Mystery: The Card Counter: (Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Suspense Thriller Mystery)

by James Kipling

  At the same time, however, I could find out how much intel the press had based on the kind of questions I knew Tina was going to throw at me. I knew she’d try to use dinner to milk some additional information out of me, hoping the wine might loosen my tongue. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her, knowing how seriously she took her job.

  I planned to give as little away as possible while at the same time trying to see where the press stood and how much they really knew but couldn’t report because they didn’t have enough sources to verify their facts. It was a dance that I often did with the press, but this was a first even for me, to be going out to a nice dinner and shooting the shit like normal people.

  I’d always thought Tina was very friendly with me, but this was unexpected. Yet, I didn’t take the chance to get out for granted as I drove down to our designated location and arrived promptly with over 15 minutes to spare. I was so prompt that my date hadn’t arrived yet, which was alright with me. It gave me a chance to sit down, relax, and scope out the place and settle on where we would be sitting.

  I didn’t do this very often, but considering that I might have been followed to the hotel, the last thing I wanted was someone following me to dinner. I didn’t want the suspect to target Tina merely for breaking bread with me. I took a few sips of water and nibbled on a breadstick while waiting for Tina to arrive. Normally she wasn’t the kind to be late, but I was willing to be patient. Just in case she had run off to report something I hadn’t caught wind of, I sent a text to Flo to make sure everyone was all right.

  A few moments later she replied, telling me that everything was okay and that I was to go home and get some rest. I wasn’t exactly in the mood to tell her where I was at that particular time, especially since Flo had been camped up at that hotel for days on end, only taking breaks to go home and sleep.

  I had seriously considered taking something back to the hotel for Flo, but whether or not I did that depended on how my date went. I checked my watch to see that she was already 10 minutes late and I resisted the urge to call her. The last thing I wanted to do was to make her feel rushed when she was already rushing to begin with.

  I wasn’t worried, but at the same time I couldn’t help but take it personally. I had taken the time to be there when asked, so where the hell was she? Moments later, I could see her as she walked into the restaurant and scooted over to our table to take a seat. I got up and pushed her seat in for her, attempting to show some manners. “I was beginning to worry. Another few minutes and I might have called for a search party.”

  “Thankfully that wasn’t necessary,” Tina said as she finally took a deep breath. “I’m terribly sorry about that. Our newsroom has been in a frenzy since that attack at the mall.”

  “Yeah, that was a bit of a doozy,” I said as I opened the menu.

  “I assume it’s the same suspect?” she then quickly asked. The first barrage was suddenly underway.

  “You know I can’t answer that,” I replied.

  “I’ve already got two sources, so that doesn’t matter,” Tina said as she also opened a menu and started to scan the pages for something good.

  I then chuckled. “So why bother asking if you already know the answer?”

  “Just to see how easy it would be to get you to talk,” Tina said, flashing me a smile. She then paused, seeing our waiter approach the table. “We’ll take a bottle of the house red and I’d like to order some garlic bread to start off.”

  “So liquoring me up is the new plan?” I asked.

  “Maybe I’m just a slush in my off hours.”

  “If I had your job, I would be, too.”

  “And what exactly does that mean?”

  “Well, feel good stories are few and far between. It’s not easy being a reporter in cities like ours these days.”

  “Good point, this world is pretty fucked up.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “It’s been a rough week for you, Jake.”

  “That’s putting it mildly.”

  “Are you guys any closer to getting your man?”

  “I already told you, when that happens I will give you an inside tip.”

  “Nice to see you remember that.”

  “If I didn’t, what are the odds of getting your help in the future?”

  “Hell would have a better chance of getting a hockey franchise.”

  “And that’s why I didn’t forget. Your help has been greatly appreciated.”

  “I do what I can. I do have a heart.”

  “That’s rare in your industry.”

  “The same could be said for yours, tough guy.”

  “I guess so, but we all don’t start out that way.”

  “And you think we do? We all leave college ambitious writers who seek truth and a few Pulitzers.”

  “I thought you did it for the money?”

  “Obviously, you are unaware of how the printed news has been struggling.”

  “I don’t read the papers.”

  “I rest my case.”

  I laughed at her joke, which I hoped made her feel a little better. The waiter then arrived with our red wine and cheesy garlic bread. She knew I loved that stuff from the restaurant she’d caught me frequenting in the past, and had made the effort to order it for me. Before the waiter left, he asked if he could take our orders. I popped the menu open again. “I’ll take the porterhouse steak, medium-rare, with a baked potato on the side with sour cream on it. I’ll also have a side of coleslaw if at all possible.”

  “It is,” the waiter said as he took my menu. “And for the lady?”

  “I’ll have the seafood pasta,” Tina answered as she also handed in her menu.

  “What kind of salad would you like with that?” the waiter then asked.

  “Caesar, please,” Tina replied as she sat back and sipped on her wine, enjoying the moment as the waiter finally left to give them some peace and quiet.

