by Gary Land
The door opened and Noly waited for Mrs. H to appear, but no one was there. Slowly, a small face appeared around the door jamb, and smiled up at Noly. Felicia was six years old, very shy--and she shouldn’t be opening the door by herself.
“Felicia, no abre la puerta,” Mrs. H said.
The door opened wider and Mrs. H looked up at Noly. She held a dishrag in her hand, and had a look of surprise on her face.
“Oh, Mr. Noly, please come in.”
Noly stepped in and patted Felicia on the head as Mrs. H closed the door behind him.
“What’s wrong? You look surprised to see me,” Noly said.
“No, no, I just think you are maybe Alex. He went out to store even though I tell him not to...you want something to eat, Mr. Noly?”
“No thanks,” Noly said. He walked into the apartment and stopped in the living room.
“Oh, you come for flan, yes?”
“Well, no...okay, thanks, some flan sounds good.”
When Mrs. H disappeared inside the kitchen, Noly followed her. He watched her take the flan out of the refrigerator and place the glass container on the counter. Something was cooking in the oven, and it smelled wonderful.
“Mrs. H...I wanted to ask you about Sarah and Kacy, they’re, uh...missing.”
“Missing?” she said, worry creasing her already wrinkled brow. “What you mean missing--I see them last night.”
“What time?” Noly asked.
“I see Miss Sarah before she go to work, and Kacy stays with me.”
Noly took the plate of flan from Mrs. H and they moved into the living room, and sat down on the sofa. Felicia sat on the floor coloring in the very long, lying nose of Pinocchio. Noly took a bite of the flan--it was her best yet, the custard creamy, and the caramel smooth and silky.
“When did Sarah pick up Kacy?”
“Oh, she come early, maybe eight, nine o’clock. Pick up Kacy.”
“Did she say why?
“Why...”
“Why she came early--her shift wasn’t over yet.”
“No, just...maybe I don’t feel well, something like that. I ask if everything okay, and she say yes.”
“Did you hear anything, see anything strange last night? Anything?” Noly asked.
“No.” Mrs. H had picked up the rag again, and twisted it nervously. “I’m sorry, Mr. Noly.”
“Don’t worry about it--it’s...probably nothing.”
Noly didn’t see any reason to upset Mrs. H anymore than she already was, so he let it go. Noly, of course, knew better. Sarah and Kacy had been taken. He could only imagine the fear they both felt, but they were both tough, they would rely on each other, and their mutual strength would make the difference. And they knew he would be coming for them.
His frustration knew no bounds, as rage slowly built inside of him. A thought flashed through his mind that it was his fault for getting too close to Sarah and Kacy. But that was wrong. It was why he had distanced himself from them in the last few months. It was why his relationship with Sarah didn’t work. Just one more regret he could add to a lifetime collection.
Noly stood, and thanked Mrs. H for the flan. He pat Felicia on the top of her head, and walked to the door.
“If you hear anything, see anything, let me know,” Noly told her. “I’ve got to get going--thanks for the flan...”
Mrs. H didn’t respond, and Noly looked back to see her staring out the window, twisting her rag. She checked the time on the clock, and only then realized Noly had said something. At the same time, Noly realized that Alex was not here. Alex is Felicia’s fourteen-year-old brother.
“Oh, you say something--”
“Where’s Alex?” Noly asked.
“He went to card store, baseball store--I tell him no, but he don’t listen so much anymore.”
“The sports card store on Flint?”
“Yes, I think.”
He put his hand on Mrs. H’s shoulder. “I’m heading in that direction. I’ll keep an eye out for him.”
“No, Mr. Noly, you have--” she started.
Noly held his hand up. “Any problem you have is my problem too. Like family, you understand?”
She nodded her head.
“And when I find him, I’ll have a little talk with him, okay? I guarantee you he’ll listen to whatever you say.”
Noly remembered something and dashed back into his apartment. He went to his desk and grabbed a framed picture of Sarah and Kacy. It was one of those professional 8 x 10 pictures, mother and daughter, arms around each other, big smiles, set against a faux marble background. Sarah had it taken a few months after Kacy’s near drowning. He remembered Kacy proudly handing him the framed picture, and jokingly telling him it was so he would never forget what they looked like. There was little chance of that, he thought.
