When Darkness Falls (17 page)

“Chloe, don’t,” Hank said.

Her hand went to her hip. “Don’t what? Tell the truth? You were with me.”

“You don’t owe him an explanation.”

The detective stepped up to her. Now that she could see his face, she could tell that he was part Hispanic and looked to be in his early forties. He extended his hand. “Jared Flores.”

She grasped it. “Chloe Kensley.”

He looked her in the eye. “Were you speaking the truth? Was Hank with you in the canyon on Saturday night?”

She glanced at Hank who looked like he was mad enough to spit nails. “Yes,” she said with conviction.

Jared stroked his chin as a thoughtful expression came over his face. “You seem like a nice, upstanding girl.”

Chloe tensed, sensing a set-up of some sort.
Where was this going?

“Are you sure you want to get mixed up with a convicted felon?”

The ground seemed to shift underneath her feet as her face drained. She looked to Hank for confirmation. The humiliation on his face said it all.

Jared shot her a look of pity. “You didn’t know.” He shook his head in feigned sadness as he clucked his tongue. “Why am I not surprised?”

That’s all it took to get Chloe hot around the collar. She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Let me repeat that Hank was with me all evening. He picked me up at my home and spoke to my roommate, who can also vouch that Hank was with me … in case you have any lingering doubts on the subject.” She gave him a withering look.

She saw the look of gratitude on Hank’s face and thought she saw disappointment come over Jared’s face, but she couldn’t be sure. He turned to Hank and gave him a perturbed smile. “Why didn’t you just come out and say that you were with her? It sure would’ve saved a whole lot of trouble.”

Hank shot him a venomous look, and Chloe got the feeling that he might’ve done the detective bodily harm had she not been there. “I told you, I’m tired of being your scapegoat. It doesn’t matter what I say or do, you always assume that I’m guilty.” He rubbed his neck. “This conversation is over. You know your way out.”

Jared looked like he might say something more but then gave Hank a nod before walking briskly out of the office.

When it was just the two of them, Hank motioned. “Close the door, would ya?” He sat down in the chair beside Chloe. “I’m sure you have lots of questions.” He sounded tired and defeated like the fight had gone out of him.

She nodded.

He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Where to begin …”

She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “Why don’t you start by telling me how it is that you came to be a convicted felon?”

“Yep, I suppose it always goes back to that.” He gave her a grim smile. “Well, the upside in all of this is that I’m about to tell you what I was hesitant to tell you in the canyon. Now there won’t be any secrets between us.”

The word
secret
sounded so ominous. There were so many conflicting emotions churning inside of Chloe that she could hardly stand to sit there, but she needed to hear the truth, so she waited for him to continue.

“In some circles, the name Hank Singleton is synonymous with one of the most notorious jewel thieves in the world.” His eyes locked with hers. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

A lump formed in her throat, and she nodded. “Are you
The Ghost
that everyone keeps talking about?”

He looked surprised. “You know about that?”

“Yeah, Darbie’s studying to be a cop, and one of her college professors is obsessed with him. Are you
The Ghost
?” she repeated.

“Yes and no. I was the original
Ghost
, but I’m not now. I served my time and have been clean ever sense.” He paused. “I swear to you that I’m clean.”

Her head began to swim as the words pelted over her.
Served time. Clean ever since.
It all felt surreal. “I don’t know how to deal with this,” she croaked, moving to stand.

He caught her arm. “Sit back down. Please. Let me explain.”

Tears gathered in her eyes as she slumped back into the chair. Hank was one of the last people she would suspect of being a criminal. He was so strait-laced and methodical about all aspects of his business. And he was a good person—a man of integrity. She’d felt that, hadn’t she? The idea that he’d lived this other life was so preposterous that she could hardly believe it.

His eyes took on a distant look. “Garrett and I grew up in an apartment building. Our father left when we were kids, and our mother worked herself into the ground at a menial job, trying to keep us clothed and put food on the table.”

Chloe nodded. This was a similar version to what Garrett had told her.

“Anyway, our mother was gone a lot. The times when we weren’t getting into trouble, Glory looked after us. Also, we spent a lot of time with Clayton, the building manager. Clayton was something of a renaissance man. He taught Garrett and me all about his trade—how to repair air conditioners, heaters, refrigerators, stoves, leaky faucets. You get the idea.” He looked at her. “He also taught me how to pick locks and disable alarm systems.”

