“Which one?”
I gave him a name and fake room number. He’d probably send someone to check it out but it would buy me a little more time.
“I’ll call you soon. Don’t try to fuck me over or I’ll let loose Krov on your ass.”
“I won’t,” and then I ended the call.
Damn, damn, damn!
Kasey gave photo-shopped pictures to her gangster boyfriend. Did she know they had been altered? Had she created them herself? Could she have colluded with the priest and later killed him so she could have all the diamonds? Was I supposed to be her fall guy? Did she have another partner?
I didn’t make the best decisions when beautiful women were involved. Sex blinded me and maybe that had happened now. I didn’t have any proof of her betrayal yet but my gut convinced me she was playing me though I still didn’t know to what extent. Did she have the diamonds?
I felt like I didn’t have any control of my life. I should just get in a car, drive west and continue until I hit the Pacific. However, I needed to know. I had to find out whether Kasey was playing me or not.
Leaving my room, I walked across the street to a small sub shop. I ordered a large steak & cheese with French fries and wolfed it down at one of their tables.
How should I handle Kasey? Should I confront her with my suspicions or should I just tell Ilya what I suspected? That wasn’t a real option yet. I couldn’t rat her out until I knew the truth. It was all theory right now. I needed proof, one way or the other. And without solid proof, Ilya would never believe me over Kasey.
When I returned to the motel, the parking lot was fairly full, lots of pickup trucks, beat-up sedans and motorcycles. I knew this motel was known for drug dealing and it sometimes got violent, though tending more to knives than guns.
And my car was gone. There was a red pick-up truck in its parking spot. Whoever stole my car better be careful or they might have a run in with an angry Russian.
In my room, I decided to call Kasey and told her the location of my new motel. I needed to speak to her, in person, and resolve whether she’d betrayed me or not.
I then turned on the television to catch the news though there wasn’t anything new about either Krov or the priest’s murder. The Percs were doing their job and I felt only the merest twinges of pain, primarily when I moved. If I lay still, I almost felt normal.
Around eight, there was a knock at my door and I peered out the window to see who was there.
Kasey.
I opened the door and she rushed into my arms. I winced as she hugged me, the ribs still very sore, and she quickly released me and apologized.
Kasey sat on the bed, her short blue skirt rising high on her creamy thighs. Despite the fact of her possible betrayal, I still lusted after her. Continuing to fuck her might lead to my doom but what a sweet ride it would be.
I sat in the chair, looking at Kasey, not knowing where to start. Kasey though took the lead.
“I’ve got a small confession.”
“Go ahead.” A confession? This was the last thing I thought she might say.
“Well, my girlfriend, Rachel, has a little boy, Erik, who went to CCD classes at Saint Francis Xavier Church. Father Chamberlain taught the class and after one session he was inappropriate with Erik. It wasn’t actual molestation but it looked like it was leading that way. I think he was grooming Erik. Rachel pulled her son out of the class and told me what happened.
“Rachel’s a quiet girl so let me take charge. I was going to force him to retire and move away. However, Ilya then stole the diamonds and needed a safe place to stash them. I had a friend photo-shop some terrible pictures of the priest, as proof for Ilya, and he then threatened the priest, so he would store the diamonds. Even if the photos were fake, Chamberlain knew he’d molested other kids and didn’t want that getting out”
She took a brief break, tears welling up in her eyes, and then continued, “When I checked up on Chamberlain, I learned more about you and figured you could help me. Ilya’s a sick man too and I wanted to punish him. I thought you could steal the diamonds, making Ilya crazy enough to kill the sick priest. Ilya would lose the diamonds and I’d leave him. But then the damn priest stole the diamonds on his own.”
“How do you know he stole them?” I asked, intrigued by her story and trying to determine if her tears were real.
“There’s no one else who it could be. You didn’t steal the diamonds and I’m positive Ilya doesn’t have them either. I think the priest was working with someone else though who killed him and took the diamonds. And I think I know who it might be.”
