Dashing Through the Snow

by Lisa G Riley

  Smith obliged him, only shaking his head after Quincy wandered out. “What’s with him?” he asked Lily.

  “He’s just happy about a potential job.”

  Smith nodded and sat kitty corner to her on the desk. He moved in for a kiss. “You ready to go to dinner?”

  “Yes,” Lily said as she rose. “I hope you’re thinking casual, ‘cause that’s certainly what I’m dressed for.”

  Smith looked at her black jeans and crisp white blouse she wore tucked in beneath a wide leather belt. On her feet she wore those boots that every woman on earth seemed to have -- the ones that inevitably made him think of eighth century Vikings walking across frozen Tundra. He didn’t like them, but understood they were quite warm. Lily wore black ones that looked like they were just out of the box. The outfit was offset with a chunky silver necklace and big silver hoop earrings that peeked out between strands of her thick black hair. He smiled, thinking she just didn’t know how dressy she made casual look. “You’re fine.”

  “Good. Can we stop to see Cousin Andrew after? Since I forgot to get his Garrett’s popcorn when we were in Chicago, I ordered some online for him and it came today. Will you carry it for me? It’s awkward for me to pick it up.”

  Smith walked around the desk to see what had to be at least a five gallon-sized tin painted in blue and white snowflakes. “Jesus, think that’ll be enough? What kind did you get? Chicago Mix?”

  “Yep, the classic caramel and cheddar mix. It’s his favorite.”

  “Eating all that might make him sick.”

  “It won’t. He’ll share it with his friends,” she said as he helped her with her coat. She grabbed her purse and walked ahead of him out the door, through the reception area and out another door.

  After locking up, they went to his car. They spent two hours having dinner at a steakhouse and then left to see Andrew. The drive didn’t take long and Lily was soon walking into Andrew’s alley with a flashlight and calling his name so as not to startle him.

  “Hi, there Smith and Lily. I’m glad to see you. Really.”

  Lily laughed and kissed his cheek. “Thanks, cousin. I brought you something. Smith has it.”

  Andrew’s eyes brightened with greed as he spotted the tin. “Oh, you’re an angel, yes you are. And kept your promise, my little star.”

  Smith handed him the tin.

  After struggling with the tape that held it down, Andrew ripped the lid off. “Ah, smell that aroma,” he murmured so low it was as if he were speaking to himself. He looked up. “Where are my manners? Forgive my lack of class. You have some first; don’t let this chance pass.”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Smith said with a big smile before reaching out his hand.

  Lily smacked his arm away before he reached his goal. “Don’t, Smith. It’s his. I have some for us back at the office.”

  “Oh. Well, why didn’t you say so?”

  “Because you didn’t --”

  “Take the fight out of my alley, children. I need my peace.”

  Lily looked at Andrew. “Sorry. We’ll be leaving now. I’ll see you on Christmas Eve.”

  He nodded without smiling. “That you will. Did you check for the green in the well like I told you to?”

  Lily looked at him. He stared right back, his gaze keenly intelligent and lucid. She shook her head. “No, I didn’t, Andrew. Why?”

  He suddenly looked agitated. “You should listen to your Cousin Andrew, Lily,” he told her urgently. “He wouldn’t steer you wrong.”

  Smith put a hand on his arm. “She’s sorry, Andrew. We’ll look now. Should we go now?”

  Andrew nodded. “Yes, that’s good. That’s very good. You go now and you go with our Lily-girl. Keep her safe in this dangerous world. Go now,” he said again before turning and walking into his home.

  Lily looked at Smith. He grabbed her arm and rushed from the alley. “Come on. I think your cousin’s just given us a clue.”

  “Crazy as it sounds, so do I,” Lily said as she slid into the passenger seat.

  “I don’t know how he would know, but at this point, anything’s worth a shot,” Smith said as he started the car.

  “Maybe it comes from living on the street. People try not to notice people like Andrew, but he probably tries to notice everything just to survive.”

