by Jean Martino
Linda’s heart started racing. She scribbled the Sheraton on the pad. “Did they say anything about where they went while here?” she asked, hearing the tremor in her voice, and wondering why Cindy had never mentioned to her their visit to San Francisco a year earlier.
Benny mentioned a few places which she wrote down and then said, “That’s about all I can think of. Except I remember Cindy saying how they had loved Ghirardelli Square and went there almost every day. She liked the atmosphere and said if she could handle the earth quake problem she would move there in a flash and live close by because it had atmosphere. Michael didn’t like it. Said he preferred Southern California more.”
Linda wrote down Ghirardelli Square, her hand shaking. “Benny,” she said, “you’ve been more than helpful. I appreciate it very much. I hope when this is all over we can meet for a bit before I return to Australia.”
“Are you going back there?”
“At this moment my only plan is to find Michael and Cindy and help them however I can.”
“I wish I could help them too,” he said forlornly. “I miss them both very much.”
Her heart went out to him. “I know,” she said. “I’m sure they’re missing you too and their life back in LA. Benny, I know all that happened with the stock and how you followed Michael’s instructions. Thank you also for leaving that disc on our car so I would know what happened to my investment. I was wondering though if you knew of a man named Joe who has been trying to contact me in Australia and if it has something to do with where my money is?”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t know anymore than what Michael told me to do on those discs.”
“Understood,” she said. “Cindy told me about your wife and children. They sound wonderful.”
“They are,” he said, his voice lightening a tone.
“I’ll let you go now, Benny. I know you have to get to work and I’m keeping you and---”
“It’s alright Mrs. Rossi. It’s Saturday. I’m not working today, and I’m glad to be able to help. If you think of anything else then don’t hesitate to call me.”
After she hung up, Linda stared for a long time at the notepad. Ghirardelli Square? It was a long shot but a starting point at least. It was 9:30 am and she felt hungry so called for room service and ordered breakfast. Then her thoughts turned to Scott. She was really missing him something terrible. She wondered if he was missing her and sorry for how he had treated her last night. She reached for the phone to call him, then stopped. She would see him at the airport. The thought scared her not knowing what would happen and if her life would be in danger. But she had to go through with it somehow. Only now she was scared of seeing Scott again too. Double jeopardy, she thought grimly. Perhaps he wouldn’t even speak to her again after her running out on him like she had done. Perhaps he would be glad to get rid of her and this problem she had dumped on him. Oh God how she missed him.
CHAPTER 24
It was 10:30 am when she stepped out of the taxi and walked through the entrance into Ghirardelli Square. She stared curiously around as she walked past the fountains, the old and new buildings, the boutiques and gay little art and gift shops and dining areas. There was still only light traffic but she imagined later in the day it would be crowded with tourists and, because this was Saturday, it would be a very popular haunt for the locals. It afforded a beautiful ocean view of the bay and Alcatraz and the Embarcadero. She could understand why Cindy would love the place, searching through the many gift shops for special items to take home with her, or dining in one of the beautiful restaurants overlooking the bay. It was Cindy’s type of place, and hers.
Thinking of Cindy brought her back to reality. She was not there to enjoy the place but to try the impossible and see if somehow fate would bring her daughter there that morning. The possibility was extremely remote, but somehow she felt closer to Cindy just being there, knowing she would have walked around the square as she was doing right now.
After an hour of wandering around, looking into every face of every person she passed, hoping that by some miracle one would be of her child, she became discouraged and went into a café for coffee. The menu the waitress brought her tempted her to buy a club sandwich also. She glanced at her watch, it was almost noon; she would have just enough time to eat lunch then catch a taxi to the airport. The thought of meeting Scott there under the circumstances gave her the shivers. She almost wished now she had not acted so impulsively and left his home this morning before he was up. He had a right to be mad at her. She had put them both at risk with her impulsiveness. Perhaps he wouldn’t ever forgive her now, but somehow she had to try to make it right. She couldn’t bear to lose him now.
As she left the café her mind started churning with what would happen when she got to the airport. Scott had said there would be two undercover cops there and she would not be at risk. But how could she be sure? She shook her head and stopped at the taxi stand.
“I need to go to the San Francisco Airport,” she told him as she slid into the back seat, “the Domestic terminal 3.”
The taxi pulled away from the ranks and headed out of the Square and Linda leaned her head back on the seat feeling suddenly very tired and very disillusioned. When the taxi driver let out a curse, she jerked upwards and stared out the window.
“Sorry,” he said. “These bike riders don’t seem to have any respect for cars. They swerve in and out of the lanes like a bunch of loonies.”
Her mind came instantly alert. “Bike riders? Do you get many of them around here?”
“Too many,” he groaned. “Especially on weekends like now.”
