BLOODBURG

by Nyssa Renay

  She heard some commotion and looked up to see the street musician from the other day being harassed again by the same officer as before. This time, however, the cop had knocked the guitar case over and spilled loose change and singles across the sidewalk. He then threw the old man to the ground, pinning him down with a knee to the back while he snapped handcuffs on his wrists. Horrified, she tossed the coffee in a trash bin and rushed over toward the scene.

  “Hey!” Allie shouted, quickly rescuing the musician’s guitar case from being kicked farther down the street. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Lady, why don’t you mind your own business?” the cop snapped. “Should I arrest you, too?”

  “Excuse me?” Allie spat. “For what?”

  “Loitering, for a start,” the officer growled. “I’m sure I can come up with a few other things. Why don’t you get the hell out of here and let me do my job.” It was not a request.

  “Which is what, exactly…Officer…Gatton,” Allie sneered, reading the name badge on his chest.

  “Arresting filthy street trash like this for not obeying the law,” he said smugly.

  “Seriously?” Allie’s jaw fell open. “You’ve got innocent people getting mugged and killed all over town, and you’re worried about some struggling artist on the sidewalk?” Allie scoffed and pulled out her phone.

  “What are you doing?” Officer Gatton asked, wondering why this angry woman was giving him such a hard time.

  Allie stared intently at the officer as the phone rang. “Yes. Detective Sanders, please. Tell him it’s Allison McCleary…and it’s urgent.”

  Within seconds, Detective Sanders came on the line. “Hello?” he said, sounding unsettled. “It’s a coincidence that you called. A few things have come up, and I really need to talk to your friend about the warehouse last week.”

  “I’ll let him know when I see him again,” she replied, intentionally vague.

  “When will that be?” Sanders asked.

  “I’m really not sure,” she replied honestly. “But in the meantime, I need a favor.”

  “What’s up?”

  “I need you to give an Officer Gatton a call and tell him to stop harassing a friend of mine; a musician who doesn’t have a permit to perform on the street yet. I wonder if you could file one for him? I’ll be in to pay for it as soon as possible; probably tomorrow. Can you help me out?”

  “I…uhhh…sure,” Sanders replied, puzzled by the request, but if it led him to Joseph again, it was worth a shot. “What’s his name?”

  “Hang on a sec,” she said putting her hand over the phone. “I’m sorry, but you never told me your name.”

  “The Lonely Shepherd,” he smiled.

  Allie pulled the phone back up to her ear. “Uh, just file it under…The Lonely Shepherd. Is that good enough?”

  “Not really, but I’ll make it work,” Sanders grumbled. “And don’t worry. I’ll give Officer Gatton a call right now…okay? Anything else?”

  “Nope. That’s perfect,” she said smiling wide. “And Joseph will call you as soon as I hear from him.”

  “Thank you,” he said, and the line went dead.

  Seconds later, the radio on Officer Gatton’s shoulder crackled and screeched to life as his name was repeatedly barked. He yanked it off his shoulder, staring angrily at Allie.

  “Yeah,” he answered as a muffled stream of words spewed from the other end. “Yes, sir.” Officer Gatton spat and clipped the radio back onto his shoulder.

  “Everything all set?” Allie said, tilting her head, mimicking Joseph.

  Officer Gatton removed the handcuffs from the homeless man. “Yes,” Gatton replied coldly and turned toward the beggar. “Just try to stay out of people’s way. Got it?” Gatton barked, glaring hatefully at Allie and brushed past her as he continued down the sidewalk.

  “Thank you, Allison,” the old man replied sincerely as he collected the strewn cash off the sidewalk. “That was very kind of you.”

  She smiled. “Just trying to help where I can.” Allie set the guitar case back beside the old man and propped the lid open, tossing in a fifty. “Good luck,” she said happily, heading for the shop.

  Allie was barely two blocks away when her phone rang. She quickly pulled it out, feeling a rush of adrenaline when she saw Joseph’s name on the screen.

  “Hi,” she answered pleasantly. “I’m guessing Marcus is still tracking my phone?”

