High Stakes Gamble

by Mimi Barbour

  Nodding, but saying nothing, the old lady made herself comfortable and then folded her hands together in her lap. Shrewdly looking at them both with a slight narrowing of her already squinty eyes, she addressed Aurora.

  “You the girl they gossip about in here. The cop they either hate or love.” Her eerie voice sounded like she had a mouthful of marbles.

  “I’m detective Aurora Morelli and this is my partner Lisa Jordan. With your permission, I have a few questions we’d like to ask.”

  “Huh! Smart and professional. You already know who I am so you can just call me Mother.”

  Aurora sensed the slight relaxing in the muscles around the suspect’s mouth. Skilful in the one-upmanship game, Aurora hadn’t broken eye contact, but did allow a small smile to show she appreciated the compliment.

  Lisa, never one to sit still for long, held the gift towards Mother Ling and gushed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Ling. We’ve brought you a gift we hope you’ll enjoy.”

  Mother Ling neither looked at Lisa, nor showed any sign of appreciation. Instead the sly old Asian crone asked Aurora. “Is she for real?”

  “Afraid so.”

  “I like her,” the old inmate admitted.

  “Me too.”

  Resembling a painting of ages past with her thin hair braided around her head and her wizened features similar to a shrunken apple head, she held out both hands toward Lisa and waited.

  Lisa passed over the cigarillos and Aurora saw her shrewd partner gently touch the other’s hand as if she wanted to share a moment of humanity with her.

  Surprising both of them, Mother’s façade softened and she nodded first at Lisa and then at Aurora. Silence reigned as the shrewd old matriarch waited.

  Aurora cleared her throat and started off slowly. “As you know, a trucker killed a highway patrol officer yesterday.”

  “Not my business.” The aged hand sliced through the air and she started to rise.

  Aurora quickly added. “The officer’s name was Johnny Heng and his young wife, recently arrived from the Fujian province, gave birth to twins babies only last month.”

  As if air had been released from inside of her, Mother Ling visibly shrunk. Her already rounded shoulders collapsed inward as if her bones had disintegrated. Eyelids, wrinkled with age, closed tightly.

  Not one to lose an opportunity, Lisa added, her voice drenched in sympathy. “He was shot in cold blood—never had a chance to defend himself. The poor guy hadn’t even pulled his weapon.”

  Aurora stepped in her voice hard as glass, no yield whatsoever. “Shot by a prick who we believe works for the Chang-Lee family. You might know them as the men who operate the ‘Demand, We’ll Supply’ operation in L.A. and Kowloon?”

  She stopped, hoping to get a response from the stone-like figure.

  Lisa added, a catch in her croaky, rasping voice that had goosebumps forming on Aurora’s arms. “Babies snatched right out of tormented mother’s arms. Young girls forced to provide who knows what kind of depravity for men who do anything they want to their lovely young bodies. And why? Why just because they can. These animals think they own the world. And with bastards working for them willing to murder innocent people, we can’t stop them. Unless… “

  Mother lifted her head and sent a saddened smile in Aurora’s direction. “She’s good.”

  Aurora nodded. “She cares.”

  Silence reigned and then Mother stood. She shuffled to the door and stopped, her back to both girls. Aurora felt her heart drop to her feet. Disappointed, she looked at Lisa who’d made a move to intercept until she saw Aurora shake her head.

  As if the movement sent off an alarm, a noise started up in her right ear, painful in its intensity. Acting instinctively, Aurora flew forward and lifted the tiny woman away from the door just in time.

  Suddenly a bullet shot the lock and the door burst open. A young Chinese girl, familiar to both detectives as the pickpocket Aurora had arrested at the Cascades hotel months earlier, entered the room armed ready to kill.

  Before she’d taken two steps, Lisa’s long leg kicked the gun from the assailant’s hand. At the same time she blocked access to Mother Ling, shielding her with her own body.

  Aurora moved in and with an unusual technique, she dropped to the ground and slid in low, locking her legs around those of the unsuspecting accoster. Worked like a hot damn! The move brought the bitch down.

