by Tracy Sharp
“It’s pretty common knowledge that there are some in the police department who are in bed with the Irish mafia, Jess. Cops on the take,” I said. “I don’t know about the bunch who were here tonight, but I don’t trust any of them right now.”
Jack paced the kitchen. “Yeah, and the cops take care of their own. They don’t step on each other’s toes. If a couple of cops aren’t doing shit about something, then the others won’t do shit about it either. It’s the way it works.”
I threw my hands up in frustration. “You know, this is the same kind of bullshit we came up against last year. There are good cops out there. There have to be. Is it just the local ones that are corrupt or what? Are some of them too scared to take a stand?”
Jack shook his head. “It doesn’t matter, Kicks. It’s just the way it is and we’ve got bigger fish to fry right now. If we’re gonna do this, we have to presume there aren’t any cops around to help us.”
* * *
“You’re in a lot of trouble, aren’t you?” Mitch’s voice came over my phone line, sounding matter-of-fact.
“Yes, I am.”
I almost laughed at the understatement. I’d just explained to him about the box that I’d come home to. There’d been a long pause before he’d responded.
“Mitch, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me this far. And I would understand if you didn’t want to talk to me anymore. To tell you the truth, I really need your help. I don’t have anyone else out there with the kind of inside clout that you have.”
Another long pause. “I don’t know why I’m saying this.” I heard a long sigh. “I’m not running away. You need my help, you’ve got it.”
I closed my eyes, relief rushing over me. “Thanks, Mitch.”
“Think nothing of it.”
This got a laugh from me. “Great.”
“So what’s next?”
“I think it’s time for you to meet my friend Jack and my brother Jesse. Can you come over?”
“I’m there. Where do you live?”
I gave him directions. When I hung up it struck me how lucky I’d been in my life. Somehow somebody was always there to help me when it was time to stand up and fight.
I hoped to God it stayed that way.
Mitch was at my house within fifteen minutes. When he saw Buddy standing at the door staring up at him, he backed away a few steps.
I opened the door and he looked at Buddy with a wary eye. “It’s all right,” I told him. “You’re invited.”
“Oh. Good.” He was cautious and slow in his movements as he stepped inside, allowing Buddy to sniff his hand and leg.
“Mitch, this is my friend Jack and my brother Jesse, both who have been dragged into my messes on more than one occasion.”
“Who wants to live forever anyhow, right?” Jack’s smile was wide.
Jesse grinned, using one hand to wave us off. “I’ve stared death in the face and laughed.”
He had stared death in the face but he hadn’t been laughing when Callahan and I had found him buried up to his neck in the woods last summer. A shiver went through me as the image flashed in my mind.
Jack found it funny and he laughed, a big belly laugh, almost choking on his beer.
I shook my head and managed a smile. Jack’s laugh was contagious. Anyone who heard it had to at least smile. “This is Mitch Thomas. He’s a reporter with Capital Region News. He covers the crime section and he has contacts all over the city. He’s decided to join the ranks of those who put their asses on the line to help me.”
Jesse chuckled. “What are you, Leah? The Pied Piper?”
“No. I’m more like Magoo. Never realizing the shit I’m getting into. Always just narrowly escaping disaster but causing havoc all around me.”
Mitch smiled and shrugged. “Everybody needs a hobby.”
We spent the next hour filling Mitch in on everything we knew about the case so far. The more we talked about it, the more obvious it became to us that in order to find out what had happened to Chloe, we needed to look more closely at her family. It seemed likely that the Nolans had secrets that had crept up on them. Muriel Nolan wasn’t speaking at all. Same with Michael Nolan’s wife, Susan.
“So Michael Nolan was the city Alderman.” Mitch grinned. “I covered a few stories about him. Not the most honorable man on the planet.”
“It didn’t occur to me that you’d have covered that story,” I said.
“Do tell,” Jack said.