Chapter 16
Sarah splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror. She was tired and scared. Daylight slipped through the cracks around the plywood used to board up the window. The opening was not big enough to see through, but the sunlight was strong and Sarah could already feel the heat bleeding through into the room.
“Mom!” Kacy yelled. “They’re coming.”
Sarah rushed out of the bathroom and heard the key in the lock. Sarah used her sleeve to wipe her face dry as she pulled Kacy away from the door.
“You wait here,” a female voice said from outside.
There was no response from whomever she was talking to and then the door slowly opened. A woman peeked through before finally stepping all the way inside. Sarah caught a glimpse of Finnegan standing outside before the door was closed. The woman held a couple of bags in her hand. When Sarah looked more closely at the her, she realized that the woman was really a young girl that couldn’t have been more than nineteen. She was one of the hookers working for Wagner.
The girl giggled and said, “Hi, I’m Mandelyn.”
Kacy said, “Madelyn?”
“No--Mandelyn. Don’t you think that’s a pretty name?”
“Yes.” Kacy smiled at her.
“People just call me Mandy though.”
Mandelyn was wearing a short, tight, purple mini-skirt with a small, blue tube top. She had pale skin, auburn hair like Kacy’s, and wore too much makeup, but she was very pretty. Her shoes had three-inch heels and it looked like Mandelyn was still learning how to walk in them. Sarah didn’t understand how she could be so happy working as a hooker and for a man like Wagner.
“I brought you some donuts and milk,” Mandy said, and handed the bag to Kacy.
Sarah and Kacy both thanked her and sat down on the bed. They opened the first bag and each took out a small, plastic milk container. The kind they serve in school cafeterias. The second bag held four glazed donuts. Sarah and Kacy were hungry and ate all the donuts and drank the milk.
“I can get more if you want--we have a kitchen downstairs for the girls,” Mandy said.
“No, thanks,” Kacy said.
“You’re very pretty,” Mandy said to Kacy. “How old are you?”
“Almost twelve,” Kacy told her.
“Really? You look older. You’re tall for your age, aren’t you?” Mandy asked.
“I guess so.”
“Do you want me to show you how to do your hair and put makeup on?”
Kacy smiled, but looked at her mom who answered for her. “Thank you for the offer...”
“Let me put some makeup on that bruise, I’m really good at covering it up,” Mandy offered.
Kacy looked at her and abruptly said, “I don’t want to cover it up.”
“Anyway, she’s too young for makeup,” Sarah said.
“No, she isn’t--when I was her...”
Sarah cut her off. “Mandy--can you help us? We need to get out of here.”
Mandy just shook her head.
“He’s outside the door,” she whispered.
“Bring me a cell phone,” Sarah begged. “Or call the police--you can be anonymous.”
Mandy was silent as she seemed to be thinking. “I...”
The door banged open and Wagner stepped in with Finnegan on his heels.
“Get out,” he yelled at Mandy.
She scurried out of the room, and closed the door. Wagner looked at the empty bags. “Enjoy your breakfast?”
Sarah and Kacy remained silent, so Wagner continued. “My sources tell me that Boots was out of town, and just flew in this morning. They further tell me that you’re not living together, but you are living in his apartment building. Would you care to tell me why that is?”
His voice was overly nice, almost sweet. This worried Sarah more than if he had been yelling. She kept her voice even with his. “We’re kind of separated--that’s the good thing about owning an apartment building, you just move into another unit.”
“But you’re going to get back together, right?” Kacy asked, keeping the charade going.
“Of course, honey. We love each other.”
“Very touching,” Wagner said sarcastically. “And why is your last name Benson?”
Sarah hesitated. “I was married when I was young and I never bothered to change the name. It’s a big hassle. You know, driver’s license, social security.”
