by Nadirah Foxx
If she was willing to listen, so would I.
“Here’s the deal,” Debbie started. “We know that one of these guys will be watching Sentinel. Kerrie, you should go through the front door like nothing’s wrong. Let whoever’s watching think you’re oblivious to any danger. Lidia, you’ll enter the building through the bunker. Station yourself upstairs, protecting Kerrie. We’ll dismiss the employees. Tell them it’s an unexpected holiday. Everyone gets paid.”
Lidia bobbed her head.
“That idiot watching the building will undoubtedly make a move, thinking Kerrie’s alone,” Debbie stated.
“There’s another detective I know who could help out. I wouldn’t put it past the perp to try to run.”
I’d listened. It was time for me to add my input. “Josh has to be contacted. He’s meeting with Walter. If Joe and Mikey are working with him—”
“Josh should know what’s going on before he says the wrong thing,” Debbie surmised. “Make the call. I’ll follow up with a text letting him know what’s going on. I’ll also send a quick email to the heads of each department, telling them to leave as soon as possible.”
Removing my phone from the holster around my leg, I located Josh’s name and clicked on it. He answered on the third ring. “This is Reynolds.”
“Listen carefully. Don’t let on that it’s me on the phone.”
“Sure thing.” Josh said to Walter, “Sorry. I have to take this. Something’s going on at Sentinel.”
“By all means, Josh. Take the call. Our business will wait.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“Leak it to Walter that I’m giving the employees a little holiday. They’re leaving early, and I’ll be totally alone.”
“I see. Can I ask why?”
“We discovered who killed Ryan and RJ. They’re coming for me, and we’re setting a trap.”
“Sounds good, Miss Scott. I’m glad Mrs. King is doing right by the staff, but she shouldn’t be in the building alone.”
“When you return, go through the lower level. Make sure no one’s following you.”
“Well, she is stubborn. Tell her good night for me. We’ll meet in the morning.” He hung up.
Debbie looked expectedly at me.
“Josh is playing along just fine. He actually told Walter I’ll be in the building alone.”
“Well, then. Let’s get you back to the office and Lidia in place. I’ve already had responses on the memo. The employees should be out within the next twenty minutes or so. I told them a possible bomb threat was involved instead of the holiday. Nothing like pending death to make people move.”
“Won’t someone notify the cops?”
“Nope. I told them I did it already.”
I was nervous and anxious at the same time. Part of me was excited we would finally apprehend the bastards who murdered my family. We’d deposit the assholes on the doorstep of the LCPD with enough evidence to put them away for life. I’d gladly testify at their trials, but maybe I could convince them not to waste taxpayer money. Simply confess and be sentenced.
After confirming the building was clear, Debbie dropped me about a block away from Sentinel. Still dressed in my sweats, I crossed the parking lot and then looked left and right. Before I reached the front door, I saw Mikey standing across the street. He was in his work clothes and pretending to be on the phone. I was tempted to wave. Instead, I smiled to myself and went inside.
Pressing the comm in my ear, I said, “Digital Pirate, you there?”
“Downstairs in the tech lab.”
“Guardian?”
“Upstairs in DP’s office. My friend is inside of yours. Just come on up like it’s nothing unusual.”
Riding the elevator, I thought about how I preferred things to happen. I’d beat the shit out of the lowlife. After he was nothing but a bloody pulp, then Lidia would interrogate him. If he didn’t tell us what we wanted, I’d gladly beat him again. I wouldn’t stop until he begged me to. Just like Ryan pleaded for his life, I’d pretend not to hear Mikey, but then I’d fake a show of mercy. Like I had a change of heart. Then I’d lift my gun and blow his fucking brains out.
The elevator doors opened, and the fantasy cleared as I sauntered toward my office. I was practically jovial when I walked in. The other officer was nowhere to be seen. He was probably inside my closet—thank God I closed the door leading to the bunker—or in my private restroom. I took a seat at the desk, turned on the computer, and pulled up the security cameras. Mikey the Idiot was inside the lobby. I watched him pull out a weapon and hold it up, ready to shoot anything that moved.
