Always a Kicker

by Jeff Zwagerman

  “No. I can’t let you do that. I’m imposing the way it is.”

  “You think we do this for money? Look at us; does it look like money has much importance? It’s all about the people we get to meet. Besides, we can’t have another record of you paying for a room when we’re supposed to be telling folks you’ve disappeared.”

  He made a good point. Cash certainly wouldn’t leave a trail but Lilly knew that arguing that point would do no good; they would never take any money.

  She gave them both a hug and drove out and headed up to that same little liquor store. They had Coors on special so she bought a twelve pack. She always liked the yellow can with the word “banquet” on it.

  Lilly expected Zander around 2:00 and it was 1:30 now. As she pulled into her space next to the cabin and got out of the car, she saw a white van driving slowly toward her. It scared her so badly she almost dropped the beer.

  Then she saw someone wave from behind the windshield. It was Zander. She waited until he pulled up behind her car and went over to the driver’s window.

  “You scared the hell out of me,” she said trying to sound angry.

  “Well that would be a good thing wouldn’t it?” Zander joked.

  The joke appeared to fall flat. Lilly turned around and went to the cabin door, unlocked it and went inside.

  Zander turned off the engine. He sat for a moment trying to collect his thoughts. Suddenly Lilly was in the doorway.

  “Are you coming in or are you going to sit out there all day?”

  Zander had a small backpack with some clothes and his shaving gear but decided to leave it in the van until things became a bit clearer. He might be driving back to Frisco tonight if things didn’t get better.

  When Zander entered the cabin, Lilly had two beers opened and setting on the table. She had her back to Zander putting the remainder of the beers in the small refrigerator.

  “Sorry I frightened you,” he said trying to make amends.

  “It’s not your fault. I’m just a little jumpy.”

  “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  “Not now. Right now let’s just drink some beers.”

  “I really would like not having to drive back to Frisco all the way in the dark if at all possible,” Zander said trying to get the backpack issue settled.

  “You won’t have to worry because you’re staying here with me tonight.”

  “Good because I could use a few beers after that drive. So much trail dust!” Zander said pointed at his throat.

  They finished two beers and were on their third by the time they started feeling the effects of the alcohol. The beer was cold but made them both a little warm.

  “Let’s go sit on the porch,” Lilly suggested.

  They brought out their beers and sat and talked about everything but why they were there.

  “Are you planning to make us dinner later?” Zander asked.

  Lilly just laughed.

  “That’s what I thought. Can we find something around the area?”

  “I’m sure the couple that runs the place can give us some suggestions if they don’t try to feed us themselves.” She laughed. “But first we’ve got something else to do.”

  Lilly put her hand on his knee and ran her fingers up the inside of his leg. It was a tease that pleased Zander immediately.

  They finished the third beer and went inside under the guise of having another. Zander knew the window of opportunity might slam shut after a forth so he just turned and put his arms around Lilly and kissed her hard. She went limp in his arms and he picked her up and carried her into the small bedroom and laid her on the bed. It was just a double and would be confining but Zander knew they wouldn’t need much room.

  Zander undressed Lilly slowly and gently, pausing only to take off an item of clothing of his own after he removed one from Lilly.

  She was enjoying this as much as Zander. He was making sure that this go-round was better than their first encounter at the hotel in Breckenridge. He kissed her everywhere there was any skin showing. When he finally got to taking off her bikini bottoms, her anticipation was overwhelming. He kneeled down to kiss her tan lines when she pulled him back up. She rolled on top of him and they were together.

  She was a wild animal. Zander had some good rides in his time but this one had to be the summit. The passion, climax and orgasm lasted less then seven minutes but they were both exhausted. Lilly actually fell asleep in Zander’s arms a few minutes later.

  He started thinking that he should probably take Jackson Browne’s “Rosie” off his play list. Old Rosie couldn’t hold a stroke to what he had just experienced with Lilly. The thought made him laugh under his breath and the shaking of his chest made the bed shake and also had Lilly come back to life.

