she set him up. He didn’t believe it until the end.” With a long sigh she began. “Twelve years ago Tamara shows up on his doorstep and leaves that baby girl. She didn’t want joint custody, just left her.” Gladys started pulling the hem of her shirt, nearly ripping it as she spoke. “Last year that skeezer comes back. At first Jack turned her away. He had a proper black girlfriend.” Gladys looked at Deirdre, stared at her white skin then lowered her eyes once more. “I don’t mean to be cruel but I never liked the idea of him hooking up with white women. He shoulda stuck to his own kind. Whites like you don’t understand us.”
“Let’s move on. Now why did Tamara come back?”
“She wanted visitation to her daughter. Little Lora didn’t know who she was. Next thing we know, she tried to kidnap Lora.” Gladys bit her bottom lip. “Tamara tried to pick her up from softball practice. Good thing the coach is strict. Damn good thing.”
Gladys hesitated. Something troubled her and it wasn’t the race of the women Jack chose to date. Her skin turned gray and she looked so pale Deirdre reached out fearing the woman would pass out.
“I need to know everything.”
“It’s the Colinsters. That’s Tamara Haas’ real last name. They have something big going. It happened years ago. They were followers and they wanted Lora. That’s why Tamara brought Lora to Jack. She was trying to protect her from those monsters. That’s what they were. They had a school and they wanted my grandbaby. Something big brought it all down. Lora wasn’t safe though. That father of Tamara’s wouldn’t stop. He’s building it again, but now he’s got Tamara on his side and they want Lora.”
Deirdre didn’t understand. Her story wasn’t making sense. A woman leaves her daughter to protect her, then comes back, risking everything to help in a larger conspiracy brought on by her father.
“I’m sorry. I don’t follow. Are you saying Tamara wanted to protect her daughter but then changed her mind, or did she think Jack couldn’t take care of her?”
From the back of the house a blood chilling scream brought Deirdre and Gladys to their feet. Deirdre moved first, running around the side in time to see two men, one had a little girl on his shoulder, the other a gun.
Deirdre drew her knives while running through the grass and leaves that made up the backyard. Without uttering a single warning she threw, hitting the gunman behind the knee and sending two more blades into the man carrying the girl. Both fell to the ground. The little girl scrambled but her captor held tight. Deirdre sent another knife into his back, between the shoulder blades. He grunted and the girl took off.
The first man found his gun in the leaves and lifted it. Deirdre’s last knife went into his hand. A single shot went off from the man’s gun, flying wild and connecting with a nearby oak tree. Bark scattered into the grass, along with drops of his blood from the knife wound. The two men didn’t stay down long. Both hobbled to their feet and started toward the woods.
“I’ll get ’em.” She heard Gladys, running and breathless. “I’ll teach those bastards.”
Gladys had her rifle raised. Deirdre got out of the way, knowing the odds of shooting two moving targets at this distance were slim. She trotted to the side, then behind Gladys where little Lora stood.
The girl was beautiful but didn’t look anything like the blonde child Tamara had been filmed loading onto the airplane. The one from the plane had been very blonde, pale skinned, dressed like a little Republican. The real Lora had a light tan with medium-textured hair, very straight, from her mother’s side. Her cheekbones were high and narrow, and she had the biggest dark brown eyes Deirdre had ever seen. Lora wore jeans with a T-shirt saying Princess and little sneakers. One day she would be a heartbreaker.
“I take it, you’re Lora.” Deirdre spoke as Gladys fired five times, causing both of them to jump.
“Are you the lady I called?” Her head tilted to the side as if deciding whether to start running again.
“I am.” Deirdre glanced toward the empty woods while Gladys shook her fist into the air. She had missed both of them. “Why did you call me?”
“At my dad’s place, I overheard that woman telling Daddy that you were the best. Grammy said not to call you because you’d helped that woman. I told her that you might’ve been fooled like Daddy and maybe you’d realized that you’d made a mistake.”
That woman, it was an interesting way to refer to one’s mother. She couldn’t imagine calling her own mother that woman. Scorpion was a term of respect, not as grand as Mother but it was superior to an anonymous gender.
“What else did Tamara say about me?”
“Not much.” Lora kicked at the ground, getting a leaf caught in the laces in her sneaker. “We were in some hotel. Dad wanted to know why she’d set him up. I don’t know what they were talking about. I thought they were getting along. They even went away for the weekend. Anyway, that woman said she wanted me to go with her but Dad told her no. I think he said something bad to her because they got really quiet, you know, whispering. That woman said she’d have me. They fought, ‘cause then I heard screaming. Anyway she said there was nothing he could do about it because she’d hired the best security in town, Security Specialists, with a woman running it named Dragonfly.” Lora moved from side to side as she spoke. “I remembered the name because it was weird. I like dragonflies and all, but I never heard it used as a name before
.”