  “Good point,” Smith said, taking a sharp curve at a dangerous speed.

  “You’re going to the old well on Town Square, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “What could he be talking about when he says green, though?” Lily murmured as she thought about it.

  “Maybe he means the diamond, but calls it green because he knows it’s worth a lot of money.”

  Lily bit her lip. “I don’t know. With the way his mind works, that theory’s certainly a good one.”

  “Well, we’re about to find out,” Smith said as he parked the car a block away from their destination. Cars weren’t allowed on the Square.

  “Come on,” he said and took Lily’s hand when they were out of the car.

  “Gosh, I’m excited,” she murmured as they hurried along.

  Smith looked at her and smiled at her contagious grin. “Me, too. Let’s go see what we can see.”

  The Square was mostly deserted at that time of night, something they were both grateful for. Lily slowly made her way to the well. She lifted her leg high and stepped over the rope blocking it off. Turning on her flashlight, she positioned it so that it shone down in the well. Smith added his light.

  “See anything?” she whispered after a few minutes.

  Smith continued to look. “It’s not that deep, so we should see something if it’s there.”

  “Well, I don’t,” Lily said after a few more minutes of searching in vain.

  “Unfortunately, I’m forced to agree,” Smith said as he withdrew. “I see nothing but sediment.”

  Lily straightened as well. “Maybe he meant actually in the well, you know, in between the stones,” she said hopefully and kneeling, began to shine her light on the outside of the structure. “Maybe Andrew saw Landry hide it behind a loose stone. And remember, Kip did say he saw Landry at the well.” She raised her hand with the though of pressing her fingers between the stones. “Well, shit,” she muttered in disgust at her immobilized fingers. “You’ll have to do it by yourself, Smith. I’ll go to the other side and look and call you if I see anything.”

  “All right, but be careful. We don’t want to ruin the landmark, and we need to hurry before the cops come by. I’m sure this is a usual beat.”

  “I’m hurrying,” Lily murmured.

  The well wasn’t that large in circumference and after a few minutes, they’d made their way around it twice.

  Lily sighed in frustration. “Nothing.”

  “Goose egg,” Smith agreed.

  Both their heads snapped up when they heard a door close. Smith froze and put his hand on Lily’s arm. “We can’t be too careful. Let’s go,” he told her. And since the sound had come from the side of the Square that was nearest to his car, he began to lead her in the opposite direction once they’d climbed over the rope.

  Heart slamming a tattoo against his chest, Smith quietly pulled Lily in front of him and guided her where he wanted her to go. He put his mouth on her ear. “We’re going to walk toward the funicular and double back to the car.”

  Her breath shuddered out between stiff lips, but Lily nodded. Smith put his lips on her ear again. “When I say run, I want you to take off like the hounds of hell are after you, understand?”

  Lily nodded again. “Only if you come with me, though,” she whispered.

  “I have a gun; you don’t.”

  Lily winced. “Good point, but I’m not leaving you.” A sudden thought occurred. “I can call John.”

  Smith was trying to watch both of their backs, his eyes slowly scanning. “Do that!” he said more forcefully than he’d intended and pushed Lily farther in front of him. He’d seen and felt a presence to hi
s right and a little bit behind him. Catching the man by surprise, Smith stepped back into the other man’s space, turned his body into the step and raising his elbow, slammed it underneath the man’s chin, snapping his head back on his neck. There was a loud crack and Smith knew he’d at least broken the other man’s jaw. The man didn’t make a sound, rocking on his heels for a moment before crashing to the ground.

  Lily stood there stunned at the violence for a moment, but then grabbed Smith’s hand and started running. “Is he dead? That’s one of the men from the museum, isn’t it? The one who stood watch while his partner hurt me.”

  “No, he’s not dead, and yes, I think it is him, so the other guy’s probably not far behind. Go, go, go, go, go!” he said urgently as he steered her ahead of him. Footsteps were pounding behind them, and putting on a burst of speed; Smith grabbed Lily’s hand and dragged her toward the funicular.

