Chapter 13
While Genevieve got dressed, Abe paced in the kitchen. He didn't like this one bit. She was in more danger than he cared to let on. He knew Gabriel wouldn't have made this an emergency unless there was an imminent threat.
Abe reflected on what he'd shared with Genevieve. Such intimacy was an expression of love. There was no question in his mind that he wanted to spend his life with her.
And now, some asshole was going to ruin it all. What rattled Abe was that Genevieve's life was at risk. She'd been so brave through all of this, yet he couldn't shield her from the truth.
Jason was a ruthless enemy. Abe knew the type, one who considered his own goals above all else. What the idiot wanted was Genevieve, and roughing up Abe was mild compared to what he was capable of.
Fury raged inside Abe, but he had nowhere to vent it. He was impatient to get going and to take control of the situation. But he had to find out what the investigation revealed. He needed good data to be effective, because there was no room for failure.
Genevieve was an amazing woman. She was talented, capable, and beautiful. Abe loved her, and not for any superficial reason. He loved the woman she was. Memories of being close to her gripped his heart and made him crave more.
He wanted to prove how special she'd become to him, and how much he loved her. He needed the rest of his life to do that, because he wouldn't tire of showing her.
He hadn't conceived of finding a woman to share his life with. Now that he had, Abe vowed to do everything in his power to protect her. He anxiously looked into the living room, relieved to see Genevieve striding toward him.
"Ready," she said, looking every bit as determined as Abe was.
*****
Abe felt the weight of inevitability as he pushed through the glass doors of Guardian Investigations with Genevieve beside him.
The urgency in Gabriel's voice during their phone call had set his nerves on edge.
Climbing the stairs to the fourth floor, he could feel Genevieve's tension radiating through her silence.
The office looked different when they entered. The blinds were drawn against the morning sun, and multiple monitors displayed streams of financial data that meant nothing to Abe but clearly held significance for those clustered around Weston's workstation.
Gabriel looked up as they approached, his expression grim in a way that aroused Abe's suspicions.
"What did you find?" Abe said without preamble.
Weston swiveled in his chair, his fingers still dancing across the keyboard as he pulled up spreadsheets and database searches. "We have details on Jason's funding sources," he said. "I traced them back through six different shell companies and offshore accounts."
"And?" Genevieve said, moving closer to peer at the screens.
"The Barraco crime family," Gabriel said, looking at the screen, his tone making the name sound like a death sentence.
Abe had heard whispers about the Barraco family during his years with NOPD, but they operated in the shadows, their influence felt rather than seen. "You're certain?"
"There's no question," Weston said, pulling up an organizational chart.
"It's a New Orleans Italian-American family that's been operating here for decades.
Racketeering, gambling, prostitution—but their primary business now is narcotics trafficking.
They pull in big money, and they need operations to clean it. "
Amalie looked up from her laptop where she'd been cross-referencing social media posts and news articles.
"That's where Jason comes in. He's not directly involved in their criminal operations, but he provides two essential services.
First, his music company is perfect for money laundering.
It's a cash-heavy business with legitimate-looking transactions.
It's easy to inflate expenses and hide profits. "
"And second?" Abe asked, though he suspected he already knew.
"He promotes specific entertainers the family decides should succeed," Gabriel said. "The artists who are useful to them, either for laundering money or because they provide other services. Jason gets substantial payments for both favors."
Genevieve sank into a nearby chair. "So, when he sabotaged my career, when he destroyed my opportunities…"
"He was showing you what he could do," Abe said. "The message was clear. Either work with him and prosper or refuse and watch your future disappear."
Weston pulled up another screen showing bank transfers. "The amounts Jason receives are staggering. The money sheds light on a lot about the man."
"Your close connection to Abe is a threat, but not only to his inflated self-importance," Gabriel said to Genevieve. "With Abe's protection and support, you could expose Jason's business methods. That potentially threatens crime family operations."
Amalie turned her laptop screen toward them, showing a series of social media posts and news articles.
"I found evidence of other artists who crossed Jason and suddenly faced mysterious career difficulties.
