by Wilson, Maer
He thought for a bit. We gave him time. I made notes as he talked, and Nana and Thulu read them over my shoulder.
He had been working for Jones for a couple of years. He'd started out in collections on the “protection” side of the business. Unlike some of the other guys, who bullied, he operated on the theory that there was no need to be mean, unless his “client” didn't cooperate.
Blake had inherited one of Jones's older neighborhoods, so most of the “clients” knew the program and didn't make too many waves. They paid their “fees” and kept their mouths shut. In return, Blake never helped himself to goods or services from his clients without paying for them.
“I also tipped very well.” He said this as if it made him one of the good guys. I nodded and pretended it did, but I was wondering what had happened to this guy. He could have had a good, crime-free, normal life. I made a note to ask him sometime.
“So your 'clients' liked you?”
He agreed that he thought they had. In comparison to some of the others, I'm sure he was an absolute doll.
Jones called him in after about six months to increase his area of responsibility. This happened every so often until Blake was overseeing the entire “collections department.” He had actually cut down on the number of violent crimes associated with his department. Blake considered himself a businessman and used violence only as a last resort. He said he didn't like violence. What he did like were the financial perks he got from his job. Jones paid very well. He settled into his position and stayed there for several years.
“One day, about a year ago, Jones asked me to tell him everything about one of my clients, Mr. Seung Kang. I told him Kang was a nice old Korean man who had a little shop and sold Asian collectibles. Not the usual touristy crap; he had nice stuff. Good art. Jones wanted to know how I got along with Kang, and I told him I treat all my clients with respect.”
Yeah, I thought, a dose of respect makes the extortion so much nicer. I stopped myself from shaking my head. I gave Blake a weary smile.
“Mr. Kang had some old Chinese relic that Jones wanted. He gave me a picture of a wood panel to show Kang and sent me off to buy it. When I got there, Kang was nice, but said he couldn’t sell it. Something about how it wasn't his and he was doing restoration on it. He wanted to know how Jones knew of the relic's existence, but hell, I didn't know.
“So off I go back to Mr. Jones – empty-handed and a bit worried about that, you know? I told him what Kang said and damned if Jones wasn't nice and quiet and said he'd simply get another piece for his collection. I was pretty surprised and relieved, too. So I laughed and said he was getting soft in his old age. Just a joke because he's a young guy still. Well, I guess he showed me.” His expression was wistful.
“Did you ever see Jones's collection?”
He shook his head.
“Did you ever hear anyone talk about it? Or say what was in it?”
“The only thing I heard was when one of the guys said it was a bunch of really old stuff. None of the guys were interested, really.” He paused a moment. “But we wouldn't be, would we? Unless Mr. Jones invited us? I don't think that guy really saw it, though. Just showing off is more like it.”
I nodded in understanding. “Thanks, Blake, this helps a lot. If you can think of anything else, please let me know.”
He said that he would and then disappeared.
“So, Jones had wanted an Oriental panel from Kang and some sort of treasure from the Orient from Jane. Maybe that treasure isn't as imaginary as Jane thought,” Nana pointed out. The three of us sat for a moment before Nana got up.
“Okay, I'm off for the night. Fi, please email me your notes, and I'll go over them before tomorrow.” Nana was very tech savvy.
“You'll go with us?” I asked.
Nana smiled, “Oh, I think this is going to be very interesting. Besides, maybe I can pick up something to add to what we have.”
She gave us each a kiss on the cheek, and we watched from the front porch while she drove off in her convertible. The top was up for the night.
As we turned to go back into the house, Parker and Jenna floated up the walk.
“Is it okay if we stay here for the night, La Fi?” Parker had stayed over often the last four months. I didn't mind. It was almost like having a younger brother hang out.
“Sure.” I smiled warmly as we all went into the house. Thulu locked the door behind us and reset the alarm.
