Chaser_A Jinx Ballou Novel

by Dharma Kelleher

  “He was just trying to help me.” She started bawling again.

  “Hey! Enough with the waterworks. Nothing I can do. Now you coming along peacefully or not?”

  She nodded.

  I helped her to her feet while the passengers looked on among whispers of “Who is she?” “What’d she do?” and “She one of them illegals?”

  Conor was waiting for me outside along with a cluster of Phoenix PD officers.

  “Come on,” I told her, nudging her toward the Gray Ghost. “It’ll all work out.”

  I thanked the officers and got Holly buckled into the backseat of the Gray Ghost. I climbed behind the wheel with Conor in the passenger seat next to me and pulled onto the Verrado Way exit to get turned around toward Phoenix. Rush hour traffic was starting to pick up. Fortunately, the majority of vehicles were going the other way.

  A few miles before we reached the Loop 101, I heard some honking and a roaring engine behind us. I noticed a familiar Hummer in my rearview mirror, bearing down on us and driving aggressively.

  “What the hell?” At first I thought it was a typical aggressive Phoenix driver. Then it clicked. “Shit! It’s Fiddler.”

  Conor whipped around and looked. “How the hell’d he find us?”

  “Beats the hell out of me, and I don’t intend to ask him.” I pressed harder on the accelerator.

  “Who’s Fiddler?” a very nervous Holly asked.

  “The bounty hunter originally assigned to pick you up.”

  “Him?” she whimpered. “He’s a psycho.”

  “Won’t argue with you on that.” I spared a glance in the mirror. He was barreling into us from behind, apparently trying to ram us. “Everybody hold on.”

  I jammed the accelerator to the floor and started weaving through the traffic as best I could without rolling the Ghost. We had a lot of power but not the wide wheelbase that Fiddler’s Hummer had. Our best chance was to outrun him. But even with the lighter inbound traffic, there were enough cars to make maneuvering around them tricky.

  I got caught behind a slow-moving Caddy. All the other cars were maneuvering around it, making it impossible for me to pass. The Hummer slammed into the Gray Ghost’s rear bumper. My seat belt grabbed hard, making me wince in pain.

  “Fuck!” I cut off a Corvette trying to pass the Caddy. The Corvette driver flipped me off. I didn’t care.

  I squeezed through narrow gaps between vehicles until I reached the HOV lane, which was clear for the next mile or so. I slammed on the gas, and the speedometer rose. Ninety. A hundred. One ten. I prayed that no one in the lane to our right pulled in front of us. I continued to floor it. One twenty. One thirty. We were in the redline now, but the Hummer stayed on our tail.

  We were rapidly closing in on a cluster of cars driving at a reasonable rate of speed.

  “Jinx, you got cars coming up.”

  “I see them.” I didn’t slow down, too busy looking for a gap on the right to maneuver around them. But there wasn’t one.

  “Jinxie . . .”

  “Yeah, yeah.” At the last second, I jerked the Gray Ghost onto the shoulder, sending up a cloud of gravel and dust behind us, nearly tipping us. The right wheels slammed down again as we blew past the slower cars. When the HOV lane was clear again, I pulled back onto the road.

  “Good God, woman, this isn’t NASCAR.”

  “No, I call it survival. He still behind us?” I studied the traffic ahead. We were approaching the I-17 interchange and an impenetrable wall of cars.

  “Don’t see him,” Conor said.

  I breathed a sigh of relief, mentally patting myself on my back for my fast and furious mad skills.

  “No, wait. Shite! The bugger’s still on our tail.”

  I spotted a gap in the cars in the regular lanes and pulled in, then I continued to push my way to the right, hoping he’d lose track of us. In the process of squeezing between cars, I swapped paint with a few of them.

  We were in the center lane when the Hummer pulled alongside of us and rolled down the passenger window. I caught the black dot of a gun barrel and a flash just as I was showered in broken glass. I instinctively jerked the wheel right, then slammed on the brakes to avoid colliding with a semi stopped in front of us.

  “Everybody okay?” I asked. I took a quick inventory of myself. I was in shock from the blast but wasn’t shot. I glanced around us and didn’t see the Hummer.

