Read the book: «Gunning For The Groom»

Chapter Two

Savannah, Georgia

Thursday, April 7, 8:05 a.m.

“Morning, Frankie!”

Francesca Leone, Frankie to everyone who knew her longer than a few minutes, smiled on her way to the office she shared with two other people. It wasn’t much more than a converted storage space, but she didn’t mind. She’d worked in tighter quarters during her time with the navy. Life in Georgia had been good to her. Landing this job as an analyst with the Savannah Police Department gave her a healthy, long overdue sense of renewed purpose.

The past eighteen months had been an arduous journey personally and professionally. An act of terrorism and the resulting injury had ended the navy career she’d loved. For too many months, her life had narrowed to a pinpoint focus on surviving the physical trials, only to be assaulted by the emotional upheaval that followed. She hadn’t realized how much of her identity had been tied to her military service until it was gone. But here she’d found a fresh start and was building a strong new foundation, far from the looming shadow of her father’s name and the constant worried gaze of her mother.

Feeling her back aching a bit from yesterday’s extended run, she eased into the desk chair, setting her mug of tea to the left of her computer monitor and locking her purse in the bottom drawer. When her computer booted up, she wasted no time getting to work. A string of recent robberies crossed several precincts, and it was her job to find any connections to help the detectives create a list of suspect traits.

Although the work didn’t rank as high in the elements of danger and thrill as her former SEAL team missions, she found tremendous fulfillment when her contributions helped close cases.

She was making notes on the similarities between thefts when her desk phone rang, and she picked it up. “Leone.”

“Francesca Leone?”

She didn’t recognize the quiet male voice on the other end of the line. “Yes.” Pausing to glance around when someone called her by her proper name was a purely instinctive reaction. “How can I help you?”

“I worked with your dad on several operations,” the man explained.

Her heart stuttered in her chest. It never seemed to beat properly when the topic of her dad came up. She bit her lip, refusing to deliver the coarse response on the tip of her tongue.

“I considered him a friend,” the caller said into the prolonged silence.

And yet she noticed he didn’t offer her a name. She wasn’t an idiot. Since her father, General Frank Leone, had been accused and convicted of treason, no one claimed any kind of link to him. This couldn’t be an old friend who’d lost touch or wanted to leave the general’s daughter with a memorable photo.

Smelling a setup, she decided the caller must be a reporter sniffing out a new story angle. Unfortunately for him, there weren’t any. It had been over a year since the verdict, and her review of every available shred of information had yet to yield any solid intel that could remove the terrible stain on her dad’s career. “What do you want?”

“First, I’m sorry for your loss.”

Her hand fisted around the receiver, but she didn’t take the bait. Her father had killed himself ten months ago, shortly after the verdict came down. While she wasn’t over it, she never let that weakness show—to strangers or friends.

“I just need a few minutes of your time,” the caller said. “Your father trusted me with something you should have.”

Curious now, she checked the urge to slam down the phone. “All right.” A face-to-face chat was the fastest way to determine if there was anything legitimate about this guy. “And your name?”

“When we meet,” he replied.

She’d anticipated that response. Odds were he wouldn’t have given her a real name, anyway. “How will I know you?”

“I’ll know you.”

Of course he would. Growing up on various army bases around the world with two parents who rated the highest possible security clearances, Frankie valued caution and understood paranoia. “Fine. Meet me at Bess’s Diner in the historic district in an hour.” That would give her plenty of time to drive by and get her head on straight.

Fifty minutes later she sat in her car, studying a man leaning against a bike rack in front of the diner across the street. Short, graying brown hair; late forties, early fifties maybe. Assuming he was the caller, she was pleased he didn’t give off the hum of urgency she’d learned to expect from reporters. While nothing about him struck her as familiar, in her experience the best covert agents were comfortable hiding in plain sight. As she climbed out of her car, she inconspicuously snapped a couple of pictures with her phone. If the man really knew her dad, he’d know about her mother’s work, and her own abbreviated career, as well.

Or maybe this wasn’t the guy at all, she thought when he didn’t react as she crossed to his side of the street. She didn’t acknowledge him as she aimed for the diner door.

