by F J messina
“Sonia.” It was Brad, his voice terse. “Big trouble. I’ll explain later, but it turns out that Carla Lombardi is the one who killed Victor, and now she’s after Davey. It’s past seven. That means his plane has already landed. Do you know where he lives?”
Sonia was instantly alert. “No, I don’t. I don’t.”
“Babe, we’ve got to get someone out there fast. Someone who can keep Davey safe. Where are you?”
“I just left the office, headed to watch Missy. Her place is on Lakeshore. I’m almost there now.”
“Where’s Jet?”
“She’s out at The Embers, where you told me to send her.” Sonia pulled her car to the curb and switched her phone screen to Google Maps.
“Damn, that’s right. That’s around the top of New Circle Road. Where’s Tee?”
Sonia’s voice reflected the tension in Brad’s. “She said she was going to get something to eat. I think she’s up at Saul Good.”
“Listen. I’m going to put in an emergency call to my buddies─”
“Don’t bother. I just found it. He lives in an apartment on Village Green Ave, that’s out in Hamburg─maybe ten minutes from here.”
“Isn’t there a Saul Good up there, too? Do you think that’s where Tee is?”
Sonia was already doing a three-point turn, palming the wheel hard. “Yes, I’m pretty sure that’s where she went.” Sonia sensed the strength in Brad’s voice and was aware of it in her own. They were two partners, two equals, working together to save a life. “I’m going to call Tee and send her to Davey’s right now. Then I’m heading up there myself.”
“Copy that. Village Green Ave, near Hamburg, right?
“Yes.”
“Be there soon.”
Tee was sitting on a bench just inside a cool, local place called Saul Good. The atmosphere was relaxed but somewhat up-scale. Still, Tee knew that for nine bucks she could get a small, take-out pizza and a drink. She liked the fact that their pizzas were all unusual, Thai, and stuff like that─right up her alley. Her phone rang just after she got her order in.
“Tee.” The voice on the other end was abrupt. “It’s Sonia. This is critical. I need you to drop everything and go to where Davey Rasmussen lives.” The words came out rapid fire. “Carla Lombardi is the one who killed Victor. Now she’s after Davey. I need you to get there as soon as possible to warn him.”
Tee was momentarily caught off guard. “Okay, but I just─”
“Tee! Drop everything. Go. If Carla gets there first, you may be too late. Go. Go now. I’ll text you the address.”
Tee stood up, a little dazed. She looked around for the hostess, but the young woman was not at her station. Not knowing what else to do, Tee reached into her jeans pocket, pulled out a crumpled ten-dollar bill and threw it on the hostess stand. She hustled out of the restaurant and headed for her car. Jumping in, she checked her phone. Sonia had already texted her the address.
As Brad talked to Sonia on the phone, Belcher sat still, watching, enthralled, as if he were part of some sort of TV show or action movie. When Brad stood and motioned for him to follow, Belcher did exactly as he was told, no questions asked.
“Okay, Steven. Here, put your hand on the refrigerator door handle.”
“Okay.”
“Good.” Brad took one of the plastic ties he had with him out of his pocket. He slipped it through the refrigerator handle and around Belcher’s wrist.
“Hey? What the hell are you doing?”
Brad smiled at Belcher while he worked quickly. “Come on, Steven. Did you really think that since you told me the whole story about you and Carla things were all good now?”
“I guess not. But . . . .”
“Listen. This way if you get thirsty or something, all you have to do is open the door. I’m sure you’ve got something worth drinking in there.”
“Yeah, but what if I have to─”
“Steven. That’s your problem.” Brad was wrapping up as quickly as he could. “As you can tell. I’ve got to get somewhere fast. Listen, I’ll call the police─” Brad stopped, interrupting his own speech. He knew he couldn’t call the police, not yet. He looked around the kitchen, finally finding a large pot, the kind you might cook spaghetti in. He walked quickly over to the stove, picked up the pot, then laid it on the floor next to Belcher. “You might be here for a while.” Brad turned and headed for the front door. “Hope you’ve got more than beer in that refrigerator, Steve. Probably be some time tomorrow before we get back to you.” He walked quickly out the door, almost running, climbed into his car, and was on his way to Davey’s apartment.