I had a thought. “Hey, Jenna, did your folks have any artwork like this?” I pointed to a sculpted piece on one of the hall side tables. We hadn't seen anything in the apartment, but maybe they had some in their Chicago home. Jenna shrugged, clearly uninterested.
“Or a painting?” I pointed to the one above the table.
“Yes.”
“Awesome, do you remember what it was?”
“It was Mommy, Daddy, me and a puppy. Mommy put it on the 'frigerator. I put the puppy in so I could get one.”
Parker snorted.
“Great. Thanks, Jen.” I resisted the urge to pat her head.
She gave me that big sunny smile, quite pleased with herself. “You're welcome.” She hugged her monkey to her chest.
I decided to drop it for now. Thulu had followed most of this and was taking the high road back to the kitchen. I'm sure he was biting his lip.
Jenna was still just a bit off from solid. It's intriguing how some of the dead are more solid than others. I hadn't figured out what specifically caused that. Every time I came up with a theory, I saw someone who blew it out of the water.
I almost felt I could pick Jenna up; she seemed that solid. I actually couldn't remember anyone who had been more there than she was and only a very few who came close. Parker was one, though.
Thulu met me in the hall and handed me a glass of wine. I sipped my wine as we split up to finish locking up the house.
Parker and Jenna had moved to the family room, and Parker had turned the TV on and the volume down low. At least he still enjoyed watching TV, and Jenna seemed to be fine with it, too. The two of them sat on the sofa, looking like two live kids.
I watched them a bit sadly, wishing their lives could have ended differently. Wishing I could have kids like them, which wasn't going to happen. Children were not possible for me and Thulu, unless we adopted. I'd gotten that hard piece of news the year before. Thinking about it still depressed me a bit, and my mind shied away from that topic.
“Night, kiddos.” I had the urge to tuck them in.
Thulu came up behind me, sensing my mood I'm sure, and handed me the tablet with a smile.
“Night, guys,” he told them as he put his arm around me. They both turned and smiled and said goodnight.
Thulu and I went upstairs to our master suite, my mind back on the meeting with Jones tomorrow. I had to admit, I was a bit intrigued that he had called. While I still had a lot of trepidation about him, it had been eased and replaced with anticipation. That was probably a bit naïve.
I set the tablet on the small morning table. I quickly organized my notes and emailed them to Nana. Thulu and I went about our nighttime routines, turned off the lights and sat together in the window seat that overlooked the lights of the city. We liked this final bit of time together each night.
“Well, today was different.” He twined his fingers with mine as I leaned back against him. “I'm starting to get a sense of something. I'm not sure what, but it's starting to tickle a bit.”
“Jones is going to be a handful. I'm taking my gun.”
“Agreed.” We sat in comfortable silence, Thulu's arms wrapped around me, each with our own thoughts.
Chapter 9
I woke to bright sunlight and an empty spot where Thulu slept. Typical. It had taken me hours to fall asleep. My brain had been going five million directions from Sunday, as Nana would say.
Thulu, of course, didn't have that problem. No matter what went on, he could instantly fall asleep anywhere. It was not one of his more endearing qua
lities, as far as I was concerned. My only perk was getting to watch him quietly for hours as he slept, while my brain churned through whatever waters it was navigating.
The last few years, I didn't have as many of those nights as I'd had in high school and college. Although every now and then I'd get one, like last night.
That morning, Thulu had let me sleep in, as he often did. It was after eleven. I can't say I was completely rested, but I wouldn't be dragging that day either.
I took my shower and got dressed, except for shoes. I didn't often bother with makeup, and that day was no exception. I grabbed my tablet and headed downstairs, stopping in the kitchen.
Thulu was in the study at the computer. I wandered in with my morning coke. He preferred coffee, often trying exotic blends that rarely tasted different to me. I had to admit they smelled awesome. I just found that they rarely tasted as good as they smelled.
Thulu smiled up at me as I leaned over to give him a one-armed hug and a kiss. I rested my head on top of his as I looked at the screen and his notes.
