The Payback Game

by Nathan Gottlieb

  He took his time before answering. “These people got inside a cop’s apartment and killed him. At some point, they might try to do the same to you. That’s why I don’t want you staying in your place until this is over.”

  “What! Where the hell am I supposed to live? With you? No friggin’ way! I’m not living on the dorky Upper East Side. My beat is Brooklyn.”

  “You can stay in Brooklyn,” Cassidy said patiently. “Crown Heights, in fact.”

  Narrowing her eyes, she said, “With who?”

  Cassidy looked at Cullen. “Danny, how big is your apartment?”

  “Two bedrooms. Plus a couch in the living room with a pullout bed.”

  At this, Hannah shook her head vigorously. “Oh, no! No! No! No! Don’t you even suggest it!”

  “Mike,” Cullen said, “I could give her my room so she’d have more privacy. I can sleep on the couch. It’s pretty comfortable.”

  “Absolutely not!” Hannah said.

  Ignoring her, Cassidy asked, “Who has the second bedroom?”

  “My best friend. Another boxer.”

  Her face flush with anger, the redhead wagged a finger. “I’m not going to let you do this to me!”

  Cassidy’s response was to just smile, lean back in the booth, and fold his arms across his chest. She poked a finger in his arm. “There’s nothing you can do to make me move in with two boxers! Both of whom, I might add, have already tried hitting on me.”

  Looking amused, Cassidy unfolded his arms and said, “Nothing? How about this, young lady? If you don’t stay at Cullen’s place, I’ll cut you off from all my sources. Now and in the future. You know damn well half the stories you’ve broken in Brooklyn have come from me.”

  “Go ahead,” she snapped back. “I can find scoops without you.”

  “Good luck.”

  Snatching up her mug, Hannah drained it fast. Nobody said anything for a minute. Cullen had to cover his mouth to hide a grin.

  “This is totally unfair!” she spat out.

  Having played his trump card, Cassidy stayed silent. He didn’t even look at her as he sipped his beer.

  She tried switching tactics. “How about I get a roommate for my apartment?” she asked in a slightly more congenial voice.

  When Cassidy still said nothing, the redhead turned toward the bar and shouted: “I want a double shot of Cuervo Eighteen-Hundred. With a beer back. Put the shots in an empty rocks glass. And I want two slices of lime.”

  Wearily, the old bartender looked her way and said, “Lady, we don’t stock them fancy brands. Just bar tequila.”

  “That’ll do.”

  Shaking his head, the bartender set his beloved bowl of peanuts aside once again and slid off his stool. Then he grabbed a label-free bottle with amber liquid and half-filled a rocks glass. Dipping two fingers inside a small, plastic container near the beer spouts, he plucked two brownish-looking green wedges out of it, dropped them on a wrinkled paper napkin, then shouted, “Here you go, lady!”

  Cassidy slid out so Hannah could get by him. She went to the bar, picked up the rocks glass and what were possibly limes, and returned to her spot in the booth. After licking the back of her hand below the index finger, she sprinkled salt from Boff’s shaker on the moist area, licked the salt off, knocked the entire drink down in one gulp, sucked on the limes, and then banged the empty glass down on the table.

  Fueled up, she looked directly at Cullen with fierce eyes. “Okay, here’re the rules! They’re not negotiable! Neither of you two clowns is allowed in my room at any time! I shower every day at eight in the morning. Fit your shower schedule around mine. There are to be no late-night orgies. If you have a cat or a dog, get a friend to watch it during the duration I’m stuck with you. I’m bringing a portable TV. Have your cable company put in an extra outlet for me. Plus Internet. Lastly, I want you to take all the food you and that Bellucci character has in the refrigerator and put them on the top two shelves. I’ll take the bottom shelf and both of the vegetable bins. I don’t want to find meat of any kind on my shelf.”

  Cullen smiled. “Anything else, your highness?”

  “If I think of something, I’ll certainly pass it on.” She pointed at Cassidy, who was still smiling. “As for you, you’re going to regret doing this to me!”

