| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted January 23, 2025 | Chapters: |
...13 14 -15- 16... 
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The Confrontation Begins
A chapter in the book Veil of Secrets
Veil of Secrets - Chap 15
by Begin Again
Grayson paced the study, his eyes darting to the darkened window. Paranoia swirled inside his head, amplifying every sound. His breaths were shallow, his fingers trembling as they brushed against the revolver holstered beneath his jacket.
He froze as the faint sound of footsteps reached his ears — soft but deliberate, just beyond the heavy door to the study. His heart thundered in his chest as adrenaline surged through him.
Crossing the room, Grayson leaned close to the door and pressed his ear to it, straining to hear. For a moment, there was nothing — just the whistle of the wind as it whipped across the veranda. Perhaps he'd imagined it. The old house was always restless at night.
But he wasn't taking any chances.
Slowly, he slipped the revolver from its holster, his palm slick with sweat. The cool steel felt heavier than usual. With a quiet exhale, he reached for the lock. His fingers slowly twisted it until he heard the faint click that signaled it unlocked. His grip tightened on the gun as he gripped the door handle, his knuckles white with tension.
Click by click, he turned the handle, careful not to make a sound. The door inched open, the cold draft brushing his face as the space beyond came into view.
In the instant that the crack widened, a fist shot through the opening and slammed into his face with brutal force. The impact sent him reeling backward, pain exploding across his jaw as he staggered and crashed into the edge of his desk. His vision blurred as he struggled to regain his footing, blinking through the haze of shock and disorientation.
Two figures stepped into the room. The first, lean and sharp-eyed, was Doyle, his expression a mixture of triumph and malice. Beside him loomed a heavyset man with a cruel smirk plastered across his face. The thug cracked his knuckles, the motion deliberate and menacing.
"Good evening — Grayson, right?" Doyle sneered, his voice low and mocking as he strode forward, his shadow stretching across the room. "Looks like you've got yourself some unexpected company."
Grayson's fingers fumbled for the revolver, which had slipped from his grasp during the fall. But the larger man kicked it away before he could reach it, sending it skidding across the polished floor.
"Zhang sends his regards," Doyle smirked and strolled around the room, examining the antiques and artwork. "You inherited yourself quite the place. Too bad you got greedy."
"Who are you?" Grayson muttered — though he knew exactly who he was. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he growled, "And what does Zhang Wei have to do with me?"
Doyle chuckled. "Did you just crawl out from under a turnip green? Everyone knows who I am." Doyle opened the cigar case on the desk, chose one, and rolled it through his fingers. His arrogance dripped from his lips. "I owned this county, and I will again. Zhang Wei is just a stepping stone to getting what I want."
Grayson struggled to his feet, but the larger man shoved him back into the chair, the barrel of a pistol pressed against his temple. "Ah, the infamous John Doyle. For your information, you should be thanking me instead of busting in here and letting your goon use my face for a punching bag."
"Thanking you? I can't imagine what your sniveling self could have done for me."
Grayson's steely blue eyes stared at Doyle as he regained a little of his courage. A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. "Who do you think gave Zhang the information so he could outsmart New York?"
Doyle raised an eyebrow while analyzing Grayson and what he'd said about the mob. He'd wondered how Zhang had gotten the upper hand, but he'd never suspected a wanna-be like Grayson Webb.
"Unfortunately, you made mistakes," Doyle said, his tone mocking. "Did you think you could play both sides and come out unscathed? You're in over your head. Zhang wants in on the action. And he asked me to pay you a visit. I know about the tunnels and the smuggling operation, but there's more than that going on. What's the deal with the woman and the kid?"
Grayson forced a weak laugh despite the blood trickling down his lip. "You think roughing me up will get you what you want? You're wasting your time."
Doyle's smirk vanished as he grabbed Grayson by the collar, yanking him forward. "No, Grayson. You're wasting my time. Zhang doesn't tolerate loose ends, and neither do I. Now start talking, or this gets uglier."
The larger man delivered a swift punch to Grayson's ribs, forcing a gasp from his lips.
"The tunnels," Doyle growled. "Who knows about them? Where did the woman take the boy?"
