Chapter 18 Bit
BIT
“What have you been able to find on Tiernan Burke?” I asked as soon as Brix called the meeting to order.
“He doesn’t exist,” said Snapper.
“So who the hell is he?”
“Definitely someone associated with the Killeens,” Snapper added.
He pulled up footage from over a year ago, before the FBI raid.
The surveillance video was grainy, like what Vader got from the gate at Eberly’s place, but there was no question the man on the screen was the one we ran into in Cambria earlier today.
“Whoever he is, he’s flown way under the radar,” said Brix. “Have you read Decker’s message yet?”
I hadn’t, and I appreciated that, this time, he asked. I dug my phone out of my pocket and opened the app he used to send messages containing sensitive information.
While Ashford said he was still working on an ID, he found enough facial recognition hits to place him with known associates of the Killeens on more than one occasion.
“You don’t think he’s an informant, do you?” I asked.
“I’ll run it by Ashford, but if he was, I would think he would’ve found him in the system.”
I murmured my agreement.
“Let’s say he is part of the organization,” Snapper began. “How was he able to elude the feds, and what’s his plan now? To put the Killeens back in business?”
“Everything they were involved in is still out there—drugs, weapons, extortion. It’s a matter of time before either someone affiliated with the Killeens or a rival organization is able to get the cash flowing again,” said Kick.
Brix looked over at Zin. “Do you still have a guy on the inside at the bureau?” he asked.
“Not a guy. My cousin.”
“On Eberly’s side of the family?” I asked.
“Yeah. He’s my uncle’s son. David is my dad’s and Aunt Belinda’s brother.”
“Is this cousin clean?” Kick asked.
“Breck? Hell, yeah,” said Zin.
“What are you getting at, Kick?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Maybe Eberly was targeted.”
I glanced over at Zin, who appeared lost in thought.
“Why her, though? Because Malcolm was vulnerable? In Paso Robles alone there are plenty of wine heiresses with bank,” Snapper added.
I kept my eye on Zin. There was something he wasn’t saying.
“Not the kind of bank Eberly has,” he finally looked up and said.
“How much are we talking?” Kick asked. “Ow! Fuck. Why’d you kick me?” he said to Snapper.
“Because you don’t ask questions like that.”
Zin’s eyes met mine. Whatever the number was, it was significant.
“Could someone have gotten to Breck?” I asked.
He shook his head. “He wouldn’t have willingly divulged anything about our family.”
“Key word is willingly,” said Snapper.
“Okay, let’s say there’s something to this theory,” said Brix. “Burke’s got a guy on the inside at the bureau—I’m not saying it’s Zin’s and Eberly’s cousin—but he somehow got advance knowledge of the raid. Which explains how he avoided arrest. But how would he have found out Eberly’s net worth?”
“Beginner hacker could get that info,” Kick muttered.
I looked over at Brix.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Everybody always says the Irish mob families don’t lay claim to those in the US. But I doubt they’d leave money on the table if they saw a way to sweep in and take it for themselves.”
“Are you thinking this Burke guy is a scout?”
“Possibly. Or he’s an independent looking for investors.”
“How many zeros are we talking she’s worth, Zin?” Brix asked.
“High nines.”
My brother looked at me. “How long were Eberly and Burke engaged?”
“How the fuck would I know?” I snapped.
“About a year,” Zin answered.
“The FBI investigation took place over a period of five years,” I said under my breath.
“So you’re thinking Burke, or whoever the hell he is, knew about the investigation, knew there’d be a sweep of both the Killeens and FAIM, and was biding his time?” Snapper asked.
“And building his cash reserves,” Brix added. “Takes drug money to make drug money.”
“What better way to get your hands on an heiress’ money than to sweep in and save the day after her father loses their business and home out from under her?” said Kick.
“He’s got Malcolm.”
Heads shot up around the table at my statement.
“Makes sense, Bit,” said Brix.
I pushed my chair away from the table, rested my elbows on my knees, and lowered my head.
“Are you okay?” Snapper, who was sitting beside me, asked.
I shook my head and looked up at Zin. “Malcolm doesn’t control her money.”
“The question then is, does Burke still believe she does, or has he somehow found out it’s my dad?”
“I’ll send an update to Decker with our theory,” Brix offered. “Is there anything else we need to address tonight?”
“There’s got to be a connection between this guy and Grogan. As Ashford says, there are no coincidences. The similarity in their eye color is too significant to ignore,” I said.
“Makes sense,” Snapper commented. “If there is one, Burke would probably have insight into the Killeens income streams.”
