Hard Case: Boxed Set Books 1,2 & 3 (John Harding Books)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  Jafar jumped out with his sign up. El Mofty, a well dressed, rat faced, fat ass in a gray shark skin suit, around five foot eight inches tall, strode toward us. Jafar opened the limo door for him. The Moff looked in, saw my smiling mug, and then I reached out to drag the tuna inside while Jafar gave him a kick in the ass from the rear. I noticed the bodyguards get handled before Dev had us on the road. Then it was time for an introduction, although I could see the Moff knew me. He couldn’t struggle because I had the entire front of his suit jacket, shirt, and tie twisted up in a noose around his neck. With his face turning purple and consciousness fading, Jafar plastic tied his chubby little hands behind his back. Then I released him gagging and gasping against the seat. I face-timed Denny.

  “Forces of Darkness Limo Service here with a passenger.”

  “Nice, John,” Denny said, as he was put face to face with the Moff on my i-thingy.

  “Let… let me out of here… immediately! I have diplomatic immunity!”

  Everyone was still on line hearing the Moff making demands with audible enjoyment.

  “Denny, let me have Moffy,” Lynn pleaded. “He disrespected me in baggage.”

  “The minx threw herself at him as his minions gathered the bags, Denny,” Clint said to much laughter. “She almost blew the whole mission. Moffy wanted her in a carnal manner right there on top of the bags.”

  I could hear Lynn giggling, and even Denny chuckled at that word picture.

  “This is an insult! You will all pay for this! You-”

  “Shut him up for a moment, John,” Denny said.

  I grabbed hold of the Moff’s ear. “Stay quiet for the boss or I’m going to rip this off and feed it to you.”

  El Mofty, already crying out like a girl because of his ear, shut up instantly upon hearing my threat in Arabic. He nodded his understanding. I released him. I kept Denny in front of him.

  “Okay… here’s how this works. All life as you know it is over. My guys are taking you to a place where if you’re superbly helpful to us, I will give you either a quick death, or a chance to help us even more. While you’re riding there, think of all the ways you can impress me with your helpfulness.”

  The Moff spit on my i-thingy. “I… will tell you nothing!”

  “He just slimed my i-thingy, Lynn,” I complained.

  Lynn sighed in a way most people would think of as contentment. The rest of us who knew her, immediately felt our balls trying to crawl up inside our bellies. “Sucks to be him, DL.”

  Chapter Nineteen: Final Reckoning

  Richard Jacoby stood next to his murderous cohorts, Tara Holt, and Cheryl Kosygin. All were in fashion dress. Jacoby wore a black, pinstriped suit with red tie, while Holt had on a silvery, low cut silk dress with black high heels, and Kosygin’s one shoulder black, thigh high dress left her right shoulder and chest bare. They were a stunning trio. The Harvard Faculty Club’s outside area sparkled with lights and subtle streamers spotlighting the tenth anniversary Fall gathering. For the moment, only a dozen guests mingled outside.

  “This fashionably late shit pisses me off,” Tara said.

  “She called me,” Jacoby replied. “Why would she bother if she planned to stand us up? At least we have a legitimate business venture to discuss with her. Other people will see us together. The proposal will give us perfect deniability once we have our Erin Reeves party.”

  “I’m nervous,” Cheryl confided. “I want that bitch. I’m glad we decided on getting her tonight. Doing her on the first day will throw this reunion into chaos. Because we had a business deal with her, we’ll be the stars. Our classmates will be commiserating with us over her loss, and the cops will be respectfully reserved in their questioning.”

  “It’s agreed then? We go tonight?”

  “I don’t know, Rich,” Tara said, shaking her head. “She’ll have that big driver guy with her. How the hell do we get her alone without him knowing she’s with us? He’s like her shadow.”

  “Sorry,” Jacoby replied. “I forgot to tell you the great news in the call. I mentioned trying to get her driver in as an escort to see where she planned to have him in relation to the reunion. Erin and her driver had a falling out. She came without him. In her words, ‘what could possibly happen to her at a Harvard reunion’? I should have told you two that right off.”

  Cheryl grabbed Jacoby’s arm, shaking it in her excitement. “Oh my God, Rich! We’re doing this! We’ll get her over to your place for the business sales pitch. Everything’s set up. We are so going to get some tonight.”

