Opening up a door leading into a large pantry, Flint studied the wooden shelves holding canned goods. At the back of the pantry stood an old dumbwaiter. “What are you going to do?” Richard demanded.
“Take down Duffy and then come back for you,” Flint explained. “If you try to run, you won't get far.”
“We won't run,” Lila promised, “because I want to see your face once my attorney destroys your worthless career.”
Flint didn't say anything back. Instead, he locked the pantry door and made his way into the wine cellar. As he did a heavy thunderstorm erupted outside. The sky turned dark. Powerful winds began to scream. Flint suddenly felt as if he had been thrown back into time, transported into an old mystery movie where every dark corner contained a secret waiting to destroy him. Maybe, he thought, opening a heavy wooden door, he belonged back in time, trapped in the old studios, lost in the role of a tired detective trying to make sense out everything.
Hurrying down a spiral staircase, he paused when a loud clap of thunder shook the mansion. “Yeah,” Flint said, “lost in the role of someone who gets paid just enough to buy some lousy Chinese food.”
At the bottom of the spiral staircase, Flint entered a large room with thick wooden walls and an old wooden floor that any carpenter would pay millions to own. Studying the heavy wooden beams supporting the floor overhead, Flint slowly made his way through the room, walking past rows of shelves holding wine bottles that were probably worth as much as the mansion.
Flint didn't care about the wine, though. He focused his attention on a woman tied to a wooden beam at the back of the room. Taking a deep breath of dust and time, Flint stopped walking. If only he were back in time, trapped in a black and white film, cast as a detective about to rescue a damsel in distress. Instead, he was going to save the life of a criminal.
“Detective, please help me,” Jennifer begged.
Flint shoved his hands down into his pockets. Sure, the woman was beautiful, now dressed in a dark green dress that brought out her every feature. But outward beauty was deceiving. Inside of Jennifer Reed was a very ugly woman that would never learn what true beauty really was. “I want answers,” Flint said.
“Okay,” Jennifer said, terrified, and began to blab. “Patrick agreed to help me if I agreed to help him get rid of that fat loser. So I romanced him, only... he found out about me, Detective, and threatened to take me public. Oh, it all became so tangled, but the end goal was Lila's death, right? Only, Patrick was protecting Lila. All I wanted was revenge for my mother, honestly.”
Flint watched Jennifer blab as she struggled with the rope holding her wrist together. “I get it,” he said in a tired voice. “You're going to testify in a court of law, sister. I'm making that very clear.”
“They will kill me,” Jennifer told Flint in a shaky voice. “Patrick was a powerful man, but the men behind him...”
“Who cares?” Flint replied. “I take one day at a time and one crook at a time. Mayor Duffy is going down. His family rule over Los Angeles is coming to an end today.”
“Someone else just like him will take his place. I tried to tell Patrick that. Patrick helped Mayor Duffy's family come into power, but then the betrayal began. Patrick knew he made a mistake, but it was too late. Too many secrets, Detective, too many ways to destroy one man and bring another into power. Can't you see that?”
“I see,” Flint said, and walked up to Jennifer. “When the Mayor gets here, he sure ain't coming alone. They're will be some shooting, so don't freak out on me. I'm going to untie your wrist, but you stay put and look like you're tied up. I want you to get Duffy talking. I need as much information from his mouth as I can record.” Flint showed Jennifer the small tape recorder in his pocket. “When the time is right. I'll act... we'll act. You guys come out.”
“How did he know?” Tori asked, stepping out from behind a shelf. “Cody, come out.”
Cody eased out from behind another shelf. Slowly he approached Flint. “I decided to be a good guy, you know. Your partner asked me to help her cover you. Honest.”
“Is that the way of it?” Flint asked.
Tori nodded. “Yeah, so go ahead and yell at me.”
“Nah,” Flint said. “Go get back into position and try not to get killed when the bullets start flying. Cody... congratulations, you're a man today.”
For the first time that night, Cody smiled. “And it feels good,” he said, and hurried back behind the shelf he was hiding behind.
“Get Duffy to talk,” Flint ordered Jennifer, untying her wrist.
