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Authors: Renee Pawlish

Tags: #(v5), #Thriller, #Mystery, #Private Investigator, #Suspense, #Crime

Torch Scene (13 page)

BOOK: Torch Scene
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

 

“You’re in shock.”

Spillman was speaking to me. I gazed up at her.

“I’m okay,” I said. The fog lifted and my heartbeat slowly returned to normal. I took some deep breaths.

“You don’t look so hot.”

I put my palms on the ground and pushed myself up. “No, I’m good.”

“I think an EMT should look at you.”

“No.” Anger replaced shock. Tony and his thugs had done this. My mind filled with vile names for them.

“You should get that burn looked at.”

“I’ll go to the doctor later.”

She shrugged, then watched me for a few minutes. “You want to tell me what happened?” she finally asked.

I sucked in a breath. “I think I’m getting too close to someone and they want me out of the way.”

“Where’s your girlfriend?”

“She’s safe.”

“Where?”

I shook my head.

“I can help.”

“She’s safe,” I repeated. “You won’t get anything from me.”

Her mouth formed into a tight line, but she stayed silent.

I nodded at what was left of my car and garage. “I want to know what you find.” My tone was clear.
Don’t mess with me on this one
.

For once, she wasn’t sarcastic. “I’ll call you once the fire inspectors finish their investigation.”

“Thank you.”

“Who do you think did this?”

I glanced at her, then back at my car. “I don’t know for sure, but I’d just paid a visit to the bookie I was telling you about.”

“So you think they’re involved in all this, but you can’t prove it.”

“Right.”

“Tell me what happened.”

I did, and she stayed silent until I got to the part about the bomb not going off until we’d walked away.

“And your friend didn’t crank the key?” she asked.

“No.”

“That’s interesting.”

“Some kind of timer?”

“Sounds like it. The investigators will let me know for sure.”

“But?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “Sounds pretty sophisticated is all.”

We lapsed into silence, waiting and watching until the firemen completely extinguished the fire, and then I spent more time telling them what had happened. Cal called and said Willie and the Goofball Brothers had arrived safely, and Spillman tilted her head at me.

“Don’t ask,” I said.

“I wasn’t going to.” She held her palms up. “Why don’t you go get that arm looked at?” she said again. “They’ll be a while here. I’ll call you once we know something.”

I met her gaze, and she put a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

“I’m going to get whoever did this,” I said.

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“I won’t.”

I left her there in the backyard and climbed the stairs to my condo. My arm was aching, so I went to the bathroom and cleaned the burn. It was raw and it stung, but it wasn’t something I was going to get checked. I had something else to do.

Sometimes my impulsiveness can be a good thing. But plowing ahead without thinking can also lead to disastrous results, as I sometimes found the hard way. I should’ve been formulating a plan, but all I could see was Willie’s house on fire, and my car burned to a crisp.

I thought about this proclivity to act first and think later as I wrapped my arm in gauze and taped it up, cleaned a couple of other small cuts on my face, then got the Glock. I went back into the living room and reached for the 4-Runner keys that I usually leave on a small table by the door, and did a double-take. What car could I use? Oh, yeah. Willie’s. I hunted around the condo and found the keys to her car, took them and headed out.

Smoke lingered in the air as I got in her car. I put the key in the ignition and then stopped. What if Tony and his boys had rigged her car, too? Paranoia coursed through my veins as I got out and crawled underneath, searching for anything suspicious. Then I popped the hood and examined every nook and cranny of the engine. There was no bomb, and nothing appeared out of place. I thought about asking Spillman to give the car a onceover. At first I dismissed the idea, thinking she’d look at me like I was nuts. “Nuts be damned,” I said out loud as I raced around to the back of the house.

Spillman was standing with a couple of firemen. I caught her attention and waved her over.

“Can you have someone check my girlfriend’s car?” I asked. “For bombs?”

She wisely didn’t argue and within minutes the bomb squad had searched it and discovered no bombs. I thanked her and as she disappeared around the side of the building, I got back in Willie’s car and turned the key. The car started. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath. I exhaled slowly and pulled into the road. In fifteen minutes, I parked on Colfax, right in front of Easy Street Café. I marched into the restaurant, right past a waitress and to the back. Ray was sitting at his table, chatting with the same bartender. He halted mid-sentence when he saw me.

