Beneath the Cracks by LS Sygnet Page B

their every move,
it was impressive.  But to be taken by the morons in Darkwater
Bay?  Unacceptable.  I glared up at him.
    "Now, Helen."  His eyes darted to the
perimeter of my property.  "You two keep watch."
    Briscoe pulled his gun, followed quickly by
Conall.
    "This is a mistake, Orion.  I already
told Briscoe that the car in my driveway was occupied by FBI
agents.  They're no threat –"
    "Bullshit.  In the house.  Now,
Helen."
    Protests accomplished nothing.  I
tiptoed into the realm of damage control.  Think
fast.  How little can you tell him without raising more
questions?  Think, Helen, think!
    Orion wrested the key ring from my grip and
opened the front door.  "Give me the security code."
    "I most certainly will not!"
    "Helen."
    "Nine one three one nine four five," I
muttered.
    He punched in the code and shut the
door.  "Well?"
    "I don't owe you answers.  I don't owe
you anything despite what you think now or thought in the
past."
    "Fine.  You don't want to talk? 
I'll do the talking for now."  Orion gripped my arm and
dragged me into the living room.  A forceful move put me front
and center on the sofa.  "Over the past couple of weeks, we
became aware that you've been under surveillance.  Because
these people were very careful in other words, we never were able
to get photos of them, we've been unable to ascertain who they
are."
    "I just told you who they are."
    "Yes," he nodded.  "But why are they
watching you so intently before reporting to Danny Datello?"
    Sometimes maintaining a bland expression is
the most difficult thing to do.  My relief had to be carefully
hidden.  Without realizing it, Orion had tipped his
hand.  The answers would be easy at this point. 
    "There are things about me that you don't
know."
    "Clearly.  Start talking."
    "The FBI didn't just have suspicion. 
My ex-husband was guilty of laundering money for Sully
Marcos."
    Orion dropped onto the sofa beside me and
ran a hand through his hair.  "Jesus.  Well, that
explains a lot."
    "Of course, because I was his wife, and an
FBI agent, I had to have known what he was doing."  Bitterness
at the old insult crept into my voice.  The slight was based
more on the fact that I hadn't known that I married a
criminal, not that he was one.  "Even filing for divorce
immediately didn't mute the suspicion of me."
    "But your ex is dead."
    Deep breath.  Why won't this go
away?   "Yes, he is, Johnny."  That's right. 
Play on his feelings.
    "So why are they pursuing this
investigation?  It's not like the guy can testify against
Marcos from the great beyond…"  Orion's voice faded. 
"Helen."
    "Yeah."
    "The Washington Post said it was
murder.  How exactly was he killed?"
    "He was shot once in the head in an isolated
area of a state park outside D.C."
    "Christ.  An assassination."
    In the stereotypical sense, yes.  Why
could Orion connect dots that even the bureau refused to see? 
I cleared my throat.  "That was the prevailing theory at the
crime scene."
    "You were there ?"
    Do it, Helen.  Convince him how much
pain this still causes you.   My eyes lifted, and I allowed
the frustration to evoke something from me that seldom ever
appeared.  Tears.  "He was my husband, Johnny.  What
he did broke my heart, but I still love him."  Hard swallow
preceded breathy whisper.   " Loved him."
    Ready.  Aim.  Fire.  Kill
shot. 
    Orion's eyes fluttered shut.  "I
see."
    "Do you?"  My hand crept across the
narrow gap between us and touched his hand.
    Johnny shot off the sofa and started
pacing.  "Sure, it's pretty clear what's going on now. 
The feds are trying a different route at Marcos, this time through
his scumbag nephew."
    Logical.  I liked it.  Better yet,
I could work with it.
    "That doesn't explain why they're watching
you."  He pinned me with a hard stare.  "Nor does it
explain why Crevan thought you were surrendering to those
agents, Helen."
    "They pissed me off.  Seleeby said
things.  I called his