How did she know that name? Tamara shouldn’t have known that name.
Deirdre tried to put the pieces together. Lora was a mistake, something Tamara thought would come back to haunt her. She set up Jack to get Lora, but why? If she were ashamed of Lora, it would be better to let the girl fade into the background.
“Gladys, did Jack ever contact Tamara? Ask for anything from her?”
“No.” Gladys squared her shoulders, readying for an argument. “He never wanted that whore hurting Lora and not once did he ask for money.” She watched the woods seemingly aware more trouble could be coming. “He knew how bad that family was. I think it surprised him when Tamara got sucked back in. Rumor has it that her family’s school used teenagers to commit crimes. They would bring them into an area then move them out before anyone could link them.”
“Do you remember the name of the school?”
“One was named Stone House. That was the first one. The Colinster family tried to do another school someplace up north but it didn’t work out. I’m not sure why they fell away from Stone House, but they did.”
Deirdre couldn’t believe this. It sounded like there were two schools, Stone House and another started by the same family up north. The northern school was probably started around the same time funding for Stone House had stopped. Although none of it explained why Tamara would have the father of her child arrested, arrive in public with another girl, while sending men after Lora. Niam didn’t fit in the picture either.
Deirdre looked down at Lora, feeling her stare. Those big brown eyes looked so innocent, not worthy of whatever devious plans either group had in mind for her. Gladys couldn’t keep her safe alone.
“I would like to make up for that mistake with your dad. I never would’ve helped Tamara if I’d known the truth.” She looked at Gladys. “We need to go now. Those men will be back and they’ll bring a lot of bad people.”
“I’ve already got our bags packed, but nowhere to take ’em.” Gladys lowered her weapon but still eyed the woods.
Deirdre looked at Lora then at Gladys. This mess wasn’t her fault but she couldn’t deny some responsibility in the death of Jack Shope. There wasn’t much she could’ve done. Even refusing the case wouldn’t have solved anything. Jack might be up for murder one without the security but she doubted the forces involved would let Lora go.
“Tell me something Gladys, why did Tamara do what she did? I’m not following her logic.”
Gladys’s old eyes took her in. “She loved Lora and I think wanted to keep her safe from the Colinsters. After a few years, family tends to reclaim what was theirs. Even a good spirit can get worn down. That left Tamara with the one mistake that could always come back.” Gladys looked down at Lora. “A mixed child. I think Tamara’s daddy wants Lora out of the way because it’s the only evidence Lora had been with a black man.”
Deirdre listened but wasn’t sure if Gladys’s beliefs were based more on personal prejudice than actual fact. If Tamara Haas simply wanted Lora dead, they’d just had their opportunity. Instead of killing the girl, they tried to kidnap her. That was more than covering up an unwanted child between a black man and a white woman.
“Let me make a phone call. Get your bags and we’ll find a safe place for you until I get all this worked out.”
“Don’t get me wrong,” spoke Gladys in a chastising tone. “I don’t want no handouts. I’m not one of those people who think everybody owes me everything. I work for what’s mine.”
“I’m sure you do, but the fact remains that I owe this little girl something.”
She went back to her car, dialing her cell phone. She’d told Tech to sleep, so it would be rude to wake him. The only person she could start with was her backup, Sabrine.
“Who in the hell is calling me this early?”
Sabrine was not a morning person, or even an afternoon person. It was nearly noon, and about three hours before she usually rolled out of bed. The fault for her bad sleeping habits resided purely with Deirdre. Long night shifts had permanently changed most of her employees sleeping schedules.
“It’s not early. It’s nearly noon, now get your ass out of bed. We’ve got a job.”
“Deirdre?” The anger faded from her voice. “What’s up?”
“Long story. The Tamara Haas case we took ended messy. You know Jack Shope was shot and killed. The details don’t add up, a gun, a picked handcuff lock, an open cop door, and an unknown female cop no one can identify as the shooter. It’s just a theory but I think that Jack Shope was set up to die. We’re responsible and now someone is after his daughter Lora.”
“Tamara Haas’ daughter?” Sabrine must’ve been filled in on a few details by Tech. “Sounds like Tamara wanted her daughter back.”
Deirdre leaned against her car and saw Gladys lugging a large duffle bag alongside Lora who had a bag bigger than her whole body slung over her shoulder. The two watched her from their porch, apparently providing Deirdre with a bit of privacy.
