ENFORCER, page 12
“Why,” I ask, feeling weak.
“Why indeed. As the middleman, I can’t say much, but I was chosen to guard your door for a reason.”
“What reason is that?”
“The man who chose me knows that I follow the money. I won’t let anything happen to you as long as he pays.”
I stare in disbelief. “I thought you were a police officer.”
“I am. We’re back at your room Ms. Marshall.”
“So, if the man who hired you hadn’t gotten to you first, would you be here to lead me to my killer?” I ask.
He stares at me, his hazel eyes assessing.
“I guess I’m fortunate that my man got to you first,” I say.
“You certainly are.” He smirks.
I stare dumbfounded. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because Miss Marshall. The criminal world is not all Black and white. There are gray areas, as you’ll find the more time you get to know us. I’m a gray area, a middleman. I’m on my own side. And you shouldn’t trust anyone, even the people you hold close.”
“I know. I was married to the mayor, after all; the man who should have protected me and loved me spent his days harassing me and abusing me.”
“Then you should be used to it by now. You know how the game goes.”
“The game?” I ask, and he smiles, closing the door between us.
Chapter Sixteen
Jake
I pace back and forth in the police station. My hands stiff at my sides.
“So, you’re telling me that you can ID this man as the person who you hired?” I turn to Noah. “By the name you hired him under, his false name. He’s no longer at his previous address. Basically, we know nothing about him, and he’s just another face in the crowd!” I yell, anger rising with me.
“Watch your tone there boy,” Noah growls, standing tall before me.
“Come on, guys,” Charlie says, reaching a hand over and resting it on Noah’s bicep. “There’s no point in being angry with each other about this. If anyone knew what was going on before, of course you would have done something differently. I think that was one of his lessons, from now on he’s going to do actual background checks. Right?” she asks, turning and facing him to give him a significant look.
“Right. I guess,” he murmurs.
I scowl and say, “This is gonna happen again?”
“Chill, Jake, there’s not much point in it all― that’s what I’m saying. Everyone has a criminal background. If they don’t, they’re lying.”
Charlie stares. “I don’t have a criminal background.”
“Liar,” he says, pointing an index finger at her and turning away from her.
“I’m not lying!” she gasps.
I roll my eyes. This is not the time for petty arguments between couples.
“When you were fifteen years old,” Noah says, rounding on her. “I caught you shoplifting that red bikini, remember?”
“What?” she stares her face flushing.
“He caught you shoplifting?” Kenton demands. “I didn’t raise a thief!”
“She put it back,” Noah says, then shrugs. “Don’t worry I talked sense into her.” Noah winks. Then places his hands in his pockets, appearing relaxed once more.
“Okay, so we thought we knew stuff. But now we don’t.” Lucy whispers. “We still have a face. A face is something right? Can’t you run it through some kind of database, Dad?” She turns to Kenton .
“I can, and I am, but it’s going to take a while to sort through the driver’s licenses. It’s not as fast as it seems on TV.”
“Okay.” Lucy sighs. “Well, we can put up posters around town and talk to anyone who would have seen him. Customers who had their cars worked on by him, other people at the shop.”
“I can, but I don’t think it’s gonna get us very far. Kid’s not from around here, kept to himself, didn’t say much. I never heard him say a word about Diana,” Noah explains. “I didn’t know he’d ever seen her and Jake together. I don’t think I’ve seen you guys together before.”
“We have to find his connection to her. What if we took his picture to the ex-mayor?” Lucy asks. “Maybe he knows something.”
“Do you really think he’d help?” I snarl. “The man is an abusive asshole, and not at all the kind of person who cares about whether or not his ex-wife is being hunted.”
