UNKNOWN ALLIANCE Read online

  “I don’t know about shenanigans, but I can warn you the music will be way too loud. It’s no wonder we’re all partially deaf when we’re old. I heard Anna Beth Ross wanted the theme to be a masquerade ball because it hadn’t been done before.”

  “I’m guessing it hadn’t been done before because teenagers can’t be trusted when they’re wearing a mask.” He shook his head.

  “Morning,” Roni said to a couple of mothers smiling at her. She glanced at her watch, cupped her mouth and bellowed, “Tardy bell rings in three minutes.”

  Nico crossed the street first. With Scott not far behind.

  Roni went inside.

  Mac quickly introduced the two men.

  Nico said, “We met when I drove Rae and Brandi to Kevin’s house.”

  Scott nodded.

  “Keep a close watch on Kevin. I think that kid is trouble with a capital T,” Mac said.

  Scott’s postured straightened. “Do you think he might be the one?”

  “No. Not that kind of trouble. Something is going on with him. I can’t put my finger on it. Keep your eyes and ears open when it comes to him.”

  “What about Stu? Is he trouble too?” Scott frowned. “Brandi wants to go with Stu to the Winter Ball on Saturday. Not as a date, just friends. We haven’t given her permission yet. Rae and Kevin are going too.”

  “I’m working the dance, so is Roni. We’ll keep an eye on the foursome and especially Brandi.”

  Mac knew what Scott meant, although he hadn’t come right out and said it in front of Nico.

  “Stu follows Kevin like a puppy dog. On his own, he seems harmless."

  Nico jumped into the conversation and turned to Scott. “You may not know this about me. I used to be an FBI field agent.”

  “No, I didn’t.” Scott cocked his head. “And now you’re a chauffeur?”

  “It’s a long story.” Nico waved it off. “Rae told me what happened to Brandi during winter break.”

  Scott balled his hands and narrowed his eyes. He seemed laser-focused on Nico’s words.

  Nico’s voice softened, “I’m sorry that happened to your daughter.”

  Scott relaxed his fists. His shoulders slumped.

  Mac put his hand on Scott’s shoulder. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like your permission to talk in more depth with Nico about ideas he might have to narrow the list of possible assailants.”

  Scott nodded.

  Nico looked at Mac with questioning eyes.

  Mac said to Nico, “Scott asked me to help him figure out who assault—.”

  Nico held up his hand. “I don’t want to hear any more about what you two have going on. I’ll share investigation tips to help you as it pertains to your school marshal position, but that’s all.”

  Mac said, “I’d appreciate hearing your tips.”

  Scott stretched his arm out and shook Nico’s hand. Then abruptly turned and walked back to his car.

  Mac said, “I don’t wish what he’s going through on any father. Can you meet me at my house tonight for a beer and...oh, sorry, I’m an idiot, forget the beer. We’ll just talk about those investigation tips?”

  “No problem. Give me your address.”

  Mac wrote his address and cell phone number on the back of his business card and handed it to him. “Why did you shut me down when I started to tell you I was helping Scott?”

  “Look, between you and me—I trust you. To everyone else, I’m not involved. I hope to get my job back one day. I won’t get involved with anything that might jeopardize my reinstatement.”

  “I hear you. It’s just you and me. If you want to talk with Scott about any of this, it’s for you to work out with him. I’ll not share anything you and I’ve discussed,” Mac said.

  The two men shook hands and went in opposite directions. Before Mac swiped his ID card to open the main door, he glanced at his watch. Eight-forty Monday morning. It’s going to be a long day.

  Chapter 33

  Mac, Scott, and Nico once again stood near the school just outside the entrance waiting for dismissal.

  Mac paid close attention to people in the vicinity. If Kevin’s grandfather made another appearance, Mac planned on finding out his reason for hanging around.

  Scott waited for Brandi, Nico for Rae.

  Mac lost track of the conversation when he saw a familiar clunker park down the street from the school. Stu’s tattooed friend. Except for the mostly white sedan now had a red front quarter panel on the driver’s side. The guy tossed a cigarette onto the street.