Her head went flying from one side to the other seeing several bike riders parking their bikes. My God she thought. Cindy and Michael didn’t have cars now. Unless they had bought another one, which they couldn’t without it showing up in the Motor Vehicles data base and the police able to track it to their home address, they would have bought or rented a couple of bikes. A shiver ran down her spine. She wanted to tell the taxi driver to take her back to the Square and wait there all day if she had to, to see if Michael and Cindy came there on their bikes. She felt sure now she was on the right track. She had never felt so sure of anything before in her life. Somehow, somewhere, in this area, she would find her daughter. But for now she had to keep going to the airport. It was important to be there too.
It was ten minutes before one pm when she got out of the taxi and walked into Terminal 3, looking at the board for the gate number for the UA flight from LA. Her legs felt like jelly as she hurried towards it, searching through the crowds for that wonderfully familiar face that she had come to love so much; hoping it would not express anger at seeing her; hoping they could talk this out once it was over and find their way back to each other again.
“Linda!”
She turned quickly and saw Scott hurrying towards her. He didn’t look angry, just concerned, very concerned. She let out her breath and smiled weakly at him.
“My God, lady! You had me so worried. Where did you go? Why did you leave like that? I’ve been going out of my mind with worry about you.”
She felt relieved at his lack of anger but sad and ashamed that she had caused him so much concern. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just felt you were so mad at me for leaving the house yesterday and letting those snoops in to bug the place that you didn’t want to have me around anymore.”
“How could you think that?” he asked, the hurt showing in his eyes.
“Well, you went to bed without speaking and left me to sleep on the couch and---“
“Oh shit!” he cried. “Of course I was angry, but not at you. I was mad because those bastards could get into my home and invade my privacy like that. Linda I know it must have looked like I was angry with you but when I get as angry as I was then I just withdraw into myself. I didn’t want to upset you. And I was tired. I’d been at the station all day going over records with Max and my head ached and I felt like shit.”
At t
hat moment a man nearby walked past Scott and brushed the sleeve of his jacket. Scott stopped talking and his head spun around to stare at the man. He nodded and grabbed Linda’s arm. “We can talk about this later,” he said. “The plane is coming in for a landing.”
Her heart started beating faster. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked.
“We are to meet this Parkinson guy in the bar,” he said, holding her arm firmly as they made their way through the crowds of people coming and going. “When he gets here I’ll introduce myself and then you to him. The undercover cops will be sitting nearby and watching every move, including if there will be others who appear to be with him. It’s OK, honey, he won’t get a hand on you. I promise.”
She nodded, not feeling as secure as she would have liked to despite her total faith in Scott’s ability to protect her. When they reached the bar they found a table in a corner and sat down. Scott ordered a couple of drinks which neither of them touched even as their eyes stared at the entrance. She saw the man Scott had nodded at sitting close by with another man and fought off another shudder. It was awful. She had not expected to feel this scared. It felt like she was in a war zone somewhere waiting for a bomb to drop on her.
The airport started filling up as more people disembarked from flights and many stopped at the bar for a drink. Linda looked at Scott’s face and saw the look of total concentration on it. He hardly even blinked. His focus was one hundred percent on the people coming into the bar.
“Perhaps he changed his mind,” she whispered.
He didn’t even look at her but mumbled. “Not a chance. He has no choice. He has to do this.”
Before she could ask why, she saw him stiffen, his hand reaching to the area beneath his jacket where she knew he kept his gun in its shoulder holster. She glanced at the entrance quickly and saw a very tall, thin, elderly looking man enter and look around. He didn’t look threatening, she thought curiously, and then remembered Scott telling her he was a retired detective and only the messenger and there would be others with him that would do whatever they intended. She grasped Scott’s hand and he squeezed it tightly.
“Detective Walker,” said the man, stopping at their table. “And Mrs. Rossi. I’m Detective Parkinson, retired from the Long Beach Police Department. I’m glad you could make it.” He gestured at an empty chair. “May I?”
Scott nodded, seemingly as cool as a cucumber to Linda, but she knew he was alert and prepared. He glanced so quickly at the entrance and those coming into the bar that even the man couldn’t have noticed. If there were others with him then they certainly weren’t obvious. But that was a fear also, she knew. Scott needed to know who they were and where they were.
“I regret our having to meet under these troubling circumstances,” he said, sitting down and directing his remark at Linda.
“What do you know about the couple?” asked Scott, cutting off the frivolous social interaction quickly.
“I have the address of a hotel for you,” said Parkinson.
“How did you get it?” asked Scott.
“I have my sources,” said Parkinson, his eyes steely.
“What do you want for this information?” asked Scott. “I know you wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble for nothing.”
Seeing Scott was getting right down to business the man nodded. “At this point I am only wanting to help.”
“Bullshit,” whispered Scott. “Who are you working for? Is it Carl Denholm?”
Parkinson started at the accusation. Then he relaxed and smiled. “I expected you would check up on me and find out I have dealings with Denholm,” he said. “I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t. I have heard you were one of the best homicide detectives in Sacramento division before retiring, so I’m not surprised.”