“Miss Leone.” His voice proved she had a few instincts left. “Thanks for following through.”

“Sure.” She stopped, kept her stance easy and her hands loose at her sides while she waited for him to make the next move.

“Name’s John,” he said, extending a hand. “Your father was a good friend of mine.”

John. She nearly asked if the last name was Smith or Doe. Not that it mattered. Anyone openly admitting to being General Leone’s friend had bigger secrets than a name. She suddenly wished she had something more to go on than his pictures in case she needed to track him down after this meeting. His was one of those nondescript faces that would be hard to remember. This close, she could see that his eyes were brown, as well. Straight nose. No scars. The kind of face that would blend in with the crowd.

They walked into the diner and found a booth. She noticed he took the side facing the door. If this guy didn’t have covert operations training, he’d read all the right books. When the waitress approached, John ordered coffee and Frankie ordered hot tea with honey. She wasn’t in the mood for anything, just wanted something to keep her hands busy while she listened to whatever John had to say.

“Your dad and I go way back,” he said. “I count Frank and Sophia as my closest friends.”

Frankie couldn’t hide the unpleasant chill she felt at the mention of her mother’s name. She hadn’t spoken to the woman since her father’s funeral. The once proud and strong Leone family had been fractured beyond any hope of reconciliation.

“You still on the outs with her?”

“Why does it matter?” Keeping things compartmentalized was practically a Leone genetic trait. Frankie’s personal life didn’t intersect with her professional life. She never discussed her parents with anyone. Clearly, this man knew the family dynamic, though the situation was fairly obvious. Her mother lived and worked in Seattle, while Frankie lived and worked here, as far away as possible. She still periodically checked for jobs in Key West, Florida. There were questions she knew she’d never get answered, so Frankie clung to the simple truth that distance preserved the peace.

“It doesn’t.” John leaned back as the coffee and tea arrived. When the waitress walked away, he continued. “Look, I know you were close to him and I know he was proud of your career.”

“Thanks?” His well-informed statements didn’t put her at ease. They only made her more uncomfortable. She stirred a spoonful of honey into her tea and went on the offensive, eager to hurry this along. “Any decent search of the internet could give you that much,” she said. “When I was first attached to the SEAL team, they did a write-up in the local paper, got a glowing quote from him.” She set the spoon aside. “Tell me why we’re here.”

The man’s brown eyes were sharp as he studied her. “Because your father was a hero and someone turned him into a scapegoat.”

Whatever his real name, she agreed with John on that much. Her biggest regret was that she hadn’t been there for her dad during the ordeal. Injured or not, she resented that she’d never had a chance to tell him she believed he was innocent, or that she loved him despite the stones thrown from all sides. There hadn’t been any tender farewell phone call or last words in a note. When her father made a decision, he followed through. He’d killed himself shortly after the guilty verdict, before she’d regained her ability to walk unassisted.

The memories of hearing the news swamped her and she raised her tea to her lips, the cup shaking slightly. Sophia, with no trace of emotion, had explained her husband’s suicide and told Frankie what would come next regarding services, the will and estate, and the rest of it. In the days immediately following the tragedy, Frankie had tried to talk to her, hoping to make sense of the senseless. Her mother had been too wrapped up in the legalities and had quickly moved on as though a lifetime of marriage and family had meant nothing.

“He’d be happy to see you strong and healthy again.”

John’s quiet voice brought Frankie back to the present with an unpleasant jolt.

“I like to think so.” She carefully placed the cup in the saucer.

“You’ve done well reestablishing yourself.”

“Uh-huh.” She toyed with the handle of her cup. “You said you had something for me?” She didn’t want to talk about her father or her new life. Not with a therapist, not with a friend, and definitely not with a stranger.

“Yes.” He reached into the pocket inside his sport coat and fished out a small gray envelope. “This matches a safe-deposit box in Tucson,” he explained, his voice no more than a whisper. With one finger he pushed the envelope, which presumably held a key, halfway across the table. “No one mattered to your dad as much as you did. He can’t tell you in his own words, but the answers you’re after are there.”

