“Okay, let’s speak about Andre VanHorn.” Tessa sits straighter. At least I have her attention. “According to his official biography,” I started looking through the file I collected in the past week. I was doing a half-ass job, not caring, but after learning he was Tessa’s family, I looked at my case with a new vigor, and spent all morning following crumbs VanHorn could have left behind.
I still haven’t found shit about the guy but maybe telling Tessa what we know and computing it with the man she lived with, will help us find something.
“VanHorn was a SEAL in the eighties. Of course, they are playing the card of secrecy and not telling us more, which could be flagged as bullshit, but depending on what team he was in, it’s a real possibility it’s classified. Once he retired, he joined the CIA. The thing is, at the end of the 1980s the SEALs counted three teams plus the anti-terrorist one—former team six—and the SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team on each coast. Each SEAL Team was specialized in a geographic zone. If we want to prove he’s legit, we have to find out more details, which I haven’t yet. Lips are sealed, and no one wants to betray him. He holds a lot of power and made tons of allies along the way, especially being buddies with the president himself. He started as an Intelligence analyst at the CIA and went up the ladder fast. Moved abroad and came back six years later to become Chief of Staff. Then, again climbs those steps quickly and became Deputy Executive Director, and then Director of Terrorist Threat Integration Center, before being appointed Director. Now rumor has it he wants to run for Senate, but nothing has been announced yet. Some higher level hierarchy person inside the CIA has asked us to look into it after a conversation with VanHorn’s wife set some alarm bells. It seems she wasn’t making much sense and seemed confused about his past activities in the military. Our source decided to ask us to look into it like we used to.”
“Umm,” Tessa says once I’m done my exposé. “So, what am I doing here?” I go to answer, but Mark beats me to it.
“We believe that he knows we’re sniffing around, and we want to be sure you’re in the know so you can protect yourself. Sometimes people become a little unhinged when they realize someone is closer to revealing their secrets. We will do our best to protect your mother and sister if it comes to it.”
Tessa pales, understanding Mark’s words. I can see each word hitting her hard, and it breaks my heart to see her under so much stress for something we were hired to look into.
“But I don’t understand, didn’t they look into his past when he was appointed CIA director?” I roll my eyes at her naivety. That’s some bullshit politics that I don’t miss since being out of the game and managing my bar.
“Well… Some people are very good at hiding their tracks and hire the best they can to do so. I might be able to find who took care of this for him. I just need to call a friend of Dan. I know that guy has someone he works with who could help.”
Mark gives me the go-ahead to call Dan with a nod before focusing back on Tessa, sitting on the table close to her.
“We’re sorry Tessa, we wanted to tell you before, but we believed it was better you didn’t know. But after seeing him now, his body language and how he insisted on giving you a ride, I wanted you to know and to be careful. Do you hear what I’m saying, Murdock? Be careful.” Marks taps her shoulder and looks at me over her. “I guess you two need to clear the air if you’re staying, and we’re kind of protecting her?” he smirks, and I mentally flip him the bird but answer with a smile.
“Go ahead. I’ll finish up with Tessa and come to talk to you and Jackson,” I tell him, my eyes on Blue-hair. She seems confused and pissed at the same time.
“Do you have any questions?” She flips her head in my direction as if she just remembered I was here and frowns.
“Is that why you’re staying? And why you felt bad yesterday? Because of the secrecy of what you’re doing?” I look at her confused. I didn’t feel bad yesterday, I felt good after what we did. For the first time, I didn’t feel guilty having sex with someone else, but she did.
“No,” I sigh, “I had no clue he was your stepfather until Mark told me later in the day.”
“How is that possible? You looked into his bio and his past, I should have popped up at some point. I’ve been living with him since I was a little kid. My name should be somewhere.”
I quickly look at my notes and read her what I found.
“Andre VanHorn, married to Emeline Richards, one child Suzanne VanHorn. Believe me, I looked everywhere. No Tessa VanHorn came up in my research.”
“Wait, I took his name. All my papers, everything is under the name Tessa VanHorn. It was a big deal for him at the time to erase the Fitzpatrick in me. Said it would be easier for me to come back to the States and not live in the shadow of my father. I took his name. He adopted me. There should be a trace.”
She chews on her bottom lip, her shoulders fall, and I pray for her beautiful blue eyes not to fill with tears so I can keep some restraint.
Fitzpatrick.
The way she drives — the car racing.
I put two and two together and scribbled the information onto my pad.
She’s the
