“And?”
“I don’t know what you want me to add.”
“We’ll get to that eventually.” Derby Cain Casey tapped her fingers on her desk, and the random pattern seemed to unnerve the young man standing in her office. That was the main reason she did it, but it also relaxed her. When you ran a criminal empire as large and complex as hers, it was nice to have one thing that wasn’t planned or structured.
She was sure her tapping was part of the extensive file the FBI had amassed on her over the years. At least she hoped it was. If they had that bit of information it’d explain the only aspect of her life she never thought about.
“Look, you called me,” Angus Covington III said as he jammed his hands into his already low-slung jeans he obviously thought were appropriate for a job interview. “If you don’t want me, that’s cool, but I’m the best you’re going to see. I got a few more places to go if we’re done.”
“Do you have any idea what the job is?”
“If you want me to spell it out with techno talk, I will. But why waste each other’s time?”
“How many interviews like this one have you taken?” Cain swiveled her chair a little to the left so Angus wasn’t in her direct line of sight. If she’d ever met anyone whose name didn’t fit, it was this guy. It made her curious what Angus one and two were like. Were they as good at pretending as this poor excuse of some sort of grungy-punk wannabe was?
“A job’s a job,” Angus said and shrugged. “I came because it sounded more interesting than the oil-field stuff.”
“My father said once that everyone should take pride in three things,” she said, smiling at his confusion. He probably thought they were having two different conversations.
“Mine’s only proud of his martini-making abilities,” Angus said, his laugh too smug.
“I can see you’re not interested in learning anything.” She flattened her hand and faced him, lifting a finger to stop him from saying whatever flip drivel he planned to entertain her with next. “Don’t open your mouth unless I tell you to.”
Angus nodded, staring at her hand. That was the first hairline fracture in his demeanor.
“Good. You can listen when it’s called for. That should count as a point in your favor.” She softened her voice so he’d have to strain to hear her. “Tell me what you know about me. Give me the whole list.”
“Everything?” He stopped when she twirled her finger slowly. “Okay.” He recited a good list available in any newspaper or Internet search. It was well balanced enough to not sound contrived.
“Do you think I’m someone you should be afraid of?”
“No.” His uncertain tone made his answer more like a question. “Look.” He took his hands out of his pockets and held them up with his palms facing her. “I’ve got to go.”
“Go ahead, but aren’t you curious as to what I know about you?” She took a folder out of the top drawer and dropped it a little away from her. “This is my favorite part of the interview, but if you’ve got to go,” she waved him toward the door, but her words had nailed his feet to the floor, “then go.”
She held up a picture so he could see it. “You know, reviewing your references and finding out what they think of you.” She flipped through the pictures and smiled at his tight expression. If she had to guess, Angus wouldn’t be able to fit a flaxseed up his ass if she’d put a gun to his head and said go.
“How?” He took a step forward, but it was almost a stumble.
“It’s what I always tell my children—homework, Angus.” She flipped through the pictures and stopped at the one that’d intrigued her the most. “You have impeccable references, so you don’t have a problem there.” The picture she held up had been taken at his Quantico graduation. He looked so different now from the guy in the gray suit and tie, he seemed like another person in some bizarre alternate life. “It’s not often we see a blue-ribbon boy like you.”
“What do you mean?” Angus pulled his pants up and lost his flip attitude.
“I don’t mean anything, and I’m not going to hire you. Would you do me a favor anyway though?” She folded the picture of his wife and two small boys down the middle.
“Anything you want, name it,” he said, sounding like the Eagle Scout he was. Too bad there was no badge for dealing with her. That was bad luck for Angus.
“Deliver this for me,” she said with a smile as she held up an envelope.
“Can I have that?” He pointed to the picture of his family.
“I like keeping resumes on file, so no. You never know when I’ll need to call someone back with a question.” She stood and held her hand out to him. “Good luck, and those other interviews you’ve got lined up—you don’t mind me sharing your information with them, right? I’m guessing I know all your stops today.”
“No, and I won’t bother you again. Not ever.”
“Good,” she said as she squeezed his hand until he grimaced. “I’m not a fan of surprises.”
*
Emma Casey held on to Cain’s head security man, Lou, as she came down the stairs. She was reaching the end of her pregnancy and walked like she was about to compete in a limbo throw-down. Nothing was comfortable—not her clothes, the bed, or any position that called for her to lie down or stand up.
