Cold Blooded (29 page)

“If I didn’t trust you -”

“Yeah, this plan would be awkward. I could ditch you right then and there, leaving you to take the heat. Instead of that traitorous scenario, I’ll get my bag somewhere safe and cue Gus. I should have a good idea who the grabbers will be. I’ll take them out and give you the word to hurry the hell out of the bank and into the car with Gus. I don’t want you exposed for even ten seconds, so once the Tanus guys hit the deck, you run for the car. I’ll meet up with you at the condo. We’ll have all the poker chips then: original flash drives still in a safety deposit box, us with copies, you and Jean out of danger.”

“Wow, it sounds so simple when you put it like that.”

“Off I go.” Nick opened the door to a furnace blast of humid hot air. “Good Lord in heaven! I’ll keep you on the cell while I’m playing businessman inside. Watch for guys paying attention to me.”

“Okay. Just shut the damn door.”

Nick closed the door and adjusted his sunglasses. He hurried diagonally across the street so as to end up at the SunTrust bank entrance. He called Rachel while walking across the threshold.

“Nick, bring me back a Diet Pepsi.”

“Sure thing, Princess.” He walked to one of the people at a desk, asking about opening a safety deposit box. Fifteen minutes later, the man who had helped him fill out the paperwork guided Nick to the safety deposit box area, cautioning him on what would happen if the keys were lost. He buzzed the rear section. A pleasant faced blonde in her mid-thirties came to the window. Nick recognized her immediately.

“Rene will help you from here, Mr. Weatherby.” The man shook Nick’s hand.

“I see you have your signature card all filled out. Sign and date the sign-in sheet and I’ll take you back to the boxes.”

Nick signed in and Rene let him into the back. She found his new safety deposit box number and inserted her key, gesturing for Nick to insert his. Once he had the box in hand, Rene led him to a line of small rooms.

“Let me know when you’re ready to return the box to the room, Sir.”

“I will, Rene, thank you.”

“Rachel,” Nick spoke into the cell-phone after closing the door. “We have contact. Rene’s working in safety deposit box land. You have her on your sheet.”

“Rene Santora?”

“Yep. What do you think about following her home tonight, trussing her up before work in the morning, and blowing all these complicated plans to hell? We could walk right in and back out if there’s no tipster in here.”

Rachel started laughing and took minutes to calm down before being able to speak.

“What…what happened to patience?”

“Patience took a hike the moment I saw a familiar face in here.” Nick leaned back in his seat visualizing what he would need to do. “We do it exactly as I outlined, only I won’t have to drop any guys on the way to the car. We get away clean.”

“You won’t kill her, will you?”

“It would be easier if I did.”

“You cold-hearted bastard,” Rachel murmured. “She’s just an employee. You’re screwing with me, right?”

No.
“Of course I am. I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”

“You haven’t said a word since we drove away from the bank.” Rachel pointed out as Nick drove their rented Pontiac. “Are you plotting?”

“I called Gus. He’ll be meeting us at the condo. I’ll get changed into a suit and tie. He and I will go over to Rene's house for recon. If our research reveals no dogs, children, or husbands, I’ll put her out of commission before dawn tomorrow.”

“Why use Gus instead of me?”

“Gus can immediately drive back to St. Pete and return the Pontiac,” Nick answered.
She’s suspicious already
. “The moment the bank opens tomorrow, we’ll make our flash drive withdrawal in the new rental Gus brings us. We’ll only be gone a couple of hours. I’ll have the condo locked down tight with a motion detector while we’re gone, which will alert me the moment it goes off.”

“You’re going to kill Rene, aren’t you?”

“What? You’re on a first name basis now with the woman who would have painted a target on you the moment your safety deposit box was accessed?”

“She wouldn’t have known why. Maybe they told her it was a police investigation.”

“Look, Rachel, I just need to disable her until around noontime. Once we have the flash drives copied, we’ll lay low at the condo until I’m certain there’s no heat on my Weatherby identity. I did have to give them the condo address to start my accounts. I’ll go fool around with my new accounts and visit my safety deposit box while you and Jean stay with Gus at the condo. It will give me a chance to see if our withdrawal stirs up anything. If we’re lucky, Santora won’t tell anyone so as to stay out of trouble with Tanus. The two teams may then be back in place watching each other while we hit the road.”

