When Darkness Falls

by James Grippando

  “That wasn’t his fault.”

  “That’s your opinion.”

  “Yes, it is my opinion, which is to say that I trust his judgment. Now, I’ve done the best I can to honor your wishes. I promise that Falcon won’t even know I’m in the neighborhood, unless Vince thinks it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “No, not unless anything. You can’t talk to that lunatic.”

  The desperate tone surprised her. It was almost irrational, certainly unreasonable. “I’m sorry. I can’t promise you that.” There was only silence on the other end of the line. “Papi, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  “Are we good then?”

  He made a noise that was somewhere between a sigh and a groan. “I hate to be the one to point this out. But sweetheart, when you and Vince first started dating a year ago, you used to tell me how worried you were about him. You said yourself that he doesn’t exactly play by the book.”

  “That’s not what got him hurt.”

  “Maybe it didn’t. But maybe it did. I just don’t want to see the same thing happen to you. Can you understand that?”

  “Yes, I can. But you have to understand my side of it, too.”

  “I know. You do what you have to do.”

  “Thank you. I will.”

  “We both will.”

  “We both will what?” she said, not quite sure what he was trying to say.

  “Nothing. I love you.” He said good-bye and hung up.

  FOUR O’CLOCK IN the morning. Had the night gone according to their original plan, Jack would have been in bed, only dreaming of the Bahamas or some other slice of paradise, and Theo would have been rolling in from the clubs on South Beach right about this time. Instead, Jack was going on his twenty-second hour without sleep, and he was reporting back to a hostage negotiator by telephone from the Nassau police station.

  “What happened to the cash?” said Paulo.

  Officer Danen, the City of Miami cop, had told Paulo about the missing money. Danen and Jack were now on speakerphone, as time was of the essence and Paulo wanted nothing lost in translation. Jack leaned closer to the squawk box atop the desk and said, “Someone beat us to it two days ago. The bank won’t give us a name because of the bank secrecy laws. Whoever it was, they cleaned it out.”

  “But you still have a power of attorney from your client. Why won’t they tell you who opened the box?”

  “Until their lawyers get out of bed and advise otherwise, the bank’s position is that the power of attorney is limited to a right of access. It doesn’t give me a blanket right to information protected by bank secrecy.”

  “You’re not playing games with me, are you?”

  “No way. You can ask your own man, if you don’t believe me. He was right at my side the whole time. We opened the box, and it was empty. Except for a note.”

  “A note?” said Paulo. “What did it say?”

  Jack told him. Paulo said, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “NFI,” said Jack.

  “NFI?”

  “Sorry. That’s a Theo-ism: no idea,” he said, leaving out the colorful adjective.

  “Did the bank let you keep the note?” said Paulo.

  “I didn’t ask for permission. I just kept it.” Another Theo-ism, thought Jack.

  “Good. Danen, make sure he doesn’t contaminate it. We’ll want to check it for prints.”

  The Miami cop said, “I’m one step ahead of you. Bahamian police pulled a thumbprint from the front and an index finger from the back. We did an electronic scan and sent it off to the FBI and Interpol from the station here in Nassau. Everything’s in the works.”

  “Good, but it could turn up goose eggs. Let’s keep the pressure on the bank to cough up a name. Do we need to involve the FBI?”

  “Only if we want everything all screwed up,” said Danen.

  Jack held his tongue, but he often found the turf wars in law enforcement to be nothing short of the Hatfields versus the McCoys. And people say lawyers have egos.

  Paulo said, “Where does it stand now, exactly?”

  “The only thing the bank will confirm is that someone definitely accessed the box between three and three-thirty p.m. last Thursday. I might be able to get beyond that in the morning, but in the middle of the night, we can’t get the machinery in motion to pierce the Bahamian bank secrecy laws.”

  “Do they realize that we have a hostage situation here?”

  “Of course. But no offshore bank wants to get a reputation for opening its secret records every time a U.S. law enforcement agency shows up in the dead of night and claims to have an emergency on its hands.”

