| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted March 7, 2025 | Chapters: |
...48 49 -50- 51... 
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Rosalie's Discoveries
A chapter in the book Veil of Secrets
Veil of Secrets - Chap 50
by Begin Again
Rosalie woke with a jolt. The room was unfamiliar. Seconds later, scenes of the night before flashed through her mind. She remembered she was at Alex Garland's beach house, a man she had met only days ago. And she was relieved but surprised that he'd not attempted to sleep with her.
Climbing out of bed, she rummaged through the closet, found an oversized shirt, and slipped it on. She swept her fingers through her tousled hair and headed off in search of coffee.
As she busied herself with the coffeemaker and found cups, she hummed, particularly thankful that mentioning Zhang hadn't backfired.
Garland leaned against the doorframe, smiling as he watched her. "You're making yourself at home."
Rosalie turned and grinned. "Forgive me, but I thought that's what you wanted."
Alex moved closer, his hand brushing along her waist. He was testing her, waiting for her to confirm everything she'd led him to believe.
She handed him a mug of steaming coffee and added, "I've never met a man like you before." Then she slowly moved toward the table, smiling, "Are you going to join me?"
As he sipped his coffee, he murmured, "You know you can trust me, right?"
Rosalie, lowering her eyes, hesitant but letting him think she's surrendering to him, whispers, "I want to. I do. I just — I'm afraid."
He wants her to feel safe. He wants her to talk. But more than that, he needs those drugs back before it's his head on the chopping block.
Garland's fingers grazed the curve of Rosalie's cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin. His touch was gentle, but the intent behind it was anything but. "You're safe here, Rosalie." His voice was low, persuasive. "No one will touch you while you're under my roof."
Rosalie lowered her lashes, her breath hitching just enough to seem uncertain. Then, a nod — small, grateful. "I don't know how to thank you," she murmured.
Garland smirked, cupping her chin and tilting her face toward his. "You don't have to."
She let him think she was yielding. Let him believe that she needed him. But he was the one falling deeper.
Garland pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, lingering just enough. Then, stepping back, he adjusted his cufflinks, his tone shifting. "I need to go to the office for a few hours. I want you to relax. We'll talk more when I get back."
As the door closed behind him, Rosalie's facade crumbled. Her lips curved into a slow, knowing smile, revealing the strength and resilience beneath her mask.
Rosalie went to his office after ensuring Garland's car had left the estate. She had found a pair of disposal gloves in the kitchen, which she donned as she combed through his desk, but nothing of interest caught her attention. The drawers, bookcases, and desk were all immaculate as if they had never been used.
Convinced there was nothing worthwhile in the office, she turned her attention to the bedroom. Her initial disappointment at finding a locked drawer turned to excitement when she spotted a corner of yellow paper peeking out from what should have been a solid wall. After a thorough search, she located a button on the back of the armoire. She pushed it with a sense of anticipation, and to her surprise, a secret office was revealed.
Terrified that she might be discovered, she raced to the kitchen and stepped outside, scanning the grounds. Satisfied, she decided to take a giant leap and went inside to retrieve her phone. Trembling, she sent a text message. "Wishing you were here."
Only moments later, the reply said — "Two hours."
She messaged, "Can't wait," her heart pounding as she anticipated the next move.
Shoving her phone in her pocket, she raced back to the bedroom and into the secret room. Her first discovery was a cell phone with a text message from an unknown number. It read: "Lost shipment confirmed. New package will be secured until pickup."
Rosalie took a photo of the screen. She continued her search and discovered a flash drive and a folder labeled Kristen Murkowski inside a drawer. The paper was embossed with a flag. Rosalie gasped as a chill ran down her spine.
How was Kristen Murkowski, a U.S. Senator, involved with Garland?
She scanned everything in the folder, including financial transactions and words that appeared to be written in code. She continued to snap photos before replacing everything except the flash drive.
Barely able to breathe normally, Rosalie hurried from the bedroom after checking twice that everything, including the slip of paper, remained where she had found them.
*****
When Garland arrived home, an unexpected sight greeted him. The table was set for an intimate meal — candles flickering and wine poured. Soft music played in the background, filling the air with something low and sultry. The aroma of something wonderful in the oven was tantalizing. But it wasn't the food that held his attention. It was Rosalie.
