Drive

by Gioertz, Karina

  “Hey,” Jordan grumbled in return. Mornings had never been her friend. She reached for the mug sitting beside his hand and took a sip. Next, she made a face, forcing down the hot unpleasant liquid.

  “What is this?” she asked holding the cup away from her as though it was filled with poison.

  “Tea.” Sawyer said, stifling a laugh. “What did you think it was?”

  “Coffee!”

  “Right… I’m English,” Fish reminded her from behind his computer screen.

  “Right. Tea and Fish’n Chips. I got it,” Jordan said dryly as she began to wander from the room.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Sawyer called after her.

  “To hunt down some coffee,” she hollered back. “Surely Fish has a neighbor who can spare a cup of java for a person in need.”

  Fish lifted his head once more.

  “Try Ron and Mandy. Purple house, three doors down to the left and across the street.”

  There was a moment of silence and then, “Why can’t I just go next door?”

  “You can…but I don’t usually go see naked neighbor unless it’s absolutely necessary. If you don’t want to walk that far, try Cancer Lady across the street…oh wait, I forgot, it’s just dead cancer lady’s husband now. He’s not as nice…and a bit shady if you ask me. I mean, I know his wife was ill, but something still seemed a bit odd about the way she went…cops must have thought so too, they certainly came by often enough. Tell you what though, that was making me just as uneasy as it must have made dead cancer lady’s husband. I saw him lurking behind the curtains once, trying to pretend he wasn’t home when they came by…” slowly Fish’s train of thought, though already derailed, came to a dead end.

  Jordan had abandoned all immediate plans for coffee and was now standing in the doorway that connected the kitchen to the living room, from which she had just come.

  “Tell me, why is it that you know the names of people who live halfway down the block from you, but you refer to the people in your immediate proximity as naked neighbor and cancer lady?”

  “Oh, you mean Ron and Mandy? Those aren’t their real names. I just call them that because they remind me of my mum and dad’s friends – Ron and Mandy. I haven’t a clue who they really are.”

  Jordan shook her head in disgust.

  “So, when I go knocking on naked neighbor’s door asking for coffee, who should I say sent me? Foreign hacker guy neighbor who dresses like a fifteen year old stoner?”

  Fish grinned.

  “I imagine that’ll work. Although, I personally prefer British hacker guy, but naked neighbor will know who you’re talking about either way.” Then he pointed at the tiny cotton shorts she was still wearing from the night before and said, “Oh, and if you’re going to be wearing those outside, you may want to keep an eye out for Creepy Miata guy while you’re at it. He likes to cruise the neighborhood for no apparent reason and has a tendency to hover whenever he enjoys the view, if you catch my meanin’.”

  Jordan glanced down at what she was wearing. Feeling suddenly self-conscious about the amount of skin she was exposing, she let her arms drop to her sides and casually tugged at her short pant legs.

  “I really, really, reeaaaaaalllllllllyyyyy want some coffee,” she whined, looking at Sawyer with pleading eyes.

  Mildly entertained by her display, he let her request linger in silence for a moment before sliding back his chair and standing up. Turning to Fish he said, “Ron and Mandy, then?”

  Fish nodded.

  “That’s where I would start.”

  Less than five minutes later, Jordan was happily sipping a dark roast with hazelnut creamer and way too much sugar. It was heavenly. She had learned a long time ago never to underestimate the value of a good cup of coffee. In her experience, coffee held more healing power in one little sip than most therapists did in an entire hour of advice.

  With her hot mug in hand, she leaned into the kitchen chair, slightly angling her neck to get a glance of Fish’s screen.

  “What have you boys been so busy with this morning?”

  “Fish hacked into the traffic cameras surrounding the warehouse where the Esposito kid was killed. Now we’re running through all the footage searching for anything that might look suspicious.”

  “You mean like that black sedan that the shooters were driving when they attacked us in my ambulance?” Jordan asked pointing at the computer with her free hand.

  Sawyer jumped from his seat.

