by Scott Cook
“I… I’m Ernst Schumer,” The boy said, managing to sit upright and ringing the water from his short hair.
“Hank Lambert,” The slightly older boy replied, extending a hand, “It looks like we’re going to be spending some time together, Ernst.”
Schumer shook the offered hand warily, “You… you aren’t angry? I’m… I’m a German.”
Lambert shrugged, “What’s the point now? We’re both young guys, probably the lowest rank on board, am I right?”
Schumer smiled and nodded.
“And we’re both in the same boat…” Lambert chuckled at his unintended pun, “So why not let it go. The war’s over, our ships are gone and we’re all we’ve got.”
Schumer smiled, “True. You’re a good man, Mr. Lambert.”
Hank smiled and began to unstrap a supply canister, “Call me Hank. And hey, Ernst, it looks like we’re gonna be spending some time together, so why not get started on the right foot? Let’s get squared away, rig the sun shade, have some breakfast and I’ll try to raise somebody on the radio. In the meantime, we might as well get to know each other.”
“This sounds good,” Ernst said gratefully.
The two young men shook hands again and began their toil.
Chapter 26
“This sounds like the biggest fish story I ever heard,” Bryce commented after I’d filled them in on what’s been happening with my case.
At least the superficial details I allowed them to hear. I’d left out a considerable amount of salient information, naturally. I’d left out how Audrey Lambert was with the CIA, how Imani Tariffa was really Ariel Mizrahi. I’d also failed to mention Clay, Santino or Conklin.
“The more I hear it, the more it stinks,” Bryce added.
“He’s got a point,” Calovanni admitted, “Scott… there’s more you’re not telling us.”
“What makes you think so?” I asked.
Bryce scoffed and his face took on a most unpleasant sneer. It was the look of somebody who had just heard their rat trap snap the neck of a rodent that had plagued them for one too many nights. He cast a quick glance at Sharon and said: “There are more characters in your little tale, Jarvis. For one, who was responsible for killing those three men at the hotel tonight? How do you know they were the ones who shot up Lambert’s place yesterday? And what makes you think any of them killed your dog?”
I leaned back in the secretary’s chair and glared at him, “Because I fuckin’ said so, Bryce. And as for those men, I was the one who went there to confront them. They opened fire on me. I got three of the pricks and chased down a fourth.”
“Yeah,” Bryce snapped, “and eye witnesses say you were with at least one more guy! Who was that, Jarvis? A fucking name!”
I folded my arms across my chest, “A good Samaritan, Bryce.”
“You need to give us more than this,” Calovanni said, “So far, we know that one other man was with you tonight. The night manager reports that you and he dragged that Arab prick the coroner’s boys just hauled out of here out of the lobby. Said you two claimed you were federal agents, for Christ’s sake.”
“And he thinks we’re not?” I asked.
Calovanni smiled wryly, “No, I instructed our boys not to reveal anything, just ask questions. It’s probably better the guy believes your story. But we don’t.”
I sighed and looked at Sharon for support. She only shrugged slightly and said nothing.
“As it stands now,” Bryce said, “You’re looking at three counts murder one. So either you give us some details that make sense, or we book you on that basis.”
I raised an eyebrow at this and cast a meaningful look at Calovanni. He nodded slightly and I sighed, “I have no doubt, gentlemen, that once you run their prints, you’re going to find that these guys have a record of some sort. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find that they’re probably connected to some questionable group or other. They’re hired hitmen, the four of them. Hell, Bin-Kazar himself admitted to being a Colonel in the holy army of the Hamas. Bet Homeland Security has some poop on him and the other Arab at least.”
“We’ve started that process,” Calovanni said, “We’ll see what comes up. So far, though, we’ve got nothing. These four boys are clean. No rap sheet at all, state or Federal. At least the white guys. The Arabs… I suspect that either DHS, the FBI or even the CIA will come back with something on them.”
“A homicide is a homicide, Jarvis. Just because you claim they’re bad guys doesn’t give you permission to blow their brains out!” Bryce declaimed with barely concealed glee, “So whatever the feds come back with doesn’t let you off the hook.”
