Bad Citizen Corporation

by S. W. Lauden

  “Why don’t you go see how the fliers are coming along?”

  Marco lingered for a moment, staring Mikey down, before sliding past them. Mikey seemed oblivious as he sat nursing his cocktail. Greg was relieved that he wasn’t going to have to break up a fight.

  “I didn’t mean any offense.”

  “I know. I’m just a little on edge. I’m sure you understand.”

  “Yes, I definitely do.”

  “But if you think Barrett had anything to do with Junior and Chris, just know that I will do whatever it takes to get them back.”

  The glass was half empty when Mikey put it back down on the bar again. The vodka was already having a calming effect on him.

  “Has there been any word since I last spoke with Eddie?”

  “He’s expecting to hear from Officer Bob any minute now.”

  Greg felt a phantom buzz in his pocket and reached for his phone. There were no missed calls or messages. He thought about calling the Police Chief again. He decided it was best to hold off. Marco wandered back over just as Mikey was draining his glass and signaling to Eddie for a refill.

  “Greg, can I see your phone?”

  “For what?”

  “I feel useless as tits on a bulldog. I want to get a few of my motel crew together and start a search party of my own.”

  “What good will that do?”

  “They’ll look in the places that none of these other guys will want to go.”

  Greg handed the phone over, but pulled it back just before it reached Marco’s shaky hand.

  “The expression is ‘bull,’ not ‘bulldog.’ And you better not be placing any orders with your friends.”

  “You’ve got my word, bro.”

  Marco slipped out the side door, dialing as he walked. Eddie set another cocktail down and headed down the bar, topping off coffee mugs as he walked. Mikey took a giant gulp and wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

  “You think this many people would turn up if you disappeared?”

  “Probably not.”

  “This place would be empty if I was the one missing.”

  “You never know, Mikey.” But Greg knew. He wasn’t even sure if he would turn up to help look for Mikey. Until a couple of days ago he probably would have been one of the main suspects.

  Greg spotted Quincy across the room. He gave Mikey a slap on the back as he headed her way. Mikey gave a little toast and pulled the glass up to his lips.

  Quincy led a team that was going to be distributing some of the missing person fliers around South Bay. Her hair was pulled back in the same messy ponytail as before and she wasn’t wearing any makeup. All business. Greg didn’t have to be a cop to notice that the rest of her team was all guys. She gave each team member specific marching orders and then excused herself. Greg was surprised she had a BCC T-shirt on. The band was among the many things they had never talked about.

  “I didn’t know you were into hardcore.”

  “I’m not, but I have a crush on the singer.”

  Greg smiled.

  “It’s nice of you to be here, Quincy.”

  “I’ve been worried about you. How’re you holding up?”

  “Good, I guess. All things considered. Hoping to get some more info pretty soon.”

  “I heard from Barrett last night.”

  “Really? What did he have to say?”

  “It was a couple of texts. He was actually the one that told me about Junior and Chris.”

  “What time was that?”

  The question came out much quicker than he intended. Quincy was caught off guard by the increased intensity.

  “Some time after ten.”

  Right around the time that Marco was supposed to be meeting with him at the job yard. Greg wondered if Barrett knew about his relationship with Quincy. If so, he might have been trying to keep tabs on him through her—or to see if she already knew about Junior and Chris.

  “God, Greg. This whole thing is just creepy. What if somebody we know did this?”

  Greg tried not to read too deeply into her words. He got the feeling that she knew he suspected Barrett. Marco came through the front door and slapped the phone down into Greg’s palm just as the silence was starting to get uncomfortable.

  “Phone call. It’s your boss.”

  Greg gave Quincy a searching look and stepped out into the parking lot.

  “Greg, are you there?”

  “What’s the word?”

  “Who just answered your phone?”

  “He’s an old friend. I’m kind of helping him out right now.”

  “Sounds like he can use it. I wanted to let you know that we found the warehouse where Manny’s gang set up shop. I’m guessing it’s the same place they took you. It’s a couple of blocks from the police station, if you can believe that.”

  “And?”

  “We took the whole gang down, or most of them anyway. There was no sign of your friend and her son, or any indication that they had been there. A couple of the boys have been grilling Manny pretty hard for the last hour or so.”

  “Anything worth sharing yet?”

  “He swears up and down that he didn’t have anything to do with kidnapping, or the shooting. It didn’t take too much coaxing for him to admit they’d been threatening you. For now, he claims that’s where it ends.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “It’s hard to say. He admitted to having you kidnapped, so we can hold him here if you want to come down and ask for yourself. My gut says that he wasn’t involved in anything else.”

  “That’s enough for me, Chief. Thanks for the update.”

  “We’re nowhere close to done with him. I’ll give you an update in a couple of hours, or sooner if we get any new info. And Greg, please stay safe—that’s an order.”

  “I’ll do my best. Thanks.”