“Where are the kids?” I asked.
“Parker is out helping Jenna learn ghost things.”
I blinked at him, but let it pass as he continued.
“I talked to Mrs. Adams this morning, but she didn't know anything more than Susan did. Another dead end. Also, neither Seung Kang's nor Blake Dodd's bodies were found. Kang is listed as on a three year sabbatical, looking for Oriental artifacts around the world. Fi, I'm not believing how much information is missing on most of these people.”
“Really?” I pulled my chair over to sit next to him.
“Well, their disappearances, anyway. No one is alerting the cops about any of them. Even Jane's body has not been found. She is supposedly on a cruise.”
“I wonder why she didn't tell us that. Is she so fixated on that locket that she doesn't care?”
Thulu shook his head. “I don't know. The pattern is clear, though. The missing person moved or is a on a trip. Convincing anyone that something has happened to any of them will be hard. Jane is active in online communities and look here. Someone posts to her page, just like the Masons.”
“Except the Masons were alive long enough to move here.”
He pulled up the site and, sure enough, Jane was showing recent posts and allowed everyone to “see” her. That was something I also thought was odd. I opened my tablet and made notes to ask her about both of those things. Prior to her death, her posts and friends were just her granddaughter and a few others.
I thought out loud. “Back to the Masons. Their pattern is a bit different because they moved here and changed their names before whatever happened to them happened. They got found out, kidnapped, and then the posts began. Jones's way of covering his tracks, maybe?”
He shrugged. “As good a working theory as any, at this point.”
“Well, something had to trigger Jones. I want an answer to that question, too.” Another note. I almost needed a list to organize my lists.
Thulu ran his fingers through his hair and laced his hands on top of his head while he stared at the screen. Well, frowned at it is more like it.
“Maybe brunch is in order.” He was not a happy Thulu.
“Well, I'm going to ask Jane about both of these things first.”
I called, and she promptly popped in. Today her colors were blues, and she wore a silk blouse and slacks. No jeans for this lady, I would bet.
“Jane,” I began.
She interrupted. “I heard. My apologies, I didn't mean to eavesdrop.”
“No, that's fine. Saves time. So, we know you aren't the one posting to online, but were you set to be seen by everyone?”
She shook her head, “No, only family.”
That was the easy one and only confirmed what I thought. Next was the hard one.
“Jane, where is your body?”
“I don't know.”
Good lord, there was a lot of that going around.
She frowned as she stared at the floor. “The house is completely clean, no sign of anything wrong. Just as if I really had gone on a trip.” She looked at me, her eyes full of sadness.
I told her about our proposed meeting with Jones that afternoon and she seemed interested, asking if she could tag along. Thulu and I agreed she might pick up something we missed. At this point, any edge we could get with Jones would be welcome.
With that settled, we wandered into the kitchen to make sandwiches for lunch. Until we got answers from Jones, we were basically stuck. We took our sandwiches, some leftover cabbage salad and our drinks into the study.
We munched as we logged into our online game. It was always a nice diversion, and time passes very quickly when you're killing monsters, enchanting gear or gathering virtual resources. Before we knew it, it was time to leave. I put on shoes, checked my gun and put it back in my bag. Thulu tucked one of his own guns into an ankle holster. It was too warm for a jacket, so this would be the best he could do.
Jane joined us as we walked to the garage. Nana Fae was waiting outside her condo when we got there. Nana climbed in the backseat and immediately sensed another presence. Her greeting brought a big smile to Jane's face.
My heartbeat was picking up speed as my emotions started to clash. Excitement warred with a tinge of fear, and I could tell that Thulu was feeling it, as well. His knuckles were a little white as he held the steering wheel, but otherwise he appeared relaxed. It would have taken a Thulu expert to sense his apprehension, which, of course, I was.
I focused on his profile, which I loved. His nose had a small bump from where it had been broken once. I liked that a lot; it gave him character and made us sort of match.