She was grateful Cain didn’t mind sleeping in an almost sitting position to provide her a backrest. “Remind me about this when I want another one in about six months,” she said, making Lou laugh. “Are we headed to the club this morning?”
They’d come home after their wedding ceremony to a different New Orleans. Emma loved Cain for so many reasons, but moving their ceremony to Wisconsin because of hurricane Katrina had proved the event was as important to Cain as to her. They’d come so far since her staggering betrayal of the one person she loved above all others. That Cain had not only forgiven her for that, but then stood before their family and God to make that commitment, was a gift she at times wondered if she deserved.
They’d been luckier than most with everything else on their return, considering where Cain’s businesses were located. Everything had opened quickly after some repair, but no flooding or looting had touched the house or clubs. The destruction of the city had caused some problems, but Cain also thought it provided room for expansion. That had brought its own unique problems, considering how the feds constantly scrutinized Cain’s business. More business, though, meant more power, and more power meant better security.
Emma stopped when the office door opened and a grungy-looking young man walked out, Cain right behind him with her hand on his shoulder. Whoever the guy was, he appeared as terrified as Cain was amused, so she shook her head at the two extremes. The FBI was always there watching, listening, scheming, and Cain got pleasure out of making their lives miserable, if this guy was any proof.
“Hello, pretty lady,” Cain said and winked at her. “Angus, don’t be rude.”
“Good morning, ma’am,” the guy said, but his eyes were on the front door.
“Lou, walk Mr. Covington to the gate so he can join his friends outside.” Cain brought up her other hand and squeezed the top of Angus’s shoulders hard enough to turn her fingers white. “Remember our conversation, and learn to stand your ground when it comes to your bosses. You don’t see them prancing in here, do you?” Cain tugged and brought him closer so she could talk into his ear. “I’m going to check in case you dropped anything, and if you did, I’ll come by and return it. If you’re one of those tattletales that reports what we discussed line for line, and someone gives me shit about it, I’ll come by and discuss that too.”
“Don’t worry. I meant what I said. You won’t see me again,” Angus said, finally glancing up at Emma as if she could help him escape the prickly situation.
“Then get going on your promises, Agent,” Emma said, ready for the guy to leave. She clicked her tongue when the front door closed, then accepted Cain’s help for the last three steps. “Why do you waste your time on those people?”
“It helps pass the time until I’m able to hold my kid and make love to my wife,” Cain said.
Emma was sure Cain’s laugh that followed was meant to set her at ease. Her doctors had put the brakes on their sex life for the next few weeks or until the baby came, and the result was an overprotective but highly hyperactive partner. What Cain was doing with her time probably had those people outside watching as anxious as she was for the baby to come.
“Channeling your energies, huh?” She combed Cain’s hair off her forehead and leaned back so Cain could kiss her. “I can live with that.”
“How are you feeling?” Cain moved behind her so she could hold her and still run her hands over her abdomen.
“About the same since this morning. It’s like having a truckload of potatoes strapped to my front, but I’m ecstatically happy about it.” She rested her hands over Cain’s and tilted her head to the side so Cain could kiss her neck. “Want to leave for school, then the club, before it’s time for our first nap of the day?”
“Did the teacher say why she wanted to meet?”
She heard the wariness in her voice that was always present when one of the kids had a possible problem. That it was Hannah this time around had made Cain irrational after she’d read the note Hannah handed over. Their daughter, as well as their son Hayden, had inherited not only Cain’s looks, but also the spirited nature of both her parents. Cain liked to call it their strain of bad grass running through them.
“Promise me you won’t lose your cool no matter what it is?” she said as she turned to kiss Cain’s chin. “Hannah is definitely a handful, and at times school gets in the way of that.”
“So they want her to conform like all the other sheep in plaid skirts?”
“Hannah Casey will no more turn into part of the herd than you did.” She put her hand on Cain’s arm and held on as she did her best to balance her load. The strain on her back was starting to make her life truly miserable. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Come, Mrs. Casey,” Cain said, walking behind her and rubbing her back. “With any luck she got all your Verde calm genes when it comes to paying attention in school.”
“You Xeroxed her baby, so keep practicing your fairy tales for Hannah and this one, if you believe she takes after me,” she said as she quickly put her hand over the spot where the baby kicked hard. “They’re all yours, mobster, and they’re all like you. Live with it.”
“Considering how easily you bagged me, I have every confidence you can keep our brood in line, including me.” Cain helped her into the car and moved to get in the other side.
“Don’t forget that in case any old girlfriends show up,” she said as they pulled out, their shadows not far behind.