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Mystery author – Chapters 21 & 22

Read from the beginning — links at the bottom.

June 1, 2022

Did it really take you the whole school year to read this story?

Chapter 21

Several weeks later, Jason, Paige and Daniel were enjoying an early dinner at an outside table at a local café The young server had taken their orders; Jason; a burger with garlic fries, Paige A Ruben with sweet potato fries; and Daniel; a Club sandwich with a side salad. The team was given communication links to be used whenever necessary and it was time again to share information. The three had caught up with progress on the case and were talking about Aiden and Rachael when Paige looked up startled. With a hushed voice, she looked a Jason and asked

“Do you trust me?” Jason replied with a Nod. She looked at Daniel and repeated the question. He also nodded. “Good. Because we are being watched.” She looked at Jason and smiled as if the conversation had continued. “put the device in your ear and go to the bathroom in just a few seconds. We are Winnie and Aiden from here on out.” Following directions, Jason excused himself from the table and made his way into the café placing the devise in his ear. Changing her posture to a defensive stance, Winnie eyed Jason’s boss with sudden distain.

“Ok your brother’s gone now. The gloves are coming off,” Winnie said loudly for the benefit of an audience. “I know you have never liked me. You didn’t want him to be with me then, and don’t want Aiden being with me now.” Daniel crossed his arms and remained quiet, following Winnie’s lead.

“Well he and I got back together and nothing you can do or say can change that. We are only here to appease your mother who wanted her two, vastly different,” she paused for the effect. “sons to maintain their somewhat tense relationship.” He raised his eyebrows as she continued with the confrontation.

“I know that you are a detective,” he almost reacted at her bluntness with his occupation; especially since they were undercover and didn’t want their cover blown. She continued, “And the arrest of your younger brother’s girlfriend six years ago wouldn’t bode well for you.” She is brilliant, Daniel thought to himself, seeing the direction that Paige was leading him. HE sat straight up.

“You were always a bad influence on my brother,” She took a gulp of water and put the glass down with a loud harumph. “Really; You were the one tried and convicted of murder.”

“Accessory to murder. Is not the same thing and you know being in law enforcement. I pleaded innocent then and And after new information came to light, I was proven correct; released with an apology.” She crossed her arms defiantly and stared him down from across the table. The server came over clearly uncomfortable with the scene unfolding in front of her. She quickly refilled water cups then practically ran away in relief.

“So you went groveling back to the place in which you were arrested? That doesn’t make a lick of common sense to me.” Her lip began to quiver and her voice got lower, though did not get any more quiet.

“I am on fucken probation; no one wants to hire a convicted felon; even one who was proven innocent. There is no way in hell that I going to take a job for minimum wage at some fast-food joint with my skills. I took a risk ‘groveling back’ to an auto shop because I am good at what I do which is custom painting cars. I am grateful that the Roldan family took me back. I owe them.” Aiden strolled back to the table, only to find the two looking in opposite directions from each other; both looking ready for combat. Unsure how to joint in, Paige’s quick thinking opened the door.

“That brings us to your brother Aiden. He is good at his job also.” She looked pointedly up at Jason. “He is a good man.” Daniel snorted in disgust. Jason’s body language began to get defensive also.

“Too good for someone like you.” Daniel looked up at Jason and narrowed his eyes. “So my brother is choosing some tail over his own brother?” Though he knew that this was an act, Jason blanched at the comment and lashed out.

“What; Really look who’s talking. You choose your badge over your own brother.” He slid into the chair and joined the conflict, easily taking Paige’s side to that of his ‘brother’

“You have always looked down on me and said that my career is an embarrassment. I repair cars for a living. I work for a family who accepts me and appreciates my work. Unlike my own brother who has never supported my choices, job, or women.

“I knew that Winnie was innocent; and told you time and time again to look at her case yet you refused. You wouldn’t let me see her, or even write to her in jail. You reminded me that I was a black man and that I had no business visiting her in jail because people would assume the worst about me If I was caught with an inmate…

“What?” Paige gasped out loud. “Are you serious? that is why I never heard from you?” He nodded. She picked up Daniel’s glass of water and threw the water on him.

“I am done here.” She stood up and began walking away from the table. Jason stood up also and began walking away. Daniel sat alone with the check. They continued to her car and got in silently. Neither knew what to say; was their cover blown; were they convincing enough for their covers to remain intact?