  “What?!” Within seconds he was standing right behind Fish and leaning so far over his shoulder his chin was nearly touching Fish’s hand as it hovered over his mouse. “Freeze that shot! That - right there!”

  Fish did as he was told. Then he looked back at Sawyer uncomfortably. “You’ve heard of a little thing called personal space, haven’t you? “

  “Oh, sorry.”

  Sawyer shifted into a less invasive position.

  “Can you make out the plates?”

  “Can I make out the….?” Fish laughed. “Can a dog catch his own tail? Of course I can make out the plates!” He skillfully zoomed in on the image until all three of them had a clear view of the rear of the car.

  “A Y R – 3485” Fish read out loud. “Alright, now then, let’s see who this baby belongs too.”

  “You can d-” Jordan hadn’t had a chance to finish asking her question when Fish shot her the same look he had given Sawyer just seconds earlier. “Right, dogs and tails. Sorry.”

  Jordan and Sawyer sat by silently as Fish’s fingertips flew across the keys, bringing up one screen after the next and flooding them with text that might as well have been a foreign language to Jordan. Then, the frantic typing stopped.

  “Car’s a rental.”

  “Oh,” Jordan’s heart fell. For a brief moment she had thought that they had stumbled upon the answer to their problems.

  “I wasn’t done yet,” Fish went on. “It was leased out to a Jeremy Womack during the time the shootings occurred. Naturally, he used an alias…but when I ran the fake ID through a facial recognition system I got a hit. His real name is Justus Hathaway. Has a rap sheet like you wouldn’t believe. He must have one hell of a lawyer if he’s still on the streets.”

  Sawyer slapped Fish on the shoulder with overwhelming enthusiasm.

  “You are the man! Nice work, my friend! Nice work.”

  “I know, I’m bloody brilliant, aren’t I?!” Fish slid the laptop along the kitchen table to give Sawyer and Jordan a better look. “Now then, let’s take a look at who’s been hanging around with this git.”

  Jordan and Sawyer watched in awe as Fish brought up a list of Hathaway’s known associates with just one simple click of the mouse. Then, there it was, plain as day for all the world to see.

  “Joseph Tremaine Esposito Sr.” Sawyer was the first one to say the name out loud.

  “I don’t understand,” said Jordan. Her eyes were jumping back and forth between Sawyer and Fish in search of some indication that they knew more than she did. However, those clues remained elusive as Sawyer’s face turned to stone while Fish maintained a blank stare waiting for further instructions from Sawyer.

  “Go back to the footage of the Sedan.”

  Fish scrolled over the screen and brought the frozen shot back to the forefront.

  Sawyer shook his head.

  “This doesn’t make any sense. The timestamp on the surveillance video is 9:37pm, but I didn’t get there until after ten.”

  Jordan bit her lip thoughtfully. “So the kid was probably already dead.”

  Fish fell back against the back of his chair.

  “Why would the Espositos put a hit out on one of their own?”

  “They wouldn’t.” Sawyer’s hands were balled into fists as he tried to fight the anger rising within him. “No way would Joe Sr. put a hit out on his own nephew!”

  “But you said he was sleeping with the guy’s wife. Maybe he knew about it and this was his way of putting a stop to it,” said J
ordan.

  Sawyer shook his head. He had taken to pacing the kitchen floor, repeatedly moving back and forth between the fridge and the table. “No way. Blood means everything to these guys. If he was gonna put a hit out on anybody, it would have been his wife.”

  “Charming,” Jordan observed.

  Sawyer just shrugged. “Aside from the fact that he would have to save face after being humiliated like that, Joe Sr.’s also a devout catholic, so divorce would not be considered a viable option.”

  “Oh, okay,” Jordan huffed sarcastically, “I totally get it now, yeah, killing his wife for cheating on him would have been a way to make use of the ‘death do us part’ clause.” “Doesn’t really matter though, does it?” It was the first time Fish had said anything since revealing Justus Hathaway’s identity. “I mean, brutal as the theory may be, it’s irrelevant. He didn’t kill his wife…it’s his nephew who wound up getting the axe.”

