Prince of the Playhouse (19 page)

“No one’s catching me. And how you’re paying is with all your jewelry and small valuables, plus any cash you’ve got. So let’s go back in the house and get to work on that.”

Gray’s smooth, deep voice would sound calm to anyone who didn’t know him, but tension stretched his vocal cords. “There’s no need for that. I have enough money right here to make this more than worth your while. Can I reach in my pocket? I promise, no guns or other weapons.”

“Move slow, asshole.” The guy’s eyes fixed on Gray’s slowly moving hand. When he extracted a money clip from the pocket, the robber’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, I—wait. Oh my God, you’re—”

Ru leaped. In one move he sailed the few feet between him and the asshole and hit him with a hard shoulder. The gun went off but also went flying. Ru let the robber’s body take the impact as they fell, then planted a hard forearm against the guy’s throat and pressed down. Asshole’s feet thrashed about, trying to kick Ru. He just pushed down harder until the robber gagged and gurgled.

“I got nothing against suffocating you, asshole, so just keep resisting.”

Hard footsteps came running toward him, and Ru looked up fast.
Chris. Good.

“What the fuck is going on?”

Gray answered before Ru could. “This robber was waiting outside with a gun. He threatened to steal Ru’s money and jewelry. I offered him mine—but, uh, Ru intervened.” Gray’s voice sounded more strained than it had during the robbery. Some combination of fear, disbelief, and huge curiosity.
Bad, all bad.

The robber had stopped thrashing. He finally got that three men—two of them giants—stood there ready to pounce on him if he moved.

Chris said, “Shall I call the cops, Ru?”

He sighed.
Shitfire and damnation.
“Yes, I suppose there’s no help for it.” Once he’d have had lots of other options. Now? Not so much.

Chris called 911. Ru glanced up at Gray, who stared at him like maybe he’d grown another cock and it was sticking out his ear. Ru tried for a smile. “You okay?”

“I think I need to ask you that.”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” He shrugged. “I don’t get to put my karate lessons to work very often.”

Gray frowned, but didn’t say anything.
Okay, that story didn’t go over too well.

Chris hung up the phone.

“Chris, you need to get Gray out of here before the cops come or he’ll be at the police station all night, and God only knows what the press will do with it.”

Gray shook his head. “No way. You need a witness.”

“This guy tried to rob me right before I met you. The cops couldn’t keep him in jail for some reason. Anyway, they’ll believe he showed up here after me again. And I’ve got the gun.” He nodded to where the weapon lay on the grass.

“The perp’s gonna say who he saw.”

Ru raised an eyebrow. “Perp? You make too many cop movies, my dear. Get the hell out of here.” The police siren blared through the neighborhood, and doors started popping open. “Shit. Go, go!”

Chris grabbed Gray’s arm. “Come on, boss. Hurry.”

Gray looked frantic, staring up the street where the cop cars would arrive.

Ru shook his head. “I’m so sorry I got you involved in this.”

“Hey, you didn’t turn this bastard into a felon.” He took a step toward Chris, then looked back. “But I would like to hear more about that karate sometime.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

Gray let himself be pulled away by Chris.

Ru swallowed hard. Meeting up with the cops while holding another robber—well, the same one, with different weapons—bottomed his list of things he most wanted to do. But making Gray face this mess—not happening.

The limo didn’t even drive by. Somehow Chris made that huge vehicle disappear.
Wish I could.

Two cop cars pulled in at the curb, and the Laguna guys in blue emerged with weapons drawn—four of them.

The robber wiggled, and Ru pushed his arm down on his throat. “Don’t even think about speaking.”

“We’ll make a decision about when he does and doesn’t speak, Mr. Maitland.”

Ru sighed. “I have no doubt, Officer Johns.” He glanced up. Johns had a weird smirk on his face, combined with a crease between his eyebrows.
Scary.
His gun pointed right at—well, maybe you could say at the perp, as Gray called him, but it looked one helluva lot like it was pointing at Ru.

Suddenly two giant furry attackers leaped at Ru, licking his face and prancing around him like maniacs. The robber began to struggle, and Johns’s gun followed him erratically.
Jesus!
Ru yelled, “Flopsy. Mopsy. Down!”

Johns’s frown got menacing. “Get those fucking canines away from here before I shoot them.”

