Bad Beat

by Robin Mahle

  The man peered down between the chair legs where Alex sat. “Oh, man. I’m sorry about that. Someone should’ve let you take a piss.”

  Alex looked away, angry and embarrassed. “What do you want from me? What the hell did I do to you anyway?”

  “To me? Nothing. To my bosses, well, they think you were in on a scheme to swindle them out of some cash, brother.”

  Now it was being pieced together. Alex figured it must’ve been the men who approached Jacob and him. They had to have been the ones to tamper with his vehicle and force him to break down. Then they knocked him out cold and now he was here. “Look, I don’t have any money. You have to understand that.”

  “I don’t have to understand anything, brother.” He held a glass of water to Alex’s lips. “Drink up.”

  Alex didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of obeying, but he was parched. His stomach growled and his head still ached. The water would help.

  “Dude. Don’t be stupid. Drink the water.”

  The man pushed the glass against Alex’s lips and his instincts kicked into gear. He lapped up as much water as he could, feeling almost sick as a result.

  “Okay, okay. That’s enough.” He pulled away the glass.

  A few droplets trickled down Alex’s chin, and for a moment, his thirst abated, but it wasn’t quenched. “Is this Silas’s doing because I did everything he asked of me.”

  “Silas? Silas Levin?” The man reared back in laughter. “That little piss-ant? No, man. Levin’s who you’re going to get for us. See, we know you have an in with the cops in that jerkwater town. Your buddy, Biggs.”

  “Why the hell did you come after me, then? If you wanted Biggs, he was right there.” Alex regretted his comment. He’d just thrown Jacob under the bus for no other reason than to try to save his own ass. “I mean…”

  “Oh, I know what you meant, dude. Glad you aren’t my friend. We couldn’t take Biggs because Levin has you under this thumb, not him. The deal was with you.”

  “How do you know any of this?” Alex asked.

  The man shook his head in disbelief. “Man, you really have no idea who you’re dealing with, do you? You think this is about some fixed game? It’s not. The people you played against, the ones who’ve been in on Levin’s game for weeks now, those guys don’t fuck around. They’re high-stakes players who don’t like being played.”

  “Lieutenant Moody, it’s good to hear your voice.” Riley grinned as she held the phone to her ear. “Thank you. Listen, I was following up on the sketches we sent over earlier and the photos. I know they weren’t good quality.” She nodded and peered at Ethan while the lieutenant spoke. “Yes, sir. That would be great. We appreciate your help. Captain Ward sends his regards. Yes, we’ll speak to you soon, then. Goodbye.” She returned the phone to its cradle and looked at the rest of the officers, all three of them. “He turned them over to his people to run through facial recognition and see what comes up.”

  “It’d be nice if we had those kinds of resources.” Chris Decker, who had been called in after serving on the night shift, had joined the others in their search to find Alex Laughlin.

  “It would, but at least we have friends in the Indianapolis PD,” she replied. “He says it might take the afternoon, but he was having them rush it through.”

  “What do we do in the meantime?” Abrams held a toothpick and began to pry out of his teeth whatever it was he had eaten for lunch. “Get your boy ready?”

  Ethan regarded Riley. “You haven’t told him yet, have you?”

  “There isn’t supposed to be another game until tomorrow night,” she began. “We discussed it in general terms, but I was hoping this might be resolved before then. And he wouldn’t need to get involved any further.”

  “Our priority is to find Laughlin,” Decker added. “Abrams and I are going to head up to see Sims in just a little bit here, so if we get something, I’ll let you know. You’re right, we could finish this today if we find out who these men are and what they want with Laughlin. But if we don’t, Riley, you’re going to have to prepare Jacob for tomorrow.”

  “I know, and I will. Ethan and I will stay on top of the IDs on the men while you two head out.”

  Abrams pulled his feet off his desk and slowly stood from his chair. “All right. Let’s go talk to the murdering asshole and find out why he killed his wife.”

