Rick Cantelli, P.I. Deadly Liaisons (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 2)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “That’s fine with me. I’ll pay the bill and go in to the bathroom.”

  “Lo and I will still front him, Bone, when you follow him out. Trish will have to go in and watch for the Doc.”

  “Got it,” Bone replied.

  Emily paid the bill and went into the bathroom. Trish exited our GMC and went for the door. She hurried inside, walking past Templar toward the restroom area. Templar stood up, and left the restaurant with Bone right behind him. Lo and I fronted him the moment he cleared the entrance door. Bone fired his Taser, but to no effect, other than to make Templar aware he’d just been Tased.

  “Shit, he has a vest on!” Templar reached under his hoodie. I drew and shot him in the right kneecap. He dropped to the pavement, screaming and clutching his knee. The Glock 9mm he’d been reaching for clattered to the sidewalk next to him. “The Taser didn’t work on him, Bill. He must be wearing a vest. I shot him in the knee. We’re securing him now.”

  “We’re coming,” Bill replied. “I have an EMT wagon headed your way too. Don’t let the Doc get away.”

  “We won’t,” Lo answered. “I’ll make sure Trish doesn’t decide on any extracurricular attitude adjustments for the Doc.”

  “Good thinking.” I kept covering Templar, while Bone recovered his needles.

  “Should I restrain him, Rick?”

  “We’ll let the PD and EMT’s decide what they want to do about restraints.” We were of course drawing a crowd, but Bone moved them along as only he can. Lo and Trish brought out an openly sobbing Doctor Stuart. Lo was smiling, but Trish wasn’t very happy looking. Templar had reduced the noise level down to half-conscious moaning groans.

  “Rick!” Stuart looked surprised to see me. “How could you?!”

  “How could I what?” Before she could answer, the sirens arrived with the EMT’s and ambulance a moment behind them. Staley walked up next to me. I did not lower my weapon until the other police officers frisked Templar before he was placed on a gurney, and strapped down. Bill held out an evidence bag and once again my Ruger was headed downtown. Better it than me.

  “Why’s the Doc crying?” I asked Lo, but Trish answered.

  “She tried to sucker punch me. I bitch slapped her, and she’s been carrying on like I maimed her. Best toughen up, Doc. I hope you get put on duty in the infirmary. The general population will eat you alive.”

  “I… I thought we had something special, Rick!” The Doc continued to blubber.

  Staley grabbed my jacket, yanking me over to the side. “No more pen-pals, Cantelli!”

  Of course Lo and Trish had moved within hearing range and were enjoying the moment a bit too much. The uniforms took Doc Stuart away after the ambulance left with her partner in crime. Bone and I stayed off to the side, waiting to be dismissed without getting in the way. Staley was last to address us before the police presence vacated the area.

  “I want everything on my desk by eleven tomorrow morning, Rick. I don’t care if you have to write a novel. I want to know all the twists and turns that put this together.”

  “Of course you do. If you lean on Templar a little, he’ll rat the Doc out without blinking. I’m certain he thinks she set him up. If he doesn’t, you should help him with thinking that.”

  Staley nodded. “I’ll work it that way. See you tomorrow.”

  Lo was first to speak before we headed back to the office. “Not bad, Rick.”

  “No one died, and we saved a life,” Bone added. “Maybe some of the Cantelli Land shadows have brightened up, brother.”

  I opened my jacket wide. “Just shoot me now, Bone. Make it quick and painless. You’ve disrespected the shadows of Cantelli Land. I’m doomed.”

  “Best get your party side on, Hooterville,” Lo said. “We have a workout and Casablanca Night tomorrow. I’m thinkin’ steak and lobster.”

  “Rick told me I get to be the girlfriend that has Rick on Casablanca Night,” Trish said.

  Lo cracked up at that statement, pointing at Trish. “Oh my… yes… play it and dress for it. Jadie’s head will explode.”

  “Oh good. Thanks Lo. Leave it to you – always ready to figure out the worst possible scenario. Jadie and Ken are doing just fine. This could be another winner of a Casablanca Night if you lay off the cauldron stirring witch role.”

