Security Squad

by Nicolette Pierce

  “It’s one of his shock collars,” I said.

  “No kidding?” Mrs. Janowski said, eyeing the collar from a reasonably safe distance. “Is it for torture or buzzing some sense into the guy?”

  “We were hoping for sense, but he doesn’t seem to have any,” I said.

  Mrs. Janowski tisked. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “There doesn’t seem to be a plan,” I said.

  “There was a plan,” Brett interrupted, “but it seems to have unraveled.”

  “I hate when that happens,” Edna commiserated.

  Everyone looked at her peculiarly.

  “I do,” she insisted. “I hate when I get a row done and I fall asleep. Then next thing I know, my work is in a piled heap on the floor.”

  Mrs. Janowski shook her head and moved closer to the man. “Ida, you hold him down while I get his wallet.”

  The man’s eyes rounded as Ida marched forward.

  “Don’t get near him,” Brett warned.

  “Actually, I think they’ll be fine,” I said. “Ida could put even you in a hold.”

  Brett rubbed his head. “I give up.”

  “It’s easier that way,” I soothed.

  Ida straddled the surprised man and plopped down, pinning his arms and legs. “Go ahead and get what you need,” she said to Mrs. Janowski.

  A twinge of a smile reached Brett’s lips. He leaned in to whisper, “Since the ladies seem to have everything under control, would you care to tour the house? There’s a particular room that I know you enjoyed last visit.”

  Mmm. Yes, I did.

  “I said they could put the man in a hold. I didn’t say they’d know what to do with him after.”

  “So I’m still useful?” he asked. “You really know how to mess with a man’s ego.”

  “Your ego is perfectly fine,” I said, adding, “if not a little inflated.”

  “Inflated?”

  “Just the way I like it,” I replied.

  He leaned in to kiss me but became distracted by a shout. I knew it wasn’t a proper place or time for kissing, but I was left feeling like a board game with a missing piece.

  Mrs. Janowski fished out a wallet and held it up. “Look what I have!”

  “Fine!” the man blurted. “I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Just give me back my wallet.”

  Mrs. Janowski cocked her head to the side. “Why the change of heart? What’s in here that you don’t want us to see?”

  “I’ll tell you everything,” he said. “Just get her off me and give me back my wallet.”

  Mrs. Janowski pursed her lips for a moment. “No. You’re not in the position to make demands. You’ll tell us what we want to know and I’m going to look in your wallet. You’re obviously hiding something.”

  “Don’t!”

  But it was too late, Mrs. Janowski had flipped open the wallet. Her jaw sagged open.

  Brett crossed the short distance and took the wallet. He glanced at it and then down at the man. “Dirty cop?” he asked. “Or are you on assignment?”

  “He has a badge?” I asked, eyeing the man. “He doesn’t look like a cop.”

  “Assignment,” he muttered.

  “Then why are you carrying your badge in a place anyone could find it?” Brett asked.

  “Anyone?” the man sputtered. “Not once have I ever been pinned down and searched. It didn’t cross my mind that two seniors could lift it from me.”

  “Now you know,” Ida said smugly.

  “Can you get off?”

  Mrs. Janowski nodded to Ida.

  “It’s been a pleasure,” Ida said, pushing herself up.

  Brett reached down and helped the man up. “You and I are going to have a little talk.”

  “I’m not talking,” he said. “This is police business and you’re interfering. I’ll slap you with so many fines you’ll have to mortgage the house.”

  “You’re talking to an ex-cop with time and money to spare,” Brett said. “My patience, however, is at an end.”

  “You’re an ex-cop?” he asked.

  Brett gave a single nod.

  “From where?”

  “Houston.”

  The man looked thoughtful for a moment. “How far outside the law are you willing to go to get your friends?”

  “As far as it takes.”

  The man shook his head. “You’ll want to rethink that.”

  “Let’s go inside,” Brett said, leading him into the house. “The rest of you go home.”

