Illusive Witness

by S. Y. Thompson

  Ruth finally looked away from the car and headed toward her golf cart, letting go of the minor mystery. She had another eighteen holes to go before she could head home. Ruth walked down the sidewalk, not really paying attention. She had just started to step down onto the parking lot when the squeal of tires and the sound of a racing engine brought her abruptly back to the present.

  A white van stopped directly in front of her. Time seemed to slow down as her mind raced forward. Ruth heard the squeak of metal caused by the vehicle settling on its axles after the quick stop. Even as the panel door slid aside, she knew what was happening but there wasn’t time to run or call out for help.

  Two men grabbed her arms and hauled Ruth into the van’s cargo area. In the blink of an eye, she lay on a dirty, smelly carpet facing an adversary who didn’t even attempt to conceal their identity. She knew what that meant, but it was far too late to lament ignoring Emma’s warnings.

  The men had tossed her a few feet away from them and sat facing Ruth with their backs toward the driver. With no seats to hamper her movements, Ruth lashed out with her foot and smashed one of the men in the nose. Blood ran down over his mustache and she felt grim satisfaction at leaving behind some physical damage. Before she could do anything else, the second man drew a black pistol from his waistband and leveled it in her direction. The fight quickly went out of her and Ruth raised her hands in surrender.

  “What do you want with me?”

  Ruth kept her voice calm and demanding despite the fear pounding through her veins. Her assailants weren’t impressed. The one with the gun smiled at her bravado while the other wiped the blood from his face and then rubbed it into the van’s carpeting. Unaccountably, Ruth wondered how much blood the carpet had seen in the past.

  Both men were large and powerful. From the bulge of muscles, Ruth guessed their size couldn’t be attributed to an overindulgence in cannoli. The one with the mustache wore dark sunglasses and sideburns that belonged in the 1970s. The other was clean shaven, including the top of his head. Ruth found only one obvious identifying mark on the second man: a large cobra tattoo on the side of his neck. She had a pretty good idea who sent them, but Mustache Man answered her anyway.

  “The boss wants to have a word with you. Now be a good little girlie and we’ll drop you off right where we found you when he’s done.”

  Sure they would. Ruth wasn’t delusional. They intended to drop off her lifeless corpse or they wouldn’t have let her see their faces. Unfortunately, staring down the barrel of the living cue ball’s gun gave Ruth few options. She wasn’t trained in fighting techniques and if she tried anything, he would probably shoot her. Just because Carlotti wanted to interrogate her didn’t mean Cue Ball couldn’t put a bullet in her arm or leg. Ruth would have to be smarter than that. She could only pray that they’d let down their guard at some point. When they did, she’d have to be ready.

  To hurry these men into doing just that, Ruth allowed her shoulders to sag. She attempted to look completely defeated by dropping her gaze to the floor. No one spoke again, but she used her peripheral vision to look for anything that could be a makeshift weapon. The van was clean. The only item of use was the pistol in Cue Ball’s hand.

  Ruth wondered if a person could grow accustomed to being in mortal danger. She didn’t feel as panicked as when Henry had chased her through the storm though surely these men were just as threatening. Perhaps more so. Carlotti, or more specifically his people, had tortured Karl for information. It was a sure bet that Carlotti wouldn’t get his hands dirty by doing the deed himself. Regardless, it wouldn’t matter that Ruth knew nothing. They would kill her just as they had Karl, probably with a smile on their faces. The fact that Carlotti was still pursuing Ruth at all meant Karl hadn’t told him anything. Inspired by his courage, Ruth vowed not to give these men the satisfaction of seeing her beg for her life.

  Despite her resolve, Ruth’s concern ratcheted up another notch. She could tell from the speed and lack of regular stops that they were on the freeway and headed out of the city. Traffic wasn’t overly heavy at this time of day. She wondered how she could get away from the men and she searched the vehicle for any possible way out. Ruth noticed the panel door wasn’t locked and briefly wondered if she could escape that way. Unfortunately, at this speed, the fall would kill her instantly. Then again, her new friends were sure to do the very same thing before long. Her eyes wandered back to her captors and she discovered both of them watching her intently.

