Drake barely glanced at the note. “You know how this works if this isn’t good information. Right?”
“It’s…it’s good,” Oscar stammered.
Drake held his gun up to Oscar’s chest. The man’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he spoke.
“Please. No. I got a wife and kid.”
“You tell a living soul we were here and I’ll be back for all of you. Understand?”
Oscar’s head bobbed up and down, then shook from side-to-side. “I…I won’t say a word.”
Drake tilted his head. It was my signal to leave, so I went out first, almost expecting to hear the pop of a gun when I was outside. But then, Drake stood next to me and was returning the gun to its holster.
I held my silence as we walked to the car, but when the engine rumbled to life, Drake looked at me and gave me a sinister smile.
“Next one might be a little harder.” He chuckled and put his foot to the gas.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Skip
SKIP SAT STRAIGHTER in his seat at the news about Bruno. Perhaps forcing him off on Mateo Carli had been a bad idea. “What do you mean, things aren’t looking good?” he asked.
“They’re having a conversation in the kitchen. And it sounds super serious. The Italian dude isn’t happy with Papa Panaman.”
“Your bug is working?”
“Why are you so surprised? My stuff always works.”
“Except when it doesn’t.”
“Prototypes, bro. They can be hit-and-miss. Full-on product? Always works.”
“Okay. Sorry I doubted you. What are they saying?”
“Your Italian dude has called Papa Panaman a few choice names. He also said the Panamans ruined his life. They’ve been shouting at each other. Sounds like it had something to do with that shooting you were asking about.”
“I don’t suppose there’s any way you can plug me in so I can listen.”
“For sure. Sound bytes coming your way. You can eavesdrop while I go back to research.”
There was a moment of dead air, then voices came through the earpiece.
“I did that thing for you, Mr. Panaman!”
“You had a job to do, Mateo, and you did it well. But time has caught up with us. We are old now and that was many years ago.”
“You brought me a life of misery. My wife divorced me…”
“Not because you killed a man, but because you could not live with the guilt.”
“And you did not have guilt, eh, Mr. Panaman? How you have changed. No longer are you strong, now you are weak and fearful.”
“You were always strong, Mateo. But the way my son has turned out—he lives only for his greed and he respects no one—not even me.”
“And why should he? A leader must be strong and ruthless. You are neither of those, eh? Now I see it—all you did was ruin my family and make me an outcast. Lorenzo’s grandmother wanted him to keep his nose clean and stay out of the business. I did that for her. Now, you and your son force me to break my promise.”
“Please, Mateo, leave my boy out of this. He does not listen to me and would prefer it if I were dead, but I cannot abandon him.”
“Your son is reckless and foolish and endangers all of us, Mr. Panaman. If it must be my dying act to stop him, so be it.”
“You are not afraid to die, Mateo? Are you not afraid of what awaits you on the other side?”
Carli snorted. “Meh. What awaits us are our consequences, Mr. Panaman. I willingly face mine like a man. But I tell you this one thing. If I can redeem myself in the eyes of my family, I will die happy. Since you cannot stop your son, I must find a way.”
“Don’t hurt him, Mateo. Please.”
Carli let out a sinister laugh. “You beg for the life of your worthless son now? Don’t worry. I will make his death quick. You are the one who shall agonize over his loss, not I.”
“If you know where Sonny is, take me to him.”
“Why? You already told me he will not listen to you. No, Mr. Panaman, no longer do I follow your commands. You proved what you are when you brought that man to my house. Why would you do such a thing, eh?”
“Because Skip Cosgrove is smart and cunning. He threatened to kill me.”
“Meh. He is no killer. Your boy has the hunger. Just as you once did. He is a killer. But he has also proven himself a danger that must be dealt with.”
“I will give you anything you want, Mateo. It is yours for the asking.”
Carli’s voice now sounded distant, as though he had moved into the living room and was yelling back at Bruno. “What I want is to finish what was begun forty years ago.”