  “Exactly. The question is why?” Sawyer finally came to a stop beside Fish. Pointing at the screen he said, “Hey, do me a favor and see if you can pick up a money trail.”

  “You’ll need to give me some time. Banks are bloody particular about people peeking in on their customer’s financials.”

  “Oh, but the transportation system just leaves an open door for hackers to come in and scan everything from surveillance footage to DMV records?” Jordan asked.

  “Pretty much, yeah. All that stuff’s practically public record.”

  Jordan eyed Sawyer. Normally he would have cracked a smile by now, but there was nothing. Just the same hardened expression he had worn the second he had seen Joe Sr.’s name on Fish’s computer.

  “I think I’m going to take a walk down to the water, see if the ocean air can clear my head. You should come with me.” Jordan’s hand slid over Sawyer’s and she gave it a tug.

  “No thanks, I want to stay here and see what Fish comes up with.” He didn’t even turn to look at her.

  “Fish doesn’t need you here staring over his shoulder. Besides, I wasn’t asking. Let’s go,” she said sternly.

  Surprised by her tone, he lifted his head in her direction.

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  Relieved, Jordan watched as some of the tension in his hands disappeared. He flexed his fingers repeatedly until the red and white marks that had been left in his hands from squeezing them so tightly faded. Then, as had become habit, he reached out for hers. He felt a comfort in having her palm pressed to his that he had never known before. It was such a simple gesture and yet it did wonders to set his soul at ease. Sawyer couldn’t help but wonder if he was having the same effects on her. Jordan had certainly left her marks on him.

  It wasn’t long until their bare feet were walking alongside the water, soft sand between their toes and a cool breeze against their skin. The sun was directly overhead already, casting a comfortable warmth upon them they hadn’t felt in months up north.

  “So, does Fish know…?”

  “That I’m a cop?” Sawyer finished for her. “Yeah, he knows.”

  Jordan felt an instant sensation of gratitude. Job or no job, Sawyer valued honesty among his friends.

  “Then how come he’s so willing to commit crimes with you watching?”

  “Probably because he knows I’d never turn him in.” Sawyer gave a half-smile, but he did so uncomfortably. Fish swam in murky waters and anyone with half a brain knew he had already broken at least a dozen laws before lunchtime. The fact that he was doing so on Sawyer’s behalf didn’t really make it any more legal. Nor did it negate the fact that he had a tendency for illegal activities in general, at least when it came to his knack for cruising the internet.

  “I realize this makes me the biggest hypocrite on the planet…not to mention a lousy cop, but Fish is my friend. Whatever else he does with his time, he’s good people…and regardless of who hires him, he never takes a job that will cause him to lose sleep at night. It may not be as loud as yours, but the guy does have a conscience.”

  Jordan just nodded. As much as she usually enjoyed the view from up on her high horse, she wouldn’t be seeing much of it when it came to Fish. She barely knew the guy, but even she couldn’t fathom the idea of sending him to prison. He just didn’t belong there.

  Chapter 11: The Money Trail

  Back at the house, Fish was making a lot of headway now that the other two weren’t staring holes into him anymore. His fingertips flew across the keys as he searched and manipulated the world wide web of information to garner him the clues he needed to pull together the pieces of the puzzle they had already uncovered. He scanned page after page with his trained eyes, waiting for the evidence to reveal itself. When it did, the search continued, leading him on to find more.

  Nearly an hour had passed already. Fish had successfully accessed two bank accounts and three credit card statements when he finally found a trail that was headed in the right direction. Only problem was, it was leading straight for him.

  “Bloody Hell.”

  With no way to get a hold of Sawyer, Fish activated a clean sweep of all of his computers except for the laptop and then threw all of his essentials into a bag and tossed it into the back of his car along with Jordan’s duffel bag. Thirty minutes later he was pacing the beach in search of the other two.