Though it felt like an eternity to her, it took Tee only a few minutes to find Village Green Avenue. Watching the apartment unit numbers go by, Tee instinctively stopped a half-block before she reached Davey Rasmussen’s apartment, which was on her left. She looked at her watch, seven fifty-seven. Remembering that Davey was supposed to arrive back in Lexington from the UAE right around seven o’clock that evening, she assumed he would be driving up to his apartment in the next few minutes.
Unclear as to what she was looking for, but determined to carry out her part of this rescue plan, Tee climbed out of her old Chevy Caprice, crossed the street, and began walking nonchalantly down the block. As she passed Davey’s apartment, she realized there was a car parked across the street, on the right. Though the inside of the car was dark, Tee was pretty certain there was a woman in it. A chill, a deep chill, ran through her body.
Calming herself, Tee made the instant decision to keep on walking. As she did, she casually slipped her phone out of the back pocket of her snug jeans. She hit FAVORITES, then tapped on a picture of Sonia’s face.
“Yes, Tee. I’m almost there. Everything okay?”
“Sonia. There’s a woman in a car waiting across the street from Davey’s place. I can’t see her clearly. But I can tell, it’s not some young girl. It’s an older woman. I’m pretty sure it’s Carla.”
“Don’t do anything, Tee. Promise me you won’t do anything. And for God’s sake, don’t let her see you. She might recognize you. Just wait for me to get there. Find a place where you can see the woman without her seeing you, then just keep watching.”
“But, what if she─”
“Tee! Don’t do anything. Carla has come there to kill Davey. She’s got to have a weapon of some kind, probably a gun. I don’t want you getting hurt. Just stay on the line. Keep watching her. Keep talking to me. I’m on Liberty Road. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
While she was talking to Tee on the phone, Sonia, who had taken a back route to the very busy Hamburg area, was speeding along curvy, winding, Liberty Road. With no concern for the speed limit, she approached a traffic signal that was glowing red. She blew right through it, turning left across traffic. Fifteen seconds later, frustrated, she waited for two cars to pass before she could take one last left. The next turn to the right was Davey’s street.
Sonia saw Tee’s car and pulled up behind it. “Okay, Tee. I’m parked behind your car. I’m getting out. Where are you?”
“I’m at the end of the block, on the left side of the street, tucked behind some bushes. I doubt that you can see me.”
“No, I can’t. Just stay still. I can see a car in front of me. Some sort of dark sedan. Is that the car?”
“Yes. I haven’t seen any movement. I’m pretty sure she’s still in there.”
Now that Sonia felt Tee was safe, she wanted to take advantage of the fact that her quarry was unaware of Sonia’s presence. She bent down close to her steering wheel and pulled her .38 out of the holster around her ankle. She sat up and took a deep breath. “Okay, Tee. Here we go. I’m going to try to catch her off guard. Let’s hope she doesn’t have her weapon in her hand or anything and I can take her into custody without a hassle.
“Sonia, can’t we just wait for Brad?”
Sonia thought for a moment. That would be a lot simpler and safer for her. “No. I can’t take the chance that Da
vey shows up and Carla gets out of the car. Once she does that, we might get caught in a real shoot-out. God knows how that might turn out. No, I’ve got to take advantage of the fact that we have the element of surprise. I’m going in. If anything goes wrong, hang up and call 911 right way. Don’t you dare come running at us. Got it?”
“Please, Sonia, be careful.”
Sonia’s car might have made good time on its way to Tee and Davey’s place. It was nothing compared to the way Brad maneuvered the ‘Vette. Seventy, eighty, ninety miles per hour, blowing through red lights, screeching around corners. He was determined to get there before Sonia or anyone else got hurt.
Sonia got out of her Subaru, walked in front of it to the passenger side, and stepped up onto the curb and then the sidewalk. Walking as calmly as she could, she approached the dark sedan, pretty certain it was some kind of old Ford, or maybe nondescript Chevy. She couldn’t help but stop when she saw the silhouette of a woman’s head in the car. She thought it was strange that Tee was right, that even without direct light she could somehow tell that it wasn’t the head and shoulders of a young woman she was looking at.
