by Jamie Hill
His associate sat stiffly upright in the chair next to him, trying to look anywhere except at the buxom blonde. “It’s all been taken care of, sir. They found the van, but nothing to trace it to anyone.”
“I’m glad it’s done, Acres. I’d say the whole van thing was overkill, but that would sound like a really bad pun.”
Acres chuckled nervously. “North has been neutralized, that’s the main thing. The other inmates were collateral damage.”
“And the three thugs Jacobs hired for the day to act as guards? Did he take care of them?”
“Yes, sir. He left their bodies in a car which he pushed into a river. By the time they’re found, any smidgeon of evidence will have been washed away. Or nibbled away, if the fishing is good in those parts.”
“Yeah, well, like I said…overkill. But the job is done and it can’t be traced back to me, so I’m not complaining.”
“Thank you, Mr. D.” Acres stood, preparing to leave.
“Oh, Acres? There’s still the one small matter left hanging.”
The man with the pock-marked face sighed. “I know. We’ve searched the club four different times. If Wilson left a file there, it’s either the tiniest little thing, or he hid it damn good.”
“So here’s what I want you to do. Search the club one last time. Every nook and cranny. When you’re done, whether you’ve found anything or not, I want you to burn the place to the ground.”
Acres blinked. “Are you sure, sir? If I tell the boys that, I can’t believe they’ll search very hard this last time.”
“Tell the boys that there’s a hundred thousand dollar bonus to the man who brings me David Wilson’s file. This offer has an expiration date on it. If you haven’t found anything by midnight, set the fire. Get Rolando to do the job, he’s a pro at that kind of stuff. Make sure he uses multiple ignition spots. I want the place to go up in flames, and I want it to happen fast, before the hose jockeys can get the fireplugs uncapped. You got that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Make it happen, Acres.”
The man hurried away.
DeMarcus leaned back in his lounger and sighed. It wasn’t the best way, but it should suffice. If his crew hadn’t found the file after all this time, it was very likely not going to be found. The fire would be a little added insurance.
“Is he gone?” Yolanda called from the pool.
“Yeah, baby.”
The top to her bikini flew out of the pool and landed on the concrete in front of him.
DeMarcus smiled.
* * *
Kansas City, Kansas
The Bluebird Motel was on the edge of shabby, but Ben agreed with Nick that the location was right. The rooms seemed clean enough.
Mitzi checked her space thoroughly, then came to their adjoining room and did a similar inspection. She pulled back the covers and scrutinized the sheets. “No bed bugs.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Nick insisted. “We won’t be sleeping in the beds.”
“It matters to me.” She dropped into one of the two chairs in their room. “I can’t stand bed bugs, roaches, or silverfish. But this place seems okay.”
“I chose it because there’s an easy exit to the interstate in one direction, and a good road leading to town in the other. And the parking lot is well lit.”
She nibbled a bag of Cheetos as she spoke. “Sort of defeats your ‘cover of darkness’ plan, doesn’t it?”
“We’re looking for appropriate darkness,” Nick explained. “We’d rather people couldn’t see where we were going. On the other hand, we’re always interested to see who might be coming.”
A smile crossed Mitzi’s face.
Ben shot her a look, and it disappeared just as quickly. He was more on edge tonight than he had been all week. He wanted to remain focused, and didn’t know if he could handle it if she and Nick started going off on sexual innuendos.
He walked to the little table and rifled through the bag of snacks they’d brought. They’d eaten on the way up and he really wasn’t hungry, but he needed to expend his nervous energy somehow.
Munching on a pretzel, Ben thought about texting Addie but wasn’t sure what he’d say. He sat down and fired up the game on his phone, instead.
At ten-thirty, they headed out. Mitzi gave Ben the address and he plugged it into the GPS in his phone. He gave Nick directions as his partner drove.
“There’s parking in back,” Mitzi said as they got close.
“I’d rather park down the block, just to be safe,” Nick replied.
She nodded. “I know where. Take a left at the next corner and I’ll show you.”
Nick did as instructed. They parked and walked for about half a block until they reached the back entrance. There was a small, discreet sign indicating they’d arrived at the palace.
Mitzi frowned. “I don’t have keys any longer. How are we going to get in?”
Ben reached for the door handle. “If we have to break in, the Marshals Service will pay for the repairs.” He pulled and the door came open. “Or not.”
They looked at each other.
Mitzi stomped her feet in anger. “I can’t believe this. I bet the place has been cleaned out.”
“Let’s just do what we came here for. Everyone have their flashlights?” Ben pushed the button on his phone which turned it into a bright light.
The others did the same.
“Can we turn lights on inside?” she asked.
He shook his head. “I’d rather we didn’t. We don’t know who might be hanging around.” He stepped inside and motioned for her to follow.
“These are the group play areas, back here.” Mitzi pointed to either side of the hallway. “The bar area is up front by the entrance. Upstairs is my office and the private rooms.”
“Let’s start here.” Ben opened the first door they came to. “You’ll have to look closely for anything that seems unusual, or out of place.”
Mitzi pressed ahead, through the door. “The club is filthy and has obviously been ransacked. Everything is out of place.” Her tone mixed anger and hurt.
