“All right! I’ll talk!”
Jake took four steps back from the edge and let go of Oscar, which caused the little man to fall on his head.
When he righted himself and stood up, he screamed at his workmates.
“You guys could have helped!”
One of the men scoffed at that.
“I get paid to be a roofer, not protect your ass, and you better straighten this shit out before the boss gets back.”
Oscar glared at Jake.
“Why you gotta be such a hard ass?”
“My mother is missing and Bahena was involved somehow; you’re lucky I didn’t drop you.”
Oscar motioned for Jake to follow him.
“You’re not supposed to be up here, if my boss sees you I’ll get fired, and besides, I don’t trust you around heights.”
They rode the lift truck back down together to ground level, and after lighting a cigarette, Oscar began talking.
“Javier was working in the city, driving for some rich dude that’s dating his sister.”
“I thought I heard that Mia was engaged to Carlos’ little brother?” Hector said.
“No, I mean his other sister, Ariana.”
“Ariana is back? Wow, she ran off when Javier and I were like eight-years-old. That’s probably the woman I saw him with.”
“What’s the rich dude’s name?” Jake said.
“His name is Dawkins. He owns some parking garages and laundromats over in the village.”
“Is Dawkins legit?”
Oscar got a sly smile on his face. He was a weasel-like man with shifty eyes and a slight build. After blowing out a plume of smoke, he answered.
“From what Javier said, Dawkins has something in the works, something that was going to make Javier a lot of green.”
Jake questioned Oscar a little longer, and then he, O’Reilly, and Hector returned to his car and stood outside it while talking.
“I’m beginning to think my mother stumbled across something that she shouldn’t have.”
“Do you think she killed Javier?” Hector asked.
“No, she might have in self-defense, but Bahena was shot from behind. It must have been someone else.”
“And that someone else has your mother,” O’Reilly said.
“Get in the car; we’re going to pay this Dawkins a visit, that is, if I can find his address.”
O’Reilly took out her phone.
“I’m on it. I’ll call Delaney and see what the computers say.”
“Hector, I can drop you off somewhere if you want?”
“No man, I want to see how this ends, and besides, I’m enjoying the company.”
“All right, but I’ve got a feeling that things are going to get rougher, and God help the bastard that took my mother.”
CHAPTER 8
SOME TIME EARLIER
Orange County, New York
Jim Tate drove his silver Yukon as close to the cabin door as possible and helped Gail out of the backseat.
Gail had been forced to sit on the floor in the rear, as Tate had handcuffed her to the bracket beneath the seat. She had tried several times to get Tate to talk during the trip but each time she was told to be quiet, and she could tell that the man was under a tremendous stress of some kind, and so she stayed silent.
Gail got up stiffly and Tate looked at her with concern.
“Are you all right?”
“No I’m not all right. I’ve had my life threatened, seen a man killed in my kitchen, and now I’ve been kidnapped—by you.”
“I haven’t kidnapped you. I’m trying to protect you.”
“Why did that man want to kill me?”
“He worked for one of the other men I was with in the park. That man, a man named Bill Dawkins, he’s the one that wanted you dead, and all because you saw us together.”
Gail thought back to the brief exchange she had witnessed.
“The envelope you took, was that a payoff of some kind?”
“Yes.”
Gail studied Tate carefully as they stood outside the car and her scrutiny seemed to make him uncomfortable.
Tate took her by the arm and led her inside the cabin, which to Gail’s surprise was nicely furnished, and even homey-looking. There was a set of stairs at the back of the large room that led to the second floor loft, which held the bedroom and full bath.
In front of the stairs was a kitchen area whose appliances looked nearly new.
The rest of the room was filled with two recliners, a sofa, a coffee table, and floor lamps, which faced the fieldstone fireplace. On the floor was a Navajo style rug.
Gail turned around and thrust her wrists at Tate.
“Could you please take these off? Also, I need to use the bathroom.”
Tate guided her to a room on the right side of the cabin that held only a toilet and a sink. There was a small window covered with a shade, and after removing the handcuffs, Tate pointed at it.
“I’m pretty sure that’s painted shut so don’t try anything.”
Gail gripped the doorknob.
“Can I have some privacy?”
The look of embarrassment that came over Tate was nearly comical as he backed away from the door.
“Of course, and take your time.”
When Gail emerged from the bathroom she found Tate standing near the front door and looking out the windows, but when he turned around, she saw that he was holding the cuffs, and something else.
“What is that thing?”
Tate held up the cuffs by one end and showed her the tri-pointed hunk of metal attached to their other end.
“This is an old river anchor. It weighs fifteen pounds and will insure that if you try to run that you’ll do so very slowly.”
“I don’t want to wear that.”
Tate sighed.
“I’m sorry, but it’s either this or I cuff you to something that doesn’t move at all. At least this way you’ll be mobile.”
“Please, just let me go.”
“I... I can’t, not yet, not until I figure out what to do next.”
Tate held out the cuffs with the anchor attached and Gail walked over to him with a resigned look on her face.