“Well, it’s better than nothing,” Lucy says her voice exasperated. “Woe unto you and all your doom and gloom! Get over your: woe is me, and my on again off again, will we, won’t we relationship with the victim,” she sasses in a rush stepping toward me. “Your attitude isn’t fixing anything,” she snaps. “You need to get over yourself, all of you!” She whirls around, looking at Kenton and Noah. “All these alpha males in a room, having some kind of fucking pissing contest!” she snaps, and Charlie’s mouth drops open. “No wonder you don’t get anything done. We can’t work together if we’re fighting. It’s absolutely ridiculous I have to have this conversation with people who are so much older than me.”
I look at her and all I see is her mother in her. I wonder if Noah sees it too, that same boldness. Under the innocence, the backbone that refuses to break, no matter how much pressure you put under it.
“This isn’t okay, and I’ve had enough!” she yells, “I’ve had enough of all your egos too!”
“Come on Charlie,” she says, walking over and taking the pretty blonde by the hand and leading her out of the station. “Let’s go call Abbie and talk about what assholes the men in our lives are,” she snaps and slams the station door.
All eyes turn to Noah, who stares dumbfounded.
“She’s your fault, Noah,” Kenton says, pointing after his wife, and sliding his hands back into his pockets.
“My fault or not,” Noah whispers. “She’s right. So, what are we gonna do? The bastard’s way ahead of us in this game. I don’t want to see what happens when we lose.”
“I agree,” I sigh. “So, we have a face we’re running through the database,” I say gesturing to Kenton’s computer.
“Yes.” Kenton nods.
Trying to keep my head clear and not remember the way Diana lay limp in my arms. “She stays in the hospital. One of us, probably you,” I say looking at Kenton , “should talk to Michael. Just give it a go, see what happens. I’ll go around talking to people, go to every home, and Noah?” I say glancing over my best friend. And the closest thing I’ve ever had to a real father. “I think maybe we should consider that he has a place out in the woods somewhere.”
Noah nods. “I agree, I’ve been thinking that he’s gonna be holed up somewhere, and without any connections.”
“Well, he’s left with little options, do you think he’s squatting?” Kenton asks.
“It’s possible, worth looking into. It’ll take forever for us to search all those properties. And it’s not safe to send the owners out on their own either. God knows what they’ll find, or how he will react when he finds out that someone’s on to him.”
“So we’ll do it one step at a time, that’s all we can do. Meet back here in the morning?” I ask, looking between Kenton and Noah, who both nod. “Alright, out into the wilderness, I go,” I say straightening my leather jacket and heading out to my car.
The first place on my list of stops to make Denny’s. Denny is what you would get if you crossed a rat, with a ball of slime. If there’s anything nasty going on, Denny is the guy to talk to. He likes to think of himself as the next up-and-coming drug lord kingpin, or whatever else anyone would call Noah. But the truth of it is, he’s nothing like that.
Noah commands respect because of his attitude, his follow-through, and his connections to the community. Denny, on the other hand, is a bottom feeder, who runs small-time crime rings. Mainly involving loan shark schemes and has recently begun dabbling in sex working. Not that he himself participates in those things, or so he says anyway. He just runs a brothel on the outskirts of town. Charges extortionate prices for seven minutes in heaven. When people can’t cover the fee, he fronts the money. When the bill comes due, he takes way too much pleasure in breaking fingers.
Turning the key in the ignition and pulling my car out onto the main road. I shake my head. God do I hate having to deal with Denny. Few people make my skin crawl. But then he’s one of them. Not because I feel like he’s particularly dangerous, he’s just kind of unpredictable. He can go in any direction with a drug war or any kind of conflict. He sticks with the winning side most days, liking to bet on himself and his main goal is surviving another day. Well, and appearing to live a successful lifestyle. He’s probably the poorest man I’ve ever seen in Italian shoes.