He sighed. “I’m sorry, Mitzi. I know this is tough.” Glancing around the large room, he shined his phone light on various pieces of equipment. The largest, a metal X-shaped contraption, had padded rails and shackles at the top and bottom. Ben paused to stare at it for a moment.
“Impressive, eh?” Mitzi cast her light on the piece. “That’s a St. Andrew’s Cross. The wooden ones look better, but the metal with vinyl pads is easier to sanitize.” She ran a hand over one of the rails.
Uses for the cross ran through his mind, and Ben shook his head to clear it. He understood the entertainment value such a piece might offer. He just didn’t get the mindset of a person who would use such a thing in public.
Nick chuckled. “No time for fun now, kids. We have a file to find.”
Ben shot him a look. ‘Fun’ wasn’t the first word the cross brought to mind. He obviously wasn’t the right type of guy for this place. “That’s what I’m doing. I have no idea what you’re doing.”
Still smiling, Nick shined his light on the next piece of equipment. “I’m looking. Trying not to visualize too much. Just looking.”
The thing Nick stood next to looked like a weightlifting bench. Ben didn’t want to imagine what it was used for in this setting. He glanced at Mitzi. “Is this where Dave spent his time?”
“No. He was a bartender. He was either in the bar area up front, or upstairs in my office when he needed to place orders.”
“Let’s go to the bar,” Ben suggested.
“An offer I’ll never refuse,” Nick agreed.
Mitzi cackled as she led the way. “You macho men are too easy to fluster. I wish the palace was up and running. I’d invite you to one of our play parties so you could see how the other half lives.”
“Right,” Nick snorted. “Like you could teach me anything?”
“Ha!” She grinned back at him as they walked down the ha
ll. “You guys wouldn’t have the balls to show up if I did invite you.”
“Oh, we’ve got balls,” Nick retorted. “Don’t ever doubt that.”
She paused. “Yeah? You just like to keep them hidden?”
Before Nick could respond, Ben motioned for them to keep going. He said softly, “It’s got nothing to do with courage, Mitzi. Not everyone is interested in putting it all out there on display. You must realize that.”
“Of course I do.” She entered what appeared to be a cocktail lounge and stopped in front of the bar. “I wasn’t always so uninhibited. My late husband introduced me to the lifestyle. He was a connoisseur and quite a devotee of BDSM. He swore he could convert even the most rigid puritanical, given the proper time and equipment.” She smiled.
Nick looked at her. “You’re not calling us puritanical.”
“Of course she’s not.” Ben moved forward. “Mitzi, get behind the bar and start looking for anything unusual.”
She stomped around to the other side and shined her light under the bar. “This is a joke. Everything is unusual. There’s practically nothing left. Whoever’s been sacking the place has cleaned out the liquor.”
“Just try.” Ben joined her and dropped to his knees for a better view of the shelves. He ran his hands under the bar for anything that might be hidden and unseen.
Nick went to the other end and did the same thing. They met in the middle, but came up with nothing but dust and frustration.
“Okay,” Ben encouraged. “Let’s check out your office. Did you have a computer there?”
“A laptop.” She led them to a flight of stairs and began climbing.
Ben sighed, and whispered to Nick. “Taking bets whether that little gem is still here.”
“Not a chance,” Nick replied. “That would have been the first thing they snagged.”
“No doubt.” He followed Mitzi into a large office which had been turned inside out, even more thoroughly than the rest of the club. He heard sniffling as she righted her desk chair and picked up a lamp from the floor.
Ben stood next to her and touched her arm. “I’m sorry, Mitzi.”
“This is insane,” she muttered, her tone still a mix of hurt and anger. “I’ve been worrying that I’d never see this place again. Seeing it like this might be worse. And I still don’t know if I’ll be able to come back and make things right again.”
Nick flipped through a stack of papers he’d retrieved from the floor. “Maybe it’d be easier to cut ties with this place and start fresh somewhere else.”
“This is all I have left of my husband,” Mitzi replied quickly.
Ben squeezed her arm. “He’s been gone for how long?”
She sighed loudly. “Eight years. You’re probably right. Moving forward might not be the easiest thing, but it could be what I need to do.”
A loud thud from the first floor had them all exchanging glances with one another.
Nick pulled his gun and went to the door. “Sounds like we’re not alone here anymore.”
Mitzi bolted after him. “Let’s find them! I’d like to face the animals who did this.”
“Are you serious?” Ben grabbed her arm again to hold her back. “We have no idea how many people are down there.”
“You both have guns,” she insisted.
Nick shook his head. “They could have bigger guns, and backup. We just have each other.”
Mitzi stomped her foot. “What are we going to do?”
Ben caught a whiff of smoke and glanced at Nick.
His partner had obviously noticed it, too. “Roast marshmallows?”
* * *
Addie looked around her trashed condo and debated what to do. Ben and Nick would be heading to Kansas City soon, she couldn’t bother them. But she had to do something. Unsure if she should call the police due to the delicate nature of working with the US Marshal Service, she decided to call Jordan instead. Problem was, she didn’t have her phone number. She only had Ben’s cell.