  “Okay… okay… I’ll let it play out in non-confrontational form,” Lo allowed uncharacteristically. “Frank’s been upset with me for screwing up his favorite night. I think I’m getting henpecked.”

  Maybe a little, but I doubt it lasts for long. For one thing, Frank understands dismantling what makes the harpy tick is not a good thing. “Yeah, let’s have a good time Friday, workout included. We missed Wednesday for the first time in a long while. Trish is right. She plays the girl that has Rick, and I’ll back that full on since I can tell you plan on retelling your legendary ace at the Doc’s office all Friday night to anyone that will listen, Lo.”

  “Damn right!”

  * * *

  I had been in my home office writing the book Staley wanted, tying all the loose ends together involved in our successful spoiling of Doc Stuart’s attempt at killing her husband. It was testament to my skill that I could thread Bill Staley into my plot with me as his subordinate. I thought of filtering in a few private jokes about my C.I. position, but age and better sense ruled. When I finished, I noticed it was nearly ten on a Thursday night where I had been uninterrupted. Although that was one of Trish’s most appealing characteristics, I figured it would be good to touch base with Rick’s girlfriend. Not everything is imaginary or pretend. I found her out on my back deck with a wine glass, and a three quarters empty bottle.

  She looked up with a smile as I closed the sliding glass door with a rather large helping of Bushmills in a glass. “How’d you do, Rick?”

  I sat down on the deck chair next to her, taking a big sip as I moved to get comfortable. “I made Staley into a charismatic leader of men, who inspired all around him to thwart the deadly Doc and her henchman. I should publish it. It’s a classic.”

  Trish grinned, chuckling at my cynical description of our Doc Stuart takedown. She took a rather large gulp of wine before turning toward my Bushmills’ sipping self. “I’m not ever leaving you, Rick. If I do, it will be on a stretcher heading for the morgue or because you don’t want me around.”

  Uh oh. “Hey, what brought that on?”

  She smiled. “Nothing. I wanted you to know how happy I am here. I promise not to kill or stalk you if for some reason you don’t want me around.”

  I took a big gulp of Bushmills. Trish and I are killers… and she doesn’t whine. “I’m happy too. I’ve explained the part where we’re too far distant in age. I realize that matters only to me, at least until I start looking as decrepit as I sometimes feel.”

  Trish nodded, looking up at the night sky while leaning back in her chair. “I trust you implicitly. You and Lo are the two people I have met on this earth I can trust without any doubt. Sure, I wish we were both eighteen together with all our knowledge, but life doesn’t work that way. I promise you’ll never have to kill me.”

  Damn. That hit close to home. Had I wondered if I would have to: yes. I had no experience intimately with a contract killer. I have feelings for Trish, progressing at a heated pace. I’d given up trying to hide it from anyone. It is what it is. At my age, the cynical side of me is in full on mode. Sometimes that’s not a great basis for dealing with anyone. I lifted my glass to clink on hers. “The only way you die at my hand is to raise a weapon on someone in Cantelli Land. I will make you kill me before you do someone I don’t think you should kill.”

  Trish put down her wine glass awkwardly. She gripped my wrist from her chair. “That will never… ever happen! You are without doubt the funniest and most interesting coot I’ve ever met. Hell, I know we’re not some role models for the rich and famous. I think you could love me… a little, in spite of my being what you know I am.”

  Uh oh… how in hell do you rep
ly to that at my age. Fine. “I already love you more than a little, and it’s because of what you are. Let’s deal with it day to day like we have been. Good Lord… you are one fine looking woman. How’s that?”

  In answer, we were quickly in a panting acknowledgement of my good taste in women.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chaos

  Friday morning in the office, when Trish and I arrived, we could hear the laughter before we ever reached the door. “I don’t have to be a psychic to know my Doc Stuart moment has been told to our cohorts as only my partner Lois can.”

  “You can bet she’ll be at Jadie’s workout ready to do a dozen encores too,” Trish added, trying to look sympathetic, but failing miserably.”

