Bloody Shadows

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

“Why yes, Payaso, that’s exactly who I mean. Clyde and I are just like brothers.”

  “He hates your guts.”

  “Okay then… step brothers.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Seattle Safe Once More

  In front of Seattle’s West Precinct building, Nick exited the black Lincoln Towncar dressed in a dark gray tailored suit, giving Bacall a wave. “I’ll call you when I need a ride to our next destination, Clyde. You can get something to eat or hang around here. I don’t know yet how long I’ll be.”

  “I’ll get something to eat.” The moment Nick closed the door, Bacall sped off.

  Kids today… ungrateful weasels. Nick spotted Tim and Grace walking toward him. Tim smiled, but Grace gave Nick the death stare. “Hello, my fellow Marshals. How have you been? Anything frightful happen in your negotiations with the Great Kate?”

  Grace relaxed as Nick mentioned someone she despised more than Nick. “Great Kate? Heh…heh, good one. We just left a meeting with her. She bitched when we were here trying to help her before, and she’s bitching because we came back. Great Kate can’t catch the Ripper, but without someone else around to blame, she’s stuck taking calls from the DOJ and media for nonexistent progress reports. Great Kate hates your plan, but she’s been told in no uncertain terms you’ll be running the show with the prostitutes entrapping the Ripper. The Attorney General himself told her on a conference call she is to tell no one about the operation. He warned her if he hears one thing in the media or from another source about anything to do with the operation, he’s going to have her signing visitors in at the Washington Monument.”

  “You can only imagine how much Grace loved that conference call,” Tim added.

  “Watching Great Kate’s head nearly explode made me get that lovin’ feeling back for you, my little Muerto,” Grace said. “We’re uneasy with this deviation from your normal operation plan of killing everything that moves in and around the target. Tim and I munched popcorn in front of the TV news seeing the Unholy Trio’s actions in Centralia. That YouTube video was horrific, but I’ll bet effective. What’s with the new bring them back alive deal? We figured you’d wave your magic wand, find the Ripper, and put his head on a pike at City Hall with an accompanying El Muerto video.”

  “Even Muerto must cool his trail a bit. I’m afraid Mr. Ripper will not get through this unscathed, but I’ll deliver him. I’ll run the show away from the task force. All I need from you two is some interference, and possibly facilitate something I get into the middle of on the street.”

  “That works for us,” Tim replied. “We like your plan. I pray to God you can keep your bait alive and well or the Great Kate will throw us all under the bus so fast the driver will think we were speed bumps.”

  “Let’s go meet the Great Kate, and get this initial crap storm out of the way. My buddy Paul put in a word with the FBI Director. I have him on speed dial. I’m sure the pep talk from the big boss set Great Kate on a helpful path, but in case she forgets her place, I have someone else closer to her paycheck to talk with.”

  “Well c’mon then, Muerto,” Grace said. “I’m hoping she shoots her mouth off so I can listen to the resulting call to the FBI Director.”

  “That’s fine, but remember to not lose your head and start spouting the Muerto tag. You did good with that Lieutenant Moragado in Charleston. Let’s try to get Great Kate on board with this even though she can’t stop it anyway. She might be vindictive enough get fired over leaking our operation just to screw us over at any cost. I don’t have to tell you that would go badly for her. The good guys and gals under Muerto’s protection do not suffer casualties because of ego maniacs in authority.”

  Grace glanced over at Nick. “Understood.”

  * * *

  Agent in charge Kaitlin Anderson listened to the introduction from Marshal Stanwick with arms folded over chest in classic defensive body language. She ignored Nick’s outstretched hand. “So you’re the savior novelist they flew in to dump on me with, huh McCarty?”

  There goes the kill them with kindness gambit. “That’s US Marshal McCarty, Agent Anderson. One more word out of you other than professional help offered on the case, and I have a direct line to the FBI Director. I have been told he will deal with you personally if you get in the way of my operation.”

  Anderson turned toward Grace, who bit her tongue to keep from smiling.