“There were a lot of things we kept out of the papers. I promised my contact I wouldn’t write about them until they gave me the go ahead because it could’ve hurt the investigation.”
“What things?” I already had an idea.
“Oh, how about embezzlement, bribery, extortion, having sex with and buying alcohol for underage girls, for starters.”
Jack gave a low whistle.
“He’s been a busy boy,” Jesse said.
“Yeah. He was.” Mitch nodded.
“He wasn’t convicted of anything?” I couldn’t believe it.
“Not a thing,” Mitch said.
“Because his father is a judge,” I said. “You’re kidding me. He was that much above the law.”
Buddy leaned against Mitch’s leg and Mitch patted his side. “Judges are powerful people. They can make charges go away.”
“Jesus. That is really frightening.” I was disgusted.
“It’s an old story,” Jesse said. “Spoiled son of a prominent figure getting away with everything except murder.”
“And sometimes murder,” Jack said.
We were silent for a moment. The implications were staggering.
“I’m willing to bet there’s a lot of money in the Nolan family,” I said. “Money above and beyond what Martin makes as a judge.”
Jesse leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “Some old money.”
“Right.” Jack nodded slowly. “You can do a lot of damage when you have that much money. Money can buy you anything.”
Mitch had a strange look on his face.
“What?” I said.
“I need to look into a few things.” He got up and shrugged on his leather jacket.
“What things?” I asked him.
“I have a hunch.” He reached for the door handle. “I’ll get back to you later.”
He wasn’t about to be pushed into telling what was on his mind, so I let it go for the moment. “Thanks, Mitch.”
“No problem.”
After he left I looked down at Jack and Jesse, hands on my hips, not knowing where to go from here. Jesse looked back at me, wide-eyed, excitement lighting his face.
Jack was sitting back, arms crossed and grinning. “You know, I just love it when things are exactly as they seem.”
I let out a long breath
“Jesus. This is just way too weird.” Jesse sat back against the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
I gave a short, harsh laugh. “Which part of it?”
“Well,” Jesse said. “Maybe somebody wanted to get rid of both Martin Nolan’s kids. Who killed Michael Nolan?”
* * *
I set the shower head to the massage setting and let the water beat down on my neck and shoulders. Jack and Jesse tried to get me to leave my house and stay with one of them, but being true to my stubborn self, I refused to be bullied out of my own home. So they both decided to stay with me. Jesse claimed his old bed in the spare room and Jack would take the sofa.
After I’d dried off and put on soft, comfortable jeans and a T-shirt, I decided to grab a beer and sit out on the patio for awhile. It was still early. And I could use the wind-down time.
Jack was already out there with Buddy, who was lying facing the street, keeping an eye on the comings and goings of the neighborhood. I could tell that he was still bothered, because every once in awhile his eyes would kind of twitch closed instead of blinking normally. He was not happy with the afternoon visitor we’d had.
Jack smiled.
“You know, only we would be comfortable sitting out here next to a table where a box containing severed hands and a head sat.”
“Yeah. What does that say about us?”
“Says that we’ve seen a lot together, Kicks. And as bad as that box was, we’ve been in worse situations.”
It was sad but true. The box had been bad. However, the danger wasn’t immediate. When you’ve been through as much as Jack and I have, a box containing severed hands and a head was small potatoes.
We also recognized it for what it was. If whoever left the box had wanted me dead, they’d have come after me already. This was a warning.
“It has to be Shanahan,” I said for it seemed like the tenth time that night.
Buddy lifted his head as a pair of headlights swung toward the house and a truck turned into my driveway. He jumped up and growled deep in his throat, the muscles in his shoulders and back bunching.
I recognized the truck. “Oh, shit.”
“Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention it. Cal called while you were in the shower. Jesse picked it up.”
“He told him?”
“Yeah.” He grinned and took a pull of his beer.
“Aw, shit.”
“Callahan to the rescue.”
I threw him a look.