  “Yes,” Joseph grumbled. “Why did you have to call the police station?”

  “I didn’t have to,” Allie answered sheepishly. “I was calling Detective Sanders for a small favor, that’s all. I figured after what happened at the warehouse, he wouldn’t mind helping me out a little.”

  “You know the only reason he helped you was so he could get to me,” he snapped.

  “I know, but I told him I’d have you give him a call the next time we talked. It’s no big deal,” Allie argued. “For all he knows, it could be weeks before I talk to you again, right?”

  “Look.” Joseph sighed heavily. “Right now, I’m in the middle of trying to keep Christoff from losing an all-out mob war that started after that night at the warehouse. The three hanging corpses were a message to Palencio to stop trying to poach our guys and to stay out of our business, but it all backfired.”

  “What happened?”

  “When the island exploded, it destroyed the counterfeiting plates I won. We were going to use them as leverage to buy out the right people. But now, both our cash flow and manpower are diminishing every day. Pretty soon, Palencio just might take over everything.”

  “I don’t understand,” Allie replied. “You have so much money. Why don’t you just use some of that?”

  “What do you think I’ve been doing?” Joseph’s tone was getting more frustrated by the moment. “The main problem is if Christoff’s men see a large counterfeiting operation sitting idle, they start to worry that something’s wrong. And with Palencio’s crew tearing through the city, killing off as many of Christoff’s men as they can find, it won’t be long before our guys start to think that staying alive is a much more viable option than getting a paycheck from a slowly crumbling empire.”

  “Can’t you just stop Palencio’s crew from killing them?”

  “Of course, I could…and I have…but I can’t be everywhere at once, Allie!” Joseph shouted. We’re talking about hundreds of Palencio’s men spread out all over the city.”

  “So why did my call to Sanders make you so upset?” Allie asked.

  Joseph let out a long, frustrated groan. “It’s a political chess match, and Sanders was going to be our key player,” Joseph explained. “At the warehouse, I let him see how powerful Christoff can be. I showed him how dirty his fellow detectives who work for Palencio truly are. I was subtly trying to influence Sanders to lean toward Christoff’s side after surviving the warehouse.”

  “But what makes you so sure he could be bribed? You said he was a good cop.”

  “He is,” Joseph admitted. “But that’s only because he isn’t important enough to be fully persuaded by either Christoff or Palencio…yet. We were working on paying off some of our higher ups in the police force to get him promoted to run the precinct, but this little mob war has put a sizeable hiccup in our plan. I didn’t want to involve Sanders until we were ready, and now he’s starting to investigate the warehouse incident more closely and attracting a lot of unwanted attention from both sides.”

  “Wait! So, you’re saying the only reason you didn’t kill him at the warehouse was because you wanted to have the chance to try and buy him out yourself?”

  “Yes,” Joseph admitted coldly.

  “Well, that’s kind of a shitty thing to do!”

  “So is using him to get what you wanted.”

  Allie knew he was telling the truth. When she lost her cool with Officer Gatton, she jumped to the first thing she could think of to get her way. Her heart sank when s
he realized she might have tainted her relationship with Joseph.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry,” Allie admitted somberly. “So, how can I make this right? What do you want to do about Sanders?”

  “Nothing right now,” Joseph said calmly. “But, since you’ve become the liaison between us, when we’re ready to try to pull him in, you’re going to have to be the one to help convince him.”

  “How am I supposed to do that?” Allie argued.

  Joseph waited a moment before speaking again. “Why did you decide to work for me?” he asked calmly.

  “Because every time you’ve been around me, you’ve always done everything you could to keep me safe,” she answered honestly. “Plus, I figured I could eventually get you to stop looking out for just yourself and maybe help me make a difference in the world.”

  “Exactly.” Joseph chuckled. “I think you’ve just figured out how to convince him that it would be in his best interest to work with me, too.” He let out a deep breath. “Anyway, you’d better hurry up if you still need to find a dress for your date with Kevin before you’re late for work.”