She looked up the main number to the office and called it. Martina, the secretary, answered.
“Hi Martina, this is Addison Decker. Is Jordan available please?”
“One moment, Ms. Decker. I’ll check.” She put the call on hold.
Addie paced the room as she waited. She realized the police might not want her to contaminate the scene, so she traced her steps back to the front door and waited there.
“Ms. Decker,” Martina came back on the line. “Jordan stepped out for a bit. She’s seeing off Nick and Ben before they leave for Kansas City.”
“Ah, of course.” What now?
“Doug and Olivia are here. And Chief Rhodes, of course. Could one of them help you?”
Addie’s mind raced. She hated to bother the chief, and she wasn’t that comfortable with Doug. Olivia was Ben’s partner. “Maybe Olivia could help me, if she’s free.”
“Sure. Hold on.” The elevator music returned as the call went back on hold, but it wasn’t for long.
“This is Olivia.”
“Olivia, hi. This is Addie Decker.”
Silence.
“The ADA?”
“Oh, sure. Hi, Addie. How can I help you?”
“I’m not sure. I have a bit of a problem, and wasn’t sure who to turn to. I didn’t want to bother Ben or Nick.”
“Yeah, they’re just heading out. What’s wrong? Maybe I can help.”
“Well, when I got home today, my condo has been ransacked. Looks like they went through pretty much everything. I guess it’s something to do with Mitzi’s case, and maybe it happened before anyone knew the trial had been cancelled. I haven’t been home in a week, so I’m not sure when it took place.”
“Oh good grief. That’s horrible. Is everything okay? I mean, does your stuff appear salvageable?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to touch anything until I knew the protocol for something like this. I haven’t worked with the Marshal Service for very long, so I didn’t know if I should call the police, or what. I guess I need some guidance.”
“This is a new one on me, too, but I’m happy to help. Let me talk to the chief and then I’ll come over. Give me your address.”
Addie obliged, and they ended the call. She really didn’t know what to do, so she sorted through the mail she’d just carried in from the box and looked it over while she waited.
Olivia didn’t take long. Twenty minutes later she pulled up in Addie’s driveway, and Jordan pulled in behind her.
“Hey.” Addie held the door open. “I wasn’t sure if I should touch anything, so I’ve just been hanging out here.”
They stepped in and glanced around. “Holy guacamole,” Oliva murmured.
Jordan grumbled, “This sucks.”
“Yeah. I’m really not sure what they were after. Like I told Olivia, it could have happened earlier, when the case was still on. Right now it’s a moot point. I’m out of the picture.”
Jordan glanced around, taking stock. “I bet it did happen earlier. I’m sorry. I should have offered to come over and check up on your place.”
Addie shrugged. “It’s just stuff. It can be replaced. I just wasn’t sure if I should call the police or not.”
“The service has a team of detectives we work with. I’ve called them and they’ll be along soon. They need to get photographs and dust the place for prints. We’ll hang out until they get here.”
Addie stretched. “I’d planned to go in to the office today. I might wait one more day. I’ve got several hours’ worth of work, putting this place back together.”
“Oh, you can’t stay here.” Olivia looked at Jordan. “She needs to go to a safe house, right?”
Jordan nodded. “She’s right. Until we have a handle on who did this, and whether or not they might be back, you’ve got to be kept someplace safe.”
Addie couldn’t believe her ears. “You have got to be kidding me! I’ve already missed a week of work. Now I’m supposed to go back into hiding? This is ridiculo
us! These people aren’t after me.”
Olivia folded her arms across her chest. “These people might still think you have information. You probably do, in fact, in your briefcase. Correct?”
“Well, sure, but what does it matter anymore? The case is over. Ryan North is dead and I can’t touch Antonio DeMarcus. Shaking me down is a waste of time.”
Jordan shook her head. “Unless they think you have the file everyone is looking for. Face it, Addie, we don’t know what they think. Until we have a better idea, you’re under the protective custody of the US Marshal Service.”
“Well…hell!” Frustration welled inside of Addie. Going to another safe house was not what she had in mind for her homecoming. Even if Ben was there, one of his coworkers would be as well. This time they might be under the watchful eye of his partner Olivia.
“I understand this is a drag, but it’s for your safety.” Jordan glanced up as two men approached the front door. She introduced Detectives Gainer and Freeman, and then the women got out of the way while the officers and a CSI tech began searching the condo. She turned to Addie. “We might as well go. This could take several hours and I doubt you really just want to stand here.”
Addie rubbed her upper arms. “I’m not sure I want to leave while people are going through my things, either.”
Olivia and Jordan gazed at her.
She had to smile. “I guess that ship has sailed, huh?”
“Yeah.” Olivia smiled back. “These are the good guys. Your stuff will be fine.”
“They’ll lock up when they leave,” Jordan added.
“For all the good that did.” Addie glanced around once more, frowning. She was actually happier than she thought she’d be to leave. The idea of staying here alone now didn’t appeal. They’d take her someplace safe where she wouldn’t have to worry. And now that her phone was secure, she could call her parents. That always made her feel better. “Okay. I guess I’m ready.” She picked up her ‘go’ bag and headed out the door.