Dead On

by Michael Paulson

  Chapter 7

  The next morning I awoke to the smell of coffee, blurred vision and the oily aftertaste of a Mickey-Finn. I sprawled naked, facedown upon Tanya's Murphy bed. She sat at a small pine dining table on the other side of her tiny apartment, watching me over the rim of a coffee-cup.

  "You're the first man I've slept with who did nothing but sleep," she remarked. "After all we've been through, I was disappointed."

  My head flopped to one side as I started to sit up. "The drink you gave me last night was loaded," I grunted and shook my brains. "What was in it?"

  "Seconal," she said. "My history ain't lily-white and the way you handled the Rodriguez brothers got me worried. So I decided to find out who you were before we got too friendly."

  I managed to get seated on the bed with my legs tucked beneath me. Then I fell forward and moved to the edge of the mattress like a swimming lizard. "You handled Enrique before I had a chance, remember?"

  "If he's still breathing he'll be looking for revenge. Miguel wasn't much, but blood means something down here. And Delaney won't hesitate to help."

  "You should've let me cap the bastard when I had provocation. Do you know where he lives?"

  Tanya set down her coffee cup. "You plan on correcting my oversight?"

  "Considering it."

  "He's not worth getting fried, over."

  "Who you kill today, you don't fight tomorrow: an old family proverb. What's his address?"

  "What makes you think I know where Enrique roosts?"

  "You knew how he and his brother operated. So, I figure you for history with one of them."

  She took another sip of coffee. "If you want to track Enrique down, that's your business. But, I'm not about to help. Besides, it's not what you think."

  "I'm supposed to think the three of your sung hymns on the odd Sunday?"

  "It's a little late, if you're asking for credentials."

  "What was the arrangement?"

  "No arrangement," she replied and stood up. "Delaney had me drop off a package at their place, once."

  I let my bare feet flop over the side of the bed and hit the linoleum floor. When my toes touched the cold, I shivered so hard my hair stood on end. "Which must make you Delaney's friend. A step down, I'd say."

  Tanya went over to the stove and refilled her coffee mug from a sooty aluminum pot. "Tact isn't your thing, is it?"

  "What makes that ugly old bastard worth your time?"

  "It was a one-time favor."

  I stood up and stared down at my shriveled member while I waited for the chills to stop. "Delaney isn't the favor-earning type. What's he got on you?"

  She looked at me over her shoulder. "He and I had an understanding a while ago. It's over."

  "You're being evasive. What made you take chances for me?"

  "You remind me of my husband. Long on guts but short on brains. Somehow, it seemed like the thing to do. Now, I'm not so sure."

  "Where is your husband?"

  "Davey's dead."

  "Not the baseball bat, I hope."

  She took a mug down from one of the cupboards. "Coffee's ready."

  "Black, no sugar."

  "I hung the suit from your case in my bath. I don't think anything will get the wrinkles out. It looks like you slept in it. But, it's cleaner than the one you were wearing. I laid out a towel if you feel like showering."

  I limped into the bathroom as Tanya returned to the table.

  The bath was a tiny affair that included a spray-head attached to a rubber hose dangling from a hook; a floor drain; a toilet; and a wall-mounted sink, above which was a small mirror. Tanya had set out my shaving kit, some clean underwear and my other tie, all neat and orderly. I turned the shower on and checked the bandage on my thigh. The wound had sealed itself so I stepped under the spray. I must have screamed because there was a frantic knocking on the door followed by an apology concerning hot water being in short supply. I shivered back a curse before turning off the tap.

  When I returned from my ablutions, the bed had been folded into its hideaway, and Tanya was dressed for work. She smelled of lavender and things I had long been missing. "If I'd have known you'd look this good, I might have skipped the Secanol last night."

  "Wait until my motor starts to rev and the blood gets circulating to all those dark and distant spots. Some nights I'm actually beautiful."

  She walked over and handed me a mug of coffee. "I checked out your wallet. No photos, so you aren't married. You've got a P-I license so I figure you for an ex-cop. Federal or local?"

  "Dallas homicide, retired."

  "What brings you to McAllen?"

  "Eli Huggins."