  “Oh, Greg. One more thing—I got a message from the Police Chief down in The Bay Cities. Any idea what that’s about?”

  “I’m sure he’s just checking up on me again. What’s your take on him?”

  “Seems like a by-the-book cop, as far as I can tell. It’s obvious that he’s got a hard-on for you, though. You must have been a real piece of work when you were a kid.”

  “I’ll tell you some stories over coffee sometime. Talk to you later.”

  Greg walked around the building to sneak in the side. He wanted to avoid any further discussions about Barrett with Quincy. He had almost reached the door when Mikey came flying through it, headed for the sidewalk at the wrong angle. Greg managed to grab his arm and keep him upright. Marco and Eddie were right behind him.

  “What the hell is going on here?”

  “This idiot’s drunk and getting in Eddie’s face about selling the bar again.”

  Eddie nodded in agreement. Mikey tried to straighten out his clothes, stumbling on the sidewalk in a widening circle. There was a large red mark on the side of his face where Marco had already landed a punch. Greg could see that his partner wasn’t planning to stop there.

  “Seriously, Mikey?”

  “I’m sorry, okay? Everything’s all fucked up right now. I’m just not thinking straight.”

  Greg gave Marco a little shove to push him back. he was surprisingly solid considering how thin he was. Greg did his best to take control of the situation.

  “I’m not sure the vodka’s helping, Mikey.”

  “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters now.”

  Mikey was slurring his words and spinning like a top.

  “You can’t just give up. We’ll find them, but it’s going to take some time.”

  “I know you will Greg, even if it kills you. But that won’t solve my problems tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that.”

  “Then leave those problems f
or tomorrow. Nothing is more important than Junior and Chris right now. Nothing.”

  Eddie took a step forward. He seemed torn between comforting his former son-in-law and ripping his head off. Greg sidestepped Eddie to insert himself between them just in case the situation went south. Again.

  “I want you to understand something, once and for all. I will never sell to you. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. You are disgusting, coming here and getting drunk when my daughter and your son are missing. I think you should leave before I really lose my temper.”

  “Think about what you’re saying, Eddie. I’m desperate. If you don’t sell I will lose everything. We will all lose everything.”

  “That’s not my problem. You made your own bed. It’s time that you lay in it.”

  Mikey seemed to go momentarily limp. His right foot slipped off of the curb and his knees gave out. Greg managed to hold him up long enough to keep him from falling into the street, but eventually dropped him down to sit on the asphalt. Mikey was muttering under his breath as he strained to stand up. Eddie gave him a swift kick in the ribs.

  “I don’t have any more time to waste with this scumbag. Do whatever you want to him.”

  Eddie was huffing and puffing as he walked back into the bar. Marco took a step forward and Greg thought he was about to give Mikey another kick. He stopped short, helping Greg lift him up instead. Marco stayed a couple steps back while Greg led him up the sidewalk toward the boulevard. Mikey regained his composure after a few strides and pushed Greg away.

  “Get your hands off of me. I know something’s been going on between you and her.”

  Mikey staggered across the street and fumbled with his keys before getting into his car. Greg would have tried to keep him from driving any other time, but today he was needed back in the bar. Marco joined him and they went inside without looking back.

  Officer Bob was standing at the bar chatting with Quincy. He spotted Greg and Marco immediately and started pushing his way through the crowd. They turned to escape the way they had come and ran straight into two uniformed BCPD officers. Marco lunged at one of the two men and ended up face down on the sidewalk with his hands behind his back. Greg put his hands in the air and turned to face Officer Bob just as he arrived at the back door.

  The officer with his knee in Marco’s back stood up, yanking his prisoner up in a fluid motion. Officer Bob grabbed Greg by the wrist and led him outside. Blink and you missed it. Only a couple of the people in the bar even saw the momentary altercation. Officer Bob didn’t seem to notice or care.

  “You two are hard to track down.”

  “Well, here we are. What do you want from us?”

  “I’m actually here to give you some information that might clear up a few misconceptions you seem to have.”

  “About?”

  “Mr. Barrett, for starters.”

  “We’re all ears.”

  “Just you, Mr. Salem.”

  The officers led Marco away toward a waiting patrol car and guided him into the back seat. Experience taught Marco when to duck his head.

  “Why don’t you and I take a little stroll around the block?”

  Officer Bob turned and started walking quickly away from Eddie’s. It took Greg a moment to catch up. Neither of them spoke until they were certain they were alone.

  “What I’m going to tell you needs to be kept in the strictest of confidence.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “We have reason to believe that Mikey Fitzgerald is the person who abducted his ex-wife and their son.”

  The husband was always the prime suspect. Greg’s legs felt like they were made of jelly.

  “Jesus. He was just here a minute ago.”

  “I know. We have a couple detectives trailing him as we speak. We’ve been watching him for several months now.”

  “For what?”

  “He’s been running an elaborate real estate scam focused on the elderly.”

  “Reverse mortgages?”