A shriek pierced the air. “Shoot my babies and you’ll never work in this town again.” Mrs. O came running across the lawn in her flowered housecoat, currently scarlet hair flying, and high-heeled mules clomping on her feet. Best of all, she waved a broom.
Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.

Johns clearly saw no humor in the situation, but the other officers, two men and a woman, were about to split a gut.

Mrs. O arrived at Ru’s side, ignored the robber lying on the grass with Ru’s arm on his throat, smiled at the now perfectly behaved canines, and brandished her weapon. “Put down that damned gun, you fool, before I have your badge.”

Weirdly, no one in their group seemed to doubt she could do it. Johns moderated his tone. “Ma’am, we have a robbery in progress. Therefore weapons are required.”

“Ru obviously has the situation well in hand, so put that thing away before you hurt someone.”

He lowered the gun, but the look he gave Ru could wipe out a lizard at twelve paces. Why did this guy hate him so much? Just homophobia, or something else?

Johns holstered his weapon, then walked over and grabbed the robber from the ground by his arm. Yanking him hard, he started reciting the guy’s rights as he handcuffed him. When he finished the rote recitation, he snarled at one of the other officers, “Get this guy in the car.”

Ru stood and wiped off his jeans, now covered with grass, dirt, and dog spit. “You’ll find a weapon lying on the grass over there.” He raised his voice so the other police could hear it. “I didn’t touch the weapon in the process of subduing him, so I’d appreciate you being careful not to handle it, since they weren’t able to verify the fingerprints of this asshole last time he attacked me.”

The female cop walked to the weapon, carefully pulled on gloves, and dropped the handgun into an evidence bag.

Mrs. O planted a hand against her chest. “A gun. Good God, are you all right? I heard what sounded like a shot, but I thought it was someone’s television or maybe leftover fireworks from the Fourth. I’m so sorry I didn’t come to check, Ru. Maybe I could have helped.”

Thank God she didn’t, or she might have seen Gray. “It’s okay, Mrs. O.” Flopsy leaped up and licked Ru’s cheek. “Maybe you better take the furries inside now.”

She crossed her arms while still holding the broom. “No. I think I want to be sure that everything is going well out here.”

Ru snorted.
Sorry. Couldn’t help it.
“Thanks, Mrs. O. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

Johns said, “We’ll be taking Mr. Maitland downtown to get his statement.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Do you need me to give mine? I heard the shot.”

“Uh, yes, ma’am. I’ll ask Officer Cantrell to speak with you.” He motioned to the woman officer, who seemed to do most of the dirty work.

“Who’s taking Ru downtown?” She glared at Johns.

“I am.”

“Since you’re taking the man who tried to kill Ru, maybe he should go with someone else?”

“We have no reason to believe that the man intended to kill Mr. Maitland.”

“No. And you have no evidence that he didn’t.” She gestured to Officer Cantrell. “Dear, why don’t you drive Ru, and that nice man can take my statement?” She gestured vaguely toward the two other policemen. Her emphasis on the word
nice
made Ru bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

Cantrell glanced at Johns, then walked to Ru with intent. “May I drive you downtown, sir?”

Ru nodded. “Sure. That would be great.”

Johns’s eyes followed them like he could kill Ru by hate alone. Ru shuddered.

He followed the woman to the car, with Mrs. O’s voice ringing behind him. “I’ll call you later to check on you, dear.”

Cantrell held the door for him, and he buckled up while she walked around to the driver seat. As they drove off, she snorted and started to laugh. “That woman is a national treasure. I really wanted to take her statement. I’m sure it would have been good for endless stories, but she seemed concerned about you going with Johns, and I wanted to respect that.”

Ru chuckled. “You’re right on the treasure part. She’s a great neighbor and friend. And yeah, I wouldn’t say Officer Johns is my number-one fan. Not sure why. Maybe just plain old homophobia.”

“Oh, are you gay?”

He glanced at her. “Are you kidding?”

She grinned. “Maybe a little. You’re the fashion designer I read about, right?”

“Well, I am a fashion designer.”

“The one who’s in business with Gray Anson?”

Time to plant the seeds.
“Yes. He and I were having dinner tonight, in fact. Going over some business plans. He’d just left. The robber must have seen him.”

