“Oh my gosh, that sounds awful.”
“Yeah, it wrecked his mother. She never got over it.”
“And he was friends with Finn and Cody?” I asked.
“Back in the day. They were inseparable.”
“You don’t think he has anything to do with Cody’s murder, do you?”
“That’s an angle I hadn’t thought of. I’ll have to think about it. I don’t think TJ could have pulled it off. Especially if you’re talking about being injected with something, but it wouldn’t be the first time a killer surprised me.
“Maybe they’ll pull some evidence off the syringe,” I offered up. At this point, that was our best chance of getting something concrete.
“Let me give Agent Cooper a call and have him look into TJ.”
“Okay, I’ll keep an eye out for him too,” I said.
I hung up with Detective Brandle and waited twenty minutes for the crime scene techs to come and retrieve the syringe. It didn’t take them but a minute to put the needle in a baggie and after that I was left wondering where else to look for Finn’s yearbook. I was convinced that identifying the four boys in the photo would hold the answers to the case. I was working on the assumption that TJ was the third boy in the photo. The fourth boy could very easily be his accomplice.
The only place I hadn’t looked was Finn’s old apartment, and come to think of it, I should have looked there first. I even had a couple boxes stashed upstairs. Knickknacks, college textbooks, old journals. Items I didn’t want to part with, but didn’t fit in with my current life or style choices. I still had the apartment key on my keyring, and it would take only a minute to jog over there.
A couple of minutes later, that’s exactly what I did.
No one paid any attention to me as I skipped back across the marina and jogged up the wooden staircase. A few seconds later, I was through the front door and flipping on the kitchen lights.
There stood Finn in his boxer shorts, eating SpaghettiOs cold right out of the can. He had a goofy expression on his face while mine was more of shock.
“This? This is your top-secret hideout? Your old apartment located less than a stone’s throw from where the FBI has been coming and going?”
“Brilliant, isn’t it?” Finn asked while scraping the bottom of the metal can with a spoon. “I told you I wasn’t that far.”
“I know, but you could have just told me where you were. I wouldn’t have told anyone, and it would’ve made me feel a heck of a lot safer knowing you were close by. Which, reminds me! I had a little chat with Alexia today.”
Finn dropped the can on the floor. It was the reaction I’d hoped for.
I pointed my finger at his chest. “You jerk, you never told me you were married before.”
Finn held up his hands in a surrender. “It lasted a week, and the woman conned me. She ran off with the goods. Did she tell you that?”
“Yeah, and guess what, it’s not The Sugar King who is after you. Turns out that little heist you guys pulled off? Yeah, you stole a bunch of forgeries.”
“No, we didn’t. We stole the real things.” Suddenly Finn seemed all offended. You’d think he would’ve been happy.
Nope, ’fraid not. Alexia discovered it when she went to fence them, which explains why The Sugar King never came after you. You weren’t worth it. So, someone who knows about the little heist wanted to get you guys all together again. Why? I have no idea but it wasn’t The Sugar King.”
“Alexia didn’t—”
“Try to hurt me? No. I figured that out ahead of time. If she had wanted me dead, she would’ve done it when she killed Cody which means—”
“She didn’t kill Cody,” Finn filled in.
“Bingo. Turns out Alexia couldn’t keep risking walking around in public as she’s pretty much on every country’s most wanted list. Hence her sneaking around.”
“Sounds like she’s created quite the career for herself.”
“That she has, but she still wanted to make sure you knew it wasn’t The Sugar King.”
“How thoughtful,” Finn grumbled.
“Listen, I know it wasn’t a legit marriage on her part, but you still should’ve told me. I don’t like secrets. Promise me there aren’t anymore,” I said.
Finn pretended to think on it.
I eyed him expectantly.
Finn reached his hands around my waist and pulled me close to his chest. “I promise. And for what it’s worth, I don’t consider you my second wife, or my second anything. You’re my one true love.” I swallowed hard. Finn could deliver a line with the best of them. SpaghettiOs mouth or not, I moved in to give him a kiss.
“Finn, I’m sorry, man.” The unexpected voice froze me in my tracks. I didn’t recognize the voice behind me enough to put a face to it. When I turned around, I saw that it was TJ. His eye was twitching and he repeatedly licked his lips, almost lizard-like.
“TJ, man, what’s up? Is everything okay?” Finn asked. Finn moved until he was standing almost in front of me. This couldn’t be a good sign.
