by Darcia Helle
Michael rented a battered old Camaro, which he took straight back to Lott’s neighborhood. He left it in a parking lot a block from Lott’s apartment. As he walked, he considered the insanity of his life. Somehow, in that moment, it made him smile. The adventure sure kept him from getting bored.
Having some sort of plan at this point would have been good. He had nothing, short of knocking on Lott’s door on some silly pretense. That, however, seemed a last resort. Things would probably go much smoother in the future if Lott, and Lott’s friends, didn’t recognize him.
Of course he could always knock on Lott’s door, introduce himself, then put a bullet in the guy’s brain. That was one way to get Lott out of the way. Not a very smart or safe way… but something to consider.
Leaving that option as a last resort, how was he going to manage to get a look at Lott? He couldn’t very well follow the guy, get a feel for his routine, and plan to kill him, when he wouldn’t know the guy if he tripped over him.
Across the street, a teenage boy leaned against a battered building. Michael paused as he considered an idea. He didn’t like to involve kids. But this boy didn’t look like he’d been a kid in a very long time. And Michael could already tell this one was far from innocent.
He crossed the street. As he approached, the kid straightened. He stared at Michael through stoned eyes. Michael said, “Do you know Antonio Lott?”
“You a cop?”
“No. You know him?”
The kid shrugged. “What’s it to you?”
“I need to see him.”
The kid continued to stare Michael down. He didn’t respond. Michael said, “You want to earn some money, help me out?”
The kid turned his head, spit on the sidewalk. His glazed eyes went back to Michael and he said, “I could fuck you up good.”
“Look kid,” Michael said. “I don’t have time to match my balls against yours. Fifty bucks if you help me out. Yes or no?”
The kid gave a slight nod, letting Michael know he had passed some sort of test. He said, “I wanna see the 50.”
Michael took a step back, out of the kid’s reach. He pulled a 50 dollar bill from his front pocket. The kid practically drooled at the sight of it. Michael could almost hear the kid trying to figure ways to get the money, and more, away from him. He said, “Don’t fuck with me,” and his tone made the kid’s eyes snap away from the bill.
“Lotto’d kill me for getting in his business.”
“Lotto won’t know,” Michael said. “’Cause you won’t mention a word about me.”
The kid licked his lips. His gaze slipped back to the 50. He said, “He lives over there. Apartment 211.”
“I know that. I want to get a look at him. I don’t need to spell the rest out for you.”
The kid nodded again. “Guy in a black Lincoln drives him around. Lotto rides in the front passenger seat.”
He held out his hand for the money. Michael said, “I need a little more than that.”
The kid adopted that petulant look only a teenager could pull off. But after a moment he said, “He was out earlier. Hanging out by the fence.”
“You get your dope from him?”
The kid shrugged. Knowing it would take more than a five minute intervention to save this kid, Michael let that go. He said, “You expecting him back out soon?”
“Not ‘til tomorrow. But the guy in the Lincoln picks him up every night. Around dark, I guess. Pulls up in front.” He nodded toward the front of Lott’s building.
“Any idea where he hangs out?”
“Dive bar on the next block.”
Michael handed the 50 to the kid. “Thanks.”
“Sure.”
Michael went back for the Camaro. He had maybe another two hours until dark. Sometime between now and then, the Lincoln should show up for Lott. Michael used the bathroom inside a coffee shop, bought himself a large coffee and a muffin, then drove down to Lott’s street. He parked in a littered lot beside a battered apartment building with a good view of the front of Lott’s place.
***
Ninety minutes later, Michael was about ready to storm Lott’s apartment and kill the guy just for making him sit out there all this time. He grabbed his cell phone and punched in Nicki’s number. When she answered, he said, “Looks like I’m going to be hung up tonight. You okay?”
“You sound grumpy,” Nicki said.
“A little. How are you doing?”
“Do you know how many different court programs are on during the day?” Nicki sputtered. “It’s like Judge Judy and her clones have taken over the world.”
