by C. M. Sutter
Kate sprang to my side as soon as Grant walked away. She wedged herself between Jack and me. “Okay, this is really weird.” She leaned in close to my ear so I could hear her.
“What is?”
“Grant Lowe looks like the twins who were in my dream. How weird is that?”
“It’s weird all right but a delicious thought. Could you imagine having two of him?”
“Yeah, but—”
“But it doesn’t matter. He’s only in the area temporarily. Here today, gone tomorrow. Just my luck.”
Chapter 47
Grant closed the office door at his back and took a seat behind the desk. Donny dropped down in a guest chair.
“What’s up, Grant?”
“We have to be careful with everything we say and do tonight. That entire front side of the bar is filled with cops.”
“Cops? No shit?”
“Unfortunately, it’s true.” Grant raked his fingers through his hair. “Luckily the big guy in the middle with the black hair is putting everything on his credit card. The chick to his right is an FBI agent for crissakes. Do not—and I repeat, do not—let cash transactions take place with any of them. Make sure Drake knows that too. Not one dime passes between them and us. Got it?”
“Absolutely. Not a single dime.”
“Also, I used the Grant Lowe ruse and said I invest in clubs and restaurants, nothing more.”
“Why talk about yourself at all?”
“Because I met a woman yesterday while I was waiting for my lunch takeout. We had a brief but friendly conversation. Turns out she’s one of the cops sitting at the bar. I had to say something since she recognized me.”
“Yeah, sticky situation.”
“I’m going to act like everything is normal. Bartenders are supposed to be friendly, so I have to play the part. I can’t let my guard down, but I can’t look suspicious, either.”
A knock sounded. Grant glanced at Donny and jerked his head toward the door. “See who that is.”
Donny opened the door slightly and turned back to Grant. “It’s Juan and Marco.”
“What the hell are they doing here?” Grant pounded the desk. “Let them in.”
Donny pulled the door fully open, and the two men passed by him.
“Donny, get back to the bar and remember what I said. Close the door behind you, please.”
“Looks like every cop that works in this shithole town is in attendance tonight,” Juan said.
“It’s a free country, and they aren’t on duty. I can’t help who walks through the door.” Grant looked them up and down. “Speaking of that, how long have you two been here, and why?”
Marco spoke up. “The old man sent us to see how the grand opening was going. We overheard the conversation you had with that curly-haired woman. Sounds like you two were already acquainted.”
“That’s none of my father’s business or yours.”
“It is if she’s a cop who likes to snoop around. Your father won’t be happy with that news.”
“Why are you speaking on my father’s behalf, Marco? Suddenly you’re in charge?”
Juan raised his brows as if in question, and he stared at Marco too. “Last time I was told, I was in charge after Frank and Grant.”
“Enough already! Neither of you are in charge of my business or what I do when I’m here. Leave me the hell alone, and I’ll deal with the old man myself.”
“We were instructed to stay until closing, Grant.”
Grant glared at Marco. “Fine, just stay away from me and the cops at the bar. I can handle them just fine.”
With a swipe of his hand, Grant motioned for them to leave his office. He sat there alone in thought.
What the hell do I do now? I have to tell the old man I want out. Spewing lies every time I open my mouth isn’t how I want to live my life.
He sent a text to Donny.
Clear the extra cash out of the registers except for the one directly behind the bar. I don’t want those cops to see what you’re doing. Bring the cash to the office so I can put it away.
Grant poured himself a drink and waited. Minutes later, Donny walked in with a bank bag full of cash.
“Were you discreet?”
“Of course. What do you think I used the bar towel for?” Donny placed the bag on Grant’s desk. “Are you okay? Is there anything you need me to do?”
“Nah.” He waved off the comment. “Guess the old man doesn’t trust me enough to run this club without babysitters watching every move I make. It pisses me off, that’s all.”
“Sorry, dude.”
Grant stood and gulped the last swallow of whiskey. “Go ahead. I’ll be right out. We’ve got a nightclub and restaurant to run, so we need to get out there and mingle with the crowd.”
With the door closed and locked behind Donny, Grant moved the rug aside and emptied the bag of money into the floor safe. With the cash hidden and the rug back in place, he locked the office and returned to his bartending duties.
“It has to be nice being the boss.”
Grant gave Amber a forced smile. “Yeah, why?”
“You get long breaks.”
Grant noticed Amber’s empty glass. “Sorry for the wait.” He placed the glass in the sink then pulled out two bottles of Scottish Ale from the refrigerator at his back, popped the tops, and poured a clean glass for Amber and Jade. He pushed back the twenty Amber placed on the bar.
“Your money is no good here.” He looked down the bar. “Your drinks are on the house for the rest of the night. I appreciate your role in keeping this city and county safe, and it’s a pleasure to meet all of you.”
Jack reached across the bar and shook Grant’s hand. “And we appreciate good people who start new businesses in our town. Good luck with this place, man, and thanks for the words of support.”