“I’m such a screw-up, everyone hates me. It killed my mom. My brother tells me every day. Never forgave me.”
“What? What about Timothy?” Finn asked.
“He hates me. I screwed up,” TJ replied.
“It’s not you that I hate,” another voice added. Now that voice I knew. Agent Cooper strolled through the doorway, gun drawn and pointing it at the three of us.
“Tattletale Timothy, long time no see,” Finn said to Agent Cooper. Now Finn was standing directly in front of me. I searched the counter with my eyes for a weapon. Kitchens were full of them. Steak knives, meat mallets, frying pans—what could I grab?
Then it all clicked together. “The photograph. It was you, Cody, TJ and Agent Cooper.”
“Agent Cooper? What kind of name is that?” Finn asked.
Cooper’s my mother’s maiden name. I’m not going to have you disrespect her. If it wasn’t for you, my mom would still be alive.”
“Why are you blaming Finn?” I asked.
“He showed TJ the world of crime, and it took his life down with it.”
TJ looked utterly confused.
“You’re crazy, man. It wasn’t even my idea. TJ’s the one who marked Devonshire,” Finn said. Personally, I didn’t think it was smart to call a man pointing a gun at you crazy, but that was just my opinion. “And I never did any drugs. I’m clean there.” Finn held up his hands to accent his point.
“No, but Cody did,” Agent Cooper said. “I was able to get one of you.”
“No he didn’t,” TJ replied.
Agent Cooper looked at his brother for the first time. “Of course he did. You just don’t remember. Like everything else.” Agent Cooper’s expression was filled with disgust. “Long hair and spending his life on the beach. I think I know a stoner when I see one.”
“I’m pretty sure you just insulted half of the US population,” Finn replied.
“I’m don’t care. TJ, come stand next to me,” Agent Cooper said.
TJ reluctantly did as he was told.
“What do we have here? A little murder-suicide?” Agent Cooper said. “TJ was tired of being a screw-up, so he decided to take back control, killing his loser friends and then turning the gun on himself. Sounds poetic, doesn’t it?”
“Poetic, my foot!”
Mrs. J. had joined our little group. She didn’t even wait for Agent Cooper to turn around before blasting him with her Taser gun. The little prongs hit him right in the neck, and he went down hard. Mrs. J. kicked Agent Cooper’s gun across the floor to me and proceeded to handcuff him.
“This here’s a citizen’s arrest. You have the right to remain silent!” Agent Cooper didn’t even twitch.
It was Saturday morning. Gala festivities were in full swing, and Finn and I were meeting Aria and Vince for brunch. After the week we had been through, we could all use a Bloody Mary. Make it a double.
“You grew up with Agent Cooper?” Vince aske
d.
“Tattletale Timmy. He was always running after us, telling his mom what we were up to,” Finn said.
“Did you know he was with the FBI?” I asked.
“No idea. It all makes sense now, though. He knew about the heist and knew we never got caught. Why not abuse your powers and come after us?”
“Not to mention he was totally mental,” I added.
“Yeah, I did a lot of stupid stuff in my day, but not drugs. TJ only has himself to blame for that one.” Finn replied.
“Hey, did you see this?” Aria handed me her phone.
It was a news article featuring the newly founded Devonshire Foundation. A hundred thousand dollars were up for grabs in the form of wide-sweeping grants.
“No way! Your work?” I asked Vince.
Vince winked. “I may have tipped off his wife.”
“Smart and efficient,” I laughed.
At that moment, Aria offered up a toast, “Cheers to the fabulous foursome being together again.”
I raised my glass to second that.
“Can we join in?” Kat breezed through the doorway as if she was planning on meeting us there all along.
“Kat! Where in the world have you been?” I asked.
Kyle, Randy’s son stood behind her. Kat proudly held up her left hand to show off the rock on her ring finger. “We got hitched in Mexico!”
Vince signaled for another round of drinks, and I stood up to hug my sister-in-law and her new husband. “Welcome to the family, Kyle.” Hope you don’t have any secrets, because if you do, we’ll find them.
About the Author
I'm a mystery author with a soft spot for romance and humor, too. I love all things girlie with a dollop of danger, have a strong affinity for the color pink (especially in diamonds and champagne), and, not to brag, but chocolate and I are in a pretty serious relationship.
For information on new releases and fun giveaways, visit my Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/stephdamoreauthor/
Charm & Deception Page 12