There was a long period of silence interspersed with the sounds of someone sobbing followed by the same tango Skip had heard when he’d broken into Bruno’s home. He wished he could see what was going on.
“Baldorf? Are you still there?”
“Here, bro. Let me guess, you want to know what he’s doing right now.”
“Yes. Is he still in the kitchen?”
“Your boy’s having a glass of wine. And he just pulled out his cell phone. He’s making a call.”
Skip waited anxiously, mentally counting rings. His count reached seven when he heard Bruno’s voice again.
“Sonny, please. I implore you to call me. I want you to come home and give up this thing with the Tanner woman. You have opened old wounds with the wrong people. Please, come home now.”
There was a momentary pause and what sounded like a man choking.
“What’s going on, Baldorf?”
“Papa Panaman’s having a breakdown. He’s crying, dude.”
Bruno’s voice continued. “Mateo Carli is looking for you. I believe he will try to kill you. Sonny, he is a dangerous man with resources and friends. You are more important to me than any artwork or money.”
“He’s done, bro. He hung up. Dude’s pouring himself another glass of wine. Looks like he’s planning on getting drunk. You think he’s going to do something drastic?”
“I don’t know. Sonny won’t listen to him, but I’m worried Bruno’s call might put Lily in more danger.”
“How so?”
“If Sonny decides to cut his losses, he has to eliminate Lily.”
“Oh. That sucks, big time.”
“Do you know what number Bruno called?”
“For sure. Already checked it. The phone was registered to Sonny. But that’s not the one he’s using.”
“And you know this for a fact?” Skip asked.
“Dude, the phone Papa Panaman dialed was in his house until an hour ago when its signal died. Sonny boy’s gotta be using that burner he had earlier.”
“And we don’t know where that phone is.”
“Roger that.”
Skip stared glumly out the front windshield. “The bottom line is Bruno’s message is going nowhere. Sonny’s keeping his location secret, and we are totally screwed unless Mateo Carli leads us to him.”
“That could be problematic.”
“No kidding,” Skip grumbled. “If Carli finds Sonny and goes barging in, there will be lots of crossfire. Lily will be right in the middle. We need a break, Baldorf. We need one big, fat, juicy break.” Skip’s attention perked up when an old pickup truck turned the corner and parked in front of the Neri home.
A man exited the vehicle. He reminded Skip of a linebacker. Skip estimated he stood around six-foot-two and weighed two-twenty. He wore a reversed baseball cap and a dark gray sweatshirt over a pair of jeans.
“And maybe our luck is changing,” Skip said. “I think Lorenzo Neri has finally shown up.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Roxy
WE DROVE IN silence, the dull, rolling thunder of the exhaust the only sound in the cab. Drake remained uncommunicative even as he turned onto a quiet residential street in South Oceanside. This was a classic older section of town filled with single-family homes built in the sixties, above-ground utilities, and no str
eet lights.
The beauty of the neighborhood was that it provided scumbags with the perfect place to hide out. Here they could blend in with the rest of society. Their kids could go to school with those of normal people; they could mix with neighbors and talk sports during backyard barbecues. It was the sort of neighborhood I’d grown up in, and the kind where I’d like to raise Lily—should we ever get the chance.
The car rolled to a stop in front of a small home with a single palm tree out in the middle of the front lawn and a dark SUV parked in the driveway. A narrow walk led to the front door.
Without streetlamps, this was a dark neighborhood with the only illumination coming from porch lights and windows, which threw off so little light that a shadowy figure could easily melt into the darkness.
My heart sank as I stared at the walk leading to the front porch. In truth, it wasn’t that long, but if the feeling in my bones was correct, it was a path leading me to a turning point in my life.
A sense of dread filled my veins. Something terrible was about to happen.
“You ready?”
Drake’s words jarred me out of my thoughts. What was I doing working with people like him and Jackie? I should just give Sonny what money I had and promise to get the rest, but knowing Sonny he’d deliberately set the bar so high I could never meet it. Most likely he just wanted to kill Lily for spite.