  “US Marshal McCarty also has credentials from FBI, and the CIA, Kate. He has extensive experience in combat situations. He has also consulted on numerous cases where his help led to the solution of terrorist and criminal threats, including the terrorist mole in the Department of Justice. Nick has the juice to put you on a street corner directing traffic. Please don’t force him to use it. Marshal Reinhold and I will assist him in this. We will not hamper anything your task force is in the process of doing. You will not discuss this with anyone. We needed to let you in on the details, so your task force doesn’t inadvertently sabotage Marshal McCarty’s operation. Is that clear enough?”

  A much subdued Anderson studiously kept from looking at Nick. “Yes, I understand. What do you need?”

  “Just an office where we can operate from,” Grace answered.

  “Follow me,” Anderson said. “You can have my office. I’ll work out of the task force area. May I have a word with you in private after I get Marshals Reinhold and McCarty settled, Grace?”

  “Sure.”

  * * *

  “Who the hell is this guy, Grace?” Anderson stood in an interrogation room with Grace. “When I heard he was coming, I tried accessing his records. My computer access was red flagged immediately with a warning. I have Top Secret clearance.”

  “Not at Nick’s level you don’t. I can’t share anything with you about Nick other than he is a special troubleshooter the Department of Justice, FBI, and CIA call in under certain circumstances. He has credentials with all of them, but works as a special consultant so as not to be handicapped by restrictions put on CIA assets working within the United States. Look, Kate. I know we didn’t get along. I used to think like you that everything I did had to follow stated guidelines. Since working with Nick, I’ve come to understand he recognizes situations and solutions with a unique perspective. Give him a chance. He gets results.”

  “And if I don’t? What then? When he breaks the law right under my nose, what do I do with him, look the other way, and pretend I’m not a federal law enforcement officer?”

  Grace disliked nearly everything about Anderson, but she knew the sacrifices made by a woman to get as highly placed in the FBI as Anderson. Great Kate’s body language and facial features worried Grace the woman would do as Nick warned against: put his crew in danger. Knowing that would end badly, and it was her job here to prevent it happening, Grace adopted the same stance she had in Charleston with the police Lieutenant there, Irene Moragado.

  “I’ll level with you about something you need to take to heart, Kate. Nick is the most dangerous man I have ever encountered. If you put him or his crew in danger, your job, the FBI Director, or even the Attorney General will be the least of your worries. Back off and forget any idea you may have about impeding or discrediting him.”

  Anderson’s mouth tightened as Grace watched the woman’s hands clench and unclench. “Is that a threat, Grace?”

  “No. It’s great advice, Kate. Nick doesn’t do this stuff for fame or name recognition. He has that. He’ll let your task force take all the credit, and will simply go away after he gets this Ripper guy without a word or a single press conference. Mess with his operation and there will be consequences you’ve never dreamed of.”

  “And if he fails to get the Ripper?”

  Grace smiled for the first time. “That, you won’t have to worry about.”

  * * *

  Nick waved at Grace as she walked into their assigned office. He and Tim worked at their respective computers investigating the list of prostitutes sent from Gus and John as likely candidates. They used t
he Seattle police department’s files for the women to narrow down their choices to pursue.

  “How’d it go with Great Kate?”

  “Fine, I think. It was good for me too. I don’t despise her as much as I did. The pettiness, and arrogant remarks are different than when I handled the Charleston woman detective. Lieutenant Moragado was frustrated with corruption she wished didn’t exist. Kate’s in so far over her head she can’t breathe. You were right. I’ll keep an eye on her. She may indeed be dumb enough to wreck this plan just to see it fail. I’m going to reach out to some of the task force members I’ve seen that showed as much disgust with Kate as I have. I’ll keep my concerns in general terms about letting me know if Kate starts undercutting us before we even get started.”

  “I’m counting on you, Grace. There’s no way this works if the Ripper gets tipped off in any way. If that happens I go on the hunt. The DOJ and my boss have backed me completely. They would like this to be a win for law enforcement in public perception. I’m willing to deliver, but I’m not letting Ripper keep killing after Great Kate ruins my law enforcement plan for ‘bringing him to justice’.”