“When do we bring Grace and Tim back into the mix?” Rachel asked, her voice sounding slightly relieved at Nick’s explanation.

“After I arrange a get together with Suzan and her husband at a neutral spot and we decipher the information, I’ll bring the Marshalls into it. I’ll give Suzan’s husband unedited copies. Then I’ll tell them to set up a meet with Grace and Tim. We’ll lay low. I’ll plot targets until the shit hits the fan. Even with the drives and a corroborating witness, we’ll need to be in lockdown mode until I see Grace do the right thing.”

“What about Frank?”

“Frank stuck it to me with the setup in Denver. We’ll wait to find out if Frank survives the flash drive revelations. There’s no use in negotiating with Frank if he’s indicted. Our work for getting you and Jean back to a normal life depends on how many untouchables are on the flash drives.”

“Untouchables?”

“People who escape the taking down of Tanus and who might still pose a threat.”

“Can’t you make them do something about these untouchables?”

“We’ll see, but there might be a name or two only a.50 caliber solution will remedy. Frank would be an extremely valuable guy to have on our side if that happens.”

Nick parked near his Cadillac in front of the condominium complex. Inside the condo, they said their hellos, and he went in his bedroom to get dressed. When he came out, he looked like a bank executive in the slate gray suit he had changed into. While Gus waited at the Pontiac, Nick made sure his alarms were in place and activated on the condo. They drove to Rene Santora’s home on Gillespie Avenue.

Nick pulled on white Nitrile gloves and exited the Pontiac as Gus drove away. He walked up to the house and rang the doorbell, noting no alarm pad was in place. He smiled when he pulled up a corner of Santora’s welcome mat and found her hideaway key, saving him the lost time picking the lock. Twenty-five minutes later, Gus picked him up in front. Nick opened his laptop and inserted the memory chip from his camera into the slot on the side. Moments later, he was scanning the inside pictures of Santora’s home on the computer screen.

“How’s it look?”

“Piece of cake,” Nick answered. “No squeaky spots, guns, dogs, or roommates. Her bed is only thirty feet away from the rear entrance. I copied the hard drive on her computer too. The woman is helpless.”

“It’s perfect if you kill her.”

“You barbarian.”

“I like this. Very few houses and no traffic.” Gus scanned the area near Santora’s house at three in the morning. “I’ll be around.”

Nick nodded. He left the Pontiac, dressed all in black with a small bag. Seconds later, he stood outside the rear entrance to the house with his night vision goggles in place. He had earlier rigged the door so it could not be locked. Slipping inside, he gently closed the door and stood listening intently, leaning against the wall. Minutes passed with no sound, other than Santora’s refrigerator kicking on and the air conditioning going through a cooling cycle. He moved into Rene’s bedroom while the air conditioning covered the faint sounds he made. He wet a thick gauze-like pad and covered the woman’s face.

Nick heard her snore slightly. She quieted as he watched her glide quietly toward death. He cursed suddenly as a motion picture replay of Rachel, Jean, and Deke bombarded him.
Son of a bitch
! He pulled the chloroformed pad away and carried Santora into the attached garage. He maneuvered her unconscious body behind the steering wheel. Nick retrieved his bag, a small pillow from the bedroom, and a kitchen towel. After making sure movement on the steering wheel hub did not activate the horn, Nick put the woman’s head on the pillow and positioned her face sideways into the now padded steering wheel hub.

He duct-taped her wrists together, and then taped them draped around the steering column and wheel, adding numerous wraps around her upper body. He taped her ankles together and to the brake pedal. Slipping the seat belt around her waist, Nick fastened and tightened it until there could be no movement. He then carefully duct taped the kitchen towel in place around her mouth and head, ending with a final revolution of tape to keep her head immobile. Nick shut the car door. He left the garage open to the air conditioned air from inside the house.

Gus received his call and returned to Santora’s house where he picked Nick up.

“What did you do, take a nap in there?”

“Very funny.”