  “Don’t even think about it,” Cue Ball said in a deep bass. “You’ll only get yourself killed. Maybe the boss would be willing to let you go after he...talks with you.”

  Ruth didn’t believe that for a second. Despite that fact, Ruth knew she wouldn’t act. She would have to keep her eyes open and pray for a chance before these men tried to kill her. Ruth resumed her earlier posture and kept her eyes pinned on her wristwatch. If somehow she did manage to escape, she needed to know how far they traveled. She estimated ten minutes had passed since she’d been snatched from the country club parking lot. They drove another ten before the driver exited the freeway. As they moved farther from the city, roads became smaller and traffic lighter. Eventually, they left the pavement and bounced down a gravel road. Houses here were few and far between.

  When the van rumbled across a cattle guard, Ruth got thrown off balance and rapped her head against the side of the vehicle. She looked outside through the front windshield, but didn’t see any signs of livestock. In fact, there were no signs of any life whatsoever. A rundown farmhouse came into view. From the missing shingles on the roof to the front door that sagged on busted hinges, Ruth decided the place was deserted.

  Trees surrounded the property, perfect for obscuring any prying eyes. A black limo sat parked in the weeds in front of the house and Ruth swallowed hard. She was convinced she’d squandered any chance of escape. There certainly wouldn’t be any help out here in the sticks.

  The van stopped beside the limo and only the driver moved. He exited and came around to open the side panel door while the two who’d grabbed Ruth kept a close eye on her. She thought they just didn’t want to take a chance that she’d kick someone in the nose again.

  “Move it,” Cue Ball ordered, motioning her with the barrel of the gun.

  Ruth climbed stiffly out of the cargo area and headed toward the house. A shove in the middle of her back hurried her along faster. She glanced over her shoulder, but couldn’t decide who had pushed her. All three escorted her inside, through the living room and into the kitchen. The smell of mildew assaulted her. Heavy cobwebs covered the ceiling and the corners. Ruth didn’t think anyone had lived here in a long time. The only furniture in the house was a single, hard-backed chair sitting in the middle of the kitchen. It was occupied.

  Ruth stopped so quickly that the gun barrel jabbed into her back. She recognized the man. He was the same one she’d seen in the cemetery the day she visited Karl’s grave. He wore the same floppy brown, felt fedora and had the same lean, wiry build. This close up, Ruth noticed his eyes for the first time. They were the eyes of a shark: vicious, cold and without compassion. Although thin, Carlotti’s arms bunched with muscle. For a man who appeared in his early sixties, Ruth thought him perfectly capable of killing anyone himself.

  “Vinny, stay here. Marcus and Tommy, go help secure the perimeter.”

  Ruth noticed the heavy Italian accent, but was more interested in the way Carlotti distributed his people. Vinny turned out to be Cue Ball. Apparently, Carlotti wanted the thug with the gun to remain. She thought they were probably all armed. His was just the only weapon Ruth had seen. Carlotti had told the other two to “help” secure the area. Someone else was here, but there could only be one or two more. The limousine wouldn’t hold an army. There were at least five, but currently there was only a single flunky with a gun and a tired-looking old man in the room with her.

  All of Ruth’s fear suddenly evaporated like mist and she looked more closely at the man who
’d ordered her murder. Carlotti’s hands clasped the carved ivory top of a cane, the tip braced against the wooden floor. His swarthy complexion carried a rosy tinge of health that told Ruth Carlotti probably carried the cane as a fashion accessory. She felt the malevolence oozing from the seated man.

  “Mister Carlotti, I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding.”

  Ruth failed to account for Vinny’s proximity. He backhanded her across the face with his pistol. The blow knocked Ruth to the floor and she automatically raised her hand to cup her cheek. Pain caused tears to spring to her eyes and it took a second to get her bearings. Ruth’s fingers came away stained with blood.

  “Shut up. You don’t talk except to answer questions.”

  Vinny moved toward her and Ruth flinched, expecting another blow. He froze when Don Carlotti raised a palsied hand.