  “Calm the hell down, Cher,” Tara urged. “Sure, Rich has all our portfolios on the law office we’ve been looking at in reality set to make a partnership pitch, but that’s a long way from getting her on our table without being seen.”

  “That’s why I spent a small fortune to rent the mansion on Littleton Road,” Jacoby said. “There are no neighbors near the place. If it looks like we got her there without anyone seeing or her reporting the location, we can load little arrogant Erin into the trunk after we finish playing. Then we take her some place without cameras. That will be the tricky part. We should wait for the following night. Then we can walk around at the reunion events asking if anyone has seen Erin. It’s risky, but it wouldn’t be such a turn on if it wasn’t.”

  “I like your idea about putting space between our play date and our dump date,” Tara agreed. “It’ll give us a day to find a proper dump site. I hope they put the FBI idiots on the trail. We’ll have to make sure we set her up so obvious even the yokels around here will call it in for federal help. I say we do a note on her belly.”

  Both Cheryl and Richard Jacoby laughed at Holt’s statement. Cheryl shut up suddenly.

  “There she is.”

  “Holy hell,” Jacoby whispered in awe. “People will certainly know she’s been with us.”

  Lynn, aka Erin Reeves, glided onto the patio area with an entourage of classmates trying to stay near her without making it obvious they were stalking her stunning figure. Her mauve, twisted two strap dress, completely open but for where the material extended down over her breasts to a belted middle, ended tightly at mid thigh. Only the strap material at the back provided any coverage of skin at her back. The elegant black stiletto heels seemed as comfortable on her as a pair of worn sandals would on another woman. Her blonde hair hung in waves over her shoulders.

  “Fucking bitch!” Tara hissed under her breath. “She makes me look like a boy. Smile kiddies. Here she comes to get her pound of flesh. Look at the idiots following her around like lapdogs.”

  Lynn approached the three with careless grace, giving them a little wave. “My favorite classmates. I don’t see a drink in your hands. Waiting for me, are you?”

  “You look wonderful,” Tara exclaimed.

  Lynn waved her hand. “This is the place to do it, Tara. Richard told me you three have a real opportunity for your own law office here in the Harvard area. That’s rather ambitious with the competition I’m sure has alumni roots a mile deep. I hope this collaboration has to do with some foreign interests.”

  Jacoby did a double take. That would be the only way a new firm could get off the ground there. “Yes. We wish to cultivate any contacts you’ve developed overseas of course. It will be challenging. You would be our main ingredient for overseas interests. We would want you in lead position at our firm. We bring a vast amount of seed money to the mix.”

  Montoya allowed a slow appraising smile to turn her lip upwards. “Your proposal intrigues me. I could use a new challenge. Let’s get a seat and a little Champagne while we make our presence known inside.”

  “Would you be interested in an earnest discussion tonight,” Cheryl asked. “Rich has a wonderfully scenic mansion rented on Littleton Road near here. We could really kick back in comfort.”

  “Littleton Road, huh. I remember that country pathway. There are some very scenic places out there. I’d like that.”

  “I think you’ll have to fight off our other class
mates,” Cheryl said. “They’ll want to keep you against your will. You look stunning.”

  “I think we make a very attractive group,” Lynn replied. “Lead the way inside, Richard.”

  Jacoby grinned happily. “Of course, Erin.”

  * * *

  A shadowy figure in a tuxedo moved toward the door inside. “Did you get all that Clint? Those freaks mean business.”

  “Every word, Case,” Dostiene replied. “You had the place wired perfectly.”

  “How’s Tonto behaving?”

  Clint looked over at Tonto, who had his head sticking out the passenger window as he pawed over the protesting Jafar. “He’s bonding with Jafar on the way to the place I found out Dick-head rented on Littleton Road. We’re headed there now. Jafar will drop Tonto and I off before setting up a tech base down the road.”

  “John and Lucas are planting the bugs on Lynn’s rental and Jacoby’s Expedition. They’ll follow the players as discussed. Jafar, make sure you check in once you have all of us on screen. We take no chances with the walking dead.”

  Jafar chuckled while groaning under a misplaced paw. “I will contact everyone the moment I am situated.”

