by Polly Iyer
“You’re offering ―” He stopped and laughed. “And you saw all this in a vision? That’ll go over big in court.”
She wouldn’t let him get her goat. Control. It was all about control. She reached out and clasped his arm, taking an extra moment for effect. He didn’t know she saw nothing that meant anything. “You forget who I am, but that won’t matter, because you won’t make it to court. We’ll make sure your vigilante boss knows you’re going to rat him out. Hell, you might not make it out of the building today.”
“That’s bull. He wouldn’t ―”
Gotcha. “Who wouldn’t, and what wouldn’t he do?”
Hodge clamped his mouth shut.
“I’m offering you a way out. Six hours head start. I wouldn’t bother telling your wife either, if I were you. When news of your escapades with Denise Garcia comes out, she’ll turn on you like a boomerang, like all the rest. And Mrs. Garcia? She won’t get stuck alibiing murders and a kidnapping. A divorce is nothing compared to life in prison for accessory after the fact. Six hours. You can get your money, pack a few things, and be gone, but I want the name first.”
“Forget it. I haven’t done anything wrong. No one will come after me. So tell your boys to arrest me.”
Diana held in her frustration. She really thought he’d go for the deal. “O-kay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Damn, damn,” she muttered as she took the stairs to the main floor. With every step she second-guessed herself. Could she have presented the deal better? Why didn’t he accept? She felt eyes watching her when she left Headquarters and walked into the morning sunlight. Rickett had promised she’d be protected. She got to her car and called him. “You heard?”
“I heard.”
“I thought I had him, but he refused to bite.”
“You did good. You almost got him. He’s screwed either way, and he knows it. Either he takes the deal, which he has to know wasn’t made with the best intentions, or he takes the chance his boss won’t kill him. We have to make our deal look better than the alternative.”
“How do you do that?”
“We up the ante.”
“What does that mean?”
“You don’t want to know.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve just put myself on the line and offered a deal which you now say you wouldn’t keep even if he’d taken it.”
“Diana, did you actually think we’d let him walk? Would the lieutenant?”
Hodge was a killer, and he drugged Lucier. Why would she think the feds or the NOPD would let him get away with that?
“No, he wouldn’t.”
“There’s little honor when you’re dealing with zealots. Don’t forget what he did to your lieutenant and what he tried to do to a kid. Not to mention the attack on your life. Oh, and remember what turned us on to him in the first place. How many dead bodies did he exact revenge upon before we noticed the pattern? The real world’s nasty and dirty. Park your ethics if you want to see justice done.”
“Okay, you’re right. Do what you have to do.”
“Never a question in my mind. My man will follow you to your meeting with the team. I’ll tell Beecher to make sure someone stays with you. You’re even more a target now.” He cut the call.
“Great. Thanks, Rickett.”
Whatever Rickett had in mind, she hoped he succeeded before the boss, whoever he was, took Hodge out of the equation.
Chapter Fifty-One
Five Minutes, Maybe
Rickett made sure he wasn’t followed to the safe house where Walt Starr handheld Lucier through the worst stages of withdrawal. Walt looked tired.
“How’s he doing?” Rickett asked.
“’Bout like you’d expect. Day two is a bitch. Day three will be easier for him than for someone kicking a long-time habit.”
“Let’s hope so.”
“He keeps asking about the Racine woman. I was surprised. I thought she’d be the last thing on his mind, but she’s not. They must have one hell of a bond.”
“She went through a bad time with that serial killer, and he was with her every step of the way. So, yeah, they have a history. Did he say he wanted to see her?”
“I asked him. He peppered me with questions about what he’d go through next. When I told him the third day might be worse, he said he’d think about it. He’s a tough guy. Even though he feels like shit, he’s been doing sit-ups and push-ups.”
“What are you giving him?”
“A few other over-the-counter remedies: Nyquil, Imodium, Tagamet. Once he’s done, he’s done, and we don’t have to worry about getting him off something else. Withdrawal is a bitch, plain and simple.”
“You ought to know.”
“He’ll have it a lot easier.”
“You’re one of my heroes, Walt. Really.”
Walt shrugged off Rickett’s compliment. “You want to see him? Now’s a good time. It won’t last long.”
“Yeah. I don’t have much time anyway before I have to turn into Rickett.”
“He’s in the living room. He’s got full run of the house and yard. After all, he’s the victim here, not a prisoner. Go on in.”
Rickett entered the suite of rooms that included a kitchen and full bath. Lucier sat in a leather recliner, a glass of what looked like grapefruit juice on a side table. He appeared to be sleeping, but he said, “Rickett or Kohl, whatever the name is today. Who’d’ve guessed you’d be my rescuer. I had you pegged for one of the bad guys.”
“Rickett, always Rickett. How’re ya doing?” Lucier opened his eyes, and Rickett knew he’d asked a stupid question. The cop’s beard had sprouted with threads of gray, and his eyes, though better than when he arrived, still looked sunken and heavy. Sweat beaded on his face. “Never mind.”
“You got about five minutes before I start shaking or shivering or cramping or heaving.” Lucier shuddered. “Maybe three minutes.”
