“Keep your head about you, son. Do not show them your hand again. Get through the meeting today, and then call me back. Hopefully I will have something for you soon.”
I hung up with my father, not feeling any more secure about today. His advice was the same as the words Duffy said to me. I called him next.
“What have I gotten myself into, Patrick? You need to tell me why I’m really out here.”
“Jacob, I’ve told you all I can.”
“You’ve told me nothing. This guy knew about Minela. Duffy, why does this guy know about my fiancée?” I shouted into the receiver.
“Calm the hell down, Paulson. Please listen to me. Meet with them today, and for Christ’s sake, keep yourself in check and your hands off of Marino! I’ll be on the red eye flight to Los Angeles, and I’ll meet up with you tomorrow, okay?”
“Fine.”
I was beyond livid. I threw my phone against the privacy screen, resulting in shattering the glass screen on my phone.
“We’re here, sir,” Adam spoke through the intercom.
I made my way into the building, flashing my badge and taking the stairs instead of the elevators. This was crazy, with Wade’s office being nearly on the top floor, but I needed to clear my head. I was at war with myself. I just wanted to bring on the pain, and my target would be Marino.
I took a minute to catch my breath, grabbed a water, and then his secretary showed me in to his office. No sign of Marino, just Wade sitting behind his desk on the phone and gesturing me to take a seat. I reluctantly sat, crossing my leg over my ankle in defiance. I hated being here, and for the first time in my life, I hated being a cop, but I knew I needed to be one now if I was going to help my brother and his wife.
Wade ended his call and then leaned back in his chair, not taking his eyes off of me. Neither of us spoke. It was a war of wills, but I would not break. He did.
“Paulson, let me make myself perfectly clear, because I will not repeat myself again. You not keeping our agreed time this morning was not a wise decision on your part, but I will overlook it this time. A lot was thrown at you yesterday, so I understand you needed time to process all of it, but I’m not sure how much thinking you did with the lovely Ms. Steele showing up.”
Breathe Jacob…just breathe.
“Keeping tabs on me, huh? Who knew the FBI could afford such resources?”
“When it comes to you, I pulled out all the stops.”
“Why, Wade? Why me? What’s your take on the death of Michael St. Clair? Of all the cases that pass through this office on a daily basis, your main concern is a former rich boy that got shanked in prison?”
“Paulson, do you realize in the past fifteen years, homicides in California state prisons are considered to be common? Over one hundred-sixty deaths in that time. Many of them you never hear about, but the death of Michael St. Clair is at the top of the newsfeed because of the person who murdered him. This wasn’t just a random three knee deep hit, this was a fatal strike right through the heart, a clear message that justice has been served.”
“And beyond a reasonable doubt, you, Marino, and this entire office is convinced that Jack Vanelle is responsible for the hit?”
“That’s where you come in, Paulson. You will prove our case by infiltrating Vanelle’s very tight circle of trust and bringing me the proof to convict him.”
“And how exactly am I to do that? I just show up in Chicago and grab a burger in his restaurant? Shoot the shit over beers? And while I’m at it, just ask him if he had St. Clair murdered in prison?”
“Well, not exactly like that, Paulson, but you’re on the right track,” said Marino, as he entered Wade’s office.
The fucker returns!
He made his way into Wade’s office and walked over to his desk. The two men exchanged pleasantries, and Marino took a seat beside me. Wade was eyeing me down. I knew I had to address him, so I just nodded with the gesture of my chin. My mouth was as dry as a desert. Anger was boiling deep inside of me, and it was taking all of my discipline not to walk out and never look back.
“Dante, I need a minute with Agent Paulson. Will you please wait for me down in the conference room?”
“Of course, sir. Paulson, I’ll see you soon,” he said with a smirk.
Jackass.
“Jacob, I’m not sure what is running through your mind right now, but I can assure you that this investigation will be run clean. I can only imagine how I probably came off to you, but I run a solid unit here, and my record speaks for itself.”
“That may be, sir, but what about Agent Marino? He seems pretty determined for me to be his partner, and I’m not sure why. I’ve never met the man until yesterday, but he appears to know a lot about me and not just my obvious connection to Jack.”
