by Myles Knapp
“I always thought Pay’d take on anyone one-on-one. Even Superman, if he was a crook.”
“Me too.”
They watched video until the combo of Visine and Red Bull stopped working. Amy was out by midnight. Chase lasted till about two. Neither went home, electing to sleep on couches at HQ so they could get an early start.
The next morning, Chase contacted a friend at the newspaper who emailed over their file photos of wealthy San Francisco males over 50. He and Amy imported the photos into his Mac, then pulled stills from the videos and imported those, too. Chase loaded up his facial recognition software and they left for a late breakfast, knowing it would take hours for the program to complete its work.
After breakfast and a nap, Amy checked the system while Chase made coffee. “The search isn’t finished but a few of the men have been identified.”
Chase set a steaming cup of what looked like jet fuel in front of Amy, and clicked a few keys on the keyboard. “So far, we’ve got names for five guys.” He chuckled. “Of course, Ted and George are both there.”
“What do we do now?” asked Amy.
“We start learning more about them.”
Amy pulled out her cell. “If we want dirt on the wealthiest men in town you and I could spend all day poking around the internet. Brooke probably knows most of these guys by sight. She’ll know where to dig first.”
Brooke picked up on the first ring.
“We’ve ID’d some guys from the video. Could you come look over what we’ve found?”
“Sure. I’ll be there in a little while.”
Less than an hour later they had everything they needed. A few minutes on Google and a couple of calls to Brooke’s friends was all it took. All of the men were uber-rich, recently divorced, and even more recently re-married to world-class trophy wives.
While Amy researched the potential victims, Brooke and Chase briefed Pay.
“Lotta horny rich guys. Get the right footage of them with someone other than their wife, it’s a perfect blackmail setup.” It never took Pay long to get to the point.
“Morano figures these guys went through an ugly divorce and won’t want to go through another. And he’s got all of them making Mr. Happy with someone who isn’t their wife.” Chase frowned. “They’ll run the math and decide it’s cheaper to pay him than it will be to go through another divorce and lose half their assets, again.”
“Got it. Now what.”
Brooke said, “You and Richard could interview employees at Centerfolds. One of them might know the location of the other places in the videos, or someone who’s involved besides MacDonald.”
“What are you two going to do?”
“Chase and I are going to visit the rich guys in the videos and see what they can tell us. If Morano is behind this, we might as well figure out a way to get paid for taking him down.”
“OK, but I want you, Barb and Richard to interview as many people as you can at Centerfolds. Then hit the other strip clubs, and the afterhours place MacDonald worked. Before we talk to the other rich guys, I want to talk to Ted and George myself. They’re probably scared nearly shitless now. And they know it’s going to get worse. Pretty soon, they’re going to worry that Chase alone isn’t tough or violent enough for the job. They’ll decide they need a brutal, sadistic thug. That’s me.”
Pay met Ted at the Transamerica Pyramid. Ted’s office was on the next-to-the-top floor, so high up you had to change elevators to get there. During the day it granted views of the Pacific, the Bay, the City and southern Marin, but this late on a summer evening the setting sun glittered off a base of fog, with only the Golden Gate Bridge towers and the peaks of a few skyscrapers breaking through the grey-white blanket.
Ted poured some obscure, forty-year-old single malt over one lonely ice cube sitting in an oversized Steuben crystal rocks glass, and handed it to Pay. He took a sip and sighed. He’d have preferred plain old Wild Turkey with lots of ice. “So you had sex with a woman who isn’t your wife and now you’re getting blackmailed.”
Ted stammered. “It wasn’t exactly like that.”
“Aw jeez, don’t waste my time.”
“Well, it started out pretty innocent. I was in this strip club.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Let’s pick it up a bit. I know about your trip to Centerfolds. I’ve seen the video. And more video of you at a luxury private club.”
“Ah, Club Savory.” The fond memory on Ted’s face melted into one of fear.
“Get to the blackmail part.”
“Ok. Ok. A few days after my first trip to the strip club, I got a call inviting me to a special event at Club Savory.”
“Just you?”
“No. They said I could bring a friend. I took George so I wouldn’t be alone.”
“What did you and George do?”
“The club was surprisingly nice. It was luxurious and extremely classy, not at all like that sleazy strip bar. Club Savory has wonderful food and the best wine cellar I’ve ever seen.” Ted started to drift off into some wine-enthused reverie. “And I’ve been to some of the best in the world, so I know.
“George and I went several times. The food, the décor—everything was perfect. But it was the women who made it really wonderful. They all wanted to talk with you and listen to you. All these beautiful girls. That’s what made Club Savory worth every penny of the thousand dollar cover charge.”
“Then what?”
“A few weeks later, a gentleman with a refined British accent invited us to an exclusive event at the Brannon’s penthouse.”
Pay shook his head in dismay. “You got a call from somebody you didn’t know and went to a party thrown by people you’ve never heard of?”
“They said it was an exclusive party for Club Savory’s VIPs.”
“That all?”
