I spied Gwen Holiday watching us from the kitchen as Dad and I lingered in the hall by the pantry—confirmation of the government vehicle parked outside.
He examined me, searching for something. “You’re beginning to like Duke. I can see it in your eyes, sweetheart.”
And there it was. “He’s?—”
“The enemy,” Gwen said from behind Dad.
I sighed, skirting by my dad, not wanting to discuss how I felt for Duke. “He wants redemption,” I said to Gwen, entering the brightly lit kitchen.
Dad harrumphed. “Is that so? How does he see that happening?” Rosie was right on Dad’s heels, panting.
I set my purse on the table by the French doors. “He didn’t tell me that part. But if I overheard him correctly, I don’t think Duke cares if he ends up in prison. He won’t narc on Rosario either.”
Gwen rested against the marble island. “That’s Duke’s MO. He’s loyal to the bone.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. He and Denim have been discussing a possible plan to screw Mateo.”
Gwen adjusted the sidearm on her hip. “Mateo isn’t Rosario, and the Harts might not admit to this, but they would seek revenge any way possible against the Alvarezes. Tito did have Savannah Kelly murdered in jail. She’d witnessed Tito killing his brother Hector. Since the text you sent me regarding your jaunt to the factory, we’ve pulled all the files on the Alvarezes, though it was like pulling teeth. The BPD gang unit is very territorial.”
“Is that why you’re here?” I asked Gwen, pulling out a chair from the breakfast table and sitting down.
Dad gave Rosie a rawhide bone then swapped a knowing look with Gwen.
My stomach pitched. “What’s going on?” The last time I’d seen panic on Gwen’s face was the other day when she warned me about Neal Fitzgerald. “Do you have news about that DEA agent Neal Fitzgerald?”
She pushed up the sleeves of her sweater. “Nothing on Neal as far as whether he’s a dirty agent, but we’re watching him. I came for two reasons. One, to see how you’re holding up. I know it took a lot of guts to spy on Duke at that factory.”
That was probably a coded statement that meant she was worried about me and the feelings I might be developing for Duke.
The sounds of Rosie chomping on her rawhide reverberated through the kitchen.
“The other reason?” I asked.
“Sweetheart, that man Emilio, who you overheard being questioned in the factory yesterday afternoon—his body was found this morning in South Boston.”
A sharp pain spread through my chest. “What? No. I specifically heard Duke and Gustavo saying that they would have Emilio get a message to Mateo Alvarez. Duke wants to talk to Mateo. He wanted Emilio to pass that info along.”
“Well, we’re trying to track down Mateo,” Gwen said. “Kyle—or rather, Agent Howard—and Bruce are paying a visit to Tito tomorrow. We know he won’t talk, but we can take his temperature. See if he drops any hints accidentally.”
“I want you out of there, sweetheart,” Dad said. “I know we talked about the assignment lasting up to six months, but if we suspect that Mateo is working with the Mexican cartel to screw Rosario Mendoza, I don’t want you in the middle of that war.”
“It’s my job, Dad.”
“Sure, but taking part in raids is far less dangerous than being undercover,” he said.
“The best outcome is if we could get Rosario, Arturo, and Duke in a room and send all of them to prison,” Gwen speculated out loud. “But I’m wishing upon a star. I doubt Rosario will leave Colombia. Still, we’ll settle for Arturo and Duke, if we could catch either with the guns. Of course, Mateo, but he’s small potatoes in this game of cat and mouse. I need to run.” She regarded my dad. “Sir, thank you for the tea. Fallyn, can you walk me out, please?”
Dad busied himself with Rosie as Gwen and I left. The freezing temperatures made me shiver. Luckily, I hadn’t taken my coat off yet. She and I strolled down the brick path from the porch to the sidewalk.
“I sense something else is wrong,” I said to her.
“I got my ass chewed by Howard. Nothing I can’t handle.”
I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets. “Was it about me?”
“He had a conniption because I panicked and sent my guy into the club to give you a message to meet me. He thought it could wait. I didn’t.”
“I’m sorry. As I told you, that incident brought me closer to Duke. I’ll alert you if I hear anything of substance.”