  Chapter 24

  Walking out of the bar, Boff asked Hannah to call Rashid and set up a meeting for them. Before she could make the call, however, Cassidy grabbed her arm.

  “I don’t want you going along when Boff meets with this kid,” he said.

  “Try and stop me!”

  Cassidy frowned. “If you get hurt, young lady, I’ll never be able to look your grandfather in the eye again.”

  “I’ll be with Cullen and Boff.” She pulled her arm out of his grip. “Besides, nothing’s going to happen to me. And I doubt Rashid would meet them without me along.”

  Still frowning, the old reporter looked at Boff. “Are you packing?” he asked.

  Boff shook his head. “I haven’t carried since the DEA.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  “That’s a story I’ll have to tell you one day.”

  Cassidy stepped closer to Boff. “Frank, if you feel you’re in danger at any time, call me right away. I know plenty of cops who can get help to you fast.”

  “You got it. In the meantime, I’d like you to set me up with this guy Bassett, who runs the nonprofit. Tonight at the pub would be great. Again, no mention of me.”

  “I don’t get your interest in him, but I’ll do it.”

  On the ride over to Hannah’s apartment, nobody said a word until the redhead suddenly pointed at a six-story brick building and said, “Pull over there!”

  After Boff parked, he said to her, “I’ll wait outside while you pack.”

  Slamming the door behind her, Hannah walked to the building and disappeared inside. Twenty minutes later, she still hadn’t come out.

  Cullen said, “You think she’s not coming?”

  “Oh, she’ll come. She’s just taking her own sweet time. I guess she figures that’ll aggravate me. Which, of course, it won’t. I get paid by the hour. Meanwhile, I suggest you call your roommate and let him know Hurricane Hannah is heading his way. And be sure to relay her rules.”

  Cullen caught Mikey walking home from the gym. He filled him in on the latest news.

  The cute redhead? No shit? Cool!

  “You won’t think it’s so cool when I tell you this.”

  Cullen recited Hannah’s Rules. When he was done, Bellucci sounded decidedly less excited.

  Aw, man! That totally blows! Especially the part about the shower. You know I always shower about the same time.

  “Relax. After a couple of days with us, we’ll have her housebroken. How close are you to home?”

  Block away.

  “Do me a favor. Straighten up any mess that’s in there. Put all our food in the fridge on the top two shelves. If you have time to run the vacuum, do it. Also, clean up the hairs in the shower and the bathroom sink.”

  What the fuck! You think I’m a friggin’ maid?

  “Just do it, Mikey. And one more thing. Empty the top two drawers in my bureau and half my closet. Put all of that stuff in your room.”

  This is total crap!

  “Yeah, but I’ll buy you dinner to make it up to you.”

  Boff tapped Cullen’s arm. “Tell Mikey to make sure the toilet seat is down.”

  “Why?”

  “You’ve obviously never lived with a woman. It’s a courtesy women like.”

  Cullen relayed this to his roommate.

  I know that, for chrissake! I lived with my grandmother before I moved in with you. Remember?

  Bellucci hung up. After another fifteen minutes, Boff’s phone rang. It was Hannah.

  I need Cullen to carry my stuff.

  “Okay.” Boff turned his head. “Help her bring her things down to the car.”

  After Hannah buzzed him in through the street lev
el door and told him her apartment number, Cullen ran up the two flights of stairs and found Hannah waiting in an open door. As she stepped aside to let him in, he glanced around her living room. It had a cozy, lived-in look. There were two large suitcases on the floor. On the couch, he saw a small TV, a computer bag, a frying pan with knives, forks, and spoons in it, a steamer basket, and a box filled with assorted produce and groceries.

  “I have frying pans and utensils,” Cullen said.

  “I don’t want to use anything that’s been touched by meat.”

  He shrugged. “Have it your way.”

  “I intend to.”

  “With all this stuff,” Cullen said, “we’re going to have to make two trips to the car.”

  “You are. Not me. Take the suitcases first.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Cullen hustled down the stairs with the suitcases, dumped them in Boff’s trunk, then hustled back up the steps to her apartment.

  “Now what?”