Grant pulled down a bottle of single malt Scotch from the top shelf and set out nine shot glasses. He placed one in front of every officer and spouse before pouring a shot into each glass. He held his up. “Cheers to North Bend’s finest and to the success of Shooters.” He clinked glasses with each person then tipped back his own. He took a calming breath as the warm liquor coated his throat. He set his glass on the bar and watched Jade as she pushed back her barstool and stood.
“Come on, ladies. The band is starting up again. Let’s dance.” Jade grabbed Amber and Kate’s hands, then she nodded for Sue and Lynn to join them. “It’s party time.”
Grant put on his best bartender smile.
Jack pointed at Jade while she pushed her way through the crowd. The ladies followed at her back. “Leave it to the instigator.”
“Jade’s the instigator, huh?” Grant stared at the women until they disappeared from sight.
“Definitely. Always has been, always will be. She’s trouble with a capital T. I guess I’ll be driving them home like I usually do when we go out.”
“And she’s really an FBI agent?”
“Yep,” Jack grinned, “and a damn good one too.”
Chapter 48
Marco nudged Juan. “I’m going outside for a smoke. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
“Yeah, go ahead. I’ll keep my eyes on Grant. It seems like he’s becoming too chummy with those cops.”
Marco pushed his way through the crowd until he reached the door. Outside and far from anyone milling around the parking lot, he lit a cigarette, took a deep drag that caused the end to glow orange, and placed a call to McKinley.
“Hello.”
“It’s Marco, Mr. Moore. I’m calling you with an update.”
“Yes, has our problem been eliminated?”
“Not yet, but I’ll take care of that later. There’s a new development I’m calling about, and it’s something you should be aware of.”
“Go ahead.”
“It’s about Grant.” Marco sucked on the end of his cigarette and blew the smoke above his head. “It seems that he’s become overly friendly with a group of sheriff’s departmen
t officers who are bellied up to the bar. One woman in the group was even introduced as an FBI agent.”
“Son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with him? I’ve taught him never to engage with the law.”
“That isn’t all. It also appears that he knows one of the female deputies on a personal level.”
“How is that possible?”
“I’m not sure, but Grant has spent the last few months here involved in the remodeling of Shooters. He could have met her at any point during his time in North Bend.”
“He better not be passing our bills to them.”
“The group has an open credit card tab.” Marco dropped his cigarette into the gravel and smashed it under his shoe.
“Did you get any names?”
“Yes, of the woman he allegedly knows.”
“And it is?”
“Amber Monroe with the Washburn County Sheriff’s Office.”
“Good. I’m writing that down. Make sure you get a picture of that bitch and the FBI woman too.”
“I will. There’s one more thing, sir.”
“Now what?”
“I’m positive she’s the female officer who was staring at your car when we drove past Joe’s house. As a matter of fact, most of them sitting at the bar looked like the same officers who were rifling through Joe’s car.”
“Son of a bitch. Now it all makes sense. I thought the people in the black cruiser at the stoplight looked familiar when I left Shooters on Wednesday afternoon. It was the same group of pigs that were at Joe’s house earlier that day. They were going back to their office. You idiots dumped the bodies in Washburn County, which is their jurisdiction. Somehow, they figured out who Joe was and went to his house. Did any of them see you?”
“No, and I doubt if they’d recognize us, anyway, but if they saw the Alpina in North Bend later that same day, it might have caught their attention.”
“Now I know why that bitch was staring at me through the windshield—she recognized the car. I have to come up with something to stop their snooping. Grant will answer to me, and he isn’t going to like the results. Do what you need to do later and call me when it’s done.”
“It might be late, sir.”
“I don’t care. Just tie up loose ends.”
Marco clicked off and went back inside Shooters. The atmosphere was even livelier than before. Drunk women danced, men downed shots, and Grant looked to be engaging with the officers at the bar. Marco snapped a few pictures and sent them to McKinley before he returned to the table where Juan was sitting.
“Took long enough,” Juan said when Marco pulled out his chair and sat.
“I had two smokes.” Marco caught the attention of the waitress. “We need another pitcher of beer and two menus.”
“Would you like to hear about our specials?”
“No, just bring the menus.” Marco watched as she walked away. “We may as well eat something. We’re going to be here for a while.”
Chapter 49
“Okay, people, last call.” Grant cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled out. He gave Drake a nod, and the lights came on.
I squeezed my eyes closed at the harsh, bright lights, and a group groan sounded throughout the club. The band had packed up and left hours earlier, yet the bar was still crowded.
“Damn it, tonight went way too fast.” I kicked off my shoe and rubbed my right heel. “I think I have blisters from dancing so much.”
Jack glanced down at my foot. “Looks like I’m the designated driver as usual.” He gave each of us a pathetic smile. “Women, they just can’t hold their liquor. You’re all a bunch of lightweights.”
“I’ll arm wrestle you any time, hotshot,” Jade said, slurring her words.
Jack laughed and propped her up on the barstool.
I leaned over the bar and reached for the whiskey bottle.
“Hey, deputy, what do you think you’re doing?” Grant joked. “Don’t you think you’ve had enough?”
“There’s never enough booze. I know. I used to work here.”
Grant looked at Jack. “You’re definitely driving them home, right?”
