by Rob Ashman
What does Mills think?’ he said scanning it.
‘He says it’s no different.’
‘Then that’s the answer, isn’t it?’
‘But, sir, in the past the MO is always hit them hard, hit them fast, then get the hell out of there. The first set of killings had characteristics of torture, this was anything but a drive-by shooting.’
‘It’s bad guys killing bad guys, there are bound to be minor differences.’
‘Yes sir, I get that but this is way off the norm. This is more like—’ Brennan interrupted again.
‘Have you spoken to Mills about this? Have you shared your observations with him?’
‘Yes sir, I have. He says “This is Vegas”.’
‘Look, Mills is a good cop. He can be a little off at times, but then can’t we all? He’s seen this kind of thing time and time again. I’ll talk to him if you like. Thanks for this.’ He placed her work on top of a huge pile of papers.
It looked as if the conversation was over.
‘Thank you, sir,’ was all she could think to say, other than, Fucking listen to me! which she kept firmly in her head.
31
Lucas and Harper were back at their black hole of a bar. It was 1.30pm but the ambient lighting made it feel more like three in the morning. The bar glowed with a red and white fluorescent haze from the Budweiser signs on the wall. Harper sat at a small round table in the corner. A narrow cone of light illuminated two glasses of soda and a stack of sandwiches piled up on a plate.
Lucas appeared out of the gloom to join him.
‘Well?’ asked Harper devouring his lunch.
‘Spoke to his father and he says he’s been on a “discover yourself” kind of road trip. Seems he’s a lot better and this is all part of the getting himself back together. He wouldn’t give me any specifics and doesn’t know where he is now. He’s been gone around two weeks and hasn’t left any forwarding address.’ Lucas pulled a well-filled sandwich from the pile.
They were both numb following the events of the morning.
‘I went to Forever Young and they’ve not received any new patients and they don’t have anyone on their staff with one arm. It has to be him. It has to be Bassano. It’s too much of a coincidence.’ Harper slurped the soda through a straw.
‘I can’t get my head around it. Why the hell would Bassano want to take Jo Sells?’
‘The same reason you do.’ The voice came out of the shadows.
It was Chris Bassano.
He reached the table and pulled up a chair. In the poor light there appeared nothing amiss with the tall dark-haired Italian dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. He sat down with his elbows on the table.
‘Afternoon, boss,’ he said nodding towards Lucas. ‘Nice to see you both again.’
He edged the chair forward and the cone of light caught his face. It was much improved from the last time Lucas saw him, the deep purple scars had faded into a thin cobweb of red lines which ran across his face. The dentist had done a good job replacing the missing teeth and his nose looked normal as opposed to the flattened pulp Lucas had witnessed at the hospital. There were slight bald patches in his hairline where the skin grafts had taken, but on the whole he looked in good order. His hands were clasped in front of him, or more accurately one hand and a metallic hook. The three men stared at one another, no one spoke. Then delayed reaction kicked in.
‘How the hell …’ Lucas stood up, half a sandwich hanging from his mouth. Harper choked on his soda.
‘Do you have her?’ Harper blurted out the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question, spitting droplets of soda onto the table.
‘Yup,’ Bassano said nodding his head.
‘Where is she?’ Lucas said.
‘At my motel. I rented another room and she’s there.’
‘Jesus Christ.’ Harper looked at the ceiling.
‘What … How …?’ Lucas was struggling with his mouth full of meat and bread.
‘I did the same thing you were thinking, I guess. Snatch Jo Sells and use her to get to her psycho sister.’
‘How did you know where she was? How did you know she was still alive?’ asked Lucas, the questions tumbling out.
‘I didn’t. The boys down at the station tipped me off about the concealed room and about you being involved. It was a big topic of conversation because the big boss man got covered in shit or something. Anyway, I figured it was time to get back in the game and this seemed like a good time.’
‘Yes, but how did you know about Vegas?’ asked Harper.
‘I didn’t, I followed you.’
‘What!’
