The first girl to offer him a lap dance held about as much appeal as doing his sister. The next one to approach was more his type. Small, big tits, dark hair and complexion. She told him her name was Eva, then led him to a cubicle in the back.
Ten minutes later Lotto emerged smiling. Maybe he wasn’t exactly happy but his mood had vastly improved. He’d left most of his stress in Eva’s mouth.
Wiz sat at the bar talking to a tall redhead. Lotto grabbed a seat back at the stage and ordered a beer and a shot of Tequila. Three shots later he decided it was time to move on, track down this Ghost, and put an end to his misery.
He did a quick survey of the place but didn’t spot Wiz. The redhead had disappeared as well. Maybe they were in one of the cubicles, though he didn’t think the redhead worked there. Not that it mattered. The place didn’t exactly have lots of rules.
The Honda had been moved to the back of the lot, in a corner by itself. “Fucking perfect,” Lotto grumbled. Wiz had taken the bitch out to the car to do her. Now it would reek like cum and nasty pussy for the whole ride.
He was a step away from the Honda when Wiz called from behind him. “Lotto! We’ll take this one.”
Wiz sat in the driver’s seat of a gray Grand Am. Lotto turned back to the Honda and peered in the back window. The redheaded woman lay on the backseat, her head twisted at an ugly angle. Lotto sighed, then turned and walked to the Grand Am. “You had to do that here?” he said.
Wiz shrugged. “We unwind differently.”
“You leave anything behind?”
“Never,” Wiz said. “I wiped down the car. Ain’t no fingerprints or nothing else in there to pin it on us.”
“She fight you?”
“Yeah,” Wiz replied with a grin. “Just the way I like it.”
A hint of a smile tugged at Lotto’s lips. He said, “Let’s get the hell out of here. We’ve got plans to make.”
***
Ten minutes into the movie, Michael’s disposable cell phone rang. He glanced at Nicki, briefly considering stepping out of the room. At this point, though, he had little to hide. He flipped the phone open and answered.
“You home?” Sean asked.
“Yeah.”
“Plan on staying there tonight?”
“Yeah…”
“Good,” Sean said. “I got an interesting call but I don’t have time to get into it with you. How about I tell you all about it over breakfast tomorrow?”
“You’re going to leave me in suspense all night?”
“I am indeed.”
“Bastard.”
Sean chuckled. “With the things most people call me, that borders on a compliment. Eight too early for you?”
“No, that works.”
“Still remember my favorite breakfast place?”
“How could I forget?” Michael replied.
The place was where they’d met when Sean had found Roger Dossing, Christina’s killer. Over pancakes and eggs, they had discussed Dossing’s fate. During that conversation Michael had decided he wanted to be there to witness it. The witnessing part had turned into him doing it himself while Sean looked on. The string of events that led to where he was now.
“See you at 8,” Sean said. Then, with a laugh, he added, “Sleep well.”
Chapter 56
Getting a table at Denny’s on a Friday morning was like finding a quiet spot in the midst of a rock concert. At least it was like that for everyone except Sean. Michael sifted through the throng of people waiting and spotted Sean sitting in a booth at the back, sipping coffee. He wove his way through the tables and slid onto the opposite bench.
“Did you call ahead for reservations?” Michael asked.
“You know they love me here,” Sean replied.
“Might be the $20 tips.”
“You think? And all this time I was sure it was my exceptional good looks.”
“You stick with that deluded thought if it makes you feel better.”
“I believe I will.”
A waitress appeared to take their order. As she walked away, Michael said, “So tell me about the phone call.”
“What, no foreplay?” Sean said. “I guess we’ve reached that stage in our relationship where you’re taking me for granted, going straight for the main course.”
Michael poured himself a cup of coffee. “It’s payback for leaving me hanging all night. You know how I hate to be teased.”
Sean cracked up, causing a few people to glance their way. He said, “Laughing in a public place with another man. I’m creating a stir here. I guess I’d better stop before these people start thinking we’re gay.”
“You ever been here with a woman?”
“No.”
“Me either,” Michael said. “So the waitresses probably spread that rumor already.”
“At least you’re good looking. I mean, if I have to be labeled gay, I at least want people to think I’ve got good taste.”
Michael dropped his head in his hands. “Dude, it is too early for your insanity.”
“How’s the dog?”
“The dog is fine. Now are you going to tell me about the phone call?”
Sean’s expression turned serious. The man was like a chameleon. Laughing and joking one minute. Ready to kill the next. He said, “A guy looking for you. Wanted to know if I knew where he could find you.”
“What did you tell him?”
“No, of course. Then he asked if I had a way he could contact you.”
“And?”
“You’ve got a reputation, like I said before. Word gets out. So at first I figured that’s what it was about. Someone looking to hire you.”
“But?”
Sean shrugged. “Within a minute of talking to him, my radar went up.”
The waitress came with their food. She had a cheery smile and a slow, southern drawl. She stood there a moment, fawning over them, placing warm syrup and extra bacon on the table. When she finally left, Michael said, “So what are you thinking?”
“She’s cute. But not my type.”
“Not the waitress. The call.”
