Hound Dog Blues (29 page)

It made sense, in a warped kind of way. Maybe that was how Morgan figured into it. If he was mixed up with Bates and Archie, he’d get a cut for diverting suspicion from them. If he was really undercover, he’d be getting evidence against them. Too bad she didn’t know which side he was really on. Too bad she didn’t know how involved Yogi was with them. She thought about it a few seconds.

Yogi hadn’t liked Jett, had insisted he had King. But Yogi would have turned over the necklace to get the dog back. He’d have turned over the house and all he owned for that stupid mutt. All of which combined wasn’t worth what the necklace was worth. So, if Yogi hadn’t given it back that must mean . . . she looked up at Archie.

“You didn’t tell Yogi what you were doing, did you. That you were using the crystal pieces to swap with the real stuff?”

“The less people who know about it the better.”

That meant Yogi hadn’t realized he’d given back the wrong necklace. He probably still hadn’t figured it out. She frowned. Archie’s last comment transferred slowly. It translated to the less people who still knew about it the better. Like her, for instance. And Cami. Uh oh.

“So where’s Cami?”

“We back to that?”

“Just thought since we’ve gotten so friendly you might want to tell me.”

“We ain’t friendly, chickie.”

That was true. It was mutual necessity that kept them from each other’s throats at the moment. And ropes.

She almost had the cords around her ankles loosened enough, but still needed a little more time. She didn’t have a plan, just increasing urgency telling her to get out of there before anyone else arrived. She wasn’t doing real good one on one. Two against one could be fatal.

The phone rang. Archie looked at it a moment, then answered. “Yeah.
Shit
. I’ll take care of it. All of them? Look, I got to hurry, then. Just—get me a little more time. Right. I’ll do it quick as I can.”

He hung up and looked at Harley. “I’m outta here.”

She perked up. “Okay. I’m ready to go. Want to untie me now?”

“You ain’t going nowhere, cookie. And I’ve got stuff to do first.”

He jerked open desk drawers and pulled out papers, then flicked on a shredder. It growled into service, gobbling up papers as he fed it several at a time. Harley watched for a minute. If he was destroying evidence, then maybe that meant cops were on the way. She hoped.

The shredder noisily snarled paper and Harley quietly tugged at cords. It seemed as if the shredder was much more efficient in its task. Her ankles remained firmly bound. Of all things for Archie to be good at doing, it had to be this. Probably had a lot of practice at it. Meanwhile, he worked frantically, jamming papers into the shredder until it choked.

Archie’s urgency was contagious. Focused on freeing herself, Harley jerked her head up when the office door opened with a loud bang, slamming back against the wall. Archie gave a startled yelp and her heart sank. Tall. Expensive suit—Bates. And he looked pretty pissed.

“You idiot. You total fucking idiot.”

Thank God he was looking at Archie and not her. Archie made some kind of squeaking sound similar to “Who, me?” and seemed to shrivel. She knew the feeling. If she could shrivel into a tiny knot she’d do it right now.

“Yes,
you
, you damned moron.” The office door slammed closed. “You’ve got shit for brains. And you’ve been made.”

Archie’s hand shook too badly to shred papers. He just stared up at Bates in his Armani suit and his mouth worked soundlessly for a moment. Then he said, “Uh—we have? But how—”

“A simple job. That’s all I gave you. A simple, frigging job to do and you screwed it up. I’m not an unreasonable man, Archie. I like to see people succeed. Your brother assured me you’re a hard worker.” Bates loomed over him. “He forgot to tell me you’re also an idiot. I’ll get him for that. But right now—right now, I want to know what you intend to do about that damn stolen necklace.”

Archie looked stuck for an answer. Harley wanted to tell him to think of something fast, because Bates didn’t look at all happy.

“Look, Bates, it wasn’t my fault Yogi wouldn’t give it up. I tried to get it,” Archie said after a long moment ticked past and the shredder still loudly masticated empty air.

“By kidnapping a dog? Friggin’ brilliant. You couldn’t give him a photo of the piece like I told you? You had to risk the real thing?” Then Bates glanced at the papers in Archie’s hand, and his voice got real soft. “You’re covering your tracks. You’re shredding any paperwork with your name on it, aren’t you?”

“No . . . no, I’m just . . . these papers are just invoices you wouldn’t want in the wrong hands. Chickie here told me she had the necklace.”

Bates swiveled his gaze toward her, and Harley gulped.

“Tell me where the necklace is.”

Harley stared up at Bates, paralyzed with terror. This guy was no moron. This guy meant business. She resorted to ignorance.

“What necklace?” she squeaked.

He moved to stand over her, and then bent to put a hand on each shoulder, his fingers digging into her skin and muscle and bone, like the talons of a hawk, as he hauled her up and slammed her down into a chair.

“No games. Just answers. The necklace. Where is it?”

“At . . . at the police station.” She heard Archie let out a long sigh. Paper and keys fell from his hand to the floor. Bates straightened, gimlet eyes boring into her for what seemed an eternity.

“Well, well.” He turned to look at Archie. “Looks like you can kiss your ass good-bye.”

Archie stood up quickly. His chair went spinning across the floor, wheels clacking. The paper shredder kept growling. Harley shuddered.