"I don't know!" Grayson spat, coughing as pain radiated through his chest. "She didn't tell me anything!"
Doyle leaned in closer, his breath hot and foul. "Lying isn't going to save you. Zhang's people are already watching. They don't like failures, Grayson."
Before Doyle could land another blow, the temperature in the room dropped. A chilling wind swept through, snuffing out the fire in the hearth. Shadows lengthened, and an eerie silence fell. The men exchanged uneasy glances, their bravado faltering.
From the darkness, Cornelius materialized, his spectral form towering and malevolent. His voice was a low growl, echoing with otherworldly power. "So Bayside's idiot of a judge turned criminal thinks he still wields all the power." He sneered at the thug. "I advise you to not lay another hand on my blood kin or you will find yourself in another world."
Doyle's eyes widened as he instinctively raised his gun, firing a shot. The bullet passed through Cornelius, embedding itself in the wall behind him. The ghost's laughter rang out, a cold, mocking sound that sent shivers down their spines.
"You think you can harm me with mortal weapons?" Cornelius hissed, his form flickering with malice. "I've seen men like you come and go, desperate and foolish. But I remain. Let this sink into your feeble mind — I am Cornelius Webb. Bayside belongs to me."
"Webb?" Doyle swallowed, struggling to prevent Cornelius from detecting his reaction to that knowledge. The flash of another ghost — Eleanor — struck like a bolt of lightning. "You're a ghost. I've faced others like you."
Cornelius laughed again. "There aren't any like me."
The larger man trembled, his grip on the pistol wavering as he backed toward the door. Doyle, however, forced a sneer. "Ghost or not, you can't stop what's coming."
Cornelius moved closer, his translucent hand brushing against Doyle's chest. Doyle gasped, his knees buckling as an icy cold seeped into his bones. "You don't belong here," Cornelius said, his voice low and threatening. "Leave now, or I will show you what happens to those who trespass on my land."
Doyle, shaking, stumbled back toward the door, dragging his companion with him. But as they reached the threshold, Doyle turned, his expression twisted with rage. He raised his gun and fired — not at Cornelius, but at Grayson.
Grayson cried out as the bullet struck him, pain erupting in his abdomen. He collapsed to the floor, blood pooling beneath him.
Cornelius let out a roar of fury, his form shifting into a whirlwind of shadows that chased Doyle and his accomplice from the house. The sound of their retreating footsteps faded, leaving the study in silence.
Cornelius turned to Grayson, his expression softening. The ghost knelt beside his nephew, his translucent hand hovering over the wound. "Foolish boy," Cornelius murmured. "You should have known better than to play with forces beyond your control."
Grayson's breathing was shallow, his eyes glazed with pain. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Cornelius reached out, his hand passing over Grayson's face like a ghostly caress.
"Rest now," Cornelius said, his voice tinged with regret.
As Grayson lost consciousness, Cornelius's form began to fade. He glanced at his fallen nephew before disappearing into the shadows, his voice lingering in the room like a whisper. "This isn't over, Doyle. You'll pay for this."
*****
Doyle and his accomplice stumbled out into the night, their breath visible in the icy air. The chill didn't bother Doyle; adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He barked orders, his tone sharp and commanding. "Get in!" Doyle snarled. "I know these back roads better than anyone."
Doyle and his accomplice stumbled out into the night, their breath visible in the icy air. The chill didn't bother Doyle; adrenaline was coursing through his veins. He barked orders, his tone sharp and commanding. "Get in!" Doyle snarled. "I know these back roads better than anyone."
They were halfway to the car when the sudden sweep of headlights illuminated the driveway. The crunch of tires on gravel signaled the arrival of someone they hadn't accounted for.
Doyle spun, his lips curling into a sneer as Detective Matthew Donatelli stepped out of his cruiser, revolver already drawn.
Donatelli's sharp gaze scanned the scene, assessing the danger. His eyes lingered on Doyle, who stood near the car with his gun hanging loosely at his side. "Hands where I can see them, Doyle," Donatelli barked.
Doyle smirked, his voice dripping with mockery. "Detective — always a step too late, aren't you?"
"Drop the weapon," Donatelli ordered, his tone firm and unwavering. "This ends here."