She started walking again, her pistol at her side, remembering all the instruction she had received about keeping her finger off the trigger until the moment she was sure she was going to fire. The thirty or so steps it took for her to reach the car seemed like the longest walk she’d ever taken. Eventually, she was standing on the sidewalk, at the right rear of the darkened car. She closed her eyes. Okay, Sonia. It’s now or never. She stepped forward, turned, bent over, and pointed the gun at the woman in the car.
Having taken the same route Sonia had, Brad was finally on Liberty Road. Same curvy, winding road, same dangerous places to pass other vehicles. Bigger engine, lighter car. The ‘Vette flew down the street, eating it up in mere minutes. He made the same screeching, illegal turn at the light that Sonia had. Just a minute or two until he’d get there.
“Carla Lombardi!” Sonia was surprised at the volume of her own energized voice. “Don’t move! Stay still! Raise your hands!”
“AHHH!” The woman in the car screamed in fright. Even in the darkness of the vehicle, Sonia thought she could make out the fear on the woman’s face. “All right! All right! Just don’t shoot! Please don’t shoot me!”
Sonia leaned forward and opened the passenger side door. “You just stay still, Carla. You just stay still. I’m not here to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” She was pointing the gun right at the woman, something she had never done before, something she had hoped she would never have to do. Unfortunately, Sonia was now chagrined to find that she had approached the car from the wrong side. Sure, it was easier to sneak up on the woman from that side, but now she didn’t quite know how to get the woman out of the car without putting herself in danger. Fighting to keep the gun from shaking in her hand, she took a deep breath and plowed on. “Okay. Carla. I want you to gently open your door and step out of the car. Just remember. I’ve got my gun pointed right at you and I’m pretty damn sure you’re armed. If you make the slightest move I’m going to have to shoot. Please don’t make me shoot you, Carla.”
The woman did as she was told. When she had, she stood, hands raised, looking over the top of the car at Sonia. “Please. Please don’t hurt me. But I’m not Carla. I don’t even know who Carla is. I’m Sherry. Sherry Rasmussen. I’m just waiting for my son Davey to come home. He’s coming home from the airport. I’m just here to welcome him home. Please don’t hurt him. If you have to, please shoot me, but please don’t hurt him.”
Sonia was stunned. She’d never met Sherry. For that matter, she’d never met Carla. Was this really Sherry, Victor’s ex-wife, or was this a bluff?
Tee watched from down the street. She held her breath as she saw Sonia bend over and point her gun at the woman in the car. Sonia’s voice was so loud Tee could actually hear everything Sonia shouted at the woman. She was drawn to what was happening. She began walking slowly down the street, closer and closer to Sonia and the car. She watched the woman get out of the car, her hands raised, talking to Sonia over the top of the car, though she couldn’t quite hear what she was saying.
Suddenly, a car turned the corner. Headlights on, it spilled light across the whole scene─a woman standing by her car, hands raised, while another woman held a gun on her.
The car pulled to a screeching stop. A man─young, tall, blond-haired, well-dressed─jumped out. “Mom! Mom! Are you okay?” He ran toward his mother─a strange but instinctual attempt at protecting her.
Sonia was shocked. Her eyes wide. Her whole system in over-drive. She turned the gun toward the man in self-defense. “Stop! Stop right there! Stop so nobody gets hurt!”
Tee was mesmerized by the scene playing out in front of her─Sonia holding a gun on the woman, a strong, young man jumping out of the car, running at them. It was wild, crazy. She kept walking slowly toward the center of the storm.
Just as she heard Sonia yell, “Stop so nobody gets hurt,” Tee saw a reflection out of the corner of her eye, a glint, some movement. She turned to look. To her horror, it was the real Carla Lombardi, the woman she had interviewed days ago at McCullen’s, the woman she now knew had murdered Victor Rasmussen. What she held in her hand, what had glinted in the street light, was a gun, a silver-plated gun, and she was pointing it right at somebody. She looked ready to shoot.
Tee didn’t know what to do. Her mind flashed with images of guns and blood and death. She froze for a second. Pure adrenaline kicked in. She screamed. “Sonia!! Look out!!”
