Hunter's Moon.htm (23 page)

One beefy hand rested on each arm of the chair. His Baretta 9mm was visible in a shoulder rig under his sport coat.

"We can make this easy or hard, old lady." He smelled like wet clay. I'm not real sure what emotion that is. Maybe it's just him.

Myra Quentin was sputtering angrily. "Why, you… you bastard!" Vinny smiled. He always did like that term. He works hard to live down to it. "You can't just barge in here and threaten me. I'll call the police!"

He shook her wheelchair roughly and she shrieked. I glanced down as an amber pill bottle dropped to the floor. My eyes focused in on the tiny print. Interesting! Generic oxycodone, commonly known as Percocet®. Well, well. Not just a drunk.

Vinny laughed just then. He knew the old lady wasn't a threat, so he was toying with her.

Maybe she's not. But I am.

Sue tried to push past me but I held her back firmly and used a sharp look to command her to stay put. Her expression was frantic, her scent ammonia with panic, but she did as I asked. She moved to where she could see the scene and still remain protected by the thick walls.

I pointed the Sig at him at hip level as I stepped out from the stairwell. "Back off, Vinny," I said.

He looked up and reached for his piece at the same time. "Don't even think it!" I brought the gun up into a two-handed grip with preternatural speed and stared down the barrel at him.

His hands froze. He raised them away from his body and then backed away from the wheelchair. A greasy lock of sandy-colored hair fell across his eyes. His voice was condescending. "Well, well, Tony the Nose. Haven't seen you in a long time."

"Likewise." I walked toward him. I stretched forward while holding the gun steady and took his Baretta from the holster. He didn't try to stop me.

"This ain't your turf," he growled after I stuck his gun in my belt. Myra was actually too surprised to speak. Sue had entered the room and stood by her mother's side, watchful.

"It is now. These ladies are under my protection."

"Thought that wasn't your thing." His eyes narrowed slightly and he smelled suspicious.

"I've been hired as their bodyguard." The truth is always simpler than a lie.

He lowered his arms slowly, watching my body language as he did. In a moment his grey eyes cleared. "Bodyguard, huh?" He accepted the statement with a nod. Then, as is the proper way, he began to address me as the protector, the head of the family.

"The old lady made a deal with me, Tony. She owes me money. She's been avoiding my calls. I feel insulted." He put his hand over his heart to show his sincerity. He actually did smell offended. "I gotta collect. You know that. It's the only way to make amends."

I shook my head. "She hasn't got any money, Vinny. She promised you money that ain't hers to give."

"I don't care where the money comes from. Promises have been made. I offered her services. She accepted. If she's hired you now, fine. I'm willing to negotiate." The statement was flat but he kept his eyes locked on mine. I had the upper hand. He had no choice but to negotiate, but he would be stubborn. Trouble was, I agreed with him. That wasn't to Sue's benefit. Damn it.

I motioned at him with my gun. "Let's discuss this outside." I wanted to know how he got into the estate. Vinny wasn't one to climb trees. Also, I wanted him away from the ladies in case the "negotiations" got ugly.

He walked toward the door. I didn't like the way he was moving. His scent changed. Like he was getting ready to pounce. I slapped him on the back of the head with the Sig. "Don't try it, Vinny. Blood's tough to get out of hardwood." He stopped, nodded without turning and opened the front door.

I followed him out and we walked toward the gate. There were no additional cars in the drive. "How'd you get in, Vinny? You're not a climber."

He shrugged. "It's an old system. Cut the electric feed and the gates pop right open."

That was annoying. "You don't have to cut the power to the whole estate?"

He stopped walking, turned and looked at me. "Why should I tell you? What's in it for me?"

We were out of sight of the main house. I removed his 9mm from my waistband and popped the clip with my thumb so that it dropped on the ground. I handed him back the unloaded gun butt first. He looked surprised but took the gun.

"Open the chamber," I held the Sig nice and steady in a one handed grip against my body.

He jacked back the slide and a single bullet jumped into the air and landed near the clip on the ground.

"Happy?" he asked sarcastically.

"Don't bitch. I didn't have to give it back."