  She kept up with him, her breath blowing out in brief pants. The funicular was closed, as Smith knew it would be. He tried the doorknob of the ticket seller’s cabin and found it locked. He looked across the platform at the funicular car that sat there empty. It too was locked. Smith pulled out his gun and holding it by the barrel, slammed it against the glass window of the door several times until he had a big enough hole to reach his hand through.

  That accomplished, he went to work on his second task. The interior was pitch-black dark and he pulled Lily inside. “Lay under the bench,” he told her.

  Pulling his gun from his holster, he kneeled on the bench seat across from her, hunching down just far enough so that only his eyes and the top of his head were in the window.

  He let his eyes adjust to the darkness and he waited.

  Chapter Twenty-five

  It wasn’t long before the man in the Fedora lumbered onto the platform. “Didn’t keep me waiting, did you, ya big bastard,” Smith muttered as he thought about how the man had tortured Lily. He almost shot him just on principle.

  “Don’t, Smith,” Lily hissed. “You’ll regret it.”

  Smith frowned. For someone speaking from the floor, she sounded remarkably close. It was almost as if she were sitting right next to him. He turned his head. Scowled. She was right next to him. She was kneeling on the other end of his bench. He turned back to look out the window. “God damn it, Lily; I told you to get on the floor.”

  Lily kept her eye on the window. “I’m not hiding. I have just as much right to be here as you do.”

  “It’s not a fucking rivalry.”

  “Now’s not the time to argue. Pay attention; he’s coming closer.”

  They watched as he crept closer to the car. Smith waited for him to get close enough to tug at the door. “Stay here,” he told Lily before rushing out of the ticket seller cabin to sneak up behind the other man. He ground his gun into the man’s back. “How does it feel, you thick son of a bitch, to be the one with the gun in your back? Put your hands in the air,” Smith demanded and when the man complied, searched him one-handed until he found his gun.

  “I’m afraid you’re the one with the gun in your back now, Smith.”

  Smith stiffened and closed his eyes in disgust when he heard Kip Beech’s soft, cultured voice.

  “Give me his gun and yours,” Kip said.

  Smith was trying to formulate a plan when he suddenly heard Kip make a choking, gasping sound and then the gun was gone from his back. Kip continued to make choking sounds and Smith felt him tug heavily at his coat and then he heard a crash. Puzzled, Smith turned. Kip was passed out on the platform. And there stood Lily. Barefoot and holding a stun gun to Kip’s neck.

  All Smith could do was grin.

  She scowled at him. “You weren’t even watching your back.”

  “Didn’t have to; you were.” He grinned.

  She grinned back.

  The man in the Fedora took the opportunity to run.

  “Shit,” Smith muttered and took off after him. “Stop! Don’t make me shoot you.”

  The man looked over his shoulder, trying to gauge how close Smith was. “Watch out!” Smith yelled. “Watch where you’re going!” But he was too late. The man was on a collision course with a row of newspaper boxes that lined the platform. He noticed them a second too late and in trying to avoid them, twisted his body and took a tumble. Right off the platform. Smith caught up just in time to see him roll ass over teacup as he fell down the incline. Lily arrived beside him.

  “Oh, my God.”

  “Yeah,” was all Smith could say. He turned to her. “Did you call your cousin?”

  “I tried, but I couldn’t get service. I sent him a text and told him to come to the funicular.”

  “And how about Kip?”

  She pointed. “He’s still down there. I had to stun him again because he started to come out of it. He’s huge and the stunner didn’t pack enough of a punch. I had to zap him three times.”

  Smith laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders as they began walking back toward Kip. “Sweetness, you make a perfect private eye.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far, but I’ll tell you something,” she said just as the sound of screaming sirens penetrated the air. “I think I know where Landry is, and he’s got the diamond.”

  ***

  Three hours later, Lily, Smith and John stood on Jasmine Street in front of an SRO with the unlikely name of Jonah’s Whale. It had been a long night in which they’d taken a trip to the police station and given statements.

