Letting You Down (An Allie Down Mystery Thriller Book 4)

by PJ Fernor

  “Sure,” Calvin said.

  I saw Chris’s fingers twitching.

  Chances were he didn’t believe a word Ben and I were saying to Calvin.

  Which was fine.

  “Back to Jessica,” I said. “I know this hurts…”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say that isn’t known,” Calvin said. “She was amazing. She meant the world to me. I know how this drill goes. You’re going for the easiest answer. Which is me. Did I kill my own girlfriend, right?”

  “Calvin, please,” Chris said.

  “We’re not here for that at all,” Ben said. “I’m sorry you think that.”

  “Calvin, you’re a prominent businessman around here,” I said. “Jessica was a bold woman in marketing, making a name for herself. There is no motive here for you to murder her.”

  Calvin was skeptical as his eyes moved between Ben and I.

  “You know, I told her to change her runs,” Calvin said.

  “Why’s that?” I asked.

  “You should know,” Calvin said. “Women… or even men… they shouldn’t run the same route over and over. It’s easy to track. You know? I saw it on a news story a while back. Something about human trafficking and it was really eye opening.”

  Human trafficking.

  Like The One.

  I swallowed hard and nodded. “That’s a good point.”

  “So do you think someone just randomly attacked her?” Ben asked.

  “What?” Calvin asked. “What kind of… why would I…”

  Suddenly, things were tense.

  Ben was shifting sails a little here.

  I jumped in. “Calvin. I’ll be honest. Through our research, we found out you took out a risky loan last year. To save the bistro.”

  “No,” he said. “No… that…”

  “Come on,” Ben said. “Don’t start lying to us. We’re on your side. We’re here to help you. You just said it yourself that Jessica should have been running different routes. She didn’t. Someone knew she was going to be there.”

  “The loan you took, Calvin,” I said. “We know about that company. They have a dark reputation.”

  Chris leaned in and whispered something to Calvin.

  I clenched my jaw, knowing what was going to happen next.

  “Enjoy your sodas,” Calvin said. “Feel free to stay for lunch.”

  Calvin moved out of the booth and walked away with speed.

  I then set my eyes on Chris.

  “I think we’re done here,” Chris said.

  “If Jessica was killed by the people Calvin owed money to…”

  “You can spin all the theories you want, Detective,” Chris said. “Talk to me when you have something that sticks.”

  Chris moved from the booth too.

  Ben and I looked at each other.

  “Looks like Garrison was right,” I said.

  “Yeah,” Ben said. “Calvin knows more than he wants to admit. But he is hurt over Jessica’s death.”

  “I see that,” I said. “He’s also afraid for his own life.”

  Ben looked around. “Should we stay for lunch? Have a day date?”

  “A date where you don’t pay? Does that even count as a date?”

  “It’s you, me and something to eat,” he said.

  I shook my head. “I have no appetite right now.”

  Ben moved out of the booth and I followed.

  He nudged his elbow to mine and nodded.

  “Looks like we have company coming back,” Ben said.

  Sure enough, Chris was walking toward us… and he looked ready for a fight.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  “We can ask to speak with Calvin,” I said. “Preferably alone.”

  “I’m sorry but that’s not possible,” Chris said.

  “And why is that?”

  “The accusatory tone of your voice is a good start.”

  I stepped toward Chris.

  Ben subtly touched my arm to pull me back.

  “Look,” Ben said to Chris. “The guy just lost his girlfriend. He’s hurt. He’s grieving. I can’t imagine being in that position.”

  “Why are you here?” I snapped at Chris.

  Chris offered the snarkiest smirk he could find.

  He had that cocky lawyer look to himself. Like he was the kind of guy who would defend a murderer because it was fun to do.

  Was I projecting and judging this guy?

  Yes, I was.

  “I’m here to help,” he said.

  “We’re here to help,” I said. “We’re detectives. You’re a lawyer. I’d love to know exactly what you think you’re helping with here.”

  “I’m here to protect my client,” Chris said. “He’s vulnerable.”

  “You mean guilty?” I asked.

  “Okay, stop,” Ben said. “I’ll talk to you, Chris, the way I would talk to Calvin. Jessica was attacked. She was out on a nightly run. Fulfilling her normal routine. Probably thinking about work. Right? She was good at her job. Rising up the ranks. A tough, proud woman who wanted to make a difference for herself and to show the world that women are capable of anything. And she was attacked. She was hurt. Her hand severed. She was dumped into a ditch and left there to die. Which she did. She died. She’s dead because of that attack.”

  Ben stopped.

  A few seconds ticked by.

  “Your point?” Chris asked.

  “You know the point,” I said. “We need to know everything possible. The truth. Not lawyer speak. Not dancing around facts. Because there’s two options here. Either Jessica was killed because of something Calvin was involved with. Which, if that’s the case, then he needs to-”

  “What’s the other option?” Chris cut in.

  I took a deep breath to attempt to remain calm. “The other option? Someone attacked her and took her hand. As a trophy. Meaning whoever did it isn’t done. Maybe the person hasn’t done it before. But he will do it again. Until we get all the information, we aren’t able to decide which is the best path.”