  While Mac decided whether or not he’d go talk to the guy, the entrance door opened and a group of older students exited the school. Some teachers must’ve released their students early.

  Brandi and Rae, part of the group, walked straight to Scott and Nico. Scott said goodbye and walked away with Brandi by his side.

  Stu and Kevin were also in the group. Kevin veered off and walked toward his aunt waiting in the parking lot. Stu walked over to the tattooed guy and got into the front seat of his clunker.

  Mac felt reasonably sure the tattooed guy was involved in the school’s drug scene.

  When the clunker rolled past, Mac and the driver made eye contact. The driver made a hand gesture like he had shot Mac with a gun.

  Nico nudged Mac. “What’s that about?”

  Rae watched the exchange.

  “Just some leftover animosity from last semester.” Mac sighed. As he turned to re-enter the school he tossed Nico’s way, “Take it easy.” He felt it was best to not discuss the tattooed man in front of Rae.

  Mac strolled by Marlene’s office, hearing she was in the middle of a phone conversation. He waved hello and continued on to his office.

  He dialed his longtime friend’s phone number and waited. Jason, now a detective worked for the Brookfield Police Department.

  Mac and Jason first met in junior high school. They had a tight bond which had also included Bobby—Maggie’s husband. Jason and Mac enlisted in the air force at the same time. They went through basic training together. And when the instructors posed the question, Who wants to be a badass? Jason and Mac raised their hands.

  The badass wannabes were ushered away to take the Physical Ability and Stamina Test or PAST. They had one chance to pass. They both did. For the next two years, they took part in the ‘Pipeline.’ Airmen go through a rigorous and intense program to become pararescuemen. Trained to save lives and aid the injured.

  Jason served eight years.

  “Detective Marten.”

  “Hi. How’s it going?”

  “Hey, Mac, I didn’t notice your number. Can’t complain. What’s going on with you?”

  “Same shit, different day. Do you have a few minutes?”

  “Sure.”

  “Remember the tattooed guy that scared the crap out of Maggie?”

  “You bet I do.”

  “I think he’s back in the picture. Or maybe he never left. Saw him at the school today when he picked up Fred Collins’s kid, Stu.”

  “Have you told Michael Stromberg?”

  “Not yet.”

  In the background, Mac heard a commotion. And Jason’s partner Dan Ruiz, who was typically a quiet man, shouted at someone.

  Mac hesitated for only a beat. “Is something going on? Do you need to go?”

  “Umm, yeah, I do. Sorry Mac. I’ll call you when I can.” Jason terminated the call.

  Mac hurried to his truck. Close to four o’clock, the winter sun hung low in the western sky. He drove to the residential area on the east side of town to where he had followed the tattooed guy last semester.

  He parked close to the place where he’d parked before. The two-toned clunker sat in the driveway, but the house appeared quiet. In fact, the entire neighborhood was devoid of activity.

  Mac texted his sister: Hey. You’ll never guess where I am.

  Maggie: I give. Where?

  Mac: I’m parked outside the tattooed dude’s house that scared you and the girls.r />
  Maggie: WTF are you doing there?

  Mac: Calm down. He doesn’t know I’m watching his house.

  Mac: He picked up a kid from school. I wanted to see what they were up to.

  Maggie: Get out of there. Do you think you’re an amateur sleuth or something?

  Before he could reply she texted again.

  Maggie: I’m serious. Get out of there.

  Mac: Yes, mother.

  He smiled at how insistent his sister was. The guy had scared her pretty bad, and the last thing Mac wanted was to put the only family he had in harm’s way.

  He shrugged as he drove past the small ramshackle home and back out to the highway headed for home.

  Chapter 34

  After work, Mac picked up Roxy, several guns and headed to Wilson’s Gun Range to do some practice shooting. During the drive home, he and Maggie talked on the phone about her new boyfriend. The girls had not met him yet. Maggie wanted to wait and see if their relationship would go beyond courtship. Mac would never tell his sister he checked the guy out. Soon, Mac planned to stake out the guy’s home to make sure he wasn’t leading Maggie on.