He stood up. “What do you think –”

I launched myself at him, angling my right shoulder into his chest. He wasn’t prepared for that, and he slammed hard into the wall, kicking his feet out. The chair he’d been sitting in toppled over on him. I walked up to the door as he tried to extract himself from the chair.

“Hey!” the bartender said, but I was through the door.

Tony was sitting at the desk, writing something on a yellow legal pad.

“What’s the bet?” he said without looking up.

I reached back and locked the door, pulled out the Glock, leaned over and pointed it at him. “The bet is will I kill you or will you answer my questions?”

He looked up just as Ray pounded on the door.

“What the f –” he bleated. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I’m the guy you shouldn’t mess with.”

Tony slowly raised his hands. His cold glare brought me back to reality. This could go badly for me.

More muffled yelling from Ray.

“You got about ten seconds,” Tony said. “Then Ray’s going to come through that door and deal with you.”

“Why did you blow up my car?” I snarled.

“What?” He appeared genuinely surprised.

“Don’t act dumb. You were at my house today and you planted a bomb, didn’t you? But it didn’t quite work like you planned, because I’m still here.”

“I didn’t plant a bomb.”

“I don’t believe you,” I snapped.

A violent thump rattled the door, the lock gave, and the door flew open. I stepped to the side as Ray stumbled headlong into the desk, righted himself and whirled around to face me. I aimed the gun at both of them.

“You’re making a serious mistake,” Ray said, his voice laced with menace.

The bartender poked his head in the doorway. He saw the gun and went white. “I don’t want no trouble,” he said. He pulled the door closed before I could say anything, leaving it slightly ajar, but no one disturbed us.

“Why are you still hassling me?” I said. “You got the damn sculpture, so what do you want? I don’t have anything else.”

They exchanged a glance.

“What sculpture?” Tony asked.

I gritted my teeth, trying for some semblance of patience. “The Chen.”

Looks of surprise.

“Yeah, I know about it,” I continued. “You were at Nick’s apartment the other night and you took it.”

“No, we didn’t,” Tony said.

I hesitated. “It’s gone and you were there. Ergo, you have it.”

“No, we don’t,” Tony said slowly.

I hated to admit it, but I believed him. “So who has it?” I asked. Like he would actually tell me. Stress and anger were doing funny things to me.

Tony’s face twitched, part smile, part dangerous sneer. “I don’t know who has it, but I want it.”

“Why? To help pay off some of Nick’s debt?”

He nodded. “You’re brighter than you look.”

“I’m plenty bright,” I said defiantly.

“Not really. Only an idiot would come in here, waving a gun at me.”

I tried to keep cool, but I was unsure of my next step. “Someone bombed my car. I thought it was you.”

“And your answer to that is to come and threaten me?”

“I just want to find out who killed Nick and then started a fire to cover it up. They think my girlfriend did it and I want to clear her name.”

Tony laughed, high and tight. “That’s what this is about? Helping your girlfriend?”

Ray laughed, too, but without humor. He looked like he wanted to kill me.

I shrugged, my bravado quickly leaving me.

“Why would I kill Nick, then burn down his apartment, and
not
take the Chen with me?”

“You couldn’t find it the night you killed Nick,” I said, and knew the moment it came out of my mouth that it didn’t make sense.

Tony nodded his head, just a slight tic, and Ray moved. It was my turn to be surprised, as he moved with the speed of a panther. He knocked a chair aside, then caught me with a quick jab in the face. My head jerked back and blood began flowing from my nose.

I cursed and he grabbed the arm with the burn, then quickly twisted me into a chokehold.

“Drop the gun,” he snarled.

I did as ordered, my eyes watering at the pain. He squeezed and I coughed, trying to breathe. Tony got up and stepped around the desk. He bent down and Ray grabbed my hair with one hand and yanked my head back. Tony put his face in my face, his nose an inch from mine.

“I should kill you right now,” he said, his breath smelling of cigarettes and coffee. He looked at me in one eye and then the other, his own eyes slits of cold menace. “Let’s get one thing straight. I don’t care if you believe me or not. But know this – don’t ever threaten me, or you’ll wish you’d died a quick death in a car bombing. You understand?”