“For sure. I’m used to it.” Jack looked down the bar at Kate, whose head was propped between her hands, and her eyes were closed. “Go ahead and close out my tab. I need to get these ladies home.”
Grant waved him off. “Your tab was closed out hours ago. Here’s your card back.”
“Thanks, man. That’s really decent of you. We’ll make sure to stop by often. From the looks of it, tonight was quite a success. Billings and Clayton, I’m going to need help with Jade and Kate. Amber, sit tight. I’ll be right back.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” I put my shoe back on and looked up at Grant, who was smiling at me. I smiled back. “You’re handsome, Grant Lowe.”
He laughed. “And you’re drunk. I’d like to see you again, Amber, maybe in a different environment, but I’m not sure if you’ll remember me saying that.”
I fumbled with my purse and pulled out a card then slid it across the bar to him. “Call me when I’m sober. You can remind me of how tonight went. Bye, Grant.”
“Bye, Amber Monroe.”
I slid off my stool and walked out with Lynn and Sue.
Chapter 50
“How much longer are you going to be?” Marco watched from the bar table, unimpressed by Grant’s lengthy cleaning duties.
“Why are you goons still here? Do you really need to watch us until we’re done?” Grant glared at Juan and Marco, who remained long after the customers and the majority of the waitstaff had left.
Grant, Donny, Drake, Bonnie, and Trish had spent the last hour cleaning, sweeping, and wiping down the tables.
“Your father—”
“I don’t care what my father said. Just go! He and I can hash this out tomorrow.”
Marco’s phone rang as they were about to leave. He rose and walked to the men’s room to answer it. He returned moments later.
Juan looked at him with furrowed brows. “That was a short call.”
“Just my bookie.” Marco jerked his head toward the door. “Come on. Let’s go.”
He and Juan walked out. Twenty or more cars sat in the oversized lot, likely left by drunk patrons who’d hitched a ride home with someone else. Marco’s eyes darted left and right as he scanned the lot. The night was quiet and dark, save the lights on the building’s corners and above the back door. He didn’t see a soul as they continued toward the van parked at the far edge of the property line. Marco walked several feet behind Juan, and to his benefit, he had four inches in height and thirty pounds of muscle weight over the man in front of him. He reached in his pocket, pulled out his knife, and pressed the blade release. In one fluid motion, he wrapped his enormous arm around Juan’s chest and pulled the knife across his throat. Juan tried to resist, but his panicked flailing caused blood to spray from his gaping neck wound. He finally collapsed, and his knees buckled under his own weight.
“Sorry, man, boss’s orders.”
With a heave, Marco tossed him into the brush to bleed out. He’d wait for the gurgling to stop before dragging Juan deeper into the underbrush. Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out the lighter and his pack of cigarettes. With a thumb strike to the roller wheel, he lit his cigarette, leaned back against the van, and inhaled deeply. He kept a keen eye on the back door as he enjoyed his smoke. After the final drag, Marco dropped the butt and stomped it into the ground. He stepped into the waist-high brush, hooked his hands under Juan’s limp arms, and dragged him into the woods. He emptied Juan’s pockets of anything that would identify him, took his cell phone, and trudged out of the brush. With one last scan of the parking lot, Marco climbed into the van and dialed McKinley. “It’s done.”
“Good. That’s what happens to people who betray me. Come back to the warehouse.”
“Yes, Mr. Moore.” Marco turned the key and drove away.
Chapter 51
I woke to a pounding headache, b
ut at least I remembered the night until we began dancing. After that, I had no recollection of anything. I rolled over, reached for my phone, and checked the time. It was nearly eleven o’clock. I listened but heard only silence. Jade was probably still sleeping it off.
I wonder if Kate is here too.
I forced myself out of bed only because I needed something to kill the throbbing in my temples. Coffee and four ibuprofen were always my go-to remedies. With the belt cinched on my robe, I stumbled down the hall to the kitchen. Spaz gave me a look of disgust as he raised his head off the couch.
“What? Haven’t you ever gone out and let it rip?”
He stared at me, hissed, and turned his back to me.
“Punk.”
I started the coffee, downed the ibuprofen, and sat at the table with my head in my hands while the coffee brewed. Footsteps sounded in the hallway. I looked between my fingers and saw Kate heading toward me.
“So you are here.”
“Apparently. Don’t ask me why or how. Last night is a blur.” Kate opened the cabinet, pulled out two cups, and poured the coffee. She carried them to the table then crossed the kitchen to the door between the laundry room and the garage. She pulled it open. “Did we come in through the front door last night?”
I shrugged. “You’re asking the wrong person.”
She went to the front door and looked out the sidelights. “Humph.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means Jade’s car isn’t here, code for ‘Jack must have dumped us off.’”
“At least somebody in our group is responsible.”
“And that sure as hell isn’t any of us.”
We turned to see Jade coming down the hallway.
“I need coffee and an entire bottle of painkillers.”
I tipped my head toward the kitchen. “The coffee is ready, and you know where the ibuprofen is.”
“So my car really isn’t here?”
“Just the fact that you asked that is scary. Thank God we always have a designated driver.” I took a sip of the hot brew then rubbed my head.