by Max Austin
“Here we go,” Ryan said.
“Pay attention, young man. You might learn something.”
Ryan grinned. He still had his arm around Tina, and his fingers did a little dance on her shoulder.
“How old are you, my dear? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“I’m twenty-four,” she said.
“That’s what I would’ve guessed. So, this story I’m going to tell you, it’s something that happened when I was about the age you are now. I’d only been working a short time in the bail bond business, and my boss sent me after this skip.”
“ ‘Skip’?”
“A runner. We pay the bond to get some jerk out of jail, then he skips on his court dates. We get stuck paying the full bail unless we can find him.”
She nodded.
“This particular skip was a young man named Dwayne Dixon. He was mixed up with gangs here in Albuquerque. Tattoos all over him, gold on his grille, the works. A very unsavory character.”
“Maybe,” Ryan said, “he was just misguided.”
“That’s always the story,” Vic said. “ ‘He’s a good boy. He just fell in with the wrong crowd.’ Not Dwayne. He was the wrong crowd. The other skip tracers tore up the town, looking for this kid. The cops were on the lookout for him statewide. Nobody could turn him up.”
“So they called in the expert,” Ryan said.
“You want to hear this or not?”
Tina gave Ryan the elbow again.
“My boss asked me to give it a try. So what do I do? I don’t go out on the streets, talking to gangbangers. They’re never going to tell me anything anyway, and they might just shoot me for their trouble. No, I went to the records. I checked the address of Dwayne’s last arrest. It was his mother’s house. She lived over on South Broadway. Handed the kid over when the police asked.
“I check the arrest before that, when Dwayne was arrested on a drug charge. Where did the cops take him down? At his mother’s house. I went back through the other arrests. Almost always, he was picked up at that same address.”
He paused to sip his drink, and Ryan jumped in again. “So you went to check Mom’s house.”
“Everybody else had been there already, but I figured I’d give it another shot. I knocked on the door and talked to the mother. Very nice lady. Invited me into the kitchen. Gave me some coffee. The whole time, telling me she’s got no idea where Dwayne might be.
“But I keep looking at this pot on the stove. Big pot of soup bubbling there. Dwayne’s mom lives alone, and she’s making enough soup for an army?”
Tina leaned forward. “Did you check the rest of the house?”
“I was trying to figure a way to do that very thing. I’ve got no warrant, no authority to be there. I’m sipping my coffee, thinking I’ll ask to use the bathroom, maybe get a look into the other rooms. But before I can make my move, the back door flies open and Dwayne walks in.”
“No way,” Ryan said.
“Walked right in while I was sitting there. He got one look at me, there at his mother’s table in my suit, and he turned and ran for it. I had to chase him outside and tackle him in the yard. Remember, I was twenty-four years old, probably in the best shape of my life. Still, he nearly got away.”
“But you did get him,” Tina said.
“Oh, yeah. We were wrestling around on the ground, getting filthy, so I punched him a couple of times to make him hold still.”
Her dark eyes went wide. “Then what?”
“Then I put the cuffs on him.”
They sat back. Seemed a little disappointed with the story.
“So,” Vic said, “what does that teach us about human nature?”
Ryan said, “Most crooks are stupid?”
“That’s true, but it’s not really the point.”
Tina gave it a try. “People are predictable.”
“Also true, if you know how to look for patterns. But again, not the point I’m trying to make. My point is there’s no stronger bond than family. That urge to be among your own is very strong. That’s why Dwayne kept going home to his mom. That, and she was a helluva cook.”
“So that’s the point?” Ryan said. “People like their families? Pretty lame, Vic.”
Vic showed them his killer smile.
“You only say that because you haven’t heard the end of the story.”
He took another sip of his drink, making them wait, then said, “After I put the cuffs on Dwayne, somebody stabbed me in the back.”
“What?” Surprise made Tina speak louder than she intended. She clapped her hand over her mouth.
“Right here.” Vic reached over his left shoulder to touch the scar above his shoulder blade. “A steak knife. Buried to the hilt.”
“His mom,” Ryan guessed.
“That’s right. It was okay for the cops to come and haul Dwayne away; Mom was cool with that. But when she saw me punch him, the family thing kicked in. She couldn’t help herself. Flew right out the kitchen door and stabbed me before she could regain control.”
“My God,” Tina said. “Were you hurt badly?”
“I’ve been better. It didn’t do any permanent physical damage, but it did shake my faith in humanity.”
“I’ll bet,” Tina said.
“I spent two days in the hospital, and Dwayne and his mom spent years behind bars. But I learned a valuable lesson: Never turn your back on the mama bear when you’re messing with her cub.”
Tina smiled. “That’s quite a story.”
“You can see why I got out of the skip-tracing business,” Vic said. “Much safer to stay in the office and do the paperwork.”
“You don’t miss the excitement?”
“Oh, it’s very exciting to take a steak knife in the back. I’d much rather take a knife to a steak. Speaking of which, here comes our food.”
The waiter arrived, carrying a tray on his shoulder, and set steaming plates before them.
“Besides,” Vic said, winking at Ryan, “I still find ways of injecting a little excitement into my life.”
