Killer Spring

by Kay Bigelow

  “I’ll pick you up at six.”

  “Cots, can you find out which of the shuttles from Tazmania Jardain and Hermione Juaarez will be on?”

  “I can. What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. Just interested.” She wasn’t about to tell Cots she was way more interested in Jardain than even she was willing to admit.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Cots arrived in front of her building precisely at six the next morning. He had stopped at The Coffee Pot and picked up coffee for them both. What a sweet guy he can be when he wants to. And what a pissant he is when he doesn’t want to be sweet.

  “Jardain and Hermione Juaarez are arriving today around four. But they’re not coming in from Hobart. They are coming from a little-known planet belonging to Juaarez’s father. I did a little digging and the Juaarez family were once mobsters, but have since become legitimate and own several businesses including a shuttle company. Hermione is the younger sister of the current leader of the family businesses.”

  Leah didn’t comment on the information Cots had found. She knew she should say something if only to stave off being questioned by Cots, but she couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Luckily, Cots didn’t ask what she thought of what he’d told her.

  An hour later, they were in place to watch ShaTin disembark from the shuttle. They were sitting at a small café with a view of his gate. He came into the terminal looking as if he’d hadn’t spent the last fifteen hours on a shuttle. He was a handsome man with short raven-black hair and his eyes were surprisingly blue. He was impeccably dressed. When one of his men said something to him, ShaTin gave him a dazzling smile.

  “Do we know what the woman he was with looks like?”

  “No, but surely he wouldn’t be stupid or reckless enough to travel with her.”

  As ShaTin stepped out of the security area, he was greeted by two similarly dressed men. Leah picked out three more bodyguards as ShaTin turned to walk toward the doors of the terminal.

  “Let’s go with him. He’s got enough firepower with him to protect him from anyone who tries to attack him.”

  Cots and Leah trailed along behind the mobster. As he and his bodyguards exited the building, shots rang out and three of his guards went down. Three more shots and the others fell, too.

  Bedlam ensued. Other travelers didn’t know where the shots had come from so they were running like a spooked herd of Cerulean bison. ShaTin was left standing alone.

  “C’mon,” Cots shouted to Leah. “Peony’s at the curb.” He took off running with Leah following him.

  As they approached ShaTin from behind, Cots grabbed him, pulled him along and shoved him into the back seat of Peony’s roadster, and dove in behind him. Leah jumped into the front seat and yelled, “Get us the hell out of here.”

  Peony didn’t ask any questions; she gunned the car and had them leaving the terminal as cop cars came screaming into the area and blocked the exits and entrances. Theirs was the last car allowed to leave the scene.

  “What were you doing here?” Leah asked Peony. “Never mind. We’ll have that discussion later.”

  “Who the phuc are you people?” ShaTin asked, apparently unsure whether to be scared or angry.

  “We’re the people who just saved your life, asshole,” Cots growled.

  “Someone was trying to kill me?” ShaTin asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “Why?”

  “Really? You’re going to try to pretend you’re just a run-of-the-mill businessman returning from a business trip?”

  “It’s true.”

  “Let’s see, you just took over the territory of your biggest rival and adding insult to injury, you’ve been shagging his wife for the last five days. Did you think he’d even consider leaving you alive?”

  “I’ll ask again, who are you people and how do you know all that?” ShaTin asked.

  Cots didn’t reply to his questions. Leah knew they wouldn’t tell ShaTin anything that would lead anyone to them.

  After he looked out the backseat windows, he asked, “Where are you taking me? Are you working for PiguTou?”

  “Somewhere safe. Now shut up,” Cots said, ignoring ShaTin’s question about PiguTou.

  Peony took them to the city’s largest park, which ran beside Victoria Harbour. She parked them in a secluded area away from the water. They got out of the car so each could see the others.

  “Who are you? Who do you work for?” Leah wondered if ShaTin was going into shock because he kept asking the same questions and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.