I tried to nod.

“Good.” He made a ‘tsk’ sound. “Now…we’ve got a problem. You don’t know where the Chen is, and neither do I. And that’s bad for me, because I’ve got people to answer to. People that you do
not
want to run into. But it’s your lucky day. You know why?”

I didn’t even attempt to nod this time.

“It’s your lucky day because I’m going to make you a deal. You get that sculpture for me, and I’ll let you live.”

“I…don’t…ack…know…where it…is,” I croaked.

His face twitched again. “Then I suggest you spend your time looking for it instead of bugging me.” His gaze was icy. “Ray said he saw you earlier today. He tells me you were with a woman. Your girlfriend?”

I fought against Ray, but it was useless. He tightened his hold on me and I couldn’t move.

“Don’t worry, I’ll leave her alone,” Tony said. “If you bring me that sculpture.” His eyes bore through me. “Do you understand?”

Ray finally loosened his grip enough for me to nod.

“Good.” Tony picked up the Glock. “Nice gun.” He pressed the magazine release, took out the clip and stood up. He gestured with the Glock toward the alley door. Ray jerked me backwards, then Tony opened the door. Ray shoved me through and dragged me out into the middle of the alley. He let me go and I fell on my hands and knees. I started to get up, but he kicked me in the side. My breath shot out of me and he kicked me again. I leaned forward, resting my face on the asphalt. I tried to suck in air but couldn’t. The sound of shoes on gravel came to me and I braced myself for more. Then black and white leather shoes came into my view.

“You should think twice before you let your anger get the best of you,” Tony said.

A metal plunk sounded as he dropped the Glock in front of my face.

“Come on,” he said to Ray.

Ray grunted, then followed Tony back inside the office.

I rolled over. My poor ribs couldn’t take anymore. I grabbed the Glock and shoved it into the holster, got slowly to my feet, and staggered out of the alley.

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

 

I sat for a moment in Willie’s car, assessing the situation. I don’t think Ray broke any ribs, but it sure as hell hurt to breathe. A look in the rearview mirror showed a swollen nose to add to the cut already there. Otherwise, I seemed to be intact, although I would certainly be sore later on.

I frowned. Not only was I no closer to knowing who had started the fire and killed Nick O’Rourke, I now had to recover a valuable piece of artwork or I’d have to move out of the country so those thugs didn’t kill me. Oh, or Willie.

“You got yourself into a real pickle,” I said to no one.

Add to that Tony and Ray, rifling through Nick’s apartment in search of the Chen, and someone else stole it before they did. What were the odds? And who stole it? Was the Chen something that Nick and Nadine owned, and he got it in the divorce? Or did Nick acquire the sculpture after the divorce? I didn’t know those answers, but I knew who to ask.

***

Nadine’s jaw dropped when she opened the door.

“What happened to you?”

“Just a few cuts and bruises,” I said.

“A few?” She ran a hand through her hair. “What are you doing here? I just got home from work and I’ve had a long day.”

“I was in the neighborhood.” That was a lie. I could’ve called Nadine to ask her what I wanted to ask her, but I wanted to see her reaction. “When you and Nick were married, did you collect any artwork?”

“Artwork?” she repeated. “Not really. We bought a painting or two.”

“Like what?”

“Are you still trying to figure out who killed Nick?” She puckered her lips. “Come and look.” She stepped back and I stepped past her. She pointed to the right. “In the living room.”

The living room was decorated in earth tones, with tan leather couches, mahogany coffee and end tables, and a credenza on one wall loaded with booze and glasses. There was a big bay window with a large turquoise vase sitting in it, and a stone fireplace. Somehow the vase didn’t fit the décor, but then, what did I know?

“Nice house,” I said.

She let out a sultry laugh. “I do well. Too bad I date men who always need money.”

As if called, Ken strolled into the room. “Nadine, what –” He stopped when he saw me. “Hey,” he said with a curt nod, his eyes forming into tight lines. It didn’t work with his perfect good looks.

I nodded back. He clearly wasn’t happy to see me. Had I interrupted something?

“Ken, darling, could you give us a moment?” Nadine said a little too sweetly.

He kept his eyes on me. “Sure,” he finally said and walked slowly away.

