Identity

by K. J. Cazel

  Meanwhile, three cars east of Tom’s parked car was the black SUV.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE

  Before Tom returned to his hotel, he stopped at the McDonald’s drive through. The black SUV was just two cars behind him. He bought a Big Mac and fries. He would choose one of the drinks in the hotel courtesy bar.

  Once back at the hotel, Tom sat down at the desk. He turned on CNN. There was another high-speed police chase in Los Angeles being shown. Then, the commentator switched gears and reported on the shootings in Chicago. It was a shame that his beautiful city was experiencing such a shooting spree. He finished his meal. Rather than discarding the bag from McDonald’s, he meticulously folded it and set the bag aside. He had a further use for it…he smiled…he was recycling.

  Tom turned down the volume of the television and took out his cell phone. He punched in Sarah’s number.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi Sarah.”

  “Tom, I thought you were in Los Angeles?”

  “The magic of Alexander Bell.”

  Sarah gave a small chuckle. “Got me. Steve told Carole you went out there in search of your sister. How are things going?

  “Well, that’s the second thing I want to ask you. But, first I wanted to ask you to go with me to my sister’s Easter buffet on Sunday.”

  “I’d be delighted. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jenny.”

  “Great. The second reason why I called is that I need Carole’s help. Could you give me her number.”

  In the next few minutes a courtesy conversation took place before Tom said that he had to get in touch with Carole before she left work. With the two-hour time difference he hoped she hadn’t left the office early. Tom punched in Carole’s number. The phone rang three times before Carole picked up.

  “Hello.”

  “Carole, it Tom Cassell.”

  From Tom’s hesitant voice, she asked, “Tom is there something I can help you with?”

  “Carole, I’m sure you know, I’m in LA. I have an address and a name of a woman who posted bond for my sister over two months ago. Unfortunately, the address is a private home with a private drive. From what my investigator said, the woman posts bonds periodically for other woman. I’m hoping she is some sort of a do-gooder.”

  “Tom, I’m not sure I can help, but I do have some contacts in California who work with women in trouble. Give me her name and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Her name is Kari Mason. She lives on Colorado Boulevard in Burbank.”

  “Okay, Tom. I’ll see what I can find out.”

  “Thanks Carole. By the way, I called Sarah. I’ll be bringing her on Sunday.”

  Each of them said their good-byes. Tom turned off the television and decided to read the LA TIMES. Carole immediately went through her contact list to see what she could do to help Tom. She knew that Tom wouldn’t get on with his life until he found his sister.

  ***

  It was just after 8:00 a.m. when Tom’s cell phone rang. Tom rolled over and picked up the phone and answered the call.

  “Hello.”

  “Tom, Carole.

  “Did you find out something?”

  “Well, it seems that Ms. Mason has been out of the limelight for sometime. But, it was seven years ago that she won big in the state lottery. At that time, she was a lady of the evening. She told the media that she looked forward to helping others. Since that time, there hasn’t been anything reported about her. I hope this helps.“

  “In a way it does. At least I know why she bonded out my sister. Thanks Carole. I’ll see you Sunday.”

  “Looking forward to it. Bye.”

  ***

  Tom cleaned up and prepared to leave the hotel. He called down to the front desk to have his rental car ready. As he was leaving his room, he went to his suitcase and retrieved his Glock 19. He checked to make sure the safety was on. He couldn’t carry it in California because he didn’t have a concealed weapon license. Tom planned to store the gun in the car’s center console. If he ran into trouble, he would be ready. He walked over to the desk and placed the gun in the McDonald’s bag.

  ***

  After getting breakfast, he drove to the Colorado address. He was still unaware that the black SUV was following him. As Tom approached the driveway, he slowed down and drove up the hillside. He stopped on the side of the old three-story Victorian. He stepped out of the car and walked to the back of the house to get the lay of the land. He noticed that there was a street that backed up to the lot. The fenced back yard was well groomed. He could see that there was a one-car garage on the corner of the lot with three garbage cans placed along the side.