  “We’re helping too,” Mrs. Janowski stated.

  “No,” Brett responded. “Go home.” Brett looked over at me briefly. His expression would have been unreadable to everyone . . . except that I had seen it before. I knew what it meant.

  “We’re not leaving!” Mrs. Janowski stated.

  I held up my hand to stop her. “Yes, we are.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Ida said.

  “I’m quite serious,” I said, herding them down the drive. “Let’s get into the car. I’ll explain on the way.”

  “On the way to where?” Edna asked.

  “Home.”

  “Oh, good,” she responded, which only served to bristle Mrs. Janowski.

  “I’m not going home when I can help.”

  By this time, we were closer to the car and out of ear shot. I took one last glance at Brett.

  “Ladies, get into the car and pretend we’re leaving,” I said.

  “Pretend?” Mrs. Janowski perked.

  They went from shuffling to scampering. Poor Edna was caught in the stampede and squealed with surprise.

  When the final car door slammed and we were all snug in Mrs. Janowski’s car, Ida said, “Start talking. I’ve got about an hour left in me before I peter out.”

  “I’m petered and pooped already,” Edna said.

  “Drive down the road just a bit,” I said to Mrs. Janowski. “Let’s get out of view.”

  Mrs. Janowski fired up the engine and backed down the drive. “Sylvia, bend down. Your hair is blocking my view.”

  “What did you use on it?” Ida asked. “It looks like a poufy helmet.”

  Sylvia patted her hair. “It looks nice.”

  “She’s been using that old Aqua Net,” Edna stated. “Remember when she bought out that store?”

  “From three decades ago?” Ida blinked. “You still have that stuff?”

  “They canceled my favorite line,” Sylvia said. “I had no choice but to buy cases of it.”

  “Ladies, you’re off topic again,” Mrs. Janowski scolded. “Mars, what’s the plan?”

  “Listen, Brett is in cop mode right now. He’s not going to let us get involved no matter how much he needs the help.”

  “What do we do, then?” Ida asked.

  “We help him by watching and coming up with a backup plan for when he fails.”

  “You think he’s going to fail?” Edna peeped.

  “He had that look in his eyes. I’ve seen it one time before. He knows something big is going down and therefore is sending us away so we don’t get hurt. He’ll keep pushing us away, so we might as well save our breath and stay on guard. I’m going back to try to listen.”

  “What about us?” Mrs. Janowski asked.

  “I need Ida to locate the Comet riders. Call my dad if you have to. Make a deal with them or twist their arms. They’re big enough to make an army or one hell of a distraction. Brandy might be another good source to go through.”

  “What about me?” Mrs. Janowski asked.

  “You’re in charge of a non-deadly arsenal. Take the other ladies if you need help.”

  Mrs. Janowski grinned wickedly.

  “Non-deadly,” I repeated sternly and opened the door. “Everyone keep their phones on. I have a feeling that whatever is going to happen is going to happen tonight. Be quick.”

  “‘Silent and deadly’ is our new motto,” Mrs. Janowski said as I slid out the door.

  “Since when?” Ida asked. “That
’s a fart’s motto.”

  Dear Lord.

  I clicked the door closed, shutting out a growing argument, and ran through the patch of woods to return to the cottage. It looked quaint and peaceful from this distance. I could imagine it in the winter with snow covering the roof and trees, blanketing the ground, a fire crackling inside to warm cold fingers and toes.

  And Brett to warm everything else.

  I crept to the living room window and spied through it. They were sitting like reasonable adults, but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. From their tense expressions, it was unpleasant.

  The only way I’d be able to listen in is if I cracked open the window or snuck in through the door.

  The window was too obvious from their current position. I’d have to sneak in.

  I crept over to the door and gently turned the knob only to find it locked.

  Maybe the kitchen window, I thought, tiptoeing over.

  Locked.

  Bedroom window?

  It was unlocked and slid open without a sound.