“And their street-level crews,” Kick added.
I knew both my younger brothers had been doing contract work for people like Decker Ashford, but until now, I hadn’t realized how immersed they’d gotten. For years, they’d been ranked team ropers on the rodeo circuit who were typically in the top five annual earners.
“You guys goin’ to National Finals Rodeo this year?” I asked. The week-long event took place in Las Vegas in December, but in order to attend, individuals and teams had to qualify.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Snapper muttered, studying something on his phone.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“We’ve been monitoring various CCTV footage—”
“No one calls it that anymore,” Kick interrupted.
Snapper glared at him. “Fuck off.”
“Knock it off, boys…” Brix sounded so much like our father. It was eerie. “Snapper, go ahead with whatever you were about to say.”
“Hughie Havers, Eberly Winery’s vineyard manager, met up with Burke yesterday.”
“Where?” I asked.
“The Grill.” He handed his phone to me, and I replayed the video that showed the two walking into the local hangout. The next one showed them leaving within a couple minutes of each other about an hour later.
“Keep your eye on the motherfucker,” I seethed, hating that someone who worked for her family was connected to a person we believed had ties to an organized crime syndicate. However, I also understood the importance of keeping him around for the time being.
“Anything else?” Brix repeated.
I understood his impatience. Addison, his wife, was pregnant and, from what he’d said, was expected to go into labor any minute.
When no one indicated there was more to discuss, he adjourned the meeting.
“I’ll walk out with you,” I said when I saw him heading toward the door. “Listen, I’ll send the update to Decker.”
“Sure. Of course. Sorry, Bit.”
“For?”
“Turning into Dad.”
I chuckled. “You channeled him pretty damn well when Snapper and Kick got into it.”
He laughed too. “You’re a good brother, Trevino, and a good man. I feel like I’m just now getting to know you, and I can’t tell how bad that makes me feel.”
“Don’t waste your energy.”
He glanced over at me.
“If you and Addy have a boy, name him Trevino.” I winked and he laughed.
When I returned to the cottage, Michael was sitting in a chair, reading, and Eberly’s eyes were closed. He stood silently and walked out when I sat beside her.
“Hey,” she said, stretching her arms over her head. She looked around the room. “How long have you been back?”
I put my arm around her, and she snuggled into me. “A couple of minutes.”
“I guess I dozed off.”
“Let’s go to bed.”
“Okay, but…”
I raised a brow, and her eyes scrunched.
“What?”
“If you have something to say, say it.”
Her cheeks flushed.
“Sorry, that came out harsher than I meant it to. I don’t want you to feel afraid to say what’s on your mind when you’re with me.”
Eberly put her arm around my waist. “It isn’t you. Since my mom died…I don’t know…I guess you could say I lost my security blanket. Her love for me was unconditional.”
Between her dad and her ex, it was easy to see why she was feeling insecure. “I’ll always want you to say what’s on your mind.”
“I was hoping we could talk.”
“Always.”
It took her a few seconds, but then she sat up. “What happened during the auction Saturday night? Why did you jump off the stage? Brix said you thought you saw someone.”
“I didn’t think it.”
She put her hand on my arm. “I know. I saw him too. I mean, by the time I noticed, I saw a man leaving and you following, but I didn’t see his face.”
“It was Tiernan.”
“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” She sighed. “Not that it explains why you reacted the way you did.”
“Tell me what you know about what happened in the wine caves a year ago.”
“Not much. I mean, I’d heard you were hurt.”
“At first, I thought he was one of the guys who ambushed me that night.”
Eberly’s eyes opened wide. “Oh my God. Was he?”
I shook my head. “He looked similar enough that I reacted.”
Her eyes darted between mine. “Will you tell me what happened?”
As much as I never wanted to relive the events of that night, I knew what it had taken Eberly to ask.
“To be honest with you, there’s not much I remember. It was my job to monitor the security feeds, and that night, there was a breach.” I rubbed my left temple. “More than one, actually. I was near the caves at the time, which is where the alert pinged from.” I had to take a couple of deep breaths.
“You don’t have to go on, Trevino. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.” I looked into her tear-filled eyes.
“It isn’t easy, but I want you to know, Eberly. What happened that night is part of who I am.”
She took my hand in hers and stroked it with her thumb.
“I’d unlocked the main gate that led into the caves and stepped inside the entrance when two men jumped me. I didn’t see either of their faces, but I’ll never forget staring into the eyes of the guy in front of me.”