Once they got home, Paige walked through the house and went outside. Visible shaken, she began pacing up and down the yard quietly berating herself. Jason stood to the side caught up In his own thoughts. After several minutes of stewing, The Gate suddenly opened, and Daniel silently strode into the back yard. Both looked up startled at the intruder as he walked past them and sat down on a patio chair. Meeting the gaze of Jason, the superior officer gestured for a drink. Nodding, Jason walked into the kitchen leaving Paige alone with his boss.

“Ms. Dillon,” he said. Paige stopped pacing and eyed Daniel Suspiciously. “I Understand that you are in the business of Airbrushing large vehicles for the Army. Military intelligence is a new field for you. It can be overwhelming sometimes.” Irritated, she crossed her arms glaring intently. This time her festering disease with Jason’s boss was real.

“This isn’t my first time undercover as you know.” He eyed her up and down. “I didn’t break my cover as I was being arrested and taken away in cuffs.”

“This time is different. You are a single mother with a little boy. There are new distractions that could keep you from completing the task at hand.”

“Is this because I am a girl?” She spat. “I can’t believe I am hearing this.” She paused. “Are you threatening to pull me?” He stayed silently poised at the table. Jason same strolling over with a soda in hand. He set it down on the table and sat down at an opposite chair.

“Are you married sir?” Paige asked. He nodded. “When you have a rough day, your wife comes to support you. When you have a good day, she is there also. Do you have kids?” He nodded again.

“Are they a distraction for you to do your job?” He looked at Jason, silently communicating him not to argue.

“There have been some people wondering if you are in this for the long term.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” She argued spewing venom from the tone of her voice. “Aiden is being taken care of by my mother. She has the power of attorney if something were to happen to me and loves Aiden as if he were her own. Don’t forget that Jason is Aiden’s father so If you pull me, you might as well pull him as well.”

“You sound confident,” Daniel commented. Jason stepped forward but refrained from saying or doing anything.

“Are you really going to pull us out at the same time? Jason has my back and I have his. We are family and I trust him implicitly.”

“Is that enough for you?” Jason asked. Daniel popped open the soda tap and took a long sip. Paige redirected her look of Ire from Daniel to Jason.

“Were you in on this?” He popped open another can of soda and took a sip.

“Nope. He already pulled the same crap on me months ago. It was a test and you passed.” Jason took a seat on one of the other patio chairs. Paige strolled towards the porch however she stayed standing arms crossed.

“By the way, No your covers are not blown. After you two left, I was greeted by a thug who told me in no uncertain terms to leave you two alone.” He pointed the Soda can in Paige’s direction.

“Your quick thinking saved all of our asses.”

“But I revealed you as being in law enforcement,” Paige Countered.

“You proved your loyalty to the Roldan’s. That move where you threw water in my face, and Jason shrugging your shoulders trailing Winnie sold the act.” With that, Daniel stood up grabbed his soda and strolled back to the gate. “Have a good night you two” Jason stood up and walked to Paige. She collapsed into his arms in relief as he kissed the top of her head.

Chapter 22

Jason and Paige walked off of the airplane ramp after a short flight to a vacation beach resort at 11:30 on a Friday morning. Jason had arranged with Victoria for the two of them to have a three-day weekend so that he could propose to Winnie. Ecstatic, Victoria offered for them to take Monday off too however, the three days were long enough to enjoy a destination wedding surrounded by close friends and family.

“There they are,” a voice spoke through the airport noise and before either could react, they were embraced by their son who had been waiting eagerly in the airport for them to arrive.

“Finally,”, he sighed as Jason picked him up and placed him on his shoulders. “We have been waiting forever; and grandma wouldn’t let me bring Chance.” They laughed out loud much to the annoyance of the five-year-old who clearly didn’t see why his pet was left out. “Did you know I have another grandmother? And aunt and uncle and cousins who are my age?” The three walked beyond the gate and found both mothers waiting along a wall across.

“Mom,” both of them exclaimed at the same time embracing the different women, Paige and Rachael, and Jason and Kaitlyn Garret. After hugging her mom, Paige found herself embraced by Jason’s mother who welcomed her with open arms.

“So you are the woman who captured my son’s heart.

“My name is Kaitlyn. Welcome to the family Paige. I have wanted to meet you for a long time. When Jason called and said that he found you again, I nearly dropped the phone in shock.” She leaned closer and whispered, “He came by that weekend to grab the ring for you.” Paige blushed and didn’t know how to respond. Reading the nervousness, Kaitlyn continued.