  “Oh crap, you’re right!” she gasped, suddenly realizing that the only fancy dress she owned was the one Joseph had given her for the auction, and it was ruined when they fled the island. “Wait a minute! How did…” she trailed off. “Right, I forgot who I was talking to.” Allie let out a long, heavy sigh. “Look, I know you don’t like him, and I already messed up pretty big today, so, if you don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go out with him…I won’t.”

  “Just go to work and enjoy your evening out,” Joseph said sincerely. “Keep your phone handy in case I need to get in touch with you.”

  “I will.”

  “Good,” Joseph said, feeling content for the moment. “Oh! Try the shop over on Spillway Street…The Premiere…lovely little place. Just tell Francois that Mr. Beckemeyer sent you, and he’ll set you up with whatever you need.”

  “I think I can—” Allie started to argue.

  “He’s already expecting you,” Joseph interrupted. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  But before Allie could say another word, the line went dead. All she could do now was trust Joseph, yet again. She put her phone away and hurried to Spillway Street.

  ***

  The Premiere turned out to be tricky to locate. Allie wandered up and down the street, checking the address on each door, but couldn’t find the store. It wasn’t until she walked near a small set of unmarked doors that Allie heard a voice behind her.

  “Excuse me,” a woman’s voice called.

  Allie stopped and looked around, but couldn’t tell where the voice was coming from. She was about to keep walking when the speaker came to life again. “Over here, Ms. McCleary…the brown door on the right…with the black burnished handle.”

  “Oh, okay, sorry,” Allie muttered as she headed toward the door. “Hi. I’m Allison—”

  “We know,” the woman’s voice interrupted and dripped sarcasm. “Please come in,” she said as she heard a soft buzz and click of the door.

  Allie stepped inside, heart pounding as the door closed and locked behind her. She gaped and looked around the room. The black and white marble floor was highly polished, set off by the glow from the suspended crystal chandelier. Down the pristine white hallway, a spiral staircase twirled to the upstairs where the snarky voice from the speaker called down to her. “Up here, Ms. McCleary. We’d prefer not to send a search party after you just to get you into the store.”

  Allie rolled her eyes as she climbed the stairs. She hated places like this because they made her feel extremely uncomfortable, but she wasn’t going to give this pretentious woman the satisfaction of making her uneasy. Though Allie had gone through so much lately, she reveled in the feeling of power and confidence that working with Joseph gave her.

  “Well, well, well, look at you,” an elegant woman with platinum hair and piercing green eyes said as Allie reached the top step. “My name is Katrinka. Francois has asked me to look after you today…and now I see why.” She folded her hands at her waist, and Allie saw the diamonds that dripped off her wrists and fingers glisten in the reflection of the other chandeliers.

  “Thanks,” Allie offered to this snobbish woman. They glared at each other, as if divided by an invisible line that separated them by class and social stature. This is not going to go well, Allie thought to herself as Katrinka suddenly turned on her heels and motioned for Allie to follow.

  Inside the showroom, Allie felt even more out of place. Racks of glittering dresses lined the walls, and everywhere she looked, there were accessory tables set up with elegant cashmere scarves and leather bags like she’d only seen on the pages of celebrity fashion magazines. She forced herself to accept the humiliation and deal with the discomfort, for no other reason than to prove to Joseph that she was strong under any circumstance.

  Katrinka stopped and turned to face Allie before letting out an irritated sigh. “What is it that you’re looking to wear tonight? We have only the most exclusive lines here at The Premiere, so I would imagine you already have something in mind. Dior? Versace?”

  “Honestly, I don’t,” Allie admitted.

  “You don’t…lovely,” Katrinka said, rolling her eyes in a defiant display of irritation.

  Allie suddenly found herself unable to restrain her annoyance with this woman. “Is Francois here? I’d like to speak with him directly,” Allie insisted.