  * * *

  Lucas and I stayed silent until we hooked up everything. We were all agreed with Lynn. No way, no how would she wake up drugged out on a table with those three Casey had dubbed the walking dead, standing over her.

  “Lynn is something else,” Lucas remarked as we returned to our vehicle. “It’s hard to reconcile that fashion model we saw tonight moving like a princess with the woman who walked out of the Moffy interrogation. Fifteen minutes with her and he begged to tell us his life story.”

  I gave him the wave off. “The Moff spit on my i-thingy. He had it coming. Once he spit on my i-thingy, karma came to get him.”

  Lucas laughed. “Yeah… Lynn karma. Denny will be working the stuff she came up with for months. I like it that he knew what the hell was going on with those people behind the boat disappearances in the Gulf. Maybe we won’t have to take my baby down there.”

  “That mission is on tap, Lucas, and The Sea Wolf is going. Clint and Lynn are getting married after this op. Then they’re honeymooning on our mission with the Wolf. They get the main cabin too.”

  I watched Lucas’s blood boiling, threatening to shoot out of his ears. I laughed at him. “You best take a step back, my friend. Clint and Lynn are in, and the Wolf is going hunting. You feel me?”

  Lucas nodded. “Yeah, Denny-light, I got it. I just don’t like to hear it from Denny’s Minnie-me.”

  I hung my head. “That’s cold Lucas. I thought we were brothers.”

  “We were until you became another management suck-up.”

  Gronked again.

  * * *

  “This is very nice.” Lynn relaxed in the spacious barroom on a leather recliner.

  “The three of us are thinking of buying it as a kind of personal home base,” Cheryl replied. She sat across from Lynn on a matching leather loveseat while Jacoby and Tara opened and served more Champagne.

  “I really love this place, Erin,” Jacoby said, while pointing out one of the glasses to Tara on the already made up serving tray. He opened the Champagne, before easing it into an iced bucket, and following Tara over to the glass table between the couch, loveseat, and recliner combination. “You’ll really like this California Champagne.”

  Tara put the indicated glass in front of Erin. While Jacoby filled it for her, Holt put out the other three glasses. Jacoby then filled those. The four held up their glasses and toasted.

  “To a very profitable and exciting partnership,” Jacoby stated.

  They sipped the Champagne in a comfortable silence for a few moments. They had conversed amiably at the reunion get together, with Lynn asking more serious questions about what would be expected of her. They were pointed enough to keep her three targets off balance until Jacoby angled for a ride out to his place where he had the business plan.

  Jacoby leaned forward animatedly. “I almost forgot. You have got to see the basement in this place. It will be like a home theater and business meeting room with those huge fifty inch screens for networking from anywhere.”

  “Sure,” Lynn answered. “I’m a little buzzed. A tour would be a chance to walk it off a little. Lead the way.”

  The three Harvard killer cohorts exchanged knowing glances when they stood. Jacoby led the way, with Lynn on his arm. “Hang on to the railing, Erin,” he advised as they reached the steps leading down to the basement, and he switched on the lights.

  On the basement level, the area appeared huge because of the massive shadows. Only a single medical type table with accompanying rolling cart of instruments stood in the center of a single overhead flood lamp, which cast the area around the table into total darkness. Lynn let go of Jacoby’s arm as Cheryl Kosygin giggled, unable to control her anticipation.

  “It’s really tough to tell about this room’s potential when it’s decked out like this.” Lynn sighed with icy contentedness. “You three sure did step in it this time. It’s too bad you don’t have three tables, but I see a couple folding chairs over there. I guess two can watch while I entertain the first. Then, one… and then none.”

  “What the hell are you talkin’ about, bitch?” Holt grabbed Lynn’s hair. Tonto charged out of the shadows, leaping into the screaming Tara’s chest, and catapulting her to the cement floor, his fangs at her throat.

  “I… I don’t feel so good,” Cheryl mumbled as she passed out onto the floor.

  A sweating and confused Jacoby stumbled toward the staircase, but lost his balance, ending up in a pile on the floor. Tara was the last to lose consciousness as even the adrenaline from Tonto’s attack couldn’t keep her awake. Clint came out of the shadows next. He took Lynn into his arms.

  “Hello, cowboy. Want a quickie before we get started. I owe you for that wonderfully delicious drug switcheroo you pulled off.”