  Chapter 24

  The unlocked window was low enough that I could pull myself up. I slipped through the opening and flopped ungracefully on the bedroom floor. Luckily the room was carpeted and it muffled my landing. Crawling to the bedroom door, I nudged it open and sat next to it with my back against the wall. Threads of the conversation floated in. I opened the door just a hair more.

  “Mac came charging into the bar like a madman,” the cop said. “It wasn’t the first time. I was able to kick him out before without incident, but this time he stumbled in where he didn’t belong. Your friend T was lucky to come out with just a few bruises the other night.”

  “What’s the real business?” Brett asked. “Gambling is just a cover.”

  “My assignment is to find out. I was barely given a briefing. Higher ups have been tight-lipped. As soon as I stepped foot into the building, I realized I wasn’t going to get information. They don’t let just anyone into the inner circle. The last couple of months I’ve just been doing my best to scare people away.”

  “Who’s in the circle?”

  The cop hesitated. “Fenwig and a few others.”

  “Is he still the mayor?” Brett asked.

  “Yeah. I doubt he will be for long, but right now he’s pulling strings. He has to know a cop is on the inside. I’m sure he’s got ears in the department. I just don’t know if he knows it’s me, which is why I’ve been trying to stay off his radar.”

  Footsteps fell heavily on the floor. I spied through the cracked door to find Brett pacing.

  “How is Bob involved in this?” Brett asked.

  “He’s a cook.”

  “That’s it?”

  “As far as I know.”

  “Does he have inside knowledge?” Brett asked.

  “Not that I know of. Some staff is only allowed through certain doors and they have to stay in assigned areas. They know they’d be fired on the spot if caught anywhere else.”

  “Was he spotted anywhere else?”

  “No. He stayed in the kitchen.”

  “But there has to be talk,” Brett said.

  “I would assume so. I’m not privy to that since I’m acting as bouncer. I stay in my spot too,” the cop said. “What I do know is that Mac triggered something when he barged in. He and Bob were swept out so fast I didn’t have time to act.”

  “Could you have done anything either way?” Brett questioned.

  “Not without blowing my cover.”

  “Could they have suspected Bob as the undercover agent?”

  There was a beat of silence before he responded. “It’s possible. Everyone was a suspect. When Mac stormed in, they could have added two and two and come up with ten.”

  “Are they cop killers?”

  The man gave a rough laugh. “They’d kill their own mothers if they had to. A cop ain’t nothing to them.”

  I texted Mrs. Janowski with a request to find someone to discreetly watch Fenwig’s house. I wish I could underline in texts. I would have underlined “discreetly” three times.

  “Where would they have taken Bob and Mac?”

  “As far as I know, they don’t have any other holdings. I have no idea where they could be.”

  A bang on the door silenced the men.

  “It’s T,” came a muffled shout followed by another rap on the door.

  Brett’s heavy footsteps crossed the room.

  “What did I miss?” T asked a moment later.

  “Did the ladies follow you?” Brett asked.

  “Jesus, they’re going to give me an ulcer. But, no, I wasn’t followed.”

  Brett quickly filled him in and began forming a plan to find Bob and Mac. The cop, who they later referred to as Sims, was uncuffed and stayed to help. He was very clear when he said “unofficially,” which seemed fine with Brett and T since they expressed no desire to work with a law official right now.

  They were going to check several locations. At the top of the list was the mayor’s house. I quickly texted Mrs. Janowski a warning to expect company.

  “I don’t know,” Sims said. “Would Fenwig be stupid enough to bring them to his house?”

  “I wouldn’t say stupid,” T said. “The man doesn’t think he can be touched by the law. Just look at what happened when those videos were released.”

  “True,” Sims said. “His wife took the rap for that.”

  “And all those videos were inside his house,” Brett added.

  “Where would he keep the men?” Sims asked T. “Did you get a layout when you worked for him?”

  “I know that place like the back of my hand,” T said. “I know exactly where he would keep them.”