  “I will ask you a question,” Carlotti said, speaking in a casually conversational tone. “If I don’t like your answer, Vinny will hurt you. We will keep going until I am satisfied. Do you understand?” He smiled, carrying forward with the polite façade.

  It seemed pretty straightforward. Of course she understood, but there wasn’t anything she could say to appease this killer. They were going to torture her and then murder her and she wouldn’t be able to stop them. Ruth nodded her head, but stayed where she had fallen. There was no point in getting up.

  Before the interrogation could begin, the back door to the kitchen opened and another person entered the house. At first, Ruth thought she was hallucinating. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. When Ruth opened her eyes again, the scene hadn’t changed.

  “Ah,” Carlotti smiled and held his hand out toward the newcomer. “You’re just in time.”

  Jordan Pierce accepted Don Carlotti’s hand and stooped down to kiss his tanned cheek. She straightened and had the temerity to smile at Ruth.

  “Jordan?” Ruth couldn’t keep the tremor out of her voice. She had never seen this coming, though now that the truth stood right in front of her, she didn’t know why. “Nurse Flanagan told me you asked to be assigned to my case. She said you demanded it.”

  “You really are a poor judge of character, Ruth.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I told her to get close to you,” Carlotti snapped, “to find out what you knew.”

  “And did you tell her to sleep with me too?”

  Carlotti’s face darkened and his jaw clenched, but he didn’t rise to the bait. “What do you know about the man who threatens my family?”

  The wording of the question threw Ruth off guard. After a moment, she realized he was asking about the informant. She considered not answering until she saw Jordan’s face tighten. Now she had the answer to why Jordan was here. Carlotti intended to force Jordan to hurt her if Ruth refused to cooperate. A large part of her believed Jordan wouldn’t do it. She was a physician and had taken an oath to do no harm. On the other hand, she stood there holding hands with a confirmed killer and showed no concern for Ruth as she lay bleeding on the floor. Ruth had trusted Henry, too, and that hadn’t turned out well.

  At her continued silence, Jordan shook her head and released Carlotti’s hand. She closed the distance until she stood only inches from Ruth. “I suggest you answer.”

  “Jordan, I don’t know anything. You know that.”

  “Then why were you getting cozy with Marshal Blake? We’ve had people watching you since Henry failed.”

  The sense of betrayal was becoming commonplace though this time Ruth felt the sting more deeply. “I told you that she wanted me to go into protective custody. She didn’t tell me anything other than the fact that there was an informant. She never told me his name and I didn’t ask. Now let me ask you a question. Why didn’t you just kill me after Henry? I never would have suspected it.”

  Jordan glanced over her shoulder toward Carlotti, allowing him to answer.

  “Interrogations can be so messy. You liked Jordan. She convinced me to give you a chance.”

  “So if she could find out what I knew without having to torture me, so much the better? You people are pathetic.” Ruth couldn’t hide her disgust.

  Jordan repaid Ruth by drawing back her fist and punching her in the face. She struck Ruth across her damaged cheek. Ruth was thrown off balance, but refused to cry out. She couldn’t prevent the single tear that tracked down her cheek.

  “Watch your tone. I tried, Ruth, I really did.”

  “So what changed?”

  “You talk in your sleep.”

  Caught off guard, Ruth stared at Jordan in disbelief. She remembered all the crazy dreams she’d had lately. One of those included seeing Jordan’s face up on the cliff. “You killed Karl.”

  A triumphant expression took possession of Jordan’s face and she turned back to Carlotti. “I told you she saw me,” Jordan said excitedly.

  Carlotti didn’t respond to Jordan’s jubilation. “I’ll ask once more, do you know what identity the marshals have given my snitch or where I might locate him?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  A single nod to Jordan caused her to act. She stooped over and grabbed Ruth by the collar with one hand. Jordan used the other to slap Ruth, concentrating the blow over the open wound. Ruth tried to struggle, pushing Jordan away while flinging her body backward at the same time. She was unable to break Jordan’s grasp. Jordan shook her hard and then stared deeply into Ruth’s eyes.

  “Please answer him, Ruth. I don’t enjoy hurting you.”

