QUEENIE BABY: On Assignment (23 page)

Marcie cut in. “Once I saw Ed with David, I knew I couldn’t do what Charles wanted. Two days before Charles was scheduled to get out of prison, I went to him and told him the con was off. He said that I should say goodbye to David. I didn’t know what to do, so I went to Ed and told him everything,” she said, glancing up at Ed.
 

“Tough pill to swallow,” Ed said. “But I believed her and wanted to protect David. When Charles got out I met him at the prison gate with a suitcase full of money. ‘Congratulations,’ I said, ‘your con worked like a charm. Now take the money and run.’ He never said a word—just opened the suitcase, looked inside, closed it back up, and walked away. Forever we had hoped.”

 
Mark shook his head. “I can’t believe I am just hearing this for the first time. And David has no clue?” he asked. Marcie shook her. “Okay, let’s give Marcie some time with David. This story might just convince him to wait before heading to Miami with Charles. We can’t just go in there. David will see us and run.”

“He’s never met Carol yet,” I said. Carol shot me a look. Maybe I shouldn’t have volunteered her.

Mark turned to her. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but if you could sit at a table nearby and feed us info on how it’s going this might just work. If it looks like he’s going to bolt, then we’ll meet him at the door,” he said, indicating Ed. “Threaten to call the police and turn Charles in.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll buy the data back from Charles. Whatever the cost,” Ed said grimly.
 

“And have the guy come back every couple of years trying to shake you down?” Mark asked with exasperation. “No, this has to end now.”

Ed shook his head. “Not until David is out of trouble. Then I’ll spend every last dime I have hunting Charles down and making sure he can’t do this to me or anybody else again.”

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY

IT WAS NINE-forty when Carol went across the street to stake out a seat at McGlynn’s. It was a busy Saturday night. We were betting that Woody wouldn’t see her and blow her cover. From an empty office on the second floor, we watched Marcie cross the street a few minutes later. Once David was inside, Mark and Ed would wait outside of McGlynn’s in case David bolted. I would keep a watch on McGlynn’s and stay on the phone with Carol and Mark in a three-way conference. I felt like I was in a James Bond movie. I understood why they didn’t want to call the police, but geez, this was quite an operation. We watched a couple of people walking towards McGlynn’s. Ed pointed out David.
 

Mark gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “Don’t say I didn’t take you anyplace on our first date,” he joked.

“Yeah, this is some date,” I said adding, “Be safe. This doesn’t seem like much of a plan.”

I let Carol know it was a go and that Mark and Ed were in position. She was ordering a drink and mumbling out of the corner of her mouth into the phone. “He’s sitting down, he’s angry.”

I interrupted. “You need to pretend like you’re talking to someone not like you’re wearing a wire,” I said.

“Oh, yeah. This is so crazy. I can’t believe you volunteered me for this,” she whispered furiously.

“Well, I guess this makes us even for the vampire assignment,” I said trying to keep things light. And no sooner were the words out of my mouth, when a jaunty red cape caught my eye a block away. “Oh, no,” I said into the phone. “He’s here.”

“Who?” Carol and Mark both asked. I had forgotten about Mark.
 

“The vampire,” I said.
 

“What?” Mark asked.

“Mr. Pyres is coming in here?” Carol asked in alarm.
 

I watched him stop in front of McGlynn’s just a few feet from where Ed and Mark were standing. He said something to the woman on his arm and held open the door for her. “Yes!” I said, and heard Ed ask Mark if capes were coming back in style. “Go to the bathroom or something,” I yelled into the phone.

“I can’t. Something’s going on with Marcie and David. She’s crying. He’s pounding his fist on the table. Wants to know where the money is . . . “ Carol trailed off and then I heard him.

“Good evening, Miss Smith,” drawled The Count. “So lovely to run into you this evening. I must introduce my date, Miss Getty.” Carol must have put the phone down on the table. “Betty, Carol is the manager of Greene’s staffing right across the street.” I was sure every eye in the place was on the guy in the cape. Hopefully, David was too involved in his conversation to notice.