“Not happening,” I mumbled.
Mikey entered the elevator. I switched screens. The man bounced on his toes and rubbed the back of his neck. He muttered something I couldn’t hear. Nervous? He had every reason to be. He just didn’t know it yet.
I heard the ding before I saw the doors open. My pulse quickened, and I was almost breathless waiting for the idiot. Mikey stepped off, looking over his shoulder as he walked. He stopped at the conference room, poked his head in, and then continued down the hall.
My door was before Debbie’s. I kept staring at the screen as if I had no idea he was outside my office. It wasn’t until Mikey knocked that I glanced up.
“I sent the staff home…” Touching the base of my neck, I said, “Uh… You don’t work here. Who are you? What do you want?” I blinked my eyes rapidly. I even let my lips quiver. “W-what are you going to do?”
Mikey grinned, and I glimpsed his brown-stained teeth. When he stepped into the room, I had to work hard at not passing out from the mixture of sweat and ripe ass wafting off the dirty man. “Now, now. This doesn’t have to go badly. All I need for you to do is a make a phone call.”
“T-to who?”
“Walter Puckett. Tell him you’ve reconsidered his offer. You want to sell as soon as you can.” Mikey scratched his head. “But tell the man you want more. Ask for say…um…another three million dollars.”
If Mikey and Joe worked for Walter, they were about to turn on the man. I was good with that, but not at my expense.
“And if I don’t?”
My would-be attacker pointed the barrel of his gun at my head. “I’ll be forced to blow your head off.”
“I wouldn’t try that if I were you. Unless, you want me to put a bullet in the base of yours.”
Mikey’s body tensed.
Lidia said from behind him, “Lower your weapon to the floor and put your hands up.”
Slowly, he bent his legs and placed the gun on the floor. When he stood, the hidden detective burst out of my closet. He kept his weapon aimed on Mikey while Lidia slapped a set of cuffs onto his wrists.
Not exactly how I pictured the scenario.
But it would do.
“This won’t stop what’s coming for you, pretty lady,” Mikey said before Lidia’s partner led him out of the room.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. King. We’ll get to the bottom of this. Just stay out of trouble and let us do our job.”
I smiled sweetly. “Sure thing.”
Lidia shook her head as she walked out.
Debbie’s voice sounded in my ear. “Everything okay up there?”
“Yeah. Do you have the evidence we need?”
“The recording you made was ingenious, Kerrie. I gave a copy of it to Lidia. That should be enough to at least start prosecution.”
“We still have to find Joe,” I stated.
“Something tells me Mikey might give him up.”
“Let’s hope so.” I took the comm device out of my ear and stretched. Opening a desk drawer, I pulled out a picture of Ryan and RJ. It was taken just months before their murders. “Baby, we’re almost there. I promise both of you that justice will be had.”
“Kerrie?”
I glanced up and saw Josh. He was out of breath with a pained expression.
“I’m fine. Lidia arrested one of the men.”
Josh exhaled loudly as he walked around my desk. He
pulled me to my feet and wrapped me up in a tight embrace. “I was so fucking worried.”
“You shouldn’t have been. We planned this.”
He stepped back and gazed into my eyes. “No, we didn’t. You were supposed to go to Walter’s. Do a little snooping. Come back here.”
“Plans changed.” I sat down. “Debbie hacked into Walter’s financial records. She got proof of his arrangement with Mayor Simpson.”
“How did that help you find this guy Lidia arrested?” Josh perched on the edge of my desk.
“We went to the warehouse. I found the guy in charge from the security footage…”
Josh rolled his eyes. “And you followed him?”
“No. I went to his office and listened in on a phone conversation. Before I could leave, the guy called in his partner. They discussed coming after me.”
“Shit, Kerrie.” Josh’s expression pinched. “I told you—”
“I phoned Lidia. Okay?” I looked up at him. “Nothing happened to me. She was here, and there was another cop in the closet. Debbie was listening in from the lab. I was protected.”
