Rick Cantelli, P.I. (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 1)

by Bernard DeLeo

  Pug’s face went into full torque, but he managed to squeeze out some clarification. “Teddy Alvarez.”

  “Sure, I’ll speak with him. Everyone but him get out of the limo and into a line over here next to the building, hands empty. I’ll get in, keep my gun in hand, and he and I can have as long of a chat as he’d like.”

  Pug looked stunned as if he expected me to just hop right into a deathtrap, so they could ace me, and drop me off in the ocean with an anchor chained to my balls. He ducked back into the limo for a moment. A minute later, Pug and two equally slicked companions exited the limo. They walked over to the building with their hands clasped in front of them. I kept them in visual range, while peering in at the single unarmed occupant sitting in plain sight. Teddy Alvarez looked a lot like the pictures I’d been looking at in the office, only about thirty pounds heavier. He resembled a Wall Street broker with dark suit and tie, immaculately dressed and his sparse black hair groomed. Teddy smiled at me.

  “Come in, Cantelli. You can close the door after you. It’s bulletproof.”

  I entered the back, palming a tiny micro-device in my free hand, I always have with me. When I want to know where someone’s going on the job, I don’t want to be a day late and a dollar short. I plant the bug on them, either slipping it into a pocket or their ride. I sat across from Teddy where I could still see his minions, Ruger in hand across my lap. “You wished to speak with me, Mr. Alvarez?”

  “You are in no danger here. I am a businessman.” He had one of those tenor voices so smooth and well modulated as to be eminently reassuring to almost anyone he spoke to. Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t anyone. “I heard about the difficulties at the pawn shop. I am here to make amends. Please list any clients you have under your control. They will not be bothered. We are in the security business too. If I had known your company was already protecting the pawn shop, we would not have approached it. I’m sure we can come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

  Lois and I were in big trouble. I saw the solution. It would not have anything to do with T-bone, or police, or late night patrolling. When a guy like Teddy arrives to promise you safe passage in his shark infested waters, it means you have been marked for death. I smiled at him in a very friendly manner.

  “That is very generous of you, Sir. I will have to discuss this with my partner, but I’m sure you’re right. We can come to a mutually beneficial solution.” I put my Ruger away, reached into a coat pocket, and pulled out one of my business cards. When I stretched out to hand it to him, I stuffed my tiny GPS bug in between the seats. “I would not presume to ask for your number, Sir. Would you please have one of your people call the office tomorrow morning at ten? I am meeting with my partner tonight.”

  Teddy nearly beamed while taking my card. “Of course… of course… may I call you Rick?”

  “Please do, Sir.” I opened the limo door. “Good day to you, Mr. Alvarez. Thank you for meeting with me.”

  Teddy waved at me cheerfully as I walked away, gesturing for his goon squad to get back in. I stayed with hands clasped in front of me, wearing my complacent Cantelli face. After they drove away, I got my small satellite, super laptop out of the GMC cargo area. With it open on the passenger side front seat, I began tracking Teddy. The wonderful man had a huge beach house in La Jolla. I found the rental property within minutes. It was a seven bedroom estate and the backyard was nearly all glass, overlooking the ocean. After parking at the nearest public access to the beach, I stripped down to pants and t-shirt, throwing on an old Padres baseball cap. With a day bag, and my HD telephoto camera, I made the trek to the spot where Teddy’s rental backyard incorporated a large natural stone wall.

  I enjoyed the photo op, walking along the surf, snapping pictures without a care in the world. I noted the sparse kelp beds out about a hundred yards from shore. I would need a few bushy stalks for this to work. Normally, I wouldn’t consider something as stupid as the stunt I had in mind without a couple weeks of intensive planning. I figure what the hell. If it doesn’t work, I’d go for it another time soon. If my stunt did work, it would be one for the Cantelli secret archives. I triangulated my surf spot, and headed back to the GMC. I grinned, thinking of what Lo would say about this op.

