by Mike Ryan
“Huh?” Recker said.
“Well, if Chris is on the shelf for six weeks then you’ll have to postpone your plans with Mia.”
“Oh great. I hadn’t even thought of that. Now she’s gonna think I’m getting cold feet about it or something.”
“I’m sure if you tell her what happened she’ll understand.”
“We’ll see.”
“I think I might be getting closer to finding out who’s responsible for all this,” Jones said.
“You’ve got him?”
“Not yet. But I think by tomorrow I might have the answer.”
“How?”
“Do you forget the parameters by which we were working with before you did this old west shootout?”
“Oh. Yeah, I guess I did a little,” Recker said.
“Speaking of the shootout, I suppose this will garner headlines and front page news.”
“Yeah, but it won’t come back to us.”
“You’re sure about that, are you?” Jones asked.
“Don’t see how it could. The only people involved are either dead, wounded, or hiding from the police anyway. Who’s talking?”
“You’re positive there were no other witnesses?”
“I can’t guarantee anything, but I don’t see who else would be there.”
“Let’s hope you’re right.”
“Should we get down to work?” Recker asked, ready to get to the next chapter of this incident.
“I think you’ve been through enough in one night. Take the rest of the night off. We’re not burning the midnight oil here. Mia’s probably at home waiting for you by now anyway.”
Recker looked at the time and saw it was approaching one in the morning. “She was covering part of someone else’s shift, so she got done at midnight.”
“Haven’t told her about any of this yet I take it?”
“No, not yet.”
“Well, go home, get a good night’s sleep,” Jones said. “Don’t worry about getting back here until ten-ish.”
“Why so late?”
“Because if I am correct in thinking I can locate the mysterious person we’re looking for then tomorrow might be another long day. Get the rest while you can.”
“Gee, can’t wait. Maybe we can end the day with another bang.”
10
Once Recker got home, Mia was already curled up in bed sleeping. Recker joined her and went right to sleep. When she finally did get up, it was after eight, and she was a little surprised to see her boyfriend still sleeping next to her. It was very unusual for him to still be in bed at that time, though she didn’t know exactly what time he came home. She got out of bed and made breakfast, finally waking him up at nine o’clock.
“Wake up, sleepy,” she said, playfully tapping him on the shoulder.
Recker laid there for a few minutes, looking like he was having a hard time moving.
“Have a rough night?”
“Yeah.”
Mia’s playful expression slowly turned to one of concern as she pulled the covers off him and started inspecting his body for bruises, cuts, or bullet holes. She ran her hands up and down his body, thankfully not finding anything.
“Looking for something in particular?” Recker asked.
“Signs of injury.”
“Can I ask why?”
“Well you tell me you had a rough night, you’re still in bed at nine o’clock, and you seem to be having a tough time moving. All very obvious signs of serious injury,” Mia answered.
“I’m fine. I’m not the one who needs worrying.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Chris got hit last night.”
“Oh no. Is he OK?”
“Got it in the leg. Should be back to normal in about six weeks or so.”
“Oh, thank God.”
“May throw a wrench into your vacation plans,” Recker said.
“I don’t even care about that right now. What happened?”
Recker spent the next few minutes explaining what happened the night before in detail, not forgetting even the tiniest of details. After he was finished, Mia let out a rather loud sigh and leaned back against the headboard.
“What?” Recker asked, knowing something was bothering her.
“Just… I dunno, seems like you’re getting put into tougher situations all the time.”
“I’ve always been in tough situations. That’s the job.”
Mia shook her head. “I know. But it seems like you’ve gotten away from helping the people that need it most. Now you’re getting mixed up in a turf war between criminals you always said you wouldn’t get involved with. You’re not helping anyone innocent.”
Recker stared straight ahead for a minute, knowing she was technically correct, things had gotten more complicated over the years since they started their operation. Things weren’t as clear cut as they were in the beginning.
“It’s not as easy as that,” Recker said. “Things happen, relationships evolve. To do some of the things we do, sometimes we need help from people who don’t always have the best of intentions. And that comes at a cost. And that cost is, sometimes, I need to get involved in situations that, on the surface, I probably should be staying clear of. Some of the happy endings we’ve had wouldn’t have been so happy without Vincent’s help.”
Mia sighed again, already knowing everything he said was true, though it didn’t make her feel much better about it. “I know. I just hate it when you get involved with him. I guess it’s because I know whenever he’s in the picture it seems like the danger factor goes up like a thousand percent. Especially when someone’s after him.”
Recker couldn’t dispute the fact things seemed to ratchet up a notch when Vincent was involved. And he wasn’t going to try to give her a bunch of fluff they both knew wasn’t true to make her feel better. So, he didn’t even try. He took her in his arms and hugged her for a few minutes. They spoke no more and simply let their embrace do their talking for them.
It wasn’t until ten-thirty Recker finally made it in to the office. Before getting there, he called Haley to make sure he was doing all right. Jones was in one of his fierce typing moments as Recker walked in, not even paying attention to his presence.
