G'Day USA

by Tony McFadden

  The third message was from Cathy:

  “Ellie, it’s just me. Call me when it’s safe. Tried to get reach Kent’s contact at the police station, Stevie. There is no Stevie there in any job. How well do you know Kent? Watch your back, Ellie. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

  She sounded more concerned on that call than she did while I was talking to her.

  The fourth message was brief. It was from the asshole trying to kill me, or at least scare me. There was a lot of background noise on the message and at the end the voice was faint, like the phone was held a distance from his head. There was the whoop of a police siren and then some words. The voice was vaguely familiar.

  The rain beating against the metal box behind me didn’t help any. I shivered and turned the volume all the way up and replayed the message as I pressed the phone hard to my ear and plugged the other one. The first few words were in his bad Batman imitation:

  “Hey bitch, you think you can hide - ”

  And then it stopped. I could hear the police siren. It almost blew my eardrum out. Then his voice, un-Batmanned:

  “Oh, fuck. Fucking cops.”

  Shit. Four words. I had to be sure. I played it back again, eyes squeezed shut in concentration, listening to those four words. I recognized the voice.

  But it couldn’t be.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Rain pelted the beach as the Killer sat under the Venice Fish Pier and weathered the storm. He felt his nose and winced. The bleeding had stopped, and it was very tender and swollen, but he didn’t think it was broken. The cut under his left eye had stopped bleeding, probably because of the amount of sand packed in it.

  He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths through his mouth. His heart was pounding. He rolled on to his knees and crawled out from under the top end of the pier. Sheets of rain, ocean spray and blown wet sand covered him almost immediately. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tucked his head and quickly walked up the beach.

  He stopped on the pedestrian walkway on the 24th and took his bearings. He turned in a full circle, almost losing his balance and landing on his ass. ‘Oops.’ He sniffed, and tilted his head, closed one eye and tried to remember where he had punched the bag lady.

  ‘In the face, of course.’ He giggled. ‘But where the fuck was I?’

  He turned right at the next lane and headed south. Exhaustion robbed him of what little coherent thought he still had. He remembered it was on this street. He remembered the door was a little off the street and opened to a storage room. He had no idea which building it was in. He walked south, holding his face and pushing on doors as he passed them. A couple of yells from inside spurred him on. They weren’t the correct doors. He’d know it when he saw it. He had perfect memory.

  He hoped.

  Almost two blocks down the road and the door appeared in front of him as if by magic. He gave it a push and stood back as it slowly swung open. ‘Hey bitches. You in here?’

  He peered around the corner, walked around the door jamb and into the room. ‘Yeah, this is the place.’

  The two mattresses looked untouched. This may have been the place, but they weren’t here now.

  He sniffed. ‘Stinks in here. But not enough.’

  He lowered his fly and urinated on both mattresses and the floor between them. ‘Where. The fuck. Are you?’

  Perkins rapped on the cell bars with the ring on his ring finger. ‘You awake in there?’

  Marty rolled over. ‘Ah, Sergeant. Do you have room service? I’d like a BLT and a nice cold beer, if I could. On multigrain. Toasted.’

  Perkins smiled. ‘Your sense of humor has returned.’

  ‘I’m just absolutely delighted at the money I’m going to get out of the county for this unreasonable arrest and restraint and whatever else my expensive lawyer can think of. Can I leave now?’

  ‘Well, you’ve been such a great guest, I don’t see why not.’ He motioned for the constable to unlock the cell. ‘Plus, your attorney has made bail, so we really can’t keep you anyway.’

  Marty swung his legs off the cot and stood. ‘Excellent. This bed leaves a lot to be desired. To whom do I lodge a complaint?’

  Perkins snickered. ‘Your attorney has the details for the court appearance. Don’t be late.’

  Marty held out his hand and Perkins shook it.

  He pulled his hand back. ‘No, I wasn’t offering to shake your hand. I want my phone back.’

  Perkins held the phone between his thumb and forefinger. ‘We’ve got everything we need from it. But I caution you to play it straight with us going forward. You’re lucky I haven’t insisted on the obstruction charges. Had a strong case.’