  Tom went back to the front door and rang the bell. He waited for about a minute before he heard someone coming to the door. The door opened. A woman in her forties opened the door. She was wearing a tee shirt and blue jeans. Tom could tell that she wasn’t wearing any make-up, but she didn’t need it.

  “Yes.”

  “Ms. Mason?”

  “Who wants to know?”

  “I’m Tom Cassell. I’m Ginger Nash’s brother.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t know any Ginger Nash.”

  “I was told you posted bond for her about two months ago.”

  “Whoever told you this is sadly mistaken. You’ll have to leave.”

  With that, Mason closed the door. It was obvious to Tom that he wasn’t going to get any information from her. He was going to have to go at it another way.

  ***

  Kari Mason went to the staircase and called up, “Ginny, would you come down here?”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX

  Tom engaged the GPS, which located a Safeway Food Store less than a mile away. He wanted to resolve his issues with Sergio, but he knew he would have to do it the old fashioned way…a stake out. His time in Los Angeles was limited, if he wanted to be back in Chicago by Sunday.

  When he entered the Safeway, he went to the deli counter and got a Hogi sandwich. Then he scanned the aisles until he could find the high-energy drinks. He bought a six-pack. He also found the display of various magazines. He picked up several and headed for the check out. He didn’t notice the tall, three hundred pound man that was also in the store watching him.

  When he returned to his car, he engaged the GPS and entered Sergio’s address. Forty-five minutes later, he was parked on the opposite side of the street where Sergio lived.

  He scanned the layout. Sergio lived on the corner of a ten-unit complex of small homes around the courtyard. Three homes on each side and four at the base of the “U”. Each home was an exact duplicate of homes in the area…white stucco with orange tile roofs, probably built in the forties.

  Tom unwrapped his Hogi, sat back and waited. He didn’t have to wait long…a rollerblader came down the sidewalk and turned into the courtyard sidewalk, stopping in front of Sergio’s house. Tom watched as the young man knocked on the door and waited. In about a minute a dark haired man came to the door. From Tom’s vantage point, the dark haired man looked to be Italian, probably Sergio. The rollerblader reached into his shirt and gave Sergio an envelope. In return, Sergio handed the rollerblader a small brown package. The door closed; the rollerblader skated away.

  Tom was paging through a GUNS AND AMMO magazine. About forty-five minutes had passed when a middle-age man came down the street walking a pit bull. He also turned into the housing complex, stopping at Sergio’s address. He rang the bell. Again, Sergio made a similar exchange as with the rollerblader. Tom wondered how many visitors were due today. It didn’t take a genius to realize that drug deals were going down. It seemed to Tom that Sergio has expanded his business.

  Five hours had passed and Tom watched as three more clients stopped at Sergio’s address. The sun was setting. Tom drank one of the high-energy drinks. He had to stay awake to keep his eyes on Sergio’s activities.

  Shortly before 9:00 p.m. Sergio came out the front door of his house and walked to the back of the homes. Tom couldn’t see where
he was going and it frustrated him. He continued to sit in his rental car thinking of what he could do next when a Lincoln Town Car pulled up in front of Sergio’s address and Sergio was in the driver’s seat. He heard the car’s horn. Tom watched as three women left the home and headed to the Town Car. Tom could tell from their attire these were working girls.

  As the Town Car departed, Tom started the engine, made a U-turn and followed Sergio. Tom checked his rear view mirror and noticed that a black SUV also made a U-turn and stopped in front of Sergio’s address. Tom thought that the driver of the SUV was going to be disappointed to see that his dealer wasn’t home.

  Tom stayed several cars behind Sergio. He wanted to get an idea about Sergio's nightly business.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN

  As Tom followed Sergio, he watched as two of the women were left at the front of different hotels. He had one more woman to deliver. Rather than following Sergio to the third stop, he turned around through the hotel driveway and headed back to Sergio’s home. He knew Sergio would return to pick up his girls later. When he reached Linden Street where Sergio lived, Tom parked several houses down and waited for Sergio’s return. Since it was after 11:00 p.m. most homes in the area had already turned out their lights and the streetlights at each end of the block gave Tom good cover. It also gave the black SUV the same cover.