Wagner looked at Finnegan and nodded. Before the girls could react, Finnegan was on top of them. He grabbed Kacy by the back of her collar and dragged her away from Sarah. Sarah screamed and started after her daughter, but Wagner pulled a gun and held her back.
Kacy tried to twist and turn away from him, but Finnegan kept her off balance. She stumbled against the mattress and Finnegan dragged her across the bed and threw her onto the floor.
“Kacy!” Sarah cried. “Why are you doing this to us?” Sarah asked Wagner. She couldn’t control her sobbing. “Please, she’s just a little girl.”
Kacy was dazed from hitting the floor. She stood slowly, holding the side of her head. Finnegan went to grab her again, but she kicked out at him.
“Kacy,” Wagner began. “If you don’t behave, I’ll shoot your mother right now.” He cocked the gun he was holding for emphasis.
“No!” Kacy yelled.
“You’ll behave?” Wagner asked.
Kacy nodded her head. Finnegan pulled Kacy to him, put his arm around her neck, and stroked her hair with his other hand. Kacy winced, but stood up straight. She wouldn’t show them that she was scared.
“Tell me what you know about Joey, or say goodbye to Kacy” Wagner demanded.
“No--I don’t know anything,” Sarah said.
Wagner looked at Finnegan. “Take her.”
Finnegan slowly pulled Kacy back with him towards the door. Tears welled up in her eyes as she cried out for her mom.
“Wait, wait--Joey came to see me last night at the casino. He said he was in trouble. He was going to meet me at my apartment, but he never came. That’s all I know,” Sarah cried. “Please don’t take my baby--I’ll do anything. Please.”
Wagner held a hand out to stop Finnegan. “What else--think! There must be more to it. Did he tell you why he was in trouble?”
“No!” she screamed. She fell to her knees and pleaded with Wagner not to take Kacy. And then she remembered. “He put something in my tip box,” she said, as she looked up at Wagner.
“Joey did? What did he put in the box?”
“I’m not sure--it could have been a chip. It sounded like one--I didn’t really...”
“Where is it now?”
“I just dumped everything into my purse. I told my boss I was sick and had to go home, so I was in a hurry.”
“Where’s your purse now?” Wagner asked, but he already knew the answer.
“It was in the car.”
“He really did it then,” Wagner said.
“Did what?” Sarah asked.
“Joey had a trick casino chip made, and he was going to put a computer chip inside and smuggle it out of the casino--walk right past the guards.”
“A computer chip? But why?”
“Bank accounts--offshore accounts are on that chip. I need to get it back.”
Wagner lowered the gun and motioned to Finnegan, who released Kacy and shoved her forward. She ran to her mom and knelt beside her. They hugged each other fiercely. After a moment, they stood up together, and Sarah pulled Kacy into the corner with her.
“He’s going to kill you for this,” Sarah said, tears still wet on her face.
Wagner nodded. “Yeah...I think you’re right. I think it’s time I pulled up stakes here, but first, you’re hubby is going to help me get back my three million dollars.”
Chapter 17
Noly drove towards
Flint Street and the sports card store. It worked out well for him since there was a Kinko’s on the way. He ran in and had one hundred copies made of Sarah and Kacy’s picture. Alex wasn’t at the sports store, but someone else he knew was. Noly pulled over and parked in a red zone. He honked the horn twice and several people turned towards the noise. The only one Noly was interested in bent over and squinted into the Lexus window. He dropped his skateboard onto the sidewalk and slowly, cautiously rolled toward the door.
Noly powered the window down on the passenger side, and leaned towards the door.
“Hey, Jo-Jo.”
Jo-Jo, no last name, peaked inside and started laughing. “Well, I’ll be...Noly frickin Boots. Where the hell you been, man. Thought you quit.”
“Get inside, JJ...I’ve got a job for you.”
Jo-Jo left his board leaning against a fire hydrant, and hopped inside. Noly didn’t know how old he was, but guessed early twenties. He always reminded Noly of the Spicoli character from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” Only instead of surfing the waves, Jo-Jo surfed the sidewalk on his board.