“Doesn’t it?” I asked, “Should these two innocent Americans be found associated with known terrorists, that should certainly put things in a different light, I’d think.”
Bryce scoffed, “Even if it does, that doesn’t give you license to go around executing people, Jarvis! Who the hell do you think you are?”
I only glared at him.
“Scott…” Calovanni said hesitantly, “I do believe you. I don’t think you just wandered onto that property and killed three men and kidnapped a fourth for kicks. I know enough about you to know you had good reasons. The trouble is that the evidence doesn’t support your claims… at least not yet. You’re the prime suspect in a triple murder, possibly even a fourth. The only thing that clears you on that was the fact that Lieutenant Nolen here witnessed the assassin who took out Bin-Kazar.”
“Which supports my story, does it not?” I asked.
“Does it not?” Bryce mimicked in a most unflattering way, “Fuckin’ guy thinks he’s Sherlock Holmes or some shit. But you know what I think Jarvis?”
“I couldn’t care less, Johnny,” I retorted, “Since the day I met you I haven’t had even the slightest crumb of interest in anything that your little monkey brain might conceive. Why don’t you sit there and be quiet while the grownups talk?”
“Hey, fuck you!” Bryce shouted, leaping to his feet and coming to stand over me. He placed his palms on the desk and leaned in close, pushing his now reddened face close to mine, “I think you’re a slimy piece of shit keyhole peeper, that’s what I think. I think you do whatever the fuck you want and expect everybody to kiss your ass. Well, not this time, asshole. You went and fucked up now and your mob buddies and your stooges aren’t going to be able to get you out of this jam. And I also think you’re a little bitch with a big mouth! Maybe you’d like to mouth off to me again, punk? Maybe you’d like me to show you what happens when shit heels like you make one too many smart ass remarks?”
His anger was exactly what I was going for. Manipulating Bryce was easier than playing a character in a video game. When I looked over at Sharon, I could see she was trying to conceal a grin.
“He’s got to be kidding, right?” I asked Calovanni.
“No, I ain’t kidding!” Bryce said, reaching over and grabbing a handful of my shirt in his right hand. He tried to yank me to my feet. I didn’t move. Instead, he only pulled himself closer and bent a little over the desk.
“What’s the matter, honey?” I asked calmly, “Little more than you can handle?”
With his right hand still gripping my shirt, Bryce reared his left back and back handed me across my right cheek. It was a decent hit, fast and hard but not nearly hard enough. When I neither flinched nor moved, Bryce balled his left fist and cocked it back. He didn’t throw the punch, though, just sneered at me, as if waiting for me to give him an excuse.
“Oh shit…” Sharon muttered.
Calovanni sighed heavily, “John… what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m finally gonna teach this punk a lesson,” Bryce snapped.
“You’re one dumb bastard,” Sharon stated, “Bryce… I’d step back if I were you.”
“I ain’t afraid of this pussy,” Bryce growled at me.
“Then you’re even dumber than I already think you are,” I said, “Now kindly get your fuckin’ mitt o
ff my shirt.”
“Or what?” Bryce jeered. He swung his left hand, although not the fist. He simply slapped me across the right side of my cheek again.
“John!” Calovanni barked, on his feet now, “That’s enough! Back the hell off… now!”
Bryce looked over at his senior partner. He looked surprised and a little hurt, “Come on, Nick, I was just—“
“You were just screwing us over,” Calovanni said, “You’ve just given him exactly what he needs. A reason to clam up. On top of that, you’ve given him a chance to charge you with brutality.”
“In other words,” Sharon said, “you done fucked up, cowboy. You’re lucky you don’t lose that badge.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” Bryce ranted, stepping away from me, “This guy’s a fuckin’ murderer! He wises off to the police and gets a little tuned up. Big fuckin’ deal. Who’s gonna know anyways?”
