Sorry pal, too lonely here alone.
P.S. Flip this over
He turned the page and saw the words in large print.
Turn around.
He did and behind him Tina stood in the doorway, wearing a simple black t-shirt and a pair of tiny red panties.
“Honey,” she said in a mock southern accent “you’re home. I just wanted to see how you’d react.”
“How did I do?”
Tina wrapped her arms around his neck. “That was either great acting or you’ve been seriously thinking about me all night. Thinking about, you know.”
And she put her tongue to his mouth and flicked the tip of his lips before the two fell down on the satin sheets together kissing wildly. He could see the stars above them and he had to laugh aloud a little at the pleasure of it all.
“So what don’t I know about you?”
“Let me show you this one cool trick I learned with a girlfriend of mine.”
He laughed loudly, “Oh, please go on.”
And she explained the trick in great detail as she applied it.
Chapter VI
Sullivan awoke to the sun coming in through a crack in the drape. His watch alarm slurred a beep in the darkness. He hadn’t been out long and in his dreams the man in the hat was yelling something to him from a distance, but he couldn’t get to him. He was trapped in some dark, tar like quicksand. The harder he fought the deeper in he was pulled. As his eyes fluttered open he could see Tina’s head buried in pillows next to him, but the rest of her naked and frankly perfect body was fully exposed. A pair of handcuffs was still attached to one of her wrists, at her insistence of course. He couldn’t believe he was going to leave like this again, but his mind was on overdrive and that old feeling in his gut told him that the professor was telling at least some of the truth, which meant that he had almost everything wrong. A large clock across the room showed 6:02 and he wanted to get to the station as soon as possible. He slid to the edge of the bed pulling his pants back on. As he got up Tina’s voice broke the silence.
“Goin’ to catch the bad guys, hun?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Give us a kiss before you go.”
And he did. In the low light he looked into to her eyes for what felt like the first time. They were a drowsy blue. Leaving felt all wrong.
“Don’t get killed, ok? This is like the most fun I’ve had in a relationship so far.”
He laughed and picked up the phone. “Hello, wondering if you could send up breakfast for my wife, and if we can get a late check out? Thank you.”
“Stay, ok?” he said kissing her again. “Enjoy it.”
“Yes, sir officer,” she said rolling herself into a ball and moaning in pleasure. “God these sheets are like heaven,” she moaned.
“Yeah and the beds too big to roll off of too.”
Grabbing his things, he slipped out silently to the elevator, pressing his face to the glass again all the way down. The view was stunning. Sunrise. He always loved mornings, while the world was mostly empty still. He did his best thinking then. Patterson had to be the key to the case. He needed information on him badly. Sullivan emerged through the lobby and sure enough his car sat waiting for him just where he’d asked, already running.
“Mr. Cranston, or should I call you The Shadow, your car is ready,” the young bellhop said with a sly grin.
“Hey, you’re not old enough to remember The Shadow,” Sullivan said incredulously.
“I just googled it. It sounded fake.”
He handed the kid a fifty and smiled warmly.
“And congratulations, sir.”
“Oh yeah, thanks,” he said, realizing that the boy must have realized he’d stayed in the honeymoon suite.
He sped away in the SUV remembering he’d left his car at Woody’s and would have to pick it up later.
Minutes later he pulled into the lot of SDPD. He pulled down the mirror to see his reflection. He looked like he’d been on a bender for days. He yawned deeply and laughed. Young girls were demanding weren’t they? The lot was mostly empty and as he turned off the ignition, he realized a quick nap would be a great idea. He could wait a few minutes to inquire about Patterson. Showing up this early would set off alarms with Tierney probably anyway, so he climbed to the back seat, which was a hell of a lot more comfortable than that of his own car. He could still smell Tina’s perfume, which was something citrus. He loved it. No sooner than he closed his eyes a thud suddenly caused him to jump back in his seat. Rodriguez had her face mashed against the window. He rolled it down with his heart still racing.
“Are you the one telling people I hang out at gay bars, motherfucker?”
“Oh shit that guy works fast,” he said laughing.
“I like the bit about Tierney in a dress, but leave me out of your little fantasies, ok? I’m already getting blowback at home over the rumors about us. What the fuck you doin’ snoozing here homey?”
“Had a hot date last night and figured I’d catch up on missed sleep.”
“Nice.”
“How’d the thing across town pan out last night?”
“What thing?”
“You needed back up right, Tackett dumped me actually.”
“What you talking about? I was off last night too, had a hot date of my own.”
Tackett’s not with you?” he said sharply.
“Haven’t seen him in a couple of days actually.”
“Oh shit, get in you gotta come with me.”
He handed Rodriguez the phone and showed her the message.
“What the fuck is this man? Who sent this?”
“No idea. He bailed on me and I thought he went to help you.”
“Call his place.”
“I am, I am.” Sullivan’s mind was racing through the possibilities, none of which he wanted to consider. “No answer. Goddamnit!” he said shouting punching at the wheel.
