True Blue (14 page)

Mona snagged another chair from an adjacent table, unmindful of whether anyone was actually using it or not, and sat down. “We need to talk.”

The statement was directed at Beth, but Mace answered first. “Really, Moan, you’ve learned to actually do that? Congratulations.”

Mona didn’t even bother to look at her. “This doesn’t concern you.”

Mace started to shoot something back, but Beth nudged her leg under the table. “I’m assuming this has something to do with Jamie Meldon’s death?”

“Why else would I be sitting here?”

“You know, Mona, we are on the same team here. Police, prosecutor? Do you sense a pattern?”

“I heard you got bumped from the case.”

“Didn’t even have time to step on any shell casings. Go talk to the mayor. You just missed him. Or the CIA, I’m sure Langley would love to fill you in.”

Mace, not knowing what they were talking about, merely hunkered down and listened attentively as she would at any contest where one of the players has the potential to go home all bloody.

“One of my people was murdered in
your
jurisdiction. And you’re not going to do anything about it?”

“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to do anything. But while we’re on the subject, what exactly do you want me to do?”

Mona looked incredulous. “You’re asking me how to do your job?”

“I know you’ve just been dying to tell me all these years. So here’s your chance. Fire away.” Beth sat back and looked expectant.

“This is unbelievable. I’m not a cop.”

“But you are the interim chief of the largest federal prosecutor’s office in the country outside of DOJ. So if you don’t have a suggestion on how to do my job, let me give you some help on how to do
yours
.”

“Excuse me?” snapped Mona.

“You’re pissed that the case was snagged from MPD? In any event, since Jamie was technically a federal employee his murder falls under the jurisdiction of the FBI. Normally we would support that effort, but for some reason we got a muzzle thrown on us. So here’s what you can do. Go talk to your high-up contacts at Justice and find out why we were pulled from the case. Do the same at the legal counsel’s office at the Bureau. From there it’s a short hop to the intelligence community. It was intimated to me that it was the CIA who yanked the cord, but I don’t believe everything I’m told. Maybe it was DHS. You know folks over there. In fact a photo of you and the DHS director was in the Style section of the
Post
just last week. Your dress and cleavage were stunning and his drool was unmistakable. I’m sure his wife really enjoyed seeing that. And when you have everything in a nice box with a big red bow, you bring it all to me and I’ll run with it. How’s that sound?”

“It sounds like I’m wasting my time.”

“Do you want to find out who killed Meldon?”

“Don’t be condescending!”

“Then work your contacts. And I’ll work mine and maybe we’ll meet in the middle. But keep in mind that you may run into a wall at some point. Or you may tick somebody off. And your career might take a hit.”

Mona stood. “I’m not listening to any more of this garbage.”

Beth continued unperturbed. “Your career might take a hit,” she repeated firmly. “But I know that in the interest of bringing Jamie’s killer to justice you wouldn’t have any compunction about professional sacrifice, right?”

“Don’t make an enemy of me over this, Beth.”

“By the way, how’s Jamie’s family doing?”

“What?”

“His wife and kids? I visited them earlier today, to express my condolences and to see if they needed anything. I’m assuming you did that too, wonderful, compassionate leader that you are.”

With what could only be termed a snarl, Mona stalked off.

Mace leaned across the table and gave her sister a kiss on the forehead. “I bow before your powers of transforming mere words into machine-gun rounds.”

“It didn’t really get me anywhere.”

“But it was so fun to watch. So what’s this about a dead DA?”

Beth filled her in on Meldon’s homicide.

“So you don’t know anything other than his body was in a Dumpster?”

“A bit more than that. Like I said, I talked to his wife. He’d been working late Sunday night. She was surprised when he wasn’t home on Monday morning, but not overly concerned since he slept at the office sometimes. When she didn’t hear from him by late morning she called the police. His body was finally found this afternoon.”

“And the CIA is involved?”

“Actually, that’s not substantiated yet. I was actually told that the pushback directive came from the White House.”

“The White House! But you didn’t tell Cruella de Vil that.”

She smiled. “No, I didn’t.”

Beth finished her second glass of wine. “Would you like another round?”

“And risk a DUI and being sent to the big house?” Mace said with mock terror.

“You can ride with me. I’ll have them load your bike in a pickup truck and bring it to the house.”

“You mind if I take a rain check on that offer?”

“Plans later?”

“Maybe.”

“Would those plans be Roy Kingman?”

“And is that a problem?”

“I already stated my opinion on that subject.”

“I know.” Mace rose from the table. “I paid the bill. I did it when I went to the ladies’ room.”

