Maggie looked at the list she’d written on her note pad. She’d scratched out all the things she’d done but reread it again. She prayed there wasn’t anything she’d forgotten. She’d called Allison at home and asked her to call and cancel all her appointments early in the morning. They’d just have to wait a few days until this crisis had passed.
She hadn’t called the first one on her list. Michael was going to be the hardest. She didn’t know what to tell her but it might cheer Cam for Michael to be here when this got settled.
A doctor had come shortly after Maggie had arrived. He did a thorough examination. Seven stitches were needed to close one of the cuts on Cam’s chin. He then made an appointment for Cam to have an MRI in Washington the next day.
Maggie looked up at the clock on the wall: 4:30. Pauly was asleep, slouched in a chair next to the couch, his head lolling at an uncomfortable angle. The lights were low in the apartment.
Deems had come by earlier, then had left with Pauly to investigate the explosion scene. Pauly had come back, Deems had not. Cam had finally fallen asleep but Maggie stayed awake to check on her every few minutes. Her face had turned bright purple in places where pieces of the exploding car had hit her.
These were the times that Maggie felt the most helpless. There was nothing she could do to make things better. She closed her notebook and set it on the chair next to her. Then she got up and walked to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She would have rather had tea, but the only tea bags Pauly had were the giant ones to make quarts of iced tea.
“Maggie?” She heard the soft voice as Pauly woke up. “Any change?”
“No, sweetie, nothing. Go back to sleep if you can.”
“No, I’m awake,” he mumbled as he sat up. He stretched his shoulders and rubbed his neck to get the kinks out. That chair hadn’t been the most comfortable place. He walked over and checked the coffeepot to see if the dark brown liquid was ready.
“Neither of us is doing her much good if she wakes up and needs us. We’ll be so tired we won’t be any use to her,” Maggie said as she paced across the small room. It felt like she hadn’t moved in days.
“Dickie hasn’t been back,” Pauly stated as he took coffee cups, spoons, and sugar out of the cupboard.
“No,” was all Maggie answered.
“I couldn’t believe that one was the deputy police commissioner.” His eyes were still on the preparations for the coffee.
Maggie merely nodded. There were no words to express the feelings she’d been going through in these last hours. “You’re very lucky to have gotten there when you did.”
* * * *
Maggie couldn’t tell whether things were working quickly or slowly. They just happened.
Sometime just before dawn, there was a soft knock on the door. Pauly made it to the door as fast as he could. Deems came into the living room and sank down onto the couch. He looked exhausted. They could tell he’d been working all night.
“How is she doing?” was the first thing he asked.
“Still the same. She fell asleep just after midnight. I’ve been checking on her. The doctor you sent said it looks like a concussion. He made an appointment for her to have an MRI. He said he’d bring transport for her.” Maggie looked at her watch. “At around eight a.m. He didn’t seem too concerned, but she’s going to have a headache for days. Thank you for calling that doctor.”
Deems nodded. “He’s a good doctor. He has a very high security clearance. We call him whenever our agents need help.” Deems leaned back into the couch. “The site of the car explosion was incredible. Cam’s very lucky she wasn’t nearer the car. From the looks of those bodies, she’s very lucky it’s just a concussion.” He took a deep breath. “We’ve identified one of the bodies. It definitely was Deputy Commissioner Palent. The other body was burned beyond recognition so we have to wait for dental records. If Cam hadn’t said who it was, we’d be trying to get identification for months.” He looked up at Maggie, who placed a cup of coffee in front of him on the coffee table.
“Thanks, Maggie. This has turned into one long day.” He took a sip, then continued, “I haven’t given anything to the media yet. I wanted to talk to you first. I also have warrants for the arrests of Sonya Hernandez, Nicholas Gardiner, Mason Alexander Wellington, Alan J. Fuocco, and Ralph Guttierrez Jr. Who have I missed? There must be someone. I have search warrants for Gardiner’s and Palent’s houses, Hernandez’ condos and Bradford’s estate.”
Maggie thought for a moment.
“Those are the main ones, I think. What about Maurice Gardiner? And the mayor?”
“None of Cam’s reports said anything definitive about them. I know she thinks there’s more people, but until we have more proof, we can’t act. We’ll keep an eye on Susan Major, too, but we don’t have anything concrete on her either. We can add others when Cam’s had a chance to rest.” He slouched back in the couch, something Maggie had never seen him do before. It showed how tired he was.
“Now,” he continued, “do you want to keep Cameron’s name out of this? She wasn’t found at the scene. We can take care of that.”
“I was thinking perhaps we should say that we’re looking for a third body, of a woman seen earlier with Palent and Weston,” Maggie agreed. “There’s no need to drag her name into this, but if Hernandez and her crew think she’s dead, it may be safer for her. There’s no telling who else may want to kill her.”
Deems thought on it for a moment, then nodded as he took a long sip of his coffee.
“Yes, I agree. That’s very good,” Deems said as he sat forward. “I have to go into the hospital and make an arrest. We checked. Ms. Hernandez is sitting with her brother in his room. It almost looks like she’s waiting for us.”
“It could be. If she knew Cameron’s identity, she knows she can’t get away.”
* * * *
Sonya sat watching her brother’s breathing. Nothing seemed to matter. Max had come in the early evening to tell her what they’d heard on the police radio.
“There was a big explosion out on the shoreline.” he’d told her. “A car blew up. There are two known dead. The car’s still on fire so they don’t know if there’s anyone else in it. They think there might have been a third body. The feds have taken over the investigation. It was Walt Palent’s car. “
Sonya had no tears for the passengers. Palent and Weston were pieces of scum, as far as she was concerned. And Cameron Andrews? Her heart ached about Cameron Andrews. She’d almost fallen in love with that woman! Now she finds out that everything Cam ever said to her was just an act. A federal narc! She’d seduced a federal narcotics agent! The rage inside her couldn’t begin to be expressed. If she were arrested now, it would be her own fault. Falling in love…going to bed with a narc?
“You know who the third body is, don’t you?” she’d asked Max, her voice surprisingly monotone. When he’d shaken his head, she’d said, “Cameron.”
The scowl on her face confused him.
“She was a narc, Max! A fucking undercover D.E.A. agent! Palent found out. And she didn’t even try to deny it. She just stood there and looked at me!”
She’d paced across the room.
“Palent and his little friend were going to take her out,” she continued. “Something must have gone wrong. I guess you’d better get in touch with everyone and tell them to get out of town before they’re picked up. There’s no telling what the feds know about us. Just get out of town, Max.”
“What about you?” he’d asked.
“I can’t leave Nick. He’s my brother. I’m the one that got us involved with Cameron Andrews. I’m the one they probably have the most on. Just save yourself, Max. Get out of town.”
He looked at her face. What was there? Anger? Grief? Rage?
“I’ll let everyone know.” What else could he say?
* * * *
When three people walked into the room twelve hours later, she wasn’t surprised.
“Ms. Hernandez, I have a federal warrant for your arrest…” he began. She didn’t even hear the rest of his speech about the reason for her arrest, her rights, and what would happen next. She blocked out everything. She stood there as a female officer frisked her and handcuffed her hands behind her back. She knew that her lawyer would be at the station. She’d called him after Max had left. She’d get out of this somehow. She just wasn’t sure how she’d get over Cameron.
As they started to lead her out of the room, she turned toward Nick, still unconscious, still oblivious to everything that had happened. “My brother…” she began. It was the first thing she’d said since they came into the room.
“We’ll make sure someone’s with him. There’ll be police protection here 24/7.”
She gave in with a sigh and let them escort her out of the hospital.