A furrow appeared between her brows. “Was Clayton a thief?”

“No, he was straight as an arrow. Didn’t have a dishonest bone in his body. He just liked to tinker with things. One time we even rebuilt a car engine. Anyway, Clayton was a good man, but his son was a different story. Trouble followed Sam like a second skin. When Sam realized that I had a talent for picking locks and disabling alarms, he introduced me to his longtime friend who was a locksmith. I started working there after school in the afternoons, and it wasn’t long before I learned the ins and outs of safes.”

“You mean how to crack safes.”

He nodded, a look of remorse coming over his face. “I never started out with the intent to become a jewel thief. Cracking safes was like solving a fascinating puzzle, and it felt good to be highly skilled at something. Anyway, after I graduated from high school, I went to BYU and studied business. I was in my senior year when my mom got sick with leukemia.” He paused, and she could tell he was trying to gain control of his emotions. Before she realized what she was doing, she placed a hand over his. He turned his hand over and linked his fingers through hers. A minute later, he cleared his throat and continued. “The treatments were expensive and the insurance wouldn’t cover them.” A tortured look came into his eyes. “You can’t imagine how helpless it felt to watch her getting weaker every day, knowing there was nothing I could do. She could no longer work, so I took on an extra job to help pay the bills. Things were getting bad, and I didn’t know how much longer I could continue to hold everything together. And then Sam drove down to Provo and paid me a visit. He offered me a way to get caught up on the bills and pay for my mother’s treatments a hundred times over. It was a mistake, and I was foolish. I see that now, but at the time it seemed like the only solution. And I was good.” His eyes burned with a hot intensity. “I was the best.”

Sam
. That name rang a bell. “What’s Sam’s last name?”

He gave her a funny look. “Why?”

“Because I believe I met him once when Garrett and I went out to dinner.”

His jaw clenched. “Lowden.”

Something clicked in her mind. “Yeah, that sounds right.” A shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the cold feeling she had around him. “He’s muscular with thinning hair and a goatee. Garrett said he was a business associate.” She could tell from Hank’s stricken expression that she’d caught him off guard. He was squeezing her hand so hard it hurt. “Are you okay?” She tried to extricate her hand from his, and then he realized what he was doing.

“Sorry,” he said, loosening his grip. “When did this happen?”

“A few days before I came to work for you. Is this bad?”

“It could be,” he admitted. “Anything that has to do with Sam is bad.”

She let that bit of information sink in, glad that she’d pegged Sam correctly. She didn’t blame Hank for being worried about Garrett, but he wasn’t her primary concern at the moment. She steered the conversation back to Hank. “If you were as good as you say you were then how did you end up in prison?”

He let out a dry chuckle. “That’s a fair question.”

A knock sounded, and then the door opened. Yvette stuck her head in. Her eyes went from Hank to Chloe and then to their clasped hands. A furious expression came over her face as she zoned in on Chloe. “Playing both sides, I see.”

Before Chloe could articulate a response, Hank jumped to her defense. “Excuse me? What did you just say?”

Yvette’s face grew chalky, and she started blinking rapidly. “I only meant that I can’t believe she’s chumming up with you when she’s …”

“When she’s what?” Hank demanded, his voice cracking like a whip through the room.

“Nothing. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Hank arched an eyebrow. “If you value your job, you’ll stop making cutting remarks about situations you know nothing about.”

Her face turned scarlet.

“Furthermore, I expect you to show Chloe the same respect that you show me. Is that clear?”

“Yes,” she squeaked.

“I trust that you came in here for a reason.”

It seemed to take her a second to collect her thoughts. “You have a call. It’s from St. Mark’s Hospital. The lady on the line said it’s important.”

Hank frowned and went to answer it. Chloe’s heart dropped when she saw his face crumble. “It’s Glory. She’s had a stroke.”

W
eariness settled
over Garrett as he turned onto his street. The trip to San Francisco had worn him out, and he wanted nothing more than to get a shower and crash in his own bed. As he pulled into the driveway, he spotted Sam’s sedan, parked on the street in front of his house. Instinctively, his hand touched the backpack containing the jewels. Rather than pulling into the garage, he parked in front of it and got out, leaving the backpack in the car.

