Chapter 3

Too much talking

Cassie lay back, soaking in the hot soapy water and letting the heat relax her tense muscles. Even relaxing as she was, her scan of the area of the estate continued. It was now a fully engrained habit.

A car had pulled up at the gatehouse and security there was checking it out. They were doing a full protocol check with bomb sensors and mirrors under the car. Cassie noted that the security staff in the house security room was taking a call. Then he notified June.

"Cassie?"

"What's up June?"

From the other side of the door she heard her answer. "We've got a couple of FBI Agents at the gate requesting a meeting with Special Deputy US Marshal Cassandra Howly Howard."

Cassie thought for a moment. "Escort them to the house, front door, and then to the parlor. Tell them I will be with them as soon as I am dressed."

"Oh, one more thing, keep a visible presence with them at all times."

Cassie sat upright, flipped the drain plug and stood up. Turning on the shower, she leaned forward to let the water cascade over her head and rinse the soap from her body. A quick shampoo and rinse and she stepped into an air dryer, something she had never seen or heard of until she moved into this place.

It was shaped somewhat like a shower cabinet but instead of water it covered her with warm to hot air that blew in gentle waves. The air was moisturized with fluids to keep her skin as natural as possible. Her hair blew up and away from her body as it was air dried better than any hair dryer had ever done. Stepping out of the dryer automatically turned it off.

Cassie scanned her own body from top to the bottom. She was completely dry and not one drop of water remained on her body.

Exiting the bathroom she quickly dressed in a light weight Army Combat Uniform with the web belt and holster around her waist. Her credential and badge hung from her left side of the belt.

Cassie now felt like she was ready to meet the FBI.

She paused just outside the doorway into the parlor. Cassie had kept a constant scan on the agents ever since they had entered her home. They had examined the parlor closely, but since it was rarely used it contain nothing personal of hers.

"I wonder how much longer she is going to take."

"Do you think she really had to get dressed?"

"Well it makes sense. She came directly from a gunfight. She needed to change out of the clothes she was wearing. Why not a bath and clean clothes? We were pretty close on her tail so I can see why we caught her bathing."

Cassie stepped into the room, "Also my muscles needed to relax. A hot bath really helps to relieve the tensions ... Hi, I'm Cassandra Howly Howard."

She stepped toward the nearest agent and held out her hand. Both agents snapped to their feet.

"I'm Special Agent James Williams and this is my partner Special Agent Richard Drake."

His hand reached out to take hers. Cassie began to smile as he kept her hand in his. Finally Agent Drake elbowed him.

"Oh ... Excuse me." He let her hand go. Agent Drake then reached for it.

"Nice to meet you Ms. Howard, we have been informed that you are a Special Deputy US Marshal?"

Cassie rotated slightly and put her left hand beside her hanging credentials and badge on her belt.

"That is correct. I was appointed by the US Marshal of the Northern Judicial District of Texas."

"Oh, but you are now in the Western District of Virginia."

"That does not matter. That's what the Special Deputy US Marshals are about, broad ranging federal authority. We are, in most cases, not employed by the Federal Government but are vested with federal authority."

The two agents looked at each other then back to Cassie. "It's just very unusual for someone so young to be a eh ... a Special Deputy US Marshal.

"Yes, I know but it also why it was appropriate. There are no qualifications to be a Special Deputy US Marshal. As far as I can tell, you don't even have to be a citizen, just take an oath. The badge and credential are optional in fact. My Dad made sure I got them."

"Agents, have you ever notice how the Federal Government likes the word 'Special' I wonder why that is?"

"Ms. Howard?"

"Well I am Special Deputy US Marshal and you two are Special Agents of the FBI, I know that ATF agents are also Special Agents and so is the Secret Service. What happened to all the regular agents?"

Agent Williams started laughing and finally fell back onto the sofa. "Oh my god, I have thought the same thing."

Cassie laughed a little then sat in one of the chairs in the room. "Okay agents how can I help you?"

For the next couple of hours they discussed the robbery in Locust Grove. June had brought in one of the maids to serve coffee.

Finally the two agents stood to leave. Each of them handed Cassie their personal card. Cassie in turn passed them to June who went off to enter them into the house database. Neither Agent knew that their biodata had been put into her database. A full background data file had been started on each of them.

Cassie continued her scan of them as they entered their car. "Security, give the FBI an escort off the property."