“Ahh, yes. As I was saying, something was off. I asked the guy what he wanted you for. He said something about it being personal business that he had to take care of with you.”
Michael poured syrup over his pancakes as he considered the information. “You no longer think it was someone looking to hire me.”
“No.”
“You think Lott figured out that I’m the one after him?”
“That’s a strong possibility,” Sean replied.
“But contacting you?”
“Gossip travels. I’m the only connection to you.”
“What did you tell him?”
“To call back tonight,” Sean said. “Figured I’d let you decide how to handle it.”
“Give him my number.”
“You sure? You know he’s going to try to set you up.”
“Right,” Michael said. “Bu he won’t be expecting me to do the same. The cops are on his ass and I need a way to get him to meet me somewhere alone. What better way?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Sean said. Then, as he dug into his eggs, he said, “By the way, I need the dog back. I’ve got to return it today.”
“Good deed accomplished?”
“Think that’s enough to get me into heaven?”
Michael laughed. “Sure, if the dog gets a vote.”
On the way home from Denny’s, Michael stopped at the grocery store. He was stuffed and the thought of picking out food made him queasy. But Nicki needed something other than the stale Cheerios she’d been sharing with the dog.
Nicki went straight for the donuts he’d gotten from the bakery. She shared a piece with Chelsea and said, “I think I’m making her fat.”
Michael frowned, knowing what he had to say wouldn’t go over too well. “I have to take the dog back now.”
“Oh…”
Tears welled in Nicki’s eyes. Michael’s heart sank. He said,
“I’m sorry.”
“No,” Nicki said, wiping her eyes. “This is ridiculous. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Must be PMS or something.”
“Probably all the stress.”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, I was thinking of taking my father out for Chinese food this afternoon. Do you want to come?”
Nicki’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“Sure. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“You’re going to let me out of the house? And you’re going to let me meet your father? Wow. I must be worse off than I thought because that’s some heavy duty sympathy you’re tossing my way.”
“It has nothing to do with sympathy,” Michael said. “Well, maybe a little. You have been stuck here awhile.”
“Are you sure you want me to come?”
“I wouldn’t have asked if I wasn’t sure.”
“What about Lott and his friends?”
“There are only two of them left. I don’t think he’s got any help and I doubt they’ll be hanging out at a Chinese restaurant on this end of town.”
“And you’re okay with me meeting your father?” Nicki asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Nicki shrugged. “Only you would have the answer to that.”
Michael swallowed back a sarcastic reply. Nicki had every reason to doubt him. In all the time they’d known each other, he’d never introduced her to anyone. He’d only taken her to places he considered safe, which meant no chance of running into anyone he knew. Then there was the issue of him disappearing for all those months. He hadn’t exactly been a good friend.
“I was an ass for walking away from you the way I did,” he said.
“Yes, you were,” Nicki replied with a faint smile.
“Chinese food?”
“Yes!”
Chapter 57
Michael and Nicki arrived at his father’s house a minute before 4 that afternoon. “Beautiful flowers,” Nicki said.
“Yeah…” Michael replied. “I’ll be right back.”
Michael pushed the front door open, still half expecting to find his father passed out drunk on the floor. Sobriety wasn’t something Michael quite trusted yet. But his father wasn’t passed out and didn’t reek of booze. He was dressed in clean chinos and a button-down shirt. His hair was combed and, though he walked slowly, he didn’t stagger or sway.
“You look great,” Michael said.
John gave Michael a smile that said he knew better. Neither one mentioned the weight loss that caused his clothes to hang loose. John said, “Your girlfriend out in the car?”
“She’s just a friend, dad.”
“Uh-huh.”
Michael groaned. “It is possible to have female friends. And, yes, she’s out in the car.”
Nicki had slid into the back seat so that John could sit up front. After a bit of protesting from his father and an unyielding response from Nicki, everyone settled in for the 10 minute ride. The two of them hit if off like friends who’d known each other for years. For the next hour, animated conversation flowed between them. Michael mostly listened. And smiled.
As they were leaving the restaurant, Michael felt more relaxed than he had in months. Antonio Lott and all the subsequent craziness had slipped to the back of his mind. That made it all the more jarring when a man’s voice called out, “Hey Nicki!”
Michael twisted to find the source of the voice. Two men standing by their motorcycles. Casual stance. Shorts and t-shirts. Not Lott or Wiz. But they could easily be hired help.
Michael’s heart thudded wildly against his chest. For some inexplicable reason, a vision of Christina lying on that steel table at the morgue flashed through his mind. He couldn’t handle the same thing happening to Nicki.
Mere seconds had passed. Instinct had him ready to shove Nicki back inside the restaurant when she, smiling and waving, called, “Hey guys!”
Nicki glanced at Michael and her eyes widened. She must have seen the anxiety on his face because she quickly said, “They do the landscaping at the shelter.”
Michael nodded, unable to speak. His father gave him an odd look and said, “You okay?”
“Yeah. The heat just got to me, I guess.”
By the time they’d climbed into the Porsche, Michael’s heartbeat had slowed. At that moment he realized what losing Nicki would do to him. Was that because he’d be reliving the guilt of not protecting Christina? Or because of another reason he wasn’t ready to admit?
