Rick Cantelli, P.I. (Rick Cantelli, P.I. Detectives Book 1)

by Bernard DeLeo

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1: An Old Acquaintance

  Chapter 2: Intervention and Plumbing

  Chapter 3: The Bodyguard

  Chapter 4: Retribution

  Chapter 5: Workouts

  Chapter 6: The Garibaldi Mob

  Chapter 7: Family

  Chapter 8: Rick’s Casablanca

  Chapter 9: Meth Lab Mixup

  Chapter 10: Casablanca Night Gone Bad

  Chapter 11: Last Play

  Chapter 12: T-Bone Griffin

  Chapter 13: Stacy Again

  Chapter 14: New Hire

  Chapter 15: Temple Donavan

  Chapter 16: Celebrity Dinner and Day at the Beach

  Chapter 17: Cheech Garibaldi

  Chapter 18: Protection Racket

  Chapter 19: Teddy Alvarez

  Chapter 20: Ocean Incursion

  Rick Cantelli, P.I.

  by

  Bernard Lee DeLeo

  *****

  PUBLISHED BY:

  RJ Parker Publishing, Amazon Edition

  ISBN NUMBERS: Paperback 978-0-9918998-3-8, eBook 978-0-9918998-4-5

  Rick Cantelli, P.I.

  Copyright © 2013 by RJ Parker Publishing & Bernard Lee DeLeo

  *****

  License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. Please respect the author’s work. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without

  prior written authorization from Bernard Lee DeLeo.

  This book is a work of fiction

  Chapter 1: An Old Acquaintance

  I put down the night vision ocular when my iPhone pinged. It’s Lois. Oh good, it’s FaceTime with my desk bound partner.

  “Rick Cantelli here, detective to the stars, how may I be of service?”

  Lois gave that a chuckle. “Turn on your dome light so I can see that mug of yours.”

  “What is it about stakeouts you don’t understand? How’s the back?”

  “The inversion table’s been working. At least I’m sleeping through the night. I’m not waking Frank all night with my groans either. Get anything on Tandy?”

  “Yep. Photos going in, and soon, photos coming back out. I’ve already documented the apartment she visits. Once I get the shots of her leaving, I’ll be leaving. It’s almost eleven. You bored watching TV or something?”

  Lois hesitated, looking away for a moment. She faced me again. “Some woman saying she’s from your hometown called, wanting me to put you through to her. She got a line on you from our Internet listing. Stacy Alden’s the name.”

  I admit it. I blanked, as memories forty years old ripped through my consciousness. I buy time by taking a peek at the building I’m watching. Lois jumps to a conclusion with split second speed.

  “Oh baby, that good, huh? What’s up? My back’s starting to tingle. Just give me the good stuff. I already know her whole damn history, and what gum you were chewing when you last saw her.”

  Damn it! See, this is why you never go into the detective/security business with a woman retired from counterintelligence. “If you know all the answers, harpy, why ask the question?”

  Lois chortles away in that irritating chirping manner I can’t stand. She starts listing high school and hometown memorabilia from my past. “It seems Stacy was homecoming queen, and you were her escort. She stood you up at the prom, and disappeared after graduation. You found out she left for New York, leaving no forwarding address. How am I doin’?”

  “I’m turning you in for using government databases. The only place you could have gotten that shit was in my security clearance report from the service. It’s a felony to even look at an FBI file, let alone hack them for your personal pleasure.”

  “Aw, that’s so cute.” Lois makes smooching noises at the screen. Not a good look for her. “It’s okay for the intelligence worms I have placed discreetly to make us the top security firm in San Diego, but I gather a little detail on homey’s teenage years, and suddenly I’m a felon? What if she was a serial killer hunting down old beaus? I might have saved your life.”

  “Yeah, right. Put her number in my inbox. I’ll… nuts!” Tandy girl dives through the building entry one step ahead of her special other, but not fast enough to keep out of his grasp. “Switching to cam, Lo! I got Brewster out here in the front tuning up Tandy girl.”

  “On it!”

