by Starling,Amy
“Yes. He told me at first he didn't know who set it. Later, when he found out Harvey did it, that's when he started freaking out, telling me there was no arsonist, to drop the case.” She gazed hopefully at the agent. “Harvey is just as dangerous as Victor. He's been setting fires around here in some insane act of revenge for what happened eighteen years ago.”
“Wonder why he waited so long,” Charlie added. “If his kid died way back then, why put off his revenge for almost two decades?”
“Maybe he didn't know who to blame. Obviously, he went after you first. Then it may have taken some time to work out everyone else responsible.” She shrugged. “Or maybe he kept his anger in check for so long, but finally snapped.”
“I'm gonna go with that explanation.”
“Nearly thirty years have passed since all this began,” Alex continued. “He hadn't caused any noticeable trouble in quite a while, so he gradually faded from memory. Most thought he'd never be found. Some assumed he fled the country or finally settled down in a normal life. But then something odd caught our attention: A man named Freddy Ventura was incarcerated in Florida.”
“Oh, we know him well,” I said.
“Five of his girlfriends suffered 'untimely deaths.' One fell from a roof. Another got hit by a truck.” He closed his eyes. “I worked that case. It was partially my efforts that got him convicted of murder – for two of the women, anyway. The others, we couldn't prove it was his doing.”
“You were the agent who had him put away?” Madison shook his hand, obviously impressed. “That man is sick. He deserved to be locked up for life.”
“I thought so, too. That's why I found it very odd when, despite the verdict of fifty years behind bars, he was let out within only three. Given this case was mine, it became personal to me. I dug deep to figure out how he did it. The road led me to Victor.”
In this city, apparently, all roads led to that asshole. Was there a pie he didn't have his finger in?
“It was a peculiar chain of events that led to his release. A lot of money must have been involved, but the players left little trail to follow. His new attorney, the shady bastard, got him off by having the case sent to retrial. All of a sudden, there was new 'evidence' that it wasn't Freddy who killed those girls.”
“How in the world...”
“It was a mess. He brought forth new witnesses, people who gave Freddy an alibi. The jury, I believe, was handpicked as well. Easy to get a not guilty verdict when the jurors are all on your payroll, I would imagine.”
“So did Victor get him out, then? Why bother?”
“At the time, I couldn't prove it who it was – but I tracked Freddy's movements after release. He moved here, to Kingston, and promptly settled back into civilian life. That he bought a nice house despite being unemployed triggered me to check how he did it. Turned out Victor was the buyer.”
“Did you know he was, uh... Nick after that?” Jenna asked.
“No, actually. I'd never seen Nick myself; the hoopla with him was well before I got hired. Of course, I was rather shocked when I found the police chief bought a home for a murderous scumbag. It triggered all kinds of alarms. I began keeping an eye on him.”
“At what point did you realize his real identity?”
“It took an older agent to say, hey, the guy looks kinda familiar. I had someone obtain a DNA sample and proved it. Unfortunately, we couldn't just swoop in and arrest him due to all kinds of legal loopholes. All we could do was wait for him to mess up.”
I had to laugh. “So you've been monitoring him for two years since then and found nothing worth nabbing him over?”
He shook his head. “We did, actually. There was nothing out in the open, nothing so obvious, but it seemed clear that he was using his money to fund Freddy's drug operation, not to mention other suspicious, questionable activities.”
Madison didn't seem too happy anymore. “You knew Freddy was running a drug ring, but never stopped him?”
“Sometimes, you have to let one fish remain free in order to get the big catch. From him we got names, supply lines, buyers, producers. We learned so much and were near ready to bring him in – when his house burned down and he vanished.”
“There's something I don't get,” Jenna said. “Why would Harvey work so closely with Victor given his close relationship with the drug world? He hated drugs and anybody who touched them.”
