Evil in Hockley (22 page)

“It’s your idea Harry, your nuts in the
vice if anything goes wrong,” said Lenea.

“What could possibly go wrong with all
of you helping?”

“All of us?”

That was Sandy.

“What’s my part.” asked
Karma.

“You and Sandy are going to be backup
in case we need to make a quick retreat. Plus I’ll need a little
reconnaissance before we begin so bring your feather.”

Karma said,

“I don’t know Harry. Remember the last
time you got sucked into the vortex.”

“I’ll hold back. If I start to lose it
then abort.”

Karma said,

“I’ll try tonight with an owl. Let’s
see where that goes. No sense going there tomorrow and blowing the
deal before we even start.”

“Good idea. Sandy you’ll take your
sedan and Karma will drive my Cuda. Can you drive a
stick.”

“No Harry, I can’t drive a stick but I
can drive a car with a four speed.”

Sandy laughed but nobody else did. It
wasn’t often Karma had a sense of humour these days.

Lenea said,

“I don’t want to shit in your spaghetti
but one of Joe’s men has an Uzi and another a pump shotgun. Joe and
his guard have pistols. That’s four guns to none.”

“I’ll be armed.”

“The first thing Joe will do is to have
you searched.”

“You’ll bring my Beretta,
Lenea.”

“Okay so that’s four to
one.”

“As soon as you toss me the gun I’ll
drop two of them. That leaves the other two for you. You have to
earn the dough in Joe’s safe.”

That night an owl flew over Joe
Sharky’s Bar and Grill well past closing time. Through the owl
Karma saw the usual crew plus a couple of new girls that were there
to replace her and Shelley. Harry wasn’t at all affected by her
spell as he was the last time. She reasoned he would only be sucked
in if she used a hawk. She had an idea why that would occur yet
said nothing.

The following morning Sandy’s car was
parked in a farm lane overlooking the southern end of Sharky’s
place. Karma was further down the road in the opposite
direction.

Lenea was in her own sedan with Harry
and the mechanical hit man, in the back seat stiff as a
board.

Lenea said to Harry,

“We’ve got them surrounded.”

Karma called Harry on his
cell.

“It all looks normal from a birds eye
view. I used a sparrow and got in close.”

Lenea waved to her sister then
said,

“Let’s rock and roll.”

Lenea drove into the lane then got out
and opened the passenger door for Harry. He stood while the world’s
best hit man moved to his side and grabbed Harry by the arm as
instructed by Lenea. All three entered the Bar and Grill. There
were no customers here at this time of day but Joe and his crew
were actively readying for the night.

The guns came out as the three
approached.

Joe had a smirk on his face and
asked,

“Well, what do we have
here?”

Lenea answered,

“Your hit man brought Harry to me and I
spelled him. He’s yours Joe.”

Harry saw it coming but couldn’t do
anything about it. Two of Joe’s men grabbed Lenea and removed the
Beretta from her waist. At first Harry thought she turned and he
scolded himself for believing her. He noticed however that she was
caught off guard. Who turned them in?

Out of the back marched Marie Bastille
and Pierre. What the hell thought Harry?

Marie must have seen apprehension on
his face and said,

“Relax Harry. I knew sooner or later it
would come to this. A blood bath between you and Joe. Soon as I saw
you coming in I figured your plan and told him. I’ve lost a son,
albeit not one I was proud of, yet a son to this affair already. I
was not about to lose a daughter or possibly both.”

Lenea said,

“So you turned Harry in to save us. I
don’t accept your scenario, mom.”

“Now child, don’t fret. As you can see
I’ve frozen Joe’s men in time. Joe’s the only one still with
us.”

Joe had his gun aimed at Harry and
looked as though he was trying to pull the trigger.

“It won’t work Joe. Relax.”

Marie turned to Harry.

“You and Joe are going to come to some
kind of agreement. The killing can’t go on. Even if you killed Joe,
Guy Reso would send someone else to even the score. Sandy and Karma
would be next then somewhere down the line they’d eventually catch
up with Lenea. I won’t let that happen.”

Harry said,

“Joe had Jarrod killed…”

Joe yelled,

“I never had anything to do with
Jarrod. He was a paying customer for fuck’s sake.”

“Then why come after me?”

“No tin soldier comes into my turf and
pushes his weight around. It’s my operation and nobody stirs my
pot.”

Harry shook his head.

“So all this killing is because you
were offended?”

Joe countered,

“And you wouldn’t back off.”

Lenea said,

“I can’t fucking believe this. The body
count’s over ten because you two had a pissing contest.”

Marie held up a hand and
spoke,

“Now listen all of you. While people
buy drugs and there’s a market the Joes of the world will exist.
Kill him Harry and he’ll be replaced. You won’t stop the drug flow.
The next mob boss will be just as bad or maybe worse. So I suggest
you both back off and let each other be.”

Joe laughed,

“There’s one other scenario. Me or my
replacement kills them and it stops. I win even if I’m
dead.”

Marie smiled then said,

“That won’t happen Joe. I can’t tell
you why but don’t even let your thoughts wander along those lines.
Make your peace and live by it.”

Marie turned to Harry and
said,

“I don’t believe Joe had anything to do
with Jarrod’s death.”

Harry said,

“I think he knows who did. I think he’s
protecting someone.”

Joe nodded.

“Okay Harry. I’ll tell you what I
think. I believe your brother died for one of the oldest reasons in
the book. Jealousy. I think Dave killed him because he was having
an affair with Iris. I asked Dave if he did it but he said no. I
didn’t believe him but he’s one of my dealers. If you don’t protect
your people in my business you’re dead meat.”

