Lois made her Jeopardy wrong answer buzzer noise. “Not happening, Skipper. First off, if the cops have to be called for any captures, it won’t look good on our sheet we have a contract killer working for us. Secondly, although I realize you could kill them all, we have Bone so that all he has to do is confront them with Rick and a couple of Tasers to get their cooperation. Although I will have to shoot you one of these days, you’re doing hell a good work so far. I’d rather keep you around for a while.”
I could see Trish’s mouth tighten because she knew Lo was right. “Okay… I get your point. I’ll see you at gym class, Granny.”
“You’d better. I’ll have Bone call you with the Tennyson and Wilshire tie in if there is one, Rick.” Lo disconnected.
We packed up all our gear. By the time we were ready to leave, Bone called. “Hey Rick, I got a hit. Tennyson has a bunch of personal calls going back quite a ways with a Sam Wilshire. It also turns out that Wilshire Discount Tires was on the ropes because of competition from Gibson, and a couple of bad investments. Now, they’re suddenly in the black. Lo said you might need me tonight.”
“If Gibson wants a physical takedown, I guess it’ll be us, brother. I’ll call you back if Mick goes for the price. We’ll have to get settled in around midnight, I figure.”
“Sounds good. Let me know.”
Trish and I found Mick in his office, looking over the system again, since they were now closed. All the employees were gone. I explained the facts of life to him, and he was less than pleased. “Damn, that pretty much makes it a sure bet she’s been using me. I want her taken down with whoever else she brings with her. I’ll pay the grand to see that happen.”
“Okay, Mick. I’ll call my co-worker and we’ll set up in here around midnight. If she doesn’t put things in play tonight, she knows the surveillance system will be in place. Are you supposed to see her tonight?”
“Yeah, but I’m calling her off.”
“Don’t do it. She’ll cancel. If she does, call me. A cancellation should mean it’s really on for tonight.”
That got his attention. I could tell he liked having an opportunity to get a hand in on this. “You got it, Rick. Thank you.”
I shook his hand. “No problem. I’ll have to call you down if we get the police over to collar them.”
“I’ll be back here with bells on to see that.”
“Nice meeting you, Mr. Gibson,” Trish said, shaking his hand.
“Just call me, Mick. Thanks for a great job today.”
“It’s Trish then to you, Mick. I hope we can clear this all up for you tonight.”
* * *
In the van, I started it up, and headed for my house. I’d hold on to it until I went back to work, Tuesday. I called Bone, and told him I’d pick him up at 11:30. “You did great today, Trish. What did you think of our setup?”
“It was tight. I liked that the system has its own cellular signal. Otherwise, if you went off the landline, all the bad guys would need to do is snip the phone line. I bet you think their entry point will be the small side entrance.”
All good. “The rest of their roll-down doors have solid locks on them at the base. They’d have to burn them off with a torch to open them. Of course Marlo probably has a key to the castle, but the simplest and most unobtrusive way would be for her to let them in the small side door, just as you suspect.”
“You really think Marlo will let them in personally?”
“Yep, and that’s the reason you’re going along tonight with me and Bone no matter what Lo thinks.”
Trish brightened up. “No shit?”
“I need you there to corral Marlo during and after the bust. I don’t want either Bone or I to be stuck Tasering her. I’ve seen you in action. Marlo won’t be a problem for you like she would be for us.”
Trish reached over to grab my knee. “Thanks for that. I guess Granny doesn’t have you on a short leash after all.”
Since Lo already told a couple people about what happened to her when we butted heads in the old days, I told Trish. She of course enjoyed the hell out of it. “We’re going to need a nap when we get to the house, Hooterville. Then, this gym class ought to be a kick.”
“Maybe to you. I’m only agreeing to not skip it, because we’ll need a couple hours sleep afterward before we pick up Bone, and setup at Gibson’s.”
“Do you really think there’ll be a problem at this Jadie’s place?”
“It is what it is, Trish. Lo enjoys controlled chaos. Lately, that’s what our classes have been like. The upside is if Ken is there, he’ll see you’re with me, and maybe I won’t have to pay any more attention to him.”