“Who?”
I wasn’t sure if I believed her or not. It seemed reasonable and she had volunteered it, but it could just be a good lie. How could I discern the truth? I had to separate my lust from my brain and think clearly. Those creamy thighs and deep cleavage though clouded my rational mind.
Kasey continued, “Before Ilya blackmailed Chamberlain, when I was watching the church, I saw the priest meet with an odd character a couple times. I never could figure out the connection but in retrospect, he could be the missing piece.
“Chamberlain met with a biker, a big guy with lots of tattoos and a bald head. The biker never attended Mass, he just met with Chamberlain in his office. I’m not sure if he belongs to a gang or not, but he looked very dangerous. He seems like the type of guy who would murder a priest or his own mother.”
I remembered seeing a tattooed, bald biker at the Saugus motel. He had taken the room next to mine. Maybe Kasey was actually telling the truth. I was suddenly suspicious of this motel too as there were a number of motorcycles in the parking lot.
Kasey continued, “If we could find that biker, maybe we could find the diamonds.”
“Did the biker have a patch?”
“I didn’t pay much attention.”
“It’s not going to be easy to find him then. I’m not even sure where to start.”
I didn’t want to mention that I might have already seen the biker. My gut was telling me to play it close to the vest. The evidence was mounting up in her favor but I was still wary.
“It’s at least a lead,” she said as she walked over to me and kissed me deeply, her tongue delighting me, sending fire through my lips.
I stopped thinking as the kissing led much further, as I reveled in her soft skin and slick wetness. I was still sore but the pleasure outweighed the pain. I understood the mindset of a sex addict, knowing it was near impossible for me to resist this luscious woman, even when my body was in pain. I was glad the Percs and bourbon had taken off most of the edge.
An hour later, Kasey left. I lay there, knowing I should take a shower when there were a couple knocks at the door. Was Kasey back? I peered around the curtain and saw that it was Freddy.
I opened the door and he rolled into my room, a large bag of Chinese food in his lap. Freddy wore a deeply concerned look on his face.
'Was that Kasey who just left?"
"Yes."
"I think I used to fuck her."
Chapter Eight
Wednesday
“What happened?” I asked, disturbed at the possibility that Freddy already knew Kasey.
“Do you remember me telling ya about Caryn?”
“Sure, the girl you were with just before we went to the joint.”
“Caryn was a blond but Kasey’s her spitting image. Only the hair color and style are different. I could never forget her face. It was thoughts of her angelic face and killer body that got me through prison.”
I’d never met Caryn but I recall Freddy raving about her, telling me how great in the sack she was, how they spent so much time in bed. Freddy had been intoxicated with her.
“What happened to Caryn?” Soon after we went to prison, Freddy stopped talking about her and I never asked. I figured she moved on once he went away.
Freddy, a slight tremor in his voice, said, “I wasn’t sure how long I’d be away so I let her go, told her not to wait for me. She wro
te me a few letters but then nothing. When I got out, I tried to contact her but her cell phone number was disconnected. Her apartment had been rented by someone else. I couldn’t find her anywhere so I gave up.”
“How positive are you?”
“Absolutely! She didn’t really look at me when she walked by. She probably didn’t recognize me in the wheel chair with my shaved head but I’m sure Kasey is Caryn.”
A terrible theory rose in my mind, the possibility of another betrayal, a long con.
“Freddy, did you ever tell Caryn about us ripping-off the coke dealer? Did she know where you stored the drugs and cash?”
Freddy pondered the question for a minute and hesitantly said, “I might have let something slip, maybe a time or two when we were in bed.”
“Did you tell her about me?”
“Yeah, probably. I wanted to impress her, to ensure she stayed with me. She was such a knockout.”
Fuck. Were we getting used once again by the same fucking woman?
I said, “For years we’ve been blaming Paul for ratting us out to the police. And when he was murdered, we suspected he had a partner. What if Caryn actually ratted us out? Maybe she was fucking Paul too. Did you ever suspect Caryn might have been the rat?”
