by Larry Flewin
“This ain’t an interrogation, honey, just give it to me straight.”
“Those are my jewels, that is to say my family’s jewels, and those of some close friends.”
“That’s it? What else you got.”
She took a deep breath and jumped right in.” My family escaped from the new Russia some time ago by bribing some official in Moscow. He wasn’t a very nice man, he always looked hungry, especially when my sister and I came around, but he did get us out and into England. That’s where we met Darius, Mr. Zane. He was going to help us get to Canada.”
“Only he wanted a piece of the action, right? Wanted a bit more of what you had left.”
She sighed. “And how could we refuse. He had all the necessary papers ready and it didn’t seem too high a price to pay.”
“And you thought nothing of it. Any price to get away, is that it?”
“Yes. But a week or so later I met the man we had first bribed in Russia. He said he was transferred to London by his government. He demanded more money, I refused of course and told Zane that. I wasn’t about to pay with my blood so I him if they didn’t like it, I would go to the Embassy and denounce them both and take my chances elsewhere.”
“Which maybe explains why Darius was on the run. He must have confronted the guy, killed him to keep his secret and then ran home to mommy, our friend Michael.”
“With all of our jewels and some others he had stolen.”
“So how did you end up with Michael. He an old family friend?”
She sat leaned forward in the chair, face buried in her hands. “No. Zane told us about him. He was to be our contact at this end. He was going to get us through immigration and get us our papers so we could start a new life here.”
“With a new name and face. Only Darius didn’t follow through, did he. He musta had a deal Michael only you two got it here first and cozied up to him. Maybe he saw you three together somewhere and figured the game was up. Michael would never negotiate for his own property, so Darius set up the chase as security. I get the clues, find the gems, you get papers and disappear. As do I, only not as pleasantly. Not bad. Not bad at all.”
“Yes. Michael knew all about Zane and the other man, how they were all in it together taking bribes from frightened families such as ours to get away from the new Russia, and how each of them was making a cut, as you say, all the way along.”
“Which means when your guy moved from Moscow to London he probably tried to cut into Darius’s pie and got killed for it. You followed him here to get it back and figured to steal it right from under Michael’s nose. You kinda tell him some of the truth, snuggle up nice and close, get me to do the dirty work, and as soon as I come up for air, take the money and run. Only trouble was Michael was in on it from the beginning, probably your hair-brained sister got a little too close one night and spelled it out for him. Would have worked too except his boys got a little rough with Zane and they lost the trail.”
Rickie looked up at me now, big brown eyes brimming with tears.
“And now you’ve got nowhere to run and nowhere to hide so you come running here, figuring you can sweet talk me into doing something stupid, or worse yet, turn me over to Michael, if I don’t.”
“Is it that obvious? Yes, you’re right I have nowhere else to go and you have all that’s left of mine in the whole world. Can’t you be just a bit of a gentleman and at least give me something. I left my family with nothing just so I could get here and try to do something for them. You don’t understand it’s horrid over there what’s happening.” She cried a little, tears dribbling ever so slowly down her cheeks. She was playing a hell of a last card.
“And just what is happening, exactly. You people don’t like each other, I get that, but then so do a lot of other folks, and they don’t go through all this rigmarole.”
She sat up straight, dabbing her eyes with a hankie. I never was one for the waterworks, but this struck me as being a little deeper somehow, like she really believed what she was saying and that somehow I was going to be her knight in shining armour.
“After the revolution the new government in Russia went on a rampage, murdering anyone who had anything to do with the Czars. Anyone. Doctors, lawyers, landowners like my father, everyone. Whole families were slaughtered, their lands confiscated and whatever valuables they had turned over to the state. All my friends are gone, and most of my family. Even those who escape are not safe. When we arrived in Paris several of our party were killed. The police called it robbery, but we knew better.”
I took a seat at my desk, pulled out my reserve breakfast bottle and offered her a drink. She declined, so I drank hers. I toyed with the bags, trying to decide what next. There was a small fortune sitting here but truth be told I had no way of spending it. Louie wasn’t about to risk his neck for me, and I couldn’t expect anybody else to keep quiet.
It was worth more than even I could imagine but I couldn't sell it, pawn it, or even give it away. Its sudden appearance would raise more questions than I was prepared to answer. The grand finale was turning out to be more trouble than it was worth.
“So, what do you figure on doing now”, I mused out loud. She said nothing, sitting still, not daring to breathe or move a muscle in case I should change my mind. “Well, I know I what I’m doing, breakfast. You?”
She shook her head.
“Didn’t think so. Give my regards to Rita.” I got up, threw on my jacket, and made for the door. “See ya around, honey.”
Michael wasn’t going to get what he wanted out of this, and I wasn't sure what the girls were going to get out of it either, but I knew what I was in for. Some peace and quiet for a while and Michael’s continued love and affection. After everything is said and done, life goes on and maybe gets a little better each day. People live, people die, and people will still hire me to find out what the hell is going on. We’ll still be enemies, Michael and I, but the kind and affectionate type. I'll keep trying to kill him, and he'll keep trying to kill me.
And that’s good enough for this old doughboy. I wouldn't have it any other way quite frankly. My future is right here, right now. When I wake up tomorrow morning, it will be there to greet me, all smiles and chuckles, with a blackjack in its pocket and a heart of lead.
And besides, there is always the name on the door. Might be worth looking up sometime. But not today.
THE END