  I called T-bone, and told him the stake-out was off for tonight. I told him I planned to increase our roving patrol, and have them monitor Nick’s pawn shop and home remotely. He seemed a little confused, but admitted he was glad to have the time that night to spend with Carlene. Apparently, he had planned to break a date with her for dinner to go along with me later. That would not be necessary any longer. I had a different date of my own.

  Next, I stopped by my storage locker for an equipment bag, and then it was on to our boat in the Marina. It’s a black hole for money. I spend a lot of time keeping it in superb condition, but very little time boating. We take clients out occasionally, and Lois takes Frank’s relatives out for a cruise when they visit. I had just done the maintenance on it during my time off, so it was all set. I went through a check list of things necessary for success. The Harpy was ready to sail. Lois had the name registered as The Sea Breeze. Oh barf! It was still only one o’clock, so I headed for my buddy Staley. He’d get a report he would love but never get to use, while I would have a wonderful little cover.

  I arrived at Staley’s desk, handed over the file, and sat down. Bill looked as if he had been prepped by Lois, which would save some time. I’m hoping he doesn’t fall into Lois’s clutches, and starts reporting on everything we say. She draws them into her inner circle of butt monkeys and Igors until there is nowhere safe in Cantelli land.

  “Lois made a point to call me,” Bill admitted, confirming my suspicions after reading through my report with growing concern. “I thought you’d be here a lot sooner. This Alvarez shit is something none of us need right now, Rick.”

  “I know that, my friend, but the only alternative is stick our heads into the sand and pretend to see no evil, hear no evil. We have longtime clients we’ve been collecting fees from who expect Madigan/Cantelli Security to step up. We’ll use every contact we’ve ever made in the alphabet soup branches, and call in every favor to help you. What we won’t do is look the other way. I’m sorry about dropping this off so late, but I had to make a few stops.”

  Bill grinned. “The DA doesn’t know whether his office wants to enforce the law or kick the can down the road. I’m with you and Lois on this, even if it means getting busted down to beat cop. Everyone starts getting cold feet when a drug peddler/kingpin like Alvarez eyeballs a takeover with the money he can get his hands on. Even trying to explain to my bosses the necessity of either fighting him or becoming the murder capital of the world as Mexico has become is only partially effective. We’ll need some wins. As you have outlined here, I’ll get with our drug task forces and see if we can coordinate some arrests before these clowns get a foothold.”

  “If you can get them to keep an eye on the suspects’ names we’ve already found, they may be able to give us a warning when Alvarez moves them around. We’ll work on keeping Nick and our other clients healthy, and help you when we can, Bill. I know you’ll call us if anything crosses your desk we should be aware of. We’ll do the same for you.”

  “Thanks for the workup, Rick. This will pop some eyeballs in the DA’s office. I have to be careful who sees it over there. Alvarez may have already started pumping money into forbidden places. Can you do one more favor for me while you’re here?”

  “Sure.”

  “That Trish Rocha requested we let her speak to you. Any idea why?”

  Probably to memorize my face in case she gets loose and wants to blow it off. “Not a clue, Bill. I’ll talk to her if you want me to. I would have figured she’d be in a dungeon somewhere. She’s dangerous, buddy.”

  “Tell me about it. We’re still finding bodies linked to her.” Bill scribbled down something and handed it to me. “Give this to the people at holding. If they question it, have them call me. Stop bac
k by when you get done chatting.”

  If I was allowed to, I’d FaceTime this Trish meeting with Lois. She could say hi to her new BFF. “Will do.”

  * * *

  Armed guards latched Trish across the table from me. Orange was not her color, but she looked to be holding her own. She grinned and nodded at me as the guards backed away and left. “Hey, Rick. Thanks for stopping by.”

  This woman gave me the goose bumps. No one gave me the goose bumps. “Hi, Trish. I heard you wanted to talk.”

  She leaned across the table. “I like you and your old pal, Lois. Can I tell you who sent Chet and I after Al Baylor and that old slut of yours without you blabbing it to anyone else?”

  “No offense, Trish, but what’s in it for you?”

  Trish looked away for a moment, before spreading her hands out palm down on the table and meeting my puzzled look with an actual smile instead of her killer one. “If I sent you letters would you write back?”