“What if he tries to kill me?” Jennifer asked, terrified.
“For your sake, let's just hope I'm a good shot,” Flint said, and jogged behind a wooden shelf. Kneeling down, he watched Jennifer, to see if the woman would try to run. When she didn't, he checked his watch. “Okay,” he whispered, “this is the final scene. Make it count.”
Outside the storm picked up strength.
*****
“Where is Flint?” Mayor Duffy asked cautiously. He walked up to Jennifer, with two armed men trailing behind him. Both of the armed men had black suits, military-style haircuts and automatic machine guns.
“He... escaped,” Jennifer lied. “Please, this has to stop. Your plan has failed. Lila is still alive. She fooled us all. You killed the wrong woman.”
“I'm aware that I killed the wrong woman,” Mayor Duffy snapped. “I'm aware that the woman I intended to kill is very much alive and has information that can destroy my career. But don't worry, my dear, I'm going to kill her.”
“Let her live. Haven't you killed enough?” Jennifer asked.
“You can never kill enough,” Mayor Duffy said. “I have killed over twenty men since I took office and I will continue to kill anyone who stands in my way. Patrick Wilson knew his days were numbered with me. He was lucky to die the way he did. After I stuff Lila Crastdale's face into the pool outside, and you along with her, well then, my troubles will be over, now, won't they?”
“What about the Detective?”
“I was wrong to try and use that rat to my advantage. I'll deal with him. I tried to play nice, didn't I? I didn't want to kill Lila Crastdale, now did I? I wanted information from her. I also tried to play nice with Wilson, now didn't I? But now everyone has forced me to take my gloves off, including Detective Flint. He'll die a slow and painful death. I might even kill his new partner. But first, after I kill you, my dear, I will hunt down Cody and Lila. Oh yes, we can't forget about Cody, now can we?”
“You're insane,” Jennifer cried out. “I only wanted Lila dead. I'm guilty of that, but she was the only person I wanted dead.”
“Oh, the courts will see that you went on a killing spree, dear Jennifer. They will see that you faked your death in Europe and came to America to kill poor Lila Crastdale and those who stood in your way.” Mayor Duffy smiled. “Now, I'm going to untie you and we're going to take a walk up to the pool. It's raining outside, but don't worry about getting wet.”
“Don't kill me,” Jennifer began to cry. “Please...”
“Drowning isn't so bad,” Mayor Duffy said, and began approach Jennifer.
Two gun shots erupted. Startled, Mayor Duffy swung his body around just in time to see his two hired thugs drop their machine guns and grab their right hands. Immediately transforming back into the coward he was, Mayor Duffy went for the gun hidden inside of his jacket pocket. As he did, a bullet tore through his right hand. Screaming out in pain, he stumbled back into Jennifer. Believing Jennifer was tied up, he was surprised when the woman threw her arms around his neck and began choking him.
“Get her off!” Flint yelled to Tori. “Cody, grab those machine guns.”
“You could have at least let me fired off a few shots!” Tori complained as she scrambled over to Jennifer.
Walking out from behind the shelf, Flint aimed the gun in his hand at Mayor Duffy's two hired thugs. “Move and you're dead, got me?” The two thugs nodded. Cody ran into the opening and scooped
up their machine guns. “If they move, shoot them, Cody.”
“Sure.” Cody smiled at Flint. “Hey, does this mean I'm going to be okay?”
“It means you're going to become a cop,” Flint said, watching Tori pull Jennifer off of Mayor Duffy. “Cody, you have the makings of a good man. I'm going to see to it that the man I see in you comes out.”
“Thanks, Detective,” Cody said feeling good about himself and his future.
Flint tossed Cody a wink and walked up to Mayor Duffy. Without saying a word he balled up his fist and knocked Mayor Duffy unconscious. “No one calls me a rat,” he said.
“I'll remember that,” Tori said, holding Jennifer by her arms. “Cool it, sister, or I'll do the same to you.”
Jennifer stopped struggling with Tori. “What is going to happen to me?”