  Brett groaned. “After being there once, I’m afraid to find out.”

  “Where?” Sims asked.

  “The S&M room,” T said.

  I grimaced. It figures he’d have a room like that.

  “I think one of the videos was taken in that room,” Brett said.

  “I’m sure it was,” T said. “He had many ‘friends’ visit him there, but only his wife and a partner would have been on video.”

  “Friends?” Sims asked. “Are we talking male friends?”

  “Anyone he could round up,” T said. “Mainly from the Internet.”

  I think I’m going to be ill.

  “Something isn’t clicking here,” Brett said. “We know he has a fondness for sex and voyeurism. We also know he’s on the inside track to illegal gambling. But what’s the connection between them? Why would he put himself at risk with the two?”

  “Like I said, he thinks he’s outside the law.”

  “There has to be more,” Brett said. “Drugs? Prostitution? What’s his angle?”

  “Self-gratification,” T said.

  “Then we need to figure out who the partners are, because I know damn well one of them has an angle,” Brett said.

  “Do you know anything at all about the partners?” T asked Sims.

  “All I know is that Fenwig is the low man on the totem pole. Whoever the partners are, they have a wide reach with deep pockets.”

  “Then we have no choice but to start with Fenwig,” Brett said.

  “You’re on your own from here,” Sims said. “If I show my face anywhere near there, I’m a dead man.”

  “I trust you’ll keep this between us for the time being,” Brett said. “Will your department respond if we ask for help?”

  “You know the drill,” he said. “Find some hard evidence and they’ll be there. Call this number and tell them Sims sent you. But this is the last time you’ll see me.”

  “You’re going back to the bar?” T asked.

  “I don’t really have a choice. I’m still undercover.”

  “Good luck, man,” T said.

  “I think you’re going to need it more,” Sims replied.

  “Brett, I’ll meet you at Fenwig’s in twenty minutes,” T said. “I have enough gear in my trunk to g
et us in and out.”

  “I’ll be there,” Brett said.

  The front door opened and closed. I stole a peek at Brett. He began pacing again. I could feel the tension radiate. There was no doubt that he was worried.

  I picked up my phone again and texted Mrs. Janowski with instructions to form whatever army she could at Fenwig’s house in thirty minutes and then to send Edna to pick me up. Thirty minutes would be enough time for Brett and T to get inside the house without suspecting we were around. Once they were inside, we could somehow keep the area safe.

  Somehow.

  Seriously, I had no idea what I was doing. Just tossing fortune cookies in the air and seeing if any cracked.

  I had confidence that no matter what, Mrs. J. would have her fleet ready. I just hoped it was a fleet of menacing bikers and not the members of the senior community center.

  My phone oinked with Mrs. Janowski’s reply.

  Crap!

  I can’t believe I forgot to silence it.

  Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!

  Brett’s pacing footsteps stopped. I scrambled to the window and was halfway through when two strong hands dragged me back inside.

  “Looks like I caught a spy,” he growled from behind.

  I really didn’t want to turn to face him, but I didn’t have a choice. He spun me around, and I found myself on the receiving end of a piercing glare.

  I had no idea what to say to him. There was no way I was going to give away my plan and have it ruined. He needed help whether he acknowledged it or not.

  “You’re very cute when you’re angry,” I said.

  “Mars,” he bit off.

  “Still cute.” I smiled and batted my lashes. He obviously saw right through my ridiculous act, but at least he wasn’t snarling.

  “What are you up to?” he asked, bringing me away from the window and then locking it.

  “Finding out what you’re up to,” I said.

  “You heard everything?” he asked.

  “I wouldn’t say everything,” I replied.

  “What would you say?” he gritted.

  “I heard enough to worry about you. I don’t think you should go.”

  “Will you try to stop me?” he questioned.

  He was still in cop mode, gauging my answers.

  “No,” I answered honestly.

  “Then why listen?”