Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery

by Giacomo Giammatteo

  “We will,” I said. “But while they’re gone, I want to go over some details. The last thing we need is the Hacketts hovering while we discuss options that may not be pleasant.”

  “Let’s do it,” Delgado said.

  ***

  Lonny sat in the back seat with Lucia while Alexa drove them home. He held Lucia’s hand, her head resting on his shoulder. The whole, time he thought about the phone call. It was Boss; he knew it. The voice, the way he spoke, and the way he said “clear.” That was the clincher. It was Boss.

  If only I hadn’t gotten involved with them.

  Would it have made a difference? Had they really made a mistake, or did they somehow know Jada was his daughter, and this was payback? No, he was getting paranoid. It wouldn’t make sense to take his daughter. He had no money. And if Lonny knew anything, it was that those redneck crackers were in it for the money. They didn’t give two shits about anything but money.

  He almost told the detective about the whole operation when he heard the voice, thought maybe he had given himself away from the way Gino looked at him. But nothing came of it. Now he wondered whether to turn himself in. What good would it do? How would it help Jada? He didn’t know shit about these people. Not where they met, not their names. Didn’t even know what they looked like.

  He should have turned them in from the beginning. They’d be in jail now, and Jada would be safe. But he’d be in jail too.

  And Lucia and the kids would have no house. And no food. But Jada would be safe.

  It all kept coming back to that. If he had only turned himself in when they hurt that boy, none of this would have happened. Assuming they caught them.

  This thinking brought to mind the Marshall boy and how Number Three had beaten him. What was he doing to Jada? Lonny fought tears.

  God, please don’t let him hurt my girl.

  Chapter 31

  Surveillance

  Delgado spread the map across the table. We had already pinned Scott’s house and the Denny’s restaurant. “We’ve got ten cars coming from Coop,” I said. “We need to figure out what makes sense as far as placing them.”

  Delgado tapped his finger on the map. “Definitely the Parkway and Gosling. And #242.”

  “We should have two in each direction on I-45,” Connors said. “One in front and one behind, so they can switch.”

  “Will we have GPS in all the cars?” Delgado asked.

  “Coop will have it coordinated downtown. They’ll know where we are in relation to Doran at all times. And we’ll have GPS devices on him, the phone, the car, everything. We’ll be monitored on a grid, like air traffic control.”

  “Why do you think they picked Denny’s? It’s right next to the Shenandoah Police Station.”

  “Maybe to taunt us. Who knows?”

  “We could put a survey team on the road,” Connors said.

  Delgado shook his head. “They’d spot that in a heartbeat. We need someone at the hotel next door. Get a room with a view of Denny’s. At least we can see some of what goes on there.”

  “And if everything works, we’ll hear it through Doran’s second phone.”

  “You think they’ll show?” Connors asked.

  “No way are they showing at Denny’s,” Delgado said. “That’s just the first stop. My gut tells me this will be a long chase.”

  Connors fidgeted with a pen. “When do we take them?”

  “As soon as they realize Doran doesn’t have the money,” I said.

  “And we need to take them alive,” Delgado said, directing the last comment at me.

  We were still discussing plans when the Hacketts returned. Lonny came straight to the table and handed me two pictures of Jada. “These are a few months old.”

  “She’s beautiful.”

  “Yes, she is. Thank you.” He stared at the map for a moment. “Anything new?”

  “We’re making plans for the drop.”

  “What drop? We’ve got nothing to drop.”

  “They don’t know that.”

  He started to walk away but came back. “What are they going to do when they find out?”

  “We hope to be there so nothing happens to the girl,” Connors said.

  Lonny bristled. “The girl’s name is Jada. And she’s my daughter.”

  I closed my eyes and cursed. We weren’t used to working around victims. We worked with drug addicts, dealers, and homicide victims. None of them complained about lack of sensitivity. “He didn’t mean anything by that. It’s how we deal with things.”

  Lonny nodded. “So how are you going to see she’s safe? What happens when they don’t get the money?”