Josh raked a hand over his face. “When will this stop?”
Stop? Did he think we were playing some game? Collect the bad guys, send them to jail, and win a million dollars? It wasn’t a fucking contest meant to keep me busy.
“This is about justice. I thought you understood that.”
“I do, but I also understand you’re setting yourself up for a major fall.”
Shrugging, I said, “Let’s hope my suit bounces then.”
37
Getting Nowhere Fast
Despite Lidia’s best efforts, Mikey didn’t give up anything or anyone. Rather than cooperate, he asked for his lawyer.
“Thanks,” I said. Disconnecting, I tossed my phone onto the desk beside my mocha shake.
Josh had picked up food from Colossal Burger, but I barely touched it. Not that the food was bad. On the contrary, it was my favorite guilty pleasure. My appetite was blunted because of everything that had happened.
He glanced up from his double-cheeseburger—a dollop of mayo was on the corner of his mouth. “What happened?”
Frowning, I said, “Mikey lawyered up. There’s nothing more Lidia can do.”
“Not buying it. We worked too hard to let it be for nothing. What about his partner?” Josh wiped his mouth and then stuffed his face with fries.
“You’re talking about Joe.” I pushed a stay hair out of my eyes. “We could follow him. He was supposed to meet Mikey tonight.”
Around a mouthful, Josh asked, “Where?”
“Hang tight.”
Picking up my phone, I found the recording app and clicked on the conversation between Joe and Mikey. The information we needed was toward the end of their discussion. “The Lucky Lady. We’re supposed to meet with Gena at nine.”
According to my device, it was eight o’clock. “Want to check out a casino?”
Josh smiled. “Go change, and then we’ll swing by my apartment.”
◆◆◆
The Lucky Lady was a swanky casino and sports bar in Victoryville, a town that had seen better days. There used to be a racetrack associated with it, but the venue shut down years ago. When the owners had the course demolished, they expanded the site and added a hotel.
People came from all over the Tri-City area to soak up the atmosphere. Anyone who wanted to be seen—politicians, local celebrities, and wannabes—hung out at the bar. Of course, the party scene attracted the criminals in the region too. They tended to keep to the perimeter, waiting for unsuspecting patrons stumbling home.
Josh and I arrived, looking like a couple out on the town. He wore a tailored black suit with a black shirt while I donned a short black sequined dress and stilettos. Just in case, I carried my weapon in my handbag. Josh had a gun tucked into his holster.
As we entered, I took note of the high-arched ceilings spotted with dome security cameras. Players sat on stools either drinking or playing slots. Others gathered around the various tables while uniformed workers and servers strolled the patterned carpet. Plainclothesmen stood throughout the room.
I always wondered how anyone managed to concentrate in a casino. Between the constant bells and whistles from machines, loud chatter, and cheers, it was too much for me. Even the smells—a mixture of cheap cologne, aftershave, sweat, and food—was nauseating.
I shivered from the too-cool air-conditioning before Josh led me over to the extremely long counter. A female bartender with a pixie haircut came over and placed napkins in front of us. “What’ll it be tonight?”
“I’ll have a Sauvignon blanc,” I said.
Josh leaned against the bar. “Bourbon, neat.”
The woman quickly retrieved our beverages, and Josh paid. He lifted his glass, looking over the rim, and asked, “Do you see him?”
“No. Why don’t we walk around for a bit? Soak up a little ambience?”
He placed his free hand on my lower back and steered me toward the blackjack tables. Leaning down, he said, “Play it cool. Act like we’re here to gamble, like everyone else.”
I smiled easily and glanced around the room. “Not seeing anything of interest.”
“Let’s walk toward the roulette tables.”
As we stood watching people try their luck, I saw Joe. He was wearing black and moving toward a back staircase. Wanting to cause a scene, I let my glass tip until the contents spilled onto Josh’s shirt.
“Whoa!” He jumped as I soaked him in wine.
