by Gina LaManna
“There is no third one.”
“You said three,” Russo argued. “You don’t make mistakes.”
“It’s a local thing and none of your business.”
“Ah.”
“Sorry,” I said. “But also, it’s true.”
“And which of the three has someone who hates you enough to hire a sniper?”
“What makes you so sure it’s a hired gun?”
“I suppose they might not be hired, but they’re a good shot. It wasn’t a rookie out there.”
“Something we agree on,” I said. “As to which case it is, that’s what’s got me confused. I did some poking around on the Brine investigation today. Pushed some buttons.”
“But something like this took setup, planning, preparation,” he said. “You saw the sniper flag.”
“Did I ever.” I heaved out a breath. “It saved my life.”
“That takes planning. This wasn’t an accident.”
“That’s what gets me,” I said. “Wilkes is a planner, but this doesn’t feel like his work. He moves alone, plays with his prey. When he kills, it’s personal. The victims might be random, but there’s a ‘hands-on’ element, excuse the pun. He needs to see the life evaporate from his victim’s eyes.”
“Hence the reason he waited for Warren Parcel to wake up before he pulled his teeth.”
“Exactly,” I said. “And I’d venture to guess it’s the same reason that he kidnapped Sarah. I think she ruined his plans, came home early. He was forced to act quickly. He was forced to take on a huge risk just to watch his victim suffer.”
“But to Wilkes, it’s worth it—taking Sarah.”
“Because that’s the entire point to his work,” I said grimly. “Suffering and games. Outsmarting the cops.”
“Outsmarting you,” Russo said. “Is that what this could be about? Is he trying to throw you off his usual track?”
“Maybe.” I thought about it and decided I wouldn’t have put it past Wilkes to do something completely out of character just to spice the game up. I told Russo so. “But he wouldn’t do it like this.”
“Who else would know the location of Sarah’s phone?” Russo wondered. “Is Wilkes working with someone?”
“I don’t think so. He works alone.”
“Is someone following him?”
“I suppose my phone could’ve been tapped,” I said. “Asha did give the coordinates. Someone could’ve beat us to the location.”
“Slim chance of that.”
“Slim chance, but at least there’s a chance,” I said. “I can’t figure many other ways this makes sense. On the bright side, at least I don’t have to worry about my phone being tapped anymore.” I held up the baggie with my mutilated phone and offered Russo a bright smile.
“Aren’t you a ray of sunshine.”
“I’m a glass half full sort of gal.”
“Please tell me you’re going home for the night after this,” Russo said a few minutes later. “Have a big plate of pasta. Get to bed early. Make it easy on me.”
“That all sounds great, but it’s not in the cards,” I said. “I’ve got things to do.”
“Like what?”
I didn’t know exactly. But I knew there was work to be done, and I wouldn’t be resting until it was over. Especially not if my rest was plagued by Wilkes’s smiling face. Feeling safe in my own home was nothing more than an illusion at this point. I’d be better served—and so would the Twin Cities—if I powered through and slept when it was over.
“I saved your life today,” Russo said. “I think you owe me a favor. Stay at home tonight. Please. Someone’s clearly after you.”
“No kidding.” I was prepped to argue, but that would get me nowhere. “Fine.”
“Fine, what?”
“I’ll think about it,” I said. “It’s the best I can do.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“What exactly is it that you think I’m going to do tonight?” I asked. “I almost got shot at today. I have no good leads at the moment. The research into the guards will have to wait until morning. I’m exhausted.”
All of that was true, and it looked like Russo was on the cusp of buying it.
“So,” I said, “what’d your boss say about the car? Is that covered under miscellaneous expenses?”
“Ha-ha.” Russo sighed. “I have to pick up the new rental tonight. Hence the reason I need you to stay put.”
Russo’s SUV had undergone more than a little bit of damage during the chase. After ensuring the shooter had well and gotten away, we’d called the tow truck and the precinct. The car would be towed into evidence because a bullet had gone straight through one of the doors and out the other side. Then, we piled into one of the cop cars on the scene and hitched a ride back with a few other officers.
“I’m glad we took your car,” I murmured to Russo. “Have fun with the paperwork.”
“I’ll have plenty of time to fill it out tonight while I’m babysitting you.”
I rolled my eyes, but before I turned from Russo, I lowered my voice and stepped closer.
“Thank you,” I murmured, resting a hand on his arm. “I know I told you to go for the shooter, but I appreciate what you did for me back there.”
Russo’s eyes were fixed on my hand. His body had frozen into a statue. “I’d do the same thing for anyone,” he said gruffly. “You got the evidence bags?”
I hid a smile as he pulled the door open. Of all things I was grateful for today, Russo’s letting me off the hook without making things awkward was high on my list.
“You know,” I said, as we walked side by side into the lobby, “for how much we annoy each other, you have your moments.”
Russo pulled the office door open, leaning a little extra close as I passed through. “You’re not so bad yourself, Rosetti.”
We were swarmed upon entering the office by half the staff. Jimmy, Melinda, Asha, and a slew of others made their way over toward Russo and me, demanding to hear the full details. I left Russo to tell the story while I headed downstairs to the lab. I handed over the carefully labeled evidence bags to the techs and begged for a quick turnaround.