  I could tell from her demeanor that she was a little stressed, likely from a rough day at work. I could definitely sympathize with her even if I had a feeling mine was a little bumpier, but I decided to stay away from the subject. “I haven’t eaten here before, but I hear it’s very nice.”

  “The food is amazing,” Tina said as she sipped her wine again. “Does it seem inconsiderate that we’re here when there’s a killer out there?”

  “So I guess you think I should remain at the station 24/7 until the killer is behind bars,” I said with a smile as I finally sipped my own glass of wine. The red had a nice punch to it. “To ease your mind, I’m always thinking about the case. It’s hard not to take your work home with you. No offense.”

  “None taken,” Tina replied. “But sometimes I guess it doesn’t hurt to have a pair of fresh eyes to look over at, every now and then.”

  “Yes, that’s true,” I agreed as I watched the waiter return to our table with our appetizer. I grabbed a small stick of garlic bread that was oozing with cheese and took a big bite. “That’s why I’m glad the feds are in. At the same time, you have to distance yourself from your work and return with a clean slate to look for things you might have missed the first time.”

  “Does that help?” Tina asked.

  “It does,” I said as I took another bite of the bread. I was hoping Tina would take one for herself before I hogged out and ate them all. “It’s like a writer who has just finished a new book. Because they wrote it, they’re unable to see their own mistakes despite the fact there are likely many of them. The writer takes their work very personally, and because of that, they are virtually blind to the mistakes they would have no trouble finding if they were proofreading someone else’s work.”

  “Why do you think that happens?” Tina asked, intrigued with the direction the conversation had taken.

  “My guess would be pride,” I answered. “When someone finishes a work that big, ego takes over and it’s hard to pick apart something that you created so soon. That’s why most writers either get someone
else to proof it or they put the manuscript away for at least three months before looking at it again. After a little time has passed, the writer’s ego will return to earth and they’ll be objectively able to look it over with fresh eyes.”

  “So you need to back away sometimes to clear your head and re-approach it with fresh eyes?” Tina asked.

  “Something like that,” I answered. “Just getting away from the station and doing something completely different will give me the clean slate I need to approach work and find that one detail or clue that might break this case wide open.”

  “Fascinating,” Tina acknowledged as she adjusted herself in her seat. I could tell by the way she was sitting that she positioned her legs in a certain way so that they would be in plain view, a view that was not wasted. I will be the first to admit that Tina was quite attractive, and we had known of each other for some time, long enough for me to notice repeatedly.

  We also had a lot in common, being divorced with children after trying to juggle family life while trying to do our best at what is considered a very demanding job. Our spouses were not able to handle the pressures and the long hours that came with our respective jobs. Things fell apart from there. We understood each other a little bit, and there was no bullshit. We were two people who were quite literally married to their jobs, and in the end that was our undoing with our respective spouses.

  I didn’t like to talk about it too much, so I never said or asked anything related to the subject. There were some silent moments where we just enjoyed each other’s company without the need to fill the air with crap conversation.

  When our food arrived, we sat there for a few moments and quietly ate. After a few minutes, Tina finally broke the silence. “I hope you don’t get offended if I bring a little of my work to the table, but there is something I think you should be aware of.”

  I took another mighty bite out of my steak and cleaned my chin with my napkin before responding. “Such as?”

  “There’s a story that is running tomorrow about the killings,” Tina continued. “I didn’t write this one, but I heard about it and it already has some pretty reliable sources. This is more of a heads-up than anything else.”

  “What do they have?” I asked, curious to know what might have leaked out of the station. Whenever a case this big starts to circulate, intel that isn’t released to the press can often command some steep prices, and while the press normally doesn’t pay for its story, every tabloid has their price when it comes to getting a juicy exclusive. If they’re desperate to be first, they’ll pay whatever the cost.

  “There is word that the killer is leaving a signature at the scene,” Tina started. “That the suspect is leaving a playing card with each victim. Care to comment?”

  “I’m afraid I cannot confirm nor deny the allegation,” I answered. I was a little unnerved that this detail had leaked, but given the flare the killer had, it was only a matter of time before it got out. There’s a good chance someone saw it at the mall before I had a chance to pocket the evidence, so we couldn’t blame the press for fishing for a good story. This one had the panache of a Hollywood movie and there was no way the press wasn’t going to jump all over this, especially if they could confirm it.

  “Do you want to know what they’re calling him now?” Tina then asked.

  That’s the last thing I wanted, a nickname for our suspect. I didn’t want to be that cop; the one chasing an infamous killer that had the over-glorified name. Yet here I was, about to be turned into such a cop. This was slowly becoming the case that could make or break someone’s career in law enforcement. “I’m all ears.”

  “The Card Counter,” Tina answered. “Pretty flashy, huh?”

  I put my fork down and sat back. Wasn’t the best name I’d heard for a person who was committing serial homicide. It sounded a little tacky. “Interesting,” was all I managed to spit out, as I was suddenly feeling the urge to order something a little stronger than wine.

  “So no official comment, Jake?” she asked again.