  Without answering, the redhead walked to the couch and hooked the computer bag over her shoulder, then she put the pan and steamer basket into the box of veggies, and lifted the box.

  “Get the TV,” she ordered.

  As they headed for the door, she stopped to look back at her living room and frowned. Then she said, “Okay, let’s go.”

  Reaching Boff’s car, Cullen loaded the TV into the trunk next to the suitcases, then took the box with the food and utensils from her and put it in, too. Hannah stepped into the backseat with her computer bag and slammed the door behind her.

  Climbing into the front seat, Cullen turned around to his new roommate. “Do you like the Beatles?”

  Not deigning to reply, she just stared out her window.

  “Reason I bring it up, is there’s this Beatles song that kinda fits this Hallmark moment. One of the lyrics goes something like this: ‘She’s leaving home—’”

  Hannah covered her ears. Boff started the engine.

  Bellucci was waiting at the door, a forced smile on his face, when Cullen and Hannah arrived at their apartment.

  “Hi!” the young boxer said. “Welcome to our humble abode. Let me help you with your stuff.”

  But when he tried to take the box from her, she brushed past him without a word and said over her shoulder, “Which room is yours, Cullen?”

  “First door on the left.”

  She walked into the room. Cullen followed her with the suitcases, and Bellucci carried the TV. The first thing that caught her eye was the wall covered with boxing photos.

  She turned to Cullen. “Those pictures have to go! All of them!”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said. “Mikey, help me.”

  While they were taking the photos down, she said, “Do you have clean sheets and a pillow case?”

  “Of course. I always keep a set handy in case we get a wonderful guest like you. I’ll get them.”

  “Wait! First put my suitcases over there.” She pointed to his dresser. “And clean out some drawer and closet space for me.”

  “Mikey already did.” Cullen picked up the suitcases, set them down in front of the dresser, and said, “Do you need help unpacking?”

  “No.”

  She handed her box of food to him.

  “Put this stuff in the fridge the way I instructed you to do. Make sure my utensils are kept separate from yours.”

  As Cullen and Bellucci left the room, the door slammed behind them so loud it sounded like an explosion.

  Bellucci looked back. “I have a feeling life as we know it around here just changed.”

  Chapter 25

  That same evening, Boff got a call at home from Cassidy.

  Bassett’s coming to the pub around nine tonight.

  “Describe him to me.”

  Black guy. Early forties. Maybe six-foot one, two. Looks like an athlete.

  “Okay, here’s the way I’d like to play it. I’ll get there early and park my car in a spot where I can see the front entrance. If someone matching that description goes in, I’ll wait five minutes while you two take a booth and order drinks. Then I’ll go in. Don’t ask Bassett any questions about the nonprofit before I get there. Just make small talk. When I walk in, call me over.”

  Boff arrived at Bailey’s thirty minutes early. The closest parking space he could find was a half a block away, so he took his binoculars out of the glove department and focused them on the bar’s front door.

  At five minutes to nine, a taxi pulled up and a man fitting Bassett’s description stepped out and walked into the pub. Boff waited five minutes. As he entered the bar, he saw that Cassidy had positioned himself in a booth facing the front door. Bassett had his back to the door.

  “Hey, Frank!” Cassidy called out, waving his arm. “Come on over! Don’t drink by yourself!”

  Boff walked to the booth and slid in next to Cassidy.

  “I would’ve sat with you when I came in, but I saw you had company.”

  “No problem. Frank Boff, this is Earl Monroe Bassett. He runs Nicky’s nonprofit.”

  “Any relationship to Earl ‘the Pearl’ Monroe?” Boff asked.

  Bassett laughed. “No. No. My father was just a big Knicks fan.”

  Boff gave him a once-over. He was wearing a tan sports jacket and a black Ralph Lauren polo shirt. He looked relaxed.

  “What’re you drinking, Frank?” Cassidy said.

  “Same as you.”

  Cassidy signaled for Wendy and ordered two mugs of draft beer and a Manhattan straight up, which was what Bassett was drinking.