“You really didn’t have to do that, Mace.” Beth paused and added, “But it was very sweet.”

“Hey, we need to do this more often. But maybe we can aim for fast food next time. Easier on the wallet. Prices have really gone up over the last two years.”

Mace turned to leave, but Beth reached over and placed an iron grip on her sister’s arm, pulling Mace abruptly back into her seat. In a low voice that still managed to conjure images of razor wire, Beth said, “The next time you remove evidence from a crime scene, I will personally pistol-whip you before I arrest you for obstruction, are we clear on that?” There was not a trace of mirth in the woman’s eyes. This was Chief Elizabeth Perry talking now, not sweet sister Beth.

Mace just gaped at her, unable to form a response.

“My techs found minute traces of fluorescent dye on the key. I heard old Binder was running a special on his blue-light print kit this week. I think I might pay him a personal visit tomorrow and shut him down.”

“Beth—”

“You went over the line. After I told you not to. I told you to let me handle it. Maybe you don’t think I’m good enough to get this done.”

“It wasn’t that.”

Beth squeezed her sister’s arm. “You get arrested for interfering in a police investigation, you’re going back to prison for a lot longer than two years. And then there will be no way you’ll ever be a cop again. I don’t care if the president of the United States has your back. Is that what you want?”

“No, of course not. But—”

“Then quit screwing up!” Beth leaned away from her and let go of the arm. “Now get out of here.” As soon as Mace stood, Beth added, “Oh, and tell Kingman I said hello.”

Mace nearly ran out the door.

She pointed straight ahead. “Look, you can just make out the countersnipers on top of the White House.” She looked at the street. “And there goes a cruiser on a call. Probably a lousy D&D at a bar.”

“Could be a shooting.”

“Gunshots get a minimum of two patrol units responding. We’d be hearing a lot more sirens. Probably burglar alarm D.C.”

“Burglar alarm D.C.?”

“Burglar alarms go off, you respond, and you find out it’s a malfunction. That’s the principal action around here in ‘safe’ D.C. You want bullet banging or PCP zombie sprints, head to Sixth or Seventh district. They put on a great show there.”

“You’re a walking encyclopedia of local crime minutiae.”

“That’s
all
I am anymore,” Mace said resignedly.

“Problems?”

“No, Roy, my life is five-star all the way.”

“That didn’t come out right.”

“It never does with guys.” She stood, leaned over the half-wall, and pointed to her left. “Right over there was the first bust I ever made on my own around here. I’d just been certified to ride alone. Spotted a guy in a suit buying a bag of rock from a punk huckabuck. Turns out he was a congressman high up on some anti-drug committee. What a shocker, right?”

As she turned back around, Roy quickly shifted his gaze away from her derriere. There was a tattoo of a cross partly visible where her sweater had ridden up, with the lower half of the cross well down on one butt cheek.

The tattoo artist must’ve had fun doing that one
, thought Roy.

She sipped on her beer and munched some nuts. “So do you want to comment on my butt since you were staring at it for so long?”

Bumps of red appeared on each of Roy’s cheeks. “Actually it left me pretty speechless.”

“There was a prison guard who was really partial to it too.”

He flicked a gaze at her. “Did he ever do anything to you?”

“Let’s just say he kept his pants on and leave it at that.”

“So you got a tattoo of a cross?”

“Don’t all good Catholic girls have a cross on their backsides?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never dated a Catholic girl. My loss, I guess.”

“Yes, it is.”

“You know, I thought about joining the police academy after college.”

“Drive fast and shoot guns?”

He grinned. “How’d you know?”

“Way it is with most guys. There were forty-one recruits in my class. Sixteen-week course. Half washed out before the end. Ex-athletes with beer bellies couldn’t even do a push-up. Academy was okay. Learned the phone book, spit and polish, a few training scenarios, but not much about actually being a cop.”

“Phone book?”

“Policies and procedures, general orders. Paperwork basically. Plus physical training. Near the end they put me on a Christmas detail in Georgetown by myself with no gun and no orders.”

“What’d you do?”

“Wandered around, wrote some parking tickets, and smoked some cigarettes.”

“Law school was boring too.”

“I started out on the north end of Georgia Avenue. They called it the Gold Coast, because it was relatively safe.”

“And?”

“And I hated it. Didn’t put on the shield and gun to be safe. I wanted to get into Crime Patrol. They hit the whole city, not some lousy five-block radius. They went after the good stuff.”

“Not drug dealers then?”