‘I used to be a detective, remember, and you guys leave a trail so wide a kid could follow. I came down to Florida to pick up where we left off and found you two up to your asses in tracking Mechanic. I figured you wouldn’t react kindly to dragging along a cripple, so I sat back and let you get on with it. Joining the dots, I ended up here in Vegas. I figured this must be where Mechanic was hanging out and then discovered the unexpected bonus, her sister Jo.’
‘But how did you find out about Jo?’ asked Harper.
‘I followed you to the Huxton place. It wasn’t difficult.’
‘Did you go to Baton Rouge as well?’ asked Lucas.
‘Hell no, I heard about that but there was definitely something odd about that letter. I mean why would Mechanic give herself away like that, when essentially she’d slipped the net. It made no sense. No, Baton Rouge wasn’t worth the effort.’
Lucas smarted at the blunt analysis.
‘So how did you decide to …’ Harper didn’t finish his sentence.
‘I took Jo when I had the chance with a cover story that I was from a nursing home taking Jo for a break. The Huxton woman bought it.’
Lucas looked at Harper and closed his eyes.
‘That was our plan. We turned up shortly after you, looking like fucking lemons.’
‘Well we have her now.’ Bassano shrugged his shoulders.
‘Tell me again,’ asked Harper. ‘Why have you snatched Jo?’
‘Two reasons. The first is to kill the bastard that done this.’ Bassano held up his right arm and waved the hook in the air.
‘And the second?’ asked Lucas.
‘To prove to you two that I still got it.’
‘You didn’t need to do that.’ Lucas leaned over and put his hand on Bassano’s shoulder. ‘It’s good to see you. I was worried. You wouldn’t return my calls or letters.’
‘I was in a bad place and feeling sorry for myself. There was a rage inside me and I no longer had the tools to do anything about it. It ground me to a standstill.’
‘You were in a shocking state, and when your folks decided you could no longer cope, that was it. You disappeared,’ Lucas said.
‘I was clinically depressed and got prescribed a shit load of meds which helped. But it was pretty bleak.’
‘What changed?’ asked Harper.
‘I felt a little better and decided to enrol on a recovery camp. It’s one of those places where people with serious life-changing injuries go to get their confidence back. It encourages you to do things which ordinarily you can’t do, or rather you don’t believe you can do, like abseiling, scuba diving, climbing, living in the wild, that type of thing. It’s about challenging yourself mentally as well as physically, making you realise what you can achieve rather than focusing on what you can’t.’
‘So these physical challenges gave you back your self-belief and motivation,’ Lucas said eventually.
‘Fuck no. Turns out the women there were more interested in trying out the Italian love stick. I’d completely gone off the boil but those three weeks certainly got the motor running hot again.’
‘You pulled women on the course?’ Lucas asked.
‘Yup.’
‘But you weren’t exactly in working order, you were still recovering? I mean your arm and your face?’ Harper chipped in.
‘Turns out women like a bit of imp
erfection.’
‘Bit of imperfection!’ Harper choked again on his soda. ‘You have one arm and a face Peter Cushing would run from.’
‘Correction, I have one and a half arms, my face is on the mend, but there’s nothing wrong with the pork sword.’ Bassano smiled broadly and grasped his crotch with his good hand.
‘Let me get this straight. You went to a retreat and women with similar conditions hit on you?’ Harper obviously needed further clarification.
‘Not exclusively. The able-bodied chicks fancied a go as well.’
‘I don’t believe this.’ Harper thought of his monthly expenditure on hookers and wondered if he would save money if he chopped his arm off.
‘Anyway it did the trick?’ Lucas was keen to bring this lurid conversation to an end.
‘Yes, sure did. Three weeks of screwing myself to a standstill was exactly what the doctor ordered. As I said, I feel ready to get back in the game. So I lifted Jo.’
‘What’s next in your plan?’ asked Harper.
‘This is it. Snatch Jo and find you guys.’
‘That’s it!’ Lucas was beginning to remember some of the more frustrating elements about working with Bassano.