“I’m ready,” I said. “Just thinking about Lily, and how much I hate Sonny Panaman for doing this.”
“He won’t be bothering anybody when Jackie’s done with him.”
So I’d been right. Jackie used resources and people until he’d finished with them, then discarded them. No matter how fond he claimed he was of Lily, it made no sense for him to spend time and energy on a kid who wasn’t his—unless that kid was a danger and knew his weak points.
I glanced over at Drake. “Why’s Jackie want to get Sonny so bad?”
He eyed me for a moment, then the right side of his mouth curled up in a sinister smile. “He’s got his reasons.”
“Other than Lily?”
“Let’s go.” Drake pulled on the door handle and stepped out into the street.
Once again, I followed. Our footsteps crunched on the asphalt, then became a quiet melody of soles on concrete. I looked up and down the street as we walked and shivered against the dampness in the air. Overhead, the sky was a gloomy canvas on which the first wisps of fog blocked out all but a few stars. Even the brightest were slowly disappearing. Within the next hour, this neighborhood would be a gray world filled with heavy, moist air.
Drake glanced around before he pulled his gun. Like the last time, I made no move to reveal that I, too, was carrying a weapon. Partially, I was afraid that if Drake knew I was armed and he decided to shoot someone inside this house, he might try to force me to use my weapon. Faced with the choice of taking another person’s life or living my own, I feared I would choose survival.
“You, get him to open the door.”
Drake glared at me. We were approaching a showdown. I needed to stay calm. Breathe normally. I shrugged, and Drake slipped to one side, his gun still at the ready. A man’s voice came from behind the closed doorway when I knocked.
“Who is it?”
“I need a rental. Oscar sent me.”
There was the clicking of a deadbolt being unchained, then the door opened. The man scrutinized me with suspicion. “Why didn’t he call first?”
“He’s busy with his kid. Said he wanted to be a better dad.”
“I told him he should spend more time with her. My cousin is a broker. Call him on Monday. I’ll get you a card.”
“This is an emergency. Oscar said you had contacts. You are Stuart, aren’t you?”
The man nodded and peered at me. “And you are?”
“Felicity Stone.” The name rolled off my tongue as if I’d been using it my entire life. I extended my hand. To my right, and out of O’Rourke’s view, Drake was gritting his teeth and looking very impatient.
O’Rourke looked down, reached out, and took my hand. “You’re quite charming. I can see how you sweet-talked Oscar into giving you my name.”
“Mind if I come in? The fog’s coming in and it’s freezing out here.”
“What kind of rental did you need?”
“I have a job I’m working that might require me to spend a little time out of the public eye.”
“When do you need this place? And how long will you want it?”
I shrugged, then shivered. “A few weeks…up to a couple of months. It all depends on when people stop looking for me.”
“I charge a premium for situations like that. If you need services so you don’t have to go out in public, there’s an additional charge. It’s cash up front. I don’t have anything right now. My current tenant says only another week or so.”
A chill ran down my spine. That had to be Sonny. I licked my lips. “Can I take a look at the place? Maybe drive by to check out the neighborhood? I wouldn’t disturb your current…tenant.”
O’Rourke stared at me. “What? Check it out? Lady, you either need a place or you don’t. This isn’t the kind of deal where you’re going to be remodeling or some crap like that. You want the place, it’s two grand in cash now. That’ll get you the first week. Then, you’ll pay me the balance for your two months up front. Either hand me the cash or get the hell out of here.”
I peered at him. “Can we finish the deal inside?”
“You got the cash?”
“Payment in full,” I lied.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Drake nod once. His sinister grin was back. Apparently, he was impressed at my powers of persuasion. The truth was, I’d perfected the dark art of manipulation many years ago.
“Make it quick,” O’Rourke snapped and stood to one side.
