“It’s my job to know these things. How do you think I’ve stayed in business all these years?”
“What’s your interest in our new assignment?”
“That should be obvious,” he replied. “If Smirnoff testifies against Mitkin, that wipes out the Russian drug trade, and that’s good for me. One less competitor to worry about. I’m calling to tell you that I have a vested interest in keeping Mr. Smirnoff safe until he testifies. If you need anything, call me. Capisce?”
“Yeah, I get it, but there shouldn’t be a problem. Either Kevin or I will be with him 24/7, and there’s a cop stationed right outside the door.”
“That’s all well and good, but the Russians will not sit quietly by. I have no doubt they will make a move. I would hate to see the snitch and my favorite gumshoe go down in a hail of bullets.”
“I would hate that too. I’ll give you a call if I need your help.”
“You’d better.”
Great, I thought. Now I have two mobs to worry about, the Russians and the Italians.
“I have your next assignment,” Ivan said. “I hope you won’t let me down this time.”
“I’m ready,” Viktor replied. “I’ve been going crazy cooped up in this room.”
Thankfully, Ivan didn’t know about his aborted attempt to rob the old woman.
“This assignment is tailor-made for you. A man by the name of Alexi Smirnoff is being held in room 213 at the Downtown Marriott. He was second in command under Egor Mitkin. Smirnoff was captured and has turned state’s evidence. We can’t let him testify. It will wipe out our drug operation. He is being guarded by your old friend, Walt Williams, and his partner. One of them is with him 24/7. There is also a cop stationed outside the door. Can you handle this?”
“Absolutely! I will not fail you.”
“For your sake, I hope not. If you fail me again, we are through. Do you understand my meaning?”
Viktor understood all right. One more failure and Ivan would be sending men for him.
My first day with Alexi was uneventful. We watched TV, played cribbage, and ordered 10-ounce filets from the room service menu.
Alexi admitted he was relieved when he was captured. He had had enough of mob life. He knew it was only a matter of time before he was shot dead, either by the police or the Italians. He was ready to disappear into the witness protection program and start a new life.
A few minutes before eight, there was a knock on the door. It was Kevin reporting for his shift. After settling in, he asked, “Anything I should know before you go?”
I nodded. “Yeah, if you play cribbage, watch him. He cheats.”
“I’m innocent!” Alexi protested as I walked out the door.
The next morning, I awoke early enough to have a quiet breakfast with Maggie and read the newspaper. I was dreading another twelve hours in the hotel room, but it would only be for a couple of days and Suzanne was paying us very well.
I kissed Maggie goodbye and headed downtown.
I parked in the hotel garage and had just stepped out of the car when I felt something cold and hard pressed against my back.
“Don’t struggle or I’ll have to kill you.”
It was Viktor, my evil twin.
I started to protest, then I felt something sharp prick my neck.
“I would kill you,” Viktor said, “but I want you alive. It’s a lot of fun being you.”
That was the last thing I remembered before passing out.
Viktor stuffed Walt on the back floorboard of his car and headed to room 213.
The cop outside the door watched him approach. “Good morning, Walt. Time for shift change?”
“Yes,” Viktor replied, “my time to baby sit. Here, I brought you a coffee.”
“Hey, thanks,” the officer said, accepting the foam cup.
“Glad to oblige,” Viktor replied, striking the officer in the head with the butt of his gun.
He dragged the unconscious officer to a housekeeping closet down the hall, then returned and knocked.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Walt. Ready to relieve you.”
Kevin opened the door a crack. “Hey, Walt.” Then he saw the empty chair. “Where’s the cop?”
Viktor pointed to the spilled cup of coffee on the floor. “Looks like he had an accident. He’s probably looking for someone to clean it up.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Kevin replied.
“Any problems last night,” Viktor asked.
“Nope, quiet as a mouse. I’m ready to get home and hit the sack. See you at eight.”
As soon as the door shut, Viktor turned to Alexi. He was about to draw his gun when there was a knock on the door.
“It’s me, Kevin. I forgot my iPad. If I don’t plug it in, the damn thing will be dead.”
Viktor opened the door and Kevin burst in, gun in hand. “Hands on your head, Viktor.”
“How --- how did you know?” Viktor stammered.
Kevin smiled. “Your gun. You’re carrying a 9mm. Walt carries a .22. It’s all in the details. If you’re going to impersonate someone, you’d better do it right. What did you do with Walt?”
“He’s in his car. I didn’t hurt him.”
“And the cop?”
“Down the hall in the closet. He’s alive.”
Kevin pulled out his cell phone. “Then let’s get this wrapped up.”
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Another man had stepped into the room.
Viktor was surprised. “Gleb! What are you doing here?”
“Ivan sent me to keep an eye on you. He said you’d probably botch the job. Looks like he was right. My orders were to kill you and Alexi. Now I suppose I’d better make it three.”
He pointed his automatic at Alexi and was about to pull the trigger when there was another voice in the hall.
“Room service!”
“Go away!” Gleb shouted. “Nothing was ordered for this room.”
“I have it right here,” the voice replied. “Room 213. Two orders of bacon, eggs, and toast.”
