He shrugged. “Go ahead. I’ve done my time. I have nothing to hide. Besides, I’m a broken man, Miss Tanner. I have no money. I live off the generosity of others.” A sound resembling a chuckle escaped from his lips. “No prosecutor wants to send a man in my condition to prison for purely economic reasons. Quite honestly, I would receive better medical care in prison than I can afford here.”
His attempt at humor didn’t make his story any more believable. In fact, it put me further on the defensive. His was another tactic I’d used myself. My frustration with this man—and Bud for sending me here—was growing. “I came here because Bud Stranton said you knew about The Last Warhol. What you’ve told me is that it’s a forgery—essentially, that makes it worthless. The men who have kidnapped Lily don’t care about that painting, and if Bruno finds out, he’ll have her killed for sure.”
“I’m telling you, Miss Tanner, Bruno would have nothing to do with kidnapping a child.”
“He doesn’t care about Lily. He merely sees her as a pawn, a way to get to me.” I dug my nails into my palm. “Look, I don’t have all day to listen to your sad story. You told me I could use this information against Bruno and get Lily back. I see nothing of any potential in anything you’ve given me so far.”
I glared at Richards, who sat chewing his lower lip. He looked away and stared at the wall, unseeing. His right hand trembled, and he frowned, then his head twitched.
“I’m sorry to have wasted your time, Miss Tanner.” He laid his hands on the tabletop as if to stand. “I’ll see you out.”
“Don’t bother.”
Richards plunked back into the chair as I hurried out the door. The man who’s office we’d been in stood behind the bar watching me as I pushed past patrons in my way. I’d had enough of P.T. Richards and this place. When this was all over, I would tell Bud exactly what I thought of his referral.
The evening air carried a distinct chill that sent a shudder the length of my spine. I supposed it could be a sign I feared failing Lily. Though it was only seven-thirty, I worried I was already too late. Turning right, I headed back in the theater's direction. I stopped and looked over my shoulder at the next corner.
Richards was standing in front of the bar looking lost and alone. Perhaps I should have had more patience with him, but how many stories about ancient history did he expect me to listen to? There was no question I was losing my touch. I should have been able to work Richards. Coax him into telling me what I needed to know. Instead, I’d let my emotions get in the way. I would not—could not—do that again. If I did, it could cost Lily her life.
On the opposite corner, two men in dark hoodies watched me. They were obvious gang members who seemed harmless in this moment, but left no doubt they were as suspicious of me as I was of them. A gang, however, might be exactly what I needed. I would willingly make a deal with the devil if it would save Lily, and as long as her onetime protector, Jacinto Fontanal, was still alive and in charge he might be the devil I needed. The problem was, deals with men like Jackie came at a price. And it would be very high.
The last time I’d met Jackie he’d held court at the Angry Dog. It was only two blocks away, but it felt much longer under the watchful eyes of the men in the hoodies. I turned my head just enough to see them in my peripheral vision. They hung back about a half block, but having them on my tail unnerved me.
I recognized the bouncer at the Angry Dog. He still reminded me of a tattooed minivan, and just being near him made me wonder if I was exchanging an unknown risk for one far greater. I waved at him as I approached.
“Hey, Maxie. How are you doing?”
He looked confused for a second, then nodded in recognition. “You’re Lil’s friend. Right? You lookin’ out for her okay?”
“Trying.”
I gave him a weak smile, but apparently it wasn’t enough.
“She didn’t run away again, did she? I like that kid. She got guts.”
“She’s gone, but not willingly. Someone’s kidnapped her.”
The color in Maxie’s face deepened and the muscles in his jaw tightened. “You mean like for ransom?”
“Yeah. Like for ransom.”
He growled an expletive under his breath and shook his head. “What’s this world coming to? Lil never hurt nobody. She’s just a kid.”
I nodded. “Is Jackie here? I need to see if there’s any word on the streets about this.”
“He’s inside. Hey, did you know you got two guys watching you?”
“They’ve been with me since I left Blues and Brews.”