“The party was restricted to upscale gentlemen and there would be lots of beautiful women and girls in a relaxed, private atmosphere. They promised an experience California’s liquor licensing laws prevented them from offering at the club.”
“You went.”
“George and I went together.”
“Of course you did.” Pay sighed. He couldn’t figure out what was worse—stupid rich men or stupid rich men, times two.
“There was this beautiful woman. Mei Ling. She couldn’t leave me alone.” For a brief second, Ted almost grew a backbone, and his voice slid into what Pay was sure he thought of as his ‘Captain of Industry’ voice. “Mei was one of the most wonderful nights of my life.”
“Yeah. Sure. Right up until you found out everything was taped.”
“The worst part was when I got the call.”
“Tell me about it.”
“This raspy voice growls: ‘We got video of you in bed with Mei Ling. You’ll get a copy in tomorrow’s mail. It’s going to cost you four million to get the original. Pay up, or we send it to your wife.’”
“How long they give you to pay?”
“Two weeks. I told them it would take me that long to get the funds together.”
“They agreed?”
“I told them it would take me a month to pull together that much cash in small bills without my wife or accountants getting suspicious. They said I had two weeks.”
It didn’t take long for Ted to agree to Pay’s terms. The team would shut down the blackmailer. In exchange, Ted would pay them fifty percent of the blackmail demand. Pay agreed to a $250,000 refundable retainer, which Ted paid out in cash.
CHAPTER 57
Early in his career, Pay had used guns a lot. As he’d gotten more experienced, he’d relied on them less and less. When he was younger, he’d loved the confidence a piece gave him. But over the years, he’d learned to rely on brains and a well-targeted blow from his collapsing baton. He’d seen too many innocent bystanders become collateral damage.
“Why?”
“Morano’s back.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah.”
“So get a forty-five for you and Chase, with 38’s for backup. Get 38’s and 22’s for the rest of the team. Whatcha need me for?”
“Was hoping for something with more firepower. Maybe something like we got Sam.”
“There’s a revolver version of the derringer, the Judge Magnum. Shoots forty-five Colt ammo, shotgun shells and non-lethal ammo. It is perfect for killing Morano.”
“Why?”
“Because the ribbed rubber grips don’t take palm prints. If you use shotgun shells there’s nothing for the CSI’s to trace. I’ll crosshatch the trigger to prevent fingerprints. Just shoot it and drop it.”
“What about DNA?”
“DNA’s overrated. First, you gotta leave skin or hair or something behind. Second, SFPD’s lab is so overworked that only really high-profile stuff ever gets run. Right now SFPD is five years behind.”
“What about ammo?”
“Against Morano? I’d be carrying a forty-five and grenades.” He laughed. “I’d load the Judge with shotgun shells. Cuts down the need for accuracy, which is always a bitch when the shit hits the fan.”
In addition to weapons for himself, Pay ordered Judge Revolvers and “Sam Hong” derringers for the entire team: Brooke, Peggy, Amy, Chase, Denny, Richard and Barbara Jane, would be perfectly armed.
Richard already had a .38, but Pay wasn’t sure he was a good enough shot to use it effectively, and he didn’t want Richard to run into Morano holding nothing but a can of pepper spray and a gun he wasn’t proficient with.
CHAPTER 58
Just after midnight, Pay was sitting in the big green chair thinking about Morano when he got a call. “Sam Hong’s hurt,” Brooke said.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know for sure. His wife said the police called and Sam was admitted to Saint Francis Hospital. She asked if we could meet her there.”
“I can be there in about twenty. You wanna go?”
“Yes. Pick me up, please.”
As Brooke and Pay stepped off the elevator, two cops stepped on. Pay guessed they’d been talking to Sam or his wife.
They turned the corner into Sam’s room, expecting to find a beaten old man at death’s door, but found a drowsy Sam smiling loopily at his wife; a woman who was most definitely giving him hell.
“You dumb old goat. I told you this walking around thing was stupid, stupid, stupid. Stupid and dangerous!” Her voice got shriller and louder with every word, but her eyes glistened with tears and love.
Sam just sat there wearing a dazed smile, a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, and dark blue-black bruises on both arms. Pay looked at his giddy smile and wondered if he was high on painkillers, or had sustained some sort of brain damage.
Sam’s head turned in Pay’s direction and his smile brightened. His voice came out as sort of a cross between a whisper and a chuckle. “Got ‘em. God damn it. I got ‘em.”
Liu Hong shook her head, sighed, and slumped in the room’s only guest chair.
Brooke went to comfort her, as Pay leaned over the bed. “Whatta ya mean you got ‘em?”
“Those bastards jumped me again. They thought they were going to get a chance at a double dip.”
“Looks like you put up a fight.”
Sam’s eyes brightened. “I blew ‘em away.”
Pay looked over his shoulder for the cops. “Good time to be quiet. Can’t talk about stuff like that here.”
Sam mumbled, “Not gonna matter. Trust me. It’s not going to matter.” His eye’s fluttered and the drugs took him into oblivion.