  The assailant attacked Aurora with vicious jabs which Aurora had to work hard to combat.

  Defensive moves kept the savage’s hands away from her throat until Aurora tired of the byplay. Refusing to let the other gain her feet, Aurora used an opportune moment to stop using her martial arts and take advantage of her many workouts with self-defence.

  She threw a hard punch to the other’s jaw and followed up with another to her the side of her head that put her out of action long enough for Aurora to roll her onto her stomach. She held her down by the sheer force of her strength until the appreciative guards burst in to take over.

  And take over they did. Mean-eyed and pissed off from being shown up in front of a well-known detective, they handled the wriggling prisoner aggressively. Soon as they had her cuffed, the heavier correctional officer pushed her toward the open door and the other stopped long enough to mutter, “Thanks, Detective Morelli.”

  Sally arrived at the opportune moment, hopping with fury, her face red and her eyes spitting. “Shit, Aurora. I don’t know what to say. I think it’s best take Mother into protective custody, don’t you?”

  “Good idea. And keep the lid on this until you hear back from me or my office. I don’t want anyone to know the attempt failed. And another thing, with your help, I figure we’ll need to check into your people. Someone let that prisoner out of her cell, armed her and led her to us.”

  “You got it.” Sally stood waiting by the door.

  Aurora watched as Lisa turned and gently held the old one’s arm. Mother leaned over and whispered into Lisa’s ear. Not a muscle moved on the young detective’s face. But her grip tightened slightly.

  Not wanting anyone else to see this action, Aurora reached down for the gift that had dropped to the floor and passed it Sally who took it eagerly, winked and whispered. “This’ll go a long way to help her over the trauma.”

  At the door, Mother Ling stopped to look at Aurora. “You fight like a Chinese.”

  Accepting the compliment, Aurora bowed respectfully and replied. “Thank you.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Mani’s arm was tiring from punching the cowering girl writhing on the floor below him. Not air-conditioned like the cab, the intolerable heat inside the trailer also added to his dilemma and took the fun away from a pastime he normally enjoyed—beating women.

  Just like his old man had to school his mom, the stupid scrag who never fought back not even to protect him, he had to show this group who was boss.

  “Bitch!” This time he slapped the girl and caught his ring in the long strands of her hair, then yanked viciously to loosen it. “I told you to keep the kid quiet. It’s your fault I had to kill a cop.” Spit flew in all directions as his anger once again became fuelled. “Now the boss is pissed at me.” Rage burgeoned, and lazy to the bone, Mani kicked her instead of bending over again.

  The girl mewed just like the stupid whining puppy he’d tortured way back in elementary school. For some reason he didn’t understand, that memory made him back off.

  Disgusted, he turned to the other five young females bunched together in the far corner. Hidden behind the front whores, the girls in back held three screaming rug-rats and tried in vain to hush their persistent bawling.

  “Shut them brats up. I told you I don’t want to hear another peep out of their squawkers.”

  Beaten, but stupid with guts, the Hispanic chick in front of him rolled over and pulled herself up against the side of the trailer wall. Cradling her stomach with her bleeding arms, she spit out some blood and opened her one working eye—the other
useless from swelling.

  “They cry because they are hungry, Señor. They need milk. Por favor, have mercy for the ninos.”

  “I gave you milk!” he roared in anger. Christ! After the beating he gave her, she still had the guts disrespect him?

  “One bottle is not sufficient. There was only one baby then to care for. Now there are three. You must bring more or they will die.” As if her head weighed more then she could bear, it swayed forward. Her straggling, sweat-soaked hair curtained her face.

  “Son of a bitch! Women and babies! Just my fucking luck.” Mani slammed his hand against the wall, still too lazy to bend down or get another female to hit. “Fine, I’ll bring milk. But be warned. Any more trouble with you whores and I’ll kill you all and be dammed. They don’t pay me enough for this shit.”

  He slammed out of the trailer, banged the back doors closed, and heard a satisfactory clang as he forced the bolt home.