  “Especially if they screwed up,” said Jack.

  “What do you mean?” said Paulo.

  “I had a case once against a Cayman Island Bank that let my client’s ex-husband into her safe deposit box. The deadbeat took about a half-million dollars in jewelry that didn’t belong to him. Turned out to be an inside job. A bank employee let him in, even though the husband’s name had been removed from the approved access list long before the divorce. Then it was up to my client to prove there was actually that much jewelry inside the box. We couldn’t, of course. The jury gave us twenty-five thousand dollars just because they knew something was fishy. I suspect that the bank threw one hell of a Christmas party that year.”

  “Are you saying that’s what happened here?”

  “I don’t know,” said Jack. “But from my experience in the Cayman Islands, the bank isn’t going to tell us squat until they’ve lined up their own legal defense.”

  There was silence on the line. Then Paulo said, “How soon till you hear back on the fingerprint check?”

  “Could be within the hour,” said Danen.

  “Good. Stay in Nassau and do the follow-through with the bank in the morning.”

  Jack said, “You want me to stay here, too?”

  “No,” said Paulo. “I have to start a dialogue with Falcon. It’s too damn quiet inside that motel room, so I’m going to make the call as soon as we hang up.”

  “Be careful with that,” said Jack. “The more you talk to him, the sooner the battery on that cell phone wears out. And he warned us what happens then.”

  “I know. But I’ve waited as long as I can. We’ve got to start talking, make sure he’s not freaking out on us. At the very least, I need to be able to reassure him and tell him that you’re on your way back from the bank.”

  “All right,” said Jack. “I’ll see you before sunrise.”

  chapter 24

  T heo remained on the floor, his cheek pressed to the carpet. His head was throbbing from Falcon’s blow.

  It had been a good half hour since Falcon had removed the pillowcase from the girl’s head, but her breathing was still shallow and rapid. It seemed that she just couldn’t get enough air. Fear could do that to a person. At least Theo hoped it was fear. This was neither the time nor the place for a real medical emergency.

  Theo was still staring at those shoes on the bathroom floor. They had twitched once or twice, but the person behind the closed door was doing an impressive job of remaining absolutely still and quiet. Theo wondered if he should try to make contact with him-he assumed it was a him, based on the shoes.

  Falcon continued to pace furiously, practically wearing a path in the carpet. Had he sat for just a moment, or taken a position at the window, that would have been Theo’s chance to slip a whisper through the slat beneath the door: “Tap your foot once if you’re alone. Tap twice if you have a gun.” Theo wasn’t the type to sit around and wait for someone else to solve his problems. But if he was going to make a move against Falcon, he needed to know who was on his side, whether they could be of any help, or whether they’d just be in the way. As it was, Theo could only wait for the right opportunity.

  “Relax, why don’t you?” Theo told his captor.

  Falcon ignored him. His lips were moving furiously. The guy was deep in conversation, perhaps re
hearsing his lines, perhaps fighting off the demons in his head.

  “Dude, give it a rest,” said Theo.

  Falcon stopped, looked down at Theo, and pointed the gun at his knee. “You interrupt me one more time, and you’ll be setting off metal detectors for the rest of your life. You understand me?”

  Had Theo been just a foot closer, he could have hooked Falcon behind the knee and brought him to the floor with a roundhouse kick. But then what? Theo’s hands were bound behind his waist, the girl beside him was tied up, and Theo had no way of knowing whether the guy who was hiding in the bathroom would come out to help or sit tight and let Falcon shoot them. Theo said, “Yeah, I understand you.”

  “Good. Now get up off the floor.”

  Theo didn’t move. It gave him a sinking feeling, the thought of breaking off any chance to communicate with the man in the bathroom.

  “Now! Up against the wall, next to the girl.”