"Roger that Cassie." A hidden speaker answered her

The day after the robbery, on the outskirts of Locust Grove in an upscale suburban home, a meeting was being held. Claire Cole directed the maid to serve coffee to her husband and his brother and then she took a cup for herself.

"Sally, check on Tommy and Susan, make sure they are occupied."

"Yes Ma'am." She set the tray with the coffee pot on the table near Claire Cole, and quickly left.

"Okay James, what is this all about?"

James looked at his wife for a moment. Not for the first time, he wished that she could hold her temper.

"Claire was in the bank that was held up yesterday. After everything was over she got crosswise of a Deputy US Marshal, a female Deputy, that took down the perpetrators.

"Anyway she threatened Claire. Is there anything that can be done?"

"Threatened? Did anybody else hear this?"

"Why do you need anybody else, she threatened me, I heard it."

"Claire, to take action against a Federal Civil Servant you need more then the unsupported word of one person."

"From what he said to me I think Chief of Police Buckner heard her also."

"Did he report her to her supervisor? Knowing him, he would have done that immediately. So let me check with him."

"Well I don't know, he told me to chase her down, get on my knees and kiss her feet and beg her to forgive me so he must have heard what she said to me."

"Kiss her feet? Beg forgiveness? What the hell did you do Claire? Chief Buckner had to have some really good reasons to say something like that!" her brother-in-law questioned.

"I started to slap Tommy for trying to touch her gun." Claire said quietly.

Carl set back in his chair and pulled his blackberry out of his coat pocket. He began to dial a number from its memory.

"Hello Hal, yes this Carl Cole. I'm doing okay. What? Oh yes we having a meeting right now James, Claire and I. That's what I'm calling about. What happened there yesterday?"

"Yes, yes, oh, I see, wow! No kidding. Eleven shots! That is some shooting; yeah I was in the army for four years. I know what can happen in the heat of battle. Okay, yeah, what!" His eyes narrowed as he turned his head to look at Claire.

"What about Tommy touching her gun? Oh, I see. Yes I really do see. That is one brave woman! But Claire is saying she threatened her. Howly? Wait, I remember some old wives tales. Really? True?"

"Okay, Howard? No I don't think so, Texas? I will do that. She is? Oh that really makes a difference. Let me do some checking myself. Thanks."

Hanging up Carl Cole sat there for a bit looking at his sister-in-law. Once more he took his blackberry in hand and made a call. "Hello Sen. Gary. This is Representative Carl Cole of Virginia. I'm doing well. No, I really don't think that House Bill 2014-234 will make it out of committee, too much pork in it.

"HE haw, don't make me laugh Senator. Oh I was calling to ask about a family in Texas. Howard, I'm not sure but I have a young female in my district by the name of Cassandra Howly Howard ... you know her? She did? She herself did it? YOU'RE KIDDING ME? Thanks I am very pleased that you could help me out. No, my pleasure, send me the paperwork and I will see if I can help."

Once more, he hung up and made one more call.

"Hello Marshal, this is Congressman Cole."

"I was interested in finding out more about a Deputy Cassandra Howard. Why yes I'm with my brother and his wife. Yes she was in that robbery yesterday. Oh, one moment please."

"He wants me to put him on the speaker phone. So remember anything you say will be heard." He put his blackberry on the center table and pushed a button on it.

"Marshal Scott, we are all here and the speaker phone is now operating."

"Carl to cut back on length of the conversation, just call me Harry and I'm going to call you Carl. So Carl I'm not sure what all you want to know. Here's a summary, first it's Special Deputy US Marshal Cassandra Howly Howard, appointed by the US Marshal of the Northern District of Texas. She is the daughter of George Howard of Sonora, Texas, one of the richest men in that part of Texas."

"Thirteen years ago a distant relative of his wife died and left all of her estate to her great niece Cassandra Howly Howard. This inheritance was in the multi-million range. Most of it was tied up tight in trusts until Cassandra reached the age of 18. The Blackthorn Estate Trust here in Roanoke County devolved and became the direct property of Cassandra Howard."

"This same Cassandra has now moved here and is living on the estate. As I mentioned earlier she is a Special Deputy US Marshal, which means she does not work for the USMS. Special Deputies are just that, Special. Only the Marshal that appoints them or the Director of the USMS can removed their appointment, or the US Attorney General. In this case none of them will do so. She is acting under the court order of a Federal Judge in Texas that ordered the Marshal there to make her a Special Deputy US Marshal. Further, his order was endorsed by three Court of Appeals judges."

