CHAPTER 29

TO EVERYONE’S surprise, Lester Perzinsky had asked to speak to the undercover agent responsible for his downfall: Victoria Simmons. Not wanting to throw the girl to the wolves, Rio coached her as they moved along the corridor toward the holding room where Lester was waiting.

“Don’t worry,” Rio said. “I have no intentions of leaving you alone with Lester. Just remember…you’re right and he’s wrong. No matter what he says, he’s the one who’s in trouble and you’re the one who put him there.”

“Why do you think he wants to see me?” Victoria’s face skewed with curiosity.

“Who knows…maybe it’s some last-ditch effort to try to intimidate you,” Rio said. “Then again, maybe he wants to insult the person he feels is directly responsible for his current predicament. You get all kinds.” Rio shook her head. The thought processes of the criminal mind mystified her, especially those who’d just been caught.

“Okay, well, don’t leave me alone. I’m not used to this kind of stuff.”

“If you get stuck, or don’t know what to say to him…just look at me, and I’ll offer up my two cents.” In that case, Rio would come up with something to divert his attention away from Victoria’s inexperience.

They paused outside the door of the interrogation room where they’d find Lester waiting inside. Victoria drew a deep breath and released it slowly. The girl glanced at Rio with uncertainty dancing in her sky blue eyes.

“Ready?” Rio gave her a confident smile.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Victoria said. “Let’s do this thing.”

“Well, all right.” Rio opened the door and Victoria followed her inside.

Lester wasn’t happy to see Miss Scarlet accompanying the little stool pigeon into the room. He was hoping to get a little alone-time with her so he could intimidate her into recanting her accusation. Instead, he could only stare into the face of the woman who’d pulled the rug out from under him.

Yesterday, he’d thought he was going to get a sample of this sweet young thing, but today he realized his bid for infidelity had prompted his fall from grace. And, to make matters worse, it appeared that Meredith had turned her back on him.

“Well, well, well…if it isn’t little Miss down-an-out on her luck.” Lester glared at Victoria, his eyes burning with hatred. “Imagine my surprise when I found out you were a cop.”

“Yeah, who’d a thunk it?” Victoria said, a bit vague.

“What’s your point?” Rio said to Lester, propping her arm up on the table. Secretly impressed by Victoria’s ability to ward off his wisecracks, Rio tapped her forefinger against the tabletop a couple of times and flashed a celebratory grin at Lester.

Lester hesitated briefly, gathering his composure. “I want to talk to Missy Cop,” he said, acknowledging Victoria. “Alone.”

“No can do.” Rio shook her head slightly.

“Then good luck in solving that mystery you call a rigged poker tournament.” Snide vengeance poured out with Lester’s words.

“And good luck to you down at the county jail!” Victoria snorted with a sharp laugh.

Ha-Ha. “Good one.” Rio giggled and raised her hand in the air. Victoria slapped at it with a playful high-five.

“Thanks, this is fun,” Victoria said with a faint chuckle.

Rio reverted her gaze back to Lester, taking on a cold, hard glare. “How pleasant do you imagine incarceration is going to be?” She posed the question pensively. “Especially when the Golden Sunset finds out you’ve been using the casino as a cash cow for the last six months?” She sat back in her chair, exuding an air of triumph over having prevailed in Lester’s desperate bid at slinging insults.

A wave of defeat blanketed Lester as he hung his head and closed his eyes for a brief moment, shutting down.

Rio knew she had Lester’s attention now, but she also knew they shouldn’t appear to be begging for the information either. With a guy like Lester, he just might think that meant there was still hope for his exoneration.

“Let’s get out of here,” she said softly to Victoria. “Lester needs some time alone. He’s got some praying to do.” She rose from the chair. “And I’ve got a phone call to make.” On her way out she took one last glance over her shoulder and saw the look of dread invading Lester’s face.

Rio was certain the next time she saw Lester he’d hand over the information she sought.

* * *

At the side entrance of the precinct, Chris Bradley approached Eddie and Rio. “LaCall, you might want to come with me. Rio’s father said I should find you.” He paused, caught his breath and turned to Rio. “Mr. Laraquette said you should get upstairs and don’t leave Gabe’s sight until Eddie and I return.”

“Why? What’s going on?” Rio asked.

“Some guy that worked for your father is dead. Looks like murder,” Chris said.

“Why are you guys going over there?” Her suspicions ignited since neither Eddie nor Chris worked Homicide.

