by Jordan Dane
Given Harper’s word of warning about the dangerous world Desiree lived in, she’d have to come up with a backup plan to make sure she walked away with all her body parts. Jess knew what to expect, but she’d need more than that to face it.
CHAPTER 5
South Side of Chicago
8:20 P.M.
Jess knew something about Desiree’s world because she lived on its fringes, one of many reasons she didn’t go alone. Her Colt Python made good company, plus she’d brought an unexpected surprise if she got cornered. Not being known for her subtlety, she firmly believed one thing.
Stun grenades made righteous icebreakers.
Englewood Police Station covered the 7th District, an area that ran north and south from 55th Street to 75th and west to east from the Penn Central Railroad to the Dan Ryan Expressway. The district had a vibe to it, even in daylight. But after dark, the place took on the razor’s edge of a war zone. Street gangs protected their turf—boundaries defined in spray paint—each vying for control of their slice of the shit heap. Its seedy underbelly sprouted from every sidewalk crack, reflected off every shard of glass strewn down murky alleys, and snaked like caustic smoke from every discarded cigarette tossed on the street.
She equated the ’hood to a hostile living thing that stirred when provoked. And tonight had given her more faith in that analogy.
Jess had started with those she knew and trusted, then eventually hit the danger zone, resorting to a flash of cash to get someone talking. A calculated risk. In the ’hood, money had a way of multiplying influence like a modern-day miracle of biblical proportions. Sure, it would get her noticed, but not always by the right people. She had wanted information bad enough to pay, and that meant someone else could barter for the flip side of that morsel. After all, everyone had to eat. But not all negotiations were about money.
Favors could get someone in tight with the local powers that be. Long after she’d gone and taken her meager bankroll, others more influential endured. Information was king in most places. The ’hood was no different.
She had spent a few hours working her street connections. But no matter how cautious she’d been in her search, she suspected the word had leaked that she was looking for Desiree. Cooperation had dried up, and things had gotten real quiet—the eerie dead calm found in the eye of a storm.
Dirty Monty’s would be her last stop of the night. By the time she’d get to the sleazy bar, it’d be in full swing. On her way there, she cruised the side streets around the bar looking for Harper’s ’65 Mustang, but came up empty. She made a mental note to try the crime-scene parking lot later—the last place she wanted to find his vehicle. Even though the cops probably weren’t looking for Harper’s Mustang, locating it at the scene of a grizzly murder would be another damning nail in his coffin.
So far tonight, she’d discovered nothing that would help Harper. And frustration closed in tight.
After she’d found a prime spot to park the blue van, a block down from Dirty Monty’s, she hoped her luck had changed, but that didn’t happen either. Not one waitress recalled seeing Harper, but a young bleached blonde shared her thoughts on what she’d like to do to the boy after seeing his photo on her phone.
“Thanks, honey,” Jess raised an eyebrow. “I’ll let him know. And just between you and me? Nothing says true love like a ball gag and paddle.”
Oblivious to her sarcasm, the woman grinned, but before she walked off to serve drinks, Jess asked, “I need to talk to one of the bartenders. Which one?”
The waitress pointed to one of the guys behind the bar. “Try Jake Cordell. He’s a prick, but he’s in charge.”
“They usually are.” She tossed a tip on the woman’s serving tray. “Thanks.”
Jess claimed a barstool nearest Cordell and started a conversation with him. At first, the stout spiky-haired man with a nose ring had no recollection of the night Seth had been there. The guy hardly looked at Harper’s digital photo when she held up her phone, but he kept up his end of the conversation as he served drinks.
“I see a lot of faces in a night. Sorry, lady. Don’t remember him.”
Money might jog his memory, but she opted for a cheaper tactic—lying.
“The kid got into a car accident leaving here,” she said. “I do investigative work for his insurance company. They hired me to look into his DUI. I’m only trying to save you the hassle.”
The bartender stopped and gave his full attention. “What hassle?”
