by Sam Cheever
He raised an eyebrow at her. “Forward woman. I'd have to have sex with you first to make sure I like you."
Angie nodded agreeably. “As soon as I'm done eating."
Alastair scowled. “Woman, thy name is fickle."
Angie just shrugged and pushed another bite of the roll into her mouth.
The omelets were almost as good as the rolls. Angie and Alastair shoved food into their mouths like starving people. When both of their plates were empty Clovis stood up and cleared the table.
He rinsed them and stacked them in the sink and then turned back to his brother. “So what's this mess you've gotten yourself into, Stair?"
Alastair leaned back in his chair and belched softly, throwing Angie an apologetic look before turning back to Clovis. “Apparently I saw the DA's daughter getting kidnapped and now the kidnappers want me dead because I can identify them."
Clovis whistled. “Tough kidnappers."
Alastair nodded, “Yeah, leave it to me to bump up against some real assholes."
Clovis looked at Angie, “Did you see her too?"
Angie shook her head.
Alastair flung an arm around her shoulders and grinned at her. “No, she saved my life. She overheard the kidnappers talking about killing me to keep me quiet and she rushed to my house to warn me."
"Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough. They came to the house before I could convince Mr. Stubborn here that he needed to go to the police."
Clovis stood with his arms crossed, glaring at his brother. “You endangered the future mother of my children by being stupid, bro?"
Angie grinned, “We haven't even had sex yet."
Clovis shrugged, a grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “Yeah, but Alastair wants you so that's good enough for me. What's his is mine.” He gave Alastair a crooked grin. “Right, Stair."
Alastair scowled at his brother. “Bite me."
"Hey, show some respect for your elders."
Alastair snorted. “Nine months. Three months out of the year we're the same damn age."
Angie looked from one to the other of the brothers. “You guys are only nine months apart?"
They nodded and Alastair snorted. “You'd never know it the way he's always lorded it over me."
Clovis nodded sagely. “It's only nine months in actual time but in mental years I got at least a decade on him."
Angie fought back a grin and shrugged when Alastair scowled at her. “Apparently your mother believed that old wives tale about not being able to get pregnant when you're breast feeding."
The two men laughed, nodding. “Apparently.” Clovis’ blue-grey gaze swept the small, dingy kitchen. “This place is depressing. I hope Brita knows what she's doing."
Alastair nodded. “Me too. We don't even have decent TV here."
Angie stared at her hands, remembering their attempt at watching TV the previous evening. It hadn't turned out half bad. She snuck a look at Alastair and he was grinning. Apparently he agreed.
"So what are Percy and Brita doing to get you out of this mess?"
Alastair shrugged. “They're trying to find the DA's daughter. Brita thinks if they can find her the kidnappers won't have any reason to come after us anymore."
Clovis frowned. “Do we know why she was kidnapped?"
Alastair frowned. “I assumed it was money."
"Have they asked for money yet?"
Angie and Alastair glanced at each other. “I don't think so.” Angie said.
Clovis shook his head. “Very strange.” Then he pushed himself away from the counter and pulled a cell phone from his pocket. He punched in a number.
"I gotta get going. I'll see if somebody can get you guys some entertainment in this dump.” The person on the other end of his call picked up and he said, “I'm ready to leave. I'll go out the back.” He nodded once and flicked the phone shut.
He shook Alastair's hand and gave Angie a hug and then let himself out the back door, turning back one last time before he left, “You two take care of yourselves. Call me if you need anything, Stair, you hear?"
Alastair saluted smartly, “Sir, yes Sir!"
* * * *
* * * *
Selma Burns, the DA's first wife as well as Debra Burns’ mother, lived on the top floor of Indianapolis’ most exclusive condominium high rise. Brita showed her badge to the red coated door man and waited while he announced her visit to the wealthy socialite. She was almost surprised when the man gave her the okay to go up.
She was directed to an elevator that only went to one floor. The Penthouse apartment.