“Oh, babe. I’m so sorry. I guess I had my fill,” I exclaimed. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
An employee pointed to the restrooms—the same direction Joe was headed. We dropped off our glasses on a table. Then, we quickly walked toward the hall. I quickly glanced over my shoulder before we ducked into the stairwell. I gestured to Josh, stopped, and removed my shoes.
“Good thinking,” he said.
With my shoes in hand, we continued our descent. Before we cleared the stairwell, however, voices floated toward us.
“Did you hear about Mikey?” Joe said.
“Yes,” a woman said. “My lawyer is on his way to the precinct. You do know what has to be done, right?”
Joe whined, “But Mikey didn’t say anything.”
“It doesn’t matter. We can’t have any loose ends. Besides, King is still alive and in charge of the company.” That had to be the mayor.
Josh glanced at me. I tried not to read anything into his expression. Instead, I concentrated on the conversation. When nothing more was said, I motioned for us to go up the stairs. We moved as quickly and as quietly as we could, but I swung my arm and my shoe hit the banister.
“Did you hear that?” Mayor Simpson said.
“What?” Joe asked in a sharp tone.
“Go!” she shouted. “You’ve been followed!”
We ran faster, but there was no way we’d make it to the parking lot before Joe climbed the steps. So I did the next best thing. I grabbed Josh and yanked him into the women’s restroom. A few ladies were powdering their noses at a wall-length mirror.
One of them side-glanced and said, “Ah, now, somebody’s about to get lucky.”
Josh smiled and said, “Ladies, can we have the room.”
They laughed as they exited. Somebody said something extremely rude, which I didn’t want to think about.
Just before the door closed, I saw Joe. He was heading for the restroom.
Tugging on Josh’s hand, I dragged him into a stall and locked the door. “Play along.”
It was bad timing on my behalf, but I saw no other way around our predicament. I wrapped my arms around Josh’s neck and locked lips with his. Under different circumstances, I might have enjoyed the moment. After all, he was doing a lot more than playing along. Josh cupped my head and slanted his mouth, deepening the kiss.
Damn, that man could smooch.
My shoes slipped from my hands and hit the floor.
The door opened. Footsteps shuffled in and stopped in front of the stall. Then, a phone rang.
“Yeah….” It was Joe. “Nobody… Just some guy getting lucky…”
Reluctantly, I broke the kiss. Gazing into Josh’s eyes, I bit my lower lip and pointed toward the sound.
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll head to the station…. I got it! At least, let me find out if Mikey said anything first… Fuck it, Gena, he’s my cousin!” Joe ended the call, and then I heard the door open and close.
Did Mayor Simpson order Joe to kill his own cousin?
My best friend gave me a curious look before he slowly emerged from our hiding spot. I slipped on my shoes and followed behind him. He was staring down at his phone.
“Josh—”
“Hang on.” He finished tapping on the screen. “Sorry. I had to send a message to Lidia, letting her know they should watch out for Joe. If I’m not mistaken, he’s been given the impossible assignment.”
“Killing family.”
“Unimaginable.”
I nodded. “About what just happened between us.”
He waved a hand in the air. “You don’t have to explain. I know what—”
“No, you don’t.” I leaned in and claimed his lips again.
He moaned but then dragged his mouth away. He leaned his forehead against mine and sighed. “What’s going on, Kerrie?”
I took a step back.
Good fucking question. Maybe I was just caught up in the moment. Thing was, I didn’t hate kissing Josh. I liked it a little too much. It wasn’t my intention, though, to lead him on. We couldn’t go down that road. Not then. Maybe never. Still, a part of me really wanted it.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” My cheeks heated, and I lowered my head.
“Kerrie.” When I didn’t make eye contact, he touched my chin and forced my gaze up. “Kerrie, don’t ever be sorry for kissing me.”
“But Josh—”
“I’m good. We’ve talked about this before.” He winked. “You don’t have to worry about this being anything more than that moment. I won’t force you into a relationship or my bed. Understood?”
“I know. It’s just… I don’t want you getting the wrong idea about me.”