  I sighed. He wasn’t going to like it no matter what I told him. “All we can do is buy time and hope they make a mistake. If we can grab one of them, make him talk—”

  “Hope they make a mistake! These people don’t make mistakes.” He closed his eyes and raised his head back. “Have they made any mistakes yet? Do you think they’ll turn sloppy when it counts most?” Lonny stormed out of the kitchen, brushing past Lucia on his way to the patio.

  She looked at me. “He’s upset, Detective.”

  “I understand.”

  Delgado was staring at me. “He’s right, you know. These people don’t make mistakes.”

  “They will,” I said. “They have to.”

  The door opened, and four of the new surveillance guys came in.

  “Techs are right behind us with new equipment,” one of them said. “We got half a dozen more cars on the way up.”

  Quick introductions were made. I got one of the men to run a picture of Jada to Kinko’s to get copies. The others joined us at the table.

  ***

  Lonny walked slowly around the patio. He wanted to run, hide, hit something, all of those things; instead, he walked. And he worried. What the hell was he going to do? That detective didn’t understand who he was dealing with.

  Mistakes? That detective is hoping they make mistakes? Lonny knew better.

  He sat in a chair by the fountain, struggling to keep his mind focused. Images of Jada squealing when he told her she could get the prom dress popped into his head. Of her laughing with Mars last Christmas. She was a happy girl, always happy. Now Lonny had put her in this terrible situation. Who knows what would happen to her, or if she’d even come out alive. He had to do something.

  He should turn himself in, tell Gino he knew who had Jada. To what end? How could it help Gino find them? Lonny kicked at a loose piece of cement on the flagstone patio. He’d already been through this line of reasoning half an hour ago and came up with the same conclusion.

  He wouldn’t sit around this house and do nothing. If somebody was going to save his girl, it had to be him. And he knew just how to do it. He’d find Willard, the slimy bastard who put him in touch with Boss to begin with. And once he found him, Lonny would make him talk. If there was one thing he was sure of, that was it: he’d make him talk. Lonny picked up his pace as he went inside, heading for the front door.

  “Lonny, where are you going?” It was Gino calling.

  “Out.”

  ***

  I watched him leave then shot a glance to Lucia, who hurried to catch him. “Where’s he going?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said, and ran for the door, worry etched on her face.

  I turned to Connors. “Tail him. I want to know where the fuck he’s going.”

  Connors grabbed one of the new guys and headed out.

  “What the hell is that all about?” Delgado asked.

  I stared at the door. “I’m wondering the same thing, Ribs.”

  Chapter 32

  One Last Chance

  Jada listened close to see if she could hear where the kidnapper was in the room. They only had one guy with her this time, the one they called Number Five. So far he didn’t seem bad. She waited until he went to the other room then rubbed her head against the bed, trying to nudge the blindfold up enough to see. She got it to the
point where she could make out a hint of light. The door opened.

  She stopped, straightened, and kept still. She heard him walking toward her.

  “Won’t be long now. Things are happening fast.”

  Jada didn’t know what that meant, but there was no way in hell that her daddy had seven million dollars to give them. Alexa’s father wouldn’t foot the bill either. She had to do something, and if she’d ever have a chance, it was now, with just him to guard her. She remembered a glass in the bathroom. And a lamp on the table next to her.

  She signaled that she had to go to the bathroom. When he spoke, he startled her. She hadn’t realized he was that close.

  “Got a weak bladder?”

  She grunted.

  Number Five removed the gag.

  “I need to go pretty bad,” Jada said, using her most pleading voice.

  He untied her feet but left her hands tied. She stood, stretching. “I need my hands free.”

  “You can go without them.”

  “I have to…” Jada lowered her head. “Wipe myself.” She felt him untying her. “Don’t be stupid and try anything.”

  “I won’t.”

  She felt her way toward the bathroom, feigning a stumble. “Can you help me get there? Please?”