A singer in Baton Rouge refused to sign with his label, then had her tour bus vandalized, and her sound equipment destroyed.
A jazz musician in Lafayette who spoke out against Jason's business practices was arrested on trumped-up drug charges. "
"The pattern is clear," Gabriel said. "The Barraco family doesn't leave loose ends. They eliminate problems permanently. And Jason's arrogance, his confidence that he can destroy anyone who opposes him, comes from knowing he has killers backing him up."
Genevieve looked up at Abe, her eyes wide with fear she was trying to hide. "What does this mean for us?"
"The magnitude of the situation is alarming," Abe said honestly. "We're not just facing a stalker acting independently, but one linked to organized crime."
The implications were clear. Jason's threats weren't empty posturing. "I need to call this in immediately," Abe said, reaching for his phone. "This is under federal jurisdiction now."
"I've already arranged that for you," Gabriel said. "I have contacts at the Bureau who've been tracking the Barraco family. Agent Crundall is at the station, getting up to speed on the case."
As they prepared to leave, Gabriel caught Abe's arm. "I'll stay close to Brooke until this is over," he said. "Just focus on keeping Genevieve safe. We'll handle everything else."
*****
The drive to the police station was mostly silent. Genevieve appeared to be processing the magnitude of what they now faced.
Abe kept glancing in his rearview mirror, checking for surveillance or any potential threats. Beside him, Genevieve stared out the passenger window, her hands twisted in her lap.
"I can't believe this is my life now," she said. "A few weeks ago, my biggest worry was whether I'd get that recording contract. Now I'm swept up in organized crime."
"That's not your fault," Abe said. "Jason ventured into criminal territory by choice. You're just trying to live your life and pursue your career."
"But I rejected him. I left his band. If I had just—"
"Don't do that to yourself," Abe said. "You aren't at fault for refusing to be controlled by a manipulative psycho. His actions are criminal, not your choices."
"I want to be with you," Genevieve said. "All the hesitations I had about that seem so insignificant now. Once we make it through this, I want a future with you…"
"We will make it through this, honey," Abe said. "You mean everything to me. And I refuse to allow Jason to win, no matter what organization he panders to."
He put his hand on Genevieve's thigh, then focused on driving. The sooner backup was arranged, the better he would feel.
At the station, Abe was grateful to find Agent Crundall available. He asked Genevieve to wait in the lobby, where officers were around to ensure her safety. Although he couldn't envision the crime family committing violence in the station.
Since he wasn't sure what the meeting would involve, he preferred to go in alone. Eventually, the FBI would interview Genevieve, but that didn't have to be today.
Agent Crundall was a woman in her forties with steel-gray hair and sharp eyes that missed nothing. She listened to Abe's briefing with the focused attention of an agent who was familiar with the mob's tactics.
"We've been trying to make a case against them for the better part of a decade," she said, then sat forward in her chair. "Their money-laundering operations have been particularly difficult to close down. Your information about Jason Thornton can work to our advantage."
Abe rested his forearms on the desk. "My focus is not on taking down the Barraco family. I'll leave that for the FBI to deal with." He took a breath. "What can you do to protect Genevieve?"
"We'll assign monitoring of the Barracos' activities in connection with Jason Thornton, and get a task force functioning quickly," Crundall said. "But I have to warn you, Detective Stewart, these people are professionals. They don't make the kind of mistakes that small-time criminals do."
Abe felt frustration building in his chest. "So, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying we need to build this case carefully and methodically. One wrong move, and they'll disappear like smoke, taking their evidence with them," Crundall said. "We want to use Ms. Dumas's situation to gather more intelligence about their operations, but her safety is our primary concern."
"Good," he said. "Because if anything happens to her while she's helping your investigation—"
"Understood," Crundall said. "But detective, you need to realize that we're dealing with people who have killed federal witnesses before. They won't hesitate to eliminate anyone they see as a threat."
Leaving the station, Abe felt the weight of responsibility. Putting a task force together would take days at least. The federal agents would provide backup, but immediate protection would still fall to him. To fail in his task would be fatal.
*****