“That is quite the grandson I have. HE is so much like his father; I feel that I am looking at my son again when he was five.” She released Paige and began gazing at her grinning.

“Paige!!!” the excited shout came from several gates away however Libby joined the small party within seconds it seemed. A couple with two young children approached and new introductions were made with Jason’s real brother Gavin and his wife Valarie and their two kids Jesse and Kimberly. The two boys stared at each other in shock at how alike they looked and became best friends immediately.

“Should we get this show on the road?” Jason asked grabbing his small carry on suitcase. Everyone had packed light for the weekend ahead except for Libby and Rachael who had packed Paige’s wedding dress among their belongings. They all strolled through the airport, chatting excitedly as if they had known each other for a long time. Jason and Paige held hands and strolled a few steps behind, observing the group in front of them.

“Are you ready for this?” He smiled down at her and she nodded.

“Yes.”

They all fit into a bus which took them to an all-inclusive resort in Southern California. Libby and the women grabbed Paige and took her for an afternoon of pampering in the hotel spa, complete with a massage and makeover. The wedding rehearsal was to be in the afternoon with the wedding itself that evening with a late dinner. Libby’s explanation for the wedding to be that day was that she didn’t want Paige to develop cold feet. Paige had a feeling that Jason wanted as much time for relaxing and enjoying the short “honeymoon” before going back undercover. She herself wanted the girly stuff to be over as soon as possible.

After a complete makeover, Paige found herself in a room full of women being laced up in the fanciest dress that she had ever seen let alone worn. She insisted that the dress not be white, and wanted color, however Libby and her mother had the ideal wedding dress for Paige. The compromise was a white strapless gown adorned by pink and yellow flowers appearing to fall from the top to the bottom of the dress. Instead of a zipper, the dress was backed with an embedded corset with pastel laces that matched the flowers. Though tied in tight, Paige preferred the corseted dress which allowed for any change in her figure in the several months that she had between trying on the dress and wearing it.

The ceremony and reception were short and traditional as only the mothers, Libby Aiden and herself walked down the short aisle. When it was Aiden’s turn, Paige handed him a small pillow and told him to give it to his daddy. He ran as fast as he could, Aiden ran up the aisle thrust the pillow up to his father with an unceremonious “Mommy told me to give to you.” HE then got to sit with his cousins several rows behind the other guests and color, talking loud enough for them to be hushed by several stranger guests.

Jason’s amusement with his son’s indifference turned into sheer awe at the beauty which was his new bride marching towards him to the tune of a prerecorded bridal march. Jason and Paige recited traditional vows then took pictures with family and friends.

The hotel hosted the reception in a private room of their restaurant. Major Byrnes was there as was Jason’s boss Daniel. Libby and a date arrived with 10-15 close friends of the bride and groom. Family members made up the rest of the guest list so it was a small and intimate affair.

The three-course meal consisted of a house garden salad, dim sum appetizers and a medley of main course options from the local seafood markets. Dessert was a delicious marble cake decorated for the occasion. Wine and champagne flowed as several toasted the happy couple. Though simple for a wedding, everyone enjoyed their evening and stayed at the resort for the next couple of nights.

Aiden, thrilled to play with kids his own age, had sleepovers with his cousins the two nights and didn’t even miss his dog. Gavin teased the newlyweds with the threat of histing the sleepover in their room as they occupied the bridal suite. Jason surprised his mother, mother and sister in law with their own massages on Saturday. Meals were boisterous with family members regaling each other with embarrassing stories of both Paige and Jason. And fun was had by all. No one wanted to leave the resort on Sunday afternoon and Aiden and the other kids made arrangements to see each other again once school was over. The adults were generously invited also though they were not able to share toys with the kids.

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Larissa ran into the Garage on Monday morning, and beelined to Winnie’s station. Her shriek of delight startled the brush right out of Winnie’s hands.

“Good news travels fast,” Joseph said with a smile as he greeted Aiden. “Are congratulations in order?” Aiden grinned back.

“She said yes.” Joseph patted his friend’s back as he reached for a tool. Both began to work on the same car in the way that they had been working for months now. After a few moments of loud female exclamations, Aiden looked up.

“Shouldn’t you tell Larissa to leave Winnie to her work?”