Doyle's accomplice crouched behind the car, his bulky frame blending into the shadows. His hand inched toward his waistband, fingers curling around the grip of his pistol.
Before Donatelli could react, the thug drew his weapon and fired. The shot splintered the porch railing as Donatelli dove for cover, his body rolling behind the heavy wooden beams.
The sharp crack of gunfire shattered the quiet night, reverberating across the estate. Donatelli returned fire, his shots precise, forcing the thug to retreat behind the car.
Doyle's laugh cut through the chaos, cold and mocking. "There's no way out, Detective. You're cornered."
A shot whizzed past Donatelli's shoulder, splintering a beam behind him. Pressing his back to the wall, he ejected his spent magazine and fumbled to reload.
He didn't see Doyle circling to his left, moving with a predator's precision.
"Got you now," Doyle muttered, leveling his gun.
The sound of gunfire split the night. Donatelli staggered, his hand clutching his side as blood seeped through his fingers. His revolver slipped from his grip, clattering to the porch.
He dropped to his knees, gasping for air as Doyle strode forward, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Looks like your luck's run out," Doyle said, his voice low and venomous. He cocked his pistol, aiming it at Donatelli's head.
*****
The crack of gunshots shattered the silence at the shed where Eleanor had hidden Althea. Eleanor froze, her entire form trembling as a tidal wave of darkness crashed over her senses. A icy coldness gripped the air.
A vision struck her like a lightning bolt — Donatelli sprawled on the ground, blood pooling beneath him. Doyle loomed above — his gun raised for the final blow.
For the first time since her death, Eleanor felt true grief — a piercing, all-consuming sorrow that brought her to her knees. Rage, a fiery determination that coursed through her like an electric current, followed. She needed to go and fast.
"I need you to stay here," Eleanor told Althea, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "Don't come out, no matter what you hear. I'll come back for you. Do you understand?"
Althea's eyes widened, her fear evident. She nodded her affirmation. "Be careful," she whispered, her voice trembling.
Eleanor placed a gentle hand on Althea's shoulder. "I will," she promised.
With that, Eleanor's form shimmered, her resolve turning her energy into something almost tangible. The moon's faint light seemed to dim as she disappeared into the night, her focus honed on Donatelli and Doyle.
*****
The sound of approaching sirens sent Zhang's warrior into warp mode. He grabbed Doyle's arm, yanking him as the gun fired. "We're out of here, man."
The sound of approaching sirens sent Zhang's warrior into warp mode. He grabbed Doyle's arm, yanking him as the gun fired. "We're out of here, man."
Both men raced to the car and sped out of the drive as the first string of red and blue lights appeared in the distance. Their taillights disappeared as DeLuca's unmarked cruiser pulled into the long driveway of the Webb Estate. Behind them, the flashing lights of patrol cars lit up the night, their red and blue glow washing over the sprawling grounds.
Danni leaped from the car the moment it stopped, her sharp gaze sweeping the scene. Her instincts were sharp, her senses attuned to something amiss in the air. She didn't need to be told — trouble was close — too close.
DeLuca stepped out more cautiously, adjusting his weapon in its holster. "All right," he barked to the officers spilling out of the cruisers. "Fan out and search the grounds. No one gets in or out without my say-so."
The officers moved, flashlights cutting through the darkness as they spread out in pairs. Some veered toward the perimeter, while others moved cautiously toward the main house.
Danni's focus remained razor-sharp, her gaze fixed on the house. "DeLuca," she said, her voice low but firm. "that's Matthew's car."
DeLuca turned to her, his brow furrowing. "Maybe he's inside."
"Donatelli's hurt," Danni said, her voice trembling slightly. "I can feel him."
DeLuca's expression softened for a moment, but his pragmatism returned quickly. "If he's here, we'll find him. But don't jump the gun, Danni. We need to be smart about this."
"I know," Danni snapped, her tone sharper than intended. She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "But if he's hurt —"
A faint sound cut through the stillness, a muffled groan carried on the wind. Danni froze, her head snapping toward the bushes near the driveway's edge. Her heart lurched.
"Matt," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Without waiting for DeLuca's approval, she moved toward the sound, her steps quick but deliberate.