  “That sounds like a plausible lead in itself,” Chris said. “Go explore that.”

  “You’re telling me how to do my job?” I asked.

  “You’re doing the same to me,” Chris said. “My client has a lot on his back at the moment. Two businesses to operate. People who depend on those businesses as a source of their paychecks. I don’t need him letting his emotions take control, sending detectives on a wild goose chase…”

  “Like the loan that he took out?” Ben asked. “You shut him up right away when we brought that up.”

  “Why would my client talk about his personal finances with detectives?” Chris asked. “How does that relate to the tragic murder of his girlfriend? Did you know my client bought an engagement ring?”

  “No,” I said.

  “He did. He was planning on asking Jessica to marry him. This weekend, actually. He had an elaborate plan put together for him and her. A moment they would never forget. That’s been stolen from my client. He has the ring. But no woman to give it to.”

  “How does that relate to why we’re here?” I asked.

  “You want to go the emotional route, Detective,” Chris said. “You want to push at my client and hope that he’ll slip a word in the wrong spot. You want to take something - anything - out of context and use it against him. Face it, the easiest route for you is to blame him, throw everything you can at him, and get him to somehow admit wrongdoing.”

  “Your client has debt to a company that’s known for hurting people who don’t pay it back on time,” I said.

  “Then why wasn’t my client murdered?”

  “Come on,” Ben said. “Cut the bull… you know what we’re talking about. You’re hindering us.”

  “You came in here freely,” Chris said. “My client has the freedom to walk away. If you really feel you need something else, then go through the proper legal channels. The way I see it, you two showed up and he willingly spoke with you both.”
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  “Until you told him not to,” I said.

  “I advised my client. That’s what I get paid to do.”

  “This guy isn’t worth our time,” Ben said. “He knows what’s at stake. Calvin is shaking back there. He knows what he did.”

  “Of course he does,” I said. “He signed up for that dirty debt. He knew what was at stake. He missed some payments and dug the hole even deeper. So much so that he has to have his lawyer by his side at all times. But… wait… how bad can this get? His girlfriend was attacked. Her hand cut off. She’s dead. The money is still due. Think about that…”

  “It’s quite the story,” Chris said. “And when you gather actual facts and want to pursue this, you know where to find me. And my client. There’s nothing to hide here.”

  “Except your client himself,” I said.

  “For his own good,” Chris said. “With that said, my client insists you two stay and have something to eat. The seared scallops with the wine butter sauce is something your tastebuds will never forget. The plate charge is normally around fifty dollars. Of course, you don’t have to pay that. Shall I call a waitress?”

  “I have no appetite being in here,” I said.

  “Your loss,” Chris said. “Have a good day.”

  Chris slipped his hands into his pockets and walked away.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Ben said.

  As we walked to the front of the restaurant, a waitress walked by with a basket full of freshly baked rolls.

  I grabbed two without saying a word.

  Ben laughed.

  Outside, I took a big bite of one of the rolls.

  “Good?” Ben asked.

  I chomped on the bread and looked at him. “Best bread I’ve ever tasted.”

  “Shoot. I was hoping you’d say this was all for show.”

  I swallowed the bread and got into the car.

  As Ben started the car, I looked at the restaurant and shook my head. “Maybe we should have stayed for lunch. I doubt we’ll ever get the chance to eat here again.”

  “Are you saying I don’t have enough money to keep you happy?” Ben asked.

  I smiled. “No, Ben. I’m saying that when we prove Calvin caused the death of Jessica, his restaurants will be shut down.”

  “Right,” he said. “You know, you’ve never been the kind to want a fancy dinner. I hope that hasn’t changed.”

  “I guess you’ll just have to find out,” I said.

  I took another bite of the bread.

  As Ben drove, I ate.

  A few minutes into the drive, Garrison called.

  He had spoken with his bodybuilder contact and had some information.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “What in the world is a juice bar?” I asked Ben.

  I looked up to the glowing sign above the place with a smiling carrot staring down at me.

  “Exactly what it sounds like,” Ben said. “You order juice. Smoothies. Healthy stuff.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Ben laughed and opened the door for me.

  Garrison jumped up from a table and waved.

  He motioned to the counter and I saw a short but thick with muscle man getting his order of… juice?

  I laughed to myself, knowing Andy probably traded one type of juice for another.

  He turned and had the meanest look I’d ever seen on a person’s face.

  He looked right out of a mob movie, just minus the suit and tie. Instead, Andy wore shorts that hugged his bulbous legs tight and a sleeveless shirt that showed off some aged but still strong muscle.

  “You the detective?” he asked me in a froggy voice. “You don’t look like one.”

  “I am,” I said.

  “Andy,” Garrison said. “This is Allie and Ben.”

  I looked at Garrison.

  We’re going informal here?

  “What are you drinking there?” Ben asked.

  “The usual,” Andy said. “Got to get a lot of kale in the body. Keeps things clean. I have them mix it with some banana and mango. Plus, I get my B vitamin booster. And a mushroom blend for clarity. Far cry from the junk I used to put in my body.”