  She gave me a startled look. "According to the radio, he's dead. Customer? Or did you get careless playing hide the bullet?"

  The coffee was hot and strong just the way I liked it. "Customer—sort of. I came down on his ticket and advance to chat about a job. He was scared. My bank account needed reviving."

  "The guy hires you for protection and then gets killed. You'll have to be one hell of a talker to get any business after that."

  "Eli's the first I've lost in days."

  "Radio announcer said his brother did it."

  "Nobody with any sense listens to the news," I said into the mug. The only truth is on the Internet. Weren't you told?"

  "I don't get out much." She went back to the stove. "Eggs, ok?"

  "Any way you want to cook them." I took a seat at the table and revived my interest in her hips. "Who are the players, in these parts: the movers and shakers?"

  Tanya set an old cast-iron frying pan on one of the stove burners and then lit the gas beneath it. "The mayor's Philip Woods. He thinks he's God's gift to everybody. Maybe, he is. The economy's turned around since he took control. Then there's your client, Eli Huggins: or was. He just thought he was God. When he barked, you jumped, or found yourself on the sorry side of nothing. You can confirm that with Charley—Eli financed his cafe. Then, there's Bascomb, the county prosecutor. You wouldn't know it, but he's from old money. His parents left him a huge ranch a few miles south of here. The land's not much to look at, but there are a million barrels of oil underneath."

  "Sounds like marriage material."

  "He's a little on the prudish side for my taste, and disgustingly honest."

  "I was talking about me. Who else?"

  "There are others. Like folks from the Bible-thumping set. But I don't think they'd fit into what you've got going. How do you collect from a dead client?"

  "Usually I make friends with his wife. It doesn't get me much cash but the side benefits are wonderful. Let's get back to you and Delaney."

  She went over to the refrigerator, behind me. "Scared of little ol' me?"

  "I think you could do things in the dark that would terrify a man. What about Delaney?"

  She took out a carton of eggs and returned to the stove. "I dated him when I first moved here."

  "From where?"

  She gave me an irritated scowl before saying, "Someplace else, okay?"

  "So, you dated Delaney and he had you deliver packages to the Rodriguez brothers. Why Delaney? He's old enough to be your father and ugly enough to be your neighbor's dog."

  "I was lonely, he was—well, he was better than sitting up here every night. He had money to throw around and people let him do whatever he wanted. I guess that turned me on."

  A lot of women are lonely. But, ones who looked like Tanya usually had the opposite problem. Whatever her reason for dating Delaney, I was not convinced she had given me the truth. "What was in the package you brought to the Rodriguez clan?"

  "You don't ask Delaney questions. You just do what he says."

  "Hard to believe you didn't sneak a peek."

  "I don't see a cleric collar on you!"

  "I only wear it during private confessions of the silk-sheet type. I haven't put it on recently but after last night I have high
hopes. Relax. I'm just taking your temperature. How long were you hooked up with Delaney?"

  She cracked three eggs into the frying pan. "A few months. I'm not carrying his brand if that's what's worrying you."

  "What made the two of you part ways? Weak stomach or common sense?"

  "Maybe I got smart. Maybe I got a case of conscience. Like saving your ass, it just seemed like the thing to do."

  "You're being evasive, again. Was Delaney tied in with Eli Huggins, then?"

  Tanya looked back at me and nodded. "You'd think a high and mighty type like Huggins wouldn't have use for a crumb like Delaney. But they were thick as thieves."

  "And you got jealous?"

  She took a spatula from one of the counter's drawers and flipped the eggs. "Delaney thinks he owns his women. At first, I thought it was an easy measure of security. I kept him feeling good and he made sure I wasn't alone. After awhile it got suffocating. I couldn't move without him wanting to know where I'd been; or worse, who I'd been with."

  "He doesn't act like the insecure type."

  "All men are when it comes to women. Some just put up a better front: you for instance. You're big on talk and small on action when it comes to the opposite sex."

  "Wait until I've had breakfast. After coffee and eggs, I'm ready for the box spring Olympics. You got tired of answering his questions and he calmly took a hike? Doesn't sound like the guy I met."

  "Things got complicated and Delaney got mean. I don't like being roughed up."