  “Do you know Sarah Bensington?” Leah asked.

  “What’s it to you?”

  “Listen, you idiot, someone clearly wants you dead. We’ve saved your life. No one knows where you are or who you’re with. So answer the questions posed to you and we may let you walk away in one piece.”

  ShaTin clamped his mouth closed and stared at Cots, clearly trying to figure out whether to call their bluff or to spill the beans. Finally, he sighed and said, “We were friends.”

  “Just friends?” Leah asked.

  “More.”

  Great. We’ve kidnapped a gangster who owes us his life, and he thinks answering our questions with monosyllabic grunts is the way to thank us.

  Before Leah could ask another question, Peony walked up to him, slapped him hard, and said something to him in a language Leah wasn’t familiar with. ShaTin’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. Peony gave him a little jab with her finger, and he began backing away from her toward a bench. He slumped against the back of the bench and looked as if all his stuffing had been removed.

  “More. Much more.”

  Peony advanced on him. “We were lovers, okay?” He practically shouted it at them. “I loved her,” he whispered. “I wanted to marry her, but she said her father would never allow it. Somehow he found out and told her if she married me, she’d be no daughter of his. Two days later, she was dead.”

  Leah joined him on the bench. “Did you kill her?”

  “What? No. I loved her.”

  “Who do you think killed her?”

  “Her father either did it with his own hands or he ordered it done.”

  “Do you have any proof of that?”

  “No. If I had proof, he’d be dead now.”

  “Okay. You’re free to go. Thanks for the information.”

  “I’m free to go? Who are you people?”

  “We’re looking for Sarah’s killer. By the way, did the cops talk to you?”

  “Do mean Andrew Becker? No. He has no intention of finding the killer.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he wants Bensington to continue to think it was me who killed his daughter.”

  “Why would he do that?” Leah asked.

  “From what I’ve heard, he thinks that if Bensington thinks I killed her, he’ll continue to pay Becker to investigate the murder of his daughter.”

  “Why would Bensington do that if he thinks you killed her? Why doesn’t he demand you be arrested?”

  “He has. But Becker won’t arrest me.”

  “Why not?”

  “Says he doesn’t have enough evidence to arrest me. Besides, he knows if he arrests me, I can prove he’s been accepting my monthly payments to look the other way when my people are involved in activities that are less than legal.”

  “That explains a few things,” Leah said more to herself than the others.

  “If I’m really free to go, can you drop me off at my home?”

  “Really?” Peony asked.

  “I don’t carry cash with me. The head of my bodyguard detail has my money and my cell phone. No cab will pick me up here and take me to my home. It’s too damn far to walk in this heat.”

  “Perhaps you might want to rethink that?” Peony asked.

  “Why? You going to kidnap me again?”

  “We might.”

  Before that discussion devolved any further into a middle school back-and-forth, Leah said, “Of
course, we can drop you off near your home.”

  Peony stalked off to stand at the front of her car. Leah knew immediately she was hiding her license plates from ShaTin. Thus far, he didn’t know who any of them were.

  Before they all got into the car, ShaTin asked, “What if I need to get hold of you?”

  Leah had the same question, but was reluctant to give him the necessary information in case he had retribution on his mind.

  “Look,” he said, “You guys saved my life so I owe you. You’ve been nothing but civil to me. Why would I harm you? I know you’ve probably heard what people say about me. Some of it is true, but most of it isn’t.”

  “Why not put a message on your social media accounts asking Lotus Blossom to call you?” Peony asked.

  “Do you know how many Lotus Blossoms there are in this city?” he asked, sounding appalled at the thought of receiving thousands of calls from strange women.

  “How many have your phone number?” Peony asked.

  “Enough,” he said.

  “Oh, for phuc’s sake,” Cots said, handing the man his card, the same card Leah had given to Jardain’s mother when she interviewed her. It had only Cots’s phone number on it.