“Most likely nothing. Lila wants you. She has enough money to play the courts. I'm sure you will flee back to Europe with her and vanish. Warrants for your arrest will be out, but it won't do any good,” Flint explained in an exhausted voice. “I could let you go to save taxpayers a lot of money, but I have a job to do. Ms. Reed, you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent...”
“No, she doesn't,” Lila said.
Flint looked to his right side. And there, in the far corner, standing next to the dumbwaiter, stood Lila. Lila lifted her wrist. “I have very small wrist, Detective,” she said.
Flint didn't care about the handcuffs. His eyes were on the gun Lila was holding. “You won't get far,” he warned her.
Lila ordered Jennifer to come to her. Like a defeated animal, Jennifer obeyed. “Lila, please, I--”
“We will speak about your actions later,” Lila promised Jennifer. “Detective, step away from that man. I am going to shoot him.”
“Why, I have his confession on tape. Let me send him to prison,” Flint told Lila. “Death is too good for him.”
Lila considered Flint's request. Then she smiled. “Perhaps,” she said. And then, without saying another word, walked Jennifer out of the wine cellar and locked the door.
“You could have taken her out with your gun,” Tori told Flint.
“Yeah, but why?” Flint asked. “I got who I wanted. Besides, why kill an old lady? Justice will come to her in the end, wait and see.”
Tori sighed. “I was so hoping to become a movie star, Flint. And now look at us, standing in an old wine cellar as the bad guys get away. Some cop I turned out to be.”
Flint put his gun away and spoke gently. “I guess sometimes being the good guy means we don't get to walk down the red carpet, Arnold. And sometimes the story doesn't turn out the way we think. That's life. But…” he said with a grin, “there’s a whole bunch of cops outside just waiting to catch anyone who comes out. You didn’t think I’d come all the way out here and not tell Melinda?”
“Yay!” Tori said, jumping up and down. Her face soon fell, though. “But gee, I didn't even get to fire off one single shot.”
“Did you really want to?” Flint asked.
“Well... no, not really,” Tori admitted. “I think I need some target practice first.”
Flint smiled. “You did good, Arnold, for your first case. Sure, you fall down a lot and you shot up the Chief’s office and spilled food on me and--”
“I get it, I get it,” Tori said, rolling her eyes.
Flint laughed. Deep down he regretted having to have a partner. After all, his first partner had been killed in the line of duty. But looking at Tori, he saw a woman that needed him to teach her the ropes... and maybe he needed her? He wasn't going to be a detective forever, and at any given time he could certainly be killed. Life was short. What was the point in keeping good people out? Yeah, working alone was easier, but was it really worth it?
“After I get some sleep you can buy me a Chinese dinner,” he said.
Tori smiled. “I knew you liked me. I mean, sure, we didn't hit it off on the first day but look at us know. I mean, we're really a pair you and me and…” Tori began to walk away off toward Cody, stumbled, trip over her on feet, and crashed into a shelf holding expensive wine bottles. The shelf tipped over, crashed into another shelf, and like a domino effect, every wine shelf crashed down onto the hard wooden floor. The sound of wine bottles breaking open exploded into the air. Heavy streams of wine poured out on the floor.
Flint knelt down, slapped at the spilled wine with his hands, and then stared at Tori who was sprawled out on the floor on her hands and knees. “Well?”
“I...” Tori began and then sagged her head. “There's goes my paycheck for the rest of my career. Sorry Flint, you'll have to buy your own cheap Chinese food. You're now looking at a very poor woman.”
“Nah,” Flint said, standing up. Grabbing Tori's arm he helped her stand up. “We'll just say this mess is the Mayor's fault. Right, Cody?”
“Hey, I didn't see a thing,” Cody said and pointed his gun at Mayor Duffy's two thugs. “Did you guys see anything?” The two thugs shook their heads.
“So,” Flint told Tori, examining the mess, “this case has come to an end. We got the bad guys.”
Tori smiled back. “We did. Now, don’t let your head get too big, Flint, but I’d say you’re something like a superhero. Maybe we can be a superhero team, huh?”
“Nowhere close,” said Flint. “We're just detectives trying to stay alive and solve whatever cases we can. And at the end of the day, when everything is said and done, we go have Chinese food.”