  While the night shift officers prepared to leave, Ethan approached Riley and perched on the edge of her desk. “I really hope we don’t need Jacob to get involved in this. I don’t agree it’s the right thing to do.”

  “I know you don’t. Like I said before, it’s a last resort.” She studied him for a moment. “Gracie’s leaving tomorrow, and honestly, I’m kind of glad she is with everything that’s going on right now. I don’t want her to worry. She’s going to have enough on her plate with her new internship.”

  “She will.”

  “How are you doing with all this? Her leaving, I mean,” Riley pressed on.

  “Good. Fine, yeah. It’s her life and I want her to be happy and it seems like this will make her happy.”

  “And you? What about your happiness?”

  “Riley, why do you ask me these things when you already know my answer?”

  “I don’t always.”

  Ethan smiled. “Sure you do. You don’t need me to confirm it.” He pushed off her desk and returned to his own. “I’ll keep looking into Laughlin’s phone records to see if anything pops up.”

  Riley returned to her task, but Ethan’s words haunted her. It was the second time someone had called her out for her gift. It wasn’t like she could turn it off, but it was clear it had negatively impacted those closest to her. She felt like Ethan was pulling away, distancing himself from her so he wasn’t confronted with his feelings for her. Could she blame him? She’d wanted him to be happy with Gracie, but what she saw behind his eyes just now, happiness wasn’t in the cards for him at the moment. She wondered if Gracie had felt the same.

  With too much time on her hands, perhaps now was the opportunity to address the issue with Gracie since she was leaving in a day. And there was no way of knowing what would happen in the next 24 hours. Even she couldn’t foresee what lay ahead and that was terrifying in and of itself.

  She reached for her keys and stood. “I’m going to run out for a bit. All we’re doing right now is waiting for IPD and our people to visit Sims. I need some air.”

  Ethan regarded her for a moment. “Sure. If that’s what you need to do. What do I tell Ward when he gets back?”

  “Just that I ran out. He can call if he needs me. I won’t be long.” She pushed out the door and walked to her patrol car. She gazed back at the stationhouse and for a split second, considered an idea that seemed completely foreign to her. As much as she loved this town and loved her job, the consequences of her abilities had become too great on those very people she loved. Maybe the time had come to make a change.

  16

  The home where Riley’s mother, Ellen, lived was shaded by a large sugar maple tree in the front yard. The tree had been planted after Carl’s son, CJ, died, a sort of memorial to the young man who was killed after trying to protect her and Dillon. In the sixteen years since then, the tree had grown substantially, its canopy offering shade under which to sit and read, something Riley did often in her younger years. Now it looked greener and lusher than ever as it protected the home.

  Riley approached the front steps and knocked on the door before inserting her key to open it. “Hello? It’s only me.” She stepped inside and surveyed the living room and kitchen. “Anyone home?”

  Gracie trotted down the steps. “Riley, what are you doing here? Sorry, I was just upstairs packing my things.”

  “Where’s Mom?”

  “She had an early shift at the restaurant.” Gracie moved in for an embrace. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  “I’m working. Just taking a break to come see my little sister before she leaves.” Riley place
d her keys on the side table and walked into the kitchen. “Have you eaten? I could go and grab us some lunch.”

  “I ate already. Mom made a huge breakfast this morning before she left. I’m still full.” Gracie followed her. “How’s Ethan? I haven’t talked to him yet today.”

  “We’re working on something right now. I can’t really say much about it just yet. But don’t worry, he’s safe.”

  “I wasn’t worried.” Gracie cocked her head. “But should I be?”

  “No, of course not. It’s Owensville. Nothing happens here.”

  “Except when it does.” Gracie held her gaze. “What’s going on, Riley? I can tell when you’re hiding something from me. You think you’re protecting me, but you’re not. I’m an adult now.”

  “I know you are, Gracie. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel differently.” Riley moved closer. “I’m so proud of you for finishing school and doing this internship. It’s everything Dillon and I ever wanted for you.”

