I sighed. “Deal. What else is on your mind?”
“You remember Trish Rocha, right?”
Who could forget a female contract killer with a penchant for old fossil private investigators? I’d only lucked out in capturing Trish by a fluke of luck. We’d become pen-pals by her twisted request. I didn’t mind because it was always a possibility our completely moronic justice system would let her go. Lo and I would have to kill her then as preventative maintenance. In agreement with her request, I had visited her in prison on a monthly basis as I had promised. I never treated her with anything but respect either. I liked her, and she liked me. It’s sort of like having a pet rattlesnake.
“Was that a rhetorical question?”
Staley chortled over that one. “I never thought you’d agree to exchanging letters and actually going to visit that murderous bitch. She’s getting a new trial.”
That is without doubt the most idiotic news I’d had in quite a while. “You know that’s insane, right?”
“No… really? Do you want me to bore you with the utter shit her defense attorneys came up with to get it?”
“Nope. I’m good. Thank you though for letting me know. Trish didn’t mention that in her last letter.”
“You need a new squeeze, Rick. Your movie star girlfriend swept off to Las Vegas for a wedding, and your ‘way too young for you’ gym owner backup is seeing someone special.”
All those things were true except for his initial line. “Karen wised up. She wanted kids. There was no future with a seventh decade geezer like me. Jadie is finally seeing someone in her age group, which we both know was so young in relation to mine as to make me a child predator. Even our secretary, Shelly, has been seeing someone that her kids like. I’m overjoyed with the way my life is now. I’m way too old to play high school dance games, and you damn well know it.”
“Most guys would do anything to have been in your shoes a few months back.”
“Is there a point to this Bill? You’re beginning to bore the hell out of me.”
Staley laughed. “Okay… I’m still raw about the hit on Teddy Alvarez. I have to consider the reality of a Trish Rocha getting released into society. Worst case scenario or not, you know how absolutely stupid our justice system is in so many ways. They might even simply set her free if Rocha’s defense team wins their motions. Don’t hold it against me if I think down the road to a time where they release Rocha. I don’t want her taking up where she left off killing people, Rick.”
Me either, which is why Lois and I will have to take care of her on our own. I’m a cynical, don’t give a shit, asshole, but every death traced back to Trish would be on my conscience. “What’s the bottom line here, Bill? What the hell would you want me to do about Trish? I delivered her with iron clad evidence for the courts. They convicted her. She’s in prison. I know because I visit her once a month as per her agreement with me.”
Bill stared at me in a no nonsense type of way I instantly disliked. “You need to take her off planet.”
“Neat sanction reference, Bill. Does this actually mean she has a real chance of getting out of prison?”
“I’m not liking the chances of keeping her in,” Bill admitted. “Her new defense team managed to have all of her prior involvements in gangland hits excluded. The main witness in her latest killings and attempted murder, your old girlfriend Stacy, recounted her testimony.”
Shit! I might have known if they didn’t make a deal for Stacy, letting her go free without complications, she’d take the first opportunity to screw them. “Lois and I will testify against Trish. We’re very good at it too.”
“They’ve excluded anything from Madigan and Cantelli Security and Investigations, my friend.”
Well, that’s just… peachy. “I don’t know what judge excludes two veteran investigators’ testimony, but they need to be recalled from the bench! The dweeb does know he’s in danger of letting loose a cold blooded killer, right?”
“It’s not a he. The judge is Alexis Setteridge.”
Oh Jesus, not Saint Ally. “You’re kidding me.”
“Nope, Saint Ally, who never saw a murderer she didn’t like. That bitch Rocha has some money stashed to hire a defense team like she has, and make sure the appeal went through the Saint. It didn’t help that the rock solid DNA evidence we thought would hold up without testimony was mysteriously contaminated. The trouble with DNA evidence from different locales, and different time periods is handling. It turns out, the justice system got handled. I’m open to suggestions on this, Rick.”