  He and Roxy had been home for about fifteen minutes.

  In the backyard, Roxy had a firm grasp on a bone from the local butcher shop. She held it between her front paws and gnawed on her treat with a determination. Mac sat on the back-porch stairs enjoying a beer and Bolivar cigar.

  In the crisp and quiet night, a new moon had risen above the sparse downtown skyline and peeked out from behind bands of clouds. Storm water roared downstream in the creek behind Mac’s house.

  Lost in his thoughts about Donny, the missing boy, he felt bad for skipping the search to go to the gun range. It startled him when his phone rang he expected it to be Maggie remembering something she’d forgotten to tell him.

  But then he noticed the call came from the CDCR, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

  “Hello.”

  “Will you accept a collect call from...”

  “Randall Jackson.”

  “Yes.” Why was Kevin’s rat bastard father calling?

  After some clicking noises, he heard a voice say, “Mac?”

  “Yes.”

  “It’s Randall Jackson.” His voice hadn’t changed, still cracked and squeaked like a teenage boy experiencing puberty.

  “I know that much. Why are you calling me? Make it quick cuz you’re not worth what this call will cost me.”

  “Susan’s sister Jane is Kevin’s court-appointed guardian.”

  “Tell me something I don’t know.”

  “She visited me today. Quite upset. On Saturday, my dad called Kevin at the house. Jane picked up the phone at the same time as Kevin. She wasn’t sure how to hang up without them hearing her hang up, so she listened for a little bit. They sounded like they had talked recently and she was unaware of any contact between the two of them.”

  “Is this going somewhere?”

  “My dad talked about ‘when he lives there’ as in Jane won’t be there anymore.”

  “Has your father petitioned the court for custody?” Why? Why are you engaging in this conversation? He gave his cigar an angry flick to drop the ash and took a swig of beer.

  “Not that I’m aware of. And even if he did, I’d have to approve the placement. That will happen when hell freezes over.”

  Mac inhaled fresh air deep into his lungs and then slowly exhaled.

  “Are you still there?”

  “Yes. Speed it up. You’re interrupting my beverage hour.”

  “Susan’s sister fears for her life.”

  “That does sound frightening.” Damn it, stop engaging in this conversation.

  “My dad asked Kevin if anyone questioned him about the missing kid. And he—.”

  “Like implying he had something to do with the boy going missing?”

  “Something like that. And then Kevin admitted he’d killed Jane’s cat. Squeezed his neck until it snapped and then he shoved it into the garbage. My time’s almost up.”

  “What do you expect me to do?”

  “Tell your cop friends and watch out for Jane like you did Susan.”

  “That’s a ridiculous request coming from you.”

  “I have to go. Please. Don’t let Kevin get away with anoth—.”

  The line went dead.

  Mac drew in another deep cleansing breath and released it slowly. Roxy still contently attacked her bone on the lawn.

  He texted his sister: Are you still up?

  Maggie: Of course, it’s only eight-thirty. LOL

  Mac: I just received a collect call from Randall Jackson.

  Maggie: Oh, my gosh. Why?

  He didn’t feel like talking, but he wanted to tell Maggie, his best friend, and confidant. They texted back and forth for at least thirty minutes.

  At Maggie’s insistence, he agreed to call Jason and tell him about the bizarre conversation implicating Kevin in the missing boy’s disappearance.

  “Roxy.” She stopped grinding her teeth on the bone and looked up at him. “More Jackson drama coming our way, girl.” She tilted her head one way and then another trying to comprehend what he’d said.

  Chapter 35

  The final bell of the day sounded, and the school entrance doors opened. Young students walked as fast as they could to their rides home without breaking into a prohibited full run.

  Mac and Roni watched.

  He planned to sit in on the Speaker Club meeting to see how Kevin and Stu interacted with Brandi. He’d cleared it with Mr. Nash, told him he wanted to see what the club was about.