“What was I saying? Oh, the men I date.” She wrinkled her brow. “Maybe I should look at that.” She laughed again. “We bought those two pieces when we were in California.” She pointed at a painting above the fireplace and another above the couch. Both were landscape scenes, rich in colors. I’d never heard of the artist.

“They’re nice,” I said. And they were definitely not Asian. “Did you buy any sculptures?”

“No.” Her eyes narrowed. “What’s this about?”

“So nothing of an Asian persuasion?”

She laughed. “Nick? I highly doubt it.”

“Why so sure?”

“I’d begged him to go on a trip to China and he wouldn’t do it, said Asia held no interest for him. Besides, he thought these two paintings were a wasted investment, so I don’t see him spending any money that he might’ve had on artwork of any kind.”

“Well…” I didn’t know what to say.

“Are you going to tell me what this is about?”

I wavered. “I can’t right now, but thanks for the time.” I headed for the door.

“Anytime,” she called after me. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”

I drove away, thinking about her reaction. I wanted to believe her, but then, she was the femme fatale of all the film noir I loved. Beautiful, but dangerous.

Something else crossed my mind, and I grabbed my cell phone.

“Calling back so soon?” Cal asked.

“I’ve got a question.”

“Shoot.”

“Would court documents show how Nadine and Nick O’Rourke split up their assets?”

“Like monetary and the house? I sent you that.”

“I haven’t read it all yet,” I said. “But I mean the smaller stuff, like the CDs and books…and artwork.”

“Like a sculpture.”

“Yeah.”

He paused. “I don’t know if I can find that.”

“Excuse me?” I could count on my hands the number of times I’d heard that from him.

“It would depend on if that information is in electronic form. I’ll take a look and get back to you.”

“Great, thanks.”

“How are things going?” I could hear the worry in his voice, but he tried to deflect it by saying, “Willie’s concerned.”

“I’m fine.”

“I don’t believe you.”

I knew I couldn’t bluff him. We’d known each other too long for that. “I will be fine. How’s that?”

“Be careful,” he said and hung up.

As I headed up I-25, I made another quick decision. Nadine could speak to her marriage with Nick, but she didn’t know what happened after they split up. But maybe Leena could because she’d dated him.

Dusk had settled onto the city as I pulled over and got out my cell phone again, but this time I connected to the internet and did a people-search on Leena Radcliff. In less than thirty seconds, I had her home address.

She lived in an apartment building in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, east of Civic Center Park. Cars and maple trees lined the narrow street. I walked up the steps to her door and knocked. A moment later she opened it, and I got the same surprised look as I had from Nadine.

“Why do you keep turning up?”

“I’m like an annoying habit,” I said. “I just don’t go away.”

“I’ve told you everything.”

I gave her a humorless smile. “I’ve got a few more questions.”

She was incredulous. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“When you went to Nick’s apartment, how was it decorated?” I asked.

“I’ve never been to Nick’s apartment. And I don’t want you asking any more questions. I told you to quit bothering me.”

“Wait, didn’t you –” I began.

The door slammed shut in my face.

I sauntered down the walk to the street, my mind reeling. I could’ve sworn that she said Nick assaulted her, it happened at his place. Was I wrong? I got to Willie’s car, slid into the driver’s seat and glanced at the car in front of me to see how much space I had. Then I noticed the license plate: UGH-432. I read it again, something niggling in the back of my mind. I got out and stared at the license plate. It couldn’t be!

I stared at the house and then back at the car. Then I marched back up the walk and tried the door. The knob turned and I let myself in.

Leena was sitting at a small table in a tiny kitchen, sipping a cup of coffee while she thumbed through a magazine. Birds chirped outside the open window by the table. She almost dropped the cup when she saw me.

“Wha –”

“Where is it?” I came into the kitchen and looked around. White cabinets and walls, stainless steel appliances, and a few knick-knacks.

“Where’s what?”

I threw her a cold glare. “The Chen.”

“The what?” She was good. Just a slight twitch in the corners of her eyes betrayed her.

“You know exactly what I mean.”

I flipped open the cupboards, but didn’t see the sculpture in the kitchen so I turned on my heel and headed into the living room.

“Hey, you can’t just march in here like this!”

By the time she came into the living room, I’d already looked on the shelves and behind a red overstuffed chair.