  Slowly, Theo complied. It was just as well. He’d seen enough cop shows on television to know that the two most dangerous points in time for hostages were right off the bat, at the taking, and later, when someone tried to escape. It was like flying: takeoffs and landings accounted for ninety-nine percent of the fatalities. They’d made it through the takeoff, so to speak. Halfway home. He needed a plan of attack, not a knee-jerk reaction, if they were going to bring this baby home for a safe landing. Until he had a game plan, it was a virtual certainty that all hell would break loose when that bathroom door opened.

  “I have to pee,” the girl said.

  “Hold it,” said Falcon.

  Damn straight, cross your legs, thought Theo.

  “I can’t. I’ve been holding it for two hours. Please, just let me go to the bathroom.”

  Falcon made a face. “All right. I’ll let you use the bathroom. But if you try anything,” he said, aiming the gun to Theo’s head, “the black guy gets it. Comprende?”

  She nodded.

  Beautiful, thought Theo. Just beautiful.

  The phone rang. Theo recognized the ring as his own, but his cell phone was in Falcon’s pocket. Falcon froze. The pulsing ring continued. Three times. A fourth.

  “You gonna answer that?” said Theo.

  It rang a fifth time, then a sixth. A chime followed-way too cheery-sounding for the circumstances-indicating that the unanswered call was going to voice mail. Falcon stood frozen, as if paralyzed with indecision.

  At the front of the room, the opening above the drapes suddenly brightened. The cops had switched on a spotlight in the parking lot. Theo heard the click of a public address system outside, then an amplified voice that sounded almost mechanical.

  “Falcon, it’s me. Vince Paulo. I’m dialing again. Answer the phone, please.”

  There was utter silence for thirty seconds. No one moved.

  Then the phone started to ring again.

  “IF HE DOESN’T answer this time,” said Chavez, “it’s time to start thinking about a breach.”

  A breach meant a forced entry. Vince wasn’t ready to go there yet. “He’ll answer.”

  He waited in the silence of the cool night air, precious seconds ticking away with each hollow, unanswered ring of the telephone. The call went to the sixth ring, and then Theo’s voice-mail message came again. Vince ended the call.

  “How much longer do you intend to keep this up?” said Chavez.

  “It’s early. I know this guy. It takes a while to get him talking.”

  “How long can you stay sharp without sleep?”

  It was a fair question, but it suddenly had Vince wondering about his medication. It was back at his house. Even if he’d brought it with him, he couldn’t take it, since it made him sleepy. Antidepressants, however, weren’t something to stop cold-turkey. He hadn’t missed a dose since starting the prescription six months ago. One night would probably be okay. But what if this standoff stretched into two? Or three? Or longer? “I’ll let you know when it’s time to make a change.”

  “They could all be dead in there already,” said Chavez. “I think you should get on the PA again and tell him to answer the phone or we’re coming in.”

  “Let’s hold off on the threats, okay?” Vince redialed the number. This time, the phone rang three times and stopped, but there was only silence on the line. Vince gripped the receiver a little tighter. “Falcon, are you there?” No one answered, but the line was definitely open. “Falcon, this is Vince Paulo.”

  “What do you want?”

  Vince tried not to sound too happy to have a voice on the line. “Just checking in. Wanted to make sure everything is okay.”

  “Passable. I would have liked a view of the swimming pool, but what can you expect without a reservation?”

  A sense of humor was a good sign. Guys on the edge rarely cracked a joke. “Are you hungry?” said Vince.

  “I live in a car, remember, asshole? I been hungry for eleven years.”

  “We could get you some food. How about some burgers?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “How many?”

  “Two. Some french fries, too.”

  “How about for the rest of the gang?”

  “Sure. Bring some for them, too.”

  “How many burgers we talking about then?”

  “I don’t know. Bring two more.”

  “One for each of them?”

  “Yeah. One apiece. That’s enough.”

  Vince raised two fingers, signaling to the others. He’d confirmed it: two hostages inside, no more. “Okay, that’s four burgers and some french fries. I’ll throw in some drinks, too. But you know how this works, Falcon. We’ve done this before. My boss won’t let me give you something for nothing.”

