Natasha sat tensely on one armchair in the sitting room. She had only taken off her coat. Her hand rested on the gun on her lap, while her mind busied itself. A sudden noise from the front door brought her alert. Her fingers closed over the butt of the gun and as she stood up, the door lock clicked.
Moving quickly, she tiptoed across the room and peered into the foyer. Seeing Rico, she relaxed and brought down the gun.As Rico edged into the foyer, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He took out the phone, sighed as he saw the name of the caller. It was Lieutenant James Hamilton of the Homicide Bureau. He answered the call.A hard, metallic voice attempting to be respectful came up.“Mr. Rico?”“Yes. This is me.”“Could you please pay us a visit at the headquarters?” There was a moment's pause. Rico felt he could hear the uneasy breathing of the man at the other end of the line. Then, the voice added, “When cominThe desk Sergeant, Harry Renick, was making movements with a pen in his mouth. Bored, he stared sightlessly; at the screen before him. He was a thickset, middle-aged man, with close-set eyes. A man who had lasted some five years on this desk job, and who promotion seemed to be far from.His face brightened as he saw Rico.“Good day, Mr. Jamie,” he said, as Rico came to rest at his desk.For the man who sends the whole police lot, a turkey, and a bottle of whiskey on Thanksgiving Day, his demeanor switched to the quiet, deferential manner; of an up-and-coming lawyer dealing with a prospective wealthy client.“So sorry about your driver... Lieutenant James is expecting you. First floor, second door.”Rico nodded, walked up the stairs to a door, knocked, turned the handle, and walked in.Lieutenant James Hamilton, a tall, slightly built man of over forty years of age, sat behind a small shabby desk; in a small, shabbier room. Two pl
Alfred Cain unlocked the door to his three-bedroom apartment, moved into the living room, and looked around at its luxury. He had lived in this apartment now for the past eight years and had gotten used to its luxury. Despite that, each time he stopped to inspect it, it didn't stop to remind him of how far he had come.From a kid who starved, working construction jobs, if he could find any, a dry crust of bread a day, would mean he was lucky. His mother had died of starvation.Looking around, he confirmed that this was all he had ever dreamed of as a kid. Too much money, every conceivable luxury within his grasp, plenty of women. Though he cared less about the women, he confessed to himself that they were the best form of relaxation; God ever made for men.He took off his coat, loosened his tie, and dropped his .38 automatic on the table, then moving over to a nearby window, he sat down on an armchair.His apartment was on the thirtieth floor of a fifty-floor hig
Who could've killed Pascal and try to frame it on Rico? Except for someone with guts, but better than guts, an okay, to steer a little trouble Rico's way. He knew Pascal encouraged no personal vendetta, even if he had an enemy crazy enough to kill him, they wouldn't be crazy enough to try framing it on Rico.From the way he figured it, Rico did it himself, or a man with more money and power; as Rico ordered it, or a man too crazy to be alive, did it.So, he hedged his bets on the former options. Then, he thought of a man with more money and power than Rico. Tony Rossi! He had a lot to gain if Rico was out of the way. What if he didn't fancy parting with a hundred million dollars when he could get what he wanted by playing the game the hard way?Either way, if Rico had done it, then he had gone against the number one rule in the syndicate, which barred the bosses from executing killings themselves, or if Tony Rossi had ordered it. Then there might just be a way o
Cain stared unbelievably at Gorevoy. He wasn't lost on that smile. All his life, he had only known one man to tilt the corners of his mouth to such an odd angle and that was Gorevoy! For a split second, his nerves fluttered, but he pulled himself up immediately. If he had to die today, then so be it... He couldn't grumble. He had had his fair share of better days in his short life; he told himself.“Why have you dropped the gun, Gorevoy,” he said in a sudden hard voice. “Pick up the gun and pull the trigger, or have you suddenly forgotten your mission here?”“I haven't, but I've repented of it.” He waved to the armchair opposite him. “Come over to this side, Cain.”Cain left the window and sat down in the armchair opposite Gorevoy.“If you have repented of it, then what are you still here for?”“It was a clever trick you guys used to get me behind bars. Whose idea and organization was it?&rdqu
“Eleven years in jail and you seem to have forgotten the rules of the game. No one knocks off a member of the syndicate without paying for it with their life. It’s a matter of importance.”“It would be done, and the syndicate would do nothing about it, instead they would be grateful. But, can I rely on you, that after Rico's death and the deal goes through, I would receive my share of the money?”Even though Gorevoy spoke quietly, Cain could still make out the hint of a threat in his calm voice. He thought for a moment, then said, “A hundred million dollars is big enough to share, but before sticking my neck out, I must know what you plan to do.”Gorevoy picked up the .38 on the table and began tapping the nozzle lightly on the glass table. The continuous tap-tap noise added to his menace.“You seem to forget quickly, Cain. I still have you over a barrel. Can I rely on you?”The voice wasn't so calm this
