Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “That’s so cute. Maybe you should get one of those aprons with ‘Kiss The Cook’ on the front.”

  “Yuck it up. That’s my favorite black pullover and I’m not getting egg yolk on it,” I play along. It’s so nice being in my house instead of jail everything is a treat, even getting needled.

  I pour myself some coffee and get the omelet cooking over a just barely visible fire. After the cheese and tomatoes are cut up, the omelet’s cooked enough to add them, and flip over the side. While the omelet simmers, I make rye toast. I see Tess is impressed with my culinary skills as I spread my feast out on the table with orange juice and the promised Advil. Tess pops the Advil, chases the pills down with orange juice, and takes a bite of her omelet.

  “Delicious, I could use a cook around at my house… with special skills.”

  “Sounds interesting,” I reply, sitting down in front of my plate. “I don’t take orders well and I’m always on the outs with connivers who go behind my back.”

  “Ouch! You aren’t going to let my hookup with the government go any time soon I see. Having a lawyer on call is pretty valuable, especially when as many people end up dead as seems to happen around you. Want to fill me in on the details from last night?”

  “I thought it was in the paper,” I counter, taking a bite of my breakfast. “What kind of details do you need? Ishmael Ali visited my house with a crew along. There was only one death. I’d call that restraint.”

  “What are we bailing out Mr. Kensington and Mr. Constantine for? You said Kensington is Iranian.”

  “I think I could use him. He speaks Farsi and Arabic. I know Samira speaks Arabic and Pashtu, as well as Dari, which is Persian/Farsi. It would be another set of ears.”

  “I thought you were a loner.” Tess grins as she sticks the needle in again.

  Jafar’s Samira’s age. I could use a little more muscle and I trust Devon Constantine. “There you go, talkin’ like you know me.”

  “I’m sorry about last night, John.”

  “It’s in the past, Tess. You don’t understand what you’re getting yourself involved in. It’s a free country and those idiots will use you if they can. They don’t care if you screw up because they’ll tie up loose ends in a heartbeat. I appreciate you coming for me this morning.”

  “Hey… what are partners for?” Tess shrugged with a laugh at my look of distaste. “This is a first class breakfast, Hard-head. My hangover has eased considerably.”

  “I’m glad.”

  “Are we going to the Kensington’s house first?”

  “We might as well get the distasteful crap done first.”

  “Are you going to back out of the fight tonight?”

  “Nope.”

  “You’re nuts, John. What the hell drives you to do all this shit?”

  “I like to keep busy.” I’m good at what I do and explaining it to Tess over and over won’t make it any clearer for her. “Probably the same reason you thought it was a good idea to play spy.”

  “I walked into that one.” Tess turned to her notebook computer while I cleaned up the dishes. “Do you have any folders lying around?”

  “Plain manila be okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  By the time I hunt down the folders, Tess has three piles of papers printed out. She labels each folder, and puts the papers inside. Tess stands up and turns into me. She reaches up and pulls my face down. I wish I could say it was against my will. Our lips meet. Soon the breathing changes and our tongues become involved. It’s a quick rollercoaster ride. She pulls back breathlessly. Mine’s a little ragged too.

  “Just… just wanted to test my breath on you. Did I pass?”

  “I have a spare toothbrush.”

  “Brat,” Tess snorts. “Show me and we’ll be on our way.”

  “One more test before you brush so I’ll remember the test sample.” This time, I throw a little more urgency into it. We nearly begin to consummate our breath testing endeavor when her cell-phone goes off into some rock/rap ringer pulse. She pulls away with genuine reluctance and answers it. I see her smile.

  “Yes, he’s right here.” Tess hands me the phone.

  “Man, why didn’t you call me last night?” Tommy asks.

  “It was no big deal, T. Tess came down to bail me out this morning. Besides, I met a couple guys I might need for this gig we’re doing with the Afghani girl. It’s going to be a bigger deal than I originally thought.”