“Like what?”
“Like the tram ride back down to the city. This time, in the dark.”
Tina moaned.
Chapter 26
When the doorbell rang, Penny Randall was already in bed, but she was nowhere near sleep. She’d read three chapters of a fat historical novel and found herself getting caught up in the sexual politics and sword-fighting of dashing Prince Derek. She hated to set the book aside to go to the door.
The bell rang again.
She knew it was Vic. No one else would show up after ten o’clock at night, unannounced and unbidden.
Penny sighed as she slipped into her bathrobe. Vic’s late-night visits typically came after he’d had a few drinks. She was an easy option on those nights when he couldn’t face being alone. Right next door. Always a sympathetic ear.
She checked the peephole in the front door. Vic knew she was looking. He crossed his eyes and gave her a big, goofy smile. As she unlocked the door, Penny thought: He might’ve had more than usual.
“Hello, Vic. Come in out of the cold.”
She stepped to the side so he could pass through the doorway.
“How did your dinner go?”
Indoors, in better light, she could see his cheeks glowed and his pale eyes were bloodshot.
“We had fun. I took them up the tram to that restaurant on the crest.”
“I haven’t been up there in years.”
“It hasn’t changed at all. And the view is still fantastic.”
Vic’s speech was slurry and enthusiastic. Penny braced herself for a long night.
“I’d offer you a drink,” she said, “but you don’t seem to need any more. Want some water? Or coffee?”
“No, I’m fine. Just want to relive the evening a little. Then I’ll get out of here and let you go back to bed.”
Penny curled up in an armchair, her feet tucked under her, while Vic sprawled on the leather sofa.
“I gotta tell you, kiddo, I never thought I could feel this way about a couple of young people. I get a real kick out of Ryan and Tina. You should see ’em. They’re real sweet together. Young love, you know?”
“I remember,” she said. “Barely.”
“Oh, come on, it’s not too late for romance. You’re still young. You’re beautiful. You could have any man you want.”
“I’m done with men. I’m too busy. I’d rather make money than take long walks on the beach, holding hands with Mr. Perfect.”
Vic’s smile slipped. Penny thought his eyes were a little unfocused, too. How much had he drunk, up there on the mountaintop with the kids?
“So,” he said, “you no longer believe there’s a perfect man for you?”
“Kiss enough frogs, you stop believing in princes.”
Vic raised his eyebrows, waiting for more, but she wouldn’t give it to him. Not tonight. Not when he’s drunk.
Instead, she said, “Did Ryan’s girlfriend ask about our business?”
“Just the bail bonds, which she of course finds fascinating.”
Penny rolled her eyes. “God. Keep her away from me.”
“No, you’ll like her. Wait and see.”
She took a second, summoning up the courage for the next question. “Are you sure Ryan’s for real?”
Vic sat back, gaping at her. “You don’t think he’s my son?”
“Well, there’s no real proof—”
“C’mon, Penny. Look at his eyes! His teeth! The kid looks like me.”
“Sure, but—”
“He showed me photos of his mother. I remember her, Penny. It was a long time ago, but I remember Lisa Mobley. I’ve been checking them out, and I’ve come to the conclusion that she’s his mother and I’m his father.”
Vic choked on the last word. He looked away, blinking.
Penny kept her voice soft and gentle. “That’s wonderful, Vic. I’m happy for you.”
“It’s a helluva thing, isn’t it? I can’t get over it. It’s weird, but I feel parental all of the sudden. Like I should be looking after the kid and coaching him on life.”
“You certainly have a world of life experience.”
“More experience with death.”
“Lot of lessons to be learned there, too,” she said. “Living and dying is all there is.”
“No, there’s living, and there’s simply surviving day to day. I’m not sure I’ve been doing it right.”
She tugged at her robe. “That sounds like retirement talk.”
“Just the booze. It’s got me all emotional.”
“Give yourself time to adjust, Vic. Not everybody becomes a family man overnight.”
“A family man. I guess that’s what I am. A helluva thing.”
He slapped his knees, as if to stand, but froze there a second, staring at the floor between them. When he looked up at her, his face had gone deadly serious.
“I’d do anything for that kid, Penny. I know that sounds crazy. Couple of days ago, I didn’t even know he existed. Now, he’s all I care about.”
She smiled as she got to her feet. “That’s what parents do. That’s the biological imperative.”
“Whoa. Such big words for so late at night.”
“Come on, Vic. You need to toddle off to bed while you can still walk.”
“It’s hard to get up off this comfortable leather sofa. It’s like sitting in a baseball mitt.”
“You’re not sleeping there.”
She pulled him to his feet. For a second, they were only inches apart. She could smell the whiskey on his breath, feel the heat coming off him. It gave her a tingle low in her belly, an old familiar desire. There had been other boozy moments like this over the years, when their physical proximity sparked and threatened to burst into flame, but Vic never let it get out of control. He treated her like a niece, and always would. Whenever he looked at her, he saw his friend Art’s little girl.
“Good night, Vic.”