  ***

  “Hey, is that Fish?” Jordan had to squint to make out a face, but the ginger waves of windblown hair gave every indication that it was him.

  “Yeah, that’s definitely him,” said Sawyer. “This can’t be good.”

  He broke into a jog, dragging Jordan along as they hurried to meet their friend.

  “How far did you two walk? Miami?” Fish huffed loudly once they were within earshot.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you here and don’t tell me it’s for a tan, you know damn well no one will believe your skin is capable of that.”

  Fish shot Sawyer a momentary dirty look before explaining, “We need to leg it now or we’re all done for!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Yeah? And what do you mean by leg it?” Jordan wasn’t sure what had sent her into a bigger panic, the idea of being done for or the possibility of having to experience a repeat of the nature hike through West Virginia.

  “I did what you wanted me to, followed the money trail and I wound up here!” Fish was screaming, but it didn’t matter. Aside from a few stragglers, the beach was abandoned and the heavy ocean wind easily masked the sound of his elevated voice if anyone was close enough to hear.

  “What are you talking about? How did it lead you here?” Sawyer was getting frustrated with Fish’s heightened emotions and lack of information.

  “Hathaway’s credit cards. He’s been using the same visa card since he came after you in the abandoned lot. He’s switched rental cars and then stopped for gas several times going south. Last stop was this morning at a gas station just past the Florida State line. He knows you’re here, mate. So, I think it would probably be better for all of us if we weren’t!”

  “Sonofabitch!” Sawyer swore loudly. Then he turned away from the other two and toward open sea, releasing his frustrations, “Aahhhhhhhhh!” It took several deep breaths to calm himself down again.

  “Feel better now?” Fish asked.

  “Yeah, sorry.”

  “No worries. I mean, for a moment there I thought maybe you’d gone completely mad, but now that I know you’re not, could we possible start putting some distance between us and Justus Hathaway?”

  Jordan turned to Fish, still needing verification on one thing, “Did you bring your car?”

  “I wasn’t planning on walking, were you?”

  Following Fish’s lead, all three of them quickly made their way back to their starting point. The ’98 red Jeep Wrangler Fish had maintained in remarkably good shape in spite of its age, was sitting in the parking lot across the street from the beach ramp just waiting for them. Jordan automatically reached for the driver’s side door at the same time
Fish went to unlock it.

  “What you think you’re doing then?” Fish asked.

  “I think I’m driving,” said Jordan.

  Fish turned to his friend for support, but Sawyer just shook his head.

  “Probably be best to just hand her the keys, buddy.”

  Still demonstrating his disbelief, he added dissatisfaction to his expression as he handed over the keychain. Fish and Jordan rushed getting into the car and it took them a second to realize Sawyer wasn’t doing the same.

  With the key already turning in the ignition, Jordan rolled down the passenger side window and called out, “What are you waiting for?”

  “For you to get the hell out of here!” Sawyer shouted back.

  Instantly Jordan killed the engine again.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  Fish was too stunned by the turn of events to say anything at all.

  “I’m going to stay and deal with Hathaway.”

  “Then we should all stay! Three against one definitely puts the odds in our favor.” Jordan was already climbing out of the car again and walking around the front of the hood toward Sawyer. He met her halfway.

  “Under no circumstances are you staying here with me, do you hear me? You and Fish need to get on the road and get as far away from here as possible. Let me deal with Hathaway. This is what I do, remember?”

  Jordan felt a sense of panic rise within her, bringing with it a nauseating feeling that made her want to curl over. Tears were fighting their way to the surface and it took all she had, to hold them at bay. If Sawyer saw her crying now, he’d never be convinced that she was tough enough to handle a face-off with Justus Hathaway.

  “I think you’re the one who’s forgetting what I do! I deal with the aftermath of your job all the time! Who’s supposed to swoop in and save your ass if you send me away?”

  Sawyer grinned. She was such a stubborn ass. He took a step closer to her until their bodies were almost touching. Then he leaned in until his forehead met with hers and whispered, “Let me save your ass this time.”