Answers. Frankie blinked away the rush of tears blurring her vision. She’d expected dog tags, or maybe her dad’s class ring from West Point. Answers were a thousand times better. She hadn’t been prepared for someone who believed her father had been railroaded, and wanted to help her ferret out the truth. She caught her trembling lower lip between her teeth and fought valiantly for composure. There would be time for emotions later. “How do you know what answers I’m after?” she asked, using his phrase. “Dad’s case is closed.” It was hard to believe this could be the break she needed to clear her father’s name.

John left the envelope on the table, pulling his fingers back and drumming them on the rim of his coffee cup, watching her closely. “The case is officially closed, but it’s nowhere near done for you. You take that and you’ll have a chance to right a wrong.”

She couldn’t tear her eyes away from that slim gray envelope. “Why don’t you do what’s necessary with the information?”

He shook his head. “This is for family. I’m just the messenger.”

Frankie sucked in a breath. He couldn’t mean what those words implied. She’d learned that her mother’s testimony had come into play during her father’s trial, though Frankie had never understood why it hadn’t helped. Sophia refused to discuss the matter, which left Frankie with more questions than answers at every turn.

“From where I’m sitting I’d say you got that stubbornness and tenacity from your dad,” John said, urging her on in his quiet way.

Frankie covered the envelope with her hand, pulling it closer to her side of the table. Either she hadn’t been as discreet as she should have been or John had the depth of access that went with the cloak-and-dagger routine. She thought of the inquiries she’d made after her father’s funeral. All of them had turned into frustrating dead ends. Hope surged through her that this key would unlock the secrets about General Leone’s final missions overseas.

She peered into the envelope before tucking it into her pocket. Taking it didn’t mean she had to do anything about it. She studied John’s inscrutable face. “How can I reach you?”

“You can’t.” His gaze moved systematically around the coffee shop. “My being here, even for a few hours, puts you in jeopardy. This has to be our only communication.”

She gave a short nod as her mind reeled. This man was the first person who showed any sign of agreeing with her about her father’s innocence.

John pulled out his wallet and tossed a ten-dollar bill onto the table. “You don’t have to go and you don’t have to be in a hurry,” he said. “In fact, I recommend you take some time and think it through. What’s inside the box isn’t going anywhere.”

She knew she had to go. She couldn’t ignore this opportunity. A flight to Arizona was nothing in the bigger picture. Her family had imploded under the treason accusation. Knowing her father had died disgraced and alone, Frankie still felt an ache in her heart. If there was any information that would cast a light of truth into those dark final days and clear his name, she meant to find it. “I’ll go.” As soon as she could arrange a few days off work.

Getting to Tucson was the easy part of the equation. There was no way to tell what would come next until she’d seen the contents of the box for herself. After the last lead dried up a few months ago, she’d been less aggressive in her private inquiry, resigned that she might never learn who’d set up her dad. Cautiously pushing hope aside, she considered that this meeting and the trip to open a safe-deposit box could be nothing more than an elaborate ruse or distraction, though she didn’t know who would gain by such a tactic.

“What you discover could make things worse,” John warned.

“Thanks,” she whispered, stunned by the dramatic shift her morning had taken. The key in its envelope felt like a stick of old dynamite in her pocket, shaky, volatile and ready to blow her life apart without any notice. “Unless you have more insight, I guess I’ll figure that out when I get there.”

“Whatever you decide, be careful.” He slid to the edge of the booth. “The people who took down your dad have a long reach and violent habits.”

She resisted the urge to try to enlist his help. He’d clearly done all he was going to do. “I can take care of myself.” She’d trained hard to earn her place as a cultural liaison with the navy SEALs. Her well-honed skills and habit of excellence hadn’t been affected by the back injury that wrecked her military career.

“I hope so.” He stood up. “Your dad always wanted the best for you.”

Frankie believed that was true. She watched her father’s mysterious friend leave, disappointed when he walked out of view. She’d hoped to catch him getting into a car. Staring into the tea cooling in her cup, she weighed the pros and cons of each possible next step. Did the cons even matter? Every decision in life came with a price; every option held some risk.