He followed the logic. "Yeah, okay. So, anyway, what's your piece of this? You're a bodyguard like I'm Santa Claus."

I thought about lying, but questions were going to be asked anyway. It's a surprisingly small Family despite the number of people. I shrugged. "The daughter's my new lady. She hired me to bodyguard her and the mother. It'll even be on paper."

"Shit. Well, that sucks! I'm going to have to go through you to get the money I'm owed?"

I shook my head. "There won't be any money, Vinny. Not for protection. How much the old bat promise you a month?"

"Ten grand," he said sullenly.

I whistled. "Protection's gone up a little since I was in the biz."

He pursed his lips and shrugged one shoulder. "I'd have done a good job. Kept all the other vultures away."

"No vultures will get past me, either. It's time to leave, Vinny." I reholstered my Sig. I could handle him without it. I walked him to the gate and could smell that he was annoyed. He turned and faced me and I thought he might take a dive for me.

Violent anger suddenly flashed through my body, charging my muscles with adrenaline. It wasn't mine. Somehow I knew that but it affected me the same way. I fixed Vinny with a look and saw his eyes go wide. I could see the glow in my eyes reflected in his. Well, that's a first this far from the moon. I'd have to work on that. I forced myself to calm. The wolf inside me settled down. Like it was a separate thing. A dog on a leash.

"Yeah sure, Tony. Whatever you say." Ammonia replaced the burnt coffee. I wanted him to run, hoped he would run so I could chase. He left carefully. Slowly. Damn.

I waited at the gate until he drove off. My muscles were trembling with energy. My eyes twitched. I'd never had this strong a response so far from the moon. Deep down I knew it was because of Sue. The pleasure, the bonding— it was all making the other qualities that I'd been repressing come to the front. The wolf inside waited with confident anticipation. I was being led by my instincts toward an end I couldn't see or understand. I didn't like that I couldn't look around the next bend.

With Vinny taken care of for the moment, I went to check the fence. I saw what he meant. There was a separate feed to the fence, direct from the pole. There was no need for him to cut the house. I walked back up the drive, musing on how to secure the electricity. I caught the tail end of a discussion that appeared to have been going since I went outside. It was mostly one sided. Myra was raging at Sue, trying to drive in that wedge. It was Sue's anger I'd felt. I listened outside the door for a few minutes.

"For God's sake, Suzi!" I heard Myra shrill. "He knew the man's name."

Oh, please! So did she.

Sue's voice was conciliatory, despite her anger. She was trying to appease her mom. That wouldn't be my choice. I'd scream right back at her.

"That only proves that he's talked to him, Mother. You knew his name too." There was a pause. "Besides, what good is a bodyguard who doesn't know which people are a threat?"

"They had guns, Suzi! Is that the kind of people that you want in this house? What about Bekki's children?"

That was Myra's problem, not Sue's. And it was the old bat's own fault for agreeing to Vinny's terms. It was lucky for her that Vinny respects me or he would have hurt them.

I almost felt it as Sue released an exasperated breath. I was taken aback when the words from her mouth nearly mirrored mine. Maybe the connection was working both ways.

There was anger in her voice. "You started this, Mom. Vinny came here because you made promises. You had no right to commit to things that involve me. And as for guns, you should be happy that Tony has a gun. What would we have done if that man came here and Tony wasn't here or didn't have a gun?" Sue's voice got louder, harsher. "Do you want to spend the rest of your life in a real wheelchair? He could have beat us, raped us, or even killed us!"

Silence stretched long seconds. I could hear the bitterness in Myra's voice along with surprise that Sue was talking back to her. "A real wheelchair. Just what are you implying?"

I opened the door just then and they both turned toward the movement. The nurse was no longer on the floor. I didn't know where she was. "Nothing, Mom. Just nothing, okay?"

She walked toward me and was going to put her arms around me but I gave a slight shake of my head. She stopped in front of me and smelled strongly of disappointment. Her breathing was fast. I could see the pulse in her neck beating furiously. These confrontations weren't doing anything good for her blood pressure.

"All taken care of," I said.

"Did you call the police?" asked Myra. "Has he been arrested?"

"No. He was merely trying to collect something he had been promised. I convinced him that it wasn't a good idea. He left. I'll call a friend I know to fix the fence. By the time I get back, the gate and the walls will be secure."

