Chapter Nineteen - Reunion
F.B.I. Headquarters: Missing Persons Division
Angie hadn't realized just how nervous she was until she saw her own hand shaking as she pressed the elevator button. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against the paneling of the elevator and tried to steady her frayed nerves.
When Danny had left her house hours ago, it had been under a shroud of secrecy. He wouldn't tell her what was going on, but told her to stay in the house with the doors locked and not to answer the phone unless the call was from him. Finally, after hours of waiting, he called and told her she needed to get down to his office...immediately. She couldn't tell from the emotionless tone of his voice what was going on and that worried her. He had kept her so well informed about the case that his current secrecy was disconcerting.
Had he told them about her meeting with King Benny? Was she going to be transported out of this meeting in hand cuffs? Angie was beginning to wonder if she should just take the elevator back down to the lobby and run away. She had been running her entire life and it was like second nature to her. But running didn't seem like the best answer anymore since Danny had come into her life. Before Angie could think anymore about it, the elevator doors opened and it was time for her to face the music.
The data flowing across Danny's computer screen was hypnotic. He had been staring at the almost unbearable glare of the words for at least an hour after he'd typed them, the details transfixing him. The reports coming across his desk should have been alarming, but surprisingly were not. There was no doubt that this fire had been set by King Benny. So many similarities were there...the unusual distribution of accelerants, the method of creating small blazes to create a larger blaze, the way the structure had been tampered with. Any of these used alone might have been standard practice for any arsonist but combined they were a familiar MO. An MO that matched a fire that King Benny had been tied to years ago. But, as was the case once again, there was no strong evidence to tie him to the crime.
Danny saw her step off the elevator and rose from his chair to go meet her. He needed to speak with her before the meeting with Agent Mackenzie began.
"Hey," she greeted him with a tired smile. She reached up, not caring who saw, and wiped a dark smudge off his cheek. He caught her hand tenderly and their eyes locked. "You're dirty." She whispered.
"Soot." He answered.
Angie looked at him questioningly, her half smile hiding her nerves. "Were you building a fire somewhere?" She joked.
"Putting one out." He said, glancing around. The door to Jack's office was still closed as he and Agent Mackenzie discussed the situation at hand, which gave Danny a few moments to talk to Angie before her life changed forever. "Come here," he said, taking her hand and leading her into a back hallway.
"Tell me what's going on, Danny." She said once they were alone together. "Am I in trouble?"
Danny shook his head and said, "Just the opposite. You're safe now."
"What are you talking about?"
"They're dead, Angie." Danny said, softly. "Tony, Joey, all of them. They're all dead."
He watched her face as the information sunk in. "How?" She whispered, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.
"The warehouse...the headquarters on the docks...blew up tonight." He eyed her and said, "They were all inside for some big meeting."
"With...?"
Danny nodded, but Angie didn't finish her question because Martin poked his head around the corner. "Danny? Jack needs you two in the conference room."
Danny began to lead her back to the bull pen area, but Angie grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Does he know? Did you tell him that I went to King Benny?"
Danny shook his head. "They know we were in Hell's Kitchen this afternoon. Apparently King Benny is still a big enough player to deserve some surveillance. But I didn't tell them why you were there."
"What did you tell them?" She wanted to know.
"The truth." He said. "I told them I arrived as you were coming out of the fish market, but you were already on your way home."
Angie shook her head "I can't let you do this." She said. "You can't protect me like this. I made a choice today and I'm going to have to live with the consequences. You can't risk your career like this. I'm not worth it."
Danny grinned at her. "Do you realize exactly how much time you spend telling me what to do? I don't know how I ever managed to get through my life without you around to tell me what..."
"Danny!" She said, smacking him on the arm. "This is serious."
"Don't worry about it." He said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "And for the record, you are worth all of this and so much more. And after tonight, I plan on spending a great deal of time convincing you of that."
Caught off guard by his romantic statement, Angie just stood for a moment and watched him walk away. Danny looked back over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Let's go, Mary Angelina. Jack doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Danny pushed open the door to the conference room and led Angie inside. Agents Malone and Mackenzie stood as she entered and gestured for Angie to have a seat at the table across from them. After introducing Agent Mackenzie, Jack got right down to business. "Ms. Sullivan, I assume that Agent Taylor has filled you in on the details of the explosion that occurred on the docks this evening. Your uncle Anthony, cousin Joey, and just about every member of the Caruso crime family network were inside."
Angie nodded and looked up at Danny, who was now standing behind the other two agents. She felt like she was facing the firing squad. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Yes, he just informed me of what happened. He also informed me that you know that I went to see Benny Spinoppolli this afternoon." Angie watched as Jack looked sideways at Agent Mackenzie, then she looked over at Danny. She wasn't about to let him get in any trouble for protecting her, whether he liked it or not. Sensing what she was about to do, Danny silently shook his head at her and eyed her cautiously. Ignoring his pointed look, Angie continued. "My brother and I grew up under the watchful eye of King Benny in Hell's Kitchen. With Eddie missing, I went to tell him that..."
Jack cut Angie off before she could say anymore. "Ms. Sullivan, did you order Benny Spinoppolli to put a hit out on your family?"
Startled by his blunt question, Angie shook her head. "No." She said, meeting his gaze. "No one orders King Benny to do anything."
"Then why don't you leave the investigation of the explosion to us?" Agent Mackenzie said quietly, looking pointedly at her. "In fact, it is an active investigation and we shouldn't discuss it any further."
Angie looked back and forth between Agents Malone and Mackenzie and realized that they had a pretty good idea of what she had done and were choosing to look the other way. Because when it comes down to it, King Benny had accomplished in one night what the F.B.I. hadn't ever been able to do. He had shut down the Caruso crime family. "I don't understand." Angie said finally.
"I know." Jack said quietly. "But there is someone here who can explain it to you better than we can."
Jack nodded and Danny opened a back door to the conference room. Angie felt her heart jump up into her throat as her brother suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Angie Sullivan," Danny said gently, "we would like you to meet F.B.I. informant Eddie Caruso."