  I’m already out of my heap and streaking across the street as fast as my fifty-nine year old carcass will haul me. Still pretty fast. I arrive near the lovebirds, gesturing for Tony Brewster to stop smacking around the bleeding Tandy girl. Brewster’s over six feet and built like a linebacker, not to mention he’s over twenty years my junior.

  “Hey pal, calm down! You know this kind of action only ends with you in jail or worse. You got her good… don’t-”

  “Beat it, gramps… or you’ll be next!” Brewster’s really pissed.

  The Mace hits him right in the chops. I have that type spray that’ll grow hair on your chest. Tony collapses in agony. I use my six million volt stunner nightstick on him until he’s just moving slightly in response to the arc. I put away my conversation pieces inside my leather jacket and helped Tandy Menendez off the sidewalk. She’s a mess. It looked like Tony got a few shots in before she made it downstairs. After plastic tying Tony’s ankles and wrists, I half carry her over to the trunk of my GMC. I get her a towel and douse it with water from my stash. Tandy sobs after patting at her bleeding face.

  “He… he was going to beat me to death!”

  It sure looked like it. “What was the problem?”

  Then it happened. All those years in this goofy business have made it impossible for me to miss any nuance in a person’s features or voice. Streetlamps were enough to see the look of cunning flash briefly over Tandy girl’s face. By then I hear the sirens in the distance. I knew Lois wouldn’t leave me hangin’.

  “The PD will be here shortly. They’ll find out what’s going on anyway.”

  A haunted look followed by open shock settles in then. “I have to get out of here.”

  I don’t think so. It’s one thing for me to keep her in one piece. It’s another for her to leave me holding the bag. “You’ll need to stay. Does this frolic have to do with money?”

  Tandy shrugged.

  “That’s a yes. How much?”

  “Ten grand, but I had it coming.” Her features were turning sullen as the PD parked next to my spray victim.

  “My advice. Tell the PD everything from your point of view before the boyfriend tells his. He’s not allowed to kick the crap out of you whether you took him to the cleaners or not. Let’s go talk it over with them.”

  I take her arm more to keep her from bolting than to support her. When we get across the street, the two policemen are staring at me unhappily. I brought the towel and water with me.

  “Damn, Rick,” Jamile gripes. “What the hell did you have to nail him with the bear spray for?”

  His partner, folded arms over chest, shakes his head. “We still have four hours of patrol left, Cantelli… you prick. Our backseat’s going to reek for the full four hours. Lo didn’t say anything about subduing the guy with spray. We’d have left your ass out here. You were a Navy Seal, for God’s sake. Why didn’t you bust a move on him?”

  I ignored the whining. I haven’t been a Navy Seal in thirty years, and they wouldn’t know I ever was one if not for that blabbermouth partner of mine. “Officers Jamile Crosb
y, and Terrance Stanley - this is Tandy Menendez. She’s willing to cooperate in any way she can. I’ll go wash Brewster off for you guys while you talk to Ms. Menendez. He lives in this building. If one of you goes with me, we can let him get a shower and clean clothes to appease your sensibilities.”

  “I won’t press charges!”

  Uh oh. My PD buddies smile over at me with that ‘welcome to our world look’. Only thing was, I knew why, and unless she had Brewster’s ten G’s, he’d be coming around to collect. I gazed at the tight, but swollen lipped look on her face and shrug.

  “Can I go now?”

  Stanley sighed. “Give me your driver’s license, so we can make a positive ID when that clown over there finishes you off, and then you’re free to go.”

  “My purse is upstairs in his apartment.”

  “I’ll go with her,” Jamile volunteers. They head into the building together.

  “Sorry, Terry. Lois was talking to me when this went down. She knew I might need back up. We represent her husband in this.” I kneel next to the blubbering Brewster, and pour water over his face. When he starts protesting, I snip him loose of the plastic ties, and hand him the wet towel.

  “An affair gone bad, huh? Lois was right to call us by the looks of the woman. Money?”

  Terry’s been in the business a while too. “Yep.”

