Ratio: A Leopold Blake Thriller (A Private Investigator Series of Crime and Suspense Thrillers)

by Nick Stephenson

  “You’re lying.”

  “Look at my face, Patricia,” Harper said, her eyes boring a hole into Johnson’s skull. She held the gun in one hand now, steady as a rock. “Do I look like I’m bullshitting you? We can make you disappear. Nobody will ever find you, if you don’t want to be found. Look in my eyes and tell me I’m lying.”

  Johnson tried to hold her stare.

  “We can make this happen,” Leopold said. “We know you were coerced. There’s nothing to be scared about. You don’t want any deaths on your conscience. Your son needs his mother. That’s not going to happen if you push that button.”

  “Don’t…” But it was too much. Johnson felt her knees weaken. She leaned up against the table for support. “Don’t promise what you can’t…”

  “We can have you in a safe house within the hour. By tomorrow you’ll have a new life somewhere on the opposite side of the country. You’ll leave no trace.” Harper lowered the gun a little more. “This is your only chance to see your son again. His only chance to have a mother. Do the right thing.”

  Johnson felt her grip on the detonator loosen. “I – I don’t want to hurt anybody.”

  “Just lay it on the table,” Leopold said. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

  Everything’s going to be okay. Johnson pictured the words in her head. Everything’s going to be okay.

  She dropped the detonator onto the table, before falling to the floor, the tears washing over her eyes before she even hit the carpet.

  Chapter 60

  SEATTLE P.D. HANDLED the formalities. Johnson was cuffed, her Miranda rights read to her out loud, before she was escorted out of the building. Leopold watched as the two officers walked her through the lobby and out onto the plaza where a single cruiser was waiting for them. They lowered her into the back seat and drove away with a silent flash of blue light.

  “How much of what you said was true?” Leopold asked, turning to face Harper.

  She smiled grimly. “I meant it when I said that boy needs his mother.” She sighed. “But this is going to be one hell of a case. The FBI is going to want in, and I can’t control what happens then. If the Attorney General decides to make this a precedent, he’ll throw the Goddamn book at her. Conspiracy to commit murder, terrorism… Hell, he’ll probably even conjure up a high treason charge for good measure.”

  Leopold frowned. “She didn’t have a choice. Her son was in danger. Anyone would have done the same thing.”

  “Not how the world works, and you know it. Once the A.G. gets his hands on this, I can’t do a damn thing. She’s going to need one hell of a lawyer.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I know a few,” Leopold said, turning to leave.

  “Blake, wait.”

  He turned around.

  “Let me talk to the assistant director. He might be able to help. Maybe we get in early, before the media find out. We can make her look more sympathetic. They might not want to make a US citizen look like the bad guy here. Especially not a single mother.” She shrugged. “It might help.” She held out her hand.

  Leopold shook it. “I know you’ll do your best.” He smiled. “Joanne.”

  “Don’t call me that.”

  He laughed.

  “Seriously.”

  “Catch you later, Jo,” Leopold said, smiling. He turned his back and headed for the main doors.

  ***

  Across the plaza, the hotel looked as though it had finally been cleared. A mass of people huddled outside the doors murmuring and chattering amongst themselves as the police continued to take statements. Leopold glanced around, looking for Jerome and Doctor Kato. No sign of them. He found his cell phone and dialed Jerome’s line.

  “Yeah?” Jerome picked up.

  “Where are you?”

  “Seventh floor.”

  “Is the area secure?”

  “Wait.”

  Leopold listened on the phone. Heard several voices shouting, “Clear!”

  “What’s it look like up there?”

  “It’s a freakin’ mess,” he said. “Doctor Kato’s lucky to be alive. Her uninvited guest wasn’t so lucky. A controlled explosion took out the majority of his upper body.”

  “You find the source of the explosions?”

  “In each of the pillows, all through the seventh floor. Damn feathers and stuffing all over the place. Looks like some kind of high-yield detonation cord hooked up to a remote detonator. Probably used a cell phone to set them off.”