His heart dropped when he saw not only Sam get out of the car, but also an overly-muscled guy who had a raw look in his eyes like he would jump at the chance to start smashing things with his meaty hands. Rather than going to them, Garrett stayed near his car. His senses went on full alert as he flashed an easy smile. “Hey, Sammy.”

Sam gave him a curt nod as he and the large man approached. “You’re a hard person to reach.”

“Sorry, I’ve been out of town.”

“Heard that one before.” His eyes narrowed into black slits. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Garrett chuckled. “Now you know I would never do that.” He motioned at the hulk. “Who’s the big guy?”

“His name’s Bill, and I sometimes bring him along to ensure that I collect.”

“Is that really necessary? We’ve been friends all our lives.” A silent panic came over Garrett as he glanced at the hulk that looked more like a machine than a man. Garrett had no doubt that the meathead could do some serious damage if he were unleashed.

Sam’s eyes turned to stones, letting Garrett know there would be no mercy. “You owe my boss $200K, and I’ve been sent here to collect. No excuses, man. I’ve been patient, but I can’t wait any longer. You’re making me look bad.”

Lines creased Garrett’s forehead as he leaned closer to Sam. “Come on, now, Sammy. You know I’m good for it.”

Sam sneered. “You certainly talk the talk, I’ll give you that.”

“Okay, it’s like this. I don’t have the full $200K right now.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Marbles appeared in the corners of Sam’s jaws.

Garrett’s pulse began to race when he saw Bill clench his fists. He held up his hands. “But I do have something that I think your boss will be interested in.”

Interest lit Sam’s eyes. “I’m listening.”

He leaned in and lowered his voice. “I have jewels that are worth at least $100K.”

“I’m sorry. Your time has run out. I told you when I gave you the loan that you would have to pay it back in full—on time. Remember?”

“I know. I just didn’t expect to run into so many complications. But I can do another job and get the rest. I swear it.”

Sam shook his head. “The biggest complication here is you and your gambling habit. No matter how many jobs you do, you gamble it away faster than you can take it in. That’s why you got into trouble to begin with—because you owed the casino. You came begging to me, and I took pity on you.” He spread his hands. “And now you owe the boss.”

“I just need a little more time.” A cold sweat broke across Garrett’s forehead. “Please, man, for old time’s sake—I’m begging you. Talk to your boss—tell him that I’m good for it.” Garrett held his breath as he waited for Sam to speak.

“Do you have the jewels with you?”

“Yeah, they’re in my backpack in the car. In the passenger seat.”

Sam motioned at Bill who immediately went to retrieve them.

“The haul should bring around $105K. I can do another job and get the rest. You can even take the BMW as collateral. That’s another $35-40K.” He remembered the earrings he’d given Chloe. “And I can get my hands on a pair of earrings that are worth another $20K.” Garrett looked wild-eyed at Sam. “Please, man, give me a chance to make this right. I’m no good to you injured.”
Or dead
, he added silently.

Bill handed the black, drawstring bag to Sam who looked inside. His expression grew thoughtful. Garrett had the impression that time had come to a halt and everything depended on this one moment.

“All right. We may be able to work out a deal … for old time’s sake.”

“Okay, anything.” The relief that surged through Garrett was so swift that it left him lightheaded.

“We’re gonna take a ride and talk things over. There’s something I want to show you.”

“A ride?” Garrett went tense as suspicion clouded his eyes. “I would, man, but I’m really tired. You see, I just got back into town—”

“It’s not optional,” Sam cut in. He motioned at Bill. “Help him to the car!”

G
arrett’s apprehension
mounted to frenzy when they pulled into the parking lot of what looked to be an abandoned warehouse. He fleetingly wondered if Sam were taking him here to die. A sick panic clawed over him, and he had to will himself to remain calm. “What’re we doing here?”

Rather than answering, Sam exited the car. Bill left the driver’s seat, came around, and opened Garrett’s door. Having no other choice, Garrett stepped out.

“This way,” Sam said gruffly with a wave of his arm. Garrett moved to follow, but he wasn’t fast enough for Bill who shoved him in the back.