Her gaze shifted to the window and the bustling activity on the street outside. She had a new career as a crime analyst. She enjoyed it. Her life was stable and she gained satisfaction in the work and being involved with the community. And she knew herself well enough to know that part of her fulfillment came from finding justice for victims.

The whole truth wouldn’t bring her father back, but it could open the door for justice and potentially restore his reputation. He’d served honorably and deserved to be remembered for the way he’d protected national interests, as well as the soldiers under his command.

She pulled out her phone and researched flight options. By the time she got back to the office, she had her explanation ready and a realistic idea of the days off she would need to run down this lead.

Tucson, Arizona

Friday, April 8, 8:40 a.m.

FRANKIE CHECKED OUT of her hotel room and left the cool lobby for the warm sunshine of the Arizona springtime. Her boss had waved away her vague explanation of a family crisis and granted her time off through the end of next week. It helped that Frankie could do much of her work long-distance if necessary. She’d gotten on a plane last night. Waiting for morning had proved one of the hardest things she’d done in a while.

Hailing a cab, she gave the driver the bank address as her mind raced yet another lap around the same tired circuit that had plagued her since she left the diner yesterday. Every time she reviewed what she’d learned since her father’s death, the timing of the charges and the sequence of events, she bumped smack into her mother’s uncharacteristic behavior and apathy. Her mom was hiding something; Frankie just couldn’t guess what or why. Hopefully, whatever her father had stashed in this safe-deposit box would take her a step closer to the truth.

Sophia, as a military analyst for the CIA, had the clearance access and professional connections to support the general’s defense. At the very least, she should’ve given Frankie a better explanation for how things had spiraled out of control. Her injury and recovery weren’t a reliable excuse any longer. Neither was the nonsense about Frankie’s career being negatively impacted by her father’s misdeeds.

He was innocent. Whatever had happened during those last few months in Afghanistan, Frankie knew her father hadn’t betrayed his oath to his country, and she meant to prove it.

It was a relief when the cab stopped and she had to think about paying the fare. Taking her suitcase and the backpack serving as her laptop bag and purse, she headed inside the bank, then paused to look around. She didn’t know why her dad had chosen this facility. They’d never lived on the nearby post, though she was sure both her parents had been here at one time or another, since Fort Huachuca was home to the Army Intelligence Center.

Frankie offered a polite smile as she showed her key and requested access to the safe-deposit box. Her palms were damp as she followed the teller toward the vault, the wheels of her suitcase rattling over the marble floor. When both keys had been inserted into the respective locks, the teller pulled out the slim drawer and walked toward a small alcove.

“Just draw the curtain back when you’re done,” she said. “And we’ll replace the box for you.”

“Got it. Thanks,” Frankie said as the woman walked away.

She stared at the closed safe-deposit box on the table, her feet rooted in place. Now she had second thoughts. Her dad had left her something here, something he hadn’t trusted to her mom’s care. The truth of her father’s downfall could very well be inside. Frankie had come this far; she had to see it through. One step, then another, and she rested her trembling fingers on the cool metal box. John’s warning echoed in her head. She believed with every beat of her heart that her father had been a scapegoat. Whoever had gone to those lengths to avoid the consequences obviously didn’t want to be exposed.

If she looked inside, there would be no going back, no way to undo whatever she learned. Holding back or walking away—those weren’t valid options, either. Not for Frankie.

“Don’t have to like it, just have to do it.” She whispered one of the favorite motivators from her SEAL training as she opened the box. She didn’t have to act on it; she just had to know.

An envelope marked Top Secret was no surprise, though surely the evidence against her father should rate a higher clearance level. Under the envelope she found a flash drive, half a map and two passports. Slipping the drive into her pocket, she discovered both passports had her mother’s picture beside different names and birth dates.

Assuming John had gathered the evidence in this box on her father’s behalf, Frankie wondered how he’d gotten the passports away from her mom. Seduction or burglary? A small voice in her head suggested this field trip was a setup, and Frankie’s temper flared in bitter denial. John was a wild card, definitely, but she would not leap to any conclusions until she’d exhausted every lead.

