Hush (22 page)

“You left him?”

“Yeah.  I went to stay at a hotel.  He came looking for me there, Callem did.  I told him I didn’t want to see him again, that I hadn’t told anyone anything, and that I wasn’t coming home.  He didn’t take that very well because when I went to my sister, Erin's house for dinner, he was there with Red, holding a gun at Erin's head.”

“Did you call the police?”

I scoffed.  “Are you kidding me?  Half of his men are former officers.  He’s got the PD in his back pocket, right next to his fat wallet, two things I can’t compete with.”

“Your sister kept quiet?”

“Callem warned her of what would happen if the police showed up at our house or his office.  She’s very concerned about me, but I’ve just been playing it off like Callem and I are fine and we’re going to counseling and that we need some time to ourselves to work out our marital problems.”

“And she believes it?”

I shrugged.  “She hasn’t broached the subject since, but what else can she do?  She’s scared and confused.  She doesn’t know, though.  I haven’t told anyone except you.  At this point, Callem trusts me, well enough when I tell him that I haven’t told anyone, he doesn’t doubt me.  I just don’t know how long that will last.”

Conrad shifted his weight in his chair.  “What about your parents?”

I shook my head.  “Erin’s parents.  I’m adopted.  They don’t know anything at all.  I haven’t brought them into it.”

“Is there a possibility that you can get your hands on those documents again?”

I shook my head.  “It’s the computer I really want, but I don’t know where he keeps.  Most likely at his office, but I don’t’ know for certain.  Something that valuable and incriminating, I wouldn’t imagine he keeps it too far away.”

“I’m not saying I’ve worked on this kind of case before, but with most underground, backdoor dealings, you find the basic chain of command, okay?”  Conrad leaned on his desk with his elbows.   “You husband is the boss.  Sounds like your man Red is the underboss, the boss’ right-hand man.  Under Red, you’ll find the generals.  There’s no telling how many of them there are, but the general would be responsible for owning and managing the brothels and the women.  Generals have majors, pimps maybe or just workers at the clubs, you know, getting the word out, wrangling clients, that type of stuff.  Then at the very bottom, you find the foot soldiers.  You’ll find these guys luring the women, moving them from one location to another, transportation.  We’re going to have to find a way to link the boss to these foot soldiers.  If we can find that connection, the other ranks will fall in line.  A lot of the time, though, these foot soldiers don’t even know who the general is in their area, let alone the boss.  If we could identify a general, we might have a shot, but I think our best bet will be to get to Red.  He’s going to be privy to everything we need to know.  Do you know Red’s real name?”

I shook my head.  “No.  No I asked him before and every time he tells me I don’t want to know or he doesn’t remember or something like that.”

“Okay, what about a photograph?”

“At home.  He was at our wedding.”

“I’ll need your husband’s social security number, all his contact numbers, addresses, former addresses,” he handed me a sheet of paper.  “Anything you can think of that might be helpful would be lovely.”

I looked at my watch.  I’d been here way too long.  “I’m going to have to bring this back to you.  Here’s his business card to get you started.”  I handed Conrad the sleek card.  “I’ve got to get going or someone’s going to come looking for me.”

“What about you?  Your information?  When are you going to be back?”

I shrugged.  “It's hard telling.  I've had to find shadows in Callem's defenses to get here today so as soon as I find another opening, I'll come back.  I can’t have you calling me or emailing.”  I handed him my business card.  “Perhaps you can pose as a patient if we get desperate for meetings.  I’ll try to come back next week.”

“You work for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles?” Conrad asked, studying my card.  “You’re a nurse?”

I shook my head.  “No, I’m an oncologist.”

Conrad smirked.  “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a good job.  28-years old with a PhD.  You don’t meet one like you every day.  Well, I’ll do what I can with this information and I hope to have something when I see you next, Dr. Reinbeck.”

We shook hands again.  “Thank you, Conrad.”

It felt like a bolder had been lifted from my shoulders as I walked out of Conrad's office and sneaked back to the hospital the same way I had come.  I felt like I was making progress and I could nearly feel freedom again.  I was about to set fire to everything.

Coming soon, "
Set Fire
", the stunning sequel to "
Hush
".

Callem's secret is exposed and Olivia has the fuel to set herself free from him.  With the help of Conrad Noel, her newly appointed private investigator, the game is on.  But when twists and turns bring forth dangerous men, will Olivia's vision of justice prove to be too much for her to handle?  Can Olivia continue to bat away her fleeting love for Callem?  Will the disgust in her husband's secret life mask her deepest feelings for him?  Find out how their story ends in "Set Fire".

*          *          * 

“Where are we?” I mumbled cautiously.

“We are in the Catskills.  It’s a shame you weren’t up a bit earlier.  You missed a breathtaking sunset,” Ronin replied as he moved about the kitchen, heels clicking on the wooden floors.

“How long was I asleep?”

“Oh.” Ronin glanced at his clunky watch.  “It’s been about fifteen hours, I’d say.”

I shook my head in disbelief.  “Does anyone know I’m here?”