  The hair stood at attention on the back of my neck. Gee, a pen-pal who makes Lucrezia Borgia look like a piker. On the reality side, I might get a hint if some cataclysmic event propels her out on the street. “I’d be happy to. I’m a little confused as to why you would want to, but I’m willing.”

  “Would you visit me once in a while?”

  “Conjugal?”

  Trish doubled up over that one, pointing at me with appreciation. I smiled because if you’re going to mess around with cold blooded killers, it’s always a good idea to make them laugh. She straightened again. “You’re funny, Rick. I like that. Teddy Alvarez sent Chet and me. If you tell your cop friends, I’ll be dead.”

  The puzzle pieces started leaping into place. “Teddy’s already sending thugs down to set up the protection rackets in preparation for spreading his operation south.”

  “Sorry. I thought my news would be more striking. Does that mean you won’t write or visit? How about if I throw in a conjugal one?”

  “Your info helps. I’ll write and visit, strictly platonic though.”

  “Stay out of Teddy’s way, Rick. He knows more killers than just Chet and me. When we found out your involvement in the meth lab bust, it put you on his radar. He knows about you and Stacy too.” She heard the guards come in. “Time’s up. Nice chatting with you, Rick. I have your address. I’ll write.”

  “You do that, Trish. I’ll check in on you when I can.” This is how things always happen to me. Just when I get juicy info to feed Lois for favors or to get her off my back, I get them all at once, and they’re dated if I don’t use them. She stopped as the guards turned her.

  “Thanks, Rick. I needed something going in.”

  I waved. “Conjugal you later.”

  Trish’s laughter continued on out of sight. After my belongings were returned, I headed back with Bill. It looked like he was busily creating and collating his own send-outs from my report. I sat down while he finished.

  Staley furrowed his brow finally in an attempt to look curious. “Well, what did your girlfriend want?”

  “Trish wants a pen-pal.”

  Gone went the furrow to be replaced with shock. “You’re joking, right?”

  “Nope. She also wanted me to visit when I can.” I enjoyed the hell out of Bill’s open mouthed wonder at my statement. He blinked as if noticing he had been staring at me for a couple minutes.

  “You’re getting to be more entertaining than a box of crackerjacks. Did she have anything more informative to tell you?”

  “Nothing we didn’t already know or suspect. She didn’t give up her employer.” Which was true. We already knew about her employer, and soon, if things went well, no one would care about her employer.

  “Thanks for talking to her. Go on, and get out of here. Get the bunker ready. I’m sure there are more surprises on the horizon.”

  Ain’t that the truth. I shook hands with him. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”

  “Are you still going over to work out at that young fox’s fitness center?”

  “Yep. I told Lo, I’d go and let her know you’re as worried as we are. See you later, brother.”

  “Watch your back, Rick. That was a dumb stunt giving those jokers your business cards… funny… but stupid.”

  I laughed and kept walking. If he knew how stupid I could really get, I’d have to shoot my way out. It was time to go home and get some sleep before my big night. I went to my own house to crash until workout time. It was another magic Cantelli moment. I went home, found my own lovely bed, and passed out until forty minutes before the workout. I made some tea, sat down, and enjoyed the silence. When I left for Jadie’s, I felt the glow was back. Soon though, it would be time for my usual insanity.

  * * *

  I made it to Jadie’s early, stretching out, and making small talk with the other members of our group. By then most of us were on a first name basis. Karen walked in with her usual friendly air. No one would guess she was a movie star seeing the way she interacted with our group. She gradually moved over to my side. It was then I noted the little shadow girl with her.

  “Hi, Rick.” The little shadow girl waved. “Don’t be mad. I talked big Sis into bringing me along for the workout.”

  “It’s okay, isn’t it, Rick,” Karen asked. “She looks completely different, huh?”

  Temple looked like a little fresh faced teenager with her hair tied back tightly under a turned around baseball cap. With black workout shorts and blue pullover, she could have been anyone. No one else was paying attention, so her disguise seemed pretty good. “I’m okay with it. Your disguise is working. What made you decide to come tonight?”