“Take it easy!” Garrett grumbled. Every impulse commanded him to run, but he forced his feet to keep moving slowly forward. It was dark inside the warehouse, and it took a minute for Garrett’s eyes to adjust. They walked to the back where Sam stopped in front of what looked to be the door to an office. He pulled a set of keys from his pocket and unlocked it. They stepped inside the pitch-black room. When Sam flipped on the light switch, Garrett’s breath caught, for in the center—bound to a chair—was a man dressed in an expensive white shirt and tie. He was blindfolded and gagged. The second the light came on, he began thrashing wildly.

“What is this?” Garrett asked, a sense of horror overtaking him.

“One of the men who owes my boss a considerable amount of money. Unfortunately for him, his extension has run out.”

Sam’s voice was so casual he might’ve been discussing the weather rather than the fate of the bound man. Nausea overtook Garrett as his gaze went to the man who was writhing and grunting. Then he looked at Bill, whose blank expression had been replaced by an eager intensity as he began cracking his knuckles. He’d been incredibly naïve where Sam was concerned. No, not naïve—downright stupid! It went through his mind that Sam wasn’t the longtime friend he thought him to be and that Hank was right all along.

Sam laughed. “Bill lives for these moments.” He gave him the nod. Bill stepped up to the man and ripped off the blindfold.

The man jerked his eyes around the room and then settled on Sam. “This is ludicrous. I demand an explanation! I told you I’d get the money I just need more time!”

There was a haughty tone to his voice like he was ordering a subordinate to make him a copy or bring him a file. It seemed so out of place in this setting that Garrett’s mouth dropped slightly. He looked at Sam, whose thick neck had gone a deep red. He was stroking his goatee while watching the man with open disdain. Garrett knew the man was in serious trouble when Sam spoke.

“This here’s my boy, Danny.”

“I’m not your boy,” the man said hotly, “and I demand that you release me this instant!”

Sam was now eying him with fascination. His voice had a faint taunting edge to it. “When I first met Danny, he was riding high.” He glanced at Garrett. “A Harvard grad with a big house on the benches in Draper. Yep, Danny didn’t grow up fighting for everything like we did, he was handed it all on a silver platter by his mommy and daddy.” He grunted. “Danny came to me for a loan—something about starting a multi-level company that was gonna make him a millionaire overnight. You see, Danny’s like most of his neighbors, high up there on the hill. Hocking everything he has to pay for that expensive lifestyle with his beautiful wife, boats, cars …” He laughed to himself. “Danny even offered me a piece of the pie—on the condition that I was willing to work hard and clean up my image a bit.” He looked at Danny. “Isn’t that right?”

Wariness was creeping into Danny’s eyes.

“You know, there are many sophisticated ways of torturing people, but Bill and I prefer the old fashion way, don’t we?”

The wariness in Danny’s eyes had turned to naked fear, and his lower lip was starting to tremble. “I made a mistake.”

His voice sounded pitiful and small, a sickening reminder to Garrett that he’d sounded much the same way. He could feel the man’s fear, growing larger and more terrible until it began to ooze off the walls, going sour and rotten. “P-please, let me go. I’ll get you the money.” His face seemed to fold in on itself as he began to sob in long, ragged gulps.

Garrett felt the man’s humiliation, almost as though it were his own. To see such a man reduced to this pitiful state unnerved him in a way few other things had. He despised the man for being so weak, and he loathed Sam for openly mocking him when he was at his lowest. Revulsion welled inside of him, and it was all he could do to prevent a look of disgust from forming over his face as he looked at Sam. He was a bottom dweller—a two-bit thug. How had he not seen it before? It was like a tooth being unearthed to expose a decaying root. It had been there all along but was so cleverly hidden that he’d never noticed it.

“Please!” Danny’s cry tore through the room. “I’ll do anything! Just please don’t do this.”

“Yeah,” Sam said in a bored tone. “Heard that one before.” He gave Bill a nod.

Bill punched Danny so hard that the chair toppled sideways, causing him to hit the floor with a loud thud.

“Stop it!” he cried. “Please! I’ll get the money!”