“Mr. Laraquette asked me to find LaCall and get him over there.”

That told Eddie this could only mean one thing: one of the tails on either Switzer or Naomi was dead. Since Naomi was in Phoenix and no longer a factor, he’d be willing to bet the man assigned to Switzer had expired, and not in a natural way.

Eddie opened the door to the side entrance and spoke directly to one of the security guards on duty, “Escort Agent Laraquette upstairs.” He turned to Rio with an insistent pleading washing over his eyes. “You go upstairs and stay there until I get back. Don’t go anywhere alone. Not even the bathroom. If you have to go, make sure Victoria—and no one else—goes with you.” Eddie gave her wink and started backing away. “And whatever you do…Switzer isn’t to be trusted.”

She splashed him with a look that she hoped said she didn’t trust Eddie either. Even so, Eddie was right. And that made it impossible for her to object—no matter how much she wanted. She couldn’t. She needed more information.

Eddie was hiding something, and she wanted to know what. But he’d walked away with Bradley hot on his heels long before she could form the words in her mind, much less speak them out loud. She turned in the direction of the security guard, allowing him to accompany her into the elevator.

Rio walked down the hallway with various thoughts and scenarios running through her head about the recently deceased guy who’d been working for her father. She couldn’t begin to understand what the guy—or his death—had to do with Eddie.

She shook the rampant ramblings from her mind and let the poker tournament consume her thoughts. It required her immediate attention more so than the plight of some poor guy that worked for her father. She headed downstairs to see Dickie King.

The FVC’s techno-genius was more than happy to replay a few taped conversations for her and let her peruse photos and tapes that he’d collected during the tournament. Unfortunately, nothing Dickie showed her brought Rio any closer to uncovering a solid connection between Lester Perzinsky and Turner Atkins.

Dejected, she headed back upstairs. Her mood brightened the second she laid eyes on the embarrassing display of red roses sitting on her desk.

Eddie. That had to be where the flowers came from. The roses weren’t enough to melt her heart, but it did a little leap over the box of chocolates sitting beside the bouquet. Towering over her desk, she plucked the card from the flowers and then backed into her chair. She hesitated a moment, preparing to ward off the Eddie-charm she was bound to find inside.

A rose for every hour of the day that I think of you!

She laid the card down on her desk and looked at the flowers and candy. But Rio’s thoughts were occupied elsewhere. She was still stuck on the poker tournament.

She tried to push the tainted gambling event out of her mind by grabbing the box of candy and cutting into the wrapper with her letter opener.

Candy and flowers...how sweet. And damn well out of character for Eddie. He sure was hot to make up for the latest blow dealt by Naomi. Not that Rio didn’t think he’d ever give her roses or sweets. She just didn’t think it was something he’d do to smooth her ruffled feathers over another woman.

Rio’s thoughts drifted back to the poker tournament. She tried to figure out when and where the turning point happened.

Her mind switched back to the candy. She checked the inside of the lid, perusing the list of sweets at her disposal for the choosing.

Something must have sparked the change in the direction the tournament had taken. But what? What had happened to encourage the doer to lay the spoils at her and Eddie’s feet?

Ooh, caramel sounds good. She paused, glancing over the list of goodies, just in case she found something more appealing to satisfy the sweet tooth that had appeared with the candy’s arrival.

The big switch! But of course. That’s when the windfall started and it hadn’t diminished since. The match where she and Eddie had orchestrated their exchange of seats had to be the defining moment.

Okay, so what happened right before that match? What happened to change the outcome of the remaining upcoming matches?

Rio opted for a piece of chocolate-covered orange cream, and her mouth watered in anticipation.

“Whatcha’ got there?” Eddie took the candy from her hand and casually placed it back in the box.

“Hey, what’d you do that for?” Her voice showed her distress over losing the candy. “I want to eat that.”

Eddie picked up the box and inspected it. “Where’d you get this?” His calm tone gave her no cause for alarm.

“From you.” She frowned. That was cruel. Why would Eddie giving her something sweet and then taking it away? It took a second to realize the truth.

“I didn’t send you either of these,” he said with a slight nod and took a closer look at the roses.

“You didn’t?” she asked with a measure of weakness in her voice.

Eddie eyeballed the area around him in hopes of determining who he could trust. Seeing Victoria sitting at Rivera’s desk, he approached them.