“I see that. Suggesting I take out Trish when she gets released is a little over the top, don’t you think?”
Bill gave me a dismissive wave. “Sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. Her killer partner, Chet, didn’t get shit. He wasn’t as careful about leaving DNA around, so we don’t have to worry about him getting loose… at least for now. It seems like we can’t keep anyone convicted anymore. When I heard about Trish getting a new hearing, I couldn’t believe it. Are you due to go back and visit her any time soon?”
“A week overdue as a matter of fact. What is it you’re hinting at?”
“I’m thinking you could feel out what her plans are if they do release her. She obviously likes you. What did you two write and talk about?”
“Mundane things from our past. I mostly made her laugh with tales of Stacy and me when we were kids. I told her about getting recruited by Lois out of the Seals, and some of the funny snafus that happened to us on missions. When I go to see her, I’ll probably tell her about how I tried to keep Bone from resorting to physical violence, only to end up in the tank. She’ll laugh her ass off. Trish thinks my P.I. life with all that’s happened since I met back up with Stacy is the goofiest thing she’s ever heard of.”
“She’s not alone.”
“Gee, thanks, Bill. Is there some kind of message I’m supposed to take her?”
“Don’t kill anyone else. You’d probably be doing conjugal visits with her if it was allowed, you lecher.”
I laughed. “Are you stupid? That was one of the first things I made her laugh with. She’s at the Federal penitentiary, and they don’t allow it anyway. Lois messes with me all the time about visiting her at Victorville, but I gave Trish my word. Now that we got that idiot Pernel, and I’m not being racked up on assault charges, I’ll go see her Saturday.”
“No, you’re not. Tonight’s Casablanca Night at your restaurant. I know you. You’ll blow off my favorite night of the week with my wife because you’re visiting your pet killer.”
“I can handle working out tonight, playing Bogart for my fans, and still get up to hit the road to Victorville tomorrow. Our ‘Sam’ has a lot larger following than I do now. When he plays and the girls sing, we all have a good night. Today though, I have to pay up to get my reformed gangbanger out of lockup.”
“What the hell do you plan on doing with him, Rick?”
“Put him on as a busboy over at the restaurant. The place is doing so well, we have a need for fill in people all the time that we can count on when someone calls in sick.”
“I hope you can help him. I doubt you can, but hey, at least you’re giving it a try.”
I stood up. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll pay the piper, and put my project on the straight and narrow for at least a short time. Thank you for finding the neat little wanted poster item for my victim from last night.”
“No problem, Rick. I would have lynched you just as easily if it went the other way.”
I grinned at my PD partner of questionable trust. “That’s funny, Bill. And how exactly would the confession to a Teddy Alvarez hit have gone?”
Staley looked startled for a moment, considering his rather hypocritical admission. Then he shrugged. “Not well.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you tonight at Casablanca Night, you prick.”
Chapter Two
Work Out Trouble
After springing my gangbanger experiment Donald, and helping him
get his car out of hock, I went over to our restaurant investment with him. I introduced him to the couple who really owns and manages The Casablanca Café, Tim and Sally Collinswood. He professed an eagerness to work, and my friends agreed to a trial run for his employment. In fact, they kept him with dangling pants and everything, so I had to take a taxi home.
I took a shower and long nap with all communications devices off, which I knew would drive Lois nuts. The banging on my door confirmed my assumption. I imagined she had found out all facts in the matter on her own. Lois would have then decided I needed my ass run through the wringer because I didn’t save her the fifteen minutes it took to get the details. Due to the fact no charges were pending on my dubious sheet of unintended overnighters in jail, I felt pretty good.
The moment I unlocked and opened the door, it nearly busted back into my face. “You’re on my shit list, Rick! What the hell? I get that you needed some alone time since you seem to spend more time in lockup than on the job, but a damn phone call is too much to expect?”