“I think he needed Victor. They were partners, he said. It was an uneasy alliance, but they both relied on each other,” Madison said. “Harvey was the loyal lapdog. Victor gave him information and helped cover his tracks.”
Alex nodded. “That house fire caught our attention. It was much too coincidental, we thought. Upon checking, we found there were two related fires before that, both probably arson. Then we saw you and officer Harvey at the scene. Things began to snowball from there.”
“This doesn't explain why you've been following her,” I snapped. “Some of those times we saw a black car, it was yours, wasn't it? Not Charlie's.”
“I apologize, Mr. Silver. I had to know who we could trust.” He offered Madison a smile. “It soon became apparent that you weren't just a regular officer. You defied your boss in lieu of doing the right thing. Unlike many of your fellow officers, you were never swayed by the promise of money or drugs. We were... impressed.”
She blushed as Jenna squealed her congratulations. Y'know, I thought Maddie should be proud too. I made fun of her for being a rule stickler, but hey, it sure seemed to be paying off.
“You shouldn't be impressed by me,” she muttered. “If it hadn't been for a few slip-ups on Harvey's part, I never would have pegged him as the arsonist. Even when I knew, I was helpless to stop him.”
I put an arm around her. “Don't be so hard on yourself. You got the bomb out of Melody's apartment. Had it not been for you, a lot of people could have died.”
“If it wasn't for you and Charlie, though, I never would have known a bomb existed in the first place. Yes, the way in which we found out was terrible, but I see what you mean now. Sometimes, you have to do bad things to get results.”
Her brother raised his hand. “Uh, so, FBI dude? You're not going to put us back in jail, are you? Given that my sister's a hero and all.”
“Charlie!” Jenna hissed.
Alex didn't look very amused. “As I said, there are bigger fish.” He turned to Madison. “And I'm asking you to help me catch them.”
“Anything you need. Just name it.”
“He's a dangerous man, and my squad and I can't approach him together without spooking him. You and he have history. He's not afraid of you.”
“And he expects you to deliver the safe,” I added.
“There was a lot of money in there. And a book indicating Freddy owed Victor some also.” She eyed Alex. “Did you know that too?”
“The contents, no. But that will be helpful in the trial.” He pulled up some kind of document, a plan of what we had to do. “I want you to get the safe and bring it to him. He wants the money bad enough, it'll blind him to any impending danger.”
“But what if he brings backup?” I asked. “He's psychotic, not stupid. You really asking Madison to put herself in harm's way?”
“That's what I do, Brett,” she said softly. “It's my job, and I'm glad to do it. You've got to promise me you'll accept that before I even think of giving us a try.”
What she said hurt, but I did understand. My job was dangerous too. Jayce's wife didn't much like him doing it – she feared one day he'd never come home – but she knew he loved his duty, and so she let him go.
Were we ever at that stage in our relationship, she'd have to accept that of me too. It would only be fair, then, to support her just the same.
“Don't worry. My men and I will be waiting in the wings to swoop in.” He thought a moment. “Suggest meeting at his house. We'd prefer to do this in private, so as not to cause a scene or risk hurting civilians.”
“Are you gonna put
that bug thing on her again?” Jenna shivered. “Listening in on people without them knowing is so creepy.”
He nodded. “It's necessary so we can hear what's going on in there. Plus, anything he says to Madison can be used against him.”
“What about Harvey? He's possibly more unhinged than Victor.”
“Don't worry about him.” Alex held up the dismantled laptop. “He will be taken care of.”
The plan was to be set in motion tomorrow night. Then Alex and his companion agent, some older guy named Harris, kindly drove me back to the restaurant where I left my truck. I followed behind the FBI car as they headed to Melody's apartment, where her Charger was.
When we arrived, the bomb squad was gone. There were kids standing outside talking excitedly about the whole thing.
“That was whack, man. Can't believe they made us evacuate.”
“Yeah, and they found nothing. Waste of a Friday night.”
The FBI guys drove away, leaving us alone in front of the building. Madison wanted to go check on Melody, so we went up.