  Tommy laughed. “You did for that murderin’ bastard, Ali - then you went recruitin’ in the lockup. Only you, brother, only you. I figured Tess read the same write up I did. I took a chance and called her first. We still on for tonight?”

  “Oh yeah, that turd Rankin wants me bad.” Rankin and me have some issues. “If I excused myself from the meet up, he’d be trashin’ me all over the East Bay. I don’t care about the money, T. I’m not playin’ around with him tonight. He’s a pro. He says he wants to-”

  “Calm down, John… I heard what he’s been sayin’. Straight up is how we’ll do this one and to hell with entertainment. Bet you were surprised to find Ishmael on your doorstep.”

  “Not in this day and age,” I correct him. “No crime is so bad a raving lunatic murderer can’t get released in this country.”

  “He won’t be getting released anymore.”

  “Amen to that. After Tess and I get some of my recruitment details straightened away I’ll go back to my house and get some sleep. What time do you want to meet up?”

  “Fights at Midnight. No need to get there too early. I’ll swing by and pick you up at 11:30.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be waitin’.”

  “Until then.”

  I hand Tess back her phone. She puts it away and moves into me. I’m not adverse to this play but I’m a little raw thinking about last night again. Tess sees it in my face. With an annoyed sigh she pushes away.

  “For God’s sake, I didn’t hire you killed, John.”

  “It’s a process. Let’s see if we can clean up things a bit today. Want to call the Kensingtons before we pay them a visit?”

  “Already done while you were showering. Mrs. Kensington will be greeting us at the door with a suitcase. She’ll sign and we won’t have to meet Mr. Kensington.”

  “Works for me.”

  “You’re disappointed.”

  She’s right. I wanted to see for myself what kind of jackass jerks around a good kid like Jafar. The meet-up might have been educating enough for the old man that the kid could have stayed. I guess he’ll have to bunk in with me for a while. “He reminds me of someone from a long time ago with the same problem. I figured maybe to get his old man on the right side of this.”

  Tess chuckled at the notion of me discussing anything. “I don’t think so, John. Another death would look very bad for you at this time.”

  “Oh, you don’t think I can be persuasive in other ways besides my fists? I was going to explain to him how lucky he was to have a son like Jafar and how close to losing him he came by sending his kid into the lockup.”

  Tess looks at me with interest. “That might have worked. I know it would have on his Mom. Maybe you’ll get a chance once the car theft is a few weeks in the past. I guess we better get going. Jafar turned eighteen last month which is why he ended up in a cell with you last night instead of juvy.”

  “Good. I’ll make sure he gets to school but I can do without any complications with housing an underage teen.”

  * * *

  A dark complexioned woman in her late thirties answered the door, looking at Tess with tired resignation. I can hear a guy swearing in the background out of sight. Mrs. Kensington opened the screen door and wheeled out a large suitcase as quietly as possible and closed the door behind her.

  “I’m Anisa Kensington. Are you Ms. Connagher?”

  “Yes. Here are the papers I need you to sign.” Tess holds the folder in her hand open, pointing at the different highlighted spots for Mrs. Kensington to sign with a pen at
tached to the folder top.

  Mrs. Kensington signed the papers and Tess checked them over. “Will he be all right?”

  I took charge of the suitcase. “He’s eighteen, Mrs. Kensington. I have a job for him while he attends school. I’ll make sure he keeps in touch with you.”

  “Wha…what kind of job? She asks with a suspicious tone. Jafar’s Mom is less than thrilled with my looks.

  “An interpreter for all practical purposes.”

  “I’m Mr. Harding’s lawyer,” Tess puts in a good word for me. “The job offer is legitimate.”