As Tate clamped the cuff on her wrist, Gail spoke to him.
“My family must be looking for me by now, and they will find me.”
“Are you really a Caliber?”
“Yes, as I told you before, my name is Gail Caliber and my father-in-law is Jake Caliber.”
Tate looked at her ring finger.
“You’re married?”
“Widowed.”
“I’m sorry, I know what that’s like; I lost my wife a year ago.”
They sent each other looks of sympathy, and afterwards, Gail turned towards the kitchen.
“Can I have something to drink, please?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, yes, please come sit at the table.”
Gail carried the boat anchor into the kitchen area and sat at a round wooden table. Tate sat a bottle of water before her and then proceeded to make coffee.
“Are you hungry?”
Gail thought about it and was surprised to find that she was, even though she hadn’t eaten all day.
She nodded, and Tate began rummaging through the refrigerator.
“What’s your name?” Gail said.
“Jim Tate.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why?”
Gail smiled.
“Most kidnappers don’t give out their real names to their victims.”
Tate winced at her characterization of him as a kidnapper.
“I’m not a kidnapper; I’m trying to protect you.”
“You did save my life this morning, and I thank you for that, but hiding isn’t going to keep either of us safe for long.”
“I know.”
“Call Jake Caliber, whatever it is you’re involved in, I know he can help.”
Tate stared at her.
“I’ll conside
r it, but for now, please, just give me time to think things through.”
“Do you have any bacon? I like bacon.”
Tate smiled.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
CHAPTER 9
Rayne put her car in gear and began following Ariana through the thick midday traffic of Jersey City.
She had gotten a bad vibe from Javier’s long lost relation and decided to listen to her gut and find out more about the woman.
As Rayne followed Ariana out of Jersey City, she activated her phone to give Chris a call.
***
Back at the office, Chris and Velma were filling the old man in on what their search of the files and computers found, which was nothing.
Chris paced anxiously about the office as he talked.
“Has Jake found anything?”
“Yeah, he just called, said he’s got a line on Javier Bahena’s employer. He’s going there to talk to him now.”
“Employer? I thought Bahena was nothing but a thug?”
“Even crooks have jobs sometimes as a cover, at least the smart ones do.”
Chris pulled at his hair.
“It sounds like a dead end. We’re no closer to finding Mom than we were before.”
“Christopher,” the old man said from behind his desk. He uttered the name in such a way that it made his grandson stop his pacing.
“Yes, Granddad?”
“We’ll find her, boy; you have my word on that.”
Chris let out a long slow breath, while looking more relaxed, but when his phone rang, he ripped it off his belt as if it were about to explode.
“It’s Rayne,” he said, and saw Velma make a face of dissatisfaction.
“Please tell me you’ve located my mother.”
“No,” Rayne said, “But right now I’m trailing behind Javier’s long lost sister who I think may be connected to your mother’s disappearance.”
“You have proof of that?”
“No, just a hunch, but my hunches are seldom wrong.”
“Your record proves that, where are you?”
“We’re headed north up Route 21 in Jersey.”
“I’ll follow you as you follow her, but text me updates along the way.”
“All right, and hey, how are you holding up?”
“I’m good, and thanks for asking.”
“I ask because I care; now get going and I’ll see you soon.”
Chris put away his phone and explained the call.
“Talk about your long shots,” Velma said. “Bahena’s sister could be going anywhere.”
Chris spread his arms.
“I’d rather be on the move than sit here, and I trust Rayne’s intuition.”
Velma said nothing more and then both she and Chris stared at the old man.
“Go,” he said, “Chris is right about Rayne Carver’s instincts, from what I’ve seen in her case files she’s uncanny at sniffing out bad seeds. Maybe this Ariana was involved in something shady with her brother.”
After Chris and Velma left, Kelli appeared with a carafe of coffee and sat it on the old man’s desk.
“I can’t concentrate on work today, so I might as well wait in here with you.”
The old man smiled at her.
“I could use the company.”
“What could have happened to her, Mr. Caliber?”
“I don’t know, doll, but Gail is a smart lady. She might very well get herself out of whatever hole she’s fallen into.”
CHAPTER 10
EARLIER
Gail was watching Jim Tate with an intense gaze as he took a seat beside her on the sofa. Tate saw a hint of discomfort in her eyes and raised up his hands.
“You don’t have to worry about me, you know, trying anything with you.”
“I never thought that I did; despite everything, you seem like a decent man.”
“I used to be.”
Gail heard the self-condemnation in his voice and lowered her head inquisitively, to catch Tate’s eye.
“Tell me what’s going on?”
Tate leaned forward, his broad shoulders slumping as his chin fell to his chest.
“The man who tried to kill you worked for a man named Bill Dawkins. Dawkins runs a crew of professional thieves and I was going to take money from them to look the other way on a security detail where valuable works of art are being transferred. I need the money to pay for a heart operation for my daughter.”
“How old is your daughter?”