“It's Madison,” she said, knocking on her door. “Melody? Did it go okay?”
The door swung open, but no one was there. It looked as if a tornado tore through the room: furniture tipped over, drawers pulled out, even dishes broken on the kitchen floor. The lights were out and Melody was gone.
“My god. What happened here?” She picked up a tipped picture frame. “Did my squad do this?”
“They were looking for a bomb, right? Guess it makes sense.”
“But... This is horrible. She didn't deserve this, not after everything else she's been through.”
Upon checking her closet, we discovered an empty gap where clothes used to be.
“Maybe she did leave with James. I just hope she's okay.”
“You better hope she didn't get far. Her testimony will be golden in the trial.”
Back outside in the street, she burst into tears and let herself drop into my arms. Surprised but not displeased, I hugged her close.
“Maddie?”
“It's almost over, isn't it?” She looked up at me. “This is what we wanted, but... I don't know if I can do this.”
“Believe me, there's nothing I would like better than to run away with you someplace and never look back. But you can do it, okay?”
“I'm afraid,” she admitted. “Scared of messing up, of letting Victor escape and ruining everything when they put so much faith in me. Then he'll get a new identity and hurt people all over again.”
“Don't think like that. You're the best cop I've ever known.”
A car full of teenagers whipped past, blaring rap loud enough to shake the windows. Some kid hollered at us and threw a soda can. Normally, it would infuriated me, but this time I didn't even flinch.
“I just need to know one thing,” I said, my heartbeat quickening. “When this is over, will you –”
“Yes.”
Then she kissed me, and all was right and good in the world.
Could I really give up my bachelorhood for this? Was the single life with one woman, with her, worth it?
Hell yeah it was.
Chapter 27 - Madison
“Dear Madison.” Victor's tone was impatient, not dripping with his usual fake charm. “I am still waiting for my safe.”
I held the phone with my shoulder while making doubly sure my gun was loaded. As a cop, I'd never had to kill anyone before.
I decided I wouldn't mind so much if Victor was my first.
“You'll have it soon. Tonight.” I hesitated. If he said no to this, the plan would have to change. “I'd like to drop it off at your place.”
“Ah,” he said with a chuckle. “I understand. You want some privacy, don't you? You've decided to reconcile our differences. That's smart; you don't want a man like me as your enemy.”
I shuddered, knowing very well how right he was. I also shuddered because the thought of him touching me, even to shake my hand, made my stomach sick.
When I didn't reply, he sighed. “Yes, I suppose that will do. I'll be busy all day anyway. Harvey left quite a mess for me to clean up, you see. I was forced to let him go for... insubordination. His parting gift was to beat up a hapless guard and let loose a dozen petty criminals into the streets.”
“Oh. What a shame.”
“We're not a max-security prison, mind, so I'm not too miffed about it. Just a rabble of idiots we picked up for DUIs, possession, shoplifting and the like.” He paused; there was a lilt in his voice. “Ah, except for your brother Charlie and that no-good Brett Silver. Surely you might have an idea where they've gone?”
“Nope.” I slid my gun into its holster. “Haven't seen them since you falsely accused them of having that bomb.”
“Mm, that is too bad. It's a funny thing, you know. I sent a squad to find the explosive device. They tore the place apart, but found nothing. Either they're incompetent or someone removed it.”
“Or maybe it never existed in the first place.”
I would have loved to get Harvey screwed for that bomb – it'd put him away for a really long time – but if there was a chance of Victor pinning it on Brett, I wasn't going to give him the opportunity.
“You, ah, wouldn't have maybe paid a visit to the West Bay Apartments last night?”
“I was at home, worried to death about the men you arrested for no reason.”
“I'd say dealing a kilo of coke was a fine reason.” He grunted. “Regardless, Harvey made me look like a fool. I have no qualms with blaming it all on him – if you hurry on over here with that safe.”