The elevator ascended the building's fifteen floors silently and stopped with barely a jolt. The mirrored doors slid open and left her staring at a spacious entrance area. It felt like a small, private park, dominated by the soft, rushing sound of water that fell from a twelve foot high waterfall on the outside wall. The area was filled with the scent of flowers and the dense greenery, including some very large trees, that filled most of the open space. A gently curving walkway of stone led to a heavy, wooden door that displayed a gold plated number fifteen hundred and one.
Brita shook her head at the opulence. She pressed the door chime and waited, glancing at the glass ceiling above her head, where the late afternoon sun was just clearing the building to the West of Mrs. Burns’ condominium building, leaving the beginnings of shadow on Mrs. Burns own private park. Too bad the woman wasn't wealthy enough to keep the shade away from her pretty entranceway.
The door opened and she was looking at a middle aged woman in a maid's uniform.
Brita turned her smile to the woman and said, “Hello. I'm Detective Brita Muldane. I'm here to speak to Mrs. Burns."
The woman nodded and stepped back, allowing Brita to precede her into an enormous foyer with black marble floors and fourteen foot high walls covered in grass wallpaper. The foyer was empty except for a glossy, round table in a light colored wood. The table held a huge vase of white roses and had a crystal chandelier hanging directly over it. The grassy walls were filled with expensive looking paintings, each one of which Brita was pretty sure would fetch more than her yearly salary.
"Follow me please."
Brita followed the woman through the foyer and into a much smaller room made up to look like an English library, complete with walls painted a dark green and heavy furniture of deep cherry or mahogany. A large fireplace dominated one wall and, sitting before it, an elegant older woman turned an unlined countenance as Brita entered the room.
She didn't stand but simply motioned toward a matching tufted leather arm chair in front of the fire. “Detective Muldane. I'm so glad you've finally gotten around to me. Have you found my poor little girl yet?"
Okay, thought Brita, so that's how it's gonna be. She sat down and looked at the woman in the other chair. “Mrs. Burns. Thank you for seeing me today. I am working very hard to find your daughter, Ma'am. Unfortunately we don't have much to go on. D.A. Burns hasn't even received a ransom note yet."
The woman's perfectly made up face opened in surprise. “Why no, of course he hasn't, Detective. The note was sent to me."
* * * *
* * * *
The girl rolled her eyes at the thug standing over her with the paper bag. He bristled. “You eider eat dis food or starve to death. See if I care eider way,” threatened Louie.
She smiled. “I'd like to be buried in my skinny jeans please. I haven't been able to wear them for six months. It's almost worth dying over."
Louie scowled at her and then pulled the bag open, sticking his swollen nose into it to sniff. “Whad's wrong wid this shid anyway? I godt you da damn fish. Don'd girls albays bant fish?"
She cocked her head at him, “what's wrong with your ugly beak, it's the size of my fist and an ugly red color."
Louis glared at her, “Adnodder stupid bidgh like you. I hade you bidges."
She smiled and then looked into the bag and sniffed. “Fried fish. I don't think so. Join the current century."
/> Louie stared at her for a long moment and then threw the bag at her. She jerked her head to the side to avoid getting hit in the face by the bag and glared at him. “I'm not enjoying being kidnapped."
"Awwwwb,” said Louie. He turned his back on her and sat down at a heavily cluttered table with his partner, who was happily stuffing cheese burgers into his mouth.
"I wasted fibe bucksh on that little bitch,” mumbled Julio. A piece of bun flew from his mouth and glued itself to Louie's cheek.
Grimacing, Louie reached up and flicked the bun off his cheek. “I hobe da boss plans on reimbursin’ us for dis little stunt."
The girl laughed.
They turned to look at her. “What's so flippin’ funny, brat?"
She cocked her dark head at them. “You could always contact Macy's."
Julio swallowed and scowled at her. “Now why the hell would we do that?"