  “I can pay for it. Just as soon as Swyteck brings me my money.”

  Vince had to handle this one carefully. Sooner or later they needed to address the missing money, but this negotiation was doomed if he didn’t let Falcon know straight up that he couldn’t just send his lawyer out for cash and then buy whatever he needed. “It’s not a matter of money, Falcon. Why don’t you let the hostages go?”

  “Why don’t you stop talking shit?”

  “This is not doing any of us any good, Falcon. I can’t help you with innocent people at gunpoint.”

  “I’m not letting them go.”

  “I can understand how you might think that way, but let me be straight with you. This is not a threat. All I’m trying to do is give you an accurate picture of what’s going on out here. The police have surrounded the entire building. There are City of Miami cops here. Miami-Dade Police Department is here, too. They have shut down the entire neighborhood. Escape is not an option. So let’s make a deal here and now, all right? You don’t try an escape, I don’t send in the SWAT. We cool with that?”

  Falcon didn’t answer. Vince saw that as a good sign. Immediate rejection punctuated with profanity would have been a bad sign. “I understand you have a woman in there with you. Is that right?”

  Still no answer.

  “Can you tell us her name?” Vince waited, but he got no reply. “Maybe you don’t know her name. Why don’t you ask her and tell us?”

  “Sure thing,” said Falcon. The ensuing silence was long enough for Vince to build up hope that Falcon had covered the mouthpiece and was actually speaking to his hostage.

  “She says her name is Amelia Earhart, and she wants to talk to Geraldo.”

  Geraldo? thought Vince. Obviously, he hadn’t watched television lately. “That’s a good one, Falcon. But it’s important for us to know her name.”

  “I told you enough already.”

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. You just take your time and think about what I said before. And think hard about letting those hostages go. It would count for a lot if you did, Falcon. Judges like it when you show some goodwill.”

  “Who the hell are you to be talking about goodwill? You told me to come down from the bridge and I could talk to Alicia Mendoza. That didn’t happen, did it,
Paulo?”

  “Things are going to be handled different this time.”

  “No they aren’t. You lied then, and you’ll lie again this time.”

  The mood swing was startling. Vince had to bring back that guy with the sense of humor who answered the phone. “I won’t lie to you.”

  “Like hell you won’t. Liars always lie. And you are a total liar!”

  “Falcon, come on, man.”

  “Just bring me my food and stop jerking me around.”

  “I’ll call you just as soon as it gets here.”

  “No, don’t you ever call me again. I don’t want no cops calling me. The next voice I hear on this line better be Jack Swyteck telling me he’s got my money.”

  “What about the food?”

  “I just want my money.”

  “Calm down, okay?”

  “Don’t you be telling me to calm down! I’m in control here, not you.”

  “Let’s work this out together.”

  “Together, my ass!”

  “You’ve got two hostages. Why not let one go?”

  “I ain’t letting nobody go.”

  “Falcon, listen to me. Let one of the hostages go, and you can talk to Swyteck. You don’t need two hostages. You only need one.”

  “That’s exactly right. All I need is one. So get me Swyteck, and bring me my money, or someone’s gonna die over here long before the battery on this phone ever does.”

  Falcon disconnected. Vince couldn’t see the expressions on the faces around him, but he didn’t need to.

  “You okay?” said Chavez.

  Vince felt his hand shaking just a bit as he put the phone down. “Yeah, I’m good.”

  “What now?”

  Vince said, “I can’t call him again without Swyteck standing by. As soon as his plane lands, let’s get him here. ASAP.”

  chapter 25

  C an I please use the bathroom now?” she said.

  The renewed plea from his fellow hostage made Theo cringe. Watching Falcon’s meltdown in the middle of a phone conversation with the negotiator should have been more than enough to take her mind off of her bladder. Theo couldn’t understand why she would say something to provoke him now. Either she was really stupid, or she really had to go. Or maybe, it suddenly occurred to him, she had a plan of her own.