Carol greeted Betty and I heard Mr. Pyres loudly recount his experiences with Greene’s Staffing and Carol. I heard someone, presumably, David shout, “Carol from Greene’s! What’s this, some kind of set-up, Mom?”

Mark said, “Should we go in?”

“Give her a minute,” I replied.
 

“Do I know you?” Carol asked smoothly.
 

I heard David curse and knock a chair over. Mr. Pyres asked, “Is something amiss, Miss Smith? Do you require assistance?”

“I can’t believe you’d think for a minute that I would want to run that place, Mom! It’s full of freaks and weirdos. Just look at this nut!” David yelled.

“I beg your pardon, sir,” huffed The Count. “There is no need to be insulting.”

“You know exactly who I am, lady,” David said to Carol, ignoring Mr. Pyres. “Obviously, my deluded mother has roped you into her little scheme.”

“I’m sorry,” Carol replied, “I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“No?” he asked snidely. “Well, I know you. You’re the one that’s been helping my asshole cousin pin everything on me and my Dad. Don’t think we’ll forget it.”
 

“David!” I heard Marcie shriek.
 

“Shut up, Mom,” David growled. “I don’t believe any of your story. Dad said you would try something like this.”

“I must insist you refrain from speaking to ladies in this manner, sir,” Mr. Pyres said formally.
 

“Or what? Are you going to bite me?” David said sarcastically.

There was a loud noise and then a thump. I watched as Mark and Ed raced inside McGlynn’s. There was shouting and then the line went dead. Max started barking ferociously. The hair on his back stood up making him look like a white, fluffy porcupine. His lips curled over his crooked overbite and he growled in a tone that I hadn’t heard before. I spun around. At the door stood an older, rougher version of David.
 

“You must be David’s father,” I said.
 

“Put the phone down,” he replied.
 

“What are you going to do if I don’t?” I asked, buying time so I could hit 911. He pulled something out of his pocket. “Is that a gun?” I asked. I had no real experience with guns, but it didn’t really look like one.

“No, it’s a taser. Drop the phone. Now!” he yelled. I hesitated. I didn’t want to get tased, but I figured I could probably get the numbers dialed before I went down. He pointed the taser at Max. Max bared his teeth and looked ready to spring at him like a tiger. I dropped the phone. No way Max would survive a tasing.
 

“Good girl,” he said and reached for the phone. Max growled and jumped forward. “Call the dog off!” he shouted.

“Down Max,” I scolded. Max retreated a couple of inches, but continued to growl.
 

“Arrogant little bastard,” he said kicking at Max.
 

The phone rang. Charles answered it. “Hello,” he said pleasantly. “I’m afraid she is unavailable at the moment. But you can do something for me,” he paused and looked out the window. Mark was standing in the street below. “You can stay right where you are and listen if you want to see her again,” Mark stopped in his tracks. “Good boy. Now tell the old man I want to make a deal, but not here. Listen carefully. Go back inside. Send David out. As soon as he checks in with me, you can have your girlfriend back. If you involve the police, something unfortunate could happen to the girl and David’s going to jail. Do you understand?”
 

I watched Mark go back inside and David appear a few seconds later. His shirt was torn and he was limping. He looked towards our building and then turned and headed up the street. Charles set my phone down and pulled his own from his pocket. “What the fuck happened to you?” he asked. “A what!” Charles paced around obviously agitated. “You must’ve got some crazy genes from your mother,” he muttered. “She said what?” he asked. “All lies. Like usual. Your mother is a liar, kid,” he smiled at me. What a jerk! I mean I know criminals aren’t supposed to be nice, but this guy took the cake. “Just get going. I’ll meet you there.”
 

He disconnected and looked up at me. “Kids,” he said shaking his head.
 

“You’re a jerk,” I said.

“I’m going to be a rich jerk, so no one will care,” he said.

I turned back towards the window. No sign of anyone. “Okay,” he said, “this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to call your boyfriend and tell him you’re fine, so he doesn’t do anything stupid like call the police. You’re going to tell him to stay in the bar until you call him back. And then I’m leaving. Got it?” he asked. I nodded. Max growled.

He handed me my phone. Mark answered on the first ring. “I’m fine,” I said. “He wants you to stay inside the bar until he leaves. He said I can call you after he’s gone. Is everything okay in there?” I asked.