  "Neither, do I. It tends to chip my toenail lacquer. What happened? You found somebody who didn't break mirrors during a hair comb?"

  Tanya took a plate down from the cabinets above the counter and let the eggs from the frying pan slide onto it. "Delaney had me renting warehouse space to store stuff."

  "You didn't think it might be hot?"

  "I figured if any trouble came up Delaney would put the fix in. Then, nature added a twist."

  "Come again?"

  She opened one of the counter drawers and took out a fork. "We had one hell of a rain, one weekend. It happens in the valley. It was as if the heavens had opened up to flush the holy sewers. The next Monday, I got a call from the warehouse manager. There'd been a leak in the roof right above my spot and I had a water-damaged box. He wanted me to come over and check things out. Insurance, he said. I tried to get a hold of Delaney. But, the big Mick was not expected back anytime, soon. So, I decided to deal with it on my own."

  "What were you storing?"

  "The ugliest damn drink glasses I'd ever seen." She set the fork on my plate. "Thick-based, tall, plastic junk you couldn't see through even if you held one up to the sun. I told the warehouse manager to forget the insurance claim and I'd just take the glasses from the ruined box home. Which I did because I was short on drink ware. That night Delaney came by for his five minutes of passion. When he saw the glasses, he blew his top. He gave me a slap and wanted to know how I got them. I told him, and then suggested he and his hot temper hit the road before we both did something we'd regret. He gave me a manners lesson: slapped me around the room until my body was as blue as a Baptist's nose. After that, he said if I ever said anything about his junk he'd kill me."

  "Where was your bat when you needed it?"

  "I told Delaney where he could shove his shit and that we were through. He knocked me around a bit more, stacked up the ugly things and then hauled ass."

  I gave her my best leer and said, "I'm pleased to see he left yours behind."

  "You wanna' see a glass he missed?"

  I nodded. Tanya went over to the cabinet above the sink and after some digging dragged out a tall, purple, beverage container.

  "Can you believe this?" She set it down in front of me. "Plastic trash and he was threatening to kill for it. You need two hands to pick the damn thing up when it's full!"

  "The man's definitely short on class."

  "I figured that much after seeing the little cupids on his undershorts."

  I examined the plastic obscenity. It was too hideously thick and heavy for any practical purpose, and nearly fourteen inches tall. Its mouth was so wide I could not touch the fingers of two hands around it. The walls were nearly one half inch thick at the base before slimming down to one-quarter inch at the lip. I hefted it: the plastic vessel weighed nearly a pound.

  "Heavy, huh?" she asked.

  "Are you married to this thing?"

  She gave one of my earlobes a tug. "If it turns you on, take it home."

  Delaney's murderous threats made a world of sense if my suspicions were true. I tapped the plastic container on the tabletop several times and then shook it near one ear. From within I heard a dusty rattle.

  "What's the name of the warehouse where you rented space?" I dug out my pocketknife.

  "Elgin Storage," she said. "What gives with the blade?"

  "Me-thinks your purple package has a spiteful surprise, inside."

  Her blond eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Ugly treasure?"

  "Bascomb might agree. It all depends on your point of view. I've known people to kill for it."

  I cut a deep knick in the base of the glass and a small trickle of white powder dusted my knee. I rubbed the dusting between my fingers and then inhaled.

  Tanya's mouth gaped as she slumped into the chair next to mine. "Is that what I think it is?"

  I returned the knife to my pocket. "Cocaine."

  "That goddamn son-of-a-bitch! That low-life bastard sets me up to take the fall if somebody gets curious. And, he cops the lot if nobody makes waves."

  "Eli got the green, not Delaney. Mr. Law-enforcement was just his hired help."

  She gasped, "Huggins?"

  I nodded. "Did you ever visit Eli's palace of pleasure?"

  Tanya offered me a bewildered look. "I was at one of his shindigs: must be almost three years, back. But I didn't kill Eli, if that's your next question. Are you sure about him?"

  "I'm still digging but I don't expect to find anything to change my mind. Who else was on the invited list?"

  "Women—lots of women! Most were from across the border: young, poor, and eager to please for a few bucks. Are you planning a fantasy come true?"