  The door is yanked open. A leering mask of animosity peers out at us from behind the screen. I’m figuring it’s Daddy taking a sudden interest. I get interested when he holds up a sawed off shotgun. He fumbles to get the screen open as his wife begins to protest. I go through the screen door. When I get done adjusting the situation to my liking I’m holding the shotgun with Mrs. Kensington kneeling next to her husband. He’s not hurt – just dazed because a moment ago he wasn’t lying unarmed on the floor with pieces of his screen door littered around him. I unload the shotgun. Like a true drunk, Daddy Kensington gets belligerent.

  “Who the hell do you think you are?” Kensington pushes his wife aside and stumbles to his feet. “Look at what you did to my door!”

  “Tess, let Mrs. Kensington take you for a tour of her kitchen while Mr. Kensington and I have a chat.”

  Tess takes Mrs. Kensington’s arm and urges her inside the house making conciliatory noises about everything’s going to be okay. I’m watching the drunk. He’s noticed my size finally through the alcoholic haze. Realization of how he came to be without his shotgun begins to dawn on him.

  “I’m John Harding. What’s your name?” I ask him while invading his personal airspace with some reluctance. I’ve smelled lost souls before.

  “Rich…Richard.” He’s no longer belligerent.

  “I’ll call you Dick. Now Dick, you had your own son thrown into jail where he very nearly died. You did it because you’re a useless, self pitying drunk. I’m going to do you a big life-saving favor. I’ll keep Jafar safe and in school. You’ll take this opportunity to once again become the man you once were so you can earn your son’s trust back. I’ll be checking on you because your son reminds me of a kid I knew long ago. If I find out you’re not tryin’, my next attitude adjustment will be painful. Are we clear, Dick?”

  Kensington nods. His face is taking on a greenish tint. “I…I think I’m going to be sick.”

  “Go find your bathroom, Dick.”

  My new buddy runs for it. I went into the house looking for the kitchen. Tess and Mrs. Kensington meet me halfway. I hand her the shotgun. “My lawyer has a card for you. If you have any questions or Mr. Kensington shows signs of instability call her. She’ll get in touch with me.”

  “Who are you?” Mrs. Kensington takes the card Tess offers.

  “John Harding, Ma’am. I’ll be in touch.” I wait for Tess to pat Mrs. Kensington’s shoulder before heading for the exit. I give Mrs. Kensington a final wave and follow Tess to the door while keeping an eye out for Dick. When we’re clear of the house, Tess opens her trunk and I stick in Jafar’s bag. As Tess drives away, she takes a deep breath.

  “That was fun.”

  “Sorry, Tess. I almost got you killed.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “He could have fired through a window.”

  “Thanks for that happy thought. You did almost get me killed. You owe me.”

  “I’m good for it.”

  “Maybe you could cut me some slack for my adventure behind your back?”

  I stay quiet for a moment because I don’t know if I can. Tess immediately takes my reticence for a putdown.

  “Oh come on! I was an intermediary. Sure, I may have thought it was more harmless than it really is but I’ll take your advice about how far I should go with the government.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Some things gnaw at me for a while, Tess. It’s nothin’ personal. Look… playing around with the people Dennis pals around with leads to inadvertent consequences. They know more about my business because of your firm’s working arrangement with me. By the sound of it last night they would have made a direct approach anyway sooner or later. I’m trying to figure out what they think using you as a go between will get them. They always have long term goals. Sometimes their goals start out with one number of people and end with considerably less.”

  Tess stops at a light and looks over at me. “Would you have killed that agent?”

  “Not by choice.”

  “And they would have swept it under the rug?”

  “No. Sometime in the near future you would have met with an accident.”

  “Me? What about you?”

  “I’m useful. You’re not.” I see the lights blinking on in the dark room where Tess was keeping her illusions. “They can’t have a civilian wondering around after witnessing a internecine killing. If an accident had happened, I would have made the attempt to get Dennis to forget you had been there. More than likely, Dennis would have had to go bye-bye too. Then it would have been just you and me with a secret after I found a final resting place for our CIA boys. As I explained – unintended consequences.”