“Too bad you didn’t have him to help you with your attacker.” She sighed. “He’s so amazing.”

“I will agree about the amazing part.”

“True. I guess you didn’t need much help. Isn’t this the second time you’ve taken out that asshole?”

“Yes. The man doesn’t learn. Apparently he had a really good lawyer last time.”

“Yes.” Her voice got cool. “And a lot of support from—all kinds of people.”

Ru’s stomach clenched. “Oh?”

She pulled into the back of the Laguna administration building that housed the police station and parked. “Yes.” She turned to face him. “Just be wary, Mr. Maitland. I agree. You do have an enemy. I’m not sure why either, but I’d damned well like to know.”

“SO, MR.
Maitland, you were walking back to your house, and Mr. Fogarty stepped out of the bushes.”

Ru shifted in his chair and nodded at the chief of police, Marjorie Kincaid.
Close enough to the truth.
“I’ll take your word on his name, but yes, he stepped out holding the gun and wanted me to go inside and give him my money and jewelry.”

Officer Johns sat there, picking at a piece of tape on the edge of the table.

The chief said, “You recognized him as the same man you had subdued previously?” If she’d seemed suspicious last time they spoke, now it went double.

“Yes, but more heavily armed.” He glanced up. “In fact, Officer Johns had warned me about him.”

The policeman’s eyes flashed up at him.

The chief continued. “Why do you think he believed he could rob you this time when he didn’t succeed last time?”

Ru shrugged. “Guns are great equalizers.”

“And yet he didn’t succeed even with the gun.”

“He’s a drug addict. He got distracted, and I took advantage.”

“Where did you learn your remarkable physical skills, Mr. Maitland?”

Okay, scary territory.
“I’ve taken a number of karate classes over the years.”

Johns leaned forward with a pen poised over a notepad. “Give me a name of where you study.”

“I’m not currently taking classes.”
Don’t let them see you sweat.

“How about where you used to take classes, then?”

“Carrera Studios in Huntington Beach.”
Shit. Way too close to home.
“May I ask what this has to do with my protecting myself from robbery?”

Johns leaned back in his chair. “Ever been to Compton, Maitland?”

Would they notice if I threw up?

Suddenly the door burst open and Officer Cantrell stuck her head in, eyes wide as the proverbial deer. “Chief, so sorry to interrupt, but, oh God, Gray Anson is here, and he wants to speak to—”

Gray pushed past Cantrell, into the room. “My apologies, officers, but I need to be a part of this discussion.”

Sweet Jesus.
If they put this scene in a movie—it would be perfect.
Can I melt to mush right here?

The chief was already on her feet, as was Johns. She swallowed hard. “Uh, why is that, Mr. Anson?”

He flashed the smile seen round the world. “Because I was actually there when the attempt occurred. I left immediately since I was pretty certain no one wanted the international press involved in this incident, but I came here as soon as I figured out where you had taken Ru.”

Johns scowled. “Maitland didn’t tell us this.”

“I expect he was protecting me. We’re business partners, you see. I was having dinner at his house, and as I was leaving, the perpetrator appeared with his weapon.”

“So you helped in the subduing of the gunman, Mr. Anson?” The chief smiled, clearly picturing Gray’s many dramatic rescues.

“I provided a distraction, while Ru jumped him.” He glanced at Ru. “Anyway, I plan to press charges against this bastard with the full weight I can bring.” He grinned again. “I imagine you know how heavy that can be.” He looked around as if noticing the room for the first time. “This seems like a pretty serious venue for the questioning of a victim.”

The chief looked a little pale, but Johns frowned and muttered, “Standard practice.”

The chief said, “We had some suspicion this might have been a gang-related incident. We’re always very cautious of such events.”

Ru took a deep breath.

Gray frowned. “Gang related? I assure you, no mention was made by the robber of anything having to do with a gang. They recognized each other from the first incident. Nothing more. His motive was robbery and perhaps some payback. Period.”

She smiled. “We have that on the record. Thank you.”

“If there’s nothing further, I’ll have my driver take Mr. Maitland home. I’m sure he’s exhausted, and I have to be at an early shoot tomorrow.” He smiled tightly. “Plus I want to get the car out of here before the helicopters arrive.”