Liu looked up at Pay. “He’s got a concussion, broken ribs and minor internal injuries. Doc says it’s painful but he’ll recover.” Her skin was pale. “Police say he shot and killed two men. They said it appears to be self-defense.”
CHAPTER 59
Pay decided to call and see how Richard was doing after getting revenge on MacDonald. “How do you feel?”
“How do I feel about what?”
“Getting your Rolex back. Whatta ya think I mean? How ‘bout those Lakers?”
“Honestly, I feel good. Except I’ve got a little guilt about Tasering MacDonald in the gonads.”
“Understandable. I’d worry if you didn’t.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t feel guilt anymore. Worries me sometimes. Maybe I like the rough stuff too much.”
“I’m pretty sure we did a good thing. We got the money, my watch…and I think I scared that shit pretty bad.”
“Gonna be a lot easier than taking on Morano.”
“Am I ready to start helping with Mary Ellen? I’d like to do more than surveillance and questioning strippers.”
“Yeah, you’re ready. We’re meeting at the office in an hour. Be here.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“I was sure right after you tasered MacDonald.”
Pay pointed Richard to a seat alongside Brooke at the team’s Formica conference table. In addition to hosting business meetings, it served as the lunch table, Chase’s chess table, and was occasionally pressed into service when Pay needed to sort bills. Which wasn’t often. Minimal paperwork was one of the great benefits of an all cash, mostly underground business.
Richard thought the thing looked like it belonged in a Junior High lunchroom. It had long, skinny, uncomfortable benches on both sides, and was covered with stains. Some looked like blood. Brooke said it was from a lifetime of the team’s spaghetti lunches and midnight pizzas, but Richard wasn’t quite sure he believed her.
Blade rested quietly under the table.
“I don’t feel like I’ve done anything to really help Mary Ellen yet.”
Pay shrugged. “You weren’t ready. At the beginning, finding us was the only thing you could do. And we’ve done lots of stuff you don’t know about.”
Brooke sipped from a glass of orange juice. “We’ve got standard procedures. First, we talk with the victim’s regular Joe, good citizen contacts, friends, relatives, neighbors and the like. We need to know what people are involved in before we start rubbing up against bad guys. It’s vital to know if Mary Ellen is involved in something crooked.”
“She wasn’t involved in anything crooked, Brooke. There’s just no way.” Richard’s eyes pleaded.
“Your heart is in the right place. But you don’t know that for sure.”
“We won’t risk our lives until we’re pretty sure. …And we’re sure,” Pay said, settling into a chair at the head of the table. “You ought to feel good; our money from MacDonald will go toward her medical bills. Should help with her deductible. ”
“I thought you were going to donate the money to a kid’s charity?” said Richard.
Brooke smiled. “You can do whatever you want with yours. Ours will go as an anonymous donation to her medical bills.”
“You guys aren’t keeping anything?”
Pay looked up from the dark glasses he was cleaning on his T-shirt. “Nah. She needs it more than we do.”
“Please donate mine, too.”
“Why don’t you use yours to help cover her living expenses? She’s not going to be able to work for a while. Brooke can set it up so she doesn’t know the funds came from you.”
“Ok. So what happens next?” asked Richard.
“Need to take care of Morano.”
“What are we going to do?”
“At minimum, get him sent back to prison. I’d rather kill him. Chase is trying to find out where he’s based. Maybe we can find a house or something where he’s vulnerable.
”
Pay set a duffle bag on the table that resonated with a metallic ‘thunk.’ “Paid a visit to Jon D. Got his input on the latest weapons. I got everything he recommended for all of us. Ammo, guns, and holsters are on the table. Anyone gets a shot at Morano, you all got the green light.”
Brooke picked up a pistol.
Chase flipped open his revolver and checked the loads. “Should have killed him last time.”
“Get everyone checked out on these. Brooke and Barb take care of Amy and Peggy. Chase, you set up Denny and Richard.”
“Pay, honey, Richard isn’t ready,” said Brooke.
“Jesus Pay, are you losing your mind?” added Chase. “Rich’s been a client for less than a month. Last week the vegan kid almost tore him a new one.”
“Hey, I’m right here.” Richard’s face screwed up into what Pay thought might be his version of a scowl.
“Doesn’t matter. Morano knows you’re our weakest link. Can’t have you running around out there like a bacon-coated nudist at a Grizzly convention.”
CHAPTER 60
For the entire span Mary Ellen was in the hospital, Richard had visited two or three times a day. The doctors told him she was getting better. Her heart rate and blood pressure were stable. The lacerations, bruises, and broken bones were all on the mend. She could talk, but wasn’t talkative. Unfortunately, her memory was severely damaged and no one knew if she’d ever remember the details of what happened that night.
Pay dropped by often but left most of the talking to Richard. So it was a surprise when he got a late afternoon call from Mrs. Nako, the head nurse. “Mary Ellen wants you to come by and talk with her.”
“I’ll be by later this evening with Richard.”
“She’s asking to talk with you alone.”