  Temple shrugged. “I missed you two. The excitement’s gone. My life is a shambles. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. I’m suffering Cantelli withdrawal. Help me.”

  Karen and I were already laughing before she finished me off with the Cantelli withdrawal dart. “You’re funny, kid. Stay between Karen and I.”

  “How come you have bigger weights?” Temple removed her three pounders, holding one of her pink ones for me to see. “Are you showing off, Rick?”

  Karen filled her in. “When Rick did so well in the workout, it made his partner, my half sister Lois mad. She switched him to five pounders as punishment.”

  “That is so amped. Lois gets you all the time according to Karen. She told me Lois banged on the beach house door just to scare the crap out of her.”

  “Lois and I have been partners for a long time, kid. It’s difficult to explain. Anyway, that’s how come I have fives. Here comes Lois now, with her Igor, Shelly.”

  “Rick!” Karen admonished me for my Shelly remark.

  “She looks pretty good for an Igor,” Temple observed. “Are you hittin’ that too, Rick?”

  Karen turned away, her hands clamping off the snorting laughter she had trouble controlling. I grabbed the little smartass’s ponytail and gave it a good tug. “One more line like that, and I’ll send you to the corner. No, I’m not doing anything with Shelly. She’s our office manager. Be respectful, you little twerp.”

  Temple hung her head. “Yes, Sir.”

  I gave her one more tug for the insincere apology. Lois recognized her right away. She smiled and whispered the kid’s ID to Shelly. They both shook hands with Temple.

  “I heard you were going to give us an added boost at the restaurant,” Lois said. “Was that actually your idea?”

  “It was my idea. I think your Casablanca night is a great idea. Karen and I worked on a couple songs we plan on doing.”

  Jadie arrived in the tightest fitting outfit I’d seen her wear yet: all black, and inappropriate. Temple leaned into me and whispered. “Wow, is that Jadie?”

  “Indeed. She surprises us every week with her outfits. That one is no exception.”

  “She’s blushing while looking right at you, Rick,” Temple continued narrating as Lois edged closer to hear what she was saying.

  “Jadie has it bad for Rick. I told you that,” Karen repl
ied, having also edged in close enough to hear. Shelly stayed out of it. I could tell she was less than pleased with our newcomer.

  Jadie greeted a lot of the regulars who stopped her to say hi. She worked her way toward us with easy grace, as the two assistants working with her at every class assumed their positions at the front. She stopped a few steps away with her arms folded.

  “We have a new little lamb following the Cantelli goat around, I see.”

  “Baaaaaaahhhh,” Temple adlibbed for much laughter. Even Shelly laughed. Temple held her hand out, and Jadie shook it. “I’m Temple. Nice to meet you, Jadie.”

  “Karen called me about the duet. Thank you. Maybe we can make it a trio.” Jadie turned on me then, of course. “I heard you had a beach party without inviting your restaurant partner: me.”

  “It wasn’t a party, and I didn’t send out invitations. I was meeting with Temple on business, and she asked if Karen could come too, because we were all at a dinner together. You wouldn’t have liked it. Cheech Garibaldi hit the beach with two henchmen for an unannounced meeting.”

  That shocked Jadie, which she turned on Karen. “You left that out.”

  “Karen and I had to swim out to a buoy a long way out and stay there freezing until Rick handled the meeting,” Temple explained. “It was exciting.”

  Karen shrugged. “I gave you the highlights.”

  “I’ll request another beach house meeting, and ask Rick if you can come too, Jadie,” Temple volunteered. “Without the gangsters of course.”

  I noticed Lois had kept silent through the whole exchange with a slight smile promising bad times for Cantelli ahead. I could tell she was storing nuts for winter: mine. Jadie did not look pleased with being invited as an afterthought. Temple was trying to make friends, but she hadn’t broken through to Jadie with that attempt.

  “I better get class started,” Jadie said, rubbing her chin as if considering something special, while looking at me. “You’ve had it too easy lately, Rick. I’m thinking ten pounders for the future.”