“I do,” Sharon said, “And I’m your superior officer. I’ll back any complaint he makes. And I’ll tell you something, John, you’re damned lucky that Scott has a lot more self-control than you. Because he’d wipe the floor with you and barely break a sweat. Jesus… what a fucking moron…”
Bryce turned to me and sneered again, “that what you gonna do, ya’ little bitch? Whine about getting a little slap?”
I only stared. I stared for a long time. I simply locked my gaze on his face and watched as it slowly went from confident snideness to confusion and finally to worry.
“I’ve got no complaint to make, Bryce,” I said, “If I want payback for your little bitch slaps, which wouldn’t even hold a candle to my mother’s, then it won’t be official. Should I someday give a rat’s ass, then you’ll be bleeding on the sidewalk in consequence. That what I gonna do.”
“Get out of here, John,” Calovanni snapped before Bryce could reply, “Get back to the car and wait.”
Bryce chuffed but stalked out of the room without a word. Calovanni sighed and rubbed his face, “For fuck’s sake… its way too early for this shit.”
“I agree,” I said, “I’m wiped out myself.”
“Did you have to go and rile him up?” Calovanni asked, although not much annoyed, “Now I have to deal with this shit.”
“I let him live,” I offered with a slight grin, “and you know as well as I do he needs a little comeuppance. That kid watches too many old cop shows. Someday he’s really going to piss off the wrong person and either end up on charges or dead. I did him and you a favor. But I don’t give a damn. I won’t file a complaint if it makes your life easier.”
Calovanni only chuckled, “What a day…”
“I will, though,” Sharon stated, “that little prick needs a slap on the ass and I’m goddamned gonna make sure he gets it.”
I only shrugged at Calovanni.
He held out his hands, “He brought it on himself. That aside, though, Scott… can you give me anything else?”
I leaned on the desk and rubbed my eyes, “Nick… I’m not holding out on you to be difficult. Okay… off the record?”
He squirmed uncomfortably in his chair and finally relented, “Okay. I’ll trust you.”
I smiled slightly, “There are multiple international intelligence agencies sniffing around, but they’re being really quiet about it. There’s something out in the Gulf that everybody wants to find. It could have major ramifications if the wrong party gets it first. Hank Lambert hired me. Although his granddaughter is in the CIA, she can’t operate too closely on this. They say they want to find it themselves before any government gets involved”
“Jesus Christ…” Calovanni groaned, “Some kind of spy shit?”
“I told you about the salvage,” I said, “but not the whole story. There’s a sunken submarine out there that the good guys need to find first. That’s all I can say for now, and believe me, Nick, you don’t want to know any more. The less you know, the better.”
He screwed up his face in confusion, “What…? What the hell…?”
“Trust him, Nick,” Sharon offered.
“So who are the bad guys?” Nick asked.
I scoffed, “Good question. I thought I knew but now I’m not so sure. That’s the part of the puzzle I need to figure out. Because I think I can find the boat… so if I’m right, my trouble is who do I tell?”
“Seems like your client,” Calovanni said, “The old man and the CIA granddaughter. Let the real government agents handle it.”
I nodded, “You’d think so… but so many characters have popped up in this…”
“I thought being a cop was a ball buster,” Calovanni said with a grin, “Scott… even if it’s off the record… can you tell me who the other man was?”
I heaved a sigh and thought for a long moment, “And if I do?”
Nick shrugged, “It’s off the record. But if I have something from you, I’d feel better about going to bat for you. About explaining why I didn’t arrest you for this. With my backing, Sharon’s backing and Bryce’s dumb ass maneuver, it should keep you out of the cooler. At least for a little while. I can’t guarantee that Harry O’Malley won’t order me to slap the cuffs on you. I doubt it, though. He’d give you the benefit of the doubt more than just about anybody. Aside from Wayne Jackson and Sharon, of course.”
It was a kind gesture and I appreciated it. That’s why when I lied to him I felt all the more guilty for it. I couldn’t tell him the truth. I couldn’t tell him that Clay Delaney was the accomplice that eye witnesses had seen. As I told Clay earlier, I couldn’t jeopardize his family. I thought of Missy and the girls and his young son… I had to keep Clay out of it, even if the damned fool hadn’t listened to me at the time.