The street signs fly by me as I race down the road forty miles over the limit. I’m no longer worried about getting pulled over. All they have to do is call Kenton, I’m sure I’ll get a free pass tonight, might as well use it while I can. God knows people like him love to haul me in for everything. But tonight, I’m living large. Shifting down gears, shifting up a gear, I accelerate pushing it to 50 over. Within a matter of moments, I find myself at the edge of town. In front of what appears to be a seedy bar with an illuminated sign of a dancing girl. “Denny’s Girls” The sign flashes, with the S, and I bulbs dead. “Classy,” I mutter to myself.
Climbing out of the car, my boots crunch on the gravel beneath. Kicking aside a cigarette butt, I lock the car and stroll into Denny’s place. Immediately my senses are assaulted by the foul odors of stale cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, and fried food.
“Hey buddy!” Denny calls to me, shouting over the loud music, and the small crowd of people. “How are you doing tonight?” he asks
“Okay,” I say, stepping around a sweaty man, clearly in the middle of a lap dance.
“Can I get you anything?” he asks, handing me his plate of fried mini corn dogs.
“No, I’m fine,” I answer, holding my hand up, declining the offer. “I’ve had my fill of glitter today.”
Denny laughs loudly, too loud, it makes me cringe.
“Come on over here I can get you a private room. My best girl is here tonight, Star. You’re going to love her,” he says.
“No, I’m fine,” I say, moving my shoulder so he has to let go of me.
“So, what are you here for, don’t want no food, no women, drugs you looking for?” he asks, and I stare at him. If I were looking for drugs Denny is the last person that I would go to.
“No,” I say, “I have a couple of questions for you. So that private room would be nice just no girls.” I glance over my shoulder at the leggy brunette on the pole beside me, who gives me a come hither smile.
Denny nods as I turn and follow him back into the room, dusting off the sparkles before sitting down.
“What can I do for you?” Denny asks, looking around the Red Velvet room.
“I’m looking for someone,” I tell him.
“Aren’t we all?” He grins turning to face the blacked-out window.
“Not like that,” I say, “not looking for a girl, looking for a man.”
“Oh,” he smokes, “didn’t figure you were the type. But since you don’t settle down for the girls longer than it takes to hop in and out of bed with them. Well, maybe a man is what you need in your life.”
“Shut up, Denny,” I growl, leaning forward. “Denny, this is serious.”
“Good thing for you I’m a serious man. I’m a businessman you see,” he says, straightening his jacket and crossing his legs, leaning back, and resting his arms around the sofa. “I don’t like the way you talk to me about my business. Telling me how to run it and the like.”
“I’m sorry for offending you Denny. But I’m afraid I don’t have much time.”
“Wow. Never thought I’d meet the day where Jake would tell me he was sorry. Has anyone ever heard an apology from those perfect lips?” Denny asks, grinning at me.
It takes everything within me to resist reaching over and knocking his lights out. “What do you need, Denny? What do you want?” I ask.
“What anyone wants,” he says with a shrug. “I want a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” I ask.
“The kind where you do what I say no questions asked,” replies Denny.
That could be anything, and most definitely, it’ll be a problem. “Okay,” I say frowning at him. “I’m listening.”
“I want you to transport a package for me, from here,” he points down at his chair, “to the Idaho border. Drop it off at the St. Clair gas station at pump three at exactly 2:30 am two weeks from now.”
“Okay,” I say, with a frown. “What is it, the drugs?”
“Hey, I said no questions asked.”
I roll my eyes to the ceiling then close them. Inhaling deeply, then exhaling, trying to remain calm.
“Alright, I’ll do it but only if you’re helpful. If you can’t answer my questions or I find out you’re lying,” I say, “then everything’s off.”
“Color me intrigued.” He leans forward his paisley tie hanging between us. “What do you need?”
Pulling out the picture from my chest pocket I show him the sketch. “This is the man that I’m looking for,” I say
“Huh,” he murmurs. “Why are you looking for him?”
“No questions asked, right?” I throw back at him.
He smiles slowly. “Right. So, you want to know if I’ve seen him, where I’ve seen him, who he is, blah blah blah?”