  “The pillows they used last night?” Leopold said. “We scanned everything how many times?”

  “Evidently not enough. Bomb techs are checking for others now.”

  Leopold shook his head. “It had to be the housekeeper.”

  “Agreed. Seattle PD can run her down, see what she knows. Doesn’t look like she’s with the rest of the staff outside, though. Probably halfway across the state by now.”

  “Let me know when the area is secure,” Leopold said. “Then get your ass down here. Once we get Doctor Kato in a car, we can get the hell back to New York. I think I’ve had enough of Seattle to last a lifetime.”

  Jerome grunted. “And we didn’t even get to go up the Space Needle.”

  ***

  “Building secure,” Jerome announced, appearing at the door with June in tow. The doctor had changed her clothes and her hair was wet, slicked back. She walked with a slight limp and was clutching her upper arm.

  “You’re injured,” Leopold said, looking at June.

  She hobbled a little closer. “Bullet clipped my shoulder,” she said. “Just took a chunk of skin off. Sprained ankle too.”

  “What the hell happened up there?”

  “Guy came for Jack. He looked kinda familiar. Anyway, I didn’t much feel like waiting around for you guys to show up, so I took action.” She sighed. “Didn’t mean for him to get killed.”

  “Not your fault,” said Leopold. “Whoever set those explosives off wanted you dead. They got the wrong person. Count yourself lucky.”

  “Any idea who it was?”

  “Our only lead had three rounds pumped into him,” said Leopold. He looked over at Jerome. “It was too fast. Couldn’t do anything to stop it.”

  “What about the sarin gas?” asked June.

  “Bomb squad will track down the canisters,” said Leopold. “We have another suspect in custody who’ll probably be able to help with that.”

  “I need to find Jack.”

  “We’ll get you to him.” He looked behind him. Agent Jameson was finishing up a conversation with one of the local officers. “One of Harper’s guys can take you to him. Go see Agent Jameson, over there.”

  “You need medical attention,” Jerome said, as June set off.

  “I’m a doctor. I can diagnose myself, thank you.” She hung back for a moment. “Listen, I know we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot, but…”

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Doctor Kato,” said Leopold. He held out his hand.

  She shook it. “That wasn’t what I meant. I was only going to say you weren’t as bothersome as I thought you might be.” She smiled. “I guess I made it out alive, so that’s got to mean something.”

  “You’re welcome,” said Leopold, dryly. “We’ll see you at the safe house with Jack once we’re done here.”

  June nodded and hobbled away toward Jameson.

  Leopold looked at Jerome. “Any news on her unwanted guest? How the hell did he get up there without anyone knowing it?”

  Jerome frowned. “I think I know. There’s an access panel above the false ceiling. We found the opening, along with our missing Secret Service agent. I think he may have been hiding up there for a while.”

  “We looked up there. It was clean. Didn’t we scan for infrared signatures?”

  “Twice. But I doubt we would’ve picked up on his. He was wearing some sort of insulated suit.”

  “Where was he hiding, exactly.”

  Jerome shrugged. “We found a bun
ch of supplies in one of the service ducts on the seventh floor. A false wall panel, too. Damn, I must have stuck my head within three feet of the bastard and never knew it. He could have been up there days for all we know.”

  “At least the Secret Service missed it too. There’s always that.” Leopold sighed. This weekend had been a rare chance for an easy few days. On paper, the assignment looked great. Looking after a politician and his girlfriend in a five-star hotel. Instead, it had ended with dead gangsters, a terrified client, and a hotel filled with bombs. And a lot of questions.

  In retrospect, none of it seemed all that surprising.

  Leopold started walking back toward the plaza. “Let’s find Harper. I’d like a full debrief before we meet Jack. Then we can get out of here.”

  Jerome nodded. “Hell of a weekend. Gotta say, that Kato woman impressed me.”

  “You serious?”