“Get on with it,” said Scott impatiently, glancing around.
Parkinson watched him. “There’s no point in your looking for any others who might be with me,” he said blithely, “you wouldn’t find them even if there were.”
“I doubt that. Now are you going to tell us where the couple is or not. We don’t have all day to sit here making small talk.”
“It’s not that simple,” he said.
“What the hell kind of a game are you playing?” asked Scott furiously. “Just give us the address.”
“It won’t help you,” said Parkinson returning Scott’s obstinate stare.
Scott groaned aloud. “How much will it cost to get it from you?”
“I’m not in it for the money,” said Parkinson sternly.
Linda couldn’t take much more of this. “Detective Parkinson,” she said angrily. “If you know the address where my daughter and her husband are, then please give it to us. I will pay you for it if I have to. But please stop these games and let’s get down to the business of why you came here.”
“A woman after my own heart,” he said with a thin smile. “I like a woman who gets right down to business and doesn’t---”
Scott’s hand was so fast even Linda didn’t see it move, but he had Parkinson’s jacket lapel in his hand firmly, his eyes flashing. “Cut the crap. We know you aren’t alone. I know what you’re planning. If you have any idea of hurting Linda here then have another think. There are two undercover cops watching as we speak and if you or any others make one move to harm her you will live to regret it.”
Despite his elderly appearance, Parkinson was as fast as Scott. He grabbed Scott’s hand and jerked it off his lapel. “I expected you would have” he said, brushing the crease out of his lapel. “I am not without feelings in all this, Detective Walker. I had no choice. I am sure you understand that certain people in this state want to get their hands on Michael Brampton... period. I am only the messenger.” He took a piece of folded paper out of his wallet and placed it on the table. “The address is phony of course. It is just a lure to get you to walk out of here. I’m sure you know what to expect when you do. But I have no choice either. Yes, I have done work for Denholm on occasion, and that was probably the biggest mistake of my life. Because of my police association, it was expected you would believe whatever I told you. Because of your police association I knew you would see through the whole thing. Now, I am going to get up and walk out of here and if anyone tries to stop me they will know that, retired or not, I still can protect myself.”
He stood up and nodded to Linda then walked off. Scott looked over to where the undercover cops were sitting and nodded. One got up and followed Parkinson, the other remained sitting at the table, watching.
“That didn’t make any sense at all to me,” said Linda angrily. “He gave us a phony address and told us it was phony. What the hell are we supposed to do now?”
Scott picked up the piece of paper, unfolded it and read it, then took some money out of his billfold and left it on the tray on the table to pay for their drinks. “Parkinson told me what I needed to know,” he said without looking at her. “When he said I wouldn’t find them, he was letting me know there would be more than one.” She saw him glance over at the table where the other undercover cop was sitting and lift two fingers then let them drop. “There are others here watching us right now. They will make their move as soon as we leave here and go into the terminal.”
“I’m not leaving here,” she said defiantly. “There’s no way I’m going to walk out into that crowd and... and...”
He grabbed for her hand. “Linda, please trust me. They won’t kidnap you I promise. But the only way we can catch them and tie them to Denholm is to pretend to go along with it right now. Please know, love, that I will not allow any harm to come to you.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, her mouth trembling. “I don’t think I can, Scott,” she whispered. “I’m scared. I’ve never felt this scared in my life. What if they hurt you too?”
He smiled weakly at her. “No-one is going to hurt me, or you. Trust me.”
She knew she had no choice. Parkinson had now identified her to whoever was watching. They couldn’t s
it there forever. They had to leave there some time. And if she didn’t go along with Scott now then it would prove to him that she didn’t have any faith in him to protect her. “If you catch these men and can prove they work for Denholm, what then?”
“We’ll have a reason to arrest him and put him behind bars and once he’s out of the way Michael won’t have anything to fear. He’s the linchpin in that consortium, Linda; he’s the one who the consortiums in Vegas go through. Without him they would have to fold their operations. And we have enough information now from the discs Benny gave us to start the arrest procedures of all those investors in Vegas. We need to get Denholm off the street. This is the only way.”
“Alright,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Lead the way. I’m ready.”
He stood up and held her chair as she stood also. He didn’t even look in the direction of the other cop but knew he would be right on their tail. Together they walked out of the bar and into the milling crowds. Linda felt like her stomach was in her mouth and thought she was going to throw up. Scott’s arm was protectively around her waist holding her tight as they hurried forward. But his eyes were everywhere, looking left and right, sensing the presence of any unknown element. She could feel the perspiration starting to break on her forehead and run down the sides of her face but she couldn’t bring herself to wipe it away, she was too terrified to move her hand upwards even. The seconds dragged out into what seemed hours to her. She felt like she was walking on a tightrope that would snap any minute, and all around them people were laughing and talking and carrying on like everything was normal.