  Since the day he’d shot his first victim, Mani could never remember a time he feared for his safety. As long as he carried his gun and a bad attitude no one messed with him. But today things had changed.

  Spitting with anger, his boss had given him an ultimatum. “Get the merchandise to L.A. in time for the ship leaving in two days or shoot the hostages and then you might as well shoot yourself.”

  What had been left unsaid was if he didn’t, and they got their hands on him, they’d torture him, make him suffer in ways that didn’t even bear thinking about. He shuddered at the thought. He’d seen their handiwork on the bodies of other men who hadn’t done their jobs. In fact, he’d been forced to bury the pieces in the desert.

  Quickly, he veered off into the direction of the cab and spun out of the yard heading to the nearest supermarket. A short time later he came out loaded with milk, water, diapers, a large bottle of whiskey and cans of black spray paint.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Once the two detectives had returned to the office and explained what had gone down at the jail, Aurora realised that Cory must have always known that old Chinese woman could be a font of information.

  A legend in the community, Mother Ling had a pipeline into every law-breaking activity going on in Vegas. Her numerous loyal subjects fed her information and did her bidding even while she remained incarcerated. Not surprising, her knowledge alarmed many of the gangs whose secrets she either kept or used to earn blackmail money depending on her mood. That she’d managed to stay alive this long surprised them both.

  “What did you come up with about the attempt on the old biddy’s life?” Cory turned his sharp grey gaze first on Aurora and then Lisa.

  Lisa stepped in immediately. “As far as we could make out, one of the chief female guards has received huge bonuses by feeding info to the Chang-Lee brothers. Guess she kept them informed about everything pertaining to certain individuals, Mother Ling being one of the prisoners on her list. Of course, this is all guesswork since the woman shot herself as soon as we stopped the assassination attempt.”

  “She was there?”

  Aurora cut in. “Not exactly. She must have let Min Chang, our callous little pickpocket, loose. Then made sure she got safe passage to our interview room, supplied her with the weapon and left the scene. Not that Min’s talking. The sly bitch is as uncommunicative as always.”

  Lisa added. “Guess the plant knew we’d be searching for answers, and her bank account with all the hefty cash deposits and huge withdrawals would tell its own story. Turns out the woman liked to gamble.”

  “A compulsive in Vegas? Big surprise. Well ladies, it’s been a busy day for you two. Good work!”

  Cory had been ecstatic to learn the location of the Chang-Lee’s Vegas warehouse once Lisa had passed on the information she’d learned from Mother Ling. It was that intelligence Mother had whispered in Lisa’s ear before she’d left the room eagerly reaching to Sally for her cigarillos.

  On the other hand, Aurora knew Cory had no choice but to pass that vital fact on to the Feds. Sharing with them always made him growly as only he could be when things didn’t go the way he wanted.

  He scowled in Aurora’s direction. “Take Lisa to the airport. And then get your butt back here. By that time, the big-boys might have their act together enough to move in and we can play back-up on their arrest.”

  She knew better than to take his attitude personally. Feeling his angst and totally agreeing with his frustration, Aurora nodded. “I’ve got to take Lily back to the doctor a bit later. The clinic called to reschedule all the appointments that were canceled the day when the Fulton baby got snatched. Afterward, I’ll drop Lily with Deb and be back in two hours, max.”

  “Fine. I want you on the scene. Far as I’m concerned, this is your collar. You two did all the legwork for them to even have this lead. Pisses me off we have to bow out at the final take-down.”

  “Maybe I should stick around until tomorrow, Boss,” Lisa chimed in. “Help out with the bust?” She chewed her lip and waited.

  Cory’s expression softened. He shook his head. “No. Aurora says you need to find your sister and I agree. Plus you’re still spewing germs all over us and you need some time to get well. Go. Just let us know what you find out, you hear?”

  Aurora grinned. “We all heard, even the guys back in the squad room.”

  Cory waved them away. “Cheeky brat!”

  ***

  An hour later, Aurora sat in the doctor’s office gazing down on her delighted daughter whose giggles and goos had the pretty young mother-to-be in the next chair enthralled.