  “Hell, she took a bullet, sprained an ankle and still managed to take out a perp nearly twice her size. Damn good work, all things considered.” He laughed. “Shame he didn’t make it. I know I’d have liked some answers.”

  “He said he was after Jack? Nothing to do with the attempts on June?”

  “Looks that way.”

  Leopold looked behind him as he walked. The hotel was even busier than before. News journalists had shown up and were pressing for interviews from anyone standing still, helicopters hovering in the sky overhead.

  “I think it’s time we made ourselves scarce,” said Leopold. “I’d rather avoid having my face show up in any newspapers.”

  “Yeah, because you always hate the attention.”

  “Just shut up and walk.”

  Jerome smiled. “You’re far too sensitive.”

  “I don’t know about that,” said Leopold, as the first hints of rain began to fall. “But if we’re now officially off duty, I think it’s time I got that drink.”

  Chapter 61

  JUNE WATCHED THE sun disappear behind a gray cloud as the scenery flashed past. The Secret Service car kept to the speed limit the whole journey, the driver taking care to avoid drawing any attention. Instead of the usual black Suburban, the car was a late-model Ford sedan, basic and unremarkable. Nobody would give it a second glance. The driver rounded a corner, slowed and pulled up to a garage. He used a remote to open the door. Parked the car, killed the engine. The door rattled shut behind them.

  The driver climbed out and scuttled around to the rear passenger door, held it open. June nodded in thanks and hoisted herself out of her seat, wincing as she put weight on her injured ankle.

  This is going to take some getting used to, she thought. Paramedics had given her shoulder a field dressing after June had insisted a trip to the hospital could wait, but they couldn’t do much about the swelling in her foot. June had pulled off her shoe, given it some room, but she didn’t fancy her chances walking barefoot across the garage. She slipped it back on, and hobbled toward a wooden door she assumed led through to the kitchen. The driver offered his assistance, but June refused.

  The door opened into the house, warm and inviting. An agent stood near the refrigerator, looked up as she walked in. The lights were on, a warm light that made her forget about the dreary weather outside. A gas fire in the living room cast a flickering amber glow over the carpet.

  A man sat in one of the armchairs. He stood up as June drew closer, turned around. Handsome features lit up in a wide smile, white teeth gleaming.

  “June Kato, you sure are a sight for sore eyes.” Jack Melendez took a step forward, held his arms out.

  “You look like hell,” June said, letting him put his arms around her. And it was true. His hair was unkempt, dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he had aged ten years in the last few hours.

  She pulled away. “You left me there,” she said.

  Jack’s eyes looked at the floor. He sagged a little. “I know. I don’t know how I can forgive myself. They told me what happened.” He looked up. “You’re one hell of a woman, June. Look at me, I need a Goddamn team of security guards to keep my ass out of the fire. Maybe I should be taking lessons from you.”

  June allowed herself a smile. “I could definitely teach you a thing or two.”

  He sighed. “Look, it won’t always be like this. I’m not someone who runs from his problems. I didn’t know they wouldn’t be back for you, I –”

  “I know, Jack.” She looked into his eyes, caught the sadness in them. All at once, the last few hours were forgotten. She grabbed hold of his arms with both hands. “I know you didn’t mean to run off,” she said. “I know you would have done all you could, if anyone had let you.”

  “June…”

  “How about we start over? This whole weekend was doomed, right from the start. How about we try again?”

  Jack hesitated. June could feel him trembling slightly under her touch. He moved in a little closer. She could smell the cologne on his body, warm and comforting. In the corner of her eye, she saw the Secret Service agent turn his head away.

  “I’d like that,” Jack said. “I’d like that very much indeed.”

  June felt him pull her toward him, and let her head rest in the contours of his chest. She breathed him in, letting his scent envelop her. And in that moment, even if it was just a moment, June believed in her heart that everything might just work out.