“It was a sweet setup,” Bates said, “then you got fucking greedy. Wasn’t your share enough to suit you?”

“It wasn’t just that.” Archie looked a little desperate, but oddly defiant. “You and Neil, you always act like I’m some damn idiot. I wanted to show you I could do stuff on my own.”

“And ended up showing us all what an idiot you are. Moron.”

Archie’s eyes narrowed again. His nose twitched, and he really looked so much like a weasel that Harley almost laughed. She must be hysterical. Insane. God, she was terrified.

Bates went behind the desk, unlocked and jerked open a drawer. Then he sat down in the chair, and it squeaked a little as he rocked back in it to study Archie. Bates had a broad face, but his eyes were small and close together. His hair was dark, not the greasy brown of Archie’s, but a dyed blue-black color and style like an Elvis impersonator. A flashy gold nugget ring winked on his left hand, a diamond horseshoe ring on his other. Obviously, the jewelry theft business paid well. He turned the ring on his finger idly, and then bent to scratch his ankle before straightening.

“Archie, Archie,” Bates said with a sigh that sounded almost like regret, “you ruined a lovely scam.”

“How the hell did I do that?” He sounded belligerent. “You and Neil had your own deals going. I just took advantage of opportunities. For all of us.”

“No, you took advantage for yourself. We had it sweet. Easy. What made you do it?” Bates put his hands together fingertips to fingertips, his tone almost benevolent.

He didn’t fool Harley. She saw the muscle in his jaw flicker with suppressed fury. Uh oh. It didn’t look good for her
or
Archie. Squirming a little, she felt one of the drapery braids shift. That was good. She flexed her toes. She couldn’t feel them. That was bad.

Apparently, Archie wasn’t fooled by Bates’s benevolence either.

“What made me do it? Shit, you oughta know! All the time going on about how dumb I am, like I’m not even standing there listening—cutting me outta some of the take ’cause I’m just the errand boy. I got sick of it. I’ve been running my own scam for almost three months, and made more money than I got the entire time we’ve been at it.”

“And managed to catch the attention of the cops while you were at it. Did you think they wouldn’t figure it out?” He leaned forward in the chair to stare hard at Archie. “I’ve got one more deal to finish, and
I’m
handling it. I don’t need any screw-ups hanging around me.”

“Fine. I got my own thing going.” Archie sounded defensive, and beads of sweat gleamed on his forehead. His eyes looked kinda glazed. Harley’s stomach rolled. This was serious. “Just give me my cut and I’m outta here,” Archie said then, adding insult to injury.

“No friggin’ way,” Bates said. “Do you know how hard I worked to pull it off? It takes time to set up everything, but the payoff—the payoff is so sweet once the hard part is over. You ruined it, breaking into damn houses. Now the cops are looking at the jewelry store, and they’ll figure out Neil switched clients’ stones, if they haven’t already.”

“I didn’t have to break in. I knew the codes. I just walked in, took my time, and took the incriminating stuff.”

“You and Neil got greedy. You should’a left it alone. We had photos of the real pieces we gave to the insurance reps. No one could prove we’d switched anything. Until now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do. You and Neil stole other pieces, fenced them, and got stupid about it. You didn’t stick to the plan, Archie. You got greedy. You screwed up, you dumbass.”

Archie looked indignant and uncertain. “No, I didn’t.”

“The hell you didn’t. Which means I’m out of here.” He bent to scratch his ankle again, then sat up and looked over at Harley, as if considering what to do with her. Her stomach flipped. She tried to blend into the scenery. Unsuccessfully. He smiled, but it wasn’t a smile that she found pleasant. “Now we have the added problem of what to do with our visitor.”

When Archie looked at her and narrowed his eyes, she knew it wasn’t going to be good. Then he surprised her. He just shrugged and said, “She’s better as a hostage than dead.”

“You think so?” Bates nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps. Or perhaps she’s another liability. Like your aunt. Like you.”

“You won’t do nothin’ to me,” Archie said, and Harley rolled her eyes in exasperation. He really was an idiot. But Archie’s smile was suddenly sly. “Neil wouldn’t like it.”

“Neil can kiss my ass. Both of you screwed up. You used me, and I don’t like that. I had a nice little business going here until you got greedy and stupid.”

“Maybe, but you didn’t mind taking your part of the money. Neil was the brains; you just gave us a good cover, fencing stuff through the warehouse. You got just as greedy as we did.”

“And I regret that.”

Harley went cold when she saw his hand drop to the open drawer. Beads of sweat popped out on her skin. This was about to get really ugly, and she’d be in the crossfire.

Maybe Archie finally figured it out, too, because he took several steps back, bumping into the paper shredder and knocking it over. It made a loud growling sound, gears grinding.

Bates smiled. “Where’s the other one? The other girl?”

Don’t tell, don’t tell
, Harley pleaded silently, but Archie obviously had no compunction about telling all he knew.

“In the trunk of my car. What do you think we should do with ’em?”

Harley had to do something. Say something. Put some kind of wedge between them if nothing else. Anything to delay the inevitable.

“Ask Bates how your aunt got killed,” she threw out for lack of anything better to say, a desperate attempt to create suspicion.

Archie looked first surprised, then doubtful. He frowned. “Yogi killed her.”