I returned upstairs and discovered Russo had already taken off. The swarm of cops had largely dispersed, though Asha hovered around Jimmy’s desk murmuring in a low voice.
“What’s up?” I asked, nudging my way into the conversation. “Where’s Russo?”
“He took off,” Asha said. “Apparently you destroyed his car?”
“I see he told you the full story,” I said dryly. “That was fast. I thought he’d be tailing me all night.”
Asha and Jimmy exchanged a look.
“Want to grab some dinner?” Asha said. “We could head over to Bellini’s.”
“I dunno,” I said. “I’m not all that hungry, and I was thinking of heading home—wait a second...” I glanced between Asha and Jimmy. “Russo put you up to this.”
“Up to what?” Asha asked, but she scratched the shaved side of her head, which was one of her obvious tells that she was lying. “I’m not up to anything.”
“He wants you to keep an eye on me until he can take over.”
Asha backed away from Jimmy. “I’ve got no comment.”
“What if we wrap up some of this paperwork?” Jimmy suggested. “Wouldn’t kill us to get it out of the way.”
I glared at him. “You, too?”
“Had to give it the old college try.” Jimmy sat back in his seat and rested his hands over his rather large stomach. “Russo promised me he’d bring back a bucket of chicken and a vanilla shake with whipped cream if I asked you.”
“You did good,” I said. “Should I write Russo a note and stick a gold star on it under your name?”
“Actually, not a bad idea.” Jimmy was already dialing his phone. “Yeah, Russo. I’ll take that chicken and shake. I asked her, but she didn’t fall for it.”
I could hear the curse from across the line.
“That’s my cue to get out of here,” I said, weaseling my way out of the office before anyone else could rope me into hanging around.
If Russo caught up to me, I’d be stuck inside for the rest of the night, and I had better things to do. In fact, I had a particular idea in mind. I pulled my phone out and dialed a number.
“Hey, boss,” I said. “Any chance there’s a complimentary car that comes with the job? I’d only need it for the night.”
“First a plane, then a car?” Gem asked lightly. “This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that one of your vehicles came back with bullet holes in it this afternoon, would it?”
“How’d you know about that?” I asked, and then added, “It wasn’t my car, per se.”
“If your car is bullet free, why do you need mine?”
“Disguise.”
“Where should I pick you up?”
“The café?”
“Ten minutes.”
“Thank you, Gem.”
“I’m hiring full time if you’re looking for work,” he said in his cheeky accent. “I swear, I’m a great boss. I treat my employees very, very well.”
“I’ll bet,” I huffed. “Ten minutes. And if we’re both lucky, the car will remain unscathed.”
“I like your confidence, detective.”
GEM APPEARED EXACTLY ten minutes later as promised. I waited for him in the doorway to my mother’s shop. I’d gone with two decaf lattes for the road. I didn’t need to be any more wired than I already was for the night ahead.
While I normally prided myself on my observation skills, I hadn’t noticed what Gem usually drank. He’d stirred one sugar cube into his coffee earlier this afternoon, but that coffee had tasted like liquid gold. The lattes at my mother’s café were drinkable, but the beans weren’t flown in on a personal airplane.
I almost dropped his latte when he pulled up. He was impossible to miss. Not least of all because the vehicle he was driving had six wheels and looked like it belonged in Mad Max. I felt my jaw drop and gripped the cups tighter.
Gem hopped out of the driver’s seat with a smile on his face. “What do you think?”
I was aware that all eyes from the café were following me as I approached the vehicle with caution. “I must admit, that’s not exactly what I had in mind when I asked if I could borrow a car.”
“You did end up in a ditch today, did you not?”
I eyed him. “I did.”
“And you spun out on the ice, did you not?”
“Maybe. How do you know all this?”
“And you need something that can handle the snow, tow other cars, and generally be less indestructible than your agent’s little SUV, do you not?”
“I was thinking a Honda Accord would’ve done the trick. This isn’t exactly inconspicuous.”
“No, but it’s sturdy. Although, after the stories I’ve heard of your driving prowess, I’m not sure it will be enough.”
“Oh, I’m not that bad of a driver,” I said. “In fact, I wasn’t even driving the car that got hit.”
“I know,” Gem deadpanned. “That’s what makes me nervous. Is that coffee for me?”
“It’s a latte,” I said numbly. “Decaf. I’m sorry, I couldn’t remember what you drink. You typically bring me the coffees.”
“I’m not particular.”
“Someone who’s not particular probably wouldn’t have beans flown in from South America on their private jet.”
Gem gave me that hollow sort of smile he developed whenever I talked about money. I really had to watch myself, especially after all the favors the guy was doing for me.
“Sorry,” I said. “Anyway, thank you. Did you drive yourself here?”
“Believe it or not, I do have my license.”
“I was just...” I hesitated as he handed over the keys. “Do you need to be dropped somewhere?”
“If you have time,” he said with a shrug. “Otherwise I’ll call my driver.”
“I can take you,” I said quickly, nervously eyeing a black SUV as it cruised down the road toward us. “Let’s get in and continue the conversation in the car.”