  "I've got you penciled in for that. Who was doing what to whom?"

  She shrugged. "For the most part, it was an orgy for the dark-haired out-of-towner: an investor in Eli's business or so I thought at the time. Delaney dragged me there."

  "I've seen Eli. Somehow I can't picture him playing leapfrog in the raw for spectators."

  "Eli was the watching type, at least when it came to group gropes. When he was alone I think he liked his action underage."

  "How so?"

  "He had a couple of girls glued to him the entire night. They couldn't have been more than fifteen, or sixteen."

  "Was Eli's brother there?"

  "The punch-happy pug?" Tanya shook her head. "The Rodriguez brothers were, though. I thought Eli had hired them as bouncers in case things got out of hand. But after seeing what's in Mr. High-and-purple, they must've been there on Delaney's invite."

  "How about the mayor?"

  She thought about my question and then slowly shook her head. "Not that I remember. But, I was new in town. I didn't know shit from Shinola when it came to the local upper crust. You think his honor has a taste for nose candy?"

  "Delaney might be able to keep the lid on things if Eli was running a quiet show. Where orgies are involved there is always gossip. And that adds another level of risk. Somebody above Delaney is part of this business: somebody Eli either trusted or had a hold over. Could be the mayor. Could be somebody else. Could be Bascomb, despite his honest reputation. At this point I'm still fishing. Were the girls with Eli blond?"

  Tanya gave me a disgusted look. "I hope I'm not about to hear one of your dirty secrets!"

  "Were they?"

  "Yeah! But, I didn't figure you for the underage type."

  "I
prefer the mature set with a hash-house background. Do you remember their names?"

  "I told you they were kids. I wasn't about to mix and match with them."

  "Whoever killed Eli knew him. He'd been with two blondes some time before his death. Maybe days before, maybe minutes."

  "You don't honestly think kids like that killed the old perv?"

  "Stranger things have happened. And, they wouldn't be kids, now."

  Tanya thought for a moment. "They both were blond. One's name was Betty, I think. I can't remember the other's name. The investor was some Italian pain-loving creep from Dallas. I don't remember much else. The perv began making a pest of himself, so I stayed busy keeping scarce."

  I clucked my tongue. "You mustn't disappoint your fans."

  "Like hell. I'd dodged the creep for an hour before I found out Delaney expected me to give the asshole a tumble, if you can believe it!"

  "Which could explain those cupids. Was the creep Dominic Portello?"

  Her mouth fell open, again. "My God," she whispered as if angels might hear. "You knew the girls were blond and now you know the creep's name. What's up with you?"

  I tasted my eggs. "I'm a trained detective. How did the two girls fit in at the party?"

  Tanya's face pinked, slightly. "They—they performed with each other: entertainment for the masses. It was Eli's idea. Like I said, he was a watcher."

  "That's all they did?"

  "As far as I saw, yeah. But, I cut out as soon as I got a cab."

  "Did you hear any of the business chatter?"

  She shook her head. "The Portello creep talked money with Eli and Delaney; big bucks from a vague source. When he got around to details, they went into the basement. It was kind of weird. A panel in the wall opened like magic."

  "Secret panels like out of the movies?"

  Tanya shrugged. "Not much of a secret if you use it in front of a bunch of screwing drunks."

  "Where was it?"

  "The wall opposite the bar in the living room. I think Eli pushed a button underneath the bar top. He was standing there when it opened. The five of them traipsed down some metal steps."

  "Five?"

  "The creep, his two bodyguards, plus Eli and Delaney."

  "What about the Rodriguez brothers?"

  She shook her head. "They weren't part of the in-crowd. That's why I was convinced they were hired help to keep the rowdies at bay."

  I held up the glass. "Where can I find Elgin's warehouse?"

  "It's over on Claymore. You can't miss it. It's the shiny building with the big blinking sign. You think Delaney's stupid enough to be storing more cocaine there?"

  I nodded. "Most criminals have the brains of a toad. If something works, they stick with it. He's no doubt found some other willing body since you tossed him out. And she's likely providing the same services. Speaking of which, isn't it a little early for you to face work?"

  "Eat your eggs."