“There’s more to it. The girl filmed with Tamara wasn’t Lora Shope. Tamara staged that. Next my old nemesis, Niam, is involved in this and I don’t know how. The grandmother thinks Tamara wants Lora dead because she is mixed. That doesn’t make any sense when they could’ve just killed her, but tried to kidnap her instead. I’ve got a million questions and no answers. The clues aren’t falling into place.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Wait about an hour and get to Tech. By then I should have a safe place for them to crash for a few days. My house won’t work. I’ve had situations arise there too.”
“Have you tried Mooney?”
“No but that’s a perfect idea. I’ll call him next. When you get to Tech, tell him I need info fast on this Colinster family. Especially check on any Klan relations just in case the grandmother is right. I also need you to provide security for them while I investigate this.”
There was a long pause, the silence weighing on Deirdre’s nerves. Usually Sabrine helped in all her investigations, splitting the legwork. Sabrine was strong, smart, and a valuable asset, but those same qualities would put her in a better situation to watch two frightened females.
“Why not let one of the guys play watchdog?”
“One, these are two frightened women who might be put on edge by another man. Secondly, I get the distinct impression that Gladys, the grandmother, doesn’t care for white people. There are only two people with good tans working for me, and you’re the only female. You win babysitting duty.”
Sabrine laughed. “You’re just jealous because you’re so damn pale.”
She looked at her very pale skin. “That’s true. I also need you to work your magic with Tech.”
“Magic?”
On the porch the grandmother sat on the step, Lora next to her. It saddened Deirdre to take them from their home, but there was no way to keep them safe. One attempt on Lora made Deirdre ready to run to the ends of the earth to protect them.
“For the move. You know how much he hates moving equipment and, well, you’re screwing Tech. He’ll take the news better from you.” There was no reason to waste time being sensitive. “I want Tech to go with you to whatever safe house I come up with. He’ll have to bring his work with him and be careful that no one follows.”
A strange noise came from Sabrine’s end, a muffled scream. Deirdre realized that she’d covered the mouthpiece and tried to keep Deirdre from hearing her curse. It was cute, and ineffective.
“Don’t you think that will be awkward?” Before Deirdre could answer, Sabrine kept rattling questions. “Are you punishing me? Do you know how pissed he’ll be when he hears this and you want me to tell him?”
“Cool it. Someone is hunting me. That means they’ll be hunting my closest people. You could walk out of your house right now and be gunned down. This way the two of you are safe and at the same time Tech can work while you play guard.”
“What about the rest of our staff?”
“That�
�s the rest of your job. Call them. See if they’ve been followed. Make a list of anyone who has been approached or contacted about me or the company. Don’t give away too much information beyond a warning that trouble could be out there. I don’t trust this beyond you, me, and Tech. If we have to bring in anyone else, they go to the safe house blindfolded.”
“Who don’t you trust?”
That was a trick question. She’d been raised not to trust, breaking the habit became unusually difficult especially in stressful situations. Her staff was the best, and loyal, but with a little girl’s life in danger, there was no sense in taking chances.
“The people I trust one hundred percent are Tech and you.” She cleared her throat. “You have one hour to be at Tech’s and one hour to have him packed up. That’s all. If he can’t move it in an hour, then his equipment doesn’t go. Understand?”
“You got it.” Sabrine worked without doubts or questions when she knew a situation had turned serious and from the tone in her voice, she’d realized just that.
“I’ll call you back with our destination. Oh, steer clear of unchecked lines. Stay on our cells only if it’s secure. I don’t know how far this goes and at least these cell phones have encryption. They might get tapped but it won’t be easy.”
Deirdre hung up the phone and held a single finger in the air to indicate one more minute. Her next call was Harold Mooney. The guy was out of town but she reached him on his cell phone. She’d saved his ass twice when he crossed paths with mobsters posing as pharmaceutical companies. People wonder why prescription prices were so high. Deirdre found out first hand when prescription money, not street drugs, supplied a Hummer that tried to run over her car. Rubber burned and bullets flew all because Mooney wouldn’t agree to a sell out. Mooney had paid her bill and promised that he’d pay her back for everything she’d done to help him.
He answered, sounding pleased with her call. After waiting for Mooney to get a free moment, he instantly agreed to lend Deirdre his seven bedroom mansion complete with a security system that made Fort Knox look like the easiest place in the world to break into. He would send his maid to clean the place immediately and make sure the keys were left with the neighbor. After writing down the two different security codes it took to get through the seven-foot-tall gate and then into the steel core front door, Deirdre was ready to take Gladys and Lora to their safe house.
Magic Rising Page 17