Gem’s gaze followed mine, quickly landing on the black SUV. We were both tucked inside by the time I got a glimpse of the driver. It was Russo, and he cruised by us with his mouth parted in surprise. He didn’t even have time to stop.
I turned on the car—or the machine, whatever this thing was called—and tore out of there. I took a few quick turns to make sure we weren’t followed.
“Is this you not being conspicuous?” Gem asked, holding onto the safety rail. “I think Russo can hear the tires screeching from a mile away.”
“Yeah, all six of them,” I said dryly. “What’s with the extra tires, anyway?”
“It’s a Mercedes G6 six by six,” he explained, as if that meant anything to me. “Your agent friend would understand.”
“He’s not my agent.” I looked over the console at Gem. “Where to?”
“Where are you headed?”
“Your place.”
“Oh, that’s nice.”
I kept my gaze focused on the road. “You have a stalker, and I’m helping you find them. The first step is to understand you. Your patterns, etc. They’re watching you, so I need to be too.”
Gem glanced my way. “I do have security at my house.”
“You asked for my help.”
“You sound frustrated.”
“The beginnings of cases are always frustrating. It’s a whole lot of work that tends to amount to nothing. The chances of this stakeout yielding anything are slim. But it’s the only thing I’ve got for now.”
“We can talk.”
“Talk?”
“I mean, if you’ll be sitting outside my house, I’d be happy to sit with you,” Gem said. “I’d invite you in, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of getting a stakeout vehicle.”
“Yeah.” I stared at him. “So would you sitting in the car with me. That’s dangerous. You should be inside, surrounded by your security team.”
“But this way, we get to talk,” Gem said. “It’ll save you the time and effort of Googling me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Your friend—Erin Lassiter? She’s been digging around in my past. Did you ask her to do that, or did she guess all on her own?”
I gaped at him. “How do you know these things?”
“I have a big security team and lots of money,” Gem said. “Some keywords... shall we say... set off triggers. Especially when the same keywords are used over and over in the span of several hours.”
I groaned.
Gem turned to look out the window. “Your friend is creative; I’ll give her that. She searched everything. Thoroughly.” When I looked confused, he continued. “Alastair Gem plus lover,” he said. “Alastair Gem plus girlfriend. Alastair Gem plus famous people. Alastair Gem plus naked photos.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“She didn’t get any hits returned on that last one,” Gem said with a wink. “Sorry to disappoint.”
“Good thing,” I muttered.
Gem made a noncommittal noise in his throat. “Would you like directions to my house, or shall we keep driving in circles all night? Take a left here, if you’re headed to my place.”
I did as he said, pretending not to be flustered. Gem wove me through the streets of St. Paul, onto Highway 94, over to Lake of the Isles territory. When he eventually pointed out the final turn, I thought it belonged to a church. Or a museum. Or a park.
I couldn’t see the actual house from the road. A tall line of hedges deterred random passersby from looking into Gem’s private residence. An intimidating wrought-iron gate sprawled across the driveway and included a speaker system and live guard.
“Where do kids trick or treat?” I burst out. “That driveway’s got to be a mile and a half long.”
Gem burst into laughter. “We do an event at the office. Much safer—and convenient—for the children and t
heir families.”
“Should I let you out here, or...”
“Would you like to come in?” Gem asked. “That’s an invitation, and it stands all night for the record.”
“Um, no, I think it’s best I stay outside. I’ve got to find someplace to park this car where it won’t seem so... ridiculous.”
“I pride myself on ridiculous cars,” Gem said. “You’ll fit right in on this street. Now, would you like to have that chat?”
“I really don’t think that’s necessary.”
“Suit yourself.” Gem climbed out of the car. “Have a nice evening, detective. Give a holler if you need to use the restroom. Terrance, my guard on duty, will escort you inside.”
I gave Gem a salute. “Sure thing. Thanks for the vehicle.”
I watched as Gem entered through the gates. A second later, a golf cart that looked more like a rocket ship appeared before him. He stepped inside, gave a wave, and disappeared.
Reversing onto the street, I found a shady place to park just over a block away. There was an alcove between two huge lilac bushes a few paces off the road—an old driveway that hadn’t been fully covered by grass—and the vehicle tucked neatly between. I hunkered down to wait.
My wait was not long. A few seconds later, my phone rang.
“Russo,” I said. “How’s your new car?”
“Better question: How’s yours?”
I sighed. “I’m sorry, but there’s something I have to do tonight. Remember that little thing I told you was private and local and not any of your business? It’s that.”
“I figured,” he said. “Gem called me.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
My heart raced. “I didn’t know the two of you were BFFs.”
“Neither did I, but apparently the Brit has a decent side to him. He wanted to let me know you were safe.”
“Of course I am,” I said. “I’m in a car with six wheels.”
“Please don’t give Gem’s security team a hard time tonight.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He’s got a fleet over there. Obviously, they’ll be watching you. In fact, it might be the safest place for you tonight since you won’t let me crash on your couch. And I have half a mind to think Wilkes will be trying to get into your place. That’s the only reason I’m not arguing with your little plan.”