  “Yes, well, I got off easy compared to you two.” Gracie walked toward the cabinet and retrieved a glass before filling it with tap water. “I’m sorry you both were forced to stay here and pay for my school.”

  “We weren’t forced to do anything. We wanted to,” Riley replied. “We wanted you to get out of Owensville and do what you wanted to do with your life.”

  “Then why do I feel like crap about it? You and Dillon are here taking care of Mom, working your jobs, and I’m off living a good life in the big city.”

  “That’s right and that’s exactly how we wanted it; don’t you see that? Gracie, I’m happy here.” She considered for a moment her earlier misgivings. “Dillon loves being a teacher. It’s everything we wanted for ourselves too.”

  “But all you’ve gone through, Riley, both of you. The tornado, which I don’t even remember, then last year with the whole mob thing. I mean, that was scary.”

  “It was, but that’s my job. And besides, the best thing to come out of that was that I have Jacob back in my life.”

  “That’s true. You two have always belonged together.”

  “I suppose that brings me to another reason for my visit,” Riley began. “Ethan. Have you thought about your future?”

  “Not much. I like him, don’t get me wrong. And I know he has feelings for me, but I can’t make any promises. He knows that. We’ll try the long-distance thing.”

  Riley regarded her carefully. “That’s the only reason you’re having doubts. Distance?”

  “Yeah, of course. It’s a big deal.”

  “It is.”

  Gracie turned away her gaze. “Stop. I know what you’re trying to do. Don’t. I hate it when you try to look inside.”

  “I’m sorry. Sometimes, I can’t help it.”

  “Yes, you can. You just don’t want to. You like it—knowing everything about everyone. It makes you feel safe and secure, like no one can ever get the better of you, or take advantage of you. It’s how you protect yourself.”

  And there it was—the truth—from her little sister who Riley didn’t believe had the maturity to understand. She had underestimated Gracie.

  “I think Nate has it too,” Riley said.

  “He does. I’ve spent enough time with Jack and all of them to have seen it. He’s young and can’t control it the way you can. There’s going to come a time when you’ll have to help him, Riley. You had Carl. He’s going to need someone too.”

  “My God, you really are grown up, aren’t you?”

  “That’s what happens.” Gracie tipped out the rest of the water from her glass and returned her attention to Riley. “And to answer your question about Ethan, I don’t know how all that will play out because he’s still in love with you. I knew that when he walked away from me the other night. We were about to… anyway, he said he had to leave. I knew for sure then. So, I don’t think it’s the distance that’s going to kill this relationship. It’s you.”

  Riley sat in her patrol car in front of the house, staring at it as if she could exorcise its demons and remove the sins of the past. Her grandfather’s suicide, her father’s drunken bouts that were taken out on her mother. Now it seemed Gracie, the little girl who had followed her around like a puppy for years, had realized what Riley had become. She directed her anger on this house, but all it succeeded in doing was reflecting back on her own insecurities. And there were plenty of them. No matter how hard Riley tried to be a tough, stoic cop, Gracie had just reduced her to her ten-year-old self, who lacked self-esteem and feared her power, just as her half-brother did now.

  “Stop.” Riley closed her eyes and finally turned the engine. Her family had always tiptoed around Riley’s abilities. Perhaps they were afraid of her after all. But not Gracie. That was the reason she was here. It was her job to keep Riley in check now that Carl was gone. But she was going to be leaving too. Who would keep her in check then?

  Static sounded through the radio receiver before a voice began. “Riley, we got it.”

  She picked up the receiver. “Got what?”

  “IPD has names on the sketches. You need to get back here now.”

  “On my way.” She placed the radio in its cradle and pulled away from the curb. This was too important for the distractions in which she allowed herself to indulge. It had been a mistake to see Gracie. She hadn’t been prepared for the gut check.

  A man was missing, a friend of Jacob’s, and that was what she needed to focus on now. She needed to put in the back of her mind Ethan’s feelings and Gracie’s harsh but spot on words.

