Death, Taxes, and Cheap Sunglasses (A Tara Holloway Novel Book 8) (38 page)
Read Death, Taxes, and Cheap Sunglasses (A Tara Holloway Novel Book 8) Online
Authors: Diane Kelly
As Lu had suggested we went somewhere fun, making a weekend trip down to Austin. I showed Nick all of the places where I used to hang out while in college and we even climbed to the top of Mount Bonnell, enjoying the view of the lake down below. I bought Lu a snow globe featuring the state capitol building and sent her a postcard with a photograph of the city’s skyline.
Dear Lu,
Following orders and having fun!
Your favorite special agent,
Tara
Thanks to information provided by Alejandro, further evidence gathered by Nick and Christina during their investigation, and the leads I’d given them, the DEA identified and arrested seventeen members of the cartel in the days following the shootout/shish-kabobbing. The roundup included several major players operating from the apartment complex I’d staked out near Town East Mall. My lead had not only netted the DEA a number of arrests but, according to Christina, had shortened the investigation by weeks if not months.
Hooray for me.
While most of the men arrested refused to talk, one of the more minor cartel members agreed to
hablar
after a plea agreement was made, guaranteeing that prosecutors would not ask for the death penalty or return him to Mexico, where he’d surely be murdered in prison. His life now secured, he spilled the
frijoles.
Per his testimony, El Cuchillo had convinced his cronies—the men in the Avenger—to double-cross the cartel by stealing drugs and money. Their plan was to frame Vargas and Motley, the two men they’d shot. When Nick, Christina, and Alejandro got in their way, they’d decided to get rid of them.
They just hadn’t counted on Tara Holloway and her father showing up to save the day.
Neener-neener.
Nick resumed his position as captain of the Tax Maniacs and led the team to three successive victories, earning the MVP designation each game. Of course the MVP was required to buy beer for everyone after the game, but Nick was happy to do it. He even bought beers for the losers at the Food and Drug Administration, a majority-female team that, against the protests of their outnumbered male members, called themselves the Sausage Inspectors. We also made it to the Rangers’ season opener, double-dating with Christina and Ajay.
Chase Burkhalter was charged with multiple counts of fraud, released on $500,000 bail, expelled from college, and kicked out of his frat. Poor guy. Looked like he’d miss the massive zombie-themed party prior to dead week. At least the victims would likely get some of their money back. Chase had run through a good deal of the stolen funds, but his parents had liquidated some of their retirement funds to pay restitution on his behalf, hoping the gesture would encourage the judge who heard his case to give him a lighter sentence.
Norman Peele agreed to a plea deal involving a prolonged probation and a stiff criminal penalty for his part in helping the Kuykendahls evade their taxes. Quent and Kevin Kuykendahl were each sentenced to five years in prison. The sanctuary property was seized and turned over to a legitimate animal rescue organization that made immediate improvements. Simba was returned to Paradise Park, where he was given a much larger and better maintained habitat in which to live out the rest of his days.
My tax refund came in. Combined with my $25 in scratch-off winnings, I had enough now to buy a pair of designer sunglasses. I stopped by the Brighton store and treated myself to a new pair of shades. No more knockoffs or cheap sunglasses for me.
I spent a couple of nights with my parents back in my hometown of Nacogdoches. My father and I even stopped by the family church for some counseling with the pastor. He’d always been a pragmatic preacher, and, rather than offering us a bunch of meaningless platitudes, told us that the battle of good versus evil sometimes required those on the side of good to do some very difficult things.
He nodded to my father, then took my hand in his. “It’ll take some time,” he said, “but you’re Tara Holloway. You’ll work through this.”
He was right, of course. I’d always carry this with me, but I was nothing if not resilient. Besides, the American taxpayers needed me back on the job.
* * *
When I finally returned to work, a large vase of fresh red roses greeted me from my desk. There was a card attached, addressed
To My Everything.
I glanced into Nick’s office, and he smiled up at me from his desk.
“They’re gorgeous!” I called.
“So are you!” Nick called back.
“Get a room!” called the agent with the office next door.
Lu stepped into my doorway, blocking my view of Nick. “No time for hanky-panky.” She held up a thick file and proceeded to plop it down on my desk.
“A new case?” I asked, pulling the file toward me.
“You had no trouble taking down a drug cartel,” Lu said. “Facing the mafia should be easy peasy.”
The mafia?
Holy cannoli!
Don’t miss the next Tara Holloway novel
Death, Taxes,
and a Chocolate Cannoli
Coming in October 2015 from St. Martin’s Paperbacks
… and be sure to sniff out
Diane Kelly
’s K-9 mysteries
Paw Enforcement
Paw And Order
Laying Down The Paw
*
Available in August 2015
From St. Martin’s Paperbacks
DIANE KELLY
is a former assistant state attorney general and tax advisor, who had many brushes with white-collar criminals during her career. When she realized her experiences made excellent fodder for novels, her fingers hit the keyboard and thus began her Special Agent Tara Holloway romantic mystery series. Diane is also a proud graduate of her hometown’s Citizen Police Academy. Diane lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her own romantic hero and a houseful of spoiled-rotten cats and dogs.
For more information, visit her Web site at
www.dianekelly.com
. You can also find her on Facebook at
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, or follow her on Twitter at
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S
T.
M
ARTIN’S
P
APERBACKS TITLES
BY
D
IANE
K
ELLY
Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure
Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte
Death, Taxes, and Extra-Hold Hairspray
Death, Taxes, and a Sequined Clutch
(an e-original novella)
Death, Taxes, and Peach Sangria
Death, Taxes, and Hot Pink Leg Warmers
Death, Taxes, and Green Tea Ice Cream
Death, Taxes, and Mistletoe Mayhem
(an e-original novella)
Death, Taxes, and Silver Spurs
Death, Taxes, and Cheap Sunglasses
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Contents
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
DEATH, TAXES, AND CHEAP SUNGLASSES
Copyright © 2015 by Diane Kelly.
All rights reserved.
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eISBN: 9781466849136
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / March 2015
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.