“You didn’t kill her!” Gus exclaimed in overly dramatic fashion, laughing in short snorts of derision. “Oh, you poor neutered puppy, someone’s cut your man bearings off.”

“Shut up and drive.”

“I should have known you’d be up,” Rachel commented, walking into the dining room area where Nick was typing, already dressed in his suit, minus the coat. “I missed not slipping into your room last night.”

“Did you?” Nick looked up at the same time Deke did as the dog lay behind his chair. “I’d like you to be ready in an hour. I don’t want to be waiting at the bank entrance when it opens. I want you to go in about half an hour after they open the doors.”

Sensing a change in Nick’s demeanor, Rachel walked over, grabbed and shook Deke’s nose playfully for a moment, and sat next to Nick. He felt her reach around and run her right hand up and down his back. He clenched his teeth together, unable to halt the familiar passion sweeping through him at her touch. She leaned in against him, her head on his shoulder. He could feel the heat where her breast pressed into his arm through the flimsy silk nightgown, and her scent seared his senses.

“You don’t like me much this morning, do you?” Rachel asked, her left hand moving down Nick’s stomach and over his belt. “Well, okay, maybe you do like me.”

Nick’s hands knotted into fists on either side of his notebook computer.

“Did you kill her?”

“No, but I should have. Our excursion this morning is in jeopardy because I left her alive. I’m lucky Gus didn’t walk away from this last night. It puts his life in danger along with all of ours.”

“Knowing you, the risk will be small,” she whispered.

“I’m not in the risk business, Rachel. I’m in the dead bang cinch business. Better go get ready so we can make the risk as small as possible.”

“I love you.”

“What if I’d killed Santora?”

“You didn’t.”

“I would’ve in a heartbeat,” he replied, turning and locking eyes with Rachel.

The dark, cold, and lifeless nature of his piercing stare made her shudder and look away.

“I believe you.” She gave him a final tense hug before standing up. “I’ll go get ready.”

Gus arrived at eight o’clock sharp, laughing when he saw Nick with Jean out on the patch of lawn bordering the condo complex in suit pants, white shirt and tie, taking turns throwing Deke the Frisbee. Gus parked the black Lincoln Town Car under the awning-covered parking section near the building’s front. He exited the Lincoln, also dressed formally, and walked over toward Nick.

“I see you’re passing the time before our morning enterprise gainfully.” Gus grinned down at Jean, who came over and gave him a hug, while Deke dropped the Frisbee in front of him. “I’m beginning to see where you’re going with all this, Nick.”

“Good. Maybe you can fill me in. Danger’s going with you and Rachel. I’ll take the Escalade with Deke in the back. I’m not leaving anyone this morning.”

“It’s your show,” Gus agreed, his tone somewhat surprised.

“I’ll get Rachel.”

Nick entered the condo. Rachel met him at the door with his suit coat, and he looked her over approvingly. She wore a sleeveless burgundy dress with black high heels and tan nylons. The neckline plunged modestly. Her hair fell in waves past her shoulders. She turned after handing Nick his coat.

“Zip me, big boy.”

He did as ordered. “I see you have your bag. Do you have the ID’s you’ll need to access your box?”

“Yes, and I have the Ziploc bag for the drives. I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to take the pepper-spray and stun-gun though. I shouldn’t -”

“Leave them in your bag,” he directed, locking up after she cleared the doorway. “They won’t search you. The stun-gun and pepper-spray give you added insurance in case I missed something or Santora has been found. I checked the local news earlier. It was all quiet. I expect they haven’t seen you around at the bank in quite a while. They’re sure to give you a bad time at check-in. Stay frosty and don’t take any shit. Have them call over the branch manager if they give you the run around.”

“I will,” she acknowledged with some condescension, having heard the directions many times. “It won’t be so hard since you didn’t have me dye my hair red.”

“Did you just give me attitude?”

“Maybe…ouch!” She jumped as Nick smacked her butt with a resounding slap. “You…you spanked me!”

He smiled as he took Rachel’s arm and pushed her forward. When they reached the Lincoln, Nick opened the rear door for her, giving Jean a small wave.