“Okay, Nick,” I finally said, “one of the mysterious characters that popped up, only early this morning, in fact… is Charles Conklin.”
“Wait…” Calovanni said in surprise, “You mean the guy whose wife asked you to find him back when you were a cop… the guy who was working with that mob family in the keys? The guy from your first book?”
“And the fourth,” Sharon said, “He popped up again this past summer in the Keys.”
“Yeah,” Calovanni said, “Yeah, I know. I read that one, too. So he’s back again? You’re shittin’ me!”
“I shit thee not,” I said, “and as to your next question… no, I don’t know where he is. He took off after the… the incident.”
“So who’s he working for?” Calovanni asked bemusedly, “NSA? The fucking KGB? Jesus…”
“I have no doubt,” I said, “that you’ll find something on these four men sooner or later. I know that the two white guys and I guess the two Arabs came down from St. Louis. Whatever that’s worth. And since Bin-Kazar admitted that he’s with Hamas, I’ll bet dollars to navy beans something pops up.”
Calovanni’s phone rang. He grimaced and pulled it from his pocket, “Probably John… hello? What… yeah… yeah… you’re kidding… okay, I’ll act on it then.”
He hung up and faced me, “Well, that was the man himself.”
“O’Malley?” Sharon asked.
“The same,” Calovanni said, getting to his feet, “Case closed. No charges pending.”
“What the…?” Sharon mumbled.
Calovanni shrugged, “No idea. But he said the word came down from above, whatever that means. Guess you’re off the hook, Scott.”
“Can I leave town?” I quipped.
He chuckled, “I guess… but I wouldn’t get too comfy. This could still come back to take a major chunk outta your ass.”
“I know,” I said. I stood and shook his hand, “thanks, Nick. Have a good one.”
Calovanni turned back from the door, “Already do, pal, already do.”
“That’s not what your wife says,” Sharon got in on the fun.
Without missing a beat, Calovanni rejoined, “Nah… it’s what your mother told me last night, Sharon.”
Once he was gone, Sharon and I looked at each other and then the client chair that had held the terr
orist. The navy blue velvet fabric on both the back and seat were stained black with drying blood.
“So now what?” She asked, stretching out on the sofa and yawning.
I shrugged, “Guess I get a new set of client chairs. Otherwise… we could do it on the couch.”
She scoffed, “Okay, but I meant after the next three minutes.”
“You’re mean,” I said.
She got up and came over to me and sat in my lap, putting one arm around my neck, “Seriously… how are you doing?”
I sighed, “Tired, Sharon. Just tired. My balls don’t hurt anymore, so that’s something.”
She kissed me tenderly on the cheek, “What can I do?”
I avoided the obvious joke. She was being sincere after all, “Not sure. I guess I need to head back to Sarasota. Things are… pretty crazy.”
“You want me to come along?” She asked.
I shook my head, “I’ve got allies there, so it’ll be okay. I’m a bit worried about Audrey and Iman… I mean Ariel… Christ…”
“You think they’re in danger?” Sharon asked, “After what you told me about Audrey, she sounds like the grade-A bitch she first appeared to be the other day.”
I nodded, “True that. I’m not sure who I’m worried about or for why. Any or all of these people could be in danger from each other or this mysterious third party intent on whacking everybody out.”
“Including you,” She asked, “I’m real uncomfortable with the fact that somebody just leaned around the door jam and fired a pistol in here. We should be way more on guard.”
“We?” I asked.
“Well, you, me any of us until this is over,” Sharon said.
I nodded, “There is one thing you can do for me now.”
She leaned back and locked her lovely blue eyes onto mine, “Oh?”
I smiled, “Tease. Actually… and I can’t believe neither Calovanni nor even Bryce didn’t notice this… my Jeep is still parked over by the Hilton.”
She cocked her head a little sideways and studied me. It was so much like Morgan that I chuckled in spite of the pang it also stirred up in my heart. Sharon shook her head, “No… it’s parked downstairs.”