  “I’m sorry, but Francois is very busy and—”

  “Mr. Beckemeyer sent me here,” Allie interrupted, watching Katrinka’s face turn a deep shade of crimson. “I’m sure you’re a very competent saleswoman, but right now, I need you to run along and get Francois. Otherwise, I’m going to leave, and Mr. Beckemeyer will not be pleased by your attitude toward me and the horrible service you have provided. God only knows what’ll happen to this store’s reputation if you piss him off.”

  Katrinka swallowed nervously, and her eyes were wide with fear and anxiety. “I-I’m terribly sorry, ma’am. I’ll get Francois immediately,” she stammered, rushing toward the back of the store.

  Straightening her shoulders, Allie grinned as she looked around the showroom to find that Katrinka wasn’t the only employee. Two other women in form-fitting black dresses cowered near a rack of blouses at the far end of the store, clearly intimidated.

  “My dear Allison!” Francois shouted happily as he flung aside the gold velvet curtains that separated the back of the store from the main showroom with a flourish. “It is so good of you to stop by our humble little shop. Would you like something to drink while we get you sized up? Katrinka would be happy to fetch anything you need. A nice cup of tea…perhaps a cocktail, eh?”

  Allie was tempted to show up to work with a slight buzz, but she knew that would not sit well with Patience. “No, I have to go to…” Allie trailed off as she watched Katrinka hang on her every syllable. “Actually, I would love a French vanilla latte.”

  “Of course! I’ll be right back,” Katrinka quickly chirped, scurrying through the gold curtains.

  “Oh, Katrinka?” Allie sang, sneering as Katrinka’s head poked through the curtains. “Skim milk…and not too much sugar…okay, hon?”

  “Of course,” Katrinka replied sheepishly. “Anything you want, ma’am.”

  “Thank you.” Allie bared her teeth in a smile as Katrinka awkwardly slunk behind the gold curtains.

  Francois took Allie by the crook of her arm. “Now, let’s make you look fantastic for your evening!” he cooed, slowly pulling her toward a pedestal in front of three large mirrors.

  ***

  By the time Allie arrived at the store, The Park Crystal had already been open for almost a full hour. She rushed through the door, ready with a string of apologies for her sister.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late,” Allie said as she hurried behind the counter. “I was out getting a new dress for tonight and—”
/>   “It’s okay, Allie.” Patience laughed. “You don’t have to explain. I figured it was something like that.”

  “Thank you!” Allie threw her arms around Patience.

  “Well, where is it?” Patience asked as Allie unfolded herself.

  “Where’s what?”

  “The dress.” Patience pouted, peering around for a garment bag. “You didn’t already take it home, did you? I would’ve loved to see you in it.”

  “Don’t worry, you will. It’s being made for me right now.” Allie smirked as she sashayed past her sister to the back office. “They’ll be delivering it here after lunch.” She pursed her lips and struck a pose.

  “Made? It’s being made for you?” Patience giggled as she scampered into the office after Allie. “Wow, somebody’s really going all out for her date tonight. Good for you!”

  Allie blushed slightly. “Oh, come on. You know I’d never have spent that much on a dress if I hadn’t have won all that money. But hey, I figured I deserved a little treat.”

  “You absolutely do,” Patience replied warmly, softly grasping Allie’s hands. “I’m so glad things are working out for you, Allie. I really am.”

  “Thanks, Patience,” Allie beamed.

  “I mean it. You’ve been through a lot, hon, and I’m genuinely thrilled to see you so happy after all this time,” Patience said, her eyes welling up with tears. “I just love you so much.”

  Allie was a little uncomfortable by Patience’s overly dramatic display of affection, but she didn’t want to hurt her sister’s feelings. She wrapped her arms around her sister again, embracing her tightly. “I love you, too.”

  Just then, the little bell on the front door jingled.

  “Wow, a customer already!” Patience said excitedly. “This day just keeps getting better.” She headed out to the front of the store, leaving Allie behind in the office.

  Staring down at the mountain of paperwork that awaited Patience’s attention, Allie decided to start working on what she could to alleviate some of the burden from her sister. She pulled up a chair to Patience’s desk and began rifling through the stack.