“Keep calling. We gotta tell Tierney, get out an APB.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Are you sure he didn’t just give you the slip or something to go meet a chick?”
“Tackett, a chick? No way.”
“If he’s not answering at home we should go check ourselves.”
“No, just call and tell Tierney no one has seen him since last night at about midnight. Tell them to look at parking lot surveillance of the station around that time and to ping his phone. I need to see something for myself first. No APB, not yet.”
“Where we headed?”
“To the lake where they found the body.”
***
Sullivan and Rodriguez crept slowly through the parking lot gravel to the edge of Chippewa Lake. The name was a misnomer since the water barely made up an acre. In the past it had been much larger, but time had shrunk it to nothing more than a quaint spot for teenage lovers and late night drinkers. The banks curved just around the edge of gargantuan trees, California Sequoias. The water was utterly still in spite of a light breeze. It was like a scene ripped out of Sullivan’s Richmond and for a moment he felt a little homesick. Rodriguez squinted her eyes.
“Goddamn, imagine that, a public park and no Mexicans barbecuing.”
He didn’t get the joke exactly, but chuckled anyway.
“Why are we here? We should be back looking for Tack, man. Tierney may go ahead with that APB. He sounded pissed when I told him you wanted to wait.”
“We can’t look any better than they can. I’m pretty sure the professor is innocent, but I need to see something first.”
The two walked around the water’s edge until they found the police tape. In a clearing, the spot where Samara Patterson’s body had been found floating was visible near some reeds poking through the water. Bugs now plopped on its surface. He bent down to survey the sandy bank.
“These,” he said pointing “are our divers tracks, see flat-soled water boots. But what else do you see?” he said talking, but not looking at Rodriguez.
“Lots o
f footprints.”
“Yeah, but what’s missing?”
“I don’t know man, if you see something spit it out.”
“These footprints are heading in toward the bank from the water not out into it. Someone went in from another spot, or they live at the bottom of this lake.”
“Looks like just swimmers to me, they’re bare feet, could be anybody’s.
“Where are the professor’s tracks?
“I don’t know, maybe he threw her in over there?”
“Nope. Why not use this spot? The reeds are too high everywhere else. He’d have to be Hercules to toss her in over them. If she floated over here, she was put in the water cleanly somehow, and this is the only spot to do it. But there are no shoe prints going into the water, or even near its edge.”
“Yeah, I see what you mean. But how does someone get to the water without leaving tracks.”
“They don’t.”
“Come on, Tackett’s in deep shit, but if I’m right we won’t have to find him. He’ll find us.”
The two ran to the truck.
“Get me Tierney on the phone.”
“Ok.”
She handed him the phone.
“Bob, you gotta hold off on that APB.”
Rodriguez could hear a garble of complaining on the other end before Sullivan finally spoke again.
“We’ll get Tack killed if we do. I’ll explain more later, just wait one hour more. I have one more errand to run and then I’ll let you do whatever you think is best.” He hung up while Tierney was still protesting.
“Where to now?”
“To the good professor’s house, in search of treasure.”
“What kind of treasure?”
“Old shit man, very old shit.”
VII
“It’s a new day asshole and you got a visitor,” came the voice from down the hall.
Downy had finally slept and in his dream he was on a boat floating across an ocean. His cell was maybe the quietest place he’d ever slept. There was no peace to be had though and in the dream he’d been overtaken by something like a tsunami. He’d had what felt like an eternity to watch it grow and swell off in the distance. When it finally crashed down, he felt something like relief, but then awoke to the awareness of where he was. It didn’t take Freud to understand what it meant.
As he lay silently on his tiny cot he wanted desperately to believe it was his wife coming to see him, but in his heart he knew somehow it wasn’t. The guard opened the door and sure enough sitting there calmly was Mr. Taro, who rose, putting his hand to the glass before sitting again, picking up the phone.
“Your message has been delivered and I have good news.”
“Yes?”
“Your wife will be coming by today to see you before she departs for her mothers. She was easily convinced to see you, in spite of the slanders and deceptions of your captors.”
He noticed again how everything Taro said had a grandiose ring to it. Who ever referred to the police as captors?
“Thank you, thank you.”
“I’d consider it a privilege to see her off to the airport myself, if you would feel comfortable allowing a relative stranger to do so that is?”
“It doesn’t seem I have a lot of friends riding to my rescue at the moment,” he said, holding his cuffs up as evidence of the direness of the situation.
“We know little of our friends until we are truly in need, I’m afraid. Nevertheless, your wife says many have inquired as to your situation and expressed their deepest sympathies and faith in your innocence.” Taro paused and leaned in. “I have been thinking of your situation and have devised some other options as well. I will post your bail of course, but there is another matter that I would like to propose. If you are freed, there would be certain limitations on your movements and that could be problematic for us.”
“Us?” Downy said wrinkling the corners of his eyes.