“You’re late,” Jones said, not even breaking stride with his typing, or looking his partner’s way.
“You said after ten. You didn’t say how far after. Besides, I had to check in with Chris first.”
Jones stopped typing instantly and swiveled his chair around. “I called him about two hours ago and everything seemed fine. Nothing has changed I hope?”
“Nope. Still fine. Should be leaving in a couple hours.”
“Great news,” Jones said. “He mentioned coming back to the office after he left, but I told him to go home and relax for a bit.”
“He’s not gonna want to sit home and vegetate for the next six weeks.”
“I’m well aware. I’m not grounding him permanently. Just for today. Then if he’s up to it tomorrow, he can come into the office.”
Recker then sat down at a computer and started fiddling around. “So, what can you tell me about our mysterious friend? Narrowed it down yet?”
“I’ve got it narrowed down to two people I believe.”
“OK,” Recker said. “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“I followed the clues.”
“But there are no clues.”
“You would be incorrect with that assessment,” Jones said. “Remember what we were thinking. Displaced crime bosses who have migrated in this direction.”
“And how many have there been?”
“None.”
Recker scrunched his eyebrows together as he lowered his head, scratching the back of it. He wasn’t quite following yet. “Umm, maybe it’s just me, but if there haven’t been any, then how have you been able to trace someone here?”
“Relatives.”
“Relatives? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“
While there haven’t been any former bosses relocated to our area, there are two relatives of former bosses I have traced to the area.”
“And they are?”
“I’d rather not say until I have pinpointed the exact person,” Jones said.
“And when will that be?”
“Perhaps an hour or two.”
“Want me to help?”
“No, I think I can manage on my own.”
Recker threw his hands up. “So, what do you want me to do? Sit here and look pretty?”
“If you’re capable of doing that.
Recker rolled his eyes but didn’t say another word. As Jones went back to his work, Recker shuffled around the office, trying to keep busy. He eventually did what he normally did when he wasn’t sure what else to do. He went to his gun cabinet and started cleaning his weapons. He was taking a little longer than he normally would have, finishing up in about two hours. The entire time, Recker was keeping an eye on Jones to see if he could tell when he was finished. After closing the cabinet, Recker got a drink before heading back over to the desk. He sat down next to Jones without saying anything, waiting for the professor to finish. As they were going on the third hour, Recker was starting to get impatient. He cleared his throat before talking, making sure he was loud enough for Jones to hear.
“I don’t know if you know this, but we’re on hour number three now,” Recker said. “You’re a little behind schedule.”
“Better to be slow, late, and correct instead of fast, early, and wrong.”
“So it is.” Recker went back on the computer to keep himself busy. “But my patience is starting to wear thin.”
“Patience is a virtue as they say.”
“Yeah, but it’s not one of mine.”
Jones chuckled, though he still didn’t break stride in his typing.
“How much longer?” Recker asked.
“About ten or twenty minutes.”
Recker immediately looked at the time. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“I have no doubts of that.”
Only a minute later, Recker’s phone rang.
“Saved by the bell,” Jones said.
“It’s Chris,” Recker said, putting the phone next to his ear. “Yo, bud, what’s up?”
“Hey, I’m good to go, so I was looking to leave in a few minutes.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have a way of getting out of here unless I hobble to a bus stop,” Haley said.
“Oh, yeah, I forgot I took the car. Stay put and I’ll be right there. Give me about twenty minutes.”
As soon as Recker hung up, he started moving around, looking like he was about to go somewhere. Jones wasn’t sure what was going on.
“Is there an issue?” Jones asked.
“What? Oh, no. Chris is ready to leave, and he’s got no transport, so I’m gonna go pick him up.”
“Excellent news. Just to be clear, no matter what he says, no matter how good he says he is, do not bring him back here. Take him to his apartment.”
“Yes, sir. Guess that gives you some extra time and lets you off the hook too.”
“Lucky me.”
“I’ll be back in an hour and I better get some answers by then,” Recker said.
“I guess I should speed it up then.”
Recker headed straight for Dr. Luke’s underground offices, which weren’t actually underground, but in a rather remote location. The front entrance to the facility was always closed, with bars on the windows and doors, along with blinds so no one could see inside. Anyone coming and going had to do so through the back entrance, which could only be opened from the inside. Once Recker got there, Haley was already standing outside, leaning up against the side of the building. Recker got out the car to give his partner a hand.
“I hear you need a lift.”
“Just rumors,” Haley said, walking to the car with the help of crutches. Once they started driving away, Haley inquired as to their plans for the rest of the day. “So, where we heading?”
“We’re heading to your apartment.”
Haley sighed, not wanting to go home and rest. “I know David wants me to take the rest of the day off, but I’d rather get right back into things. I don’t need to be set on the sidelines.”
“It’s not a punishment. You’ve had a rough night. He wants to make sure you don’t push yourself before you’re ready.”