  The sincerity she found in Jordan’s eyes was in direct opposition to her actions. Ruth believed Jordan didn’t want to do this, but knew she would continue anyway. She had called Carlotti “Uncle.” From the time they’d spent together and their discussions while getting to know each other, Ruth knew that Jordan adored her family. She would do anything he told her.

  “I already have,” she whispered brokenly.

  Jordan released her and turned to Carlotti. “She’s telling the truth. She doesn’t know anything, at least not about the Snake.”

  “Too bad.”

  He climbed easily to his feet, carrying the cane instead of using it for support. “Unfortunately, she knows about you and has seen too much here. Make it look like a suicide. I’ll leave Vinny here to help you. Wait for one hour. I want to make sure people see me at the board meeting before her death.”

  “Yes, Uncle.”

  Ruth had known it was coming, but she still couldn’t believe what she heard. Desperate to buy time, Ruth was barely aware of what she said. “No one will believe it. My car’s still at the golf course and someone probably saw you grab me.”

  “She’s got a point about the car.”

  Carlotti nodded. “I’ll have someone bring it out.”

  Ruth could have bitten off her own tongue. She’d just helped to make her suicide more believable. However, unless they planned to hot-wire the car, they wouldn’t have much luck. Such a thing would further prove to anyone investigating her death that she hadn’t killed herself. Why would she hot-wire her own car? The only comfort she had in such an eventuality was that the incongruity would make Emma investigate even harder.

  A foot to her chest forced Ruth onto her back. Suddenly she had Jordan’s knee digging into her hip and she tried not to flinch from the pressure.

  “Where are they, Ruth? Give me the keys.”

  Ruth merely lifted her chin in defiance. She dared Jordan to strike her again. “You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you? How are you going to explain this?” She pointed to her face.

  “Not my problem. I’m not even here.” Jordan dug into the front pocket of Ruth’s trousers. She came up with the keys and backed off. “I’m currently at a seminar in the city concerning the dangers of high cholesterol.”

  Carlotti took the keys and turned away without a backward glance. He left Ruth alone with a gun pointed at her face and her suddenly ex-girlfriend hovering over her. Ruth cringed internally, resolved not to show fear. She clung to hope
that something would happen to provide an opportunity for escape. At least now there were only two with whom she had to contend. Carlotti would take the others and probably leave the van for Jordan and Vinny to return to the city.

  “So what now?” Vinny asked. “Shoot her in the head?”

  “Are you stupid?”

  Jordan seemed like a completely different person. Gone was the gentle demeanor Ruth had known. She expected Vinny to mount some kind of defense against Jordan’s caustic remark, but he simply dropped his gaze. Apparently Jordan was in charge when Carlotti wasn’t around.

  “Get her into the chair.”

  Vinny stuffed the pistol into his waistband and grabbed Ruth by her arms. She twisted and pulled, trying to get away to no avail. Before she fully realized what they intended, Ruth was seated in the chair with Vinny holding her from behind. Jordan knelt in front of her and Ruth tried to lash out with her feet. Jordan was too close for her to get any leverage and she put her hand on Ruth’s knee to hold her down.

  “It’s okay, just relax.” Jordan spoke to Ruth in a soft voice.

  She sounded like she was trying to calm a frightened animal. She wasn’t far off the mark, but Ruth still hadn’t given up. Her eyes moved continuously, tracking Vinny and Jordan’s every move as she searched desperately for an opportunity.

  Jordan reached into her shirt pocket and removed something small enough for her to conceal between her fingers. Ruth caught a flash of blue and realized it was a drug of some kind. She refused to open her mouth when Jordan tried to press the capsule between her lips.

  “Ruth, really. I’ve been doing this a long time. Do you think I can’t force you to open your mouth?”

  Stubbornly, Ruth refused to yield. Jordan was out of her mind if she thought Ruth would cooperate. A second later, it didn’t matter. Jordan did something with her thumb against Ruth’s jaw. The searing pain caused Ruth to gasp in response. The capsule was in her mouth, but she couldn’t spit it out. Jordan put her hand over Ruth’s mouth and then tilted her head way back. With her free hand, Jordan rubbed Ruth’s throat until she swallowed.