  “I’m okay,” Conor said. “You’re bleeding on the side of your face.”

  I wiped my face, and my hand came away wet with blood. “It’s from the glass. I’ll live.”

  “Holly? You still with us?” I looked in the backseat. Holly was bent over at the waist, not making any sounds. “You okay?”

  She didn’t move or say anything. Since I had my seat belt on, I couldn’t reach her. With the traffic at a standstill and no sign of Fiddler’s Hummer, I hopped out and opened the back door. I shook Holly.

  She groaned and sat up. “What happened?” Her eyes were dilated.

  “Fiddler shot out my window. But he’s gone.” I searched her for signs of injury but didn’t find any.

  “She okay?” Conor asked, looking back at her.

  “I think she may be in shock.”

  “We’ll deal with it at the jail, love. Traffic’s moving again.”

  A car honked and slipped past me. I closed Holly’s door and found myself face-to-face with Fiddler pointing a .38-caliber revolver at me. “Give ’er to me, you goddamned freak.”

  50

  “Oy! Ya bloody wanker!” Conor called from the passenger seat. “You hurt her, I’ll fuckin’ end ya!”

  Fiddler pulled out a compact semiautomatic with his left hand and aimed it at Conor. “Keep talking, smart-ass! I’ll put a hole in her head and then yours.”

  “You really are an asshole, Fiddler,” I said, staring past the gaping barrel in my face, my pulse racing. I thought about trying to disarm him, but he was far enough away that he would pull the trigger before I reached him.

  “Just want what’s rightfully mine. This was my case.”

  “We apprehended her. She’s ours.”

  His trigger finger tightened.

  “Whoa!” I held up my hands. “Fine. You can have her.”

  “No funny business, Ballou.”

  I reopened Holly’s door. “What’s going on?” she asked in a terror-filled voice.

  I released her seat belt and grimaced. “Sorry, kiddo, but looks like you’re going with Fiddler.”

  “What? No.”

  “Don’t worry. You’ll be okay. He’ll take you down to the jail instead of us. He won’t hurt you.” I hoped. At this point, anything was possible. But if Fiddler wanted to get paid, he’d have to get Holly checked into custody unharmed.

  I helped Holly out of the truck and handed her over to Fiddler. He holstered one of the pistols and grabbed her by the back of the collar.

  I glared at him. “You’re going to regret this, douchebag.”

  “Oooh, I’m trembling,” he said with a sneer. “You two faggots think you’re so clever. But no one beats Fiddler. Where’s her paperwork?”

  “It’s in the console.”

  “Well, fucking hand it over. And so help me, if you try anything . . . ”

  “Just keep your pants on.” I leaned inside the front seat. As I did, Conor showed me the gun in his hand. He offered it to me grip first.

  “Not worth the risk,” I whispered. “Best just to let him have her.”

  I grabbed the folder and handed it to Fiddler. “Holly, do as he says, and everything’ll be fine. I’ll call my lawyer and let her know where you are.”

  He aimed the compact pistol at the Gray Ghost’s left front tire and fired off two rounds. Holly screamed and dropped to her knees.

  Fiddler kicked her. “Get up, you little cunt.”

  Holly obeyed, giving me a final glance, as if she were going to her execution. The two of them disappeared into a shifting tableau of cars driven by rage-fill
ed drivers.

  “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I swear I’m gonna wreck that guy,” Conor said as I climbed back into the driver’s seat.

  “Going to have to get in line behind me.”

  I started the engine and pulled off onto the shoulder. The front tire hissed as the last of the air escaped.

  A half hour later, I had the spare on. It would’ve been too easy to forget about Holly and let her take her chances with the legal system and the lawyer her aunt hired, but I felt responsible for her. Maybe it was my lack of hormones. I would call Kirsten when I got home to let her know Holly was in custody.

  Conor agreed to drive us back to his place, while I used the first aid kit in the glove box to treat the cuts on my face and arm from the broken glass. On the outside I appeared calm, but on the inside, a tempest was brewing. I was counting on that bounty.