Gleb sighed. “Very well, just leave it in the hall.”
“Sorry, can’t do that. Someone has to sign for it.”
Gleb pushed the door open and another armed man charged in.
Bullets started flying. Kevin grabbed Alexi and dove behind the couch. The gun battle lasted just a few seconds, then everything was quiet.
Kevin peeked over the sofa. Gleb was on the floor, staring with dead eyes, a single hole in his forehead.
The room service guy and Viktor were nowhere to be seen.
I awoke with a start. A medic was waving smelling salts under my nose.
“Wha --- what happened?” Then I remembered Viktor. “Alexi? Is he ---?”
“He’s alive and well,” Kevin said, looking over the medic’s shoulder. “Actually, a lot better than you.”
“Is he able to talk?” It was the voice of Detective Blaylock.
“I’m fine,” I said, trying to struggle to my feet.
“He’s going to be a bit woozy, but he’ll be okay,” the medic said.
During the next fifteen minutes, Kevin told me what had happened in room 213.
“So Viktor got away?” I asked.
“He must have slipped out while Gleb and the other guy were duking it out.”
“Speaking of the other guy,” Blaylock said, “any idea who it might have been?”
I thought for a moment. “I might have an idea,” I replied. “Off the record?”
He sighed. “Sure, let’s hear it.”
I told him about the phone call from Carmine Marchetti.
“I’m guessing Carmine had a man on the inside keeping an eye on things to make sure Alexi lived to testify. It had to be one of his guys.”
Blaylock rolled his eyes. “Great! Just great! Now I get to write up a report saying that our Russian witness was saved by the Italian mob! The chief is gonna love this.”
Our cushy a
ssignment had nearly gotten both of us killed, but thankfully, Alexi was still alive and kicking.
I had two regrets. I was once again indebted to Carmine Marchetti for saving our bacon, and my nemesis, my evil twin, was alive and in the wind.
I had the uneasy feeling our paths would be crossing again.
CHAPTER 14
“So this is Viktor Kozlov?” Suzanne said, staring at the photo. “Sure looks like you! Good thing Kevin was on the ball.”
“And good thing Carmine Marchetti sent in reinforcements,” Kevin added. “If not, all three of us would be dead.”
Suzanne shook her head. “It’s unbelievable how many times fate has put us in bed with the mafia don.”
Several years ago, Suzanne defended Carmine when he was falsely accused of murdering reporter Jack Carson. With a little help from yours truly, we got him off the hook.
“If you talk to him,” she said, “give him my regards and a thank you.”
“What now,” I asked. “Are we off the job?”
“Not unless you want to be. We go to trial day after tomorrow. Think you can hold on one more day?”
“That’s up to Walt,” Kevin replied. “He’s the one who was slipped a Micky Finn.”
“I’m fine,” I said, rubbing the injection hole in my neck. “We started this gig. We’ll see it through to the end.”
“Great!” Suzanne replied. “For added security, the captain is going to add an extra man in the hall until this thing is over.”
“I doubt Kozlov will be back,” I said, “but just in case, we should have a code word so they know it’s really me.”
“Good idea. What’s the code word?”
“Snickerdoodles. It was Bernice’s idea.”
She laughed. “Works for me. I’ll pass it along.”
Finally, everyone left and it was just Alexi and me.
“So, the guy that Ivan sent to whack me was the one he imported from New York?”
I nodded.
“Sure looked like you,” he said, shaking his head.
Alexi turned on the TV. While he was busy, I made a call.
“Carmine, this is Walt. I suppose I should be thanking you --- again.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Of course you don’t. Still, it was pretty clever, having a man on the inside to watch our backs. Kevin and Suzanne asked me to express their appreciation.”
“Hey, it worked out good for everyone --- except for the Russian hit man. Not a good day for him. Too bad Kozlov got away.”
“He’s got his own problems. According to Kevin, Gleb was supposed to put a bullet in him too.”
“Still, you never know about these guys. We need to keep our eyes open, and Alexi safe until he testifies.”
After I hung up, I had to wonder how many more of Carmine’s men were walking the halls of the Marriott.
After fleeing the Marriott, Viktor returned to his hotel room, hastily packed his few possessions, and threw them in the backseat of his car.
Ivan had warned him that another failure was not an option, and had sent Gleb to clean up his mess and terminate their relationship.
He knew he couldn’t return to New York. Undoubtedly, Ivan would spread the word that he had failed miserably at his assignments. His life in the Russian mob was all but over, and if they found him, his actual life would be over as well. He knew too much, and like Alexi, he was a threat if he was ever caught by the authorities.
Viktor realized that his only salvation would be to finish the task he had been given --- kill Alexi Smirnoff. If he succeeded, there was a chance he would be welcomed back to the inner circle.
Alexi wouldn’t be testifying for another day. There was still time. A plan was beginning to take shape in his mind. It was a bold and rash plan, but he was desperate, and if everything fell into place, it just might work.
The next day and a half passed without incident.