“Are we cool now?” he asked Rivera, standing before them warily holding on to the candy and flowers.

“You’re one of us, LaCall,” Paul Rivera said while eyeing the items in Eddie’s hands.

Victoria’s face brightened, and Eddie could guess the thoughts roaming through her mind. If the girl’s expression was any indication, she liked candy.

“I need someone to take these to the lab.” Eddie acknowledged the objects he carried. “And whatever you do don’t eat the candy, or sniff the flowers too strongly,” he added, letting his gaze fall upon Victoria.

Paul took the things from Eddie and left with them.

Fear saturated Victoria as she followed him. “Paul…what’s going on?”

Rio watched Paul and Victoria leave with the gifts she’d thought had come from Eddie. “Hon…” she said to Eddie while her gaze lingered in the direction Paul and Victoria had disappeared.

“You didn’t eat any of the candy, did you?” Eddie asked, his nerves getting the better of him.

“No,” she said just under her breath. “I was about to.” Finally, she turned and looked at him. “Do you think there’s something wrong with the candy?”

“That’s what I intend to find out.” Eddie looked around the room for Switzer. The guy’s desk was vacant. “Where’s Switzer?” he asked, turning back to Rio.

“I don’t know,” she said with a lopsided shrug. “I haven’t seen him all morning. Come to think of it, I don’t recall seeing him yesterday, either.”

Rio’s statement coupled with the morning’s developments only confirmed what Eddie had been suspecting all along. Switzer had gone off the deep end.

“Why’d my dad call you to that murder scene this morning?” Rio asked, inspecting him with a scrutiny.

“Sit down.” Eddie guided her back to her desk. When she sat, he leaned against the side of her desk. “The deceased was a private investigator.”

“A PI? Why was a PI working for my father?”

“Because I asked him to put a tail on someone that the department couldn’t.”

“Who?” Anxiety cracked in her voice.

“Switzer and Naomi.”

“Who’s tail is dead?”

“Switzer’s.” A bit of justification filled Eddie’s tone.

“You think he killed that guy and sent me the flowers and candy?”

“It’s looking more and more that way.”

“You think he wants to kill me, don’t you?” Fear seeped out in her shaky voice.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t.”

* * *

Gabe Dalton explored the averse and vigilant faces sitting around the conference table. Mentally, he noted those in attendance: Laraquette, LaCall, Bradley, Rivera, and Simmons. Typically, Victoria Simmons wouldn’t be there, but she’d become a part of this thing when she agreed to go undercover for the FVC Unit. He saw no reason to exclude her now.

Somebody was missing though. “Where is Switzer?” Gabe asked, searching their faces again. “Did anyone advise him of the meeting?”

“Sir, no one’s seen him since day before yesterday,” Rivera said.

“Someone find out where he is.” Gabe didn’t give the guy’s absence much thought, adding, “When he does decide to grace us with his presence again…someone please inform him that his first stop is my office.” He’d purposefully hardened his tone, opting for scare tactics. He had no qualms about using any devices available to him to keep this bunch in line.

Sures, okays and will dos echoed around the table.

“So, Laraquette...” Gabe focused on Rio. “Has Perzinsky fingered Atkins—or anyone else for that matter?”

“No, sir.” Certainty resonated in her voice, yet she waited for the other shoe to drop. Rio had learned a long time ago to recognize the ambiguity in his vague tone and the false sense of security he always meant to project with it.

“You need to wrap it up and move on,” he said, and lowered the other shoe, “You’re wasting your time and the department’s money.”

“With all due respect, sir…I beg to differ,” she said.

“Atkins is not responsible.” Gabe shook his head.

“How can you be so sure?” Eddie spoke up, taking Rio’s side.

“It doesn’t make sense.” Gabe paused, his frustration mounting over his two best undercover agents seemingly losing their heads to the love bug. “A guy like Atkins needs a reason and a purpose to do anything. Trust me…he’s not about to play these amateurish games she’s got you so convinced of.”

“It makes perfect sense.” Rio snapped with a sharp laugh. “I can’t believe you don’t see it.”

“Wrap it up, Laraquette,” Gabe insisted with cautionary undertones. “I can believe that Perzinsky is a little more aware than he’s letting on. So concentrate on him for now. I don’t want to hear any more about who’s doing what until you squeeze a name out of him.” Gabe barked out his orders. “Is that clear?” he added, knowing she probably had no intention of refraining from continuing on with her present course.