  “This is a nice pub, Mike,” Bassett said. “Real neighborhood place. I’m not a fan of upscale yuppie bars.”

  Cassidy nodded. “This bar is my home away from home,” he said. “Actually, it’s more like home than my apartment. I’m never there except to sleep and eat breakfast.”

  “Any news from the cops about Nicky?” Bassett asked.

  “Not much. So far, they haven’t come up with a suspect. Or even a good lead.”

  Bassett looked at Boff. “So, Frank, what do you do?”

  “I’m a private investigator.”

  “One of the best around,” Cassidy added.

  “Are you working for Mike on something?”

  “No,” Boff replied. “We’re just old friends. I met him a few years ago when I was helping to defend a cop buddy of his accused of tampering evidence. From time to time I stop in to see how he’s handling civilian life.”

  Wendy returned carrying a tray of drinks and a couple baskets of homemade potato chips. “Jeremy just made these,” she said, setting the baskets on the table. “I figured you’d want some.”

  Cassidy flashed a smile. “Wendy, if I hadn’t sworn off marriage, I’d propose to you.”

  The waitress grinned. “Mike, I’d never marry you. You’d drive me crazy.”

  As she walked away, Cassidy turned his attention to Bassett.

  “Reason I invited you here, Earl, is I was wondering how you’re making out with the nonprofit. I know Nicky tried to help you as much as he could. I imagine with him gone, it’s a lot more work for you.”

  Bassett nodded. “Yeah. It is. But I’m doing okay. As you can imagine, the staff and I were really shaken up by his death. For the first two months, it was like working in a funeral home. I still can’t get used to the idea that Nicky’s gone. I owe my life to him.”

  “How so?” Boff asked as he scooped up a handful of chips. Cassidy dove into the basket right after him.

  Bassett grabbed some chips, too. “Well, you see, Nicky gave me a job when no one else would even look at me. I’d been a venture capitalist with my own company, and was doing really well. Until the market took a nose dive. My company got hosed. I had to shut it down and look for work.” He swallowed his chips, then took a sip on his Manhattan before continuing. “Needless to say, there wasn’t a lot of interest in a guy who’d bankrupt his own company. I mean, yeah, I was able to get some consulting and advisory work here an
d there. But nobody wanted to take me on full time.”

  “Until Nicky did,” Cassidy said.

  “That’s right. Nicky and I first met socially. Turned out, we were both basketball freaks. We tried to get out to a Knicks game together at least twice a month. We went to a bar near the Garden after a game, and that’s when Nicky told me he was trying to put together a nonprofit to help underprivileged kids. He asked for my advice on how to set it up.”

  He picked the cherry out of his Manhattan and ate it. “I guess Nicky was impressed with what I told him. He offered me the CEO’s job on the spot. That sure stunned me. But I accepted the job without hesitation.”

  “Nicky always followed his gut feelings,” Cassidy said. “Most of the time, they proved to be right. In your case, you know, he told me he was really happy with the job you were doing.”

  “Well, I’m sure he wasn’t too thrilled with me when I didn’t get his camp started up in time for this summer. It wasn’t like he unloaded on me, Mike, but he was pretty upset.”

  “What camp is that?” Boff said, pretending not to know.

  “One he wanted to build in upstate New York for ghetto kids,” Bassett replied. “Nicky was particularly interested in kids that were really talented in basketball. It was a personal thing for him. Mike can tell you more about that than me.”

  As Wendy walked by the table, she glanced at their potato chip baskets, which were almost empty. “I’ll get Jeremy to make a new batch,” she said and headed for the kitchen.

  Keeping his tone casual, Boff said, “Why wasn’t the camp built on time for the summer?”

  “I guess you could blame it on me.” Bassett laughed. “Nicky sure did. The thing you have to understand about a nonprofit, Frank, is it has a lot of programs on the table that require hands-on care. As much as I wanted to get the camp going, those other programs kept pulling me away from it.” He looked at Cassidy. “Mike, that’s going to change now. I recently hired an assistant who used to work at my firm. He’s capable of shouldering a lot of the workload on those other programs. I guarantee you the camp will be up and running for next summer.”