‘Yup. I figured you guys were working along the same lines. So I saved you the trouble of taking her.’
‘We need to move fast or this will quickly unravel.’ Lucas’s head shifted into cop mode. ‘We’ve arranged for Jo to spend some time at a nursing home in Victorville. It’s a hell of a drive but we need to ensure she’s out of Mechanic’s reach. We have to get her there before she runs into health complications. Harper, you go to the motel with Bassano, pick her up and drive her there.’
Harper nodded.
‘You want me to go along too?’ asked Bassano.
‘No. You need to go back to the Huxton place and tell the mother to call Jess and let her know her sister has been collected safely. When you’re there, give her a letter to pass on to Mechanic. Tell Jenny-Jay it’s the paperwork which you should have dropped off earlier. It contains a newspaper advertisement for Mechanic, I’ll explain later.’
‘What about you?’ asked Harper.
‘I’ll contact the paper and place our second ad. It needs to be in before two thirty to make tomorrow’s run.’
‘What’s it gonna say?’
‘Not sure yet.’
They sat in silence each one racking their brains for something suitable.
Bassano chipped in.
‘How about, “You’re a dead woman”.’
32
Mechanic was riding on a permanent high. Silverton had the look of a teenage boy thumbing through a porn mag when she showed him the photographs from the hit. He flicked back and forth through the images on the camera.
‘Hell girl, when you say you’re gonna to do a job, you sure as hell do a job. This will piss on their picnic.’ He slapped his thigh and crowed like a banshee.
‘Have you had any contact with the other gang leaders?’ asked Mechanic.
‘No, complete radio silence. Though I figure after this latest little incident my boys will get a call.’
He opened a desk drawer, pulled out a plain paper bag and tossed it to Mechanic. She didn’t bother opening it. From the look and feel she knew it was another fifteen thousand bucks cash deposit for the top of her wardrobe.
‘Where do we go next, Mr Silverton?’
‘The Wild Crew. They run the central east side in the Winchester township of Vegas. They’re the oldest gang around and consider themselves part of the establishment. They have some top-ranking officials in their pocket and so tend to get away with murder. Often literally I might add.’
‘Any particular reason why they’re next?’
‘Yes, I don’t fucking like them.’ He handed Mechanic a large envelope.
‘Thanks. I’ll do some additional surveillance this time if that’s okay, Mr Silverton. The intel and photos you provide are fine but it’s no substitute for eyes on.’
‘Yup, play it as you wish. Keep me posted and let me know when it’s going down. I want to be sure my team are fully occupied.’ She got up and left the room a much richer woman.
Forty minutes later Mechanic was opening the front door to her house. She crossed the hallway into the kitchen and flicked on the coffee maker. The answerphone message blinked red requiring attention. She hit the play button.
‘Hi Jessica, this is Jenny-Jay.’ Mechanic smiled and busied herself making coffee. ‘It’s a quick call to let you know Jo got picked up safely this morning. She was so excited about going on her mini-break she wouldn’t shut up about it. Anyway talk to you soon, bye for now. Oh, before I forget, they left paperwork for you. You can pick it up on your next visit. See you soon. Byeee!’
Mechanic froze.
She held a cup in one hand and a carton of milk in the other. Very slowly she returned the cup back in the cupboard and again pushed play. Mrs Huxton’s voice was light and airy, unaware of the cataclysmic shock she was creating at the other end. Mechanic replaced the milk in the fridge, hit play once more and steadied herself with both hands on the worktop. The message played a third time. She could feel the fury boiling through her body. She began to shake.
Mechanic forced herself to move, she opened the compartment on the phone, removed the cassette tape and shoved it in her pocket. She ran to the bedroom, rammed the brown paper bag into the wardrobe and picked up the black rucksack, holstering her weapon. Fifty minutes later she stood outside the Huxtons’ front door and knocked, not sure what was about to happen next.
The shaking was gone, replaced by cold, hard aggression. She was cool and calm. Completely focused and prepared for anything.
Mrs Huxton opened the door.