  I opened the office door for my smiling paramour, ready to greet the eager faces of Cantelli tales fans. Lo outdid herself, and boinked me but good. It turned out she had called in our install crews along with the regular office inhabitants for a business meeting – in actuality, a Cantelli roast. I waved and smiled as good natured applause erupted at my entrance. I took the time to introduce Trish to the install crews before sending the smirking pricks on their way. Lois was positively beaming. For her it had already been a wonderful morning.

  Shelly came over with at least hesitant enjoyment. “Hi Trish. Hi Rick. That encounter yesterday morning Lo pulled off was probably not as funny in person.”

  Trish nodded. “It did seem funnier after we left the Doc’s office, especially since you can imagine how Lo whooped it up on the way to the parking lot.”

  Shell glanced back at Lo who at that moment still held Bone’s attention with added details. “Oh, believe me, I can imagine very well. Want to finish up with the computer intro? Lo wants you to be able to fill in for me when I’m sick or on vacation.”

  “Sure. Thanks for all the help with that. You’ve made it pretty clear. I didn’t know my filling in for you was the main objective, but it makes sense. Good luck with Staley, Rick.”

  “Thanks. I’ll show the Gorgon my Staley novel, and then head for the precinct. Bill will be more receptive to having played backup for yesterday’s operation the earlier I get it to him this morning, especially when he reads what a stalwart leader of men he is in my report.”

  “Rick, you… you have seen the headlines, right?”

  I cringed while remembering the ever present fiction writing media. “I don’t even get a paper, Shell. You know that. Did something get out about yesterday?”

  Shelly went to her desk, retrieved a newspaper, and brought it over. “Lo didn’t think it would mean much, but they nailed you with the ‘Killer’ Cantelli label again.”

  Oh boy. I took the paper from her with Trish angling back for a look. It read Madigan and Cantelli Security Firm helps local PD stop a killing. The ‘Killer’ Cantelli line showed up in the middle of the article when describing my wounding of Templar. “It appears Staley still hasn’t sealed up the leak to the press in his department. Thanks, Shell. I’ll keep it in mind when I get over to the precinct.”

  Trish patted my arm before joining Shelly at her desk. I went over with Lo and Bone. Lo pointed at the newspaper. “I see you’re reading all about it, ‘Killer’.”

  “We managed to get the business some notoriety at least. “Did you enjoy storytelling time, Bone?”

  “Uh… no, brother. It was horrifying. You were at the mercy of first a sexual predator, and then the all-knowing, all-seeing oracle of truth, justice, and the American way.”

  I grinned as the two of them enjoyed Bone’s obviously rehearsed line. “Good one. Go see if you can check on what they’re doing or not doing at the FBI about the tire warehouse drug ring. I’d prefer not to get blindsided with anymore federal screw-ups.”

  “Right away, Rick.” Bone returned to his desk while Lo and I adjourned to her office.

  I kept the newspaper, but handed the thicker than usual report for Staley to her for inspection. “See if you think I should change anything since this headline hit already.”

  Lo got busy while I read the article more closely. The only real bad part was Madigan and Cantelli being mentioned before the police. I’m thinking of playing that angle when talking with Staley. Bill has a very ignorant media informant. If the nitwit in the PD wants to leak info to the media, they should at least insist on top billing.

  “I think you laid it on a little thick kissing Bill’s ass in this, Rick, but otherwise, it combines all the ingredients of a legal bust without revealing in detail how the information was gathered. If Staley did his job, and interrogated Templar properly, we should be clear of this Doc Stuart business completely. Longtree Bail Bonds is happy as hell, so that’s another plus.”

  “I’m leaving now to see Bill. Anything else we need to tie up?”

  “I noticed Trish was hangin’ on you pretty tight, Hooterville. Are you two bonding?”

  “None of your business, Harpy.” I left the office with the familiar cackle escorting me on my way.

  * * *

  When I reached the precinct, the place was in an uproar. The funny looks from passing uniforms made me think somehow I was involved. They nodded or said hi without additional conversation, so I thought maybe my imagination might be playing tricks on me. When I knocked on Staley’s office door, I could tell through the window whatever this disturbance in the Force that had the uniforms in a heated rush was, it had Cantelli written all over it. Bill looked relieved to see me, gesturing animatedly for my presence inside. I walked in, and sat down without a word. No use getting amped over the unknown.