  “I guess that’s a good thing,” I said. “Did you find God?”

  “No,” Andy said. “I found myself in a dumpster. Literally. Had to fight a rat for a half-eaten slice of pizza one morning. Climbed out of the dumpster and my leg broke. I was that weak. That was it for me.”

  “So you’re clean,” Ben said.

  “A long time now. I don’t keep track of the days like some do. Each day for me is day one. If I get too cozy, I’ll slip.”

  “Come on, let’s sit down and talk,” Garrison said.

  Andy nodded and took a drink.

  His juice or smoothie or whatever the thing was looked pretty rough. Specks of yellow, red, and green colliding for attention.

  But he sucked it down like it was a stiff drink after a long day.

  “I’m sure Garrison here told you what we’re looking at,” I said.

  Andy nodded. “That’s right. You think someone got a little behind on their bills and got taken out.”

  “Not the person,” Ben said. “His girlfriend.”

  “That’s how it goes,” Andy said.

  “Explain it,” I said.

  Andy looked at Garrison.

  Garrison leaned forward and reached for me. “Andy needs to know this is all off the record.”

  “I’m not recording anything,” I said.

  “He needs to know-”

  “What is this?” Andy asked. “Are you this guy’s boss?”

  “Something like that,” I said. “What’s the issue here?”

  “I don’t want my name involved,” Andy said. “I’m out of that game. I’m out of that life. It took me a long time to get things in order. Normally I’d just ignore the call for help with this, but it was Garrison. He was the only one who treated me like a human. He gave me a break. One I didn’t take. But I always thought of him. I appreciated it.”

  “Okay,” I said. “This has nothing to do with you personally or your past. You’re clean. Your record is clean. As long as you weren’t the one who cut off this woman’s hand and killed her, you’re fine.”

  “A hand?” Andy said. “Whew. They’ve gotten more violent since I’ve been out of the game.”

  “Yeah?” Ben asked.

  Andy nodded. “Oh yeah. Cutting off a limb? That’s extreme. How much does this guy owe?”

  “We know of one loan,” I said.

  “Ah, you think it’s more?” Andy asked.

  “Why don’t you just tell us what you know,” Ben said.

  Andy took another sip of his drink.

  He put the cup down on the table and folded his hands.

  “I got into it to make a little money,” he said. “It started to become… I don’t know… it was fun. I had power. You know? I had respect too. Some of those guys are really connected. When it came to the loans, you knew you were done for if you didn’t pay. I did a little work for IY Green, okay? If you didn’t pay, I’d go find you. I’d kind of just be there. Lingering. Just to make you nervous. Imagine being followed one night. All the way home. Then I would just drive right by like nothing happened. That was the first warning. The second was a little more personable. And it would just go from there. Subtle threats. Grabbing your shirt. Just… you know… pain in the neck stuff.”

  “Then what?” I asked.

  “Well, that’s the tricky part. If you still don’t pay, then we’d go to your family. Your friends.”

  “You did that, Andy?” Ben asked.

  “I did what I was told to do,” he said. “I never killed anyone. Scared a lot of people. Am I proud of my past? I don’t know, it got me here, right?”

  “Tell me about IY Green,” I said.

  “I just did. There’s nothing you don’t know. They have a reputation for it. Nobody stops them. Nobody can. And the guys like me, we either hide or we look good in
suits and act like we’re part of the business. I guess you could call us debt collectors.”

  Andy chuckled.

  Garrison did too.

  I didn’t find any of it funny.

  “Did you ever hurt someone who wasn’t part of the loan?” I asked. “A woman? A child?”

  Andy looked away. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want to know how far IY Green would go,” I said.

  Andy stood up. “Yes. Okay? Yes. I’ve hurt people. A lot of people. Why do you think I got messed up on drugs? I saw the look in their eyes… they begged me not to hurt them… but I had no choice. I had to send a message.”

  “What would happen if that didn’t work?” Ben asked.

  Andy cleared his throat. “It would just get worse. Things would get damaged. Go missing. Fires would be set. Believe me… we always got paid.”

  “But never murder?” I asked.

  “Not during my time,” Andy said. “If you kill them, they can’t pay.”

  “Family? Friends?” I asked.

  “No,” Andy said. “I wouldn’t have even if they said to. If this guy’s girlfriend was killed, it’s not just a loan.”

  “What about a big loan?” Ben asked.

  “At that point, they would just take stuff,” Andy said. “Legally. The loans were set up where the people couldn’t go to court or anything. They forfeited their rights or something. I don’t know. I’m not a lawyer. You’re talking about the restaurant guy, right? Those places have to be worth something. Even to liquidate.”

  “So you think IY Green would have just seized the assets?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Andy said. “I’m not there anymore.”

  “Thanks for doing this, Andy,” Garrison said.

  Andy knocked his knuckles on the table. “We’re good now, Garrison. Don’t ever call me again. I need to go find a meeting and keep my head straight after this.”

  Andy exited the juice bar.

  Ben pointed to the drink. “He left his kale thing here.”

  “Take a sip,” I said to Ben. “Get your B vitamins going.”

  “I’m not touching that thing,” he said.