‘Hello, Jessica, this is a nice surprise. I didn’t expect to see you so soon. Come in, come in. Look Mary-Jay, Jessica has come to see us, isn’t that great?’
‘Is there anyone else here, Jenny-Jay?’ asked Mechanic.
‘No it’s only the two of us, Jeb is at work. We are so pleased to see you.’ She stepped away from the door allowing Mechanic into the house.
‘I got your message, Jenny-Jay,’ Mechanic said.
‘Oh, that’s okay. No worries. Do you want coffee? We were settling down for a nice game of cards. Do you want to join us?’
‘Coffee would be good thanks, but I’ll pass on the cards.’
‘Coffee it is then. Look Mary-Jay, look who’s come to visit.’ She fussed around her daughter and then disappeared into the kitchen. Mechanic followed her.
‘So, Jo got picked up okay then, Mrs Huxton?’ Mechanic asked casually.
‘Please, Jessica, it’s Jenny-Jay,’ she scolded her playfully. ‘Yes she was collected this morning for her break at Forever Young. I think it’s a great idea, she’ll really enjoy herself there. I know a little about the place, it’s lovely.’
‘Yes, well I thought it was a good choice. When did they pick her up?’
‘Called at around half nine, I guess. Then what do you think happened?’
‘What?’
‘The other men turned up. That was a bit of a mix up.’ She slapped the worktop to emphasise the pantomime nature of the muddle.
‘Mix up?’ asked Mechanic.
‘The Forever Young guy turned up first, then before you knew it two other men from Sunny Village nursing home in Clover Heights were standing on my doorstep. They looked extremely put out when I told them Jo wasn’t here.’
‘Yes, that is a mix up. I spoke to a number of homes and I suppose it all got a little confused. I’m sorry about that.’
Jenny-Jay pushed a coffee and the sugar bowl in front of Mechanic.
‘That’s fine, my dear, no harm done. The Forever Young chap left you this.’ She handed over the envelope. Mechanic was not about to open it in front of Jenny-Jay.
‘Did I hear Mary-Jay then?’ Mechanic said looking over her shoulder.
‘Maybe. She’s been acting up since Jo went on her little break. She
misses her I think.’ Jenny-Jay scurried off into the living room.
Mechanic ripped open the envelope and removed the contents. She opened up the torn newspaper page, one of the adverts was ringed in thick red pen. It read:
YOUR PRECIOUS POSSESSION IS SAFE
IT WILL BE RETURNED IN EXCHANGE FOR YOU
BUY THIS PAPER AND AWAIT INSTRUCTION
She closed her eyes and gritted her teeth.
Her head raced with possibilities.
Was this revenge for hitting the drug teams? Was it Silverton giving himself an insurance policy? Who would want to take Jo? And who in hell’s name knew she was here? Mechanic’s thoughts spun in ever-decreasing circles.
Whoever took Jo must have looked genuine or Huxton would have called the police. Mechanic had to play for time, she had no choice but to go along with the charade. This was not good. Not good at all.
Jenny-Jay came back and Mechanic stuffed the paper into the envelope. She put three spoonsful of sugar into the cup and stirred vigorously.
Jenny-Jay was waxing lyrical about how her daughter was being sassy and answering back. Mechanic wasn’t listening. Her head was running amok with scenarios and possibilities. She snapped back to reality.
‘I want to thank the guys for picking up Jo. Did you get any names?’ she asked.
‘No, I didn’t.’
‘What sort of vehicles did they have?’
‘Oh I don’t pay no heed to things like that,’ Jenny-Jay replied pouring herself a coffee. ‘Good idea for you to talk to them though because those people at Forever Young could do with some constructive feedback.’
‘In what way?’
‘They sent a young man to collect her who only had one arm. I had to help load her into the van. It wasn’t right to be honest.’
‘One arm?’
‘Yes, he was a tall dark-haired chap with a lot of scarring on his face. And he only had one arm. I think it’s great that they’re helping people back into work but to be honest it wasn’t right.’