  “I’m glad to see you, Rick. We’re on alert. FBI Agents Rita Suero and Bret Mesker died transporting the cartel inside man, Arlen Conus to Sacramento. They left early this morning from where they were holding Conus in LA. Their vehicle only made it three blocks to a stoplight. It was called in moments after by a driver passing the scene. They never even got off a call for help. From the description I received the car looked like it had passed through a war zone.”

  Images of the two agents not involved in their superior’s drug cartel dealings flashed into my head, a slide show of shadowy Cantelli Land. Yeah, I wish I could have been nicer. I wish we wouldn’t have been at odds with each other over the Conus sellout to an up and coming drug cartel. I wish these two young people had been better treated by an asshole superior who not only sold them out, but got them killed. I hope the son-of-a-bitch rots in a special seventh level of hell. My face must have been betraying me.

  Staley pointed at me. “Don’t go off the deep end here, Rick! I’m thinking the cartel won’t stop at what they’ve done. They’re making a statement. Back East, this hit on the agents is a firestorm. I don’t know what kind of holdings this cartel has back there, but they’re getting the full treatment with the backing of D.C. They can forget their cute tire warehouse outlet. I want you and Lo on full alert. That headline I’m sure you’ve seen makes Madigan and Cantelli a target.”

  No shit. “Yeah about that, Bill, what exactly have you done to tone down your floodgate to the media putting all of our lives and legal cases in danger?”

  I could tell he was going to deny it, but he’s not that dumb. “We’re working on it. We have the leak narrowed to three people, two of them in the DA’s office. They will take a lie detector test by noon or be unemployed. That’s the guarantee I received from the mayor’s office.”

  I handed him my report on the Doc Stuart case. “Lo already checked it. She thought it made you look too good. I’m beginning to think she’s right. I’ll see you tonight at the restaurant if you can get away. We’ll have a place for you.”

  Bill stood up and held out his hand which I shook. “I’m sorry about this whole mess, but I know sorry doesn’t make it better.”

  I stood too and shook his hand. Friends are hard to come by. “Trish has been doing very well. I think she’s going to be okay.”

  A weird look crossed Bill’s face I didn’t like. “About Rocha… Judge Setteridge found out about you and Lo employin
g her, and she nearly had a stroke. I don’t think she knows you and Rocha are living together, but I wanted to give you a head’s up that Saint Ally ain’t happy, Rick. I’m not sure if she can undo her ruling or not. My guess is she can’t without making herself liable for dismissal.”

  “That idiot should have been disbarred for letting Trish out. You and I both know that. Her now claiming she was misled or something is just horseshit! A personal vendetta didn’t work out the way she wanted it to with more chaos, so now she’s playing the outrage card – bullshit!”

  “That one’s out of my purview, Rick, or I would tell that crook loving bitch to stick it up her ass. I wanted you and Lo to know Saint Ally ain’t done trying to mess with you.”

  “Thanks for that, Bill. It will undoubtedly come close to making Lo’s head explode, but at least we know what’s going on behind the scenes. If we come up with anything related to the FBI executions you will be my first call.”

  “Just don’t take this personally, Rick. Keep your heads down while D.C. goes medieval on their asses.”

  Yeah, I’m going to trust Washington D.C. to protect me… right. I had no doubt the FBI rank and file would do exactly as Bill hinted at. Those newbie cartel goons were in for a real shocker when they find out they can’t execute people like they do in their third world hellhole. I don’t pretend to make statements about the FBI going after criminals in quite the same way when only crimes against the general populace are involved. They do however take some dark steps when some entity assassinates their agents. None of that mattered now, because if the cartel’s hit on the FBI agents were true, then the hit on us secondary players was already issued.

  I waved at Bill on the way out of his office. “See you if I see you. Thanks for the info.”

  “Don’t do anything rash, Rick!”

  I turned for a moment. “Don’t presume to know me, Bill. I’m happy to have been instrumental in getting your daughter on the straight and narrow, followed by getting you Captain’s bars. You’re family to me. It is what it is, but there is a limit to what we interact with. We both know you couldn’t protect Lo or me for even a moment. How about we work on surviving this, and then we deal with the rest?”