"My Chief Supervisory Deputy US Marshal almost got his tail in a wringer when he tried to relieve her of her badge, credentials and guns. Any such attempt will be viewed as contempt of court."

"Now the badge and such is to allow her to carry firearms for her protection. She has been in one shooting in Idaho where she killed eight attackers. She wounded three men that attempted to attack her at her home. Now she has killed seven robbery suspects yesterday."

"Oh, one more thing, I did mention she was rich? Well like I said she's the sole heir to a multi-million dollar estate. In addition to that, earlier this year she discovered a vein of gold in Idaho. The company doing the mining is twenty-five percent owned by her. Her wealth is increasing at more than two million dollars a day. I would advise people not to get on her bad side."

"Is there anything else I can help you with Carl?"

Quiet settled over the living room, than Carl answered the Marshal. "Thanks Harry, I have no more questions."

"In that case Congressman Cole I will be saying Good-bye."

Carl picked up his blackberry and put it away.

"Tomorrow, all three of us will go and find Special Deputy US Marshal Cassandra Howard. You, Claire, will apologize to the Deputy. I will try my best to become her local political adviser. The Senator from Texas told me that she was one of his favorite supporters and she dropped a million into his campaign fund without blinking."

"But ... she threatened me!"

"Well, Claire, it sounds like we had better find out more about what Deputy Howard really said. It sounds like Chief Buckner believes she is not someone we should mess with. I want to hear what she has to say about this."

"I will return tomorrow around noon. I will call her first to make an appointment."

He stood up and headed to the door, waving his brother back to his seat.

Early the next morning a town car pulled up at the gate to the Blackthorn Estate. The security guard there contacted the main house.

Cassie woke up immediately to a knock at her bedroom door. In one movement she rotated her body and sat up, all at the same time. Throwing back the bedcovering her feet slid easily into her bedroom slippers.

"Yes?"

"June, Cassie."

"Enter."

The door opened and June stuck her head in the gap. "You've got a visitor, it's your Sensei."

Cassie reached out with her scan until it reached the gate. There she found a Town Car with Sensei Inoue Shina in the back seat.

A smile lit up her face. "Sensei Inoue Shina!"

"Tell the front gate to let him in."

"I got to get up." She jumped up and headed to her bathroom. Soon she was showering, than brushing her teeth.

Standing nude in the doorway of her closet, she froze as she gazed at the clothing hanging there. Together on one side were multiple sets of ACU, pants and shirts. On the far end were shelves with multiple pairs of boots, shoes, and multiple types of foot gear. She could only guess at all their purposes. Across the closet from the ACUs were dress suits.

They appeared to be made to a design that she had sketched out to Betty and June a couple of days before the robbery. There were at least fifteen blouses and shirts all silk from white to a light blue in color with white being predominate. All the suits were silk in three colors, black, navy blue and charcoal grey but all cut to the same style. The Jackets had a wide lapel with single button. There were two lapel button holes on a line at bosom level and a gold chain with anchors on each end that hung from the inside of a lapel buttonhole of each jacket. There was an ankle length split skirt of the same material and color of each jacket plus a pair of pants. They were hung together in color coordinated outfits since Cassie could not see the colors.

Cassie quickly found her underwear and put them on. Sitting down she pulled a pair of knee highs up her lower calves. In the closet, Cassie took down a hangar with a complete coordinated outfit. She put on a blouse and then she stepped into a Navy blue split skirt and buttoned it over her blouse tail. A dark wide belt was put on over the skirt. She hung a holster off her right hip and one in the small of her back. Carrying her jacket out of the closet she picked up her credentials and hung them on the left side of her belt.

She could sense the housekeeper letting her Sensei into the house where he was met by June. Cassie's scan showed her Sensei Inoue had been escorted by June into the informal Den near one of the dining rooms where she served him tea. Cassie smiled, knowing that her people were taking good care of him. She put on her jacket and connected the gold chain across her mid torso.

Cassie turned and left her bedroom walking calmly down the hall way to the stairs to meet Sensei Inoue. She slowed to almost a stop then came to full stop ten feet from where he was seated. She slowly bowed to her Sensei with all the respect she could show. He rose from his seat and returned it. "Sempai."