The sound shocked everyone, including Carla, who hesitated then turned. She looked right at Tee. She raised the weapon. She fired. BLAM.
Fortunately, it was a long and not-well-prepared shot. Still, Tee heard the bullet whip past her. She gasped. Diving into a space between two buildings, she tried to find real shelter, she tried to stay low, she tried not to die.
Sonia heard the scream. It stopped her. She turned toward the sound. Then she heard the shot. It had the opposite effect. Realizing that someone was shooting at Tee, at her little sister, the little girl that Sonia had taught to braid her own hair and how to flirt with boys, she flew into action. Running right at Carla Lombardi, Sonia traveled twenty yards in a split second. Getting close enough, while at the same time watching Carla turn the handgun on her, Sonia stopped. Drawing on every bit of self-discipline she could, she took in a breath, whispered to herself, “squeeze don’t jerk,” and pulled the trigger. BLAM. The gun jumped in her hand. She focused. “Squeeze don’t jerk.” BLAM. And again. BLAM. And again. BLAM. Carla grabbed her chest with the first shot. She stumbled to her knees with the second. Within seconds, Sonia watched her crumple to the ground as if someone or something had simply turned off every function of her brain.
49
The sound of the gun rang in her ears. The smell of cordite filled her nostrils. Her hand felt the tingle that came from firing her weapon. Sonia was frozen, her gun still pointed in Carla’s direction.
A car screeched around the corner. Another pair of headlights. More light on the now-eerie scene. Sonia turned. A low-slung car, dark. A big man flying out of it, running toward her. Something dark in his hand. New sounds in her ears. “Sonia, Sonia, babe. Are you ok?”
It took a second before Sonia recognized the voice, Brad’s voice. “I’m okay.” She’d spoken so softly she was the only one who had heard it.
Brad got to her, his eyes searching the scene, trying to understand. A dark car sitting by the curb. Another, newer car, door open, lights on, still running. A young man holding an older woman close, the woman’s face buried in his chest. Tee walking gingerly toward something or someone crumpled on the ground. And Sonia. Sonia, standing seemingly shell shocked, her pistol in her hand, tears running down her face. Holstering his own weapon, he gently reached out and took her gun, slipping it into his pocket. He pulled her close to him.
“I,” Sonia’s voice was shaky. “I shot her.” She looked into Brad’s brig
ht blue eyes. “I shot her, Brad. I think I killed her.” There was disbelief in her voice. “I think I killed someone.”
Brad put his hand on the back of her head and pulled it close to his chest. “Yes, babe, you shot someone. You also saved Davey. You saved his life.”
Sonia pulled her head away from his chest while he held her tight. She tried to look around her. “And Tee, Brad. Is Tee okay? She shot at Tee and I couldn’t help it, I couldn’t stop. I, I had to do something. I ran at her. I shot. I shot and shot and shot. Brad?”
“Tee’s okay.” Brad pulled her head back to his chest, muffling any words she might say. As he did, he noticed Tee walking toward him slowly, carrying something. He also saw the young man helping the older woman sit down on the curb. The man was speaking softly to her, comforting her.
Tee finally stepped close. She looked at Brad and motioned with her head. “That’s Davey. I think the woman may be his mom.”
Sonia’s head popped up. “Tee.” She ripped herself out of Brad’s arms and threw her own around Tee, frantic. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Tee, are you okay?”
Tee was calm, overly calm. “I’m okay Sonia. Really. I’m okay. You?”
Sonia pulled back as if she were going to say something to Tee. She didn’t. She just pulled Tee close again and hugged her as hard as she could.
Brad looked at Tee. He gave a nod of recognition toward the woman. “You’re right. That’s Sherry Rasmussen, Davey’s mom.” He motioned at the crumpled body lying on the grass across the street. “Carla?”
Tee twisted her lips. “Yeah, Carla. She was here for Davey, but Sonia ruined the plan.” She raised her hand, holding Carla’s handgun gingerly between her fingertips. “Then she shot at me and Sonia shot her. Shot her three or four times.” She shook her head, “I called 911, but I’m pretty sure she’s gone.”