When he turned sideways, I spotted a pistol stuffed into the back waistband of his pants. Seriously? He’d probably shoot himself if he tried to pull that out too quickly.
I slipped inside and stood facing O’Rourke, just inches away. He swallowed hard, but I had his full attention. When I moved sideways, he followed me. He never even heard Drake come through the door.
Drake snatched the gun out of O’Rourke’s waistband. He raised his fist when O’Rourke whirled around to face him. I was sure Drake was ready to break O’Rourke’s jaw, so I spun and kicked sideways. O’Rourke’s feet went out from underneath him. He landed on the floor with a thud.
“Oh, sorry,” I said. “My bad.”
Drake eyed me and chuckled. “Nice,” he muttered, then grabbed O’Rourke by the collar. “Lucky you. She saved you a bunch of dental work.” He kept the gun pointed at O’Rourke’s head and hoisted him to his feet. The walls shook when he kicked the door shut.
“Change of plans,” Drake grunted. “Where’s the house you rented to Sonny Panaman?”
O’Rourke shook his head. “I don’t know anyone by that name.”
“Don’t believe you.” Drake slammed O’Rourke against the wall, then shoved the barrel of his gun into O’Rourke’s throat. “Care to change your answer?”
O’Rourke closed his eyes and whispered. “He’ll kill me if I tell you where it’s at.”
“And I’ll kill you if you don’t,” Drake said with a shrug. “The thing is, I’m the sure thing. If I get to Panaman, he’ll never be coming after you.”
“All right,” O’Rourke said. “I knew I never should have rented to that scum. Is this about that kid?”
“What do you know about a kid?” I demanded.
Drake relaxed the pressure on O’Rourke’s neck enough for him to look at me. “He kidnapped some girl to even an old score.”
“No,” I said. “You know something else. Don’t make me have my friend here show you what happens when you lie.”
O’Rourke raised his hands. His fingers quivered like leaves shaking in the wind. “This whole thing has stirred up a hornet’s nest.”
“Get to the point. We don’t have a
ll night.” I sounded tough and irritated, but Drake was the real deal. He had a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes. It had become painfully obvious this would end badly unless I did something.
“He has to put the gun down first.” O’Rourke let his gaze turn to Drake.
I nodded, and Drake released his hold, but his gun remained pointed at O’Rourke.
The words began to gush from O’Rourke’s mouth. “Mateo Carli—he’s an old friend of mine. He’s had it in for Old Man Panaman for years. Mateo’s rounding up a crew. As far as I know, Sonny has two thugs helping him. Mateo wants to go in with a show of force, but he’s been out of the business for a while. I don’t know how much firepower he can muster.”
“Why does this Mateo Carli hate Bruno Panaman?” I asked.
“Because his nephew was killed forty years ago by a bullet intended for Bruno Panaman.”
What the hell? That was why Carli wanted to find Sonny? To kill him? I glanced sideways at Drake. When he told Jackie about this, they’d assemble a crew. The crew would have instructions. Raid the house. No loose ends. Poor Lily. Even her rescuers might be her executioners.
“Where’s this house?” I demanded.
The moment he rattled off an address on the outskirts of Oceanside, Drake’s wicked smiled returned, and he raised his gun.
“That was your only leverage. Looks like it’s not your lucky day.”
I stepped back, pulled out my Taser, and fired. The darts hit Drake in his lower back. His screams echoed through the house as he fell to the floor.
“No, Drake. It’s not yours,” I said.
Staring at Drake and watching his body jerk in spasms, a single question haunted me. What did I do now?
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Skip
SKIP NONCHALANTLY CROSSED the street, all the while keeping his hands visible. In his left hand, he held his ID high, but he kept his right ready to reach for the Sig behind his back.
“Are you Lorenzo Neri?” Skip asked the man who had been watching his approach.
“I ain’t done nothing, man.”
The dark figure, presumably Lorenzo Neri, glared at Skip, the cords in his neck and jaw visibly taut.
Shadows from the Past Page 13
