Kim Oh 3: Real Dangerous People (The Kim Oh Thrillers) (23 page)

“As I said.” Karsh radiated sympathy. “You’re a good man, Curt. You’ve done a good job. But everything’s changing now. The world’s going to be a very different place. And there’s just not going to be room for somebody like you in it.”

“Look at it from my viewpoint –” Falcon had seen that Karsh’s words had had an effect. “I can’t have people in my organization – the new one, that is – I can’t have them thinking that I’m not loyal to my long-time employees.”

“Sure,” said Curt quietly. “Even if you’re not.”

“You got it. I knew you’d understand.” Falcon twisted his head around a little, in order to look up past the .357 at me. “What people believe – that’s important.”

“But I screwed it up for you, didn’t I?” I jabbed my gun muzzle harder against the corner of his brow. “Except I didn’t screw it up. That’s the problem, right? You put me on the crew, figuring that would really cause them to screw up. Or even if they didn’t, I would. Bad enough that everybody else would figure you had no choice except to get rid of all of us. Right out the door. That’s why you ran off in that parking lot, so it’d look like that was the only way you could save yourself from that Dodd guy.” I was the one getting angry now, as it all sunk in. “Except for one thing.
I didn’t screw up
.
I nailed the guy.”

“You’re right,” admitted Falcon. “I didn’t figure on that happening.”

“This, either.” I squeezed the trigger.

Falcon’s head bounced on the desk. Everything got very quiet for a second –

“Jesus Christ!” Curt shouted at me. “Are you crazy?”

I looked over at him.

“No,” I said. “I don’t think so.”

“What did you do that for?”

“He tried to make me look bad. At my job.” I felt a little amazed that I had to explain this. “Like setting me up to fail. That’s just not the kind of thing I get over easily.”

Falcon’s eyes were still open – wide open, as though now perpetually surprised. An impressive amount of blood started to leak onto the desk. As Curt and the others watched, I used my free hand to topple the corpse onto the floor, then scooped up the papers to save them from the spreading red puddle.

“You signed these, right?” I held the contracts in front of Karsh. “I heard you say it.”

“That’s right.” Karsh had gone white, but he was pulling himself together again. “Falcon and I both did.”

“So the merger’s a done deal. Correct?”

“Absolutely.” He even managed to take a sip of his champagne, though the glass trembled in his hand. “That’s why Falcon was here.”

“What happens now? To the organization?”

“I’m not sure what you mean –”

“Whose is it?”

“Ah. Yes.” Karsh nodded. “It’s not quite the way I would’ve gone about it, but . . . you’ve rather done me a favor. The company’s all mine now.”

“Kinda figured that would be the case.” Also that he was such a cold bastard, when his new partner got blown away right in front of him, it’d be less than a minute before he recovered from the shock. “I did the numbers for my old boss McIntyre, for a deal like this. You people always have the same provisions. In case of the other partner’s death.”

“Well, of course. There are some . . . sensitive matters involved in a business like this. You don’t want to risk having some outsider getting a piece of it. Someone who might not understand what we do here.”

“Okay.” I lowered the gun a little bit. My arm was starting to ache from its weight. “Like you say, I’ve done you a favor. Now you can do me one.”

Karsh shrugged. “Name it.”

“I need a job.”

“Pardon me?” He picked up the champagne bottle and refilled his glass. “Doing what?”

“What do you think?” Curt spoke up from the other side of the room. “The only thing she’s good at is killing people.”

“Hold it right there.” I pointed toward him with the .357. “I’m also a
very
good bookkeeper.”

“If you say so.” Karsh set his glass down. “Why don’t you get a job as a bookkeeper, then?”

“Do you need one?”

“Not at the moment. Our Accounting Department’s pretty well staffed.”

“Fine,” I said. “Then I’ll take the position of your Chief of Security.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Somewhat of a promotion, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. But I’ve earned it. I’ve pretty much kicked the ass of everybody you thought was going to kick mine. You want to see my application for the job? Go back over to the hotel and look at those two guys of yours I left lying on the floor.”

“Collier?” That had caught his attention. “And . . .” He snapped his fingers, trying to remember the other’s name.

“Amboy,” I said. “The one with the glasses. Let’s just say you won’t need to give them two weeks’ notice now. Or severance pay. That saves you a little money, right? On top of whatever you had promised that Johnny Dodd guy.”

“Indeed.” Karsh nodded, impressed. “You are rather cost-effective, at that.”

“Wait a minute –” Foley broke in. “What about us?”

“Just shut up.” Curt looked over at him in disgust. “We’re lucky to be retired now.”

“Got that right.” I turned toward Karsh again. “So – do I get the job?”

“Well. You certainly seem qualified. All right, then. Cash basis okay?”

“No, it’s not. I need paper.”

“Really?” That surprised him. “Usually people in your line of work don’t like to leave that much of a trail.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve got social workers on my ass. All right?” My mind was racing. I had to wrap this up before anybody came through the door and saw me waving a piece around in front of their boss. “I need a written employment offer, W2, standard deductions – put me down for one dependent – the works. Otherwise . . .”

“Otherwise what?”

“Dude. I’m the one who’s standing here with a gun in her hand. Figure it out.”

“Miss Oh . . .” He smiled. “You’re very persuasive.”

“No, I’m not.” I held up the .357. “This is.”

SEVENTEEN

The party had ended.

While we were having our little meeting back in the manager’s office – the guests had cleared out of the restaurant. The stage where the band had been playing was empty. Even the waiters and kitchen staff had gone home.