“Lock up druggies you’re just padding crime stats. CP went after the burglars, the armed robbers, the murderers, and the drug dealers turned exterminators. That was where the action was.” She paused. “Now I’m on probation and working for a college professor. And I can’t even dream about holding my Glock 37 again without heading back to lockup. Whoop-de-do.”

“I know we don’t know each other that well, but if you ever want to talk about things, Mace, I’m here.”

“I’m more of a forward thinker.” She stood. “Ladies’ room,” she said. “Be back in a minute.”

After doing her business Mace came out of the stall, went to the sink, and splashed water on her face. As she stared in the mirror Beth’s words came at her like hollow-points.

Quit screwing up. Trust me.

Mace didn’t want to screw up. She
did
trust her sister. She sure as hell didn’t want to go back to prison. Agent Kelly’s words also came back to her, though.

She groaned. This was a total mental conflict. Her head felt ready to explode from the pressure.

At least you’ll have a shot.

She splashed more water on her face and looked at herself in the mirror again.

“Scrub as hard as you want, the scum won’t come off.”

Mace whirled around to see Mona Danforth standing by the door.

“If you don’t open that door I will use your head to crack it open.”

“Threatening an officer of the court?”

“Engaging in unlawful detainment?” Mace shot back.

“Just thought I’d do you a little favor.”

“Great. You can slit your wrists in the stall over there. I’ll call the EMTs once you’ve fully bled out.”

“I know all about Beth’s little plan.”

“Really? What little plan might that be?”

Mona snapped open her tiny purse, sauntered over to the mirror, and reapplied her makeup and lipstick while she spoke. Mace so wanted to stuff her in a toilet, blond hair first.

“Why, getting you reinstated, of course. You were set up, drugged up, forced to commit all those crimes, blah blah blah. Poor little Mace. The same crap the jury refused to believe.” Mona closed her purse, turned and leaned her butt against the sink counter. “So Beth is sending her best detectives to work on the case in the hopes that some miracle will occur that will prove your innocence.”

“I
am
innocent.”

“Oh, please. Save it for someone who cares. But it won’t work because I’m way ahead of her. In fact, I’m so far ahead of her that I don’t mind telling you all about it. Then you can go running to Beth and tell her like you always do when you’re in trouble.”

Mace tried her best to keep her voice calm. “Tell her what exactly?”

Mona eyed her with clear contempt. “There are six people who would need to sign off on your reinstatement even if Beth finds some evidence of your innocence.”

“And if she does I would assume these people would sign.”

“It’s not that simple. Slam-dunk evidence is never going to happen. If she finds an eyewitness I’ll convince them the testimony was coerced by an overzealous police chief who will stop at nothing to see her beloved little sister exonerated. And anything else she brings to the table I’ll show it was tainted or even fabricated for the exact same reason. And since I’m not a believer in letting the other side hit first, I’ve already spoken with all of the necessary signatories, including the dear mayor, who had me over for dinner last week, and laid the groundwork for the overwhelming validity of my argument.”

“They’ll never believe Beth would invent evidence. That’s
your
M.O., not hers.”

Mona flushed for an instant at this jab but then regained her composure. “They’ve come to understand, after much coaching by me, that the usually rock-solid Beth Perry is incapable of thinking clearly when it comes to
you
. She will do anything, even break the law, to help you, though you don’t deserve it. I have to admit, Beth has some talent. You, on the other hand, are worthless.”

“I’m done listening to this crap.” Mace started to move past Mona. The attorney made the mistake of putting a hand on Mace’s shoulder to stop her. The next second, Mona’s arm was twisted behind her back and Mace had pulled the woman right out of her three-inch heels and pushed her face first against the tiled wall of the restroom, the DA’s lipstick smearing it.

“Don’t ever lay a hand on me again, Mona.”

“Let go of me, you bitch,” shrieked Mona as she struggled to free herself, but Mace was far stronger. With one more twist of the arm Mace let her go and headed to the door. A furious Mona straightened her dress and bent down to put her heels back on. “I can have you arrested for assault. You’d go back to prison, where you belong.”

“Go ahead and try. Your word against mine. And then the public can get into the debate of why you followed me into the ladies’ room and locked the door. Hell,
I
was the one in prison, Mona, don’t tell me you’re liking the girls now.”

“Actually, I prefer to let things just play out. It’ll be more fun.”

Mace stopped with her hand on the doorknob. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I can bag two Perrys for the price of one. Beth tries to get you reinstated. I show she crossed the line. She gets dumped from her job and you never wear the uniform again. It’s the Christmas that keeps on giving.”

Mace slammed the door behind her.