Maxie sighed and peered at me. “Stay out of that place, lady. The owner’s a good guy, but it’s in Cardoza territory. If those guys are from Cardoza’s gang you got some serious bad news following you around. Head on inside. When you leave, tell Jackie you gotta go out the back. That should shake these two. And don’t do nothing to get Lil hurt, okay? I got a soft spot for that little runt ever since she brought me one of them big chocolate chip cookies from Angelo’s Bakery.”
I snickered and smiled at Maxie. “Sounds like something Lily would do. Even when she was on the streets, she was always being nice to other people. When I get her back, we’ll stop by. For old times' sake.”
“Here’s to that, lady. And one piece of friendly advice—be careful what kind of deal you make with Jackie. He’s been getting more aggressive lately. I think he’s feeling the heat from Cardoza.”
I nodded my thanks and entered, taking in the smell of sweat and alcohol. The air was so heavy it felt like it clung to my skin. With each step the urge to run home and shower grew. Couples or small groups filled most of the tables, and there was also a line of patrons at the bar along with a few diehards standing behind them. Raucous laughter and boisterous voices echoed from every wall.
At two different tables, I spotted ‘Jackie’s girls.’ I knew their story all too well. In some ways, we were very much alike—they sold their bodies, I’d sold my soul. It saddened me that Lily’s biological mom had been one, and that she’d never made it out of here, but that was another reason to change my life.
At the back of the bar, two heavily tattooed men guarded a table where a small man with a pencil-thin mustache was talking to a guy wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a checkered shirt, and jeans. By the time I’d made it halfway to the table, the guy in the hat stood, nodded, and scurried away.
Jackie’s gaze followed him until he saw me, then his mustache quirked to one side and he motioned for me to approach. I mustered my courage and a practiced smile.
“Well, if it ain’t my favorite street kid’s guardian angel,” he said. “What brings you here?”
“I need help. Someone’s kidnapped Lily, and I need to find out where she’s being held.”
Jackie fingered his mustache and snickered. “You do know how to be direct, Angel. The last time I helped you I almost landed in prison. And what do you mean, Lil’s been kidnapped?”
“Someone picked her up after school and left me a ransom note.”
“Why don’t I just help you with the money? How much do you need?” His smile returned and his gaze roamed the length of my body.
The last thing I needed was to owe money to a cutthroat like Jackie Fontanal. I knew exactly what he’d want as payment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Skip
AT THE END of thirty minutes, Skip was still waiting for Sonny Panaman to leave the house. No matter how much he and Baldorf bantered back-and-forth, or what subjects they tackled, Skip couldn’t escape the anxiety gnawing at him and sitting here was not helping.
“This is ridiculous,” he said. “It’s after eight and he hasn’t even left yet. What’s happening on your end? Are you having any luck?”
“Not much, dude. Still running searches for Roxy. Gonna find her, but it’s gonna take time.”
“That’s something we don’t have a lot of.”
“I know.”
Skip sighed and settled back in his seat. “Wait. I see him. He’s backi
ng out now. I’ll follow him.”
“Don’t get too close, dude. Don’t want the rabbit to panic.”
“You realize I’ve done this before, right?”
“Just reminding you of investigatory best practices.”
“Are you calling me rusty?”
“Not a chance, bro. Rust is a redox reaction of iron and oxygen…”
“A what reaction?”
“Redox. Oh man, didn’t you ever study basic chemistry?”
“Sure, but I could never make sense of it. All those symbols, that superscript and subscript, it never made sense to me. Hey, he’s turning onto the 5 North.”
Skip accelerated onto the freeway and took up a position two cars back from Sonny. A few minutes later, Baldorf’s voice broke the silence.
“Lot of traffic at the 78 connector, dude.”
“I see it. Big line of red lights. Oh great. Sonny’s making an end run by using the shoulder as his own personal lane. I have to follow him. Let’s hope he doesn’t spot me.”