“I’ve seen this before. A kid has too much to drink and everyone comes lookin’ for the guy who let him get that way. Insurance is one thing, but civil lawsuits can get real ugly, man. When they arrested him, his blood-alcohol level was off the scale.”
“No way, he only had a few beers.” The man’s memory suddenly became crystal clear. He tossed a wet rag onto the counter, ignoring a patron tinkling his raised glass for a refill. “And besides, he had a buddy take him home. I saw ’em leave.”
“What did this buddy look like?” she asked.
“Oh hell, I don’t know.” He nudged his head to the other bartender, getting him to handle the insistent man with the hoisted glass, and kept talking. “The only reason I remembered your guy in the photo was because he made a scene. He nearly passed out, but someone came forward to help. He acted like a friend, but I never got a good look at him. Last I seen ’em, they were headin’ out the door, and your guy was walking…sort of.”
“So according to you, he only had a few beers. Yet he almost pulled a face plant and needed assistance to walk? That doesn’t make sense. Which is it? Was he drunk or not?”
“Lady, I have no idea. I know what I served him. Maybe the kid had the flu.”
The bartender stepped aside to serve a drink, but he soon came back with more.
“I only remember one thing about the guy who hauled him out last night.” He raised his beefy arm, giving her a visual aid by pointing to his biceps. “He had a tattoo on his arm, right here. I never got a good look, but from a distance, it looked like something with a black curve to it. Maybe a letter or a snake.”
She pressed him for more, but the guy came up dry. A tattoo of a black curve—a letter or snake—was the best he could do. It wasn’t much, but more than she’d had.
“Do you know a woman named Desiree? Was she in last night when the kid was?”
Nose Ring Boy gave her the stink eye. Clearly she’d hit a nerve. At first, she wasn’t sure he’d answer. Eventually, he did.
“Yeah I know who she is, but that girl is seriously messed up. She sells it for crank. If she was here last night, I didn’t see her. Last time I saw her, I told her to beat it.”
“When was that?”
“Maybe a month ago. I caught her working outside, in front of the bar. She’d hit up guys as they left. And she’d settle business in an alley down the block. Blow and go.”
If what he’d told her was true, that meant Desiree might be freelancing, working without a pimp. No pimp would allow her to skim off enough to feed a habit. That would take low dollar and high volume, not a pretty picture and a real dangerous lifestyle. But the bartender avoided her eyes as he wiped down the bar. He was hiding something.
“Yeah, I can see how you’d be upset. Dirty Monty’s has such an upstanding reputation. A hooker would only spoil the ambience.” She cocked her head, letting him know she wasn’t buying any of it. “You mean she never gave you a piece of the action for letting her conduct business out front?”
The guy took in a heavy breath, still having trouble looking her in the eye.
“Look, I don’t begrudge anyone a livin’.” He lowered his voice even though the place was loud enough, staying out of earshot of those at the bar. “And I’m all for free enterprise. She came to me first. All she asked me to do was keep my mouth shut about what she was doin’.”
“For a piece of the action.” Jess pushed him to admit it.
“I never saw it that way. For me, she was only feedin’ the ti
p jar.” He rattled the nearby glass decanter, filled with dollar bills and coins.
Jess had enough of his smug attitude. She leaned closer, putting her elbows on the bar. “You ever take it out in trade?”
She’d hit another soft spot. Score one for the home team. He shut his eyes tight and shook his head, no doubt regretting having started the conversation.
“Yeah, from time to time, she’d do me for free. What about it? It was consensual. She said she couldn’t get enough of the old kielbasa.” He shrugged with a smirk. “Me? I chalked it up to quality control. The girl doesn’t look like much, but she has a lip-lock that makes your eyes water.”
Thankfully, he shifted gears. “But I started gettin’ complaints from the customers. Crank makes her crazy. Real paranoid. I was afraid someone might call the cops. And I knew if that bitch got hauled in, she’d spill her guts on anybody. And with our history, she’d drag me in out of spite.”
