Page 14 of Fighting for Julia (Laguna Beach Cops #6)
LAKE FOREST CEMETERY, ILLINOIS
ANDERSON FAMILY MAUSOLEUM
Miguel and Julia
Flashlights in one hand and guns drawn in the other, Miguel and Julia cautiously approached the forty-year-old classic white Cadillac with a candy apple red interior in the groundskeeper’s shed at Lake Forest Cemetery, right where Tex had tracked it after they flew to Illinois on Miguel’s hunch.
Careful not to touch it, they aimed their beams at the interior.
“It looks pristine,” Julia noted in a low voice. “At least Axis and Axalia didn’t trash it. Your theory was right. They came straight to Lake Forest.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Gray will be happy to hear that.” Miguel swept the ground around the Cadillac with his flashlight. “They exchanged the Caddy for another vehicle parked here. From the tire tracks, I’d say it’s a truck that belongs to the cemetery.”
“It’s the middle of the night. We’ll have to wait until morning to speak with the overseer to get a description.”
“In the meantime, let’s check out the Anderson family mausoleum. Axis and Axalia came here for something other than to visit their deceased parents and brother.”
In silence, they made their way along winding paths until the Andersons’ mausoleum came into view. When they drew near, they found the smashed cherubim outside the entrance.
“Guess they don’t like cherubs,” Julia remarked.
“Guess not.”
The heavy iron doors stood slightly ajar. Miguel examined them with his flashlight. “They picked the lock.” He used his elbow to create a large opening. “After you.”
Julia snickered as she moved past him into the gloomy interior. “Afraid of ghosts, Officer Rivera?”
Miguel’s guffaw reverberated in the silent, cavernous tomb. “Funny you should say that. Want to hear a genuine, honest-to-God ghost story?”
“I’m all ears.”
“Our good buddy, Marcus Finnigan from LA SWAT, recently married Tawny on Christmas Eve in, believe it or not, a haunted castle.”
“You’re joking, right?” Julia shined her flashlight directly at his face to read his expression.
“No, I’m not. This is the truth, on my honor, Julia. Grace O’Malley Finnigan, once a pirate, had been haunting the castle for seven hundred years, ever since her beloved husband Brecken Finnigan mysteriously disappeared on Christmas Eve.”
“What happened to him?”
“No one knew. When we descended on the castle for the wedding, Tawny met Grace Finnigan face to face.”
“Really?” Julia scoffed.
“Yeah, really. Grace destroyed Tawny’s bedchamber and almost ripped her wedding dress into pieces with a dagger. She stopped when Tawny said she was marrying one of Grace’s descendants.”
Miguel paused his tale as they examined the area around Axel’s and Lola’s nameplates. “Nothing looks tampered with.”
“No. So whatever the siblings came for wasn’t interred with their parents or brother.”
Miguel’s instincts twitched. “They took something from here.” He focused his light on the floor. Julia did, too.
They noticed scrape marks around the marble memory bench at the same time.
“It’s been moved,” Julia commented.
Miguel flipped it over, and they aimed their flashlights at its bottom, legs, and the space beneath it. Running his hand along the bottom, Miguel loosened it, and it fell off to reveal an empty hidden compartment.
“What do you think used to be here?” Julia asked.
“Probably cash. Bank cards. Fake IDs. I hope to hell there wasn’t a gun hidden inside the bench.”
“So do I. But I also think it wouldn’t matter. Those two are capable of turning anything into a weapon.”
Miguel didn’t disagree. “Julia, we can’t wait until morning. We need to check in with Trey and have him call the Feds while we notify local law enforcement. I want a description of that truck ASAP, so I can share it with Tex.”
“All right. I’ll call Trey, and you call the local PD.”
Since the Lake Forest PD were taking their sweet time, Miguel continued his ghost story. “Grace Finnigan told her tale to Tawny, who promised that we would solve the mystery.”
“And did you?”
Miguel grinned. “Yep. We found Brecken Finnigan’s bones in Doolin Cave and reunited the couple.
We made a significant historical discovery, but no one will ever know about it.
We buried Brecken Finnigan next to his wife.
Grace will never haunt Finnigan Castle again, but the local community will continue to believe that she does. ”
“You know, Miguel, these adventures you guys have are almost too incredible to believe.”
“Well, I have yet to meet Santa Claus,” he deadpanned.
Julia laughed and nudged him with her shoulder. “You’re killing me, Miguel.”
Her laughter, a light, tinkling sound, caused Miguel’s pulse to race a little. He enjoyed the sensation, for it reminded him that he hadn’t died with Ashley Laine. That he was alive, that his blood and his heart could once again pulsate with life.
Maybe because the darkness hid his face, or maybe because Julia sparked something long dormant inside of him, Miguel blurted, “I like to hear you laugh.”
Julia leaned so close to him that the heat from her body raised his pulse even more. “I like to hear you sing. And?—”
Blue and red flashing lights and car doors slamming interrupted the intimate moment.
Miguel and Julia sprang apart and raised their hands with their shields in one palm.