  Tandy girl exits the building with her purse clutched in hand. She jogs to her car as Jamile walks over to us, and the moaning boyfriend.

  “I got her info, Ter.” Jamile crouches down next to Brewster, holding his notepad where bleary-eyed Brewster could see it. “If anything happens to this lady, we’re going to come collect you for it. Understand?”

  Brewster nodded, rolling over and staggering to his feet. He kept my towel and shuffled into the building.

  My work is done in more ways than one. “Ain’t love grand?”

  Terry and Jamile share a chuckle over my ending shot.

  “Stay out of trouble, Cantelli. You’re too damn old for this crap,” Terry lances me with a lovely parting gift.

  * * *

  Lois studied me from her desk as I entered. “You don’t look any the worse for wear. That was one exciting video clip live from your cam. When I didn’t hear from you or the PD, I figured you worked it out.”

  I handed her the Menendez file. “I finished this last night since I got off early. It’s the finals. We don’t want any more to do with this. I have the complete story in there for our client as to how his wife came home looking like she ran into a wall repeatedly. You still good on your back recovery?”

  “Sore, but on the mend. Thanks for covering for me these past few weeks.”

  “Hey, you covered for me when I took that bullet in the shoulder. What’s the big deal? Besides, we have a reliable crew now. The two of us should be on permanent desk duty.”

  “You took the bullet in the shoulder saving my life. What was I supposed to do with you, chuck you to the curb? Screw that desk duty crap.”

  I laugh because I know she hates it worse than I do. Her husband Frank has been trying to get her to quit for years.

  “I texted you the Stacy number. Did you call her?” Lois frowns when I hesitate. “I told you she said it was important.”

  Almost. I needed to sleep on that one. “Not yet. I’ll do it now. Anything I need to handle right away?”

  “Nope. The crew is out installing the security setup for the Miller account.” Lois shook the file I gave her. “I’ll give Irv the news about his honey. Come see me after the talk with your sweetie.”

  “I don’t think so. What happened to our agreement about not snooping around in each other’s lives?”

  “I had my fingers crossed behind my back.”

  “I’ll bet you did. You’re beginning to annoy me.” I waved her off on the way out. “I’d remember about that being a two way street, Lo.”

  Lois started to follow me. “Hey… what the hell’s that supposed to mean? Don’t blow this out of proportion, Sparky. I may have overstepped a little, Rick. No need to overreact.”

  “I’ll make a note, Lo. No overreaction.”

  “I see that wheel spinnin’ in your head, but the hamster’s dead. I’m worried about this old girlfriend connection of yours. What would you do for her if she asked?”

  I stopped to face her. “What is it I’m missing here? I haven’t seen the woman in forty years?”

  Lois grins. “Yeah, but would you like to? Curiosity, Dobie-Wan Kenobi. I admit it. Your long ago love life is killing me. I need to know why the hell she’s decided to find you after four decades.”

  Lois and I have been together a long time dating back to when I was recruited out of the Seals by the Company. I think the change of life has hit her. Instead of hot flashes, she’s lost the capability to mind her own business. “Fine. If I can share, I’ll share.”

  “That’s all I ask.” Lois pinches my cheek. “I’m glad you didn’t get your face rearranged last night.”

  “Me too.” I walk out and over to my own office, connecting with the number out of my inbox for Stacy. Yeah, I haven’t forgotten her. No one ever really forgets their first love, even us hard boiled, middle aged nitwits. My iPhone lets anyone see my name so I don’t get a hello.

  “Rick! Oh my God I’m glad you called!”

  Her voice has that velvet whisper to it I remember, even with the added tension. “Hey, Stace, long time, no see. Did-”

  “I’m in town. Can I see you?”

  Wow, there’s an opening I didn’t expect. “Sure. Where are you?”

  “I’m staying at the Sandpiper Lodge. Can you come now?”

  “I know the place. I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “Great! I can’t wait to see you.”

