Page 17 of Deadly Target
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Olivia took Taz with her when she went to work. The Monday morning meeting was the first thing on the day’s agenda, so she went in early and rummaged through the back area containing tactical gear. There in one of the boxes, she found a police dog vest she attached to Taz.
At first, he didn’t seem too keen on the idea, standing there giving her an odd look with his head cocked and his ears up as if to say, “What the hell?”
“If you want to hang out with me, you have to make concessions,” she told him. “As of this moment, you are a special deputy marshal K9.”
He turned his head and sniffed the vest, but then put his ears down and wagged.
That’s settled. “Good. Do what I tell you and we won’t have any problems. Got it?”
The wagging sped up. He followed her to the door and she went to grab coffee before the meeting. In the kitchen, several of her coworkers commented about the dog, Taz receiving ear scratches and back slaps. “Watching him for a friend,” Olivia said several times. “Figured as long as he’s trained for police work, he could keep me company today.”
No one questioned the lack of a badge on the vest or anything else about Taz’s sudden appearance. The dog’s quiet, polite demeanor fit with a trained police dog.
Olivia’s boss did a double-take when she entered the room, but he was already at the podium calling the meeting to order, so she dodged the bullet of explaining Taz to him.
Everyone took their seats, and Supervisory Deputy Director Abraham Navarro began the Monday morning spiel about recent successes. “Our fugitive taskforce arrested Gerald O’Neil Saturday night for numerous charges including felonious assault and battery against a police officer. We worked with Mexican authorities and arrested federal escapee Ivan Morales who is wanted on a double homicide in Mexico City.”
The list went on for another minute, many of her counterparts able to close cases since the previous week. Olivia sipped her coffee and let her mind wander to Victor and the situation he was dealing with. She considered paying Alfie a visit sooner than this evening, but showing up unannounced on his doorstep could lead to trouble. He wasn’t under official Justice Department protection yet, and playing a dangerous game with Frankie and Gino in order to solidify the intel the JD needed in order to take down the West Coast Fifty-seven Gang. As far she could tell, Alfie never worked at home because of his daughter, but it was imperative Olivia keep their relationship covert. The dinners were always preplanned and could be cancelled if Alfie was worried about surveillance from his bosses. She couldn’t risk blowing his status with his mob group or all the hard work she’d put into setting up the deal with the JD to take Gino DeStefano and his “family” down.
“Does anyone have further updates?” Navarro asked, shuffling his papers.
No one did, and he began listing current assignments. Once again, Olivia tuned out. She had a very special position in the district office, allowing her more freedom than most of her coworkers. She’d done her time serving warrants, arresting fugitives, and transporting prisoners, her total dedication to the job helping her climb the ranks quickly and efficiently. When she’d gone to Navarro and told him about Alfie and the potential use of him as an informant, Navarro had wanted to turn it over to the FBI. Olivia had insisted she was the perfect person to handle the case. After several intense discussions, she’d made the decision to go over Navarro’s head and speak directly to the chief director for their territory. Eventually it had gone all the way to Justice. When word had come down from on high that Olivia and her idea had been granted permission, Navarro had let her know how annoyed he was at her. She had no doubt after this case, she’d have to find a new office.
Of course with that permission came the Justice Department’s request for her to investigate Victor. No one, not even Navarro, knew about that. Her contact in Washington had made it clear that if she wanted permission to groom Alfonso Barone as a confidential informant, she had to do something for them. That something had been the investigation. No reason had been given, but there was obviously something in Victor’s background that had made them suspicious.
Navarro would probably never know about that, and that was fine with her. She didn’t want anyone to know. She’d only agreed because she wanted Gino and Frankie B. Buddying up to Victor had been an easy assignment…until she’d figured out what a great guy he was.
If only her contact at the JD would’ve let her off with her original report two months ago, stating that very fact. Not in those exact words, but a sterile, organizational memo citing that she had found nothing suspicious. The whole thing had set her on edge, wondering if they were hoping to find something criminal where there wasn’t anything. It struck her as if they had it in for Victor. But why?
She didn’t like it then and still didn’t now.
Believing she could exonerate him, she’d continued her investigation. So far, she had done that, but the problem was, now she was having a relationship with him. If they found out, her tail would be grass from the Justice Department on down, everyone suspecting she was simply covering for him.
Olivia had been in plenty of quandaries before, but this one might top them all.
The meeting finally adjourned, and as she rose to her feet, Navarro passed by giving her a wave to follow.
Oh joy. He was going to give her grief about the dog, she just knew it.
As she and Taz took their time leaving the room and heading for Navarro’s office, Liv mentally tried out various explanations, feeling out which one Navarro was most likely to buy.
“Shut the door,” her supervisor said as she and the dog entered.
She did, leaning against it and hoping this would be quick. Maybe the best defense was a strong offense. As in, steer the topic of conversation right from the start. “Did you hear about the DEA officer who was shot in San Diego yesterday and the bomb explosion this morning that killed an agent?”
He shuffled some papers on his desk, avoiding her eyes, as if she were insignificant. “What’s with the dog?”
She sighed mentally. Her distraction had been worth a try. “I’m dog sitting, and he’s trained, so I brought him along.”
“Trained in what, chasing tennis balls?”
She kept bluffing. “He’s a trained police dog.”
“And I’m Santa Claus,” Navarro said. “What’s the latest on your investigation?”
He wasn’t going to press her about the dog. She supposed that was a bonus. “I’m looking into the fact that the shooting and bombing I just mentioned happen to be related to the Fifty-seven Gang and Gino DeStefano. I’m meeting Alfonso tonight to pump him for information. He called yesterday and told me Frankie B had put out a hit on a high-level law enforcement officer. I believe it’s tied into my investigation. I’d like to head to San Diego this afternoon and speak to some members on the taskforce involved.”