  “She’s beautiful. What’s her name?” The very pregnant, glowing-eyed girl had become Lily’s biggest fan. My husband wants a boy, but I’d love a little angel just like her. My goodness she’s got gorgeous blue eyes.”

  “Just like her daddy. And like him, she knows how to use them too.” Aurora had thought the words would come out sounding sarcastic and pissy because it’s how she’d begun to feel whenever she thought about Kai. Except they didn’t. They sounded down-right agreeable, kind of bragging, even rather fond.

  What the hell? No way would she ever open up to him again. She’d sign herself into a mental institution before giving that silver-tongued scoundrel another chance to rip her heart into shreds.

  Her reaction to him the night before still shook her up. Breathing had become almost impossible. Everything inside her body, especially her heart and her femininity had woken up as if they’d been asleep since he’d left. Crazy thing is even today the world looked brighter and her senses vibrated with a tingling kind of tension knowing she’d be seeing him soon.

  No way! I can’t let him in again!

  Shaking herself loose from the worries that man provoked, she paid attention to the bundle of joy in her arms. Gently, she smoothed the wisps of dark hair away from Lily’s cheek and brushed a kiss on her forehead. Since she’d been away from her for most of the day, she needed to catch up on her smooch quota.

  Lily grinned at her in her adorable toothless way. Her sparkling gaze seemed to speak to Aurora’s heart as if a direct line of communication existed. Love passed between mother and daughter and Aurora felt as if the glow inside her must scorch anyone nearby.

  “Ms. Morelli? I’ll take Lucy now to be weighed, shall I? The doctor will be seeing you next.” Masked and dressed in a nursing uniform, the pleasant yet efficient female leaned down and reached out her arms.

  “Oh, sure. Just so you know, her name is Lily.” Aurora zipped up the knitted pink hoody she’d made herself and lifted the precious bundle toward the waiting hands. Lily started to fuss. Aurora almost insisted she carry her but then the kind, soothing noises the nurse made worked their magic.

  A low humming began in Aurora’s head—the kind that signaled trouble. She never claimed to be outright psychic… but anyone who knew her well, could attest to her powerful intuition when it came to all things evil. She wriggled her head and at the same time, she scanned the room to see what could have set her off. Nothing seemed to be out of pl
ace.

  “This office is so friendly, isn’t it? My sister-in-law had all four of her children with Dr. Flood and gave him a glowing recommendation. Is he your doctor also?”

  Aurora had to rethink the words spoken since she hadn’t paid attention. “I just have the one baby, Lily. And yes, I do believe the staff here are very competent. On other appointments I’ve actually had to ask them to weigh Lily.”

  “Really? I guess it depends who’s on duty.”

  Not one to enjoy interacting on a superficial level, nonetheless Aurora did appreciate visiting with her eager new friend. They talked baby stuff for quite some time before the interruption.

  “Ms. Morelli, please. The doctor will see you now.” Aurora recognized the assistant who’d kept her cool during the prior incident in the clinic.

  “It’s been nice visiting with you.” Her friendly neighbor added before Aurora had taken a step.

  Aurora stopped and turned. When she returned the smile, she knew a true connection had been made and not just in the cordial way of strangers. “Good luck with the new baby.”

  “Thank you. And you take care of that pretty little girl.”

  Aurora nodded. “Will do.” Then she followed the waiting assistant to the hallway leading to the doctor’s offices. Once they reached the door, the younger girl smiled and said. “You didn’t bring Lily with you today?”

  The low humming ramped up until it felt as if her head would blow apart. Aurora grabbed the poor woman, her fingers digging into soft flesh. Her voice, harsh with fear and a knowing that came from pure instinct, forced out words like a Gatling gun. “What are you talking about? Of course I brought Lily.” Thankfully, training and common sense kicked in and prevented her from acting too irrational and shaking the living shit out of the silly fool who’d ask such stupid questions. “One of the nurses came to take Lily to be weighed.” She recognized a begging note she couldn’t have stopped. Please, please, please God let it be true.