Lois and I were partners from way back in an organization that makes or breaks trust. Flat out, we’d die for each other. We do however have a whacky way of interacting with each other. Lo is an info whore. She needs to know every facet of every single item having to do with not only our private investigating and security firm, but also anything and everything going on in my personal life.
“Want some coffee, Lo?” I head into the kitchen. Everything she has to say would only be rhetorical anyways. I hit the auto start when I get in the kitchen. Lo’s calmed down to the point she just glares at me while I rest against the counter with my arms folded over my chest.
“You’re in a slump, Rick. Ever since you stopped banging that Hollywood whore of a sister I have, you do nothing but glide around in a daze and get arrested.”
What a crock. “You’re already beginning to annoy me. Maybe inviting you in for coffee was a bad thing.”
Lo’s features softened. She could tell her usual banter wasn’t making any headway. She waved her hands in a gesture remotely like surrender. “Fine. That dunce Staley wouldn’t say shit about what’s going on. He kept telling me to ask you. We have to get more info on our Captain of Detectives. I don’t like it when he blows me off. We made him. We can unmake him.”
No, we can’t. “Bill Staley is about the only reason I’m not in prison. I think the fact I haven’t had to kill anyone in the last six months is a good thing. So does Bill. The only thing he mentioned of importance you don’t already know is it looks like they’ll be releasing Trish Rocha.”
That stunned her. Even the Harpy’s mouth dropped open a little. “No way! What idiot would ever release that murderous bitch? We can-”
“We can’t do anything,” I interrupted her venom spew. “Stacy recanted, and Rocha’s defense team got anything to do with Madigan and Cantelli outlawed, mostly because the judge is Saint Ally.”
Mount Harpy was about to blow, complete with lava and volcanic ash. Lo and Saint Ally are not on the best of terms. She had Lo held on contempt charges for not revealing a source that led to the collaring of a child predator, we hoped would end up in the San Quentin prison summer camp indefinitely. It was on behalf of a client who was scared out of her mind for her son’s life. For once, Cleaver stepped up while I managed to tie in a few other factoids around the asshole’s neck. There were a couple of casualties, but I found his nesting area, where he took his victims. By the time our legal shark Cleaver got done chewing up Saint Ally, she was nearly expelled from the bench. We steer clear of her, but I know what’s coming next out of Mount Harpy.
“This is all your fault! We should have killed that bitch when she nearly singlehandedly put that child molester back on the street after he beat that boy nearly half to death!”
Yeah, but so what? It’s not like he ever hurt anyone else. “She certainly did all of that, Lo, including putting you in lockup. After Saint Ally turned him loose, it cost her, and gee, that rotten old child molester never was the same afterward. Whatever happened to him anyway?”
Lois tried to hold on to the rage face, but lost it in a nonstop five minute cackle. She took a deep breath then and nodded. “You know damn well what happened to him.”
I do indeed. We waited a significant amount of time, while watching his every move. Then we rounded him up with his belongings and car. Rudy Molinca left town, never to be heard from again. Rumor has it he found a nice place in the desert to settle down in. I love happy endings. “I wanted to make sure you remembered.”
Lois sat down at my kitchen table. “Do you think Trish reached out to your old whore?”
I brought our coffee over and sat across from her. “I figure Stacy waited to see if she could still get out of her sentence using that public defender she had. When that didn’t work, she threatened to recant her testimony. They laughed at her, but what the authorities didn’t know was Trish was hiring a first class legal team.”
“Damn it!”
“Yep. Trish’s team did some legal somersaults to have Trish’s case appealed in Saint Ally’s court. You know the mere mention to Saint Ally that the defense now rested on the testimony of Madigan and Cantelli, and it was only a matter of time before Rocha was free. I’m going to see her tomorrow.”
“I like that murderous bitch. She laughs at the same stuff we do, and kills without blinking an eye. We both know we could be her.”
Now wait a minute. “Bullshit! We’ve killed, but only in defense of our country or our own lives. Yeah, I admit we would kill for those reasons as randomly as she does contract hits, but that doesn’t lump us in with her.”