“Yeah, I can see how you’d be concerned, you being completely innocent and all.”
He shrugged again, ignoring her cynicism.
“Anyway, I kicked her ass out, and I hadn’t seen her back. End of story.” He pointed a finger at her. “I never did nothin’ illegal. She did me for free, and it’s her word against mine on anythin’ else. Who’d believe a crank whore?”
The jerk walked away, saying, “I gotta get back to work.”
Good move. Jess had heard all she could stand from the arrogant ass. She questioned a couple more waitresses but came up empty. Time to call it a night.
With her ears ringing and her clothes smelling of smoke, Jess needed a breath of fresh air. She had a lot on her mind as she walked out the front door of Dirty Monty’s. How did Mandy Vincent turn into a pathetic street urchin named Desiree? And what connection did this woman have to Seth Harper? A part of her was scared to know the truth—the part with the nagging voice that questioned who Harper really was. He had too many secrets. And although she’d given him plenty of opportunity to speak up, he refused to share.
She reached for the car keys in her jean jacket, but as she headed for her van, a hulking man blocked her path, his ugly mug mercifully steeped in shadow. And another man, who looked Middle Eastern, leaned against a truck parked on the street, sucking on a cigarette. He tossed his smoke aside and joined the one who stood in her way.
Jess held her ground, assessing her options. She felt the weight of the Colt Python holstered under her jacket. But if she played her cards right, she wouldn’t have to use it. Her backup plan had more potential to bail her out. She slipped a hand into her pocket, taking hold of the M84 stun grenade.
If the guys were the Welcome Wagon for the block, she wanted to make a good first impression.
With a smile, she said, “If you boys hurry, you can still make karaoke hour.”
♥ Uploaded by Coral ♥
CHAPTER 6
“I hear you been looking for Desiree,” the smoker said in accented English. “Who are you? And what’s your interest in her?”
Dark skin with piercing eyes and a prominent nose, the guy kept his distance. Real cagey.
“Because I can see we’re going to be such good friends, you can call me by my first name, Oprah. And my interest is personal.” Inside her jacket pocket, she wrapped her fingers around the M84 stun grenade canister, feeling for the detonation pin and lever.
“Not good enough.” The taller man joined the conversation. “And for the record, attitude don’t work with us.”
Jess sized up the two men. What Beef Boy lacked in gray matter, he made up for with brute strength and the ego of a bully who hadn’t been bested. He was posturing to impress her with his bulk, but she had no doubt he worked for the smaller man with the nasty nicotine habit. And if things got dicey, the smoker would be the man to watch. He had the cold unreadable eyes of a predator who didn’t have to prove himself.
“I got mixed feelings on that,” she said. “Bad news is, I gotta toss out all my best material ’cause attitude is all I got. But on the plus side, that means I’ve got nothin’ to say.”
She tried sidestepping the muscle, but he blocked her, saying, “We ain’t done.” His right eye twitched like a warning blinker.
“Then make your point. I might cooperate if we had a little give-and-take.” She directed her question to the smoker. “What’s your interest in Desiree? Does she work for you, or is she a good customer?”
From what the bartender told her, she didn’t figure Desiree had a pimp, but she didn’t want to make assumptions. If she had to guess, she’d put money that this guy was her dealer. Yet why would he take a personal interest in a small-time streetwalker turning tricks for product? More questions stirred in her mind than she had answers.
But one loomed larger than the rest.
Desiree had made herself scarce for a reason. Being a hooker with an addiction, she’d made a tough decision to lie low. What had scared her enough to stray from the demons she knew? Jess had a feeling the girl knew what had happened to Harper and didn’t want to get dragged into it. Or maybe she’d set him up in the first place in exchange for money to feed her habit. Another real possibility. Jess knew that when she located the troubled girl, any answers she’d give would give her no more than a fifty-fifty shot at helping Seth.
Finding Desiree would either prove his innocence or lock him in a box for life.