***
Back at home, Michael checked his disposable phone for messages. A man sounding much like Lott had left a brief message with the name Paul and a number to call. Michael dialed the number and, when the same voice answered, he said, “You left me a message.”
“Is this The Ghost?”
“Some people call me that,” Michael replied.
“I’d like to do business with you. Can we meet?”
Michael had given this situation a lot of thought. He had no way of knowing how much Lott knew about him or how he worked. Also, depending on the reaction he received, he should know for sure whether he was, in fact, dealing with Antonio Lott. So, staying in character, he said, “No need to meet. We can do our business over the phone.”
“I’m not comfortable with that.”
“Get a disposable.”
“I’ve got some shit you really need to see.”
“Deal with Sean,” Michael said.
“No offense but I don’t know anything about that dude. You came recommended by a trusted source.”
Michael let the man weave his nonsense story a little longer. Now, positive the man was Lott, Michael let him off the hook and said, “Yeah, okay. But this better be worth my time. I’m particular about my jobs.”
“I guarantee this one is worth every minute you’ll spend.”
The smug tone of the voice was not lost on Michael. That made him smile. The smugness would be gone soon. He said, “Tonight.”
“Cool. Meet me at -”
“No. I’ll tell you where.”
A slight hesitation, then, “Yeah. That’s cool.”
“There’s an old warehouse in Tampa on Fuller Street. Be there at midnight.”
Michael flipped his phone shut. Nicki, who had been beside him listening, said, “That was Lott?”
“Yeah.” As he headed toward his bedroom and the safe, he said, “I’ve got to get moving.”
“You do have a plan. Right?”
“For what it’s worth, yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“Lots of variables,” Michael said. “Cops could follow them out. Maybe only one will show. Maybe ten. Who knows.”
He uncovered his safe, not bothering to hide it from Nicki. She watched as he took a .9 mm Beretta from inside and checked to be sure it had a loaded clip. “Wow,” she muttered, eyeing the remaining guns.
“Stay here. Keep the doors locked.”
“I will.”
Michael carried the gun out to the kitchen. He said, “If I’m not back by morning, call that number I gave you.”
“Okay.”
“Don’t look at me like that.”
Nicki tried to smile but didn’t get far. She said, “Let me come with you.”
“No.”
“Michael -”
“No!” he said with a little too much force. Then he pulled her into his arms and said, “I’ll be fine.”
“I won’t be able to forgive myself if something happens to you. Then I’ll be pissed at you for making me feel like shit. So you’d better come walking through that door with no bullet holes and no handcuffs.”
“That’s a deal.”
She kissed him on the cheek. “Good luck.”
Sex would be a great incentive. But he didn’t have time for that. Besides, he was pretty sure sex with Nicki would be riskier than where he was headed.
Chapter 58
Michael drove straight to Sal’s and traded his car for a Toyota he’d used in the past.
The car was in good shape, conventional, low-key. Nothing that would make the cops or anyone else look twice. He slid into the driver’s seat and headed toward his destination.
When Michael arrived, he drove through the area twice. He had once known this place well but it had been awhile and he wanted to make sure nothing had changed. Thankfully for him, life often moved slowly. Everything remained the same.
He ignored the memories nagging at the peripheral of his mind. The sun was setting. Another half hour, maybe an hour, and he’d be able to set up.
Back on the highway, he headed off in no specific direction. A few minutes later he found himself passing the graveyard that held the last bits of Christina’s existence. Her parents had insisted she be buried. He hadn’t liked it, knowing she’d wanted cremation. But she’d never talked to her parents about it and hadn’t had a will. She’d been too young to worry about those things. Or so they’d thought.
At any rate, her parents had prevailed in that argument and now the earth consumed her at its leisure. He hadn’t been here since the funeral. The place contained the shell of who Christina had been. If there was more to life, and the spirit truly did transcend the body, then she certainly wasn’t hanging out in a hole in the ground.
He suddenly heard what he swore was her laugh. Infectious and carefree. He smiled as he drove past the graveyard.
Chapter 59
Wiz cruised slowly past the warehouse. “I don’t see anything. No cars. Looks clear.”
“Circle the block,” Lotto said. “See if we spot anything or anyone out of place.”
“Be nice if we had some idea what the dude looks like. Or what he drives. Anything.”
“Well we don’t. So stop whining.”
On their second pass by the warehouse, Lotto said, “You’re sure no one followed us out here?”
“We got out of the bar clean,” Wiz replied. “The cops are no doubt still sitting on their asses watching the Lincoln. We’re cool.”
“As long as no one reports this car stolen before we get back.”
“I took it from the block behind the bar, so the cops won’t link it to us.”
“They will if the fucking car’s reported and we get pulled over.”
Wiz shrugged. “We won’t be in it much longer. We’ll take a different ride home.”
“Park on the next street,” Lotto said. “It’s almost dark. We’ll move in soon.”
***
Michael rolled to a stop alongside the curb. Darkness had taken over. Tonight the quarter moon would offer little light around the passing clouds. Enough to suit his purposes. Not enough to make things more difficult.