“Am I with you?”
I had to take a moment for that answer. “Yeah… you are.”
* * *
Trish punched her ticket to ride, and we managed a little sleep before heading over to Jadie’s place. We arrived early so we could be in position, rather than showing up amongst the crowd. Trish had some nice black workout togs, so she seemed right at home doing stretches, and I could tell workout wouldn’t bother her any. Surprisingly, Karen and Temple showed up together without Danny. Temple ran up on Trish all happy smiles, gripping her hand.
“Trish, I’m so glad you came! This is Karen Bastille.”
Temple must have warmed up Karen before they came in. Karen has an elegant presence without any hint of arrogance you just can’t buy or practice. She shook Trish’s hand. “I’m glad to meet you, Trish. I guess this must be the oddest bunch you’ve ever been around.”
“Well… yeah… but so far, it’s been fun. Clingy here is kind of a trip. She’s a little like the ‘Energizer Bunny’. I’ve seen a lot of your movies, and liked them all. I can’t say I’d ever thought I’d actually meet you.”
Karen chuckled. “Rick hates my movies. I admit I never thought I’d meet you either. I heard all about how you handled the producer. Clingy was really impressed.”
Temple slapped Karen’s arm. “Hey… not you too. Don’t call me that or I’ll have Pop whoop on you like he did Jadie.”
Karen smiled at me. “I wouldn’t want that. You’re being awfully quiet, Rick.”
“I’m staying in the background, enjoying a moment where I’m not the topic of conversation. “Where’s Danny?”
“He had to attend a meeting. Boy, he hated missing out tonight. I told him about the bombs Lo dropped about her early times with you, and that you had been the heavyweight boxing champ in the Navy before you went into the Seals. I didn’t get a chance to ask, but why did that get erased from your record.”
Trish had perked up for some reason, and I wish Karen hadn’t mentioned it. “Notoriety mostly. A Seal has to be as nondescript as possible. By the time Lo recruited me into the Company, it had been completely forgotten, until she decided for some unknown reason to share like she was at summer camp.”
“Navy heavyweight boxing champ, huh?” Trish was smiling one of those smiles like she planned on a little fun with it at inappropriate moments. “Any other titles you have we don’t know about, Rick?”
“Geezer of the year, but it’s not really official.”
My Geezer comment got some laughs until Karen plugged me.
“What about your record for most kills by a P.I. in a three month span?”
“Thanks for the memories, Karen. There’s Jadie and Ken, so maybe they’ve come to an agreement. That’s promising.” The room had been rapidly filling up, so Jadie was busily doing greetings, and answering questions with Ken at her side. Her other two routine leaders were already on stage. Jadie seemed relaxed, but she intelligently avoiding a look in our direction. If only that plan would continue.
“Uh oh.” Temple pointed at the arrival of Lois, Shelly, and Max. “Don’t let Lois get us, Rick.”
Ha, yeah, that’ll happen. “If you ever want to lose your new nickname, wussy, maybe you should step up and not let her get us, kid.”
“I’m starting to rethink this working out with the old f
olks gig,” Temple announced, watching the trio approach. “All I get out of it is bad nicknames, and ‘drop down and give me twenty-five’. I used to be somebody. I could have been a contender. Even my big Sis here is calling me Clingy, and I still have a forty-five minute torture session ahead.”
She elicited laughs with those remarks. Trish put an arm around her shoulders. “If you want to hang with real people, that’s the price you have to pay… Clingy.”
“Okay,” Lo interrupted. “Where’s the fireworks? Who killed off my battle zone? I’ve been looking forward to this all day. What did you do, Cantelli?”
“We all had a secret meeting. We decided to bypass all attempts by you to start verbal and sometimes physical wars in this otherwise benign environment.”
Lois grinned. “We’ll see about that.”
Shelly was shielding a confused Max away from the exchange, knowing there would be plenty of time to do an introduction to Trish she didn’t want to do anyway when the storm blew over.
Temple hid her face. “Uh oh.”
“If you don’t want to be doing pushups until class starts, you better stifle yourself, wuss. Why the hell are you smiling, sister slut by another mother? Your man ain’t here, and Skipper there is boinking your former tool.”