Tori leant her head down on Flint's shoulder. She let her eyes take in the disastrous wine cellar. “Flint?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks, partner,” Tori said.
Flint smiled. “Anytime...partner.”
The End (of Lights, Camera…Murder!)
Continue for Hunted In Hollywood…
DETECTIVE FLINT
Book 2:
Hunted In Hollywood
By
J.T. Dawson
&
Nancy McGovern
Chapter 1
New Case
Flint handed an empty white plate to a middle-aged Chinese woman, who looked at him with fascinated eyes.
“Detective Flint,” she said, taking the plate, “you will send my children to college.”
Flint grinned. Casting his eyes around the small room with yellow and white walls, he held back a deep burp. “You keep cooking that fried rice the way you do and I'll send your kids to medical school,” Flint joked back. What the heck, he thought, why not have a little humor? It was raining outside, the day was late and peaceful, and more importantly, he and Tori had just wrapped up a homicide case within forty-eight hours. Tori was coming along—like a rock being rolled through cement, but she was coming along.
“I will bring you more tea,” the Chinese woman told Flint. Looking at Tori she shook her head. “You not like our food?”
Tori tensed up in her chair. Carefully, she glanced down at her plate. The fried rice and sweet and sour chicken stared up at her. “Uh... it's good, really. I've… I'll eat, I promise.”
Flint snatched a toothpick from the pocket of the gray button up shirt he was wearing. “What's eating you?” he asked Tori, popping the toothpick in his mouth.
Tori didn't answer Flint. Instead, she looked around the empty dining room and listened to the rain fall outside. The Chinese restaurant was housed in an old burger shack that still smelled of deep fried meat. At least, she thought, the place was located on a stretch of road over looking the beach. “Why do you pick places like this, Flint?” she finally said.
Flint rolled his eyes. “Arnold, just eat,” he fussed. At least, Flint thought, his partner was wearing decent clothing for once. Actually, the gray blouse Tori was wearing over a long black skirt made her seem intelligent and... yeah, somewhat professional.
Tori looked down at her plate. “I really goofed, didn't I?” she sighed.
Ah, Flint thought, catching a glimpse of what was eating at his partner. “Hey, you did
good, Arnold. So far you've solved two cases. The Lila Crastdale case was one for the books, too. We shook up City Hall and now new elections are going to be held. I doubt we'll get an honest Mayor, but hey, we put a dent in things.”
“You solved two cases,” Tori replied miserably. “Flint, you figured out that a stupid street thug climbed into the bathroom ceiling at the bank, waited until the bank closed, killed the manager, and took off with the cash. I... I thought it was a crime organization of some sort. Me and my stupid imagination.”
“Hey,” Flint scolded Tori, “I have years of experience. Don't kick yourself, Arnold. I just happened to check out the bathroom in the bank and saw some black skid marks on the bathroom wall.”
“Maybe,” Tori said with another sigh, “but you sure tracked down the killer in record time.”
Flint chewed on his tooth pick. “Fingerprints were left at the scene, Arnold. It wasn't brain surgery. Now eat.”
“Sure,” Tori said, picking up her fork. Stabbing a piece of sweet and sour chicken, she looked at Flint. Flint nodded his head for her to eat. “Okay, okay,” she said.
Relaxing in his seat, Flint looked away from Tori. He liked having the dining room to himself. The falling rain outside, mixing in with the stormy Pacific Ocean, have the late day a kind of cozy feel that only southern California people understood. “I think I might go home, watch an old movie, and sleep until next year,” he said through a yawn.
Tori nibbled on her chicken. “I thought if I changed the way I dressed it would help... boy, was I wrong,” she said. “I showed up at the bank dressed like a stealth agent, and what did I do? I tripped all over my feet.”
“Only once,” Flint said.
“Straight into Chief Cunningham, who just happened to be holding a very hot cup of coffee, while he was talking to an FBI agent.” Tori’s voice cracked. Throwing down her fork, she placed her hands over her face. “He hates me.”
“Who? Cunningham or Agent Dork?”
Detective Flint Box Set: A Detective Story Box Set Books 1-3 Page 13