“There is another way.”
“Another way to do what?”
“I must explain to you that I need something from you that I have not yet shared. I only held it back because I thought there would be plenty of time to present my request to you more ceremoniously…”
“What is it?”
“You have come into possession of something that belongs to me, something of great sentimental value to me. A golden laurel, to be worn on the head. It was a gift; one I treasure dearly. A black pearl is attached at the base.” Taro’s dark eyes seemed to glimmer with anger or tears, he couldn’t tell which.
“Yes, I have it.”
“It doesn’t concern me how you came into possession of it. I’m no bounty hunter. I just would like it back. I am willing to pay for it, of course. It has a value in weight, as it is pure, but it means far more to me personally than it ever could to a collector of such curiosities.”
“Of course.”
“There is…how do you say in English, a rub?”
“Ok.”
“Someone has taken it from your home.”
“Can I ask how you know this?”
“Sadly, money loosens the tongues of even those who take a sworn oath to the law. Where I come from an oath is seen as a treacherous thing for this very reason.”
“Ok, but how can I help you from here?”
Taro leaned in and locked eyes. He shifted in his seat. “I can arrange, by surreptitious means of course, for you to leave here this very night and return unnoticed by morning. There is no chance you will be discovered in fact, but you must follow what I tell you to the letter.”
“That seems dangerous and stupid.”
“It is, but your reward is that I can guarantee your release and freedom from these charges. I can clear your name and I will. That is a promise. But we must do it tonight and we must be together. I’m sorry I can’t say more, but I will tell you everything very soon.”
“You’ll have to forgive me that even given my circumstances this sounds like a deal with the devil.”
“Ahh yes, that which sounds too good to be true. You’re a wise man, professor.”
“You can call me Noah.”
“Thank you. I will, Noah. I don’t believe in the devil personally, but I do believe in helping the innocent. I would see justice done.”
Downy paused and looked around the room. He wanted out of course, but not like this; something felt off.
“How do I know you will still post my bail if I leave with you?”
“You don’t, but let me tell you I have never once knowingly deceived an honest man, and I suspect you are just such a person. You have my word. I can offer nothing more.”
“Ok, how do we get out?”
“Tonight when the lights go out I need you to be in your cell, undressed
completely, fully undressed. Also, skip dining this evening, have no food. It is most important that your stomach is empty.”
“What?”
“It sounds mad I’m sure, but there will be little time. Arrange your clothing neatly near your bed so that when you return you can put it back on quickly.”
“What are you going to break down the walls?” he said cynically.
“There will be no mess and no tearing down any walls. There will be a time to discuss what you see with me this evening, but that time is not now. You can ask no questions until then. I will tell you everything you need to know, but when and only when you need to know it.”
“Are you asking me to do something illegal, I mean beyond breaking out of jail?”
“Oh yes, yes indeed. But there is no law that can stop us, nor that we shall ever face, not here in any case.”
He sat back in his chair, looking over his shoulder at the guard who waited for him in hallway. “What if I say no?”
Taro sat up straight. “Then I will post your bail tomorrow and do what I can to help you anyway, but I assure you this is both the most expedient way and the only way I can guarantee your name will be fully cleared. A man with a family and career like your
s must surely want to be fully exonerated in such matters as these.” Taro put his hand to glass and smiled warmly. “You’ve made the right decision.”
“I haven’t said yes.”
“You’re too smart to say no, Professor Downy. Be ready when I arrive and remember: no food, no clothes, and no questions.”
VIII
Sullivan stood at the edge of Tierney’s desk pointing to the folded linen he’d placed there.
“Detective, why you have put me in such a situation, or your partner I really must know, every minute we waste--”
“It’s that.” Sullivan said interrupting. He paced back and forth nervously. “This case has baffled me from the beginning and man that’s rare. Every time, in fact, we think we have something sorted these pricks turn out to be a step ahead. How? We have a mole in this department, I’d bet on it.”
“You’re not still talking about 1032, I hope.” Tierney unwrapped the linen and looked at the golden laurel suspiciously.
“Yes, I am. In fact, I doubt seriously our professor is involved at all, not really, but one thing is clear: Information is trickling out of our department into someone else’s ears. But it’s not just that. The information is being used against Downy too. It is a set up, but it’s incredibly elaborate, it must be. Why? Why do they need a frame up unless there’s something huge at stake? These have to be people of serious financial means, Bob.” He stopped pacing, realizing he was basically talking to himself. “That’s the answer,” he said pointing again to the laurel. “I haven’t sent it to the lab yet, but I’m sure it’s real gold. And get this, Charlie Patterson, Downy’s friend was into these relics big time, discovered all kinds of this stuff. It all made its way back to the university collection, including our murder weapon. All but this. I think the reason we can’t find the sword is because it’s probably halfway around the world by now. There are entire networks of people selling this shit for millions to private collectors.”
Saboteur: A Novel Page 17