"I'm sure they have a sale coming up, they might pay you for posting another picture of it with me.” She snorted in a very unladylike manner and then dissolved into laughter.
The two thugs looked at each other and shook their heads. Louie fondled the pistol he'd laid on the table while he ate. “I tsay we just kill ‘er."
Julio laughed. “Works for me."
The girl didn't look particularly worried but she did sit quietly for a long moment. Finally she cleared her throat and they looked at her. “I'll eat my food now."
Julio smiled meanly. “I knew the smell of them fries would get ya.” He turned to Louie. “Nothin’ like the smell of fries to pique the appetite."
Louie nodded, not entirely sure what pique meant but unwilling to show his ignorance, and stuffed another handful of fries into his overfull mouth. “Ummmb."
She just sat there staring at them. Julio frowned at her. “What now?"
Debra jiggled her hands, which were zip stripped behind her back. “I can't eat without hands."
Julio swore and stood up, swiping at his wide mouth with a paper napkin. “I can't get a minute of peace with this chick here."
Louie nodded his head but made no attempt to get up himself.
Julio pulled a long knife from a sheath he wore on his leather belt and reached over her to cut the strip. She pulled her hands around and rubbed her sore wrists. “Thanks."
Julio slanted a suspicious gaze at her and then turned to Louie with a raised eyebrow. Louie shrugged and went back to eating.
Julio returned to the table but pushed his chair around so his back wasn't to the girl.
She retrieved the paper bag of food from the floor and started pulling wax paper wrapped items from it. Then the room settled into near silence, the sound of chewing and paper crackling the only sounds to be heard. After a few moments the girl said. “I need to go to the ladies."
Julio looked at Louie. “Your turn to babysit."
Louie stood up and went over to the girl in the chair. He pulled out a pocket knife and flipped it open, slicing through the zip strips that held the girl's ankles to the chair. Then he pocketed the knife and pulled out a gun, motioning with it toward the door. “Dno screwin’ around like last dime. You ged in and ged out. You don'd need do sdare at yourself in the mirror."
"I don't stare at myself in the mirror,” the girl said with disgust. Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her jeans, she preceded him across the room and through the door into a long, carpeted hallway. The hallway was dark except for the small amount of light that came from the room where they kept her captive. The restroom was about two thirds of the way down the hall.
She disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door, moving quickly into a stall. Once inside the stall she pulled the small, plastic knife out of the pocket of her jeans and tested it on her finger. Not very sharp, but with enough force behind it she could hopefully do some damage.
She clasped the knife in her right hand and moved out of the stall. Then, standing to the side of the door she flicked off the lights, took a deep breath, and called his name.
Louie came through the door and cursed. “Where'd da lights?"
She didn't say anything.
"Hey, bidgch, don'd you try nothin’ I got by gun out."
"I'll just bet you do,” she said as she flicked on the light and rammed the little plastic knife into his throat.
Louie stood there blinking as the little knife broke off in his neck but didn't move other than that.
"Shit!” she muttered and kneed him in the balls.
That time he went down.
She grabbed his gun and took a minute to rummage in his pocket for his cell phone. Then she turned the light back off and headed back out into the hallway. She moved quickly and silently toward the stairs. She opened the stairwell door as quietly as she could and then hit the stairs running. She knew she'd probably have to use the gun on the locks to get outside the building, and she didn't want to do that until she was at the furthest point in the building from the two goons.
It was only a matter of time before Julio got curious and went looking for his girlfriend. She would have even less time if Louis crawled out into the hallway and started screaming in his new falsetto.
When she hit the first floor she headed to the side door that was furthest away from the office where they'd been keeping her. Once there she shot the padlock they had on the door and pushed the door open.
Warm night air swept her face, filled with the smell of fish. She was apparently not too far from the canal. She walked until she got her bearings and then called Brian on Louie's cell phone. “Hey!” She smiled. “I got away, come get me."
"Debra? How'd you escape?"