Frankie tamped down her frustration. The attention an outburst would bring was the last thing she needed here. She tucked the fake passports into her backpack and kept going.

A smaller envelope held her father’s dog tags, and her heart stuttered in her chest. She looped the cool metal chain around her fingers. When she was little, her dad had often let her wear his tags when she played dress up with his boots and uniforms. If she’d had any doubts about John’s claims, the dog tags dispelled them. With care, she poured the tags and chain back into the envelope and added it to her backpack. Only one item remained, a small jewelry box covered in worn black velvet.

Her fingers curled back into her palm. That box didn’t belong here. Her father had kept it on top of his dresser in the bedroom. The ring inside came out only for official functions.

Frankie popped open the lid, praying she was wrong, that this was something else. It wasn’t. She bit her lip, staring down at her father’s class ring from West Point. Snapping the box shut, she pressed it close to her heart, as if somehow that would make everything that had gone wrong right again.

This ring was central to her image of her dad, of the honor, dedication and commitment he’d given to every endeavor. She opened the box again, smoothing her finger over the heavy gold band. All her life she’d watched him, captivated by the stories he told as he polished it for special occasions. She’d caught him once just holding it, dazed, when he returned from a deployment. Her mother had told her later that one of his classmates had died.

When had he stored it here and why? Frankie couldn’t think of a single answer to either question. “I’ll figure it out, Dad. I promise,” she murmured, sliding the ring box into a zippered inner pocket of the backpack.

Finally, she unwound the red string tying the large envelope closed and shook out the papers inside. After-action reports were on top. She skimmed each page, noting the details that weren’t blacked out. The dates and locations matched what she already knew of General Leone’s final months in Afghanistan.

She forgot everything else when she found the transcript of her mother’s statement about his activities in Afghanistan. Icy dread tickled the nape of Frankie’s neck and she steeled herself against the involuntary shiver. Sophia Leone had created a report that didn’t support her husband at all. She’d tossed him under the proverbial bus.

What the hell? Her parents had always been a team. From Frankie’s first memory they’d been affectionate and happy, devoted to each other. They’d embraced life, taught her everything she valued about being in love and being loving. They’d exemplified respect, support and drive as they went after their individual and mutual goals together.

How could Sophia turn on him?

Frankie blinked back a red haze of fury as she read the cold, sterile statements that tied her father to criminal actions. Fumed over the implications that he’d sabotaged missions for personal gain. The report did nothing to corroborate General Leone’s account of critical operations. Good grief, in light of this statement, no other verdict than guilty had been possible.

Frankie pulled out the band holding her hair in a bun and worked her fingers over her scalp. At least she understood why her mother had refused to discuss any of this. Frankie wound her hair back up into place as she read the terrible statement again.

Two dates stood out to her, dates when she knew her father had been at the Bagram Airfield, when her mother stated he’d been in Kabul. She checked her watch, wishing she had time to boot up her computer and check the flash drive here. Now that she had a lead, she was eager to chase it down. With any luck the drive would have more details she could assess and pull into a cohesive case against her mother. No wonder her dad had killed himself. Someone had set him up so well with the treason charge that even his wife had turned on him.

“And I was useless,” Frankie whispered to herself. During his trial she’d been stuck in a hospital bed while surgeons debated the best treatment for her spine injury.

She fisted the papers in her hands as something inside her shattered. John had warned her and he’d been right. Appalling as this was, the answers gave her a target. Sophia owed her more than another weak evasion. Frankie had asked her mother point-blank about the allegations and charges against her dad, and the answer had been to trust the legal process and keep believing in him.

Frankie had obediently complied and the process had failed her father. Along with a helpful boost from her mother, apparently. Even after the verdict, her mom had insisted things would work out, that her father wasn’t done fighting. Now it was obvious those assurances had merely been more lies and platitudes to cover Sophia’s part in the witch hunt.

Why? Who gained? Her mother had put the life insurance and other assets into a trust for Frankie, and turned her attention to a new private security business out in Seattle, Washington.