A blast of fear roiled into my nose. Both Myra and Sue looked nervous. "You're going somewhere?" There was an edge to Sue's voice I was coming to recognize. A combination of fear and jealousy.

You're leaving?" exclaimed Myra. "What kind of bodyguard are you?" From the expression on Sue's face she agreed with her mother on that point. Uh, oh.

I took a deep breath. "Look, Sue. We need to go to my office, fill out the paperwork, and plan a schedule that works for both of us."

Sue hesitantly agreed. The nurse came out then. She was sporting a black eye that touched the edge of her greying blonde hair. Vinny must have decked her when he first arrived. She had her purse on her arm and was ready to leave. It was hard to tell with all of the other emotions floating in the room but I think she was afraid and angry.

I sighed. Sue wouldn't leave her Mother unless someone stayed. One look at the nurse convinced me that she had quit whether or not she had actually said the words.

I pulled the nurse to the next room so we could talk privately. I took my wallet from my pocket and peeled off three hundreds. Then I wrote a phone number on one of my business cards. I handed them to the nurse as a single package and said, "Can you stay for a few hours more? I'd really appreciate it. We need to sign some papers just a few minutes from here. The number is my cell phone. Call it immediately if there are any problems. I'll can get here before the police. Deal?"

She glanced at the door. Her voice was a hiss. "I will not be responsible for that woman! She specifically requested a nurse practitioner so I could load her up with Meperidine. Her arms are so full of scar tissue that the injection had to go in her hip! She also pops Percocets like candy and washes them down with vodka. I will not participate in that abuse!"

I raised my brows. I couldn't disbelieve the nurse. No wonder Sue was messed up. I've seen others riding on that particular roller coaster. The nurse smelled angry and afraid. I smiled hopefully and peeled off two more hundreds. Her eyes followed the movement and greed added to her scent. I added a little flattery for good measure. "I really don't trust anyone else at this point… "

A sigh told me I had won. She held up a pair of fingers. "Two hours. No more. But if just one thing goes wrong, I will call 911 and wash my hands of her." She folded the bills neatly and put them in her purse. Then she turned and went back where she came from.

I decided that the money would come out of Vinny's pocket or his hide. The nurse wasn't even part of this. I just hoped she was the same one that treated him after I was done with him. It'd serve him right to get patched up with no pain killers.

Chapter 20

I went over the details of the bodyguard agreement as we drove to my office. It would cover all contingencies but have a specific exclusion for suicide. That's standard. You can protect a person from the world but not from themselves. So her death would appear to be a suicide. She nodded nervously. Worry and fear surrounded her like a cloud.

"How much?" she asked when I had finished the conditions.

I sighed. It had been tough to imagine watching her die. I could do it— I'd seen others I cared for go away— but I didn't like it much.

"A million." I didn't watch her face as I said it. I kept them squarely on the road. The resulting silence in the car seemed endless.

I finally glanced at her but it wasn't long enough to read her eyes. When I looked back again, tears were streaming down her face. I couldn't tell whether she was happy, sad or angry. The smells were all mixed. So I waited to hear it from her own lips.

"Deal." She started to cry into her hands. Great. I still didn't know what she was feeling. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the tears. She's an emotional wreck right now. She could use someone to talk to who wasn't so involved.

Ah. I knew just the person.

I placed another call using the speaker phone attached to the cell. I really hate people who drive with a phone glued to their ear. A woman answered, "Good afternoon, Dr. Corbin's office."

"Hey, Karen!" I said. "Is John-Boy in?"

A deep-throated chuckle escaped her, but then she must have heard Sue crying in the background. Her voice grew more serious, concerned. "Can I tell him who's calling?"

"Yeah. Father Guido Sarducci." I tried to ignore Sue sobbing beside me. She was exploding with anger and gratitude and pain. I started sneezing and nearly ran off the road. Damn, what a cocktail. I didn't even know if it had anything to do with me. I acknowledged her tears by handing her a tissue from a box tucked under my seat. She accepted it with a glance in my direction and I heard her blow her nose. I turned on the first road east toward the 'burbs.