  “I’ll help Grace with this,” Tim promised. “We won’t have much to do while you’re recruiting your new operatives. When you’re all set to start though, Grace and I will be right here networking with you.”

  “She did give us her office, and it has a bank of monitors you can tap into street cams with for us anytime we go out to a prospective client. I think I have enough names here. I need to get out recruiting. The biggest problem I see right now is the pimps. I’ll be honest. A couple of them who try to block me, or I get bad vibes from, probably won’t survive my recruiting process unless I can bring them in to be held by my US Marshal buddies.”

  “Bring them in, Nick,” Grace said. “We’ll stash them under federal interdiction. I hope you can get the show on the road quickly. Our base here will rapidly degenerate into an armed camp if this drags on very long. It doesn’t matter local and federal law enforcement couldn’t find a solution to the Ripper. After a few days without results, they’ll be howling that they were on the verge of solving the case and bringing the Ripper in until we interfered.”

  Nick chuckled. “Yep. I believe you have the situation outlined perfectly, Grace. You two do understand why my name and part in this have to remain unknown so the Ripper doesn’t hear about me, right?”

  “Of course,” Tim answered. “If he finds out who you are and what you’re doing, he could possibly locate Rachel and Jean while you’re away.”

  “Exactly, Tim. I’ve trained them well enough, they’d probably survive, especially since Rachel will be on the alert any time I’m away. That won’t be the only danger once I find out someone was stupid enough to do something behind my back endangering Rachel and Jean.”

  “Believe me. We understand that, Nick,” Grace replied.

  Nick patted her shoulder on the way by. “Just checking kids, so there aren’t any dangerous misunderstandings. I’ll call you later in the day before I return to the Wolf Lodge. One other thing… no hanky panky on the job. We must keep up appearances.”

  Nick grinned as Tim chuckled and Grace gave him a one finger salute.

  * * *

  Clyde Bacall watched Nick enter the room where he had asked for a meeting with six prospective candidates for his seraglio of women to be used as bait to catch a serial killer. He had listened intently as Nick explained what his job was during the recruitment process. Clyde was to interfere only if an unexpected threat mixed in which meant Clyde acted as a glorified doorman, or at least that was what he thought. The women were not worn out hookers on their last leg. Their ages ranged from twenty to twenty-five. They were all white, Hispanic, or Asian, because the Ripper’s victims had all been of those races. Nick paid them immediately for one night’s work for attending the meeting he had made under false pretenses. His money turned the meeting immediately from confrontational to bored arrogance.

  “First off, this is Clyde, and I’m Nick. What are your names? After each one had told him her name, Nick repeated them.

  “What’s this all about,” a blonde hooker named Bonnie asked. “Are you and Clyde wanting to get into a competition with all of us? That might be extra.”

  “No, Bonnie. I’m here to catch a killer. You six matched some specific features I had to have in order to offer contracts. You’ve all heard of the Ripper I’m sure.”

  Nick had their attention. “The Ripper is bad for my business, so I brought in an out of town crew to take him out of circulation. We know you ladies work with two different pimps, Freydo Juarez and Dominic Calhoun. We also know they’ve been less than kind in their professional dealings with their employees. In fact, I know Dominic put you in the hospital two months ago Ivy.”

  “Been there, done that,” the dark haired Hispanic woman named Ivy said with a grin. “Old news. Not the first time Dom whacked me around. So what?”

  “Nothing at all,” Nick replied. “For a few days Calhoun and Juarez are going to be taken off the job. I’d like to know if it would bother any of you if they disappeared permanently.”

  “You mean killed?” This from another brunette named Connie. She stood and looked longingly at the door where Clyde was standing. “I don’t want any part of that. Freydo’s no saint, but he’s okay. I sure don’t want him killed.”

  “There were murmurs of agreement to Connie’s statement from the other women, involving both Calhoun and Juarez.”

  Bacall noticed the grim look of understanding spread over McCarty’s features. Bacall knew in an instant McCarty wanted the two pimps dead and out of the way, but now accepted he would have to put them in federal control until the operation ended or pay them off.