“We’re gonna get these bastards, Lucier. And we’re gonna fry their asses.”
“How’d you find me yesterday?”
“I followed Hodge. Did Walt explain we’d been on the case for a few months?”
Lucier nodded. “Yeah. I sure wish someone had clued us in. We could have worked together.”
“We didn’t know who we could trust. Not until your investigation hit the newspaper did we realized we had competition.”
Lucier aimed his empty stare at Rickett. “We aren’t competition, Rickett, or should I say Agent Kohl. We’re on the same team.”
“Yeah, I know that now.”
“You could have checked me out with Ralph Stallings from the New Orleans field office.”
“I would have if I’d known you were working on the case. From my point of view, the fewer people who knew about my undercover work, the better. Stallings didn’t know.”
Nodding, Lucier said, “How’s Diana?”
“Distraught, about you. She’s something, you know.”
“Yeah, I know.” Lucier expelled a barely audible laugh, along with another shiver. “Watch out for her. She’s sneaky. She’ll talk you into doing something crazy, like taking a stupid risk or putting herself in harm’s way. She’s very convincing.”
When Rickett didn’t say anything, Lucier sat erect. “She didn’t, did she? You better not have let her ―”
“She’s fine.”
“I don’t believe you. What did she convince you to let her do? Never mind. I don’t want to know. But know this before I disappear into the bathroom.― if anything happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Lucier clutched at his stomach and launched out of the chair to make a beeline for the bathroom. Rickett heard the sounds of a man in the throes of withdrawal.
Walt was sitting at his desk, going over some papers. Rickett said, “He probably needs you right about now for a dose of whatever. I’m off to play my role and get the fuckers who did that to him, and I will have no mercy.”
“Give the bastards one for m
e,” Walt said.
* * * * *
Diana saw her tail in the rear view mirror. Thank you, Rickett. She pulled into her driveway, where Beecher, Halloran, and Cash waited.
“He didn’t bite, guys,” Diana said, getting out of her car. “I thought I had him, but he backed out.”
“Damn,” Beecher said. “I wanted to close this out.”
“Me too,” Cash said. “I thought for sure he’d go for a clean getaway. Damn.”
A cruiser pulled in behind Diana. “Here’s your protection,” Halloran said. He squinted at the figure getting out of the police car. “Cantrell. He’s a good cop.”
“He followed me from Headquarters, per Rickett’s orders, I guess.”
Halloran went to meet Cantrell and brought him inside the house.
“At least you didn’t have to do anything more to put your life in danger,” Beecher said.
“I’m really worried about the lieutenant,” Cash said.
“We all are, Willy,” Beecher said.
After some small talk, the three detectives left.
Diana put on a pot of coffee. “I appreciate your guarding me, Officer Cantrell. Just make yourself at home. Coffee and sugar are next to the pot. Cream’s in the fridge. If you don’t mind, I’ll go into my office for a while.”
“I’ll be fine, ma’am. You do what you have to do.”
Disappointed that the plan had failed, she opened her computer. Curiosity drew her to sites on substance abuse withdrawal. She cried as she read, knowing in her heart she should be with Lucier, to comfort and console him while he went through the worst. Rickett had nixed that, and for once, she would follow directions. She could only imagine Lucier’s pain, but she wanted to feel it herself, in her own body.
Unable to concentrate, she went into her bedroom. She was exhausted. She lay atop the bed, and within minutes, she fell asleep.
* * * * *
Patience was one of Rickett’s strengths. He went home, got a good night’s sleep, and rose before dawn. He drove to the hilly area behind Hodge’s house. One car sat in the driveway. He hoped that meant Hodge’s wife and kids weren’t home, but if they were, that was too bad. The houses on the street were quiet. Too early for the school kids or people rushing off to work. He opened the trunk of his car and pulled out his sniper rifle. Marksmanship was another of Rickett’s strengths. As a former Navy SEAL, he had many, but shooting was at the top of the list. He got into position on the ground.
He waited.
And waited.
At six fifteen, Hodge came out of his house. All the years of training, and Rickett could pop the son of a bitch right now, and no one would be the wiser. But that’s not what he intended to do.
Hodge inserted the key in the deadbolt, and Rickett took his shot.
He got close, but he missed.
Perfect.
Hodge ran back into his house with speed he probably hadn’t used in years. Rickett packed up his rifle and took off.
* * * * *
Diana’s cell phone vibrated on her bedside table, waking her from a deep sleep. Hoping it was Lucier, she checked the readout. Unknown Number. She answered anyway and heard Hodge’s trembling voice.
“I’m ready to make a deal.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
You’re Dead!
Diana was totally taken aback. What in hell did Rickett do to make this happen? Up the ante. Of course. “What happened to change your mind? Boss not happy? Get the feeling you’re next on the list?”
“Never mind. You promised me a deal. You give me six hours, I give you the name.”
“Not in that order.”
Hodge sniggered. “You must think I’m crazy if you expect me to trust you. What’s to keep you from getting the name and then have your cop friends close in on me. The deal was you’d give me a six-hour lead.”
“And you must think I’m crazy to let you have a six-hour lead without a down payment.”