  Number Five grabbed her arm, squeezing too hard, and tugged her forward. She almost fell for real this time but managed to keep count of the steps. Five small steps. Once she reached the door, she felt it with her hands and started to close it. “Thanks. I can manage from here.”

  “Don’t lock it,” he said.

  She closed the door, put her ear to it and listened. The sound of his footsteps faded; he had moved away. Her stomach churned, and her hands shook. She felt for the sink, and carefully searched, finally finding the glass. If she could hit him hard enough to disorient him—even for a moment—she could get the lamp from the table and hit him with that.

  Give me strength, Lord.

  Jada did her business, gathered her nerves, and pulled her pants up. She only zipped part way and then stuffed the glass in the back of her pants. After taking a big breath, she reached for the door. “I’m ready. Can you help me?”

  Number Five grabbed her left arm and moved her toward the bed. Bile rose in her throat, which felt like it was closing. On the fourth step, she reached behind her and grabbed the glass. Estimating where his head was, she swung as hard as she could.

  The glass didn’t shatter like she hoped, but she caught him on the side of his head. She knew because she felt his ear. Number Five fell sideways.

  “You fucking bitch!”

  She pushed him, groping for the lamp. She grabbed it with one hand. He still had hold of her other arm. Jada yanked hard to tear out the cord then swung the lamp. She kicked him, hard, and ran, reaching for her blindfold.

  Number Five grabbed her leg and yanked it, bringing her down. She screamed, kicked harder, and scrambled to get away, pushing backwards on the floor with her hands while thrashing at him with her feet. She had to get away. If he caught her now…

  A pillow went over her face, his weight smothering her. Jada kicked and punched, but couldn’t budge him. She arched her back, fighting for air. He punched her in the side. Then the pillow was gone. Jada tried getting up. A fist slammed her face, splitting her lip.

  She cried. Number Five punched her again, hitting her nose and eyes. “Stop! Please stop.”

  “You bitch! You whore bitch.” He yanked her up and threw her to the bed, face down. Jada didn’t move. Number Five put the gag back on. He grabbed hold of her shirt and began undoing it.

  She made a feeble attempt to resist. Her bra came next. Then her pants. Her body convulsed. He was going to rape her. She jammed her foot into his gut and pushed with everything she had, fear providing strength. Her effort moved him back, but only a bit. He came back harder.

  “You’re gonna get what you deserve now, bitch.” He ripped her panties off, grabbed her ankles, and dragged her into position.

  Jada used all of her strength to fight him, but she had nothing left. She didn’t even have the strength to cry. When she felt certain he was going to rape her, he stopped. She waited, silent. Nothing happened for a moment. She could hear him panting, out of breath.

  “You’re safe for now, bitch. But when this is over…you’re mine. I’m going to do things to you that you can’t imagine.”

  Jada inched her way toward the top of the bed. He tied her hands again, and her feet, and left her naked.

  “Let’s see how you like that. At least the view’s a little better.”

  She fought tears as she lay there, wishing she had never tried to escape. And when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, Number Five’s next words sent shivers down her body.

  “If you think this is bad, just remember, Number Three will be back tonight.”

  Chapter 33

  Replay the Tape

  Lucia came back a moment later, tears in her eyes.

  “Where did Lonny go?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. He’s very upset.”

  “What did he say?”

  “That he had to get out for a while.” She headed for the family room and lay on the sofa, her head buried in the pillow, bawling.

  I didn’t know whether to go to her or leave. My heart ached for this woman. As the crying grew worse, I risked going to her. I knelt on the floor and stroked her hair. “It’s going to be all right, Mrs. Hackett. I won’t let anything happen to her.” I hated saying that, but I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t stand to see a woman suffer like this.

  She shook her head and cried harder. “Things won’t be all right. They’ll never be right again.”

  I fought my own tears. And I fought the urge to grab her and hug her. Assure her that I’d take care of things. Instead, I did what I thought would help the most—bring it back to Lonny. “Why did Lonny leave?”