“Oh, she’s grown, however she is mentally challenged, and since my wife died, we’re all each other has, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her... or almost nothing.”
“Such as allowing Dawkins to have me killed?”
“Yes, I saw the look in his eyes this morning and I knew that he wasn’t willing to take the risk that you wouldn’t remember what you saw and somehow endanger him. He’s a very careful man.”
“He may be careful, but he’s not wise. Had he let it go, I doubt I ever would have thought about seeing the four of you again.”
“Yes, but he didn’t count on my intervention.”
“That’s true, and again, thank you for saving my life.”
Tate’s cell phone rang once and then stopped. When he checked it, he saw that he had no bars on it.
“Service can be spotty up here,” he told Gail.
The cabin phone rang and Tate looked startled, but when he checked the caller ID on the answering system, he relaxed.
“It’s from my partner, the one on the job. We were supposed to meet for lunch, and I guess he’s trying to find out why I didn’t show. Excuse me.”
Tate walked off into the kitchen to talk on the cordless phone and Gail looked at the door and thought about running. She doubted she would get very far while carrying the anchor, and from her brief glimpse of the surrounding landscape, it appeared as if they were in a secluded location.
She turned her head and watched Tate as he spoke softly into the phone. Despite the fact that he’d taken her captive, she found that she trusted the man.
Tate returned to the sofa and gave her a guarded smile.
“He guessed where I was.”
“Is he a part of, you know, ‘looking the other way’ as you put it?”
“Bob? No, he’s strait-laced.”
“And you? Have you taken money from people before?”
Tate looked offended.
“Never! And if it wasn’t for my daughter I—forget it. I’m dirty now and that’s all that matters.”
“It’s not too late to make things right.”
Tate looked up at the ceiling as he released a long breath.
“Everything is ruined now. No matter what I do, I’ll be sent to prison and my daughter will have to face life alone, and she... she won’t even get the chance to do that without the operation.”
Gail gestured at the room.
“Why didn’t you sell this cabin to raise the money?”
“The bank will probably foreclose on the place any day now, and I’m still paying off medical debt from when my wife passed away.”
“You can get clear of this, of all of it, let me help you?”
Tate stared down at the floor.
“It’s too late for me. I’ve only one option left now.”
“What’s that?”
“I can take you to safety and hand myself over to Dawkins.”
“That’s insane. He’ll kill you.”
“I have life insurance, and it would be enough to help my daughter... after I’m gone.”
Gail saw the despair etched on Tate’s face. She reached over and took his hand.
“Death is not an answer, and It’s never too late, Jim, not while we’re still alive.”
Tate lifted his head and gazed into Gail’s intelligent blue eyes.
“Tell me what you think I should do.”
CHAPTER 11
Tommy Delaney had come through with a 23rd Street office address for Bill
Dawkins. Jake, along with Hector and O’Reilly, were about to pay the man a visit, when Detective Alvera called Jake’s name.
Jake smiled at Alvera as she joined them in front of the building.
“I see you’re still on the case.”
Alvera squinted at O’Reilly.
“You’re a cop, right?”
“That’s right, Detective, Officer Shea O’Reilly, we met once at a PBA seminar.”
“I hope you’re off duty?”
“I am, and Caliber here is a friend, thought I’d help out.”
Alvera craned her head back to take in Hector.
“I don’t know you, and I would remember you.”
Hector offered his hand and introduced himself, and Alvera told him that he was on her list of people to speak with about Javier.
“Mr. Caliber, if you want to come with me as I speak to Mr. Dawkins I’ll allow it, but I don’t think we should crowd the man.”
O’Reilly chuckled.
“I can take a hint; Hector and I will sit this one out.”
Jake tossed her his keys.
“Wait for me in the car.”
As they were riding up in a creaking elevator together, Jake studied Alvera, admiring her.
“My grandfather is Mr. Caliber; you can call me Jake.”
“And you can call me Lena; also, I hope that you’ll stay in control. I just came here from interviewing a Mr. Oscar Vito who claims you dangled him by the ankles off the edge of a roof.”
“He needed... encouragement, but I’ll be good as long as you’re around.”
“I would appreciate that.”
The elevator opened up onto a hallway with a gray carpet that looked as old as the building. The corridor was lit by four evenly spaced ceiling fixtures, of which only two had bulbs in them that worked. The air was stale, and the peeling wallpaper was yellow with age and decades of tobacco smoke.
Jake made a face.
“I see this Dawkins likes things low rent.”
“Not all things,” Alvera said, “His home address is in a zip code where the houses go for seven figures.”
“What’s that tell you?”
“That this just may be camouflage so that he looks legit, either that or he’s just cheap when it comes to business.”
“I vote for camouflage. A legit guy wouldn’t have hired Bahena.”
At the end of the hall was a door marked DAWKINS INC., and Jake and Alvera pushed it open and walked into a tiny reception area that contained a dust-covered glass-top desk and a set of plastic chairs.
Caliber Detective Agency Box Set 2 Page 4