“All I know is that when it came time to choose our best agents for this case, your name was at the top of the list. You have an inside knowledge of the mob. Taking down Bornarelli was no easy task, but you did it, and now it’s time to do it again with Vanelle.”
“Director Wade…”
“Please call me Tim. I think it will lighten some of the tension here in the room.”
“I prefer to go by protocol, but if you insist, then Tim it is. As I was beginning to say, Tim, I had help on taking down Bornarelli. It was a team effort, a very successful one at that. Yes, it all turned out good in the end, but what this office is asking me now is just wrong. You say you run a clean office? Well, how can that be when you spy on me and my hotel guests? Then you expect me to just blindside my family, using deception to bring down an ‘alleged’ suspect? You’re all convinced that Jack is the one, but there’s no real proof here. You have Jack Vanelle in California during the same timeframe surrounding St. Clair’s murder, but that’s all you have. He has family here, and I can guarantee he has a solid alibi to back him up. If anything, you have circumstantial evidence, but nothing that can connect him to the murder. You must know this already, or you wouldn’t have called me at all. Any number of agents could have worked on this case, but you have nothing on Vanelle. Now, Tim, am I wrong?”
“You’re not wrong. You’ve never been more right. But the truth remains, we have a murder to solve, and the trail begins with Vanelle. So what will it be? Are you in? Or are you out? But know this, Jacob: if you walk away from this case, then the family you are trying to safeguard will truly be unprotected. Any other agent will not be so delicate when it comes to their feelings. As for Marino, he has years of experience with cases such as this one, and he only works with the best. His request for you went through all the proper channels. And him knowing intimate details about you…well, he probably read it in a file. He comes off crass, but he has a solid service record.”
“Jacob, I’ve read your file as well, and I am truly sorry for your loss. She was a great cop and came from a long line of police officers that were and still are much respected in the Boston community. I only hope one day that her killer will be brought to justice. Your backstory is very unique, Paulson. You go from the NFL to law enforcement and excel in both. I’m confident you will stay within the bounds of the law here and do your very best to prove this case. Not every case guarantees a win, but I’m hoping all will work out with this one.”
I sat there for a moment and processed all we discussed. He was right. If I choose to walk, then I can’t protect my family. Another agent or agents will not show the same compassion and concern that I would. It’s a risk, but I have no choice in the matter. I have to see this through to the end.
He waited for my answer. I gave it to him with a handshake and a warning.
“Director Wade, I will take the lead on this assignment, but I will do it alone. I don’t trust Marino, and I don’t think my opinion will change. He can consult when needed, but I will be the lead. Do you agree?”
“Agreed. I expect weekly reports, and although he won’t like it, you will be the lead.”
“Very good, sir. Thank you. One more thing?”
“Yes?”
“I do not wish to be monitored. Please remove the surveillance you have on me. My personal life is my own, and I will not share it with the FBI.”
“Understood, as long as you understand where your priorities lie.”
“Always.”
Wade left me on my own to peruse all the intel our office had on Vanelle. I wasn’t 100% sure that I could trust Wade completely, but he was as fair as he could be with me today, so I gave him a very guarded benefit of the doubt.
My stomach began to rumble, giving me a clear sign that I was hungry. I had chosen sex with Zoey over having breakfast. I’d been in this office for hours combing through a mountain of paperwork. Vanelle’s arrest record was minor at best, a few misdemeanors that never resulted in anything substantial. If he did commit any hard crimes, he certainly covered his tracks because there was nothing here to tie him to anything we had on the books.
There had to be something more, something not in this file. Only one person could answer my questions, and that was Jack Vanelle himself. I guess I was going to Chicago. But there was Zoey to think about. I hadn’t heard from her all day, not even a text. What if she left again? I was about to phone her when Marino entered the conference room carrying a bag of food.
“Even tough guys have to eat. Join me for a sandwich? LA is filled with fluff type restaurants, food you can’t even pronounce, but I found a deli outside of town that has some pretty good sandwiches. I have roast beef and Swiss or pastrami on rye? What will it be?”
