The evening light was fading as she drove alone. It had been a while since she had been on her own, and was quite enjoying the solitude. She had decided that the best thing to do that night would be to order a Chinese take-out, have a shower, and watch some mindless TV shows while relaxing on the sofa.
She pulled into her driveway thinking about out what food to order. Her ritual of unlocking the locks on the front door in a certain sequence was performed in a kind of autopilot mode. Even though she would have to unlock them again when her food order arrived, she reversed the ritual, ensuring she was secure in her abode.
Click. She flicked the light switch. Nothing happened. Click, click. Nothing.
“Oh great, a power outage,” she muttered, and started towards the kitchen, where she kept a flashlight in one of the drawers. As she passed through the living room she never noticed two dark, shadowy figures standing near the sofa until she was in the middle of the room.
What was that? flashed through her mind as she realized someone was in her apartment. In one swift movement she spun around and whipped her gun up to point it directly at the intruders. Without warning, a hand appeared from the behind her and pushed her weapon down, causing her to fire a round into the floor. She tried to bring the gun up and get another shot off but the person had a firm grip on her wrist. Thinking quick, with all her strength she brought her left hand up and slammed the palm upwards under the chin of the attacker, sending him flying backwards, releasing his grip.
She swung her gun up. Wham! The force of a right hook sent her to the ground. She sprawled across the floor and a well-placed foot on her wrist stopped her attempting another shot.
“Enough!” she heard a voice shout. “Get her up and put her in the chair.”
The shadowy figures descended on her. One grabbed the weapon from her grip while the other dragged her up. The sudden raising of her already spinning head sent her into a semiconscious state. Unable to make any kind of protest, she flopped into the chair and passed out.
***
When she came to, she instinctively tried to stand up, but couldn’t. Her hands had been handcuffed behind the chair back and her ankles had been secured to the legs of the chair with duct tape. She tried to shout, but a piece of duct tape over her mouth suppressed the sound to a muffled mumble.
Through blurred vision she looked around the dark room. After a few moments she realized she was in her living room. Well, I haven’t been kidnapped, she thought. She could just make out a figure sitting on the sofa opposite to where she sat, and could sense that there was someone standing right behind her.
“If we remove the tape, are you going to shout?” the figure in front of her asked.
She shook her head, her eyes staring straight forward in defiance of the intruder. The man waved his fingers to the person behind her, who leaned forward, grabbed the corner of the tape and ripped it off, leaving her lips with a burning, tingly feeling.
“Ouch! You mother fucker.” She turned to glare at the tall, muscular figure. “What the fuck is going?” She moved her mouth around, trying to get some feeling back.
Click. The figure on the sofa turned a table lamp on and leaned forward. The light hurt her eyes, and she squinted to focus on the person. As the realization of who it was sank in, she sighed.
“Franco Baresi. Thank fuck it’s you.” She smiled.
“Well, that’s not the usual response I get.” He looked confused.
“That’s because most people don’t know what a demented fucker you are, and the fact that I’m still alive means you want something from me.” She sat back in her chair as best as she could.
“Very astute, Detective Hernandez. You are, of course, correct. Let me reassure you that I am not here to harm you. On the other hand, if you call me a demented fucker again, I may have to re-evaluate the situation.” He laughed. Pointing at her, he looked at the man standing behind her. “Can you believe the balls of this one?”
“Yeah, huge balls, boss,” the man mumbled through a snigger. “Nice tits, too.” He looked at the man standing at the side of him and nudged him. “Am I right?”
“Hey, hey, hey, Tony! Show some fucking respect!” Baresi ordered.
“Sorry, boss,” he sheepishly replied, lowering his head like a scolded schoolboy.
“You want to cut to the chase and tell me why you’re here?” she snarled, as she looked around to see if there was any way to get out of this situation.
“I like that; straight to the point. Okay, first of all, I apologize for the manner in which this meeting is taking place.” He held his arms out with the palms of his hands face up. “I was concerned you might say no if I just called you up and asked to meet.”
“No problem. I much prefer it this way; getting jumped and knocked out in my own home gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.” Turning towards Tony she smiled. “Was that you that did that, Tony?”
“Sorry about that,” he muttered, and shrugged. “Just doing my job.”
“No problem, you did an excellent job.” She nodded to his crotch. “Although, the minute I’m free I am going to kick you in your peanut-sized balls.”
Franco laughed. “I fucking love this girl!”
“I think you’re great too. Shall we go to a bar and continue this conversation there? Have a few cocktails, maybe some chicken wings? Spend some time, get to know each other? Who knows where it might end.” She rolled her eyes. “Or, you could tell me what you want, then untie me and get the fuck out of my house.”
Franco stared at her and edged forward on the sofa. “I’m here to find out about a mutual friend… Coop.”
“What about Coop? Are you responsible for his murder?” Her eyes widened. Her muscles tensed and she pulled at the restraints.