"Danni, wait!" DeLuca called after her, but she ignored him.
 Recognized |
Flash Summary and Characters -
Prologue -- Bayside's darkest criminals escape during a staged bus accident
Chapter 1 - Eleanor senses trouble at the Vineyard and discovers Miriam is missing
Chapter 2 - Rebecca meets her new neighbor, Grayson Webb , and the New York Mob realizes they have been double-crossed by the Chinese, Zhang Wei
Chapter 3 - Garth and Donatelli piece together forensic findings, and Eleanor finds a child's shoe at the Vineyard that belongs to a missing boy.
Chapter 4 - Eleanor searches for clues as to where Miriam may be, and Cornelius Webb holds Miriam captive within the mystery mirror
Chapter 5 - Miriam's lost soul begs Antonio to help her, and at the Vineyard, he is confronted by Cornelius Webb. Grayson Webb takes advantage of Rebecca's fears and makes his first move to win her heart and steal the Vineyard.
Chapter 6 - Cornelius's spirit clashes with his nephew -- both determined to claim the riches hidden beneath the grounds of the Vineyard , and Althea Cascio is alone in a motel -- fearful that the NY Mob will murder her son, Travis, if she doesn't do what they want concerning the Vineyard
Chapter 7 -- Althea gives the will and birth certificate to the lawyer saying she is part heir to the Vineyard and Eleanor bumps into her and senses something is not right
Chapter 8 - Antonio finds clues to the missing boy and finds Miriam trapped in a mirror and Cornelius dragging her away
Chapter 9 - Eleanorgives the backstory to Donatelli and Garth
Chapter 10 - Grayson steps up his game between the mob and Zhang
Main Characters -
Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York Mob
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Prologue -- Bayside's darkest criminals escape during a staged bus accident
Chapter 1 - Eleanor senses trouble at the Vineyard and discovers Miriam is missing
Chapter 2 - Rebecca meets her new neighbor, Grayson Webb , and the New York Mob realizes they have been double-crossed by the Chinese, Zhang Wei
Chapter 3 - Garth and Donatelli piece together forensic findings, and Eleanor finds a child's shoe at the Vineyard that belongs to a missing boy.
Chapter 4 - Eleanor searches for clues as to where Miriam may be, and Cornelius Webb holds Miriam captive within the mystery mirror
Chapter 5 - Miriam's lost soul begs Antonio to help her, and at the Vineyard, he is confronted by Cornelius Webb. Grayson Webb takes advantage of Rebecca's fears and makes his first move to win her heart and steal the Vineyard.
Chapter 6 - Cornelius's spirit clashes with his nephew -- both determined to claim the riches hidden beneath the grounds of the Vineyard , and Althea Cascio is alone in a motel -- fearful that the NY Mob will murder her son, Travis, if she doesn't do what they want concerning the Vineyard
Chapter 7 -- Althea gives the will and birth certificate to the lawyer saying she is part heir to the Vineyard and Eleanor bumps into her and senses something is not right
Chapter 8 - Antonio finds clues to the missing boy and finds Miriam trapped in a mirror and Cornelius dragging her away
Chapter 9 - Eleanorgives the backstory to Donatelli and Garth
Chapter 10 - Grayson steps up his game between the mob and Zhang
Main Characters -
Spirits from the past -
Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Trevor's murdered bride, Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Bayside's Community --
Jenna Bennett - Event planner, Eleanor's daughter, Maggie's mother, Donatelli's love
Matthew Donatelli - Bayside's lead detective and Maggie's father
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and potentially interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and escaped prisoner from Joliet State Prison.
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and escaped prisoner
Grayson Webb - grand nephew and recently inherited the Webb Estate
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Phil Henderson - Bayside family lawyer
Criminals -
Zhang Wei - once involved in human trafficking with Doyle, seeks revenge for his career losses after Doyle's downfall from the Judge's bench.
Frank DiVito - retired gangster and childhood friend of Garth
Sam - Frankie's right-hand man and friend
Jack Lexington - Chicago kingpin
Tony "The Hawk" - Salvatore "Sal" and Vito Greco -- the New York Mob
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