They had already holstered their guns. Uniformed officers trained powerful lights and Glocks on them as they covered a big, burly, redhaired man dressed in a suit.
“Lake Forest PD! I’m Detective Kelly. Identify yourselves!” He spoke with a strong Irish accent.
“Officer Miguel Rivera, Laguna Beach PD. I’m the one who called this in.”
“Agent Julia Washburn, DEA.”
“Washburn?” the detective repeated. “Are you related to Secretary of State Barbara Washburn who just announced her candidacy for President?”
“Yes, sir. I’m her daughter.”
“Stand down!” Detective Kelly bellowed at the officers in a commanding tone. He addressed Julia. “DEA? I thought this was about a pair of dangerous fugitives. The Anderson siblings?”
“It is, Detective Kelly. My mother has a vested interest in this case and sent me with Officer Rivera to investigate.”
That wasn’t a lie. Miguel and Julia had kept Barbara abreast of their plan, and she had encouraged them to fly to Illinois.
“Why?”
“There’s no time to explain,” Miguel answered. “Axis and Axalia stole a truck from the premises and are miles away by now. We need the make and model of that truck so we can track them.”
“It’s an old Dodge Ram pickup truck,” an officer behind Detective Kelly interjected. “I’ve seen it multiple times.”
“What color?” Miguel asked.
“White. At least twenty-five years old. It’s registered to the cemetery.”
“Thanks, Officer. That helps a lot. Excuse me. I have to call this in.”
Tex answered his cell phone on the first ring, and Miguel wondered if the man ever slept. “Did you find the Caddy?”
“Yeah. Axis and Axalia are long gone, though. They switched to a white Dodge Ram registered to Lake Forest Cemetery.”
“Hang on a sec.” Miguel heard rapid-fire typing on Tex’s computer keyboard. “Okay, got it. Sending you the license plate number and pulling up footage from traffic cameras.”
More typing.
“Wait. Those sneaky bastards. They switched out the license plate, and I lost ‘em.”
Miguel swore in Spanish. “Let me know if you pick ‘em up again, Tex. We’re positive the Andersons are heading to Mexico to meet with General Jorge Escobar.”
“Shit.”
You can say that again, Miguel thought as he rejoined Julia and Detective Kelly. “Looks like we’re done here.”
“Wait. You still haven’t explained why Secretary of State Washburn is so interested in the Andersons and what they were doing here.” Detective Kelly’s stern gaze traveled between Miguel and Julia.
“Almost four years ago, my mother sent Chief McQuaid to Laguna Beach to investigate illegal arms coming ashore, only it turned out to be something far more insidious. Multi-millionaire Axel Anderson planning a revolution. Chief McQuaid stopped him, and since then she’s kept a close eye on his remaining children.
Axis and Axalia came here to retrieve something hidden in that memory bench. ” Julia pointed at it.
“Oh?” The brawny Irish detective flipped the bench over easily. The officer who described the truck shined his flashlight on the empty space. “Any idea what they took?”
“Cash. Maybe fake IDs, bank cards to offshore accounts we don’t know about,” Miguel replied.
“All right. We’ll notify the state police and set up roadblocks. I overheard you say you believe the Andersons are traveling south to Mexico?”
“Yes.”
“So, what’s your next step?”
Miguel glanced at Julia. “We have to return to Washington, D.C. I’m supposed to report for Secret Service duty.”
Detective Kelly nodded and handed Miguel a business card. “Keep in touch, Officer Rivera. Agent Washburn.”
Alone in their rented sedan, Julia began, “I don’t want to abandon our search for Axis and Axalia.”
“Neither do I, but we can’t go rogue or AWOL.”
“I agree. I hope my mother can spare you. She risked some backlash by recruiting Chief McQuaid and his team.”
Behind the wheel Miguel kept his eyes focused on the road. “I’m protecting you .”
His fierce declaration, though spoken in a calm, even voice, caused Julia to place her hand on his leg right above his knee. Beneath her soft touch, Miguel’s muscles leaped in response, and his stomach clenched with a strong rush of desire.
God, help me!
“Yes, I know. Because that’s who you are at your core.” She squeezed his leg a little before she removed her hand.
Miguel let out the breath he’d been holding, feeling both relieved and bereft at the same time. He wanted Julia’s hand back on his leg, yet he didn’t. He wanted her in his arms again, not seeking solace for her tears but seeking his mouth with hers…
“Miguel! Did you hear what I just asked?”
The question startled him out of his fantasy. “Uh…yeah…um…thanks.”
Julia burst into laughter. “You’re welcome. But what I asked is if you want to check into a hotel for a few hours to get some sleep and fly home later in the morning.”
Heat crept up Miguel’s neck and into his cheeks. It was too dark in the car for her to see his embarrassment. “I’m not sleepy. But you’ve had a long day on the job plus tracking the Andersons, so if you want to get some sleep, I’m good with that.”
“On second thought I can sleep on the jet. The FBI director wasn’t thrilled with Trey allowing us to use its plane.”
“Okay.” Miguel pressed the gas pedal, and they sped toward the airport where the FBI’s private jet waited for them.