  They rounded a corner and Greg saw two patrol cars parked on the street. The officers were milling around on a nearby lawn, waiting for Officer Bob to arrive. He could see somebody seated in the backseat of one of the two cars. Greg was overcome with relief at the thought that they already had Mikey in custody.

  “He’s been targeting single occupancy homes in South Bay, longtime residents in their golden years. Men and women in their seventies with no family nearby. He gave them a substantial amount of money against the equity in their homes…”

  “…and then took possession once they defaulted or passed away.”

  “Exactly. But it seems that he got impatient and started helping the grim reaper along.”

  “Murder?”

  “We don’t have definitive proof yet, but that’s what we suspect.”

  “How involved was Barrett?”

  “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”

  They approached the patrol cars and one of the officers opened the rear door. Barrett stepped out onto the grass median and nodded toward Greg. It was good to see they had the idiot in custody, but Greg wasn’t falling for it. Not after what he had seen last night at Barrett’s office.

  “What the hell’s going on here?”

  “Mr. Barrett’s been working for us. Collecting evidence against Mr. Fitzgerald.”

  “In exchange for immunity, I’m guessing.”

  Greg found it hard to hide his disgust as Barrett tried to speak.

  “I had no idea what he was doing. I went to Officer Bob the minute I figured it out.”

  Greg turned to Officer Bob for confirmation. The older man nodded in agreement.

  “That’s how he was getting all that cash to buy up the property around the reservoir. He must have been planning this for years. But why the sudden urgency?”

  “According to what Mr. Barrett has been able to find out for us, he leveraged everything to build a massive housing development on this side of the reservoir. Time was running out.”

  “Without Eddie’s properties, he was cornered.”

  “And broke. The perfect motive.”

  “Okay. So what does that have to do with Junior and Chris?”

  “The best we can figure is that, at some point, he snapped.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Greg pulled the El Camino to a stop about a block away from the address. He had no idea what to expect once he knocked on the door. A big part of him wished that Marco was there to help. Instead his partner was being detained by the BCPD on suspicion of drug trafficking. Greg, on the other hand, had been temporarily deputized by Officer Bob and handed a badge. Every part of him wanted to walk away, but he only cared about finding Junior and Chris. If that meant working for Officer Bob, and with Jeff Barrett, that is what he would do.

  “For whatever reason, Mr. Fitzgerald has been cozying up to you.” Officer Bob said after he explained the situation. “Besides, you’ve already been operating like a Bay Cities cop. You might as well be one—for a little while, at least.”

  Greg tried to make Marco’s release a condition of the deal, but Officer Bob wouldn’t budge.

  “We’ve had him in our sights for too long to let him slide. You might even say we’re doing him a favor, considering all his enemies.”

  “He’s gotten by just fine without your protection.”

  “Finish what you started here and we’ll talk about your friend later on.”

  Greg got out of the car and shoved the badge into the pocket of his new windbreaker. He scuttled up the block feeling the small wireless radio unit tugging at the back of his belt. Mikey’s house was set back from the street on top of a rise across the reservoir from Eddie’s.

  Greg skipped up the steep concrete steps and headed for the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited, rocking back and forth on the balls of h
is feet. The plan was for Greg to claim he wanted to check on Mikey after what had happened at the bar earlier. Once he gained entry into the house, he was supposed to use their history together to coax a confession out of him. Anything he said would be captured on the wire that was taped to Greg’s chest.

  If Mikey didn’t answer, Greg was supposed to call for back up before entering the house. Several cars were standing by less than a half a mile away, ready to respond in either case.

  Greg rang the doorbell a second time. Still no response. He counted to twenty before ringing the bell a third time. It was a small comfort to him that no dogs were barking inside the house. He sent Officer Bob a text message to send in the troops after the fifth ring.

  The patrol cars rolled up seconds later without fanfare. Two officers in bulletproof vests brought a battering ram up the front steps and made short work of the door. Officer Bob and Greg were among the first officers to enter Mikey’s house, their guns raised before them. More officers came rushing in and fanned out to secure every room. The two men listened from just inside the front door while the ‘all clear’ was shouted from room after room. A second team gave the “all clear” from the backyard and garage.

  Greg awaited further instructions from Officer Bob.

  “What now?”

  “Could be some useful information here that we can use to find them. I’ll take the bedroom, you check his office.”

  “What are we looking for exactly?”

  “Find out whatever you can in five minutes and then we move on to his office across the reservoir. We’ll leave some of my team behind to do a more thorough search.”

  The interior of the house was much larger than it appeared from the street. Greg got turned around trying to locate the bedroom that Mikey had turned into a home office. The room was on the small side and well appointed with soft leather chairs and an antique mahogany desk. There were four large framed photos of Mikey and Chris on the wall opposite the desk. The same professional photographer took all of the pictures. There was one for every year since Mikey and Junior had split up. Greg never thought that Chris looked like his father until he saw them posed side by side.