I was really tired. It’d been a long day. Plus, I had an early morning appointment with Karsh’s HR people. There’d be all sorts of forms to fill out, and I didn’t want to screw any of them up.

When I went back to the ladies room to get the stuff I’d left there – that was when I broke down.

Goddamn door was locked.

I futilely tugged at the chrome handle, then pounded on the door with my fists, just in case there might’ve still been somebody in there. Nothing.

Elton came out – he must’ve heard the noise I was making – and found me slumped at the foot of the restroom door, sniffling and feeling sorry for myself.

“Hey. What’s all this?” He stood and looked down at me. “People who kill other people for a living don’t cry about it.”

“I’m not, you moron.” I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb. “I can’t get my stuff.”

“What stuff?”

“My clothes. What, you think I came over here dressed like this? I changed in there.”

He reached over my head and rattled the door. Why do guys always think that if you can’t do something, it’s because you didn’t try doing it?

“Well, that sucks.” He sat down on the floor beside me, leaning back against the door. I shook my head when he offered me a cigarette, then he put the pack away without lighting one up for himself. “Still . . . you had a pretty good night. Better than the rest of us. You’ve got a job, at least.”

I rubbed my teary eyes with the butt of my palms, but that was as far as I could get. Stupid outfit didn’t have sleeves long enough to wipe my nose on. And I didn’t want to borrow Elton’s handkerchief, if he had one. I never knew whether you were supposed to give those back to a guy with your snot all over it, or just keep it. Seemed rude, either way.

“Yeah,” I said. “About that. I’m already in over my head, in case you hadn’t noticed.”

“Whaddaya mean?”

“Think about it. I’m going be head of security. That means I’m going to be in charge. I have to put together a whole new crew for Karsh. Especially since I already killed some of his old bunch.”

“I’m sure if they’d known there was going to be a chance they’d wind up working for you, they wouldn’t have been so ornery.”

“Doesn’t help me now.” I gave a long, dragging sniff and wiped the back of my hand under my nose. “But you could.”

“Oh, I get it.” Elton looked back into my hopeful gaze. “You want me to come work for you. Doing security for Karsh.”

“Yeah. Don’t you think it’s a good idea? Seriously.” I hadn’t even thought about it before, but now the idea rushed into my head. “I mean – you and I get along all right, don’t we? You helped out me out a lot just now. And you’re . . . you know . . . younger. Than those other guys. I could use you.”

“I don’t know.” He rubbed his jaw. “Does the position come with benefits?”

“What do you want, dental? I don’t even know what health insurance I’ll be getting –”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

All of a sudden, I did. He really was younger than the others.

“Okay,” I said. “Just put a leash on it right now. My tail doesn’t come with the job.”

“Why not?”

“Oh, yeah. Thank you so much. That’s
very
romantic.” I shook my head. “It’s not going to happen.” There were all the usual issues about sleeping around on the job, especially if you’re supposed to be the boss. Plus, there was still the bit that Cole had told me a long time ago. About keeping it on the shelf, as long as I was going to be in this line of work. That hadn’t changed.

“Sure?”

“Absolutely.” Something else had just struck me. What if I did start up with Elton, then things didn’t work out? Given the kind of girl that I was rapidly becoming, I’d probably just kill him as well. One little spat, and he’d be a dead man. Which would’ve been a shame, since he wasn’t really that bad a guy.

That thought led to bleaker ones. Realistically speaking, the only people I should hook up with would be the ones I didn’t mind seeing dead. What kind of guys would
those
be? Cole had been right in more ways than one. I really was better off putting a padlock on it.

“Well . . . thanks for the offer, then.” Elton gave me a little disappointed smile. “The job, I mean. But I think I’ll just go back down to Mobile. There’s a couple of trucking companies I used to ride shotgun for, on long-haul pharmaceutical deliveries. I can set myself up with them again. Plus, my little boy’s down there – haven’t seen him in a while.”

Uh-oh. Baggage. Maybe not a real bullet, but I’d just dodged one.

“Move.” He got to his feet and waved me away from the restroom door. I stood on the other side of the hallway and watched as he took his gun out of his jacket and pumped a few rounds right under the chrome handle. He put his gun away and pulled the door open. “There you go.”

I should’ve thought of that. It went to show how tired I was.

Worse, it didn’t do any good. I looked through all the stalls in the ladies room, but couldn’t find the bag with my stuff. One of the other guests must’ve taken it. Or maybe the janitor.

“Let’s go.” I came back out of the restroom. “I’ve had enough fun for tonight.”

* * *

The crew stood outside on the sidewalk. All the bright, happy lights had been switched off. A cold front had come in along the river. The first dirty gray flakes of a city snow were beginning to drift down on our heads.

“Are you going home like that?” Curt nodded toward my outfit.

“Don’t have much of a choice about it.”

“Here.” He pulled off his overcoat and handed it to me.

“Thanks.” The bottom of it practically came down to my ankles. I supposed it was a good thing, not just for me. If your average American guy had looked out his window in the middle of the night and had seen some Asian-looking chick zooming by on a sportsbike, with her slit skirt riding up to the top of her thighs, he probably would’ve figured he’d died and woken up in a Quentin Tarantino movie. “So –” I tightened the overcoat’s belt around my waist. “What’re you going to do now?”

“I told you. I’m retired.” Curt gave me a thin smile. “You know that beat-up place out in the country, where I ran you through that little training exercise, out in the barn? That’s mine. I’ve been making payments on it for a while now. Couple more and it’s free and clear.”