  ‘I don’t believe it for a second, but,’ he took his phone and held his hands up in surrender, ‘I’m not going to fight it. It really is an uncomfortable bed and I’m glad to be out. Which way do I go?’

  The constable led him out of the station and left him with his lawyer.

  ‘Nigel, ma boy, what the fuck took you so long? The most uncomfortable cell I’ve ever been in.’

  Nigel unfurled an umbrella and held it above the both of them. ‘Really? I’ve seen you in worse.’

  Marty leaned into the wind and aimed for the car. ‘In my youth, yeah. I was younger in my youth. I was tougher.’ He rubbed his stomach. ‘I’m getting old and fat now and this jail shit isn’t as much fun as it used to be.’ He hopped in the passenger seat of his attorney’s car. ‘I’d ask you to take me to Venice, but you’d end up telling Lily, so take me home. I’ll head out later.’

  His lawyer laughed. ‘I’ll go with you. Used to be my stomping ground as a kid. You got any ideas where in that mess she might be hanging out?’

  ‘That’s the problem. Not the slightest.’

  Nigel laughed. ‘So where do we start?’

  ‘Skate park, then head south. I don’t know why, but she seems to be hanging around where she lives, which is stupid on the face of it, but there you go.’

  ‘You going to call Lily?’

  Marty drummed his fingers on the armrest. ‘I probably should. But I’m not going to. She can think I’m behind bars for a couple of more hours.’

  ‘I won’t tell if you won’t.’ He pulled on to the Pacific highway and pointed south, toward Venice.

  His nose throbbed and the heat coming off the cut on his cheek felt like a small furnace. Sand migrated down the crack of his ass making walking uncomfortable. His clothes were still wet, but the pounding rain wasn’t going to let them dry. Wet was wet.

  He stood in the middle of the skate bowl at Venice Skate Park and tilted his face up to the rain. ‘Let it come, bitch.’ The water pounded off his face, driven by the wind, striking him like needles. He grit his teeth, closed his eyes and roared. ‘BRING IT, YOU FUCKING BITCH.’

  He spread his arms, crucifix style and absorbed the power of the elements. ‘You can’t hide. You can’t hide. You can’t fucking hide.’

  He shook his head, spraying water into the rain, like it was nothing. His shirt and pants were drenched, sticking to his skin like wet tissue. A shiver travelled from his shoulders, through his chest and down to his abdomen. Intellectually he knew he was losing body heat and needed to find cover, but intellectual wasn’t winning the race right now. Limbic was in the lead, and the limbic-fueled rage was telling him to find Ellie and get done what needed to get done. He was already almost a day behind schedule and that was intolerable.

  He turned the points of the compass, slowly, sniffing the air like some deranged bloodhound. Despite his misguided intentions he couldn’t smell her, but he felt drawn to the south, toward del Rey.

  Limbic was in charge. He scrambled up the side of the skate bowl. It was slippery concrete. He barked his shins twice attempting to get over the lip, then tore a strip off his shirt as he squeezed through the tear in the fence around the park. ‘Fucker.’ The rip left his skin exposed to the rain. He felt nothing.

  He alternated between a brisk walk and a li
ght jog toward Ocean Front walk, the vendors all shuttered for the storm. ‘It’s like a fucking ghost town.’ He stopped and turned the points of the compass again, trying to pick something - anything - up. Back in the direction he came, north on Ocean Front Walk, two men were approaching, umbrella up, canted into the onshore wind. He laughed. It looked like it was doing absolutely no good at all.

  He turned and started walking south when he heard them call out to him.

  Marty squinted into the rain. ‘There’s another crazy asshole out in this.’

  ‘I’m billing you double for this. Plus a new suit. This one is garbage.’

  ‘Yea, whatever.’ He stepped up his pace. ‘Hey, you. Yeah, you. Hang up a minute, would you? Want to ask you a question.’

  The other person on the walk stopped, but didn’t turn. He dropped his head and shoulders.

  ‘Doesn’t look that impressed,’ said Nigel.

  ‘Who would be? Absolutely crap to be caught in. Step up the pace.’