Cain smiled. This was interesting to him. “He might even be willing to pay us. She's going to be to him, a delightful change from the fat, old rich creeps he usually lays.”“But, there's a slight glitch. Would he be willing to tattoo his right hand as Pascal's?”Cain snorted with contempt.“A little oil in his engine and that bum would lay his mother. You have nothing to worry about.”“Then, that settles it. He would meet with her in Pascal's apartment, which would then be mine, dressed in Pascal's clothes. In the middle of their action, the cameras hidden somewhere in the bedroom would take shots. At the end of the movie, the best angle shot would be selected. The ones which capture their clothes discarded on the floor or lying in a heap on the bed, Rico's wife, Henry's tattooed right hand, and just a part of his face.”“Henry would want to know why he has to play the part of Pascal.”&l
Cain's eyes almost popped out of his head as he stared at the documents. This was the last thing he expected… the last thing he expected from a ruthless man like Rico. Turning the pages of the documents, he had to admit, this was a substantial offer, and he felt an odd sick qualm run through him as he thought of Gorevoy's plan to get Rico killed, then his mind shifted to the hundred million dollars. With Rico out of the way forever, he would be in control of his organization, giving him the right to sell. The man on top must come down for the man down to climb up.“I don't want you to sign it now,” Rico said. “Think about it first.”“There's nothing to think about, this's a substantial offer.” He stretched forth his hand. “Let me have the pen.”“No, do me a favor, Cain, sleep on it.” He extended his hand for the documents, collected them, put it back in the briefcase, and dropped it on the table. &ldqu
“Did you, for a moment, think that Rico has suddenly become generous? Offering you a five percent cut off his business profit, that’s a lot of generosity for a cold-blooded animal like Rico. Director of operations?” Gorevoy snorted. “What do you possibly know about the Casino business?”“I should have known better. He almost had me there.” He walked heavy-footed to the armchair and sank himself into it. “Rico thinks I'm responsible for Pascal.”“He isn't sure, that's what he wants to find out,” Gorevoy returned. “You've got to call Lopez before he does. Tell him about me.”Cain quickly took out his phone and began dialing Lopez's number.… Rico walked briskly to the elevator. He thumbed the button number, thirty-one, and was whisked to the next floor, above. He got out of the elevator, walked to the door at the far end of the corridor, and thumbed in the bed push.The
Natasha came slowly awake with a dull headache. She felt like her brain was rolling inside her skull. She squinted at the blurred figure of a man before her, against the light. Then, the man moved away, and the light fell directly into her eyes. She shut her eyes again and drifted to the steady throb inside her head.She heard a voice say, “She’s awake, boss.” The voice seemed to come from far away, but she guessed it was the man who had stood before her.The light burned through her eyelids, and she tried to shift away from it. When she found she couldn’t move, she raised her head and looked. The sudden movement exploded something behind her eyes, and she had to stay still again. Then, after a while, the throb went away, and she tried again.She found she was sitting in a wooden chair, her hands tied to the arms of the chair, her legs tied to its legs. A desk and another chair faced her. The wall of the room; which faced her, was a wide; ceili
Alessa had seen Natasha come out of the condominium, hail down a taxi, and got in. And as the taxi had driven away, she had gotten a glimpse of its number. She could still remember the number. She dialed a number on her phone.A man’s voice came through.“Hello?”“Nick, help me trace a taxi, numbered; 285.”…Alec Barley had lived alone now for over five years, and from time to time, he got himself a woman, ‘to take care of his blood pressure,’ as he usually quoted it to himself.Tonight, he was all alone. He picked up the boiling kettle and made himself tea.He carried the tea into the living room and sat down limply in the big armchair. The springs creaked under his weight, but tonight, he didn’t care about the gradual wearing out of his furniture. With Natasha’s ten thousand dollars, and with the twenty thousand Gorevoy had promised him, he knew he could give his apartment a fresh look
A Toyota Prado drove into the warehouse and pulled up behind the cab. Out of it spilled two black powerfully built men dressed in black suits. The driver held a small black briefcase. He came over to Gorevoy and handed him the briefcase.The other man went over to the rear door and opened it. Natasha’s shrill scream filled the warehouse.He raised his gun to her.“Hold it,” he said in a voice that was loaded with menace. And just like a cheap magic trick, a dead silence fell on the warehouse. “Get out.”Natasha did as she was told. He nudged her forward, and toward the Prado, and as she moved forward. With speed, akin to that of a Black Mamba about to strike, he closed in on her and struck a needle into her arm. Almost immediately, she went limp. He picked her up and bundled her into the back seat of the Prado.The two men got into the car. Gorevoy watched them drive off, then he shrugged and got into the cab.Rico edged th
Rico stared at the phone, bewildered, and just as he was about to close the phone, a message from Rose dropped in. He viewed the message, and an obscene, crude, sexually brash picture filled his screen.It said a lot about him that his face remained expressionless. He felt an increased rate of blood flow to his extremities. The phone became too heavy for him to hold, but he held on to it.Natasha looked into his eyes. The light in them made her shift away from him.“What’s it, Jamie?” She asked carefully.He turned the screen of the phone to her.“What is this?” His voice roared.Natasha’s hand flew to her mouth as her breath came in quick gasps. The look on Rico’s face frightened her. She had never seen him look like this before. Immediately, she stood up and edge back into a corner of the room.“I can explain, Jamie. It not what you think.”Rico made after her, but stopped in his tracks.