  “I’m sorry,” she said rolling on her side.

  “About what?”

  “Falling asleep.”

  “Don’t be. You are just as beautiful when you sleep as when you are having sex with me. Great sex I might add.”

  Lilly smiled, “It was, wasn’t it?”

  Lilly held on to Zander tightly. He could feel her breasts against his skin. It just didn’t get much better than this.

  Then Lilly began to talk. She told the whole story from the time Zander left her in Breckenridge to meeting with her friend in Montrose.

  Zander was stunned. He had never been directly involved with an attempted murder other than his own quite recently. Lilly had survived an attempt on her life and yet had the presence of mind to think things through while everything around her was falling apart. Zander was deeply concerned and yet impressed all at the same time.

  “So what now?” he wondered.

  “You remember Sherri the girl with me at the bar?”

  Zander nodded. “She’s the one who told me you left and never checked out of the hotel in Breckenridge. She was worried about you.”

  “Well, Dee Dee will call her tomorrow and tell her that the resort people called and said I was missing. My stuff is there and my car but I never checked out.”

  “Think she’ll buy it?”

  “Oh my god, Zander. Do you remember that sitcom “Bewitched”? Well she is the original Gladys Kravitz. The story will be in every salon by noon tomorrow.”

  “So what about your stuff? Is someone going to have to come up here and get it?” Zander asked.

  “I’m taking everything to Dee Dee’s tomorrow. She’ll tell Sherri that the owners asked her to remove it and a friend gave her a ride and she drove my car and things back to her place in Montrose.”

  “What if someone comes up here and checks all this out?”

  “They’ll think I’m dead so I don’t think that will happen. Just in case, I’ve got Ma and Pop in on the story.”

  “They can be trusted?”

  “Great people, both of them. I only wish they could have been my parents.”

  “Looks like you have covered all the bases. So what do you need me to do?” Zander asked.

  “I called because I’m worried, about you.”

  “Me? Why me?”

  “Because Jayne had me looking for information about you.”

  “I think I can take care of myself.”

  “Zander, listen to me. They kill people. They have to be stopped.”

  Zander wondered how he got himself into situations like this. Yet there was something about helping someone in need that gave him a very real purpose in his life. It was something that had been missing for quite a few years.

  17

  Almont, Colorado--Tuesday, September 3, 1985

  It was a very good night for Zander and it appeared good for Lilly as well. Both had smiles on their faces as they woke up slowly.

  Zander reached over and stroked her naked body. He didn’t have enough stamina to do anything more but the closeness made him wonder why he had lived this long without it. He needed to move his pathetic existence along and maybe Lilly would play a roll.

  “So when will I see y
ou again?” Zander asked, rolling over to face Lilly.

  “I can’t answer that. I have to be very careful. So do you. I’ll call your answering service when I think things have settled down.”

  “I don’t even know your last name,” Zander stated.

  “And I don’t have clue what yours is either,” Lilly said matter-of-factly.

  Zander was about to give her his name when she put her finger on his lips.

  “There will be time for the later. Right now I think it might be safer if we don’t know any more about each other.”

  “I think I’m able to keep secrets but you suit yourself.”

  All these questions and no answers were starting to irritate Zander.

  “Don’t forget that Jayne told me she already knew your full name.”

  “You don’t know her last name either,” he said irritably, “I need to talk to this woman. How do I find her?”

  “None of us know where she lives. She just checks on the business but no set schedule. She just shows up.”

  “Where is that?”

  “The main salon in Denver just off Federal and Colfax. I kept the books in a back office.” Lilly thought for a moment. “That might be the best place to look. It was one of their first businesses and it houses all the business documents, both legitimate and those that aren’t.”

  “What does she drive?”

  “It’s a Camaro. I believe the color is called cobalt blue.”

  “If I had someone watch the place, how long would it take before she showed up?”

  “I don’t know; no more than a week but she certainly wouldn’t show if she suspected anything.”

  “It wouldn’t be me. I would send someone she doesn’t know.”