Gabe decided to give her until tomorrow morning before he took matters into his own hands. Lester Perzinsky was their best bet for a solid break in the gambling case.

* * *

Paul Rivera moved quickly through the maze of desks, heading directly for Laraquette and LaCall. “Lab results,” he said, offering a sealed manila envelope.

Rio and Eddie stood, and Eddie moved around to the front of his desk, taking the envelope from Rivera. Securing his fingertip in a small opening at the envelope’s flap, he raked it against the seal and ripped it open. He snatched the contents out and scanned the document.

“Well?” Rio’s voice was a little shaky.

Eddie paused, letting the magnitude of the test results sink in. He cleared his throat and put extra effort into speaking calmly when he said, “The candy was poisoned. Strychnine.” He looked at Rio to see for himself that she was okay. “Luckily, the roses weren’t dusted with a powder form, so we don’t have to worry about everyone being exposed to an airborne version of the toxin.” Eddie could easily guess why that was. “However, one piece of candy contained more than enough poison to render a fatal dose.”

The whole thing made perfect sense and only served to confirm Switzer’s guilt in Eddie’s eyes. If it were anyone else who’d gone to the trouble of sending Rio roses and candy, and poison the candy but not the roses when a powder form would be just as easy to obtain—why wouldn’t they have dusted the flowers, too? The doer obviously meant to kill her, considering the amount of poison injected into each piece of candy. Why wouldn’t they have covered all their bases and included a light dusting on the roses—as kind of like and insurance policy?

Of course, anyone else in the vicinity would have inhaled the poison as well. Hum…it would appear the stalker was trying to spare Rio’s colleagues who just so happened to be around her. This reeked of Switzer.

And where the hell was Switzer, anyway?

Eddie folded the lab results and stuffed the paperwork back inside the envelope. He paused to gain control of his thoughts and feelings. He was determined to shield his fear of losing Rio to a sicko’s vendetta. He’d thought he could protect her since he knew who the enemy was. Now he realized he was wrong. With Switzer playing dirty pool, Eddie felt like he was right back where he started—scared to death he was going to lose Rio to the guy’s vindictive campaign.

* * *

Eddie tapped on the door to Gabe’s office before opening it and popping his head inside. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Come in, LaCall.” Gabe waved him inside. Frustration colored his expression as he watched Eddie cross the room and take a seat. “Tell me about the connection between you and John Walters,” he said of the murder victim who’d recently been in the employment of James Laraquette.

Eddie thought about playing dumb. Briefly. After an inkling of consideration, he thought better of it and decided to tell his boss what he knew. “I asked Mr. Laraquette to put a tail on Blake Switzer and Naomi Thomas.”

“Let me get this straight, LaCall—” Gabe shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “You’re still following this Switzer angle? After searching his house and finding nothing?”

“Well, the fact that his tail is dead kind of collaborates my suspicions,” Eddie said. “And now with the candy and flowers that Rio’s received, and the fact that Switzer’s nowhere to be found….”

“I saw the lab results on the candy and flowers,” Gabe’s tone mellowed right along with his realization that someone was truly out to get Rio. “Whoever sent them, they certainly aren’t playing.”

“Considering that each piece of candy contained enough strychnine to kill an elephant…clearly, the stalker wanted Rio dead.” Eddie appeared to be still pondering that notion out loud rather than trying to convince Gabe.

“Or somebody,” Gabe said. “Think about it…strychnine takes what—thirty minutes or so to take effect?” He questioned Eddie with vague curiosity. “In half an hour’s time, how many people do you think could’ve wandered over to Rio’s desk to sample the candy?”

“If the stalker didn’t care who they took out in the process of getting to Rio...” The inquiry meandered out in Eddie’s questioning tone. “Why didn’t they just dust the flowers with a powder form of the toxin, too? As kind of like an insurance policy?”

Eddie had a point. The stalker didn’t care who ate the candy, so why not dust the flowers too?

For the first time, Gabe Dalton seriously considered that Blake Switzer—the object of Rio’s unrequited love—could be her stalker.

Gabe sighed heavily. “Send someone out to Switzer’s house and see if he’s there. Wherever he is, he should be escorted here in an official capacity.”

“Do you want me to go, sir?” Eddie asked hopefully.

“No,” he answered with a swift shake of the head. “You need to concentrate on Perzinsky…our time is running out. Plus, I’d like Switzer to be alive when he gets here.”