  “Very well then, life it is for those gentlemen. Now that we have that out of the way. I need at least four of you young women to be bait for me to get the Ripper. You will be protected at all times, and the hazardous duty pay will be ten thousand in advance, and ten thousand upon capture.”

  “This sounds like bullshit! Show me the fuckin’ money, Stanley,” Bonnie said.

  “Fair enough.” Nick walked over to retrieve his briefcase. He opened it on the room bed. “There is two hundred thousand dollars in the case, all unmarked old bills. Check it out yourselves.”

  Bacall enjoyed the stunned looks as the women sifted through the packs of money. A red haired woman named Ellen was the first to speak. She did so with obvious annoyance.

  “Don’t mean much if we’re dead.”

  “True enough. If you want out of it, you can walk right now,” Nick said.

  One of the women not yet heard from named Sarah walked over to Nick. “Are you going to kill this Ripper dude?”

  “I’m going to maim him. Then he goes to prison for a long time or I’ll kill Ripper the moment he walks, only he’ll be a long time dying.”

  “He hacked my bestie to pieces,” Sarah said. “I’m in to the end.”

  Ivy, Bonnie, another blonde named Deb, and Connie all agreed with Sarah’s decision. Ellen walked toward Clyde. “I’m leaving now. Let me out.”

  “Wait a moment.” Nick handed her another two thousand dollars. “Keep your mouth shut about this offer Ellen or there will be consequences. Take my advice and stay home for a few days.”

  Ellen stared into Nick’s eyes with the world weary arrogant hooker grin Bacall had seen many times. “What the hell do you care whether some psycho carves up hookers?”

  Then Bacall saw it again as on the plane when McCarty drew his Colt faster than Bacall could think. He recognized it now, seeing McCarty from another position. It was death. The man reeked of death, and it filled his body and soul, spilling out of those dead eyes of his when he allowed it.

  “I don’t, Ellen. I’m a killer. I contracted to take care of the Ripper in a certain way, and I’ll do it. If you interfere in some way, your interference will have consequences. Am I clear?”

  Bacall opened the door for Ellen as she
gulped audibly, and nodded. She backed away from Nick and out the door. Bacall closed it behind her.

  “Do we get any of our money tonight,” Bonnie asked.

  “Five thousand each.” Nick went to the briefcase, and passed the money promised to each woman. “I know everything there is to know about each of you. I want you all to take the money, go home, and stay there. I will contact you with any jobs I need you for. Tomorrow, you’ll meet my associates, and we’ll get started early. Be here by noon. For now, we wait for your pals Calhoun and Juarez. They’ll be here shortly.”

  “Why the hell are they coming,” Ivy asked.

  “Business,” Nick replied. “I’m going to make them an offer they can’t refuse.”

  Nick passed out refreshments while they all waited. Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Clyde opened the door, keeping to the side, and out of McCarty’s line of fire. It was Calhoun and Juarez. Each of them had a man with them Clyde figured wasn’t there for window dressing. The two pimps looked around the room at Nick and their ladies of the night with confusion the main ingredient on their features.

  “What the hell?” Juarez, a medium height, dark complexioned man with slicked back black hair and black leather coat, made an encompassing gesture with his hand. “Is this a party?”

  “I’m Nick. This is my associate Clyde. Thank you for coming. I’m taking the Ripper out, and your ladies have agreed to help me. They didn’t want either of you to die, so each of you get five thousand dollars to go home for the next few days and keep your mouths shut until I can eliminate the man killing your business.”

  Nick walked over, and took out ten thousand dollars from the briefcase. He handed Juarez and Calhoun the money. “If we have an agreement, my associate will see you all out.”

  Dominic smirked and made eye contact with his man. “I like the case. I think I’ll take it with me too.”

  Bacall saw Dominic’s man reach inside his coat, and started to reach for his own weapon. In the next split second McCarty pistol whipped Calhoun to the floor, and shoved the barrel of his Colt under Calhoun’s man’s chin. Then Nick made a buzzer noise. To his credit, Juarez merely backed away with his money, a restraining arm on his companion.