The Cain Casey Series

Chapter Eight

“Drinks, huh? Not that long ago you were warning me to stay away from our attractive FBI Agent Daniels, and now you’re going to wine and dine her.” Cain winked at Muriel and smiled. “Of course, maybe if you interact enough with these people they’ll finally figure out we’re just pouring beer and having fun and aren’t some two-bit gangsters with an agenda for mayhem.”

“I give advice, cousin. That doesn’t mean I take it. Shelby just felt sorry for me because I lost some people today, so she offered to cheer me up, nothing more. She’s even more married to her job than I am, so don’t go spinning any romantic notions over her offer of a drink.”

It was just enough to give whoever was listening the right impression of their fellow agent. Merrick had found the listening device on a routine sweep an hour earlier. Her first reaction was to give Cain a complete rundown on paper of Emma’s whereabouts and phone calls. She couldn’t prove Emma had anything to do with it, but was pleased that Cain had at least listened to her concerns when she pointed out the intrusion on her privacy.

Muriel pulled a piece of lint from her pants and smiled, wondering what her father would think of her date choice for later. In the Casey family, her uncle Dalton had been the one to take chances.

“You, on the other hand, look a lot better, Cain. And Merrick tells me there’ve been some personal changes over here while I’m out slaving on your behalf.”

“Going to add your own bit of advice? So far Merrick has been full of it when it comes to the subject. I’d appreciate it if you were a bit more supportive.”

Muriel looked up from the fabric of her slacks. Her cousin usually didn’t need assurance about anything. “Maybe she’s just worried because of what happened. We both saw what that did to not only you.”

“Maybe, but I have to believe that some mistakes are made to be remedied. If not, what’s the point?” Cain’s answer was just as vague. Her life might have been a game of cat and mouse with the feds, but her personal life was not. As much as she could, she’d keep those parts of her life private.

“Then go for it.” Muriel put her hand over Cain’s and spoke from the heart. “I think you’re doing the right thing. There was plenty of blame for what happened, and you both lost a lot.”

“Yeah, well, that’s enough mush for one day. We have business to discuss.” Cain sounded gruff, but she added a hint of a smile for her cousin’s kind words. This wasn’t the place to share the innermost part of her heart. Not that she didn’t trust Muriel; it just wasn’t anyone else’s business.

“What do you want to do about what’s happened?” Muriel really didn’t expect a verbal answer.

For a long stretch the small listening device next to the bed only picked up silence, making the man across the street think it had been found and disposed of. He expelled a relieved sigh when he heard Muriel’s voice again.

“Are you all right? You just drifted off on me there.” Muriel made sure she sounded both concerned and a little distracted as she read the note Cain had spent all that time writing. “I should leave you to your rest.”

“Thanks. I am a little tired, so if you don’t mind coming back, we’ll discuss our future plans tomorrow. Just make sure you file the proper insurance papers for all the locations.” To make it sound as if she’d just awakened from a short catnap, Cain added a yawn.

“Anything you want me to get you before I go?”

“Just between you and me, I’d love some good Cuban espresso.”

The listener scrunched his forehead in confusion at the odd request.

“I’ll see what I can do about that tomorrow.” Muriel stretched before bending to pick up her coat.

“Good. Try for first thing in the morning before they show up with the swill they serve around here. That way you can tell me how your date went.”

“I told you, boss, it isn’t a date.” The reprimand from Muriel only got her another wink from the bed. It was time to go and see about Cain’s request for a cup of coffee, or in this case to visit the other family head in the city with whom, unlike the Bracatos, they had a good working relationship.

Ramon Jatibon was a native of Cuba and, like Vincent and Dalton, had worked hard to carve out his piece of the city. For years he had carefully built the gambling empire that had helped finance his other enterprises, which his children now ran. As proud as Ramon was of what he’d accomplished, it was his twins, Ramon Jr. and Remi, who made his chest puff out when he talked of them. But they were currently in different states expanding the family’s holdings, and it was the old man Muriel had an appointment to meet.

After taking the freight elevator to the first floor of the hospital, Muriel exited in the delivery area. She ducked around a truck unloading carts of clean linens and headed for the steps that would leave her close to the one destination the watchers would never notice her.

The bus pulled up to the stop, and after a brief ride Muriel hopped off and headed to the upscale mall close to the aquarium.

Along the way she passed the new casino, laughing as a group of tourists headed for one of the entrances. No matter how hard the legitimate gaming places tried to compete with people like this who were probably headed to the nickel slots, the man she was going to see was still doing a profitable business. Ramon’s regular clientele was used to the special perks that were a part of the service he provided.

In a private back section of a dark bar on the eleventh floor, she greeted Emile, who had been with Ramon from the time he was a teenager and would gladly sacrifice his life to keep the crime boss safe.

“Muriel.” Emile nodded and held out his hand. “Good to see you again.”

“Thanks, Emile.” She took his hand and watched as hers disappeared in it. “Is it me, or do you get bigger every time I see you?”

He laughed and put his other hand on her shoulder. “Go on in. He’s waiting on you.”