“Well, then, looks like we have a Mexican standoff.”
“No, we don’t. Deal’s off. You have until Lieutenant Lucier tells the story himself. His word will have more weight than mine anyway. That’s if you’re still alive.” She cut the call, noting her shaky hand. She wasn’t good at playing hardball, but she’d tried something like this before and it worked. Success depended on who wanted their way more.
She waited. Maybe she’d fail this time.
She waited some more.
The phone rang. Unknown Number. She sucked in a breath and answered.
“So how do we do this so neither of us gets screwed?” Hodge asked.
Taking a moment of quiet to keep her voice from shaking, she said, “You give me the name. You have to trust me.” A tiny thread of guilt stabbed at her for the deception, but she brushed off the feeling when she thought of Lucier.
“Can’t do that. Someone’s already tried to kill me. I can get out of my house without being seen, but I need you to pick me up.”
“Then you pull a gun on me, shoot me, and take my car? No way. Been there, done that. You have nothing to lose. I have my life. Have your wife take you. I’ll meet you in a crowded place somewhere.”
“My wife left, took the kids. She found out about my fooling around.”
Diana wanted that name. She wanted it in the worst way. But if Rickett thought Hodge was going to hand over his freedom card without restrictions, he was delusional. She wished she could talk to him so he could tell her what to do, but that was out of the question.
She had an idea and was about to offer a way to meet that safeguarded both of them, when she heard what sounded like a shot.
“Too late,” Hodge said. “He’s here.”
“Who, Hodge? Tell me who.” Dammit. She listened. Hodge dropped the phone. Another shot. “Hodge.” Then silence until she heard breathing. Slow, deliberate breathing. And it wasn’t Hodge.
“You’re dead,” a raspy whisper said. And the line went quiet.
If Diana was shaking before, she was now on the verge of convulsing. She just heard Hodge’s killer, because she was sure that’s what happened. Still shaking, she called Rickett’s cell.
“Can’t talk now, Mom,” Rickett said. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Oh, no you don’t. “Well you’d better, Son, because Cousin Rudy just bit the dust.”
A moment of silence. “Five minutes.” He hung up.
She plunked down in front of her computer, her nerves shot.
You’re dead.
The words brought goose bumps to her arms. He’d altered his voice, whispering gruffly. Her phone vibrated.
“What happened,” Rickett asked.
“I was on the phone with Hodge when someone shot his way into his house. Then I heard another shot. Hodge is dead, Rickett. I’m sure. The killer got on the phone and said, ‘You’re next’ to me. He knew who Hodge was speaking to.”
“You have someone with you, right?”
“Yes.”
“Wait there. I’m coming to get you. Pack a few things, and when I drive up, get in the car, fast. Tell the cop to stay at the house. Someone will be in touch with him.”
Where did Rickett think she was going? Her heart beat double time. She’d just heard Hodge murdered over the phone line. She was so rattled, she didn’t know what to do first. She gathered a few things into an overnight bag, grabbed her purse and went into the living room. Cantrell was watching out the window.
He turned to her. “What’s the matter? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Kind of, but not exactly. “I’ve got to leave. Someone is picking me up.”
“My instructions were to watch you, and until I hear otherwise, I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
Before she could say anything, Cantrell’s phone rang. He listened, said okay, and clicked off.
“That was the superintendent,” he said. “What the hell’s going on?”
“I’ve just become a bigger target.”
“I
’m to stay here a couple of hours. You’d better leave me a key.”
Diana fetched an extra key and gave Cantrell the security system code. The black SUV pulled behind her car in the driveway.
“Wish me luck,” she said, then hurried outside to scramble into the front seat of Rickett’s car.
“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said.
“Now is not the time for levity. A man was gunned down while talking to me on the phone. What the hell is happening, Rickett?”
Rickett scanned the area before backing out of her driveway and shooting down the street. “Our main man is tying up all the loose ends. With everyone dead, no one can incriminate him.”
“We can’t let him get away with this. Damn, we’re so close. Hodge and I were working out a way to pull this off. He was going to give me the name.” She slapped her knee. “Damn, damn.”
“I called the superintendent to notify Beecher and fill him in, and he called your guard to give him instructions. I also told him to send a squad car to Michel’s house. If the main man took out Hodge, Michel can’t be far behind. I can’t blow my cover before we have the big guy in custody. Even then.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to the safe house.”
“You mean where Ernie is?”
"Yup. I didn’t want to take you there quite yet, but he’s feeling a little better. Besides, I don’t know a safer place.”
Diana secretly cheered, then sobered, remembering what she’d read about drug withdrawal. She fortified herself for the worst. Lucier couldn’t see her pain at seeing his.
They drove silently to the safe house. She noticed Rickett checking the rear view mirror constantly to be sure they weren’t followed. When they arrived, he put his arm across her chest. “Wait.”
He unholstered his gun, got out, and surveyed the area. He must have deemed it safe, because he opened the passenger door, and they went inside.
Walt Starr was coming out of the back rooms. “Sure you want to do this?” he asked Rickett.
Rickett looked to Diana.
She nodded.