  As they approached the third man slowly turned. He was face to face with them by the time they had caught up. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Jesus, pal. You okay?’ Marty peered at the damage on his face. ‘You look like hell.’

  ‘Oh, great. Fantastic, because I’d hate to feel like I do and look good.’ He touch the end of his nose and winced. ‘Fell off my bike. What are you guys doing out in this shit? You don’t look like you belong around here.’

  Marty frowned. ‘So where’s your bike?’

  ‘Oh, it’s trashed, man. I’m going to have to get a new one when all this is over. You guys lost? Need directions?’

  Marty opened the photo album on his phone. ‘Looking for a friend who we believe is down here in a bit of trouble. Maybe you’ve seen her.’ He held up a picture of Ellie. ‘You see anyone looking like her around here? Her name is Ellie Bourke. Maybe you’ve heard of her.’

  He took the phone from Marty and held it closer.

  Marty grabbed him by the wrist. ‘Keep it under the umbrella, man. I don’t want that thing getting wet.’

  The looked up as if he was just noticing it was raining out. ‘Oh yeah. Sorry.’ He leaned closer to the phone, getting uncomfortably close. ‘Ellie Bourke? Of course I’ve heard of her. Killed some dude in the Valley. Old boyfriend or something. She still on the run? Didn’t think she was smart enough to stay away from the cops.’ He stepped back as a thought occurred to him. ‘Hang on, are you cops?’

  ‘No. I’m her manager, and this guy’s my lawyer. What did you say your name was?’

  ‘I didn’t. Look, guys, if she’s an escaped felon then I need to stay clear of her. I don’t want to get wrapped up in any police business.’

  Marty squinted. ‘Have we met before?’

  ‘I don’t think so, man. You guys look like you travel in circles with a bit more money than I have.’

  Marty snapped his fingers. ‘No, I know you. I recognize the face. I never forget a face. I forget names like you wouldn’t believe. I called this guy Darrel yesterday, and he’s been my lawyer for twenty-three years now. But faces are my business.’

  He closed his eyes and thought hard.

  The guy backed up, out from under cover of the umbrella, shuffling to get clear.

  Marty’s eyes snapped open. ‘I’ve seen you in a movie. Fuck, there’s too many of them in my head. But I know I’ve seen you in a movie.’

  ‘This is LA, man. We’re all wanna-be actors, right? I was in some small parts. You must have been cruising the bargain bins.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe. Except, no. It’s a stronger memory than a bit part in a movie. You ever play any leads? What was your name again?’

  ‘No. No leads. Just bit parts, side-kicks. I gotta go, man. Good luck finding this Ellie chick.’ He turned and walked south on the sidewalk.

  Marty watched him walk, then stood up straight. ‘Fuckin’ hell. Hey, I know who you are. Hang on a sec.’ He ran after him in the rain, Nigel bringing up the rear. ‘You hear me? Shit.’

  His target picked up the pace and ducked left into an alley, Marty pulled up short. ‘Nige, get up here with the umbrella. I know who the kid is, and this is weird as fuck.

  The killer cursed as he ducked into a doorway out of the rain and out of sight of his pursuer. Of all the shit luck in the world, he had to run into Ellie’s manager. He had to focus. He still needed to find Ellie. His schedule was going to hell in a hand basket.

  He stood in the doorway for fifteen minutes, waiting, making sure he hadn’t been followed. The rain abated, the storm breaking up as it moved inland. He walked out of the alley and back on to Ocean Walk, tired, hungry and pissed. She was in for the night and he had no idea where she was. He continued south along the beach looking for a place to hole up. He’d be here when she woke up in the morning. She wouldn’t escape him tomorrow.

  Nigel and Marty stood by the side of the car. ‘What the fuck’s eating you, Marty? You haven’t said a word since the guy took off.’

  Marty looked out at the beach, surf pounding on the sand, collecting his thoughts. ‘I know him.’

  ‘Yeah, so? You know lots of actors and pretend actors and waiters who say they’re actors. It’s a side-effect of your job.’

  ‘No. I know what movie I saw him in and it wasn’t a bit part. It was the lead. The face is a bit beat up, but the height, weight, and he ran with that weird limp.’