Ramon sat at the back table sipping from a glass of dark rum and smoking a very good Cuban cigar. Now in his mid-sixties, Ramon was still very attractive. His black curly hair, slightly graying at the temples, was thick, and his clothes were stylish in a conservative way. He looked like a businessman or lawyer unwinding with a drink after a long day.

He stood as Muriel got closer and rested the smoke in the ashtray. “It’s been a while, amiga.” Holding her hands in his, he kissed both her cheeks before pulling her into a long hug. Despite his years in the States, Ramon still had an accent.

“You know how it is, Ramon. Sometimes life gets away from us and all we can do is try to keep up.”

“And sometimes it’s just a pain in the ass, no?” He chuckled and pulled a chair out for her, signaling the bartender for another round. “Sit and have a drink with me and tell me what it is you need.”

The cigar lighter came out again, and Ramon relit his cigar while the server put down two new glasses and carried the empty one away. Muriel looked at the blue flame coming out of the small blowtorch and enjoyed the aroma of the expensive smoke. She picked up her glass and took a small sip of the amber liquid, liking the way it warmed her as it went down. “You heard what happened?”

“Two explosions that big are hard to miss. How many did you lose today?” He turned his face away from her and blew out a stream of smoke.

“Too many, but I’m not here to complain about that.”

“You know I’ll do whatever you ask, Muriel. I have much to thank Dalton for from when I first got to this country, and I’ll be forever in his debt. Without his backing and that of Vincent, I’d be a poor man. When he died I swore to help his children any way I could. I’m sure Cain would do the same for either Ramon or Remi.” The way the Rs in the two names rolled off his tongue made Muriel smile.

“How are they? I’m sorry for not asking sooner.”

“They are both wonderful. Remi’s getting ready for a move to California, and Ramon is in Vegas running the Gemini. Their mother misses them, but they try and come home as much as possible. My wife spends most of her time trying to find a girl for Remi, especially after seeing how happy Cain has been after settling down. She won’t be satisfied until she has a brood of grandchildren to spoil.”

It was hard to miss the pride in his voice, and just as quickly his face became sober. “You have no children, but Cain understands what I do about family. What happened at her home today, that is unforgivable and not the work of a real man. It takes no cojones to shoot at women and children.” He leaned back in his seat and clenched his fist. “I’ve spoken to Vincent, and we agree this action and everything else that happened today shouldn’t go unpunished.”

“Thank you for your concern, Ramon. Our family greatly appreciates the willingness of the other families to stand with us.” She reached across the table and put her hand over his. “You’re right, of course. For years we’ve all been happy to make a living from our respective businesses, but our common enemy has grown greedy. However, that’s not why I’m here.” She leaned farther in and spoke softly almost into his ear, conveying all that Cain had put in her note.

“That’s all she wants?” He seemed surprised.

“For now. When it’s time, we’ll have to sit together again and decide how the city will be restructured so that everyone is happy, but for now she just needs time.”

Blue smoke circled above his head for a minute after he exhaled, and Ramon finished his drink. From his inner jacket pocket he pulled out a card with only a number printed on it and handed it to her. “When she’s ready, just call. There are ways to do this without anyone having to know. I’m thinking that’s what she wants.” He smiled, still biting the cigar in his mouth.

“There’s a reason you’re still at the top of your game, Mr. Jatibon.” The card made its way into her inner jacket pocket. “You never have to have it spelled out for you.”

He spread his hands out to his sides and shrugged. “I try,” he said, making her laugh. “This is a favor I look forward to doing. Surprises are sometimes the best part of this job. I’m still laughing at what those policemen must have been thinking when they opened those crates.”

For the longest time the Caseys had been supplying his clubs with liquor, and some of the more requested choices were illegal in the United States, even if the taxes on them were paid. Sort of like the cigar he was enjoying. Just because the government couldn’t appreciate a good Cuban smoke and a glass of Havana Club twenty-five-year-old rum didn’t mean his customers didn’t.

“I was there when they finally figured it out, and I can safely say they didn’t find it as humorous as we do.” She finished her drink in one swallow, then squeezed his hand. “Thank you for coming out of your way on such short notice. I won’t keep you away from your lovely wife any longer.”

They exchanged kisses again before Ramon and his bodyguard walked her to the elevator. Outside the sun had set, and, from the look of the trees, the wind had picked up coming off the river. She still had plenty of time to stroll to the luxury hotel the Piquant to meet Shelby for a drink.

Muriel buttoned her coat as she veered away from the river and walked up Canal Street thinking of the FBI agent. Shelby Daniels was the first woman who’d ever invaded her thoughts in the course of her day, and it was starting to concern her. It was dangerous enough to lose your head over a woman, but it was disastrous to be interested in one set on trying to catch you in a mistake only to lock you up for it. As logical as that sounded to her, Muriel still picked up her pace, wanting to see Shelby again.

“Let’s just go see if there’s anything to this luck-of-the-Irish thing,” she whispered. Perhaps for a little while she could forget what had happened that day by losing herself in a pair of pretty blue eyes, because, from the expression on Cain’s face, the storm was coming.

And Muriel was sure that when it did, Shelby would be the last woman in the world who’d offer her a safe harbor.