“Hell, no. I was in love with her. I never thought twice about her loyalty.”
“I’ve been worried that Kasey has been playing me about the diamonds. If she’s also Caryn, that seems to lend credence to my worry. She might be behind everything that’s going on and she could have the diamonds that everyone wants. She might be using me as a fall guy again.”
“How do we find out?”
“We need a way to trick her into revealing herself. Or just confront her and see how she handles it.”
We discussed the matter for about an hour, while eating the Chinese food, and then Freddy left, with plans to return in the morning. We had a rough plan and I hoped that it worked. I was tired of being played. And this time, I wasn’t facing prison. This time, I could end up dead at the hands of a psychotic Russian gangster.
I tried to unravel the complicated web of deceit that Kasey might have woven. She was Ilya’s girlfriend and maybe persuaded him to rip off his boss and steal the diamonds. Then, she concocted fake evidence against Father Chamberlain which Ilya used to blackmail the priest. Though the pics had been fake, if the priest was truly a pedophile, they might have worked. On the other hand, had Kasey being working with Father Chamberlain?
The diamonds hadn’t been stored in the church safe for too long before they were taken, probably by Chamberlain, who might have given them to Kasey or some other partner. Kasey hooked up with me, maybe to use me as a fall guy. It was probably her that told Krov the location of my motel. If I couldn’t recover the diamonds and give them to Ilya, I’d be tortured and killed and Kasey would be completely free. She could take the diamonds, flee elsewhere and create a new identity.
Was she trying to set me up now to take on a motorcycle gang, hoping they would kill me? The biker she described probably fit the description of any number of tattooed, bald bikers.
Once again, I thought that maybe my best play was to run, to go elsewhere and start over. I was tough but seemed way out of my league at the moment. Ilya was connected and had plenty of resources to turn on my ass. Unless I found the diamonds, I’d end up dead if I stayed around.
Maybe I was just paranoid. Maybe there was a rational explanation for everything. Maybe Kasey wanted to split the diamonds with me. I wanted her to be honest. I couldn’t get her out of my mind.
My weakness, a hot babe.
I couldn’t let that weakness kill me.
I didn’t even want the diamonds any longer. I just wanted to survive.
***
Thursday
The next morning, I called Freddy and ensured that our preparations were in place. I was nervous, unsure of what would happen today. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know the truth.
About eleven, Kasey showed up and I let her into the room. She gave me a passionate kiss and I realized that if she were lying, she could become an Oscar-winning actress.
She sat on the bed as I poured us a couple glasses of Bulleit Bourbon.
As I handed her a glass, there was a knock at the motel door.
I went to the door and opened it, knowing who was there. Freddy nodded at me and then wheeled into the room, looking directly at Kasey.
“Who’s this?” said Kasey.
Did I detect the slightest of quavers in her voice? She seemed nonchalant but did I notice a deeper fear in her voice?
“It’s Freddy, my best friend. Don’t you recognize him, Caryn? You used to date,” I said.
She stood and said, “What’re you talking about?”
Freddy said, “You passed me in the parking lot less than ten minutes ago and when I called you Caryn, you did a quarter-turn before catching yourself. It’s you.”
“Leo, is this some kind of joke? I don’t know what’s going on.”
I pulled a gun from my rear waistband and held it in front of me, the barrel pointed at the floor. I then said, “Stop the lies. The truth’s the only thing that’s going to save you.”
“Leo, you’re scaring me.”
I raised the revolver and pointed it at Kasey, my finger pointing down the barrel rather than on the trigger.
Tears came to Kasey’s face and I lowered the revolver a few inches. Was I wrong? I couldn’t torture her. I could threaten but if she called my bluff, there was nothing I could do. Maybe she knew I wouldn’t shoot her.
Freddy then said, “Leo, I found a photo you need to see.”