Buddy turned to face the truck, growling more loudly.
I grabbed his collar. “It’s just Cal, Buddy. You know Cal.”
Buddy relaxed when he saw Callahan walking toward us. His mouth dropped open and he smiled the way only a rottweiler can smile. I let him go and he bounded over to Callahan.
Cal patted his head and continued walking. Any other day he’d have played with Buddy, pushing him and growling back at him, and then Buddy would’ve rolled onto his back, waiting for the belly rub. “Hey, Buddy. How ya doin’?”
“I guess he doesn’t remember his truck,” Jack said, amusement in the tone of his voice.
I wondered where the tone was coming from. I always thought Jack liked Cal. “He’s a little nervous.”
Cal didn’t come up onto the patio. His face was tight with anxiety as he looked up at me. “Is everything okay? What happened?”
I was a little annoyed at his show of concern. He’d dumped me. I didn’t need his pity. And I was mad at myself for letting him see how much I still needed him. “It’s fine.”
“Just a little warning. Nothing we can’t handle,” Jack said.
Callahan lifted his hands face up, trying to reason with me. “Leah, somebody left a head on your doorstep. You think it might be a good idea to back off?
“Nope.”
“Jesus. What’s it gonna take? You in a body bag?”
“It’s not your concern anymore, Cal.” I knew I was being an asshole, but I couldn’t help it. I felt the petty urge to push him away. To reject him as he’d rejected me.
Most of all, I couldn’t stand the idea of him getting hurt again, like he had the last time I’d let him get close to me.
He looked wounded, then looked at the ground and shook his head. When he looked up at me again, his jaw was set. “Right. You’re right. I don’t know why I came here. Same shit, different day with you, Leah.”
“That’s right,” I said, keeping my voice casual.
Without another word, Callahan turned and went back to his truck and drove away.
“Feel better now?” Jack asked.
“Nope.”
“Didn’t think so.”
“I don’t need him getting shot again, Jack. Or killed. He was lucky last time. He doesn’t need to get caught up in my shit again.”
“He’s already caught up in your shit, Kicks, because he’s still caught up in you.”
I breathed out, long and slow, and hoped I’d insulted Callahan enough that he’d stay away.
Chapter Seven
I awoke early the next morning. I hadn’t been able to sleep much, tossing and turning, thinking about Chloe. I wondered if she was still alive. Doubt needled me, making me feel itchy and restless, and for some strange reason, responsible. I’d been asked by her boyfriend to check into what had happened to her, and her father had paid me a lofty sum of cash to find her. Every day, every hour that went by was a day further away from her. I couldn’t help the feeling that I was running out of time.
After taking Buddy outside and feeding him breakfast, I made coffee and forced myself to wait until eight o’clock before calling Mitch. He’d probably be up earlier than that. Newspapers opened early. Eight o’clock seemed civilized. I also realized that if he’d found out anything that would help find Chloe, he’d have called me.
I sat sipping coffee with Buddy lying at my feet, facing the street as he always did. He was the best friend, aside from Jack, that I’d ever had. He’d come a long way since the previous summer when I’d stolen him during a repo job. He’d been so malnourished and dehydrated that I’d doubted that he’d live another week. He still bore a white scar that traveled between his eyebrows and down his muzzle. Buddy had seen some pretty hard times. We both had.
Finally eight o’clock came and I picked up the cordless phone sitting beside my coffee cup. I dialed Mitch’s cell number, which I already knew by heart. He answered on the fourth ring.
“Got anything for me?” My voice sounded more abrupt than I’d intended. I’m not known for my sweet manner. Sometimes this is to my detriment.
“Good morning, Leah.”
“Good morning. Got anything for me?”
“I have a something I want to fill you in on. It’s going to be tricky. It’s Friday.”
Holy shit. Was it really Friday? I had no sense of time anymore. “Yeah. So?”
“I would’ve explained. I was just taking a sip of my coffee.”