Bill grabbed the chair and sat it up right. Then he began mercilessly pounding Danny’s face. There was a sharp crack as blood started spewing from his nose. The sound of flesh giving way under the brute strength of Bill’s knuckles was too much for Garrett, and he averted his gaze.

Finally, the beating stopped, and Danny slumped over, eyes closed. His face was misshapen and bloody, resembling raw hamburger meat. For a second, Garrett feared that he was dead, but then he let out a sob. “Please,” he whimpered. “I’ll do anything. I promise, I’ll get the money.”

Sam stepped up and grabbed him by the hair of the head. Then he bent down next to Danny’s face. “Not such a big shot now, are ya, Danny boy? You don’t look so good. What will your wife think of you now? How will she ever explain this to the neighbors?”

Garrett fought the urge to wretch. It was bad enough to watch the man get beaten to a pulp but then to have Sam openly mocking him was revolting.

Sam’s voice went hard. “You’d better get the money or your lovely wife and kids will be next! And we won’t be as kind to them as we were to you!”

Danny’s eyes shot open as a new terror came over him. “I’ll get it!” he said hoarsely. “I’ll get it!” he sobbed.

Sam studied him. “You have 48 hours, Danny boy.” When he let go of Danny’s hair, his head fell heavily to his chest. He looked at Bill. “Get this trash out of here.” He motioned at Garrett. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

A curious numbness settled over Garrett as he walked back to the car. This time, Sam got behind the wheel and motioned for him to get in the passenger seat.

Sam started the engine and began to drive. A few minutes later, Garrett turned to him, not trying to hide the bitterness in his voice. “Was that charade really necessary?”

A trace of amusement crossed Sam’s features. “Is that what you think that was?”

“You could’ve tortured that man anywhere … anytime. You didn’t have to wait until you had an audience. I told you I would get the money.” He felt sick—sick at heart and desperate.

“It’s like this—if it weren’t for our friendship, I wouldn’t be giving you a chance to make things right.”

“Some friendship!” Garrett muttered.

Sam slammed on the brakes, causing them to lurch forward. He threw the car into
park
and then grabbed Garrett’s shirt with his fists. “You’re treading on thin ice here! With the snap of my finger, I can have Bill rearrange that pretty face of yours to the point where you won’t be able to stand the sight of yourself!”

The malicious light in Sam’s eyes caused a trickle of fear to run down Garrett’s spine as he held up his hands in defeat. “Sorry, man.”

He swore and let him go. Then he jabbed a finger into Garrett’s chest. “Don’t push me too far!” Sam put the car into gear, and they drove in silence. By the time they’d pulled into Garrett’s driveway, Sam had changed back to his usual, controlled self. He turned to Garrett, his voice businesslike. “Here’s how this is going to work. Your extension is over.”

Garrett started to protest but stopped when he saw the warning look in Sam’s eyes.

“There’s only one way out of this. There’s a job coming up—a big one. You pull it off, and your debt will be paid in full.”

Fear rose thick in Garrett’s throat. “But I told you I would give you the jewelry and the BMW. That should take my debt down $150K. And then I’ll give you the earrings, which means I’ll only owe you another $30K. I can easily get that.”

Sam let out a cutting laugh. “Sorry, man. That might’ve worked several weeks ago, but the price has now gone up. A little thing I like to call
interest
.”

“What?” Garrett felt the sensation of being strangled with invisible hands. He fought to get a good breath as his mind raced through his options. Then he realized that Sam was speaking.

“This job requires a certain skill set. A skill set which, unfortunately, you don’t possess.”

“I don’t understand. If I can’t do the job then why are you even talking to me about it?”

“There’s a safe involved. A very sophisticated safe.”

It all came together in a sucker punch that nearly took his breath away as the world began to spin. He could feel the fingers of hysteria, trying to claw into his mind. “This whole thing is a set-up. You never wanted the money. You used me, exploited my weakness!”

Sam made a face. “Oh, don’t be such a whiner. It’s not my fault you’re a compulsive gambler.” His voice became practical. “You have access to the person we need. It’s as simple as that.”

“Hank,” Garrett said flatly. “You want Hank.”
Of course he wanted Hank! Everyone wanted Hank! He was the superstar.
A mixture of bitterness and worry settled over him simultaneously.