Michael laughed. “You learn anything?”
“That I hate daytime TV.”
“I feel for you.”
“Have you found him?” Nicki asked. “Is that what you’re doing now?”
“Nicki -”
“I know. Don’t ask.”
“Order yourself a pay-per-view movie.”
“Like Snow White and Her Seven Studs?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of Spiderman 3,” Michael said. “But you do your thing.”
“Will this be over tonight?”
“No.” The old black Lincoln pulled up in front of Lott’s building. Lott came out, strutting in that way that told the world he was a badass. Or thought he was. He had dark hair, a moustache, a light brown complexion. He was maybe 5’10” or so, muscular, though not like he worked out in a gym. Women probably considered the guy good looking. Michael saw a spineless punk.
Lott slid into the front passenger seat of the Lincoln. Nicki had been saying something Michael wasn’t paying attention to. He said, “I gotta go,” flipped his phone shut, and glided out of his parking space a few car lengths behind the Lincoln.
Chapter 26
Nicki had propped her pillows against the headboard and was now leaning back staring blankly at the TV. The rerun of CSI did little to occupy her mind. She’d paced, exercised, and watched more TV in one day than she normally watched in a month. One more day of this would surely send her straight to a padded cell.
When her cell phone rang, she quickly reached for it, hoping it was Michael with some news. He’d ended his last call rather abruptly. Nicki was worried and Michael’s vagueness drove her crazy. A glance at the caller ID made her frown. Not Michael but one of her co-workers.
“Hey Dawn,” Nicki said.
“Hey stranger,” Dawn said. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah,” Nicki replied. Remembering she’d told her boss that she was sick, Nicki added, “I’m feeling better.”
“I stopped by your apartment today,” Dawn said. “To check on you. Brought you lunch. You weren’t there.”
Nicki’s first instinct was to tell Dawn to mind her own damn business. She’d never been a fan of unannounced company to begin with. But she reined in her temper and said, “I’ve been staying with a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Just a guy I know.”
“I see…”
“I’ll be back to work on Monday,” Nicki said.
“You’re sure you’re okay?” Dawn asked.
“I’ll be fine. I've got a virus or something.”
“I see.”
“Stop saying that.”
“It’s just that I didn’t think you had a steady guy in your life,” Dawn said. “Especially one that takes care of you when you’re sick.”
Nicki stared at the TV screen, where a young woman who’d been murdered was now being autopsied. While she resented Dawn’s probing, she also understood. Her banged up face combined with her absence from work and stupid excuse about staying with a male friend made her look like one of the many victims they saw at the shelter each day.
“He’s an old friend,” Nicki said. That wasn’t so far from the truth. “It’s nice to have someone around when you’re not feeling good.”
“You need anything,” Dawn said, “you know you can call me. Anytime.”
“I know. Thanks.”
“See you Monday?”
“Absolutely.”
Nicki flipped her phone shut, knowing full well that Dawn had not bought her story. She stood up, stretched, and paced the room some more. Ten minutes later her phone rang again. The caller ID read Unknown Caller. Instinct told her to ignore it. She clicked it on and said, “Hello?”
“Don’t you wanna come out and play, little whore?”
The voice sent a chill up Nicki’s spine. That same voice that had relished in giving details of her upcoming rape and murder when he’d attacked her in the parking lot. Antonio Lott.
“Go to hell,” Nicki said. She flipped her phone shut and tossed it down on the bed. It rang seven more times in the next two hours. Nicki glared at the intruding sound, wishing she could reach through the connection and strangle the creep. But she didn’t give him the satisfaction of answering.
Chapter 27
Late the next morning, Michael was sitting at his desk working on his presentation for a software program. He’d managed to stay busy since arriving at 8 a.m., which also kept him away from Ruby and her constant questions. His thoughts had been drifting off when Ruby’s muffled voice addressed someone out front. Michael pulled up his calendar to make sure he hadn’t forgotten an appointment. Seeing that he had nothing scheduled until later, he returned his attention to his software.