She opened the door and he stepped out into the cold. Paused for a second under the porch light, inhaling the crisp December air.
He gave her a wink.
“Good night, princess.”
Chapter 27
Hours later, Vic snapped awake to someone rapping at his door. He came out of bed in one smooth movement, plucking the .22 off the nightstand in the dark. The knocking paused, and he heard a woman sob. Then more knocking.
Vic was barefoot, dressed in pajama bottoms and an old T-shirt. He crossed his familiar apartment without turning on any lights. When he reached the door, he peered through the peephole.
Tina stood under the porch light, her mouth twisted and her face streaked with tears. She wore sweatpants and a thin tank top, her shoulders bare in the night chill.
Vic unlocked the door and snatched it open.
“What’s happened, Tina? What’s wrong?”
Struggling against her tears, she said, “They took him, Vic. Some men took Ryan.”
The Mustang was in the driveway, empty, the engine still running. Vic pulled Tina inside and shut the door.
“Where did this happen?”
“At the motel. We were asleep. They banged on the door.”
“Who did?”
“Two men. One short. One tall. Wearing ski masks.”
“You’d never seen them before? You didn’t recognize their clothes?”
She shook her head. Her breath came in shuddering gulps, but she managed to say, “When Ryan opened the door, the short one punched him in the stomach. The other one put a bag over his head. Then they hit him again.”
Vic felt a flush of hot rage.
“I jumped out of bed and tried to help him,” she said. “The tall guy grabbed my ponytail and threw me to the floor.”
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay. But by the time I got to my feet, they were gone.”
“You didn’t see a car? A van?”
She shook her head as more tears sprang to her eyes. Vic pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, careful to keep the pistol pointed at the ceiling.
“What did you do then?” he said gently. “Did you call the police?”
“I started to, but I thought, what if they come back? What if they decide they shouldn’t leave a witness behind? I jumped into my shoes and grabbed Ryan’s keys off the dresser and ran out of there.”
“Good thinking.”
“I knew where you lived; Ryan showed me days ago. I thought this would be the safest place. I don’t know anybody else here—”
“You did the right thing, sweetie. I’ll get dressed and go check out the motel.”
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “You’ll leave me here alone?”
“My boss lives next door. You can stay with her while I’m gone.”
He steered Tina to the sofa and said, “Just rest for a second. Catch your breath. I’ll throw on some clothes.”
He locked the door and peeked between curtains. Ryan’s car still puffed exhaust, but there was no other movement in the yard.
Vic hurried toward his bedroom. As he passed Tina, he patted her shoulder and said, “Sit tight, kiddo.”
Chapter 28
Tina stayed on the sofa, arms crossed, her hands wrapped around her bare shoulders. Her tears had stopped abruptly, and she wondered if that meant she’d gone into shock. That happened, right? People who saw something terrible often went into shock. Some never came back.
She rubbed her upper arms. It was warm in the apartment, but her skin was still chilled. She needed to pull herself together and think. Maybe there was some way she could help Ryan.
She pictured herself with Vic’s sleek pistol, popping off masked invaders the way she’d do in a video game. That would’ve helped Ryan. Not some girl who got thrown down by her ponytail.
Tina swiped a hand across her nose, then checked it for blood. Nothing. She’d landed pretty hard on the carpeted floor, but her shoulder had taken most of
the fall. She’d be bruised tomorrow.
Vic was talking on the phone in the next room. She couldn’t make out the murmured words, but there was no mistaking the urgency in his tone. Then a beep as he hung up.
Next, she heard the unmistakable click-clack of a pistol’s slide. She recognized how quickly she’d accepted Vic’s answering the door with a gun. He’d been a bounty hunter and, for all his talk about pepper spray, those guys kept guns handy.
Vic came back into the living room, tucking the pistol into the inside pocket of his gray suit. He wore a black shirt and he’d run a comb through his hair. He checked the window again, saying over his shoulder, “Does Ryan have any enemies?”
“None that I know of. But he always carries that pistol with him.”
Vic checked another window. “Still clear out there.”
He crossed the room to a closet and opened the door.
“You’re not really a paper-pusher, are you, Vic?”
“Not exactly, but we don’t have time to get into it now.”
He pulled a tan jacket off a hanger.
“Wrap this around you.”
He draped it over her shoulders, then led her outside. He kept his arm around her as they crossed the gravelly yard.
“The car,” she said. “It’s still running.”
“I’ll take care of it in a minute.”
A light glowed above the driveway at the bungalow’s side door. As they went up the concrete steps, the door opened and a woman in a blue bathrobe showed them into a tidy kitchen. Her short hair was tousled and her face was puffy with sleep.
“Tina, this is Penny. This is her house. You’ll be safe here until I get back.”
To Penny, he said, “She’s had quite a shock. Maybe make her some tea.”
“I’ll take care of her. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll go to the motel and look around. See if there’s any sign of where they went.”
The kitchen had sunny yellow walls and a white tile floor. The kitchen table and four chairs were carved wood in a rustic Southwestern style that didn’t seem to go with the rest of the room. Tina pulled a heavy chair out from the table and perched on it unsteadily.