“Nah, let them have fun. My sister lives for this kind of stuff. Believe me, Winnie is going to be inundated by bridal magazines and the like.” Aiden broke character by snorting out loud knowing how little Paige would enjoy the sediment. Their own wedding had been a wonderful time however Rachael and Libby planned it and hashed out the details. All Page had to do was be pampered, wear a dress, and enjoy their weekend.

The excited chatter ended abruptly when Victoria called down to her daughter reminding her to go to school. Not being able to resist the temptation, Aiden went to check in on his fiancé. Winnie felt his gaze and looked up.

“Don’t say a thing,” she said as he laughed.

Just as Joseph predicted, Larissa spent a lot more time at the shop bringing magazines and books to Winnie. Following the younger girl’s enthusiasm, Winnie played along making plans and decisions about a wedding that probably would not happen. The girls mostly hung out in the garage in the back room so Winnie could work; however Larissa invited Winnie to the Roldan’s house for an afternoon planning session.

The two went into Victoria’s kitchen where an acrid burning smell greeted them, followed by the sight of the elderly grandmother reaching into the oven with a thick oven mitt. A piercing alarm erupted through the house as Larissa ran around the downstairs opening all windows and kitchen door. The cookies were dumped in the trash can as Winnie grabbed a towel and drove the smoke away by waving it away from the smoke detectors.

Undeterred, the elderly woman pulled out another sheet pan and began prepping more dough balls. Within moments, things cooled off and another batch of cookies were in the oven.

“Sorry about the smoke,” Larissa said as the two girls returned to the wedding planning. “Granny has a bad habit of burning the first batch.” A half hour later, Larissa and Winnie polished off their second baked cookie and were making plans to go to a wedding dress shop when Joseph called into the room that lunch break was over.

Larissa excused herself to the bathroom as Winnie began straightening up. Gathering trash, she made her way to the garbage and looked down at the charred batch. A gimmer of metal peeked through the cookie itself causing Winnie to take notice. Since there was no one else in the room, she scooped several out of the trashcan and placed them in her purse.

Once out of the house and out of hearing range of the others, Winnie clutched Aiden’s hand to pull him close.

“I think I found something. Call David for a meeting ASAP,” she murmured. He read her expression nodded, dipped Winnie, and planted a kiss on her lips before parting. The whistles and catcalls proved that they had an audience in the shop. Feigning embarrassment, the couple parted and went back to their stations and worked the rest of their shift in separate stations.

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Later that evening, The two of them brought a pizza across the street to their ‘neighbors’ house. David welcomed the two of them in and took the pizza eying it hungrily. Skipping formalities, they ate standing up while waiting for the rest of the party. Once everyone had arrived, the group sat in the den. David and Jason looked expectantly at Paige.

She pulled out the burned cookies and passed them out. Puzzled, they looked at her.

“What is the meaning of this,” bellowed the Major. “Why are you feeding us burnt cookies?” Paige smirked and broke hers in half revealing a thin metallic piece baked into the cookie.

“This could be nothing; but it could be something.” She began. The others followed her lead and were puzzled by the small strips.

“Where did you get these?” David asked.

“The garbage.” Page answered truthfully. “It was something that Larissa said to me this afternoon. Her grandmother is known for burning the first batch of cookies.” Puzzled, most of the group looked towards Paige for further explanation.

“Granny makes cookies every couple of weeks. She burns the first batch every time? Usually people tend to underbake the first batch and then put them in for a couple minutes more until they are baked correctly. She burns the first batch to a crisp then all of the other cookies come out perfectly?”

“Shit,” they all turned to one of the techies who had pulled out the strip and was examining it closely. “You did it!”

“Did what?” Paige looked puzzled.

“If I am correct; you just found the Vin stickers off of the stolen vehicles.” Thus began a lot of talking and planning on where the investigation would lead. A new suspect emerged as the guilty party.

“What does this mean for us?” Paige asked her husband through the exuberant celebration.

“Not much. We wake up and go into work tomorrow. They have a new lead that they will be investigating.”

“So I still have to plan our second wedding?” She sighed. Jason kissed her nose.

“Yep, Aren’t you excited?” She smacked him playfully. “Not just one Wedding but two!!!” You should be beside yourself with excitement.” They politely excused themselves from the group in order to go home and enjoy being the newlyweds that they were.

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“Now remind me again why we are going through with planning another wedding.” Paige complained as the group gathered together in the backyard of their neighbors house for a meeting to plan the invasion. A lot had changed since the initial break in the case three months ago. “There is a reason that Libby and my mother planned our wedding. All we had to was show up and have minimal preparation. Victoria and Larissa mean well but I don’t have the patience to make every single minute…” she was suddenly silenced by Jason’s lips covering her own.