  ‘Again, so what? The guy was being modest. Not a common trait among actors, but not entirely unheard of.’

  Marty looked at his lawyer. ‘He was the lead in a horror flick made in Australia, Beast of Bondi. Ellie was in that movie. Pretty big part.’ He opened the phone browser to imdb.com and entered the movie name. ‘What was his name again?’ He scrolled down the page to the credits. ‘Kent Williams.’ He blew the head shot up to fill the screen. ‘Definitely him.’ He shook his head. ‘The kid must be in some kind of trouble or something.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He acted like he didn’t know who Ellie was and described Sweeney as “some dude” she was supposed to have killed. Sweeney directed Beast. He’d certainly know who he was. He’s either in trouble or he’s hiding something.’

  ‘Want to go back out in this crap and keep looking for him?’

  ‘No. Lily’s already going to have my nuts.’

  ‘Thought she already did.’

  ‘You like the retainer I pay you every month?’ Marty leaned back against the car and closed his eyes. ‘I need a hot shower. And maybe an epiphany about what the hell’s going on, because the more I dig into this the less sense it makes.’ He looked over at Nigel. ‘Did he look like he was afraid of something?’

  ‘More crazed, than anything else. Probably a good idea you didn’t catch up to him.’

  Marty yawned. ‘I could have, but I’m saving my energy for Lily.’

  ‘Right.’

  ‘Seriously, to run from her, because she’s going to be so pissed.’

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  I sat in the container for about an hour, trying to figure out why Kent was trying to kill me. The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. We were buddies on set. Thick as thieves. Running into him and Charlie was like getting the team back together. This was a betrayal of the worse kind.

  I wish now I had caught a look at his face under the pier. It would be conclusive. Ann had seen him but she was sleeping and I didn’t have the heart to wake her.

  Shit needed to be sorted. I needed to get proof and needed a little bit of space to get it.

  I slipped outside. The rain had almost stopped, but the wind was still brisk. I tucked in behind, in the lee and called my old friend Jacob Sampson. Of all the cops in all the world, he was the one who I thought I could trust the most.

  ‘Sampson.’

  ‘Yes you are.’

  ‘Ellie?’

  ‘Yes I am.’

  ‘Jesus, Ellie, you really need to come in. Your life is in danger.’

  I smiled. The perennial big brother. ‘It
certainly is. And I know who, but I can’t prove it. Get me some space so I can flush this guy out, okay?’

  ‘No way. For God’s sake, Ell, you’re a kid.’

  ‘And a girl, right? That’s what you were going to say?’

  I heard him sigh, and the tinkling noise of his dog’s collar. ‘I’m concerned about you, worried you are once again going to dive in way over your head.’

  ‘I’m a good swimmer. I can handle it.’

  ‘I was speaking metaphorically.’

  ‘So was I. You going to give me some space?’

  ‘What’s this guy’s name? I’ll pick him up.’

  I shook my head. ‘No way. You’ll spook him. And I might be wrong, but I don’t think so. You won’t have enough to hold him and I’ll be screwed when you inevitably have to release him. Let me draw him into a trap and then you can grab him.’

  ‘Absolutely not. You need to come in and let us know everything you know and let us track him down. If what you’re saying is correct, this guy has already killed once and seems willing to kill again. I can’t let you do this.’

  ‘Your big brotherly concern is noted and appreciated, but I can’t run the risk of Perkins fucking this one up too. I had to spoon feed him before and I’m going to have to spoon feed him now.’

  ‘It’s not big brotherly concern. I’m a sworn officer of the law. I am ordering you to come in.’

  I laughed. ‘Right. How’s Lisa?’

  I heard the collar jangle again. He must have been giving her a scratch behind the ear. ‘The old girl is slowing down, but she’s fine. Stop changing the subject. Where are you? I can track this number, so you’re just delaying the inevitable.’

  ‘This number will be history in about an hour. When I want you to find me, I’ll let you know.’

  ‘That’s not how it works.’

  I hated keeping him in the dark, but I had little choice. ‘It’s going to have to be. Twenty-four hours, I promise. If I haven’t accomplished what I want to accomplish by this time tomorrow I’ll go to the nearest station and turn myself in.’