  Chapter 62

  JONNY YAMADA GRIPPED the steering wheel a little tighter. He had parked his car a block from his home, on the opposite side of the road. It offered him a clear view of his front yard. He couldn’t make out any unfamiliar vehicles in the vicinity. There was no movement inside the house that he could see.

  He took a deep breath and steadied his nerves. It was risky heading back home, but unavoidable. His fake IDs and his cash were all stashed in his bedroom. No way he’d make it without either. It was also the first place Kanezaki and his thugs would think to look. Jonny only prayed he’d made it out of the hotel in time to beat them there. His life depended on it.

  The skies had darkened, a thick cover of gray clouds blocking out the sun. Evening was fast approaching, and the street lamps had started to come on, glowing dull orange. He stepped out of the car, taking care to shut the door as quietly as possible, and headed for his back door. He used the bushes and shrubs lining the street as cover, vaulting the knee-high fence that wrapped around his back yard before fumbling for his keys.

  Jonny held his breath as he approached the door, listening for any signs of movement. A slight rustling in the trees made him jump. He whirled around, eyes wide. A pair of birds flew out of the branches, disappearing into the sky.

  He calmed himself down. No need to get paranoid. Keep it together.

  The back door opened with a groan and Jonny stepped inside, stuffing the keys back into his pocket. Switched the lights on. He noticed Mariel’s coat hanging up in the hallway, the one she’d been wearing on a few days ago when it had been colder. He gritted his teeth. Wherever the bitch had gone, he’d track her down eventually. When all this had blown over he’d find her. Make her pay.

  But, for now, more pressings matters to attend to.

  He took the stairs quietly, heading for the bedroom. The floorboards creaked under his step, as they always did. He pushed open the door, headed for the dresser.

  The smell hit him first.

  A thick, musky odor, like meat left out in the sun. Rich, sickly, and metallic. Jonny knew the smell. He froze.

  “Welcome home,” a voice said.

  Jonny spun around. Two men stood in the far corner of the room. He recognized them from the restaurant. Kanezaki’s men. His eyes flicked between them before settling onto the bed.

  His stomach wound itself into a knot. Splayed out on the bed, Mariel had been stripped naked, her clothes torn from her body. A thick, red gash ran the length of her stomach and chest. The sheets were stained dark, almost black, with blood. Mariel stared ahead, unblinking. Her once-brown skin a pale white, lips tinged blue.


  “We’ve been here a little while,” one of the men said. “It was starting to stink. You took your time.”

  Jonny backed up against the dresser. Opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “You don’t need to say anything,” the man continued. “You knew what would happen if you didn’t come through for us.” The voice sounded jovial, almost mocking. “And, guess what? You fucked up big time.”

  Jonny looked at Mariel. Couldn’t tear his eyes away.

  “We’ve already lost one good man today,” the man said. “We gave him an honorable death. We won’t say the same for you.” He glanced at the mutilated body on the bed. “People gonna think you killed each other. We can make it look that way, no problem.” He smiled. “We know the bitch’s got an international warrant out in her name. Guessing the ID she’s here under isn’t a real one?”

  Jonny shook his head.

  “Didn’t think so.” He smiled. “Don’t think the police will waste too much time on her. You know, this is one stone-cold woman. Kills her own father in cold blood. Flees the country, comes to America. Shacks up with a bakayaro like you. You think she’d have hung around much longer? We did you a favor.” He laughed. “Well, maybe not such a big favor.”

  The two men advanced, grabbing hold of Jonny by the jacket. They flung him onto the bed, right on top of Mariel’s body. He almost slipped off, the slick blood coating his clothes and hands.

  “That’s it, get it nice and soaked in,” one of the men said. “We’ll handle the rest. Just keep still and maybe we’ll make this quick.”

  Jonny’s eyes darted from left to right searching for a weapon, anything he could use against his attackers. Instead, his gaze fell upon Mariel, her eyes locked with his in a cold, lifeless stare. For one brief moment, Jonny felt as though maybe he was right where he was supposed to be.

  Then the pain came and nothing else mattered.