Karen turned away, taking a deep breath. “It’s hard to remember why we were laughing just a moment ago. Incredible how a harpy hurricane can sweep in, leaving nothing but despair for mankind behind.”
Lo saw Trish enjoying the hell out of that comeback, and ran right up in Karen’s face. I moved to grab her, thinking she had lost it. Karen didn’t budge. She stood smiling into her sister’s eyes without even cringing. “Something stinks here. You should be kissing my foot, and begging for mercy.”
“You’re going to be an aunt, Sis. I found out today I’m pregnant. I didn’t figure you’d punch me out once I shared that with you.”
“Well, damn.” Lois hugged her, and then held her at arm’s length. “Okay… I guess you’re officially off the target range. Aunt Lo, huh? I like it.”
Chapter Seven
Back to Cantelli Land
The rest of us stunned witnesses to the Karen’s pregnancy swept in around with congratulations, including a bunch of the regulars eavesdropping in on the conversation. Lately, the prized spots surrounding the harpy hurricane were grabbed up quickly before class. The recurring drama, complete with real movie stars, now competed with reality TV in popularity for many of them I’m sure. I could tell Trish had no clue what to make of all that had happened in the short time since we arrived. All I knew was I had moved from center stage to a position behind the curtain of our reality play – my favorite spot, especially without the verbal abuse vortex.
I noticed with my very good peripheral vision that our congratulatory party had drawn the attention of Jadie, and unfortunately there were still ten minutes until class. She proceeded to work her way through our fellow aerobics’ class participants toward us, saying her hellos, and offering encouragement. Our party broke up, and Shelly brought Max over. Trish smiled amiably at their approach, showing she could be affable at a moment’s notice once again. I’d seen her deadly sullen side enough to know the other side of the coin was just as effective. Max smiled back a bit uneasily, having been informed of who Trish was.
“Hi Trish,” Shelly said. “I’d like you to meet Max Hulme. Max, this is Trish Rocha, our new associate at Madigan and Cantelli.”
Max is almost fifty, graying hair, a little under six feet tall, stocky, friendly, and easy going. He owns his own dry cleaning business. Shelly’s kids like him, and so do I. He’s not on Lo’s target of opportunity list because of Shelly being her personal Igor. Trish shook his hand.
“I’m glad to meet you, Max.”
“Likewise, Trish. I heard you helped with Temple’s problem today, and did a big install job already. That’s pretty impressive for a first day.”
“Thank you.” Trish liked that. All good jobs prior to today had been done in secret. It must have been unusual for her to get kudos about doing things she could admit to. “I hear from Rick you have a very successful dry cleaning business.”
Max shrugged. “It’s not glamorous, but it’s profitable.”
“Glamorous is overrated. Just ask Rick.” Trish replied, drawing laughter.
Jadie arrived with Ken staying a comfortable margin behind her. Good on him. “How are things over here in the aura of the ominous and forbidding Cantelli Land?”
“Karen’s pregnant. Temple’s her usual Strawberry Shortcake clingy, nauseating self. Rick and Trish have upset the cosmic balance with a nightmarish coupling beyond hell and marked for doom. Shelly and Max are putting up a good front, and I see you’ve made up with Mr. Six-pack. I think that wraps it up. Did I miss anything?”
I could tell by Jadie’s naked realization of stunned, open mouthed silence, Lo’s ship of chaos had docked, waiting for boarders. “Yeah, Lo, you missed telling us how many innocent animals you sacrificed to your personal demon in order to formulate that run-on dialogue of complete unfeeling perversity.”
Karen hurried over to her friend. “Somewhere in there, my sister Lucretia MacEvil did say I was pregnant. Just keep that one up in front.”
“Oh shit… congratulations!” Jadie hugged her with legitimate happiness, torpedoing the now scowling MacEvil’s ship of chaos.
Karen guided Jadie over to Trish and introduced her to both Jadie, and Ken who had joined her. “Trish is with Rick now, and working at the firm.”
Trish was compassionate enough to simply wave at the two. “I’m happy to meet both of you. It will be a treat to work out with all your friends tonight.”