“Whoa, calm down. Coop was my friend.” He signaled to the bodyguards to back away. All three took a step back. “He was my best friend. I’m here to find out what happened to him.” Leaning his elbows on his knees, he clasped his hands together, pointing both index fingers at her. “So, what happened to him?”
“Coop was friends with a piece of shit like you?” she huffed. “Do me a favor. Don’t bullshit me.”
He edged even closer to her and lowered his voice. In a calm tone that made it seem even more sinister he iterated, “So far I have been reasonably pleasant. I am giving you leeway, as we have intruded into your home and, to a certain degree, forced you into a conversation. However, if you continue to insult me with vulgarity, that will change very quickly. Do I make myself clear?”
She realized she had pushed him too far. So far she had disguised the fact that she was scared so much that even she had started to believe her charade. But now his chilling tone shook her to her core. She knew of this guy’s reputation and therefore, knew it was time to cooperate as much as possible.
“I just find it hard to believe that Coop would be friends with you.” She shrugged.
“We grew up together. I went into the family business and he went…” He paused and shrugged. “Well, he did his thing. We kept in touch, obviously away from prying eyes. He was like a brother to me, and the only person I would ever listen to.”
She looked at him, really studying his facial expressions. The way his eyes dilated and contracted when he spoke. He was speaking with real emotion and genuine feelings. “My God, you’re serious!” she exclaimed.
“Why else would I be here?” He raised one eyebrow. “He told me he was working on something with you. Looking for guys that hurt kids. Is that what got him killed?”
Maria stared down at her knees. She still felt responsible for the old man’s murder. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek. She tried to wipe it on her shoulder, not wanting to show any weakness to her captors. “Yes.”
He pulled a silk handkerchief from the breast pocket of his suit, leaned forward, and wiped her cheek. “When you find out who did this, I need to know before you take him in.”
She looked at him to make sure she understood what he was
suggesting. “I’m a fucking cop, not a vigilante. I can’t do that.” She pulled away from his hand.
“If you want justice for Coop, proper justice for him,” he sat back on the sofa, “then that is exactly what you will do.” He pointed at her again. “He spoke very highly of you, said you were good people.”
Maria was confused by this whole thing. It was becoming too much for her.
“We’re going to leave now. Let’s keep this meeting between us.” He pulled out a card from his inside pocket and placed it on the sofa and tapped it. “My card is here. You need anything,” he emphasized, “anything at all, call me. I sometimes come across information that the police don’t.” He sat forward again. “I want to be very clear about this. Finding this guy is my priority right now. Coop was family, and nobody whacks a family member without paying the price.”
He nodded to the three men behind her. They moved forward and began cutting the tape and unlocking the cuffs. Franco stood up and held out his hand. She reached out and he helped her to her feet.
“Sorry it had to be like this, but I needed to make sure I had your attention.” He kissed the back of her hand. “Make sure you call me.”
She was still confused and scared, but continued to act nonchalant about the whole thing. “I’ll see what turns up.” She nodded towards the door. “Now get the fuck out of my house.”
Franco smiled and shook his head. He signaled for his men to follow. As they walked to the door, Maria followed them. The nearest one to her his rubbed his chin.
“You’ve got a damn good left hand there, girlie,” he said in appreciation.
They reached the door when she called out, “Just one more thing.”
They all stopped and turned around. She walked straight up to Tony and with a smug smile on her face swiftly connected the toe of her shoe in the delicate area with great velocity, sending the thug to his knees in excruciating pain.
Franco laughed out loud. “I told you that girl has balls. I fucking love this girl!” He pointed at her. “You make sure you call me.” Then he signaled to the other bodyguards. “Pick him up and let’s get out of here.”
He walked down the driveway, still laughing.
The Genesis Chamber
Chapter 34
Coop’s Diner had lost all of its charm since his passing, as far as Maria was concerned. It just wasn’t the same without the man himself there. The food was still good; if she was honest, it was better. Beth had taken over the day-to-day running of the place while the family decided what to do with it. Since she had been in charge, she had employed three new chefs, taken on four new waitresses, and organized a work schedule. The new girls were young and attractive, and were already a massive hit with the regulars and new customers that seemed to be frequenting the place more and more. It didn’t go unnoticed to her that since Beth had been in charge, the place had gotten a lot busier.
As she sat waiting patiently for Andy, she went in the pocket of her summer jacket and pulled out the card that Franco had given her the previous evening. She toyed with it in her hand, reading the information on it occasionally. Aside from the dull ache in her jaw from the punch, this was the only evidence she had to say she had been visited by the mobster. She had decided to keep the incident to herself, for the time being at least. She didn’t know why; maybe it was her instinct, but she had a feeling she could trust this guy. Perhaps it was because he had been a close friend of Coop’s. Even if that is what it was, it was a weird instinct for a cop, trusting a known mafia boss.
As she thought about how surreal the whole situation was, her eyes wandered around the busy diner again. She guessed there were nearly eighty people in the place, but a lone male diner caught her attention. He stood out from everybody else because of his immaculately tailored suit and patent-leather shoes. He looks out of place in here, she thought. He’s not here to jack the place; nobody wears patent-leather shoes to pull off a robbery.