Ruby tapped once on the door, then stepped inside and closed it behind her. She smirked in a way reminiscent of a cat that had gotten away with swallowing the family bird. In a happy, sing-song voice, she said, “A very pretty young lady is here to see you.”
Her tone grabbed Michael’s attention more than the words. He turned to her and said, “A client?”
“No, my dear. The lady claims this is,” and Ruby held her fingers in the air making quotation marks as she said, “personal business.”
“Who is it?”
Ruby’s perfectly arched eyebrows danced on her forehead. “You got personal business with more than one woman, Michael Sykora?”
“Ruby…”
Ruby laughed. “I’m pleased to see you ain’t all work and no play after all.”
Michael dropped his head back and stared up at the ceiling in hopes that some mythical creature would come rescue him from this conversation. No such intervention occurred, so he once again met Ruby’s smiling eyes. He rubbed the stubble on his chin and said, “Does this woman have a name?”
“Naturally. Doesn’t everyone?”
“Ruby…”
“Oh, don’t be such a sourpuss. Let me have my fun.”
“Does your fun always have to be at my expense?”
Ruby chuckled at that. She said, “The lady says her name is Nicki. And she’s like Cher and that crazy Madonna. No last name required.”
Michael experienced a moment of panic. In all the time he’d known Nicki, she’d never come to his office. Why now, of all times? She was supposed to be staying in the hotel room, safe, out of sight. He realized that Ruby was watching him, so he said as calmly as possible, “You can let her in.”
Ruby gave Michael a playful wink. “I’ll see to it that you’ve got your privacy.”
Michael rolled his eyes but had to laugh. Ruby was one of a kind.
***
Nicki strolled into the office, pushing the door closed behind her. She wore one of the outfits he’d bought for her; denim shorts that showed off her tanned legs and a shimmery purple tank top that showed off everything else. Her long deep brown hair fell across her shoulders, accenting the tan and inviting touch.
“Surprised to see me?” Nicki asked as she settled onto one of the padded leather chairs opposite Michael’s desk.
“That would be an understatement,” Michael replied. “What are you doing here?”
Nicki licked her full lips. She lowered her voice to a purr and said, “I have this wild fantasy about you and me on your desk.”
Michael said, “Nicki, I’d be afraid to play a part in one of your fantasies.”
“Ahh, but you already have,” Nicki said. “However, I will let you off the hook this time.”
Michael propped his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. “Why did you leave the hotel? And how? I still have your keys.”
Nicki glanced back at the door. “Is it okay to talk in here?”
“As long as Ruby doesn’t catch you cursing,” Michael said. Then he leaned back, studying Nicki. “Yes, it’s safe to talk. Just keep the volume down.”
“Ruby seems as sweet as you described.”
“She is. Unless you cross her. Now what are you doing here?”
“I’m losing my mind,” Nicki said on a sigh. “I can’t stay in that room any longer.”
“Nicki -”
“Yeah, I know. It’s dangerous. I get that. The bastard called me eight times last night.”
“What did he say?”
“He wanted me to come out and play,” Nicki said in disgust. “I hung up on him and didn’t answer the next seven calls.”
“Good.”
“Did you find him? How much longer is this going to take?”
Her tone was more anxious than demanding. Michael said, “Not long. But you can’t be out and about. And you definitely can’t go back to your apartment. How did you get here?”
“Hey, this is a nice office,” Nicki said, wiggling in her chair. “Very comfy.”
“Thanks.”
“Nice artwork, too. I’m not surprised that you have such good taste. After all, you did choose me!”
“Are you deliberately trying to make me crazy?” Michael asked. “Or is that one of your natural talents?”
“If I remember correctly, you were once quite enamored with my talents.”
Michael tried not to think back to the very hot sex they’d had. He said, “You leave me speechless.”