When Garland arrived home, an unexpected sight greeted him. The table was set for an intimate meal — candles flickering and wine poured. Soft music played in the background, filling the air with something low and sultry. The aroma of something wonderful in the oven was tantalizing. But it wasn't the food that held his attention. It was Rosalie.
She emerged from the pool in a sleek, dark bikini, water glistening along her skin, her hair damp and wild from the breeze. She tilted her head when she saw him standing there, watching her — a soft, secretive smile. "You're back early," she teased, voice smooth as silk.
Garland exhaled, his heart racing at the sight of her, his desire clouding his mind.
Rosalie draped the beach towel across her shoulders. "Hope it was okay. I found this bikini in the pool house."
He had questions. He had plans. But now? Now, he just wanted her.
Rosalie was effortlessly charming over dinner, her wit and intelligence shining through in every word she spoke. She laughed lightly, fingers brushing his every so often. She let him lead. Let him think he was in control.
Garland's gaze lingered over the candlelight, his voice dropping lower. "I can't decide what looks better tonight — the food or you."
Rosalie lowered her gaze, feigning shyness. She knew exactly how to make him want more. She lifted her wine glass, taking a slow sip. "I wanted to do something special."
Garland smirked, leaning in just slightly. "You succeeded."He took another sip of wine.
And that's when the sedative began to take effect. Garland blinked, his mind hazy. The room tilted slightly. He opened his mouth to speak, but his tongue felt heavy.
Rosalie tilted her head, watching him closely. "You okay?"
He gripped the table, his voice sluggish. "Yeah, I just —"
Rosalie smiled and extended her hand to him. She wrapped her arm around him as she stood and whispered, "Maybe you'd prefer dessert in bed."
Leaning against Rosalie, Alex staggered toward the bedroom and settled on the bed before everything faded to black.
*****
Garland slept soundly, his arm stretched across the bed as if reaching for her. Rosalie watched him for a moment, lips curving slightly. He had no idea, and that pleased her.
The wrinkles marred the satin sheets, lipstick smudged his chest, and her black lace panties and bra lay scattered on the floor. An empty bottle of champagne and two glasses were on the nightstand.
Carefully, she padded toward the writing desk and picked up a pen, considering her words. Then, with a teasing smile, she wrote:
I wish I could stay tangled up with you all day, but work calls. Try not to miss me too much.
She left a red lipstick kiss at the bottom, folded the note, and placed it on the pillow beside him. Let him wake up wanting more.
Holding her breath, she tiptoed from the room, closing the door behind her, and hurried outside to the waiting Uber her assistant had ordered.
*****
Rosalie's assistant, Candace, was seated in a corner booth and Rosalie spotted her the moment she entered the restaurant. She slid into the booth, quickly glanced around the room before speaking. "Tell me you've got something."
Candace's fingers moved swiftly over the laptop keyboard. She barely looked up as she spoke. "The files you pulled from Garland's system aren't just logs. There are transport records buried in the metadata." She lowered her voice to a whisper, "Cadavers moving in and out of the morgue."
Rosalie frowned slightly. "Cadavers? With drugs — right under everyone's noses?"
"There's more. Some of the destinations don't exist. They're listed as funeral homes, crematoriums, or medical research facilities, but I checked. Some of them have no actual business license, no operating history, just names on paperwork."
Rosalie's fingers tapped lightly on the rim of her water glass. "Fake drop points."
The assistant nodded. "It gets worse. Some of the bodies listed as shipped never reached their destinations." She turned the laptop slightly, revealing a list of manifests. "Whoever is behind this is moving product through the morgue, hidden inside cadavers, and then rerouting them before anyone notices."
Rosalie exhaled slowly. This explained a lot. The coroner's sudden and convenient death. The reason Garland was so careful. This was bigger than just one dirty cop; it was a pipeline.
She leaned in. "Can you trace where they actually end up?"
"I need more time," Candace admitted. "But I'm working on it."
Rosalie was about to press for more when something shifted in the air. A watchful gaze.