  Stacy blurts out the room number and hangs up on me. Imagine the thoughts rattling around in my head after that terse conversation. I look over at my partner’s office door, weighing whether I should simply sneak out or not. Knowing I would have to endure weeks of retribution over such a slight, I took a deep breath and trudged back into her office for my love life report. Shelly Fontenot, our office manager greets me with a smile before going back to work on her computer.

  Lois glares cunningly at me for a moment and starts laughing. It takes her a couple minutes to respond. I used to think I had a great poker face until I met Lois. “Give it to me, Rick.”

  “She’s in town. She wants to meet. Stacy’s staying at the Sandpiper. I’m going now.” I smile because she’s already foaming at the mouth.

  “You didn’t get any details? You are such a birdbrain! This is why I do interrogations. Get out of here, and you better have something good when you get back.”

  I salute.

  * * *

  Stacy answers at my first knock. She’s a well preserved fifty-nine year old version of the five foot five, eyes of blue, blonde teenager I once knew. She’s a bit curvier than I remembered, but Stacy looks good in the mock-halter pink mini dress she wore with heels. It may not be age appropriate, but what the hell, I’m okay with it. She hugs me, and not in a platonic, hi, how are you way.

  “Damn it, Rick! I expected you to be a bald, potbellied couch potato by now,” Stacy tells me, holding me at arm’s length.

  I see shadows flitting around inside her room, and they weren’t vampire bats. “You have company?”

  A dark look flits across her face. She inadvertently glances over her shoulder while releasing me. “Come in, Rick.”

  I don’t have a clue what this is all about, but I smile and pull her toward me with my left hand. I reach under my jacket with my right. “It’s a nice day, Stace. C’mon out and we’ll talk down by the pool.”

  It was then a tall, lanky stud detaches himself from the wall on the entrance side. A companion moves around the door on the other side. Suddenly I’m the only one here without a gun in my hand other than innocent little Stacy. There’s a rule I live by. I’m not a cop. Don’t just point a gun at me. Point and sho
ot, because that’s what I do. My first 9mm bullet plugs the guy on my left, right between the horns. Going into a crouch while swiveling towards the guy on my right, I fire twice, because he fires a panicked shot that goes off into the hinterland behind me. I hit dead center chest with both shots. Stacy’s screaming. I’m searching for any leftover helpers. I yank her down, which turns off the audio for a moment.

  “How many more?” I’m still in the crouch, Ruger 9mm pointed at the entrance way, and squeezing Stacy’s neck as she’s hunched next to me.

  “No… no one, Rick! Did you… did you kill them?”

  “We’ll see in a moment. I’m FaceTiming with Lois in a few seconds after I jam Stacy against the base of the wall without losing a bead on the front entrance.

  “Hola.”

  I twirl it around on Stacy. “This is Stacy. Call the PD and our lawyer. Two guys with guns are at room temperature inside her entrance. She says there aren’t any more, but you know me, I’d rather wait for our friends in uniform.”

  “Understood Rick. Are you hit?”

  “No, just confused.”

  “I hear ya’. I’ll tell them you’re armed, protecting a witness. Staley works days out of the University Station, doesn’t he?”

  “Yeah, Lo. He owes us one too. Since he got his gold shield though, I haven’t seen him around.” Detective Staley lost his oldest daughter in the LA maze. I went and brought her back.

  “I’ll call him. Stay on the line.”

  There’s an eerie kind of silence after a gun battle, where you can hear the rustle of life moving around it in very slow motion. My ears were ringing, but I could hear the traffic. No doors opened around us. No one peeked out. God had called a time out.

  “Rick. Staley will be there shortly. He said two uniforms are on their way to you he trusts. They’re sending an ambulance too. I’ll have Cleaver waiting for you at the station.”

  “Thanks, Lo. I’ll see you when I see you.”

  “Until then… until then.” Lo disconnects.

  Money again. It’s always money, but I still have to ask. I turn to the huddled Stacy, her arms locked around her legs as she sits against the wall, giving me a distracting view of her all the way to the waist. “Want to give me a hint as to why two guys with guns were waiting to greet me?”