“Fine, I’ll shut up.” She retorted. This evenings dinner theme was a family barbeque and as dinner was prepped, everyone had rehashed the latest information. Nana’s burnt cookies turned out to be the break that opened the case wide open and explained why the rouse continued despite two of the Roldan’s being in Jail. After digging deep the techie in charge of intel discovered that Nana had an elicit affair in her youth which resulted in an illegitimate son being born and put up for adoption. Todd Moody was his name and he owned a used car dealership which used the Roldan’s company quite frequently. He had kids of his own one of which had enlisted and was dishonorably discharged from the Army for insubordination and not following the rules. He took with him anger, false pride and the knowledge of how many of the vehicles could be taken randomly. He had found several other disgruntled by the military types and recruited several.

They stole the vehicles and worked to disassemble and camouflage then reassemble with matching parts of similar private sector jeeps and automobiles. They would then bring the automobile to the Roldan’s shop who did the paintwork and final repair and assembly before taking them to the car lot to be sold. Evidence was damming for Nana and Victoria who knew about the operations and went along with planning and making a profit from the stolen vehicles. Paige and Jason were ready to testify on behalf of Joseph who ran the shop by the book and Larissa who had nothing to do with the shop itself other than being a Roldan.

Three simultaneous raids were being planned for the garage which stored the stolen automobiles, the garage, and the store. Major Byrnes and Daniel Baker thought that the perfect time for the raids would be during the wedding as that would be a place where many of the guilty people would be at the same time.

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“I feel like a fucking puffy cloud,” Winnie complained as the hired stylist finished with her hair and makeup. Victoria and Larissa’s appreciative squeals of excitement drowned out the brides complaints. They had taken Winnie to a bridal shop and picked the largest and most gaudy gowns for her to try on. Though she wanted simplicity, she was outvoted. She settled on a, ornately laced no sleaved top and bustle. The lower part of the gown proofed around her slim waist and dragged several feet behind in sheer tule. Winnie agreed that this was the one not because she liked the dress, but just to be done and go back to her normal attire. She bought the dress and agreed to pay again for the alteration’s months ago. Without arousing suspicion, the special force operations picked up the dress and made their own secret alterations before returning the dress to the shop.

“Who am I fooling anyway? Aiden and I have a son and have been living together for almost a year I am hardly a blushing bride.” Before she could say more, there was a knock at the door. Aiden himself peaked his head in the room and catcalled the bride to be.

“Wow, you look great, he said coming over to her placing a kiss on her exposed shoulder. Whispering for her ears only he asked, “Are you ready for this?” She nodded eager for this day to be over. He wanted to continue the conversation however Larissa, jumped up and practically dragged him to the door.

“It is bad luck for the groom to see his bride on the wedding day.”

“No kidding,” Winnie muttered under her breath. “It is a good thing we are already married.”

“What did you say” Aiden asked with a grin. “You should be more excited about your wedding day. Don’t you women dream of this day your entire lives?” He strolled over to Victoria and took her hands in his. “Thank you. This is very much appreciated.” Plastering a grin on her face, Winnie sighed quietly then joined the others.

“Thank you for everything,” she said genuinely appreciating all that the family had done for them. The Roldan family had offered their spacious landscaped yard complete with a gazebo and faux waterfalls for both the wedding ceremony and the reception. They rented tables and chairs for the event as well. Oriental Trading company became the go to shopping for table decorations and chair covers as well as favors and other wedding essentials. The bakery that Larissa worked at offered to make the cake at a family discount and gave some recommendations for flowers and photography. A favorite local restaurant catered the event with a three-course luncheon. A friend of Larissa’s volunteered to play DJ at the event. Had this been their real wedding, neither could have asked for more and both felt as if they had been adopted into to the family.

“Now that I have the two of you here, I had a wedding gift for you.” She pulled out an envelope and handed it to Aiden. HE took it and placed it in the inside pocket of the tuxedo he had rented for the day.

“You shouldn’t have” Winnie said through unexpected tears.

“You have been most generous,” said Aiden kissing Victoria on the cheek. Before emotions got the better of her, Victoria straightened herself out and exclaimed “We’’ lets get this show on the road.” Aiden took his cue to leave the room and let the women finish getting ready.

Wedding

Post script.