JJ lived on the street or sponged off friends. He had dirty-blond hair down to his shoulders, and always wore a white t-shirt and cargo-shorts. Two tattoos poked their way out of the neck-line and Noly knew they showed Dorothy and the Scarecrow on his right shoulder, and the Tin Man and Cowardly Lion on his left shoulder. JJ knew every low-life in town, and every dirty game. He hustled with the best of them, and Noly used him often when he was still a PI.
“Man, don’t call me JJ--you the only one that does that.”
Noly reached into his pocket, counted out two hundred dollars and handed it to Jo-Jo. “There’s more where that came from, Jo-Jo. Hand me that box on the floor.”
Jo-Jo picked up the box, gave it to Noly, and then fanned out the ten twenty dollar bills that Noly had just slipped into his hand. “I knew I been missing you, man. What you need?”
Noly pulled out half of the pictures he copied. “This is Sarah and Kacy Benson. They’re friends of mine. Someone has kidnapped them.”
“Yeah? Sorry, man.”
“Put the word out, hand these around, find me something I can use. Money is not an issue.”
“I can do that.”
“Have you heard about the PP Casino heist?” Noly asked.
“Yeah, yeah...three million bucks. Shit, this kidnapping, they connected?”
“I think so,” Noly said. “These people mean a lot to me, Jo-Jo. I need you to work the street for me. I’ll stop by the bank later, and get you some more cash. You still have my cell number?”
“Yeah, man, I knew you’d be back in the game one day.” Jo-Jo put the two hundred in his pocket, and hopped out of the car holding the fifty pictures.
Jo-Jo said something else, but Noly heard yelling across the street, and turned in time to see Alex run up an alley half a block away. And he wasn’t alone. A couple of leather-clad, biker wannabes were harassing Alex, roughing him up, and trashing his baseball cards.
“I’ll call you later Jo-Jo.”
Noly floored the Lexus, and dodged a blue Audi as he cut across the street and into the alley. He aimed the Lexus straight for the bigger of the two punks. Noly stopped, tires screeching, inches away from punk number one, who slapped the hood and jumped back.
Noly
flew out of the car, grabbed Punk Two by the collar, and swept his legs out from under him. He didn’t let him down gently, but let him fall hard to the blacktop. Punk One kicked the bumper, and then the headlights. Noly heard both lights break.
“Alex, get in the car and lock the doors,” Noly said.
Alex obeyed and jumped in the car. He watched through the windshield as Noly walked towards Punk One.
“You like picking on kids, don’t you?” Noly asked.
“Fuck you! Asshole! You almost fucking killed me,” One said. He pulled a switchblade from his back pocket, and flashed the blade at Noly.
“You just keep making mistakes,” Noly said, shaking his head. He walked purposefully towards Biff--his new name for Punk One--and stood three feet away, a length requiring that Biff lunge at him with the knife.
Biff didn’t disappoint. He made an amateur stab at Noly, who sidestepped it, and grabbed Biff’s forearm. Noly pulled Biff’s arm down at the same time he brought his knee up. He was rewarded with the crack of Biff’s elbow, and the sight of Biff screaming and rolling on the ground.
Tito--Noly’s name for Punk Two--had dragged himself into a bar fronting the alley. The Cat’s Cradle. A painted sign had a picture of a sexy cat-lady, looking out from behind the slats of a large crib. Whatever. Noly went back to the car, and signaled Alex to unlock the door.
“Are you okay, Alex?”
“I guess.”
“You and I are going to have a talk when I get you home.”
“Noly!” Alex pointed at the bar.
Noly turned and saw six bikers exiting the bar. Leather, chains, and beards. And a crowbar. Noly had a gun in the car, but he didn’t want this to escalate that far. He told Alex to get out of the car, run to the card shop, and call nine-one-one.
“Yeah, you better run with that fucker--we’re gonna bust you up,” said the leader.
“Look what he did to my brother,” his friend said.
They all looked at Biff still lying on the ground. Noly took the opportunity to walk away from the car, trying to draw them out in the open. It worked for three of them. Unfortunately, the other three decided to take it out on Noly’s car, including the guy with the crowbar.