  Riley pressed harder on the accelerator and sped through the quiet streets, through the downtown area, and arrived at the station a good five minutes sooner than she should have.

  She pushed inside. “Who are they?”

  Captain Ward hovered over Ethan’s desk as the two viewed the images and reports from the Indianapolis Police Department. “Where have you been?”

  “I went to see Gracie. She’s leaving tomorrow. I thought I had time.”

  “You thought wrong. Come take a look at this.” Ward gestured for her to view the monitor. “Lieutenant Moody sent this over not twenty minutes ago. This one here is Anton Meisner. Thirty-four, a mile-long rap sheet, and currently on parole. Hails from Chicago, same place our Mr. Levin is from.”

  “And the other?” Riley asked.

  “That’s Eugene Vaughan.” Ethan pointed to the report. “Same as the other guy, from Chicago, only he’s not on parole. But he has served time in Ohio for armed robbery. So still a scary dude. Forty-two years old and last known address was Chicago’s Southside.”

  “What are we dealing with here, then?” Riley pressed on. “These aren’t more mob thugs, right?”

  “Not from what we can tell,” Ward replied. “But they’re definitely into some shady stuff. Lieutenant says both these guys are known associates of a man by the name of Dennis Ackerman.”

  “Yeah, and he seems like a real piece of work.” Ethan flipped through the report. “Says here Ackerman was nixed from a World Series of Poker tournament in Las Vegas back six years ago. Got caught cheating. Had a group of men working with him who were throwing games.”

  “Sounds a little like Silas Levin,” Riley said.

  “You got it, Missy.” Ward returned his attention to Ethan. “We keep digging into these guys and I bet we’ll find a connection to Levin somewhere along the line. These big-time gamblers run in the same circles.”

  “Okay, now we know who they are. We still don’t know where Laughlin is. What’s our next move?” Riley continued.

  “If this was a ransom situation, they would’ve called his wife already,” Ethan began. “I think this is a way to get at Levin somehow. I don’t think the end result is to get rid of Laughlin but to keep the two separated from one another. Maybe until the next game? Keep Laughlin out of commission so Levin is forced to find another solution?”

  “You might’ve hit the nail on the head,” Riley replied. “But there has to be a way to find out whe
re they’re hiding him, if that’s the case. How can we get a hold of these men?”

  “I’m not sure that will be possible.” Ward pushed up from Ethan’s desk. “If we reach out to Levin and tell him what we believe is happening, Levin will stop the games. If what we suspect is true, that’ll spook the hell of these men. They’ll disappear. If that happens, there’s no telling what they’ll do to Laughlin, assuming we’re correct and they do have him.”

  Alex had been allowed a few minutes to use the bathroom and walk around the shell of a building. He still had no idea where he was being held and hadn’t yet been told why or by whom, though it clearly had something to do with the two men who had pretended to console Jacob and himself prior to his abduction.

  The man from earlier who had offered him water returned. “Here, put these on. Then you go back in the chair.” He tossed him a change of clothes. “You should be grateful for the gear. I had to go to Walmart for you, asshole.”

  The man turned his back to Alex to allow him a modicum of privacy. His clothes were soiled and reeked of body odor. But then he considered the man’s words, who had yet to offer up his name. Walmart, he thought. Not that it narrowed down many possibilities. After all, there was a Walmart in just about every town now. But there was also one in Owensville. It had opened last year on the north side of town and had already put out of business the local grocery store owned by a couple who had lived in Owensville their entire lives. They left for greener pastures, or retirement, he didn’t know which. But the fact remained, there was a slim chance he was still in Owensville.

  Alex pulled on the fresh clothes and felt slightly more human. “I’m dressed.”

  The man turned to him. “Eh, better than what you had on before. And you don’t smell like piss, so that makes my life easier. Back in the chair you go.” He grabbed the back of the chair, hitting the ground with the legs to reinforce his demand.