  When Sergio returned home, he parked the Town Car across from his house. Ten minutes later, all the lights in that house were out. Tom sat back and closed his eyes. He had to grab some sleep while he could. Because of the odd hours Tom was keeping he fell in a deep sleep and was startled when he heard a couple arguing as they walked passed his car. He checked his watch…2:30 a.m. He immediately turned to see if Sergio’s car was still parked. Tom took a deep breath in relief as he realized that he hadn’t missed anything. Rather than trusting himself not to fall asleep again, he open another can of high-energy liquid and quickly downed it. It didn’t take long for Tom to be wide-eyed again.

  Tom knew Sergio had to pick up his girls and wondered what the assigned pick up time was. He didn’t have to wait long. The lights went on in Sergio’s house. Ten minutes later the lights were out and Sergio was returning to his car. Tom checked his watch — 3:45 a.m.

  ***

  Tom started his car and headed back to his hotel. When he arrived, he took the McDonald’s bag out of the center console and placed it inside the Safeway bag along with the remaining energy drinks and garbage he accumulated. The valet came out of the hotel and greeted Tom.

  “Good morning sir. Long night?”

  “It wasn’t too bad.”

  Tom gave the valet his keys and headed into the hotel. After checking with the front desk to see if there were any messages, he took the elevator to his room. Even though his body felt exhausted, his mind was wide awake. He decided to take a warm shower in the hopes that he could get some sleep. He thought that he could be a good advertisement for those high-energy drinks…”Police officers find our drinks invaluable for stake outs.” He smiled.

  Before stepping into the shower he looked into the mirror. This was not the face he remembers just twelve hours ago. He decided to shave before showering. When he finished showering, he looked in the mirror. His appearance was back to normal. However, the effects of the energy drink hadn’t worn off yet.

  Rather than wasting time in the hotel, he would further check out the house on Colorado Boulevard.

  ***

  He pulled his rental car in the alleyway behind Kari Mason’s house. It was almost 7:00 a.m. and activity in the neighborhood was picking up as everyone was starting their trek to work. Luck was on Tom’s side as he saw a young woman exiting the back door with a black bag heading for the garbage can. Tom immediately stepped out of his car and walked to the back gate of the property. The startled woman stopped dead in her tracks when she Tom approaching.

  “Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just looking for my sister, Ginger Nash.”

  The woman hesitated before answering, “She’s gone.”

  Before Tom could question her further, Kari Mason came out of the back door. “Mandy, just leave the garbage there and I’ll take care of it.”

  Mandy ran quickly into the house, the screen door slamming behind her.

  Kari pickup the black bag and strode over to the garbage can. She looked directly into Tom’s eyes. “Mr. Cassell, I would appreciate it if you didn’t bother my house guests. I told you yesterday, I don’t know anything about your sister.” She picked up the garbage can lid, dropped the bag in, turned her back on Tom and went back into the house.

  Tom returned to the hotel in time for the morning continental breakfast. He avoided coffee. He wanted to get a good sleep because he knew he was going to watch Sergio’s nighttime activities again. It was important for him to follow through on a plan he had been mulling over in his mind. He wanted Sergio to pay for what he did to his sister.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT

  It was after three when Tom got out of bed. He felt good for the first time in several weeks. He had a lot more on his plate, but being able to capture over eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at one time would make it easier for Tom to function at the top of his game.

  The next item on Tom’s agenda was to get a substantial meal instead of fast food, which had become the norm during this trip. He turned on the clock radio to listen to some music to keep him company while he cleaned up. His body welcomed the smooth shave and long hot shower. An hour later, Tom checked with the valet for the closest Italian restaurant.