“Neither. I’m a vegetarian.”
“Bullshit! Don’t worry, Paulson. I didn’t poison them.”
He laughed as he threw me the roast beef. I accepted it against my better judgment. We ate in silence for a few minutes, with me constantly eyeing the door for my escape. I didn’t have the energy to go another round with him, but he didn’t look like he was going anywhere. I downed the sandwich in four bites, and then tossed the wrapper into the wastebasket.
“We need to talk, Paulson. Are you ready to?” he asked as he wiped his mouth with his napkin.
“I can’t imagine what about? I’m the lead on this case. What else is there to discuss?”
“Boy, you are one arrogant sonofabitch. How about we begin with how you will get to Jack Vanelle? I assume your flight is already booked for Chicago?”
“You don’t need to be concerned with my itinerary. I’ll get to Chicago on my own time. I’m still going through the files.”
“All work and no play, that’s what I’ve heard about you. It will serve to your advantage as you delve deeper into the investigation. Just don’t lead with your dick. Can’t have any distractions now, can we?”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Oh, you know, no need for discretion. She’s quite lovely, but I’m not really into blondes. I prefer lovely brunettes…like your dead fiancée…now, she was breathtaking.”
Fuck!
Not again. I nearly jumped from where I was sitting, but he saw me coming this time. He put his hands up, stopping me before I beat the living shit out of him. I was so done playing this game.
“Don’t even think about it, Paulson, because you will surely lose your shield if you do. Boy, you have quite the temper. I would have thought with all of your years of training and discipline, you would be more reserved.”
“I have all those things, and so much more, but you seem to know exactly what button to press. Now, I don’t know what your plan here is, but I do not play games and certainly not with the likes of you. I really don’t care about your service record, and according to Wade, your outstanding reputation. You play dirty, Marino, and it’s probably under the guise that you actually play by the book, but I know better. Now you’ve mentioned my fiancée more than once. If you’ve read my file like you say you have, then you know that she was murdered and died in my arms. A bullet meant for me. You also are trying to make me believe that you know something about her murder, so if you do, then be the honorable man they say you are and just tell me. If you’re just trying to bait me, I would suggest you not do it again.”
“I’m shaking in my boots. Your size doesn’t intimidate me, Paulson, so pull back the threat. I come from the streets, boy, and the bigger they are, the harder they fall. You want to test that theory, be my guest. Let me ask you a question: how you can be so sure that bullet was meant for you? Are you sure you know everything about the family you were going to marry into?”
“What are you saying? Again with the sly innuendo. You don’t give up, do you?”
“No, I don’t, and you don’t either. Now, if you want to know what I know, then sit the hell down, shut the hell up, and just listen.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You can’t be that stupid. You’re challenging me? Here I thought you were smarter than that.”
“Fuck you, Marino. I’m far from stupid. I’m dangerous. And if you were smart, I would think twice before trying to bait me again. On the day I watched her coffin get lowered down into the ground, I made a vow to her father that I would bring her killer to justice. I keep my promises, Marino, and I don’t want nor need any help from you.”
“Have it your way, Paulson, but this conversation is far from over. We have much to discuss, and I have a feeling you will want to know what I know. And maybe next time the info will not be freely offered. We’ll talk again. I’m sure of it. Have a safe flight to Chicago. Watch your back with Vanelle, especially around sharp objects,” he said as he walked out.
“Damn it!”
I was so enraged that I trashed the desk I was working on, papers flying everywhere. My breathing was heavy, my chest felt like it was on fire, and my head felt like it would split in two. What does this man know? I’m going crazy here. Once again he’s planted more questions for me to obsess over.
I was knee deep in hell back then. I worked those streets like the back of my hand, and I knew I made some enemies along the way. For endless months, I combed through every case file I ever worked on, and I turned up nothing. The trail for her killer went cold. I had nothing to go on. I sunk deeper down into my despair and lost myself to the job. Now this fucker just appeared out of nowhere and was playing me at every turn.