“I don’t wanna sit around my apartment and stare out the window for a few weeks and do nothing.”
“It won’t be that long. If you’re up for it, he’ll probably let you back in the office tomorrow. Like I said, he doesn’t want you to push it. Just relax, do what you can in the office, and do your rehab.”
“I know one thing,” Haley said. “I can guarantee it’s not gonna take me six weeks to come back.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Four at the most. A few weeks ago, I ordered one of those home gyms.”
“Just don’t overdo it.”
After taking Haley to his apartment, Recker stayed with him for an hour or so, to make sure he was in a good frame of mind. Recker wouldn’t have left him if he thought Haley was down in the dumps. Recker continued talking to him about coming back to work the next day as long as he was feeling up to it, making sure his head was still in the game. Once Recker left Haley’s apartment, he immediately called Jones to let him know he was headed back to the office.
“How’s Chris?” Jones asked.
“He’ll be fine. Wants to come back now and get into it but I convinced him to take the day. Told him if he feels up to it tomorrow, I’ll pick him up in the morning and bring him in.”
“You’re sure that’s not too fast?”
“He wants to feel like he can still contribute and not be useless,” Recker answered. “He’ll be fine. I can tell you something else, he’ll be back in four weeks, ready to go.”
“As long as he’s healthy enough.”
“Speaking of ready to go, are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Ready to go. You know, with the thing you were working on you promised me would be ready by now.”
“Oh, that,” Jones said.
“Yeah, that.” Recker got the feeling he was about to be stalled again.
“Well...”
“Jones… you told me it’d be ready.”
“And it is.”
“It is?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Well?” Recker asked, anxious to hear the person’s name.
“I think it would be better if I told you when you get back.”
“You’re really gonna do that to me?”
“Yes.”
“Gonna keep me in suspense the entire way over there, huh?”
“If you want, I can tease you even more with it,” Jones replied.
“How’s that?”
“It’s probably not anyone you would think of.”
11
Recker almost flew into the office once he got there. He immediately took a seat next to Jones and stared at him until he was acknowledged, not saying a word. Jones slowly turned his head, a little uneasy with the icy stare being thrown his way. He turned back to his computer and tried to finish what he was working on but couldn’t shake Recker’s eyes burning a hole through him. Jones looked at him out of the corner of his eye, trying not to turn his head in his partner’s direction.
“Yes?” Jones asked. “Something on your mind?”
“We really gonna do this again?”
Jones finally turned his head completely toward him. “Oh. The, uhh, the mysterious person.”
Recker gave half a smile. “Yeah. That one.”
Jones picked up a file folder on the desk and handed it over to him. “Oh. Well it’s all right there.”
Recker looked at him like he thought he was being kidded again. “In here?”
“Promise, it’s all there.”
Recker still wasn’t sure he was being told th
e truth but eagerly opened the folder and started devouring its contents. Almost immediately, his eyes bulged out, not believing what he was seeing. He brought his head up and looked at Jones, who simply nodded.
“That’s correct,” Jones said.
“It’s a woman?”
Jones knew Recker would be a little shocked at the revelation, even though they’d run into women criminals before. “Yes. Women do commit crimes you know.”
“Yes, I know, but...”
“You weren’t expecting one in this instance?”
Recker shook his head. “No, not at all.”
Recker continued reading the file, which was a comprehensive bio Jones had compiled on the woman. He was still a little stunned, though he knew he shouldn’t have been. He’d certainly been around long enough to expect the unexpected.
“You’re sure it’s her?” Recker asked.
“There is no doubt. I have traced her to here. She’s definitely in the city.”
“You know where she is?”
“Surprisingly… yes,” Jones answered. “If she’s trying to conceal her current whereabouts, she’s doing it badly. In saying that, my suspicion is she’s not trying.”
“Where is she?”
“Currently staying in a very luxurious hotel, as she has been doing for the last several weeks.”
Recker took his eyes off the folder again to look at Jones. “A hotel?”
“Again, not what you were expecting?”
“No.” Recker sighed, not understanding what was happening here. He didn’t get why this woman would be trying to conceal her identity in trying to knock off Vincent’s crew, but then stay out in the open in a hotel, which was not the actions of someone trying to hide.
Jones studied Recker’s face as he read the material in the folder. He could tell Recker seemed to be having trouble digesting some of it. “What is it in particular that’s giving you trouble?”
“I don’t know. Nothing I guess.”
“Stefania Nowak, thirty-six-years old, wife of Paul Nowak, who is now deceased as of one year ago,” Jones said. “If you’ve gotten that far, she’s made calls to Boston, New York, and Baltimore in the past six months. And who do we know from those places?”
“And the hits on Vincent’s crew happens to coincide with her arrival,” Recker said. “I dunno, maybe I’m just having a hard time seeing her as the head person in this. Says here her husband was in charge of an organization in Boston. With his death, she faded into the background. If this is what she wanted, why not continue with what her husband started?”