  Somebody beeps behind us and Tess drives through the intersection. Her lip’s trembling. She’s gripping the steering wheel with ardor. “You…you’re joking.”

  I smile over at her when she glances my way. “Reality sinking in?”

  “I know you don’t kill innocent people.”

  “You do, huh? How?” I figure if Tess and I are going to have even a cordial business friendship, she needs to quit daydreaming about her knight in shining armor outlook in reference to me.

  “You would have killed Dennis for me so there weren’t any witnesses.”

  “You’re better looking than Dennis and he shouldn’t have signed you up behind my back anyway. Besides, the prick would have used my killin’ Reddig against me somewhere down the line. Dennis is no dummy either. He would have had his piece ready to take you and I out if I’d done for Reddig, which is why I probably wouldn’t have given him the chance.”

  “Because he knows you,” Tess whispers, staring out at the traffic ahead.

  Bingo! “I believe we have reached an understanding, Tess. By the looks of it, I’d say we can rule out romantic entanglements too.”

  Tess smiles uneasily and reaches over with a cold right hand to grasp my left one. “Small doubt about that. I should be happy. You have the roughest hands I’ve ever felt.”

  I chuckle and pat her hand with my right before drawing my fingertips over the back of her hand with feather soft contact. She shudders before pulling her hand away. Like I’ve said there are things I’m very good at with my hands besides hitting people with them.

  “We’re going to be good friends, Tess, once I get us beyond this thing with the G-men. Ever consider opening your own office. Like you’ve already surmised, Tommy and me can’t keep the street fighting gig up forever. If it weren’t for all the PD and city council fight fans, the law would have cracked down on us long ago. We can on the other hand start making the big coin on P.I. and bond enforcement with you handling the law work.”

  “You have got to be kidding! Where the hell would the money come from to… wait a minute… is your financial status one of the mysteries in your public image?”

  She’s a quick study. “I’ve been saving for something with an office front. You’d be getting a much larger piece of the action. I’ve seen you in court. You’re as good a trial lawyer as any of those TV characters on the ‘Law and Order’ shows. I’m putting Devon Constantine on retainer. I like when life serves up a great little coincidence like last night’s jail stay. Dev was an army ranger. He has skills. If Jafar works out with our present job, I’ll start sharpening him up. Middle Eastern interpreter fees on a job could mean a great return on my investment. We’ll send him to college and maybe an ROTC program.”

  T
ess shakes her head, more in confusion than negativity. “You are something else. One day you’re a cheap leg-breaker and the next you’re a business tycoon.”

  “I was never cheap.”

  “I’ll think about your offer. It’s a novel idea. With your rep I doubt we’d have many bond jumpers. Does Tommy know what you’re considering for the future?”

  “Yep. Street hustling is getting a little old for Tommy. He was the main reason I came up with the idea to begin with – that and meeting you.”

  “How flush with money are you?”

  “Let’s put it this way. I’ve done a lot of specialty jobs for the government on a private contractor basis that paid very, very well. Tommy has more natural business talent than anyone I’ve ever met. He’ll be our CEO and work with me and Dev. I figure you can be our contact with the large firms and big money along with handling the law end.”

  “I guess we’ll see.” Tess parked the car. “I’ll go spring your employees. You stay with the car.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.” I watch Tess walk into the building with more regret than I could let on. She was one fine looking woman. Maybe honesty wasn’t the best policy but it was a great introduction to my business plan. I’d have to work on shelving my attraction for her. Tess led my new associates toward the car nearly an hour later. They looked a bit gamey but Dev was smiling when he approached my window.

  “Your lawyer told me you have a business proposal for me, meat. I don’t work cheap. She has my number. Call me when you need me.”

  Dev sticks out his hand and I shook it. “Will do. Here’s five hundred. Buy something in the ‘Men In Black’ fashion. You still have a permit to carry from your security job?”

  Dev takes the five one hundred dollar bills, looking at me with suspicion. “How you know I work security, John?”