“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” he said. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.
 

“Yes, but he has a taser and he threatened Max with it,” I said.

“Tell Max to rip his balls off if he gets the chance,” Mark said grimly.

“Will do,” I replied and hung up.

“Thank you for your cooperation,” he said with an antagonizing smile. “After I leave, count to a hundred slowly. Oh,” he said stopping at the door, “and tell big Ed that I’ll be in touch real soon and that he’d better bring something a lot bigger than a briefcase to hold my next payment.” Max yipped and growled low in his throat. “Your dog’s got a real attitude problem. If I had more time, I’d teach him a lesson.”

I picked Max up and held him against my chest. “Just go!” I shouted as he walked out the door. Max jumped out of my arms and raced for the door. He clawed at it and jumped for the door handle. “Stop it, Max,” I said. “Do you want to get killed?” He turned and gave me one of his looks and then ran back over and jumped up on my legs to give me a hug, I waited another minute and then called Mark.
 

“He’s gone and we’re fine,” I said walking out the door. “I’m on my way over.”

“I’ll have a double martini waiting for you,” he said.

“I think I’m in love,” I said, only half-kidding.

*****

I left Max in Greene's after promising him extra treats when we got home. He curled up contentedly on an upholstered office chair. Being held hostage was an exhausting affair. McGlynn’s was rocking at quarter to eleven when I walked through the door. Mark rushed forward and wrapped me in his arms. I inhaled ode de Mark and was thankful that the evening had worked out as well as it did.
 

"Are you okay?" he asked kissing me on the forehead.

"I am now," I said with a sigh. "Where's my drink?" I asked glancing around.

"At our table. We've got quite a crew," he added as we walked over to two tables that had been put together to accommodate the large group. Carol, Mr. Pyres, and Betty Getty were at one end. Ed and Marcie were at the other.
 

Ed was consoling Marcie, but stopped long enough to grab my hand and apologize for what happened. "My poor boy," Marcie wailed. "He's been deceived by that maniac."

I felt her pain. Charles was definitely manipulating David. I related what had happened during my temporary hostage crisis. "See," she said to Ed, "I told you it wasn't his fault."

Well, that's not exactly what I said, but I wasn't looking for a fight. I was looking for a martini. "There was some talk of a martini," I said.

Mark sat a large drink in front of me. "You've earned it," he said. "I've been out of my mind worrying about you with that nut."

I took a drink and said hello to the gang at the other end. It looked like Carol was on drink number two at least. Uh, oh. "Hello, Mr. Pyres. I'm a little surprised to see you here," I said.
 

"Why you told me what a lovely little place this was, so I decided to take Betty here after dinner. And then I saw Ms. Smith and just had to say hello, of course. And then a ruffian at the next table tried to accost the poor woman. I simply had to step in," he said.

"He's my son, not a ruffian," Marcie sobbed at the other end of the table.

"Well, be that as it may, he was not a gentleman," he sniffed. Marcie said nothing. He had her there. I checked out Betty Getty. Exactly like her picture. Definitely a librarian. "Well, I’m so glad you’re all right, my dear. We need to be going," he rose and helped Betty up. "I will see you on Monday?" he asked. I nodded.
 

Betty pulled on her coat and said, "So nice to meet you, Diana," she said with a shy smile. "Vann told me how you were the one that helped him set up his profile online. You are our Cupid. I never imagined I would meet a man that loved medieval husbandry more than myself. He's a gem," she said looking at Vann. He beamed.
 

"One of a kind," I agreed. I took another sip of my drink and shook my head.

Mark leaned over and whispered, "Your vampire kicked David's ass!"

"What?" I asked. "Really?"

Mark nodded barely controlling his laughter. "Apparently David ran him some lip after he stepped in to defend Carol."

Carol raised her glass in acknowledgement and took another gulp. "He spun in a circle and flew through the air and kicked David square in the chest. Sent David into the table behind us like a scene from a bad Western."

"We didn't get in until the fight was over, but David was out like a light," Mark said.

"Some kind of Medieval jujitsu he said. But it looked like vampire moves to me," Carol added and took another drink.