  “What do I call you?” ShaTin asked.

  “Sir,” Cots said and got into the passenger seat.

  Leah smiled. Score one for Cots. At least ShaTin knew he’d been bested and didn’t try to continue the game with Cots. She watched as the young man climbed into the back seat.

  Peony got behind the wheel, and Leah got into the back seat with ShaTin.

  “Will you find Sarah’s killer?” ShaTin asked.

  “I think we will. You’ve been helpful today.”

  “If I give you a million credits, will you tell me before you tell the cops?”

  “No.”

  “I didn’t think so, but it was worth a try.”

  They sat in silence for five minutes, then he asked, “Who is she?” He pointed at Peony.

  “My business partner.”

  “Tell her if she ever wants to change jobs, she’s got a place in my organization.”

  “I heard that,” Peony said from the front seat.

  After asking ShaTin where he wanted to be dropped off, Peony took them to a neighborhood of large mansions set far enough from the street so the residents wouldn’t hear any disturbing noises. Each of the mansions were surrounded by tall stone fences, and each had a guarded gate. Leah wondered if everyone in the neighborhood was a gangster, or just paranoid. Peony pulled over to the side of the road beside one of the stone walls.

  “Get out and start walking. Don’t look back. If you do, I’ll shoot you dead where you stand,” Cots said.

  ShaTin did what he was told. Peony put the car into reverse and slowly backed up to the service road leading to the rear of the property. She backed onto the road and then they sat watching the receding back of ShaTin.

  “How far are we from his house?” Leah asked.

  “Only a couple of blocks,” Peony told them.

  When ShaTin went around a slight bend in the road, he didn’t glance to his right to see if they were still parked by the side of the road. He kept walking toward his home.

  Peony put the car into gear and drove slowly away from the mobster’s neighborhood.

  “Who or what is PiguTou?” Leah asked.

  “He’s a gangster like ShaTin. He’s the one ShaTin ousted from his own territory,” Cots said.

  “By the way, his name translates to English as ‘butt head,’ so I’m pretty sure that’s not his real name,” Peony told them with a smile.

  “No wonder he lost his territory to a kid like ShaTin,” Cots said.

  “Where to?” Peony asked.

  “We need to return to the SpacePort so I can get my car,” Cots said.

  Leah asked what time it was, trying to keep her voice neutral.

  Cots glanced over his shoulder, and said, “She was supposed to have landed fifteen minutes ago.”

  Drude. She’d be gone by the time we get there. Phuc.

  As they approached the main terminal at the SpacePort, a young cop stopped them. “This is a crime scene,” he told them importantly. “You can’t go in there.”

  “We’re picking up a friend in the main parking lot. Can we go there?” Peony smiled sweetly at the cop.

  “Yeah, go ahead. I don’t think that would be a problem.”

  Leah couldn’t help but grin.

  Peony and Leah dropped Cots off at his car and drove off.

  “Can we stop somewhere and get something to eat before heading back to the office.

  “Why don’t you weigh three hundred pounds?” Leah asked.

  “I get lots of exercise.”

  I bet you do. In the space of an hour, Peony had intimidated a mobster and charmed a cop.

  As they drove away from the SpacePort, Leah’s mind returned to Jardain. God, I hope she’s not involved with her ex. There are many things I would do for love, but sleep with someone else’s woman is not one of them.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Back at the office, Leah and Peony didn’t wait for Cots to arrive to start devouring their sandwiches. It was just as well, since it took him an hour and a half to return to the office.

  “What took you so long?” Peony asked, shoving his sandwich toward him.

  “Everyone and his uncle was trying to get out of the parking lots. And the cops were inspecting every car. I’m lucky to not still be sitting there.”

  “What did we learn from ShaTin?” Leah asked after Cots settled in with his sandwich.

  “We learned he loved Sarah, and she loved him. I don’t think he had anything to do with her murder,” Peony said.