  What would Sadie say when she learned what happened? Would she believe me or Fiddler? Who would she hire in the future? Maybe it was time to get my PI license and expand my options. But the thought of taking photos of cheating spouses for a living was as appealing as eating a bowl of cat turds.

  My father was always telling me to trust the process, but I never understood what he meant by that. Whenever I pressed him, he gave me a lot of abstract nonsense answers. What process? The process by which the rich and powerful screwed the rest of us?

  As we pulled onto the Seventh Avenue exit into downtown Phoenix, my phone dinged from a text. I opened it.

  * * *

  Oh, my dearest Jinx,

  I have a lovely surprise for you! One I know you will appreciate. More soon.

  Warmest regards,

  Milo

  * * *

  Chills ran down my spine. “Fuck!”

  “What’s wrong, love?” Conor shot me a concerned look.

  “Fucking Volkov’s sending me messages again.”

  “Jesus Christ! Why doesn’t that bloke just bugger off! What’d he say this time?”

  “He’s got another surprise for me.” I noticed my hand was trembling as a chill ran down my spine. Holly! “Drive to the Madison Street Jail!”

  “What? Why? You can’t get a body receipt if Fiddler’s returning her to custody.”

  “I have a bad feeling.”

  Conor turned around and drove to the garage next to the jail. We walked in and showed our identification to Sergeant O’Brien, an old friend who was working the intake desk.

  “Evening, Ms. Ballou, Mr. Doyle. How can I help you two this sultry summer evening?” the desk sergeant asked.

  “I want to make sure Holly Schwartz was returned to custody. Fiddler . . .” I resisted the urge to spit. “Fiddler should have brought her a little while ago.”

  He crinkled his brow and began typing on his computer keyboard. “I’m sorry. No Holly Schwartz here. And haven’t seen Fiddler today.”

  My heart sank. “Are you sure?” Why would Fiddler take her to Volkov instead of here? Would Volkov pay him more than the bounty was worth?

  “Sorry, Jinx. Maybe he took her to the detention facility up on Dunlap by mistake.” O’Brien clicked a few times with his mouse. “Nope. Not there, either. Honestly, I think that Fiddler fella is starting to slip.”

  “Bollocks! I knew that bastard was up to no good,” Conor said. “Ya shoulda plugged ’im when ya had the chance, love.”

  “Maybe he stopped for a bite on the way,” O’Brien suggested.

  “Thanks anyway, O’Brien.”

  “Y’all have a good night.”

  As we were crossing over the street to the parking garage, my phone rang. The number wasn’t one I recognized. “This is Jinx Ballou. Can I help you?”

  “Ah, Ms. Ballou. What a pleasure to hear your voice at last.” The caller was male, his voice resonant and slightly accented. Eastern Europe by way of London, perhaps?

  “Who the fuck is this?” But I knew the answer before I even asked.

  “Someone who has a lovely surprise for you.”

  My heart leapt into my throat. “What the hell do you want, Volkov?”

  51

  “I believe you are acquainted with one of my associates. A gentleman who goes by the moniker Fiddler.”

  “Fiddler works for you?” I could have spit nails. Was this how he tracked me down? None of this was making sense.

  “Over the years he’s performed a number of tasks. But between you and me, I’ve been less than impressed with his performance of late. So unreliable. He takes that medical marijuana for his cancer. I think it has made his mind mush.”

  “Is there a fucking point to this phone call?”

  “Why, yes, there is.” He chuckled. The sound of it made my skin crawl. “I’d like to offer you a job.”

  “A job? Doing what? Working as one of your sex slaves? No, thanks!”

  “Oh heavens, no! You are far too talented in other areas, though I do think you and I could have so much fun pleasuring each other. Tell me, do you still have your cock? You never did say.”

  “Fuck you! I’m hanging up now.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you.” His voice became cold steel.

  “What do you want?”

  “By busting into my facility some nights ago, you exposed an FBI sting attempting to infiltrate my organization. For this, I am immensely grateful. I’m also impressed with how well you handle yourself. I could use someone with your skill set to handle certain tasks for me.”