“Hey!” she said as I moved past her.

She grabbed my arm but I shook her off.

“You were there last night,” I said as I poked my head into the bathroom. I flipped on the light, stepped to the tub and yanked the shower curtain back. “I fell right behind a car with the license plate UGH-432. Your car.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I checked under the sink and then shoved past her into the hallway.

“You can’t go in there!” She said shrilly as I headed for the bedroom. She tried to stand in my way, holding her hands up, but I pushed her aside.

As I opened the door, she pulled my arm, but I shook her off.

“I’m going to call the police.”

“Go right ahead. I’ll tell them you stole the sculpture from Willie’s house.”

The bedroom had a four-poster bed, a dresser and a nightstand. A large brown box sat in the corner. I strode up to it and opened the flaps. The bronze sculpture sat in it.

I turned my head and stared at Leena. “You don’t know what I’m talking about?”

She faltered, searching for words. Then she turned and walked out of the room.

I picked up the box and went back into the kitchen. She was sitting at the table again, tapping a cigarette from a pack.

“I can thank you for this,” she said, gesturing with the cigarette. She lit it and blew smoke out the open window.

I leaned against the refrigerator, still clutching the box. “What’s the story?”

She gazed at the wall and smoked, then finally spoke. “I told you the truth, except for one small part. Nick did start calling me again, I went out with him, and I was looking for revenge. I told you I never found anything that I could use for revenge, but,” she looked at the box, “he told me about the Chen.”

She took another drag on the cigarette.

“How’d he get it?” I asked. The box was getting heavy, but it was my lifeline and I wasn’t letting it go.

“He was in some high stakes poker game and the guy who was hosting the party ran out of cash, so he bet the Chen. Funny, huh. Nick was never a good gambler, right? I mean, he lost everything, but then he wins a stupid sculpture that ends up being worth thousands. And do you think he was going to use it to pay off some of his debts? Of course not. He was trying to sell it so he could place some more bets.”

“And you decided to steal it.”

She contemplated the red glow on the end of her cigarette, then nodded. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to get it, and then I found out he was dead and the apartment had burned down. Well, not quite down, but…”

“What happened last night?”

“Oh, man.” Her face darkened. “What a nightmare
that
was.” She turned to face me. “When you came by my work the other day, thinking that my dad was lying, I was in a complete panic. I’m telling you the truth, he had nothing to do with Nick’s death, but there you were, thinking one of us was lying. And I knew you were getting close to figuring
something
out, so I acted. I came over to Nick’s apartment, broke the lock and went upstairs, and found the Chen.”

“I wonder what those other thugs thought when the front door was jimmied,” I said.

She laughed hollowly. “Yeah, I made it easy for them, didn’t I?”

“And?” I raised an eyebrow.

“I came back outside and I heard them coming around the building. I ran the other way and saw someone else, so I hid in the bushes by the fence. I was so scared, I can’t believe I didn’t have a heart attack.” She took one final drag on the cigarette and dropped it into the coffee cup. “I waited a few minutes and snuck back into the alley and got in my car, but I was scared that they’d hear it start up, so I just sat there. A little bit later, I hear commotion behind the car and I can’t believe it when I see you ducking into the alley, and then those guys punch you.”

“Imagine my surprise.”

She shook her head. “I scrunched down in the seat, sure they’d see me, but they didn’t, and neither did you. They left, and then you left, but I still waited a while, and when none of you came back, I left.”

I looked at the Chen. Unbelievable.

“Now what?” she asked. “You think I killed Nick?”

I pondered that, thinking of what Tony the thug had said. “No. Why would you kill him, then start a fire to cover your tracks, but not take the sculpture?”

“Will you leave me alone?”

“Sure.” With that, I walked out of the kitchen, still clutching the box.

“Hey!” Her chair scraped the floor and she came running after me. “You can’t take that!”

“Why not?” I’d reached the door and I tried to let myself out, but she pushed against the door. I turned on her, and the look on my face caused her to back up. “I need this way more than you do.”

She tried to grab the box but I shoved her away. “I deserve the money more than you,” she said. “Think what he did to me!”

“I’m not going to sell it,” I said. I kicked the door open and left.

Her obscenities filled the darkness as I drove off.

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