“I believe that’s happened before as well.” Nicki giggled. A moment later she turned serious and said, “I had to get out of that room, Michael. I can now relate to the animals in the zoos. No matter how nice a place is, it’s horrible being confined alone in a small area.”
“Okay,” Michael said, “How did you get here?”
“I keep a spare set of keys in one of those magnetic boxes in the engine.”
Michael rested his elbows on the desk and said something he was sure he would later regret. “Stay at my place.”
“Really?” Nicki asked. “You’re sure you’re okay with that?”
“Sure.”
“Do you have a plan? Is it possible to get rid of this creep? Will that end this craziness?”
“Working on one. Yes. And I’m working on that, too”
Nicki laughed. “You’re getting good at keeping up with my frenzied thoughts.”
“Too much more and my brain might sizzle.”
“Okay. So can you give me some details?”
“No.”
“Did you get someone to take care of it?” Nicki asked. “Do you have a partner? Are you handling this alone?”
“Did I just say no details?”
“Are you going to deny that you are into some stuff the typical software designer would not be involved in?”
Michael sighed. “No. I’m not going to tell you that.”
“Well thank you for that.”
Michael said nothing. Nicki leaned close, propping her elbows on the desk in a pose to match his. Their faces were inches apart. She said, “I’ve heard rumors. There’s this guy on the streets, he kills people, but only the bad guys. Interesting, don’t you think?”
Still Michael said nothing. Nicki leaned back. With a sly little grin, she said, “I have respect for that concept. I’d like to meet him.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Michael said.
Chapter 28
“Nice place,” Nicki said as Michael gave her a tour of his house.
“That’s the extra bedroom,” Michael said, motioning toward the room beyond his office. “It’s not much but it’s yours. Make yoursel
f comfortable. If you can’t find something, I probably don’t have it.”
Nicki laughed. “This is great. So much better than being confined in a stuffy, albeit nice, hotel room. Thank you.”
Michael turned away. For some reason having her here in his house inspired feelings he didn’t care to explore. He led Nicki to the French doors. Motioning to the backyard, he said, “Use the pool if you want. You’ve got plenty of privacy out there.”
“It’s beautiful,” Nicki said.
“I’ve got to get back to work.”
“You’re sure you’re okay with me being here?”
“Yeah. Just stay put this time.”
***
Michael managed to get through the rest of the day without finding any further trouble. His 3 o'clock meeting went smoothly. At 4, he sent Ruby home. By 4:30 he was also out the door.
While he waited for the air conditioner in his car to blow cool air, he checked his disposable phone for messages. Just one, from Sean saying, “Call me.” Michael dialed the number.
“Can you meet me tonight?” Sean asked.
Michael wanted to say no. He had Nicki at his house waiting. He had plans with Isaac at 7. And he had to work out the details of a murder. What he wanted was to go home, take a long cool shower, and forget the world for a little while. What he said was, “Six work for you?”
“See you then.”
With a groan, Michael headed out to the highway. He pulled into a strip mall near his house to pick up a pizza for dinner. While he waited for the order, he went into the grocery store next door, bought a six-pack of beer, a handful of magazines, and a newspaper.
Twenty minutes later he was unloading the stuff on his kitchen counter. The house was quiet. Thinking Nicki was asleep, he checked the spare bedroom. Empty. The living room was also empty. Her car had been in the garage, so she couldn’t have gone far.
He pushed open the French doors and stepped outside. The bright sun reflected off the beads of water on her skin. Nicki was holding on to the side of a raft, her naked body dangling in the water. She smiled when she saw him. “Hey there!” she called. “You coming in?”
“Ahh, no,” Michael muttered. “I brought dinner.”
Michael turned and went back inside. Nicki aroused him in ways no other woman ever had. And she was sure as hell sending signals that she’d be okay with a little mutual satisfaction. But sex with Nicki was a complication he didn’t need right now.