I arrived at the Marriott at eight o’clock on the day Alexi was due to testify. I figured Kevin would head home, but he was having none of it. He said we were given the job of keeping Alexi safe until he testified, and he wasn’t about to abandon ship this close to port.
Just before nine o’clock, a contingent of armed officers in riot gear showed up to escort Alexi to the court house.
Surrounded by these warriors in body armor, Alexi was led to an SUV in the parking garage. We watched in awe as the contingent rumbled out of the parking structure. Two motorcycle cops were followed by three SUV’s, with two more motorcycle cops bringing up the rear. Alexi was in the middle SUV. The city of Kansas City was taking every precaution to make sure that Alexi would provide the testimony to put a major dent in the Russian mob.
We pulled into the street behind the procession. Just a few more blocks and our assignment would be over.
Viktor had been waiting on the corner, a block from the Marriott garage. He looked anxiously up the street and saw what he had been waiting for --- the huge blue and grey city bus.
It was just pulling up to the bus stop when the contingent of vehicles carrying Alexi Smirnoff to the court house began spilling out of the garage.
As soon as the pneumatic doors hissed open, Viktor sprang aboard and pointed his gun at the driver. “Out! Now!”
The driver hesitated, and Viktor smashed his gun into the driver’s head and shoved him to the curb. Then he turned to the terrified passengers. “Stay in your seats and nobody gets hurt.”
Satisfied that no one aboard was a threat, Viktor jumped into the driver’s seat and put the big bus in gear.
The day before, he had traced the route from the Marriott to the courthouse, and knew from which direction he would need to come to intersect with the well-armed caravan.
He turned the corner just as the caravan was passing the intersecting street. He pushed the accelerator to the floorboard and aimed at the SUV in the middle of the caravan.
“Hold on tight!” he yelled, bracing for the impact.
We were just a few blocks from the courthouse when I heard Kevin mutter, “Holy shit!”
I looked where he was pointing, and saw a Kansas City ATA bus barreling down the street and accelerating. It was headed straight into the heart of the caravan.
A moment later, there was a deafening ‘CRASH’ as the bus plowed into the side of the SUV carrying Alexi.
The SUV was thrown on its side as the bus came to a screeching halt. The bus door opened and a man staggered into the street. He looked up, and for a brief moment, our eyes met.
The driver of the bus was Viktor Kozlov.
He only hesitated a moment before disappearing into the crowd that had gathered around the accident scene.
Immediately, the stricken SUV was surrounded by officers, and I heard the sound of sirens converging on the scene.
We watched as medics placed Alexi on a stretcher and loaded him in the back of an ambulance. Within minutes, the ambulance sped away, escorted by the motorcycle cops.
We learned later, that Alexi had been taken to the Truman Medical Center on hospital hill. He was alive, but barely.
So near, and yet so far.
The Russian mob had won this round, and I cringed knowing it was the work of a man who looked just like me.
CHAPTER 15
Needless to say, the tragic turn of events didn’t set well with anyone connected to Alexi Smirnoff.
The Kansas City Police Department had one job --- transport Alexi safely the few blocks from the Marriott to the court house. They failed miserably.
Carmine Marchetti was royally pissed because his opportunity to wipe out the competing Russian drug trade in Kansas City was now in a hospital barely clinging to life.
Suzanne Romero and the District Attorney were so close to locking down a conviction on a Russian mobster, but now everything was on hold. Thanks to my identification of Viktor Kozlov, the judge granted a continuance until Alexi was able to testify or until he died.
Although it was
n’t my fault, I couldn’t help but be upset that everything had gone to hell in a handbasket because of my evil twin.
After his daring assault, Viktor had gone back to Ivan, hat in hand, hoping for a reprieve.
“That was you driving the bus!” Ivan exclaimed in disbelief.
Viktor nodded. “It was. You gave me a job to do and I wanted to make you happy.”
Ivan shook his head. “That could have gone wrong in so many ways.”
“Yes, but it didn’t. I hope you will give me another chance.”
“I suppose you’ve earned it, but we’re not out of the woods yet.”
“Why is that?”
“Alexi is not dead. He’s in a coma, barely alive. If he dies, so be it, but if he lives, he can still testify. We cannot take that chance. We must make sure he never regains consciousness.”
“Then let me finish the job,” Viktor said. “I’ll find a way.”
“No, we can’t take the chance. You have made two attempts to silence Alexi. The authorities know who you are and will be watching. Your ruse to impersonate Walt Williams has lost its effectiveness.”
“Then who?”
Ivan keyed his intercom. “Send her in.”
The door opened, and a tall, muscular Russian woman entered.
“This is Natasha,” Ivan said. “She’s a nurse. She will make sure Alexi never wakes from his coma.”
“What about me?” Viktor asked.
“I have something else in mind for you.”
I had just walked in the door when the phone rang. It was Captain Short, my commanding officer during my five years on the force.
“Walt, I’d like you and your partner to come to the precinct. We have something we’d like to discuss with you.”
“Sure. First thing in the morning?”
“No, now!”
“Uhhh, okay. I’ll call Kevin and we’ll be right there.”
Lady Justice and the Evil Twin Page 7