He was busy reading the morning paper, and for the briefest of moments he looked up from the paper and they made eye contact. He immediately diverted his eyes back to the paper and shifted sideways, like he was trying to hide something. Her mind went into overdrive. Am I being paranoid? she questioned herself. Here was a guy having a coffee and reading the paper before a hard day at the office. Stop turning everyone into a criminal, she chastised herself. She looked again at the card in her hand.
“Morning,” Andy said. She hadn’t seen him come in and was surprised to find him sitting next to her with a stack of papers in his hand. “Wow, you look tired,” he commented.
“Didn’t get much sleep last night,” she answered discreetly, putting the card in her pocket in case he saw who it was from.
“You should slow down a bit,” he said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You’re going to burn yourself out before you know it.”
“Maybe I will as soon as I’ve solved this case.” She glanced at the suited male and caught him looking back at her. He quickly went back to the paper. Is he watching me?
“I’m sorry I couldn’t speak when you called last night. I was busy sorting this out and getting nowhere.” He waved the papers in her direction. “So, what’s going on?” he asked, but she hadn’t heard him due to being distracted.
“What?” She looked at him.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he inquired, looking concerned.
“Yeah, sure. It’s… it’s this case. It’s a strange one.” She finished her coffee in one mouthful.
“Aren’t they all?” He got the attention of one of the waitresses and signaled for more coffee. “What’s the latest developments?”
“Oh, yeah, the kid made contact. I’m meeting him at ten at Richmond Park.” She looked over at where the guy in the suit had sat, but he had left.
“The kid that was at Dad’s shooting?” he asked.
“The very same.” She looked at her watch and got up. “Listen, I’d better get going. I’ve got to get to the office and let Regan know what we’re up to today.”
“We?” he probed.
“Yes, we.” She looked sheepish. “Travis has been temporarily transferred while this case is open.”
“Have I lost my partner?” he queried.
“No. Not at all,” she reassured him. “You’ve got things to sort out here, and you know you can’t get too involved in this one.”
“I know.” He smiled. “I’m just playing with you.” He stood up and kissed her on the cheek. “Make sure you get this fucker for us.”
She smiled and walked out of the diner, looking around to see if she could spot the suited guy. He was nowhere to be seen.
***
By the time she arrived at police headquarters, it wasn’t long before she had to be at the park to meet the kid. So she quickly informed the lieutenant of the latest findings, and collected Travis from the CACU They got to the meeting place in good time, so they sat in the comfort of the air-conditioned vehicle.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” he casually said, while looking out of the window. “When this is over, how about you and me go on vacation?”
“Why would I want to go anywhere with you?” she replied, without taking her attention away from looking for the kid.
He turned to face her with the look of a kid who had heard the ice cream truck but had been told no by his mum. “I just thought it might be nice to get away from it all for a while.” He turned his head back to looking out of the window.
“Don’t start sulking.” She smiled to herself. “I’ll think about it later. At the moment this case is my only priority.”
“I bet you look fantastic in a bikini,” he said, without turning his head.
“I do,” she said nonchalantly. Her attention was drawn to something she had spotted in her rearview mirror. “I think I have a visual on the kid.”
He turned in his seat to get a better look out of the rear window. “Yeah, he matches the description. Let’s go talk to him,” he said, as he unbuckled his
seatbelt.
They simultaneously opened the doors and exited the vehicle. The kid stopped in his tracks when he saw the two cops walking towards him.
Maria saw the look of panic on his face. She knew instinctively by the way he quickly scanned the area that he was looking for an escape route. Sensing he was about to run, she pointed at him.
“Hey, kid, police!” she shouted.
The boy looked directly at her, then at Travis.
“He’s going to run,” he said under his breath.
“I know, but which way?” she said.
“We’re about to find out,” he answered, as they quickened their pace.
As they got closer the kid continued to look for a way out. He made eye contact with Maria for a split-second, then turned and ran.
“Stop! Police!” They both shouted in unison.
“We just want to talk to you!” Travis called out, but the kid wasn’t stopping.
They gave chase but as fast as they ran, the kid was managing to pull away from them. He was like a whippet, weaving through the other pedestrians on the sidewalk. He made it to the intersection and ran straight across the road, ignoring the blaring horns from the frustrated drivers who managed to swerve him. When he reached the other side he stopped and turned around. The safety of the traffic lights ensured the cops couldn’t get to him without having to dodge the oncoming traffic.
“Don’t come any closer!” he shouted at the out-of-breath detectives as they stood on the opposite curb. “Are you really cops?”
“We’re staying here!” Maria said through heavy panting. “Yes, we are cops.” She pulled out her badge to show him and waved it at him. “I spoke to you on the phone yesterday!”
“I told you to come alone!” he shouted back.
“I didn’t think it would be a big deal if I brought my partner!” She quickly looked around to see if she could find a way they could get to him without him running again. She held her hand up to signal for him to stay where he was. “What’s your name, kid?”
The Genesis Chamber Page 27