  “It’s right across from Cousin Andrew’s alley,” Lily pointed out, “so he probably sees everything that goes on. I thought about it while we were running, Smith. I’ve seen the place hundreds of times -- every time I come to visit Andrew. He wasn’t saying well, he was saying whale. We just weren’t paying close enough attention.”

  “All right, let’s go in,” John said. They waited while John approached the desk clerk with his badge and a photo of Charles Landry.

  “How’s your hand?” Smith asked her.

  Lily looked at it, turning it one way and then the other. “Hurting, but I can handle it. I’ll take my medicine once we wrap things up here.”

  John approached them. “He’s here all right. Down the hall in room number eight. He’s registered under Juan Tawnee.”

  Smith and Lily exchanged a glance.

  “The clerk gave me the key. Let’s go surprise Mr. Landry, shall we?”

  They arrived at the room and John knocked once, perfunctorily, before using the key to open the door. Lily would have followed John into the room but he’d stopped dead in his tracks with a surprised, “What the fuuuuhck?”

  Smith, who could see over John’s shoulder, muttered, “Jesus,” in a disgusted voice and said nothing else.

  “What?” Lily asked anxiously before pushing and squeezing past them to crash into the room. What she saw had her bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

  Charles Landry lay on the bed. Stark naked. With the Golddigger’s Folly strapped to his penis.

  Lily couldn’t judge who was more shocked: him or them.

  “Jesus, Smith,” Lily said later as they waited in the police station. “If she was in on it; we’ll never get paid!”

  Smith winced. “I know, but I believe she is, and what’s more, I think she hired us just to find her husband, not figure things out about the diamond. Think about it, Lil. We were reporting everything we found to her. She could have been the one to send those guys after us at the museum.”

  “But he told me to stay away from the diamond and Landry.”

  Smith shrugged. “Maybe, he didn’t follow her orders, or he just went overboard. Whatever. She’s in on it.”

  “So your theory is that they were all in it together: Landry, Tam, Fedora hat, Fedora hat’s partner, Kip Beech, Mrs. Landry and Ramirez at the museum because he had to give them access.”

  “Yes, but the only problem is Landry took the diamond and ran. Obviously, he wasn’t supposed to do that. That’s when we were brought in.”

 
“But don’t you think Mrs. Landry would have thought sending us after him was too risky because we might unearth some things she didn’t want us to know about?”

  Smith snorted. “She probably didn’t think that he’d be dumb enough to talk to someone outside of the group about the diamond, like he did with Mr. Anders. And I’m sure she didn’t expect that he’d leave a map to the museum behind. Just like she didn’t think he’d run. But obviously, the man is arrogant and careless. Hell, he didn’t even have the chain on the door at that SRO he was staying at.”

  “But you have to admit it was smart of him to hide in town, right under their noses.” Lily said. “I don’t think we’d have found him if not for Cousin Andrew.”

  “True,” Smith conceded. “I wonder what he did with his car.”

  Lily jerked her head forward. “I think we’re about to find out that and more.”

  John joined them in his office and sat behind his desk. “All right, so Landry is singing like the proverbial canary. This thing is huge. There are people involved from Chicago and here in town. Turns out you were right, Smith. Mrs. Landry was in on the theft from the get-go, and Landry did try to run out on them. Landry had wanted the Folly for years and knew he had to take his chance when the museum announced its plans for a new exhibit. He knew if they sent it on tour, he’d never get his hands on the diamond, so he plotted to have a reproduction made and steal the real one.

  “Everyone else thought they were going sell it to a buyer in Russia who was willing to pay a cool fifty million for it, but it turns out Landry had planned all along to take off with it. He wanted it for his collection. His plan was to lay low for a while and then leave the country for Cuba via Canada.”

  “What’d he do with his car?” Smith asked.

  “You know that junkyard over in Placerville?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well they’ve got a crusher and he took it over there and had it crushed. Says he knew he had to get rid of it in order to get away clean.”

  “So who all was in on it? He’s naming names, right?”