She didn't react right away. Instead, she took a slow sip of water, her eyes casually sweeping the restaurant.
And then she saw them. At a table near them sat the woman detective with an older lady — not anyone she recognized. She was mid-sip of coffee, but there was no mistaking the tension in her body.
Rosalie's lips pressed together briefly. She could ignore them. Pretend she hadn't noticed. But that wasn't her style. She took her time standing, smoothing her dress before striding over.
Danni's jaw tightened as Rosalie approached. Her grip on her cup firmed. Eleanor, however, remained still, merely adjusting the silver spoon beside her plate as if she had been expecting this moment because she remembered the lawyer quite well. Rosalie stopped just beside their table, her gaze flicking between the two women.
"Detective," she greeted smoothly, voice laced with just enough amusement to be infuriating.
Danni didn't respond. Instead, she took another sip of her coffee and pointedly turned her attention back to Eleanor as if Rosalie weren't even standing there.
The snub was intentional. Deliberate.
Rosalie arched a brow but didn't falter. "Still holding a grudge?" she mused.
Danni finally spoke, her voice sharp and cool. "I don't waste time on people who don't matter."
A direct hit — meant to wound.
Rosalie studied her for a long moment, then let out a soft, breathy chuckle. "If that were true," she said lightly, "you wouldn't be so tense right now."
Danni's fingers twitched around the handle of her cup. But she still refused to look at Rosalie. Eleanor, however, was watching — very closely.
Rosalie took the hint. She exhaled lightly, gave a slow, knowing smile, and stepped away without another word.
Danni exhaled sharply, shaking her head as she grabbed her bag. "I'm going back to the station."
Eleanor remained seated. Her gaze stayed on Rosalie's retreating figure, something unreadable in her expression.
Danni paused. "You coming?"
Eleanor finally stood, adjusting her coat. "No, you go on ahead. I've got something to do."
No longer hungry, Rosalie chatted with her assistant briefly before leaving the restaurant. Glancing down the street, she hailed a cab that was idling a few cars away.
Eleanor didn't bother following on foot. She disappeared, and a moment later, she was seated next to Rosalie inside the cab. The car pulled away from the curb, weaving through the city streets. Eleanor sat back, watching Rosalie closely, listening. The driver barely spoke, and Rosalie seemed lost in thought, staring at her phone, typing a message.
The ride lasted only fifteen minutes before they arrived at their destination. Eleanor's brows lifted slightly. Not a hotel. Not an office. A luxury penthouse. She was sure this wasn't Rosalie's residence — at least not on the salary of a new lawyer.
Maybe she was meeting someone. Someone with power. Could it be Zhang?
Eleanor slipped from the car, knowing things were about to get interesting.
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 - Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Current Characters -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
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and deceased
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and now witness protection
Judge Alex Garland the man trying to step into John Doyles corrupt shoes
Rosalie Jarvis - a high class lawyer currently on Zhang's payroll
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
Danny Veraci -a dear friend from the past and casino owner
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Amelia - girl in the caves
Maria - a woman escaping the tunnels
Lenore - an old woman with a wolf dog and magic
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Eleanor Bennett - ghost detective
Danni - jr. ghost detective working with Matthew Donatelli
Cornelius Webb - Miriam's nemesis and murderer
Miriam Cascio - Rebecca's grandmother and protector of the Vineyard
Antonio Maggio - Rebecca's grandfather and Miriam's first love
Current Characters -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
Garth Woodman - FBI Agent and widower (Allie) and interested in Rebecca
Joseph DeLuca - Bayside detective
John Doyle - Ex-judge, nemesis to all, and deceased
Vince Rossi - mobster and Doyle's cellmate and now witness protection
Judge Alex Garland the man trying to step into John Doyles corrupt shoes
Rosalie Jarvis - a high class lawyer currently on Zhang's payroll
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
Danny Veraci -a dear friend from the past and casino owner
Althea Webb Cascio - mother to Travis and half-sister to Rebecca
Travis - missing boy
Amelia - girl in the caves
Maria - a woman escaping the tunnels
Lenore - an old woman with a wolf dog and magic
Rebecca Cascio Stillwell - recently inherited the Vineyard after discovering her adoption
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