  “Be sure it isn’t someone you pal around with because she’s had you watched. Tell that little bartender friend of yours that she should be careful as well.”

  This was really starting to piss Zander off. He had to get to the bottom of this and the sooner the better.

  Lilly could see she had provoked Zander and maybe that was good. She worried that he wasn’t going to proceed cautiously however. She got out of bed and went to the bathroom and started the shower, when it got up to temperature she called to Zander to come and join her.

  Lilly knew that men were more apt to listen to reason in a shower with a naked woman.

  Zander was in a little better mood after they showered and dressed. He had to pass on breakfast with Lilly because he needed to get back to work and he wanted to make some phone calls.

  They both left the cabin together. Lilly went back to say goodbye to Ma and Pop. Zander headed out on the road back to Frisco.

  It was a cold and dark day not unlike Zander’s mood.

  *****

  The ride back to Frisco was not at all pleasant for Zander. He actually paid little attention to the drive. He wondered how in the world he had gotten himself so entangled. He was used to being the one in control. He didn’t handle being on the other side very well and it actually drove him a little bit nuts. He hated being nuts.

  *****

  Lilly spent a little time with Ma and Pop having coffee and a sweet roll. They told her not to be a stranger and sent her on the way with a freshly baked peach pie.

  When Lilly arrived in Montrose, she drove straight to Dee Dee’s. Before she had left for school, Dee Dee made sure the door was open. She had left a note on the cupboard simply stating:

  “The phone call has been made and everything is in order and on schedule.”

  Lilly smiled to herself. She liked the generic note. No one would know anything by reading something like that. It always paid to be careful.

  Lilly went back to the “Bug” to get her things. She got into the back and lifted the bottom seat. There were two manila envelopes tucked into the springs. She pulled them out and wrapped a blanket around them and brought everything back into the house. She went right to her bedroom and laid everything out on the bed.

  The first envelope contained photocopies listing names. One list contained the names of their “off-the-book” patrons and the amount of cash they had spent. The other list contained the names of the women that were employed by Van and Jayne and what each girl’s service cost. Lilly smiled to herself. She wondered what Van and Jayne would do if they knew she had been making copies of their illegitimate business interests. She always viewed it as her insurance policy. However, she realized it did no good if the other parties knew nothing about it. After all, she had almost been killed because no one else knew about it. She had no desire to blackmail anyone but she could see that using the information would be tantamount to blackmail. This information was dangerous to anyone who possessed it. There were people of importance on the list and those that would be hurt financially and politically not to mention personally. If anyone knew she had the information she would be as good as dead. She needed to get rid of it.

  The second envelope contained money. Lilly hadn’t counted it but she was sure it was over fifty thousand in hundred dollar bills. It was one of four such envelopes with the other three in various bank safety deposit boxes.

  She had been skimming from the salons over the past eight years. All of the patrons paid cash and depending on their tastes, paid a great deal.

  It had been fairly easy to take a hundred here and a hundred there at first. Later when Van thought he could trust her, she had free reign and the money just flowed. She couldn’t believe how much money all the “Tanfastics” had taken in. The legitimate side made good profits and paid their employees quite well. The other side took in millions every year.

  Every Monday morning, Jayne would pick up the money from Lilly’s office. Some of it went to the banks along with a portion of the “dirty” money to be laundered. The rest went into Jayne’s trunk. After that, Lilly had no idea what happened to it. She just made sure she got her share before it all disappeared.

  It was Lilly’s job to keep track of the money and she had two sets of books, one to show profits and expenses at tax time and the other to show Van and Jayne who was paying and how much they spent. They didn’t let Lilly add up the totals, that was Jayne’s job. She would look at the service the girls performed and add up what the costs would be and compare it to what the customer paid. Neither Van nor Jayne realized that Lilly had a third set of books, the copies of the original billings from each salon and then the changes she made to the service charges so she could get her small amount of cash without drawing attention to herself. There was so much money flowing that Van and Jayne didn’t pay much attention unless it started to dwindle. Lilly realized that keeping a fairly stable amount coming in each week was important so sometimes she took more and sometimes less as the situation warranted. Lilly had destroyed her set of books before she left Breckenridge that night because she was never going back and no one else needed to know about her embezzlement. Stealing from criminals was always a dangerous business.