She laughed. “He had a couple of real chimps guarding me. It was too easy."
"Tell me where you are.” His voice vibrated as if he was already moving.
"I'm gonna keep moving and put some distance between me and them. Just pick me up on the North end of the park. I'll hide in the trees until I see you."
"Be there in fifteen minutes."
* * * *
* * * *
"Where are you guys?"
Julio grimaced, knowing that what followed was gonna be ugly. “We run into some trouble with the girl."
Long silence. “You'd better not tell me she got away."
Julio swore under his breath. “Okay."
"She got away didn't she?"
"Yeah, boss. She got away."
Louie better be dead and you better be near dead."
"We're at the hospital. Louie got stabbed in the neck and kicked in the balls."
"Where were you during all this stabbing and kicking?"
"I thought he could handle a trip to the john, boss."
"Where'd she get the knife?"
Julio swore again. “Burger Palace."
"You are a complete bleepin’ moron. Who gives a hostage a weapon?"
"Boss, in my defense it was finger food. How the hell did I know they was gonna give us one of them little plastic bags with a napkin and stuff in it?"
There was a long, tension filled silence wherein Julio was pretty sure he heard counting. Then, “Find her you moron or I'll kill you myself. With the fork."
"Okay, boss."
* * * *
* * * *
Angie chewed her fingernail and observed Alastair across the table. He sipped a beer and looked at her, a faint smile on his lips that told her nothing. She was afraid he was holding the left bower. If he was, her king in the suit wasn't going to be enough. But she didn't want to throw the right bower too early, just in case he held the ace. Of course if he had both the left and the ace, she was set anyway. Angie ground into the fingernail and stared at her cards. His face wasn't giving anything away. Finally, she sighed and dumped the right bower onto the table, he glared at her and threw the left on top of it.
"Wheeee!” She screamed and clapped her hands, pulling the pile of cards toward her and adding two points to her counters.
"Hey!” Alastair objected.
Angie grinned and th
rew down the rest of her hand. “If you'd had the Ace or a smaller card in suit you'd have thrown it instead of the left, and I have nothing but suit left. It's over, baby. O-v-e-r!"
"Damn!” Alastair threw the rest of his cards onto the table and peered at her from under raised eyebrows. “You're a card shark."
Angie jumped up and did a happy dance, clapping her hands enthusiastically. “I love Euchre!"
Alastair scowled.
They both jumped when pounding sounded at the front door. Alastair's phone rang almost simultaneously. He punched the button. “Yeah?"
Angie watched him nervously, chewing the long suffering fingernail. Alastair nodded, “okay.” He hung up and looked at Angie. “It's Brita with your stuff."
Angie leapt up and ran to the door. Punching the code into the pad by the door she swung the door open. “Bless you!” she told Brita as she grabbed the large suitcase out of the detective's hands. “Did you get my cell phone off the kitchen counter?"
Brita smiled. “I got everything on your list. It took me four hours. The U-Haul is right behind me on the street."
Alastair came up behind Angie and they both peered around Brita's shoulder to look for a moving truck. Alastair snorted when he saw Brita's dinged up Taurus, alone at the curb.
Brita cocked an eyebrow at them. “Can I come in?"
Alastair took Angie's bulging suitcase from her. “I'll put this in your room."
Angie smiled, “Thanks!"
They stepped back and let Brita enter the small house. She immediately closed and locked the door and punched in the alarm code. Then she held up a large paper bag. “I brought dinner."
Angie gave her a hug. “You saved me. I was slaughtering Alastair at Euchre and he was getting crabby."
"I heard that!” Alastair bellowed from down the hall.
Brita followed Angie into the kitchen and set the food on the table. “Percy's the same way. They hate to lose at anything. It's a very competitive family.” She sat down at the table and started emptying the bag. “I hear you met Clovis this morning.” Brita's pretty face split in a grin and she waggled her eyebrows at Angie.
Alastair came into the room and cuffed her gently on the back of the head.