  After his favorite Italian meal of antipasto salad, chicken fettuccine and tiramisu, Tom drove back to his hotel. He still had a few hours before he would be returning to Hill Street. This would be his second night to watch Sergio’s activities. He had to make sure that he had accurate times before he executed his plan.

  At 8:30 p.m. Tom packed his gun in the McDonald’s bag and went down to get his rental car. Twenty minutes later he was parked down the street from Sergio’s house.

  Sergio pulled his Towne Car to the front of his house at 9:00 p.m. on schedule. Tom watched the three working girls come out and enter the car. Sergio drove away. Tom waited a few seconds before he made a U-turn and followed Sergio. Sergio stopped at the first hotel. After meeting with a security guard, one of the girls exited the car and Sergio drove off. Tom continued to follow. He watched as the next two stops were a repeat of the first one. Tom observed that each of the hotels were either welcoming conventioneers or trade show exhibitors. Evidently, this proved to be a good source for Sergio’s girls to practice their trade. Tom followed Sergio back to Hill Street and parked his rental car. He waited until Sergio came out at 2:30 a.m. Sergio returned to the Town Car. Tom followed as Sergio repeated his actions of the previous evening

  ***

  On Friday, Tom drove to the nearest Wal-Mart to buy some different clothes. At the very least he needed a black long sleeve sweater. Since it was springtime, finding a long sleeve black sweater was a challenge. After a fifteen-minute search, he found a suitable substitute, a navy blue sweatshirt on the clearance table. Tom decided to make do with his own brown shoes and slacks. After he bought the sweatshirt, he headed back to his hotel, stopping at a subway shop to get a three meat sub. He brought the sub back to his room.

  It was only two in the afternoon. Tom was anxious and wished he could just put his plan into action now rather than waiting until later that evening. He had hashed his plan over in his mind several times and knew it would work.

  When he finished eating, he called the private jet company and arranged for a return flight to Chicago at 7:00 a.m. from the Van Nuys Airport. If everything worked out, there should be no trouble making the connection.

  Before laying down for some sleep, Tom packed his suitcase, leaving out his gun and shoulder holster.

  ***

  It was 7:00 p.m. when Tom woke up. He had slept in his clothes so he was ready to leave. He strapped on his shoulder holster and gun
and then put on the sweatshirt over his shirt. He checked the bathroom, and closet to make sure that he hadn’t left anything behind. He took his suitcase down to the front desk to check out.

  Tom went to the hotel restaurant to get a turkey sandwich and a large cup of black coffee to go. He returned to the lobby and waited for the valet to return with the rental car.

  By 8:00 p.m. Tom was on his way to Hill Street. The sun was beginning to set. He could see that the red sunset meant that tomorrow was going to be a nice day. He smiled to himself. He knew that revenge could be sweet. But, he reminded himself that he could not be caught with a concealed gun.

  Tom parked the rental car on Sergio’s side of the street four houses down. It was 8:45 p.m. Sergio would be leaving shortly. This time, however, Tom wasn’t going to follow him. He wanted the car ready to leave when the time came. He knew it would be at least an hour before Sergio returned so he ate his sandwich and drank his coffee. He was not tired. He was having an endorphins rush. It wouldn’t be long before his confrontation with Sergio.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

  An hour and a half later Sergio returned to the parking space in front of his house. Tom watched. He hoped Sergio was a creature of habit.

  Standing on the corner in dark clothing was Angelo. He watched Tom sitting in his car. He wondered what he was up to. Regardless of what the detective’s plans were, he knew he had to protect Sergio. If he didn’t, Naldo would make him pay for his negligence. It was unfortunate because he felt Sergio was a punk. Sergio told him several times to ‘get out of my face. I don’t need my big brother’s help.’

  At last, the lights went out in the house. Tom prepared. He took off the sweatshirt and unstrapped his shoulder holster. He put the sweatshirt back on and then strapped his shoulder holster on. It wasn’t going to be long now.