“Exactly.” I nod.
“Okay, well let’s see he comes in here pretty often, most nights, actually.”
“Are you fucking serious?” I ask.
“Damn right, comes every night. Up until a couple of days ago. He’s been gone the last two or three nights, but overall, I’m familiar with his face.”
“Okay,” I say. “That’s good.”
“Good for you. The man’s a pain in the ass.”
“How so?” I ask.
“Pushy, touchy with the girls, threw him out a time or two. But, well, business is business.”
“I see,” I whisper. “Does he ever talk about anything with you, about people in town?”
“No, not really.” He shrugs “Mostly comes and watches and gets too handsy after a couple of beers. But who doesn’t honestly?”
“What’s his name?” I ask.
“He told me his name was Mickey Callaghan.”
“Mickey Callaghan?” I ask. “Sounds Irish.”
“He might be, I can’t really say, either way, it’s hard to hear accents and all with the music here.”
I nod my head. “Okay. Do you know where he’s staying?”
“He had an apartment, I think, he was asking if he could bring one of the girls back with him. Of course, I told him no. What does this look like, a brothel?”
I roll my eyes, knowing that’s exactly what this is. “Staying anywhere else?” I ask.
“Probably squatting somewhere,” he answers with a shrug.
“Why do you think he’s squatting?” I asked.
“Because one of my dumb broads actually went back home with the sucker. She told me that it wasn’t an apartment at all. It was some kind of dump out in the woods somewhere. She couldn’t remember where, but, you know, all the same. Wasn’t that nice a place, nothing like what I got,” he says slowly.
“Uh huh. Sure,” I say. “‘Cuz you’re all class here.”
“Damn right! Don’t be getting lippy on me boy,” he snips pointing a finger at me, though he can’t be more than five years older than me.
“So it wasn’t an apartment, but he don’t go there anymore,” I say.
“Yep.”
“Alright. Got anything else for me?” I ask.
“He’s a skinny kid, but he’s fast.” He laughs, shaking his head. “I was pretty damn impressed with the way he had a go with my bouncer. So I asked. Yep. Strong and mean. Had to have led a hard life.
“Alright,” I say, “here’s my number,” I give him my cell, “send me a text if he comes tonight, and I’ll make sure that your package is taken care of.”
“You got it.” He grins.
Chapter Seventeen
Jake
It’s dawn, and I’m standing outside the police station pacing back and forth― my nervous habit at this point― and after the last few days with Diana, hell, it feels like nerves is all I am. What am I supposed to do though? I don’t have many options. It’s not like I can magically appear in front of the suspect’s home. Knock him around and make the world right again. God, if only life were that simple.
“Hey there, Jake,” Noah says, sliding off his motorcycle helmet as he walks over and shakes my hand.
“How was your night?” I ask, noticing the purple bags under his eyes.
“Hell of a night, and I could definitely use some coffee.”
“Think he’s got any in there?”
“No, not at a police station. It’s a possibility there is some actually in there but it won’t be any good.”
I shrug as we walk step by step together, up to the police station doors.
“At this point though, it feels like that shit is better than nothing. Lucy told me it’s absolutely terrible sludge more than coffee,” Noah adds, reaching for the door and pulling it open.
“Find anything?” I ask, nodding my head at Kenton who looks up from a stack of files in front of him.
“Yeah, maybe,” Noah says.
“Oh yeah?” I press. “What do you think he’s got?”
“Guess, we’ll find out.”
“Morning boys,” Kenton says, and I reach over, shaking his hand. He doesn’t offer it to Noah, but I think it’s more of a lifelong feud at this point. “Productive night for everyone?” he asks.
“It was. Thank God for that,” Noah murmurs.
“What about you, Chief?” I ask, sitting down at a desk.
“Yeah. I found a couple of things that I think will be useful. None of it’s good, of course.”
“Yeah I figured,” I say with a nod of my head.