I slid a knife into my boot. Always good to have a backup weapon.
“Victor, you've no qualms with pinning shit on anybody.”
“If I were you, I'd do exactly as I ask before you end up next on my list.”
He wasn't kidding. Thank God he'd be locked away by the day's end. This man didn't deserve to be chief of police. He didn't even deserve to walk another day free.
I just had to play my cards right. No sudden moves that'd scare him off into hiding again. Because if that happened, we probably wouldn't have another chance to nab him.
“Be at my house with the safe after nine tonight.” He paused. “Oh, and I shouldn't have to remind you, but do come alone.”
I laughed to myself as he hung up on me. Wonder if he had any clue the FBI had come to arrest him – not give him a job? I couldn't wait to see his face as agents swooped out of the shadows to take him in.
Brett crept up behind me and put his arms around me. His arm brushed my gun, and he flinched.
“I got mixed feelings about you carrying that thing.”
“And I've got mixed feelings about you running headlong into a burning house. It is what it is.”
He kissed my neck and for a moment, I forgot my anger. We'd been intimate last night, both of us needing the comfort of each other's touch so badly.
It wasn't wild and kinky like the first few times. This time, it was slow and gentle and full of so much emotion. I felt a connection. How had I not seen it before?
“Wish I could be there with you when you bust Victor,” he grumbled. “But Hank's got me on the night shift, and for some reason, those FBI guys were cagey about me coming along for the ride.”
“They don't want any chance of failure. It has to be me going in there alone; you know that. If he thinks I came with others, he'll run.”
I gazed out the window at the rising moon. Dusk had just fallen; wouldn't be long now.
“I'm worried about Harvey,” Brett admitted. “The guy's snapped. He caught the jail on fire and let loose a bunch of bad guys. We haven't seen him since then.”
“If he's smart, he probably saw the writing on the wall and ran away. Hope not, though. If I'm denied my chance for justice... For revenge...”
“They'll nab him. Then you'll have the satisfaction of helping put that guy away for life come trial time.”
Brett kindly took Charlie with him to work. Jenna
left for class and called to say she'd be spending the night with a friend.
Good. I didn't want them moping around here worrying about me.
Shortly before nine, I met up with Alex. He and three other agents worked out of a van parked behind an abandoned building.
“Remember, we'll be with you every step of the way,” he said, fastening the tiny speaker to my shirt. “Try to get him talking, to admit his connection with Freddy. Keep him going as long as you can. Soon as he starts getting suspicious, or if there's even a hint of danger, we'll come in and make the arrest.”
“Uh, ma'am?” Alex's partner, Will, pointed to the gun on my belt. “Sorry, but you can't take that with you.”
“Are you kidding? You want me to confront a dangerous madman with no firearm?”
“He sees the gun, he'll know something's up. The goal here is to make him trust you. Lull him into spilling what he knows. You're not supposed to be shooting him.”
“Ah, well, that's too bad.” I reluctantly handed my weapon to him.
As I drove through the hills to Victor's house, I tried to keep my mind on the mission – but Brett was all I could think of.
I wanted him here with me. He'd helped me get this far, and it didn't seem right he wasn't by my side at the end.
After following the winding road into the woods, I arrived. I'd been here many times before – times I wished I could forget. As I struggled to load the safe onto a handcart, I could feel the FBI agents watching me from the shadows.
That only made me more nervous.
Victor emerged from his house as I began pushing the safe up the driveway. He wore a big smile, the kind he used to have when I came to visit, back when we were dating.
What a fool I was to be blinded by this sick bastard.
“At last,” he said, eyeing the safe. “Come inside, dear, and let's see if everything's intact.”
“And if it is? Are you going to leave me and my friends alone?”
He chuckled. “So you do know where they are. Don't worry, I have no interest in them anymore.”
I pushed the cart into his house without him offering to help. The place was quiet; he seemed to be here alone. Perfect.