We parked close to the meeting spot, which was outdoors in a grassy area near the piers. There were plenty of tourists around, so I wasn't overly worried about Jones killing us there and then.
The four of us moved to the bench where we had agreed to meet Jones. There were a lot of people about, but Jones was immediately recognizable. He stood up and waved when he saw us, for all the world, as if we were old friends.
I stopped a few feet away from Jones and knew several things about him immediately.
He was absolutely gorgeous, his name was not really Tyler Jones, and he was not human.
Chapter 10
I stood with my hands on my hips, staring at the creature in front me, the one pretending to be Tyler Jones. He was dressed in a beautifully tailored beige linen suit that contrasted with his dark skin and eyes. His medium blue shirt was open at the collar. A large diamond glinted from one hand. Women passing by gave him more than second glances, but he kept his attention on our group.
“What is your name, demon?” Not like he was going to tell me that. I might not be a witch, but that didn't mean I couldn't find a way to send him back to whatever hell he came from. Somehow.
“'I am assuming you mean my real name?” He smiled. “It is Dhavenbahtek. And it is more accurate to call us 'daemon.'” He made it sound like “day.” His smile turned to a look of concern. “Will you please sit down, La Fi? You seem a bit pale.”
“I'm not pale, I'm pissed.”
He gave a soft chuckle and turned to Thulu. “A pleasure to meet you at last, Thulu.” He held out his hand to Thulu, who nodded and politely shook hands with him. I glared at Thulu and the demon, daemon, whatever.
The Jones-imposter moved smoothly over to greet Nana Fae. Nana graciously shook hands with that thing, too. What was going on? Was he bewitching them all? I mean, sure, he had an old world charm about him, and his manners were definitely nothing to complain about. I'm sure he was just as polite when he was coldly killing someone. I continued my glaring.
Jones gave Jane a short bow. “My apologies, Mrs. Andrews, on your untimely death. I fear I was rather distracted when we met and it seemed the quickest way. I think perhaps I made an error in your case. I wish I could return your body to you. Unfortunately that is beyond my capabilities.” His speech was very formal. I wondere
d how he built any rapport with his gang, sounding like someone from another century.
Jane stared at Jones, Thulu raised an eyebrow and Nana Fae smiled indulgently, as if a child had just accomplished a difficult task.
Jones turned back to me with a smile. “I really do think this conversation would go much easier if we were out of the public eye. I have given you my name as a token of trust.”
“How do I know it's your real name?”
“I am afraid you must trust me on that one. That whole knowing my true name thing does not really work, anyway.”
I was sulking a tiny bit – okay, I was sulking a lot. I'd briefly counted on that in case I could banish him. The fact that I had no clue how to do that was beside the point. Unfortunately, he was probably telling the truth about it not working on him. I felt any control we might have over the entire situation slipping away.
Jones went on, “You do not know it yet, but you have far worse enemies than me. And you need my help.”
I looked over at Nana. My experience with demons was limited. Well, actually, it was nonexistent. Thulu and I had rarely seen them, and when we did it was from a distance.
Nana stared at Jones thoughtfully.
“I'm not sensing much of anything from him, Fiona.”
Neither was I. It was weird, but I didn't believe we were in any danger. I looked at the others.
Surprisingly, Jane was the first to nod and say, “Let's go where we can talk.”
Thulu shrugged and nodded. I gave in with less than good grace. My alarms should have been screaming, but they were quiet, which annoyed the hell out of me. I knew trying to get answers out in public would not be pretty. I gave Jones my nastiest smile. He acted as if I had been sincere, another annoyance.
“Please, if you will follow me, my car is just over here. I promise to have you returned to your own car.”
I shrugged, and we all followed him. At the street, a sleek, shiny black limo was parked. The driver was a man in his late thirties, dressed in the typical chauffeur uniform of a white shirt, dark suit and tie. He had jumped out immediately and opened the back door.