Skip jammed on the brakes when another car pulled in front of him. He watched, unable to get around the other driver, as Sonny made his way up the offramp and to the signal light at Tamarack. “I guess being spotted won’t be a problem,” Skip grumbled. “Sonny started a parade. I’m getting further behind by the minute.”
All the while the line threaded its way up the exit ramp, Skip tapped his fingers against the steering wheel and watched the signal light. This was maddening. He was one of the last cars waiting and doubted if he’d make it through on this cycle of the light.
“I am so screwed, Baldorf. There have to be ten cars ahead of me and the light just turned green. Sonny’s made it through, but the light’s turning already. Can you do anything?”
“I’m sure I could hack their system, dude, but we don’t have that kind of time. You’ll have to wait for it to change all on its own. Which way did he go?”
“He’s headed down to the Coast Highway.”
“Roger that.”
The light turned green. Skip hit the gas and sped through the intersection. “I’m through. I don’t suppose you have any whiz-bang solutions do you?”
“Drive fast.”
“Good idea. Wait, there he is, turning right on the Coast Highway. I’ll bet he’s on his way to Oceanside.”
“You doing that people-voodoo thing on me again, dude?”
“No, Baldorf. That’s where Bruno Panaman did a lot of business. I wonder if Sonny wants to rebuild the family legacy, and he sees kidnapping Lily as a way to get the capital he needs.”
“So this is his version of venture capital?”
“Something like that.”
Skip was four cars behind Sonny when one driver made a right turn. Two blocks later, another did the same. Soon, he was down to one pickup truck between himself and Sonny. The light changed to yellow at Beech and Sonny sped through the intersection, but the car in front of Skip pulled to a stop.
Skip slammed on the brakes and pounded his hands on the wheel. “I could have made that light.”
“Major bummer. Is he gone?”
“I’m afraid so,” Skip said as the signal changed.
Pressing the accelerator to the floor, Skip swerved around the car ahead, but by the time he’d driven through the roundabout to Oceanside, Sonny’s vehicle was still nowhere in sight.
“I’ve lost him again,” Skip said. “I think it’s permanent this time.”
“Sorry, dude.”
“I’ll follow the Coast Highway, but I don’t expect to find him.”
It took only a few minutes, but he reached the intersection for the 76 on the other end of town, Skip knew he’d lost his quarry. “I am so screwed.”
“Why don’t you come back here? We can strategize.”
“No. I’ll cruise the streets. I suspect Roxy’s on her way to visit Jackie Fontanal. Unfortunately, I don’t know which bar he hangs out at.”
“Wasn’t he like the kid’s protector when she was on her own?”
“Yes, but Lily would never say much about him. It was as thought she wanted to keep that part of her life in reserve, sort of a Plan B if things went wrong. Roxy knows how to find him, but she wouldn’t talk about him either. She always said he was in the past.”
“I’m searching for this Jackie guy, but not coming up with anything. He must be like underground. Wait…got something. You’re not gonna like this, bro.”
“What is it, Baldorf?”
“He’s a seriously bad dude. No convictions, but no stranger to the judicial system. Money laundering, drugs, and aggravated assault. You sure you want to find him?”
“Want? No. Need? Yes. It might be the only way to catch up with Roxy, and I still think she’s the link to Lily. We need to be creative, Baldorf, and Roxy’s an expert in that department.”
“She’s like the queen of convoluted thinking, dude. Okay, this Jackie Fontanal is a part owner of the Angry Dog. It’s about three blocks from where you’re at. I’m texting you a link to the location.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Roxy
I FIXED JACKIE with a level stare. “Money’s not why I’m here. I want to find out where she’s being held.”
Jackie rose from his chair, planted his palms on the tabletop, and glared at me. “You insinuating I‘m behind it? Angel, you got a peculiar way of saying hi.” He turned to the tattooed man on his right, who wore his hair tied back in a ponytail. “Get her out of my sight.”
The guy probably weighed a hundred pounds more than me, and I suddenly had another regret. I hadn’t been keeping up with my karate lessons since I’d taken in Lily. Trying to fight him would be the equivalent of slamming my fist into a steel door.