“I actually just got off the phone with your husband.  We had a riveting conversation.  He wanted to speak to you, but I told him you couldn’t be disturbed.  Maybe we’ll have a chance to talk to him later.”  His British accent didn't make him seem as dubious as I imagined him to be.

“And these clothes?  This dress and shoes.  How did I get into them?”

Ronin stopped what he was doing to flash a wicked smile.  “Very carefully, I assure you.”  He stood beside a beautiful wet bar stocked with a number of bottles, from which Ronin was carefully making a selection.  "Oh don't look so startled.  One of the girls let you borrow that little number.  She put it on you herself.  You see, my clumsy, barbaric hired muscle tore right through the shirt you were wearing when he moved you in here.  I'm terribly sorry.  I hope you weren't overly fond of the garment."

“What am I doing here?” I asked abruptly.

“Would you like a drink?” he asked, leisurely pouring himself an amber liquor into a short glass.

“Why am I here?”

“You’re collateral, Dr. Reinbeck.  Are you sure I can’t get you anything to drink?  You look a little on edge,” he joked with a smile.

“Collateral?  I don’t understand.  I thought you and Callem were in business together.”

“Let’s just say things haven’t been smooth sailing for a while between Mr. Tate and I, but I don’t want to bore you with the details.”  Ronin moved to one of the arm chairs, urging me to sit in the neighboring one.

"You've obviously done your research," I started as I eased into the chair.  "You called me Dr. Reinbeck and not Mrs. Tate, a mistake commonly made by Callem's other business partners.  I'm afraid, however, there were some holes in your research.  If you would have looked hard enough, you probably would have seen that it hasn't exactly been smooth sailing for Callem and I as of late either.  I'm not sure I'm the collateral that you think I am.  He probably doesn't consider me as valuable as he used to.”

Cupping his glass in his mitt-like paws, Ronin swirled the liquor arrogantly.  “You make the mistake of thinking I give a shit.  He may choose to fulfill my request and get you back.  He may not.  It’s up to him.  He and I work in a competitive market, Doctor, and I’m in the business of making money.  There is another Callem Tate somewhere who would gladly do my bidding.  Whether he plays along with my game or not, I’ll eventually get what I want; what I need.”

"You make it sound fairly easy to find replacement.  Why not just do that?  Why the theatrics?  I'd say cut your losses and move on, keep the money and the women moving."

Ronin smiled.  "You know a thing or two about this business, do you?"

I shook my head easily.  "I don't claim to be an expert, but yes, I've recently acquired some information from Callem.  Up until this point, I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it."

"Finding a replacement, my dear, is exactly what I'm trying to avoid.  Sure, there is another Callem out there, but I'd much rather stick with Callem I already have.  You see, he has what we like to call 'tenure'.  He's experienced, trustworthy, reliable.  It's hard finding that these days.  Hard, not impossible.  I'd rather just duke it out with him, come to an agreement, and continue on.  You see.  That's why you're here." 

“I'm still not sure that's enticing enough for him.  What are you going to do to me if he doesn’t hold up his end of the deal?” I asked, taking a quick count of the thugs lurking in the corners of the room, not that I could do anything to defend myself against a single one of them.  "I don't peg you for a murder, Ronin."

"You're right.  Bloodshed is not my normal course of action.  That's a fate I don't normal deal out so rest assured, you will not be dying tonight.  At least, not by my hand or my order."

"Then what?" I shrugged.  "What's the end game here?"

“Well, I have to get my product somehow, right?” He continued to spin his drink around his glass with a flick of his wrist.  His gluttonous eyes fluttered over me for too long a moment.  “You’re a young, beautiful, high class woman, Olivia.  Not too worn out, I'll assume.  You’d probably fetch me what four girls would normally cost,” he said devilishly.

My skin crawled and I felt my chin starting to tremble.  I had no reason to doubt him.  I inhaled slowly so not to make an audible gasp.  “You can’t do that.  You’d never get away with it.”

Tipping his head back, Ronin laughed.  “You underestimate me.  Oh, that's precious.  I may not be a murder, Olivia, but I can hold my own with the worst of them." His smile and laughter were gone as his face turned a cold stone.  "You see, I
can
do that.  I
can
get away with it.  I could drop you in the deepest, darkest hole of Europe’s underground, somewhere not even the mighty Callem Tate could find you.  No, Olivia, I’ve got the perfect spot for a little filly like you and they wouldn’t treat you as kindly as I have.  I'd whore you out to every wagging cock that came knocking.  You’d be juggled around by so many men your disease-riddled innards will slowly start spewing out from between your legs.  You’ll be a lifeless shell so tormented by your experiences you may not even recognize the skin you live in.  You’ll forget how to fight.  You’ll forget how to scream.  You’ll forget who you are.  Don’t ever think I can’t get away with it because I will gladly prove you wrong.”

I sucked in a deep breath as a tear fell down my cheek.

Ronin’s cell phone rang.  “Oh, speak of the devil himself.”  He answered the phone and put it to his ear.  "Callem.  Wonderful hearing from you again.  I was just having the most lovely conversation with your wife.  She is a terribly wonderful little thing, isn't she?  Would you like to speak to her?" He held out the phone for me.  “It's for you.”