  Lilly took out twenty thousand from the money envelope. She put half in her bag and the other half in the envelope with the names. She wrote Zander’s name on the front and under that put the address of the Branchwater Saloon that she had copied from the phonebook. Then she went into the kitchen and sat down at the little writing desk in the corner. She found some paper and a pen and wrote down everything she thought Zander should know. Everything was about to hit the fan and he needed to be well armed. She needed to get rid of the lists and hated to put Zander in this position but she really had no other choice.

  Lilly sealed the envelope. It was thick and would need extra postage. She couldn’t just drop into a box somewhere; she would have to go into a post office. She decided to make another trip to Crested Butte. She hadn’t left much of trail so that might be a great place to mail the envelope. There was no return address and it would find its way to Zander without any red flags even if someone were watching him.

  Lilly was happy driving east on route 50. A huge weight was about to be put into the mailbox at Crested
Butte. She would stop and see Ma and Pop on the way back and hopefully make it back to Montrose before Dee Dee got home from school. She didn’t need to know about this. The less anyone else knew the safer for everyone.

  18

  Frisco, Colorado--Friday, September 6, 1985

  Zander had a quiet couple of days since he had returned from his meeting with Lilly. There was nothing new with Fats. He had been back to Denver a few times for a massage but he still hadn’t cracked into the preferred customer status. Zander had told him to keep his eyes open for an electric blue Camaro but so far nothing.

  He arrived at work early and there was a package waiting for him on the bar. Jo had received it when she got the mail before she opened for the day. The postmark showed Crested Butte and he wondered whom it could be from. He didn’t know anyone in Crested Butte. He reached into his boot and retrieved the switchblade and opened the envelope; three hundred dollar bills fell out. Zander scooped them up and stuffed them back into the envelope and went directly into Jo’s office where he emptied the contents onto the desk.

  There was money and a file folder with names and a letter from Lilly. The first thing he did was to count the money and put it into neat little piles. There was ten thousand dollars in hundred dollar bills. Zander found some rubber bands in the desk drawer and banded the money neatly in thousand dollar increments. He had needed some organization before he proceeded. He was uncomfortable with this much money.

  There were some expandable files in the bottom of the right hand desk drawer and he took one out and put the money neatly in the bottom. He glanced at the lists in the file folder but it was meaningless so he reached for Lilly’s letter; it was business-like. He liked that.

  Zander,

  Please don’t be upset with me over the money enclosed. You need to have something for your expenses as you work to unravel this whole issue. It is for your use and I fully expect you to use it and we will not speak of it again.

  I’m going to try to explain things to you in this letter so you’re better able to get a handle on this whole business. My relationship with Van began shortly after I dropped out of high school. I was sixteen and living on the streets of Denver. Van found me and treated me like a princess. He put me up in a fancy downtown hotel and paid for everything. I was encouraged to get my GED and then go on to business school. He paid for everything. No one had treated me with that amount of respect or friendship and of course I was hooked and thought I was in love. The actual sex didn’t start until I finished the GED and had enrolled in business school. It seemed all very appropriate and the natural progression of things. By that time I was living in a swanky apartment complex that Jayne owned as I found out later. There were thirty apartments and thirty girls of various ages all working for Van. No one seemed to mind. It was better than the life we had come from. We had all supposed that we were the only one having sex with Van and of course nothing would have been further from the truth. Van’s taste in women ran toward the younger girls. Most were from fourteen to eighteen. Sex stopped with him when I turned nineteen. By that time I had a two-year degree and was put to work as the firm’s accountant. I had my masters of business by the time I was twenty-four and so the last eight years I’ve been in charge of cooking the books.