“That’s not what I meant, Jackie. I know you you’d never do anything to hurt Lily. Please, I need you to help me get her back safely.”
Jackie raised his hand, and the bodyguard returned to his position against the wall. I let out a breath when Jackie motioned at the chair opposite his.
“Everything has a price, Angel. You sure you don’t want to work for me?”
My mouth went dry, and I turned my gaze away. My heartbeat kicked into overdrive—how stupid could I have been? I had no bargaining chips, only my wits to keep me from becoming one of Jackie’s girls.
From somewhere deep down inside, I summoned a smile. “No thanks. I’m trying to set a good example for Lily.”
Jackie held my gaze, then shrugged. “You could make great money. What’s this thing with the kid?”
I went through the entire story, just as I had with Maxie, and when I finished his demeanor had turned serious. “Tell you what, Angel. As a courtesy, I’m gonna have my people ask around, but I ain’t heard nothing so far.” He glanced up at his bodyguards, who both shook their heads.
“What do you know about Cardoza?” I asked.
“Anthony Cardoza? He runs the other shop in town. You don’t want nothing to do with him.” Jackie’s eyes widened, and he peered at me. “You think he’s got something to do with this?”
“No, but two of his guys followed me here.”
Jackie let out a long sigh. “What are you? A human tornado or something?” He looked up at the man behind me and gestured toward the front door. “Scout around the block. See if they’re still out there. I don’t want this thing getting out of hand.”
While the big guy lumbered to the entrance, Jackie looked at me and asked, “So you got no idea who’s behind this?”
“I thought it might be Bruno Panaman, but now I’m not so sure.” The truth was, I wondered if being here was a waste of time.
Jackie shook his head and sneered. “Panaman’s time is over. He ain’t got the juice to do this kind of job. The legal battle to keep his kid out of jail drained him.”
“What did you hear?”
“He sold off stuff just to pay the lawyers. He got so into saving his kid that he ignored the business. His people started saying he lost his edge. Next thing you know, the
y’re jumping ship. I didn’t hire none of them, but I heard Cardoza did.”
“Boss?”
I’d completely missed the approach of the scout. Jackie looked at him with raised eyebrows.
“They left. Me and Maxie both checked up-and-down the block. Nobody out there.”
“You’re cleared for takeoff, Angel.” He slid a piece of paper across the table as his eyes flicked up and over my shoulder. “Leave your number. I’ll have my people ask around. If I hear anything, I’ll be in touch.”
I wrote down the number of the second cell phone I’d purchased earlier in the day, then pushed the paper back in front of him. “Nobody else has that number.”
Jackie nodded. “Understood. You know what I like about you, Angel? You’re thorough. You sure you don’t want a job? I could use a good business manager.”
I could just imagine what kind of ‘management’ he had in mind. “No thanks. I like to work alone.” I paused, then asked, “Should I go out the back door? Maxie said it might be more discreet.”
“Discreet, huh?” Jackie chuckled, then glanced toward the front entrance. “That Maxie, always looking out for people. Yeah, that might be best.” He looked up at his two bodyguards. “Check the alley for the lady. See that there ain’t no surprises out there. We don’t want nothing happening to her before she gets the kid back.”
A light illuminating the area outside the rear door provided a sense of security, but further down the alley, darkness closed in around me. The stench of rotting food was everywhere, and the smell of cigarette smoke hung in the air.
Though I tried not to listen for footsteps or react to every little noise, I found myself doing that very thing. The wail of a siren echoed in the distance and fear gnawed at me as I travelled further into the darkness. I quickened my pace and turned right at the next street, thankful for even the limited illumination of streetlights.
Darkened storefronts alternated with those lit up by display or security lighting, but gradually gave way to houses. I scanned the area in all directions. A couple strolled arm-in-arm on the other side. In front of me, two women approached. They laughed and talked as those who are carefree do, but their mood did nothing to lighten mine.
Shadows from the Past Page 6