“Calm down, Saint Rick. I know there’s a difference. What I meant was we could have done the same as her if not for having a conscience. What the hell are you going to discuss with her? You’ve probably thought it through by now.”
Lo is not going to like this. “The only thing I could come up with short of our killing her is hire her.”
Oh boy was I right. “Are you out of your fucking mind?! I already heard you got some gangbanger hired on at the restaurant today, and a while back you hired Bone the same way. What the hell is this, everyone we have a problem with now becomes an employee?”
I stayed silent. I sipped my coffee, because I knew Lois would have to take that as my forcing her to think it through. Hell, I didn’t want to kill Trish, but the threat of killing her was one of the things I planned to put into our discussion. Threats are stupid between killers. I was gearing up with game face on to make it a silent fact. Whether I could pull it off or not remained to be seen.
“Other than killing her, do you have another idea, Lo? I’m listening.”
We communicated on the plane of silent acceptance. Lo didn’t want to kill her either. After a rather long comfortable silence, Lo spoke up in a quiet tone.
“What the hell do we do with her, Rick? And what about if she simply blows us off. She can do anything she wants.”
“No, she can’t.” I got serious because this was serious business. “If she tells us to take a hike, or we see a boredom or reversion to old ways during her employment, we’ll have to take her down like a rabid dog. We both saw how she performs. Trish is a cold calculating unknown for us. I’ll go along with whatever you think, Lo. I’ll put a bullet in her head the second she clears the Victorville gate if you want. It’s open spaces, and no way could they tie in anything to us. I’d make sure I was in place two days before the release in the spot I want. The only thing I’d need is a pickup point a couple days later.”
Lois reached over the table and grasped my hand. “That’s damn good, Rick. Let’s shelve this until you talk to her. She could be a great replacement for Steve since his wife forced him out of the business. Have… have you thought about retiring from this shit and selling it off?”
I looked at her and smiled. “I’m in this game until death do us part, Lo. Want me to buy you out?”
Lo cackled in her usual annoying way. She pulled back aw
ay from me and took a deep breath. “Nope. I just wanted to hear you say it, peeper. I ain’t ever retiring. Retirement is for pussies.”
“Frank’s retired.”
Lo leaned forward again. “No, he ain’t. He works for me now.”
I laughed at my brother by another mother’s situation. “Well… okay then. I’ll let you know how my Trish visit goes. You still up for a workout and Casablanca Night with playing along in Detective Staley’s wheelhouse during dinner?”
“I eat police captains for between meal snacks.”
Well… okay then… let the games begin.
* * *
We all showed up for the workout at Jadie’s gym across from our café bonanza. I was doing stretches when our starlet Temple showed up to bounce around in front of me as I stretched out. I had to put Bone on occasionally as security some Friday nights because our young movie starlet groupie became more famous by the day. Her movie takeoff from the TV series had been a huge hit. That she still couldn’t resist showing up for both our Friday night workouts, and also slipping in with us at Casablanca Night proved she could care less about the notoriety or good sense. She loved it all. I went with it because she paid a lot of money to keep us on retainer, and I loved her like a daughter.
“I did text you about staying away from here for a while, right?”
“Oh Pop… you always overreact!” Yeah, Temple has become my adopted daughter in a casual sense. That means if you do her harm, I will kill you.
Our other class attendees within earshot laughed, having witnessed the repartee between a real honest to God talented teen, and a seventh decade troglodyte. It’s funny how our gang here working out has become like family. They’re as protective of the kid as I am. We still have our paparazzi ongoing problem, but it’s all good.
I straighten from my stretches and hug Temple. The damn kid means as much to me as my own blood would. “I’m always happy to see you, kid. I see you ignored my texts about unexplained extenuating circumstances which can’t be explained.”
Rick Cantelli, P.I. Deadly Liaisons (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 2) Page 2