Ken stepped forward around the still stunned Jadie and shook hands with Trish. “I’m glad you came tonight. It’s nice meeting you too, Trish.”
“I…I have to get class started.” Jadie spun around with Ken keeping pace, back to center stage.
Temple was glaring at Lois, her hands on hips.
“You’d best look away, Shortcake.”
“I’m not taking any more orders from you, Lucretia MacEvil!”
Lo grinned, but pointed at Karen. “Oh, you are so lucky you’re pregnant.”
“Yep,” Karen answered, getting into position for the start of class. “I am.”
The moaning and grunting start of class began a moment later. Trish laughed through nearly the whole routine as Temple provided continuous hard breathing protestations of dying and torture as usual. Trish moved closer to me for a moment.
“That was one… interesting night.”
“I’m glad we entertained you.”
“Granny was wound a little tight. Is that what happens every time someone says hello to the group?”
“Pretty much, although that mean girl monologue will go down in the harpy hall of fame.”
“I liked your comeback.”
I nodded in agreement. “Good. Maybe we can work on some new material together.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“My ears are buzzing over here, Skipper!”
“I don’t think your ears are buzzin’, Granny. The fan just kicked on. It’s air shootin’ through between them without any obstructions in the way… like a brain.”
We were naturally in the pushup position, so rubber band armed Temple collapsed in loud appreciation of Trish’s ace, rolling around on her back clapping her hands. The rest of us within hearing enjoyed the moment almost as much. Even Lo’s Igor, Shelly, had to turn her face away as we finished the set. To Lo’s credit as I’ve said, she can take it as well as dish it out. She was grinning, plotting Klingon justice I’m sure.
I hauled Temple up on her feet as the set ended. “You know of course, Lo’s in charge of job distribution, and you work for her, right?”
“Uh oh.” Trish giggled… actually giggled. I could tell she didn’t give a damn what Lois did or ordered at work. The contract killer giggled because Temple started laughing. Trish turned to Karen on the
other side of her. “That Lucretia MacEvil tag was an ace, Karen.”
Karen laughed. “I’ve thought of more than a few, but Lo scares the hell out of me. I’m not close to evening up the score. She hated when Rick and I were together. One morning I woke up with a stuffed horse’s head in my bed. She had a note pinned to it warning me if I didn’t want to play movie roles where they need a two legged amputee on a rolling sled, I’d better be careful of the company I keep – signed Sis.”
Trish literally lost it. Minutes passed as she stomped her feet, whooped, and hollered, tears streaming down her face. Lois was cackling away, having heard Karen recite one of Lo’s most famous aces. The peanut gallery around us was both aghast at such a thing, and laughing like hell. It takes another mean girl to really appreciate a fellow mean girl. She went over and hugged a surprised Karen, stopping her in mid set.
“Oh my God… Karen… thank you for telling me that one. I… I think this has been the best day for me on the planet.” She pointed at Lo. “You evil bitch! That was an ace for all time!”
Karen sighed. “Yep, Rick was rolling on the floor over that one. I was looking for outrageous indignation at the prank, and all I got was laughed out of the room. All I know is, I’m having a baby, and no one can touch me. I have two of the deadliest people on earth to make sure of it.”
“You got that right, Sis,” Lois agreed for the first time ever.
“Make that three,” Trish said.
Karen did a double take, and then nodded, grasping Trish’s hand. “Thank you. I have more stories from Cantelli Land where I was pursued and tortured by the demon, Lucretia MacEvil.”
Trish laughed and hugged Karen again as I also heard the accompanying cackle from the demon, Lucretia MacEvil. “Oh yeah! I want to hear them all.”
“Hey!” Jadie’s voice rang out. “Let’s keep it down back there in Cantelli Land until after the class. Jadie’s admonishment drew laughter and a smattering of applause.
Jadie led the final two sets without any diversions from Cantelli Land. It seemed as if some of the darkness and despair of the aforementioned land dissipated slightly with Trish and Karen’s interaction. Lois came over to us after the final set.
Rick Cantelli, P.I. Deadly Liaisons (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 2) Page 9