  “What makes you think that I would consider working for a fucking flesh peddler like you?”

  “A fair question. In a word, leverage. I understand you apprehended a fugitive by the name of Holly Schwartz earlier today.”

  “Yeah, what of it?” I grew from being annoyed to genuinely concerned.

  “Except Fiddler took her from you. Such a dishonorable thing to do. Was your truck damaged much?”

  “Never you mind.”

  “Since Fiddler works for me and I am very interested in meeting with you, I picked them both up. So now I have her for you to pick up and take to the jail and collect your bounty. Pretty hefty one, so I’ve heard. What was it? Fifty grand?”

  “Yeah.” My heart thundered in my chest.

  “So here’s my generous offer to you. You come to work for me, for which I will compensate you generously. And I turn this poor girl over to you, and you collect the fifty grand. And you’re still free to do your bounty hunting so long as it doesn’t interfere with any of my operations. It’s a win-win.”

  “Not interested. And if you dare hurt one hair on Holly’s head—”

  “I’ll even throw in a little signing bonus,” he continued. “I understand those FBI agents who infiltrated my outfit are causing you some trouble. Something about interfering with a federal investigation or some nonsense.”

  “What about it?”

  “Those charges hinge on the testimony of those two agents, yes?”

  “Maybe. Why do you care?”

  I heard muffled voices on the other end of the line, followed by two gunshots that nearly shattered my eardrum. “No more charges. ”

  My jaw dropped. “What the fuck did you do?”

  “I made your problem go away. See how generous I can be?”

  Bile rose in my throat. I didn’t want to believe he’d just executed those agents, but in my gut I knew he had. Still, I was not going to let his violence turn me into one of his goons. “You’re a sick fuck, you know that?”

  “Oh, my dearest Jinx, can’t you see I did you a favor?”

  “I will never work for you. I will make it my mission to hunt you down and bury you in a hole where no one will ever find you.”

  I heard a girl’s pleading voice in the background. It was Holly’s. “You really do not want to test my temper.” His voice turned icy once again. “If you won’t work for me, then I must make you reconsider.”

  “Come and get me, motherfucker. Meaner assholes than you have tried to kill me and failed.”

  “Oh, I will not kill you. But
I will kill everyone you love. Your boyfriend. Your family. And every one of your friends. Also I certainly won’t have need to keep this poor girl Holly alive any longer.” Holly’s screams intensified.

  “Wait. Stop!” I begged.

  “Yes? I’m listening.”

  “Can we meet to discuss this further?”

  “But of course, my dear.” Once again the delightful entrepreneur. “Nothing would give me more pleasure. But just you. Your friend, what’s his name, Doyle? I have no interest in him. I just want you, my delicious tranny.”

  “The word’s transgender, you goddamned piece of shit.”

  “Apologies. I don’t care what you call yourself, so long as you are working for me.”

  Every cell in my body told me to tell him no. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t put my family or Conor or Becca or even Holly at risk. I had to find a way out of this. And in order to do that, I had to stall for time. “Fine. Where are you?”

  “I’ll have a driver pick you up from the corner of Central and Thomas. Next to the Indian statue. Thirty minutes”

  “I’ll be there.”

  “And Jinxie dear, I want you there alone. If my driver sees your man Doyle anywhere around or attempting to follow, he has orders to shoot you. Is that understood?”

  “I understand.”

  “Excellent. I so look forward to meeting you.”

  52

  I hung up, and Conor was giving me looks. “What the bloody hell was that about?”

  “Volkov wants me to work for him.”

  “Fucking mother of Christ, Jinxie, you’re not seriously considering working for that gobshite, are ya?”

  “Not in a million years.”

  Relief washed over his face. “Thank the heavens above for that. I thought you’d lost your mind.”

  “But I am meeting with him.”

  “You what? Are you daft?”

  “He’s got Holly. And he just killed those two feds while I was on the phone with him.”

  “I don’t care if he’s about to shoot the bloody pope, you’re not meeting with him. He’ll put a bullet in you too. Or worse. The man’s a complete nutter. I’m not letting you walk into that mess.”