“You’re not understanding how things work here.” The smoker lowered his voice and stepped forward. His version of “less is more” had worked. “I ask the questions, and you answer. If you can’t abide by this, then you’ve got a serious problem.”
She kept her mouth shut for two reasons. One, if this asshole believed he had the upper hand, he might let his guard down enough to let her stun grenade do the talking. And two, keeping her trap shut gave her time to think up a lie worthy of her fierce skills.
“Now tell me why you’re looking for Desiree,” the smoker persisted.
The side of beef to his right crossed his arms, grimacing in thought. Apparently, thinking was a challenge.
“She’s my sister.” She shrugged. “Half sister, actually. Our mother wanted me to track her down. Any idea where I can find her?”
Jess always appreciated the irony in faking sincerity.
“What do I look like…4–1–1?” The big guy smirked. His face made the effort look like it hurt. “I ain’t interested in makin’ this a family reunion.”
“That’s too bad. Havin’ you in our family would’ve taken pressure off me bein’ the black sheep.”
Having a finger on a detonator gave her a whole new appreciation for the word “empowered.”
“Just say the word, boss. Gimme a reason.” He reached into his pocket and took out a switchblade. The whisper of its jutting blade caused the hair at the nape of her neck to stand on end. These guys wouldn’t be satisfied with a hand slap.
“You don’t look like the kind of guy who needs a reason to hurt a woman.” She locked eyes with his, not backing down. “I bet you ran with scissors when you were a kid. Didn’t your momma teach you about the danger of sharp objects?”
“I ain’t worried about that, but you should be.” The eye twitched again.
“Taking a knife to an unarmed woman, that’s the mark of a real coward.”
“But it does get your attention, don’t it?”
She stood her ground, her body taut and ready. Timing would be everything.
He clenched his jaw and made a move toward her. Jess clutched the grenade, primed to react, but a man and woman walked out of Dirty Monty’s. They were talking and laughing too loud, a reaction to the noise inside. The man hesitated and stared at the two men next to Jess. And everything came to a grating stop.
“What are you lookin’ at?” Muscle for Brains pocketed his blade and glared until the man backed off without a word.
The two latecomers to the party had assessed the situation and opted not to get involved. They headed around the corner with heads down and t
ails between their legs. In the ‘hood, once the action went down, she’d be on her own. Good Samaritans these days were as rare as a straightforward politician.
“Whoever Desiree was before, she isn’t now,” the smoker reached in his pocket for another cigarette and lit up. “She is no longer your concern. If you’re smart, you’ll walk away. Forget about finding her.”
Anytime the guy opened his mouth, she got a cold chill. He had defused the tension, but she had the feeling he liked to strike when least expected. A primitive-yet-restrained cruelty hardened his words. Unleashed, the guy would do serious damage.
The question was—would he let her walk or would he feel the need to demonstrate?
“I appreciate the advice. And I’ll certainly give your words of wisdom all the consideration they’re due.” Her friendly way of saying—hell, no, and mind your own damned business. “But I still need to find her.”
Admittedly, she could have played it smarter. Provoking the guy wasn’t the mark of a sane woman. The problem was that Jess wanted more from their exchange than these men were willing to give her voluntarily. Harper needed results—and answers. If she played the trump in her pocket, she had options—her way.
“Then you leave me no choice,” he said, his voice low.
For the first time, the smoker curved his lips into a nicotine-stained grin. All in all, she wished he hadn’t. She had enough trouble sleeping.
“That makes two of us.” Jess fixed her eyes on him, sending the man a clear message that he’d misread her. She saw that he’d gotten the message, but his hired muscle wasn’t a man of subtlety. Without waiting for an order, the big guy made his move.
And so did she.
The man lunged for her, his meaty hand reaching for her throat. With her left arm, she blocked his attack and grabbed his wrist. A quick yank and she wrenched his arm, thrusting it back. The move caught him off-balance. He compensated with a shift of his body, but as he leaned, she cocked her hip and swung a leg behind him. His momentum dumped him onto the sidewalk, slamming him hard to the concrete.