  “Oh baby… Jafar?”

  “Yeah Clint.”

  “Main mission done. We have the room for the next half hour. Send John in to get Tonto then.”

  “Ah… okay, Clint.”

  * * *

  Lucas and I were laughing, but Jafar turned to us in confusion. “What is it Clint means about-”

  Sounds of something besides interrogation began in all our ears. Jafar quickly disconnected the network. “Oh. I see. Clint liked the dress Ms. Montoya was wearing.”

  “I believe you have a firm grip on the situation, kid.”

  I waited a half hour and then went into the house. At the top of the cellar stairs I called down. “Knock… knock!”

  “C’mon down, John,” Clint said.

  When I reached the bottom of the steps, Tonto leaped over for kisses and hugs. Luckily, his mouth wasn’t all bloody. I worked him over the way he liked, before checking out the room. The guy, Richard Jacoby, and his blonde friend, Kosygin were duct taped to two folding chairs at the side of a medical gurney. Tara Holt was strapped to it, naked and screaming. I could tell from the way Clint and Lynn were laughing, that they hadn’t even touched her yet. So much for the cold, hard, serial killer. Lynn duct taped her mouth, and waved at me.

  “Hi John. Clint’s going to stay with me tonight down here. We’ll find out where all the bodies are buried, and what’s been going on with our three bad people. Of course they only thought they were bad. Isn’t that right, my little mean girl?”

  Lynn pinched Holt’s cheek. Holt passed out. Lynn made a disgusted snort. “It’s a good thing you packed the smelling salts, baby. We’re going to need them.”

  “Yep,” Clint agreed, patting his partner’s butt. “Can you take Tonto, John? The smell of blood drives him nuts.”

  “You bet, Clint. I’ll leave my SUV out front, and the keys on the bar upstairs. Denny told me he made peace with your FBI buddies. They’re satisfied with an ending with all the facts, but no killers. He’s sending in a team in the morning.” I tossed the body bags down on
the floor I had carried in with me. “Just put them in these for transport. I think there’s going to be a fire where their DNA will be discovered as the cause of many heinous murders, which the FBI and Denny found on a partially burned laptop.”

  “See.” Clint put his arm around Lynn. “I told you Denny would handle it. Now, Sam and Janie will get some peace without pestering the shit out of us.”

  “I like it,” Lynn said, staring into the eyes of Jacoby and Kosygin. “I don’t think Rich and Cher like our plan. What do you think, John?”

  I walked over where I could see into the faces of Lynn’s folding chair audience. The hollow eyed horror in their eyes touched me… but not in the way they hoped. “I think they’ve found out they’re not cut out to be monsters - but I believe they’ve also found out about karma, and that payback’s a bitch.”

  Lynn giggled. “Clint wants me to play dress up with him at the Harvard reunion some more.”

  I nodded at my two monsters. “Have fun kids. I’ll see you back in Oakland. C’mon, Tonto, our part here is done.”

  Clint hugged Tonto and framed his face with a hand. “You behave yourself with the Dark Lord. Don’t spoil him rotten before we get home, DL.”

  I patted my leg, while heading for the stairs. “Let’s go, Tonto. Steak every night with the Dark Lord.”

  Tonto bounded past me up the stairs.

  “Prick!” Clint called out as I followed.

  Yep, I grinned to myself. The Dark Lord’s comin’ home with a new mission. I had a honeymoon cruise to plan with the Spawn of Satan. There were other fake monsters out there to be dealt with.

  The End

  HARD CASE 3

  Chapter One: Little Sister

  I’m watching the faces in the press corps outside the Oakland Community Center where Samira Karim had just finished giving a talk on reformation within Islam for women. Her speech, well received inside, was in the process of being trampled on out here by reporters wishing to create the news rather than report it. I watched my protégé Jafar stoically enduring the ridiculous question/statements from the press. See, here’s how it works. If anyone in the world other than Muslims, especially Americans, ever started putting women in burkas, doing female genital mutilation, or whacking their own children, wives, or sisters using honor killings as an excuse, the media would go wild with outrage. Since Islamic extremists are doing it… well… that’s okay with our weirdo media. They haven’t counted on any women having the guts to speak out against the virtual slavery women endure under Islamic Law.