Harry asked,

“What about Shelley? You ordered her
blinded.”

Joe nodded.

“I’m no angel. She saw my boss and he
told me to have her taken care of. She was one of my favourites and
I couldn’t kill her so I blinded her. My boss let it slide because
she’d never be able to identify him. I didn’t hire anyone to kill
her. Why would I? She saw my employees like everyone else. She saw
Dave one night and he freaked. If you ask me I think he had her
killed. Dave’s the nervous type and he’s going to get me in shit.
If I find out he killed Shelley then he’ll disappear.”

Harry knew Marie was right. He already
regretted the havoc he’d created and the death toll over his need
for revenge. He certainly didn’t want Sandy or Karma killed and
Marie was probably right: They’d be next.

Harry said,

“All right Joe. I’m out of here but if
anyone gets else gets killed I’ll be back.”

“And so will I,” said Marie.

Harry, Marie, Pierre, and Lenea walked
toward the door.

Joe yelled,

“Take this guy with you.”

He was talking about the world’s top
hit man.

Lenea said,

“He’s yours. Get him to chop wood or
something.”

Joe yelled out again,

“What about my men?”

Marie answered,

“They’ll come to in five minutes or
so.”

Harry invited Marie to his house but
she declined.

“I have to get back to the French
Quarter.”

Sandy and Karma bid her
goodbye.

“Till next Mardi Gras,” said
Sandy.

“Yah, mom, see you then,” said
Karma.

“I’ll follow you back. I need a place
till I get on my feet again,” said Lenea.

“You’re welcome anytime sweetie,” said
Marie.

Pierre took Marie to their limo and
they left.

Harry, Sandy, and Karma drove home then
spent the night rehashing the days events. Mostly, what were they
going to do about Dave?

Chapter 40

The following two days Harry spent at
his lawyer’s making final arrangements regarding his estate. He
signed papers and tied up loose ends regarding Jarrod’s affairs. He
bought a prepaid funeral for himself and wrote down his final
requests. He wanted to be cremated, his ashes spread to the four
winds, his spirit let loose to the heavens, not buried in some hole
in the ground.

He went home that night and pondered
the question of Dave Harper. He couldn’t kill the man. There had
been enough of that already. Sandy saw his dilemma and tried to
cheer him up but it didn’t work. Was all he’d done for nothing? He
had the murderer yet couldn’t find any way to bring about a final
end.

Iris called the following morning and
told Harry that Dave hadn’t come home the previous night. She
thought he was out drinking so didn’t search until early this
morning. She found him in his shop. He’d killed himself with a huge
overdose of Heroine. A police pathologist and a medical examiner
had come to the conclusion quickly. The syringe was on a bench and
remnants of the powder were in a plastic bag. Harry offered his
condolences then hung up. He wondered if Joe had rid himself of a
problem or possibly Dave had been overwhelmed with guilt after
Harry’s visit. Either way it was finished.

He would never be certain but at this
point he didn’t care. Two people he loved, Sandy and Karma, would
live a normal life.

That night Harry made love to Sandy and
held her for hours.

“What’s wrong Harry?”

“I have to go back
tomorrow.”

“Oh no, rest for a few
days.”

“No can do. I have to go.”

The following morning after breakfast
Harry said,

“Sandy, I’ve signed my house over to
you. Take care of it. I’ve also left some money in a bank account
for you.”

“Oh no, Harry. It’s too
much.”

“It’s already done. You just need to go
in and sign the papers. All you need is in a brown envelope on my
desk.”

“I’ll keep it for you until you get
back.”

“Yah, thanks Sandy.”

Harry packed a duffel bag and threw it
in his car. Sandy was all over him when he was about to leave.
Karma was there as well. She gave him a hug and said,

“Goodbye Harry Tanner. I have enjoyed
your company.”

Harry’s heart was breaking he had to
get out before Sandy saw the tears in his eyes. Karma held Sandy as
Harry got into his car. Sandy was crying and so was
Karma.

Harry turned over the big motor and
threw the Cuda into gear then burned rubber heading north on
Airport Road.

Due drops on the leaves shone like
diamonds in the light of the morning sun. The fading moon glowed
behind transparent clouds. A slight breeze wafted through the
trees. A distant weather vane creaked in response to the motion of
the wind. A deer bounded thoughtlessly across the road then
disappeared into the cedar bush.

Forests lined both sides of the winding
road for its twelve mile length. In most places it was dense cedar
bush so thick it was impenetrable. It was a scenic section of land
that attracted tourists on weekends. To the dismay of cottagers and
year round residents living along the road it also attracted
bikers. The loud ones that barked and drowned out every other sound
in the valley. The locals called it Thunder Alley.

It was just another lazy uneventful day
in the valley for Amos Tucker. He stretched and yawned then thought
about cutting the grass before the old lady gave him another chore.
Betty was the only stain in his almost perfect retirement
scheme.

Not a cloud in the sky he was shaken by
an abrupt clap of thunder. It looked to Amos like a heat distortion
forming above the road. Then another thunder clap accompanied by a
lightning bolt. A Hemi Cuda burned its way to the distortion from
Airport Road roaring like an angry beast then disappeared exactly
opposite to what Amos had seen weeks before. He knew it was Harry
Tanner and he was out of sight as quickly as he’d earlier appeared.
Another lightning bolt and a clap of thunder then the distortion
disappeared.

He’d never tell anyone what he’d seen…
They’d all think him crazy. As a matter of fact he didn’t believe
it himself. Something must have played a trick on his eyes or the
scotch he’d had last night was tainted.