“Sorry. So?”
“So I’m picking up my daughter from school this afternoon. I have her every other weekend.”
This stunned me for some reason I couldn’t explain. I didn’t know what to say. “Oh.”
“Look, we usually order pizza and watch movies on Fridays. Why don’t you swing by and I’ll fill you in while she’s watching a movie?”
“Great. I’ll bring the pizza. What kind does she like?”
“Just straight pepperoni and cheese.”
“You’ve got it. Where do you live?”
He gave me directions and asked me to come around six o’clock.
“I’ll see you then.”
* * *
I stopped at the video store before I picked up the pizza. I didn’t know how old Mitch’s daughter was so I searched the family type films and chose a new release that appeared to be a comedy/adventure. That done, I picked up the pizza, two large bottles of soda, one cola the other clear, and headed to Mitch’s house.
I didn’t have time to knock before a little dark-haired girl of about six opened the door. She had Mitch’s dark coloring and almond shaped eyes, but didn’t have his serious manner. She wore a bright smile that made you want to smile in return.
“Is your name Lee?”
“Close. Leah. Lee with an ‘ah’ at the end. What’s your name?”
“Lilly. Daddy! Lee-ah’s here!” She moved to the side and gestured to the table. “You can just put the pizza on the table.”
I stepped into a country kitchen, large and yellow with plenty of light. For some reason I’d pictured Mitch living in some dark, moody place. Some tiny hovel somewhere.
I placed the pizza on the table and turned in time to see Mitch coming through a doorway that appeared to lead into a living room.
“Hey.” He smiled.
Something fluttered in my chest and I tried to keep the goofy smile off my face. “Hey. Straight pepperoni and cheese. I brought two types of soda. I wasn’t sure what you two liked.”
“I like everything.” Lilly wrapped her small hands around a bottle of soda. “Can I have some of this one, Daddy?”
“Sure.” Mitch grabbed a glass from the cupboard and began pouring the soda. “Beer or soda, Leah?”
“I’
ll take a beer.”
“Good choice.” He grinned. “Me too.”
Lilly was eyeing the bag containing the movies, but she was too polite to ask what was in it.
“I hope you haven’t seen these.” I removed the dvds from the bag and held them up to her. “It’s okay if you have, though. You don’t have to watch them again.”
Her face had lit up when she saw them. “Look, Daddy! I love these movies!”
This little girl was very easy to please. I couldn’t imagine her having a grouchy side.
“Great.” Mitch carried plates to the table. “We’ll throw one of them in after we’re done eating.”
Lilly climbed up on a chair and positioned herself so she was kneeling. It was clear she’d be too small to reach her plate without struggling otherwise. She stared at the pizza box and licked her bottom lip.
“Hungry?” I grinned.
“Uh huh.” She nodded.
Mitch lifted a piece of pizza out of the box and placed it on Lilly’s plate. “Now be careful. Let it cool off a bit before you pick it up and bite into it.”
She nodded her head solemnly, and then looked at me with serious eyes. “I burned my mouth last time.”
I cringed. “Ouch. Bet that didn’t tickle.”
Lilly giggled. “Tickle!”
I giggled along with her. This kid was the bomb.
She tilted her head to the side. “Do you have any kids?”
“Nope. I have a dog.”
“A doggie?” Her eyes widened.
“Yup. His name is Buddy. He’s a big dog.”
“Buddy. Cool. Is he your buddy?”
“He sure is. He’s the best buddy I’ve ever had.”
“Daddy, can we go see Buddy?”
Mitch hesitated. “Uh, I don’t know if Buddy is all that friendly.”
“He’ll be fine. He is very polite to my invited guests, once he knows that you’re an invited guest, that is.”
“Right.” He gave me a look that told me that my dog had better be polite to his daughter. “Well, we need to ask Leah, then, don’t we?”
She looked at me. “Can we go see Buddy?”