Rose took the envelope, lifted the flap, and drew out six photographic prints. A single glance stopped her heartbeat for a split second, her heart raced, and she felt icy sweat break out on her face. She shuffled through the prints, then returned them to the envelope, and put the envelope down on the table. Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn’t believe Pascal had betrayed her.Gorevoy regarded her. “Four days ago, I gave the originals to Rico; these are photocopies. The next day, I read in the papers that Pascal was dead. Rico knew I was the only one who had evidence; linking him to Pascal’s death, so he dropped two tails on me. That was when I knew my life wasn’t safe anymore, and I had to talk to you. This disguise was essential to shake off the tail. If Rico gets the idea that I’ve talked, I’m as good as dead. If anything happens to me, you know who’s responsible. You are a press woman. You know what to do with these photog
Gorevoy dropped the phone in his pocket. His mouth twisted into a crooked grin. So Rico was onto him. Well, even if he would not get any money out of this, he would get his revenge, and that was a promise he had made to himself.He stripped off his clothes. It was essential to his plan that he wouldn’t be followed to where he had to go to now. He opened the closet and took out the woman’s dress he had bought for an occasion like this. He slipped into it, wore a brown topcoat, and slid his feet into a Mary Jones shoe. Making himself up, he wore a black wig and dark shades, took a handbag, folded his clothes, and put in the bag. He picked up a brown envelope from the table, dropped it in the bag, and left the room.Outside the condo, he sneaked a surreptitious glance at Alessa. She paid him no attention. He hailed down a taxi and got in.The taxi pulled up in front of Rose’s apartment building. He got out, paid the cabman, and proceeded to the bu
There was a scuffling noise. The silence of the room was split by Cain’s scream, then a thud that seemed to shake the entire apartment.Immediately, Alessa stood up. She took a mass of foam from her pocket, crossed to the bath, soaked it with water, crossed to where Cain was sprawled on the floor, still dazed from the shock of the fall. She dropped on him, her knees pinning his hands to the ground. And as the wet foam came above his face, Cain suddenly realized what was about to happen to him. He gave a sharp squeal of terror, and he made a frantic effort to save himself, but it was too late.Alessa dropped the foam on his face and applied pressure. Water flowed down the sides of his face. His legs kicked helplessly.Keeping the pressure steady, Alessa watched the desperate heaving of his body and the movement of his fingers scrabbling at the tiles.Cain suddenly realized he had no chance of surviving this. Alessa’s weight on him felt like a h
About an hour’s drive from Miami, Rico’s Lincoln, turned from the main road into a narrow dirt road, just wide enough for one car. Either side of the road was screened by tall trees and shrubs.Seated in the driver’s seat was Rico. Beside him was Rose. Since their drive from Miami, she hadn’t said a word, and with the way she had her hands between her knees, he could tell she was nervous. Well, he couldn’t be blamed. Before the drive, he had tried to talk her out of this foolishness, but her heart had remained as hard as a diamond.Finally, down the dirt road, the powerful headlights of the Lincoln picked up the rear of a car.“I think there is a car on the way,” Rose said sharply.Rico noticed that the hardness he had gotten used to was
After ten minutes of driving, Cain’s taxi turned into the street, which housed the high-rise; where he had his apartment, and as Alessa’s driver was about to follow suit, she leaned forward and said, “I’ve changed my mind. Drive me to Sam’s bar.”The driver nodded.Ten minutes later, the driver slowed down and pulled up outside Sam’s bar.“Here we are, miss.”Alessa paid him, got out of the cab, and entered the bar. Moving through the crowded, smoke-hazed air, she came to rest at the bar where Sam; an obese man, was serving drinks.He looked up from the drink he was mixing, noticed her, then smiled.“I’m expecting a friend, Sam,” Alessa said.“Room three and five, are available,” Sam returned.“I’ll take room five.”Sam took out a key from the key rack and handed it to Alessa.“You care for a drink?”Alessa shook her