  The heavy tears turned to sobs, then sniffles. She sat up and wiped her eyes on her sleeves. Her voice was shaky, not like the Lucia I had come to know so well in just one day.

  “Things have been rough for him. He’s been struggling to find enough work to feed us.” She shook her head, fighting more tears. “And now this.”

  She rested her head on my shoulder. I didn’t resist. I didn’t know if it helped me or her more, but in the end, I think it helped us both. After a moment, I leaned back, stared into her eyes, and did what I always told rookies not to do—I made a promise. “We’ll get her back, ma’am. I promise.”

  She nodded. “Thank you, Gino.”

  I left Lucia and went to the kitchen. “What time is it, Delgado?”

  “Ask me one more time, and I’ll kick your ass.”

  “I’ll keep asking until we find Mary’s watch. So what time is it?”

  “Eleven.”

  I looked around, did a quick count. Almost everybody was here. The few who weren’t could catch up on details later. “Four hours until the drop,” I announced. “I want everyone’s head in this. Be thinking at all times—what could we do to help this girl? If you have ideas, bring them up. Nobody’s going to make fun of you, so don’t be afraid to look stupid.”

  Delgado grabbed a bottled water then came back with the digital recorder. “We’ve got the last call here. You can listen to it all you want afterward, but right now, I want you to hear one part that’s bothering us. What you’ll hear is the kidnap victim speaking.” He hit play. We already had it set to the part with Jada speaking.

  “Daddy, listen. I don’t have much time. I don’t want you coming yourself with the money. Not with your blood pressure and heart. Send Uncle Eddy. You know how calm he is. Even my friends say that about Uncle Eddy.”

  “What’s bothering you about it?” one of the new guys asked.

  “First off, as you all know, this girl is not Mr. Winthrop’s daughter. But she obviously understands the situation and has somehow managed to convince them she is.”

  “So s
he’s smart.”

  I nodded to whoever said it. “No question there. But here’s the kicker—there is no Uncle Eddy.” I looked at my notes. “And her father doesn’t have blood pressure or heart problems. The man is a picture of health. Winthrop has none of these problems either.”

  “Does the family know anybody named Eddy?” that from Sameena, one of the better surveillance experts.

  “A former neighbor was named Eddy. He was a cop.”

  That drew strange looks from a few of them. “You think one of them is a cop?” Sameena asked.

  “We’re considering it,” Delgado said. “But we can’t figure out how she’d know that.” He looked around, probably to make sure Lucia wasn’t in hearing distance. “I can’t see a cop giving himself away unless they planned to kill her.”

  “Why mention her friends?” Delgado said. “She says ‘even my friends say that about Uncle Eddy.’” He looked around. “It doesn’t fit. Why would she mention either her friends or Uncle Eddy? She wouldn’t. This kid is scared shitless, probably wondering if she’s going to get killed, or…” He looked around, then whispered, “Or raped. And she brings up what her friends thought about a mysterious Uncle Eddy, who may or may not exist.”

  Delgado’s words struck me hard. It had only been a few hours since the call, so I hadn’t had time to digest it. “Delgado is right. Even if she’s sending us a signal with Uncle Eddy, why bring her friends into it? Something’s wrong.”

  Delgado looked to the other room. “Only one way to find out.”

  “Ask her friends,” I said, and walked to the bottom of the steps. “Alexa!”

  “What?”

  “We need you down here.”

  “Couple of minutes.”

  “Now!”

  ***

  Lonny Hackett drove his old Chevy truck across the freeway and into an old subdivision. Despite the sense of urgency, he drove slow, careful not to attract the attention of the cops hiding on the side of the road, waiting to give someone a ticket. Most tickets were for going a couple of miles over the limit or for not coming to a standstill at a stop sign. You couldn’t just stop at the sign; you had to almost put your car in park then shift gears to get going again. Meanwhile, a store was getting robbed somewhere nearby, or a person mugged. Or a house broken into.