  Several teachers sign-up for extra assignments to supplement their income. Some coach, some do in-home tutoring for students too sick or injured to attend classes, most are like Crosby Nash trying to make a few extra bucks.

  As soon as the flow of students slowed, Mac left Roni on her own and hustled inside. He waved at Marlene as he passed her office. She started to say something, but he was already down the hall and around the corner.

  From the class list and watching the meeting on the video feed, he knew what students joined the club, Rae brought the student count to twenty. And he knew where each student sat because they always seemed to sit in the same seats.

  Mac opened the door to Mr. Nash’s room. All heads turned to see who’d arrived late.

  Kevin, the first to recognize Mac, showed contempt. And also the first one to turn around and face the teacher.

  Mr. Nash nodded at Mac.

  “You all know Marshal MacKenna. He’ll be joining us today.”

  Kevin slumped in his chair.

  Mac sat in the back of the group.

  Mr. Nash added, “We also have a new club member today, RaeAnn Bowen.” He pointed to RaeAnn. “Tell us a little about who you are and why you’ve joined the Speaker Club.”

  She hesitated. “I’m just Rae. I joined because Brandi talked me into it.” Kids snickered. “Public speaking isn’t my thing.”

  “That’s what a lot of people think.” Mr. Nash smiled. “But, you’ll be required to take public speaking in college. And every job interview you go to is essentially public speaking. Whether it’s your thing or not, you’ll be forced to speak publicly at some point in your life.”

  He continued to look at Rae as if expecting a reply. She said nothing.

  “Okay, let’s review the meeting syllabus for Rae’s benefit. Everyone is to be prepared for the meeting just as you would when giving a speech at a business meeting. Your level of participation can earn you extra credits. When someone has the floor, everyone should be an active listener. When you arrive at the meeting, turn in your flash drive with the video from your recent speaking assignment. Each meeting we’ll work on a different activity. At the end of the meeting, I offer speaking opportunities.” He paused to sip from a water bottle. “Any questions?”

  Rae raised her hand.

  Mr. Nash looked at Rae. “Yes.”

  “Do we have to do
a speaker assignment?”

  “Only if you want to earn more extra credits. You’ll be required to participate in meeting activities.”

  Rae physically drooped.

  Mr. Nash went on to explain he was going to play a video of what he considered to be one of the greatest speeches of all time. Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech at Stanford University in 2005. He wanted the students to take notes on word choice, voice inflection, body language and audience reaction. He’d periodically stop the video and ask questions.

  Shortly after the video began, Mac noticed Rae sat upright, leaned forward and propped up her chin on her hands.

  Before long Kevin leaned into her and whispered something. She placed her index finger against her lips. And turned her attention back to Steve Jobs.

  Students jotted down notes, some more than others.

  Kevin didn’t appear to write anything. Other kids seemed to doodle or quietly poke at each other, a few whispered back and forth.

  Stu leaned toward Kevin and mouthed something. He, in turn, did the same to Rae.

  Mr. Nash looked disapprovingly at the distraction and paused the video. “Brandi, did you feel the audience approved or disapproved when Mr. Jobs spoke about being adopted?”

  “They didn’t seem to respond positively or negatively.”

  The students giggled.

  “How do you feel the audience responded to him referencing the calligraphy class that influenced him?” He held his gaze on Brandi for a few uncomfortable seconds waiting for her to respond.

  She hesitated. “Favorably.”

  “Very good.” Mr. Nash smiled at Brandi and then pushed a button on his remote for the video to resume.

  After the video ended, Mr. Nash called on students to use a single word to express how the speech made them feel. Kids said things like “tired” and “sleepy.” Rae said, “Inspired.”

  He assigned the class to write an encouraging and positive high school commencement speech. Brandi had a look of dread on her face when she glanced at Rae.

  A lively group. The students had an open discussion about the speech. It wasn’t hard to see who were in cliques. Kevin and Stu were practically attached at the hip. Todd and Alonzo appeared tight and just on the perimeter of the Kevin and Stu duo.