  “’Fraid not, sorry,” I replied. “I just hope this report that appears to be coming out…” I paused to see if she could fill in the blank for me.

  “Eleven o’clock tonight,” Tina replied to finish my statement.

  “Great,” I said as I put on a fake smile. “As I was stating, I certainly hope this report doesn’t cause a panic in the city. Based on what I’ve seen so far, this suspect is attacking a small group for a specific reason. This person isn’t grabbing random people off the streets like your average sociopath.”

  “That’s interesting,” Tina said as she leaned in closer.

  “These killings are personal. I can’t see this person attacking unless it has something to do with the reason they’re doing it in the first place.” I polished off my glass of wine and sighed. “I just hope people don’t freak out like they did in Brooklyn over the Son of Sam.”

  “That killer was at large for the better part of the summer,” Tina countered. “It took months before the people really started to panic, and that guy wasn’t targeting specific people. He was randomly shooting whoever he could find that fit his type, and just blasting without a care in the world.”

  “That much I agree with.” I pondered what she had said and looked back at her. “Did you study this in school?”

  “I did a little criminal anthropology on the side while getting my journalism degree,” Tina responded. “It was better than the other boring options I was presented with at the time. Because the class wasn’t too popular, there weren’t many of us, and we got to ask a lot of questions.”

  “I guess taking those courses worked out well for reporting on stories such as this,” I said as I waved to the waiter to come over so I could order another drink. “I hope you understand that we don’t need a panic on our hands. We’re overworked to begin with and don’t need calls of bad tips flooding in when we’re trying to hunt down this killer. We have good leads and I’m confident we can solve this soon if we don’t get too much interference from a scared public.”

  “I understand,” Tina said as she continued to nibble on her entrée. “I’ll do my best to make sure the public is fully aware of the situation so that we don’t have a panic, and thus stretch you guys out too thin. I have some clout with my network and I’ll make sure they don’t intentionally stir the people into a state of fear. There is a fine line between informing the public and scaring them shitless. I’m not in the business of driving fear, I simply want people informed.”

  “That’s why I trust you, Tina,” I said with a smile. “Not everyone in the media holds the same values as you do when it comes to serving the public.”

  “That value has its limits,” Tina then countered. “I am not going to hold back on vital information if it puts the public in imminent danger. If this killer starts going Son of Sam on us all of a sudden, I will not hesitate to inform the public so they take measures to protect themselves.”

  “I understand,” I replied as I placed my knife and fork down on my empty plate. That steak was delicious and I hoped I hadn’t eaten it too quickly out of fear that Tina might mock me for rushing. I didn’t want her to think I wanted this to be done to get away from her, rather than that I was just very hungry. “Sorry, that was the first thing I had since breakfast.”

  “I understand,” Tina said. She couldn’t help but giggle. “Would you like to order something for dessert?”

  “I’m actually full, thank you,” I said as I chuckled with her.

  “So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?” she asked. I could tell by her tone of voice she was hoping to be included in those plans. I hadn’t been in a position like this for a while.

  “I’m not entirely sure,” I honestly answered.

  She gave me a playful stare. “You’re seriously considering going back to work, aren’t you?”

  “Guilty,” I confessed. “I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not going to run off on me, are you?” Tina
then asked. I could tell by her tone of voice that she was flirting with me.

  “Of course not,” I calmly answered. “Only if there was an emergency, and so far that call hasn’t come in.”

  “Knock on wood,” my date replied with a mischievous grin.

  “But what I do need is a moment to use the little boy’s room,” I said as I stood up and took the napkin that was resting on my lap and placed it onto the table. “I’ll be back in just a moment.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” Tina said with a smile.

  I strolled off to the bathroom and, as I entered, I decided to use a stall rather than the urinals. I was wearing one of my better suits that night and the last thing I wanted was some splash back of urine all over my trousers. So I went into the stall and quickly did my business, taking good care to not make any mistakes with my aim. It only took a moment to finish up and I didn’t rush, but I also didn’t take my time to put everything back into place before leaving the stall to wash my hands.

  I didn’t make it to the sink. Tina was standing there in the men’s bathroom waiting for me to emerge from my stall. I looked around and there was no one else there, and then back at Tina. “What are you˗?”

  Before I had a chance to say anything else, Tina walked up and pushed me back into the stall, closing the door behind her. She then leaned over and kissed me passionately. Her lips were soft and delicate, and before I had a chance to protest, she slipped her tongue into my mouth. We were not just kissing anymore. We were making out! It had been a very long time since I was in a woman’s arms doing anything with that person, so rather than resist, I went along with it and kissed her back just as passionately.

  Things began to accelerate as I could feel Tina’s hand start to loosen my belt and open my trousers. Her other hand was underneath my shirt, combing her thin fingers across my chest hair. A few seconds later it was my turn to do a little manhandling as I turned Tina around and pinned her against the wall of the bathroom stall. I started to kiss and lick her neck while sliding one hand underneath her shirt, fondling her left breast. My other hand went in the other direction and I could hear her pant from the stimulation I was giving her.