He wheeled over to be and handed me his cell phone. On the screen was the picture of a blond-haired woman, who seemed lost in thought, unaware someone was taking her pic. As I expanded the face, each line and curve were completely familiar. It was obviously Kasey with blond hair.
I raised the gun again, pointing it at Kasey. “Stop the fake waterworks. You’re caught.”
There was an instant change in her face and the tears stopped. “Okay, I’m sorry, so very sorry. Years ago, when I was Caryn and with Freddy, I was attacked by your friend Paul Canon. He somehow learned that I had a sister who was developmentally disabled. He threatened her unless I cooperated with him. He wanted to betray the two of you and I had to help him to protect my innocent sister.”
Turning to look at Freddy, Kasey said, “Once you went to jail, I felt great guilt but I couldn’t tell you and I had to pull away. I changed my name and hair color to try to start over. Leo, when I found you at the church, I didn’t make the connection. We’d never met. I’m so sorry for the past.”
I tried to evaluate what she said, to discern whether she was lying or not. Her story once again sounded plausible but it still could be a sham.
“Could you please put the gun down?” she pleaded with me.
I lowered the barrel, pointing it back down at the floor.
“Leo, I love you.” Her voice was low and soft, and it struck at my heart.
“I’m sorry, Freddy.” Her voice was again low and soft, and there was a conviction to her words.
“Kasey, get out of here. I’ll call you.” That was hard to say but I needed time to think, time to talk with Freddy. I didn’t think questioning her any longer was going to be helpful. I had to either fully trust her, kill her or get the hell out of town.
“Leo, I’ll do anything to prove to you my love.”
“Get out,” I said, trying to prevent my own eyes from tearing up.
She lowered her head and left my room. Once she was gone, I said, “Freddy, what do ya think?”
“Damn, I don’t know whether to believe her or not. If she’s a liar, she’s a damn good one.”
What to do with her? She never hesitated with any of her answers. It didn’t seem she was taking any time to make up a story. I tended to believe her or maybe I just wanted to believe her.
I finally said, “We probably need someone to follow her, to
see who else she meets up with.”
“I know a guy we could hire. He’s very good. Works part-time as a PI and he owes me a favor.”
“Okay, put him on her.”
Freddy and I chatted a bit more and then he left, to return to his motel. During the next hour, I took a few precautions, just in case Kasey tried to have me killed. I wanted to trust her, to be able to run away with her, but my gut said to play it safe, especially now that we knew of her past.
I didn’t have a plan. Whatever was happening to me, the game was well constructed and fixed against me. It was as if I were in a labyrinth without an exit. If I kept trusting Kasey, I might end up murdered.
Chapter Nine
Thursday
Three hours passed and I was bored. Kasey didn't try to contact me and I hadn't heard back from Freddy. I sat in a chair, peering out the window through a tiny space at the edge of the curtain. Anyone looking at the window wouldn’t see my face unless they went right up to the window and carefully looked at the corner.
I didn’t have a great line of vision but it was sufficient to see the walkway that led near the front of my room door. I hoped that I wouldn't see anything suspicious but I had worries. Could Kasey be trusted at all?
As I was considering leaving my post, I finally saw someone ascend the stairs, a potential threat. With a confident swagger, a muscular biker, with a gleaming shaved head and lots of tattoos, approached the room door. His face was twisted into an angry scowl and he resembled the guy I saw at the other motel though I couldn’t say for sure it was the same person.
There was a bulge beneath his leather vest, likely a gun. Even without a weapon, he’d be dangerous.
I watched the biker approach my door and rap twice. When I didn't answer, he tried the knob but found it was locked. Reaching under his vest, he drew a shiny revolver and then, using his leather boot-clad foot, kicked in the cheap door. It easily bust open and he rushed into the room.
Soon after, I heard five or six quick gun shots and then the biker ran out of the room, racing down the walkway and the stairs. I heard a motorcycle rev and race out of the parking lot.
The Lion's Diamonds Page 6