  “Just because he loved her doesn’t mean he didn’t kill her. Lots of people kill loved ones. You should know that by now, Peony,” Cots said.

  Before this could turn into a lovers’ spat, Leah jumped in to keep Peony from retorting to Cots officious remarks.

  “I agree with Peony. From your research, Cots, ShaTin has no motive. I’m assuming since you didn’t indicate otherwise in your report, he also has an alibi for the time of the murder. Yes, he could have ordered the hit. The police report and the autopsy gave us no indication that this was a hit, though. Assassins generally don’t go around strangling their targets.”

  Neither Cots nor Peony had a different opinion.

  “Speaking of assassins, do either of you find it interesting that the Governor of Tazmania was assassinated while Jardain Bensington was there with another woman?” Cots asked.

  “Why is that interesting?” Leah asked. “I’m sure Jardain’s speaking engagements were booked months in advance. I guess, though, the assassination wasn’t a spur of the moment decision either. So the speaking engagement would be the ideal cover, wouldn’t it?”

  “What are you two saying? That Jardain is a hired killer? Is this what happens to people when they spend too much time around crime and murders? They see killers everywhere?” Peony asked.

  “You have a point, Peony,” Leah said, smiling.

  “Besides, we need to catch Sarah’s killer before we go off on a tangent about assassins and assassinations on another planet,” Peony said.

  “Too true. So what’s next, Peony?” Leah asked.

  Peony took a few seconds before she answered. “ShaTin seemed convinced Bensington killed his daughter. But we know he has a rock-solid alibi. Let’s take a closer look at those around Bensington. We’ve cleared the family members, so I’ll start looking at his servants and anyone who might have known he was upset with Sarah for dating ShaTin. Perhaps someone in his employ took the rantings of a distraught father one step too far.”

  “And the little starling begins to fly on her own,” Cots said with a smile.

  “Do you have anything to add to Peony’s assessment, Cots?”

  “It’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  “Me, too,” Leah said, and watched Peony beam with pleasure undoubtedly
because they hadn’t laughed and had actually agreed with her.

  “I’ll go get the searches started,” Peony said.

  When Cots’s computer dinged, he opened it and read the screen. Without a word, he handed it to Leah. Jardain’s flight had been delayed and was now scheduled to arrive at the SpacePort at seven o’clock that evening.

  Leah handed Cots his computer. “Why are you tracking her? Do you have something on her you’re not sharing?”

  “I’m tracking her because you seemed to want to know her whereabouts. And, no, I have nothing on her I’ve not told you.”

  “Okay. Thanks for sharing that.” She was relieved he wasn’t tracking her for some nefarious reason and she welcomed the information about her new arrival time, but she was still put off at his intrusion into her life while at the same time appreciating someone who had her back.

  “What time shall I come by for you this evening?”

  She smiled at him, and, not for the first time, wondered if he could read her mind.

  “Six ought to be early enough.”

  “See you then,” he said as he left her office.

  Leah crossed the room to her desk, but instead of sitting down, she stood looking out the window toward the lake. The swans and ducks were, she thought, feeding. Leah shook her head to clear it. She was amazed at how easily her mind was distracted by trivial matters. In New America, she’d never been distracted by non-essential information like what swans and ducks were having for dinner. Of course, there were neither swans nor ducks left on New America to be distracted by. They’d been unable to survive the ever decreasing temperatures and had slowly, over many decades, migrated south toward more temperate climates. She wondered how many years it would take for swans hiding out in Argentina to become extinct on New America as thousands of other species already had.

  Phuc, Leah, get your head in the game! Get focused and stay focused. We’ve got two million credits riding on this case and you’re wondering about dying species on another planet. Maybe I need a vacation.

  She turned and sat down at her desk. She turned on the murder board and put her feet on her desk. As she studied the board, her mind wandered to Jardain. She smiled at the thought of seeing her again.