“How can you be so sure?”
Listening to the crackling sound of the radio as officers from various observation platforms checked in, Delta answered Chuck without looking at either man. “He’s a genius, Chuck. A genius who has studied his opponents and knows that we’re looking for a pattern. And just when we found one, he changed. He’s brilliant. No matter how big of a scum he is, you can’t take that away from him.”
Leonard snorted loudly. “Sounds like you admire the guy, Stevie.”
This time, Delta slowly turned around. “I would hardly call it admiration, Leonard. The man is a psycho, but I respect his intelligence. I won’t ever underestimate either his intellect, or his capacity for cruelty.”
Shrugging, Leonard looked at one of the television screens. They had planted a camera in the stable of Harold’s Hybris. “So, where’s your sidekick?”
“Jan is still on the beat.”
“No, I mean Rivera. Where is she? Shouldn’t she be in here with us?”
Delta shook her head. “All of this equipment disrupted her computer, so she moved everything back to her car. She’s in the parking lot playing the game as we speak.”
Tugging on one of his eyebrows, Leonard scowled. “I don’t know how you did it, Stevie, but you sure know how to get the D.A.’s attention. She laid into me the other night at the hospital and told me to get off your back. What gives?”
Delta shrugged. “I want one thing and one thing only, and that’s to keep this bastard from hurting Connie. You and the D.A. can have all of the headlines and glory you want. Just get him off the street.”
Turning the volume up a notch, Leonard grinned a stained-tooth smile. “How about off the planet?”
Delta nodded. She’d like that. Glancing down at her watch, it was
5:35. The race would be over soon, if it wasn’t already. Suddenly, an
unexpected chill swept through her body.
He was there.
Like the other times when she felt the surge of evil emanating from his presence, she sensed him. She could feel the dark, black tentacles of his insidious nature thread their way through the crowd. He was there, lurking around the racetrack, searching, planning, setting up the pieces of the game to make his next move.
Checking her sidearm holstered under her right armpit, Delta tensed. Something wasn’t right. So far, no one had seen anything out of the ordinary. There were men posted everywhere, yet not one of them called in with a location of Elson. Had something gone wrong? Had they missed a clue somewhere?
“It’s almost a quarter till. Why haven’t we seen him?” “Easy, Stevie. We could be here awhile. As long as that horse is here, so are we. That is, if you’re sure he won’t just take any old horse.” Exhaling heavily, Delta shrugged. “Leonard, we’re not even sure
it’s a horse he’s after. But if he is, then it’s Harold’s Hybris. Trust me.” “And if it isn’t?” “Then he’s outplayed us.” “I don’t like the sounds of that.” Delta nodded. “You and me both.”
▼ ▼ ▼
For more than two hours, they waited in relative silence. No one had seen him, no one had stopped anyone even looking like him. Somewhere, they had made a mistake. Delta’s leg was sore from standing up every now and then to pace the floor, and her head still pounded. What had they missed? Were they so far off the track that they had wasted precious hours waiting for a crime that wasn’t even going to be committed? The thought made Delta’s stomach ache.
Finally, two and a half hours after the race, a somber, perplexed voice sounded over the airwaves.
“Uh, Sarge, we’ve got a development here that I think you ought to come check out.”
Delta and Leonard looked at each other before Leonard snatched the mike off the table. “What is it?”
“I’m not sure, sir. No one is hurt or anything like that, but I think you’d better have a look. And could you bring Officer Stevens with you?”
“What’s your twenty?”
“Stable 9E.”
Delta checked the stable map. Stable 9E was next to Harold’s Hybris.
“We’re on our way.”
Breathless moments later, Delta and Leonard rounded the corner of stable 9E and found the officer interviewing a stable hand who appeared to be in his early teens.
“What do you have, LaFrenz?” Leonard asked.
Officer LaFrenz pointed to the stable hand. “Him.”
The teen gave a weak smile and shrugged. “Some guy paid me a hundred bucks to give this recorder to Officer Stevens. Told me that she was a lady cop and that I shouldn’t give it to anyone but her. You her?”
Delta nodded, staring down at the brown paper bag the teen held. “Did you get a good look at him?”
The kid shrugged. “Like any other jockey. A little heavier than most. He’s been kickin’ around the stables most of the afternoon.”
“Did you say jockey?”
“Yeah.”
“What was he wearing?” Leonard asked, bringing his radio to his mouth.
“He was wearing a black and red uniform. Pretty cool one, too.”
Leonard yelled into the mike and told his people to look for a jockey wearing black and red. “Was this the guy?” Leonard asked, pulling the picture from his pocket.
The stable hand glanced at it for a second. “Nah. This guy was bald and had a moustache.”
Delta swore. “It was him, Leonard. Believe me, I know he was here.”
“Where did he go after he gave this to you?”
“That way.” The boy pointed to the east into the next row of stalls, prompting Leonard to notify his men to seal the area off.
“Won’t do you any good,” the boy said, wiping sweat off his forehead. “He gave it to me over two hours ago. Right before the last exacta race.”
Delta ripped open the bag and pulled out a small tape recorder. “Damn him!”
Eyes bulging, the stable hand stepped back. “I hope I didn’t do anything wrong. He told me you were a friend and that it was a birthday surprise.”
Staring down at the recorder, Delta waited for Leonard to inform his men of what happened. Turning back to the boy, Delta struggled to maintain her cool. “Did he say anything else? This is very important for you to remember. It could give us some important clues.”
Eyebrows knitted together, the boy thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. “Yeah, he did say something else.”
“What? What else did he say?”
“He said it’s almost over.”
“Damn it!”
Tucking his radio in his back pocket, Leonard moved over to Delta. “We lost him, didn’t we?”
Delta did not answer. Instead, she looked down at the tape recorder sitting in her palm. “Yep.”
“So what’s that all about?” Leonard asked, jerking his head toward the recorder.
“I don’t know. But I’m sure when we listen to it, we’ll find out. Damn it!”
Leonard studied the recorder for a moment. “Don’t think it’s an explosive, do you?”
Delta looked sideways at him. “Hardly. I’m sure he’s gloating. Have your men check to see if any horse is missing and keep them on top of it until the racetrack closes. If he did take a horse, knowing which one could save someone’s life.”
Leonard nodded and did as Delta told. Then, he turned to her and asked, “So what now?”
Taking her radio out, Delta called Connie and told her to meet them at the van. “Now, we’re going to hear just what that fucker has to say.”
When they got back to the van, Connie was waiting by the door. “What’s he up to now?” Connie asked, jumping into the van.
“We’re about to find out. Listen.” Sucking in her breath, Delta slowly pressed the play button.
“Good evening, ladies,” came Elson’s voice. “I suppose this comes as quite a surprise. Unfortunately, it really shouldn’t be, but in all fairness, the fact that you got this far credits you with exemplary gamesmanship and fortitude, not to mention some semblance of intelligence. I trust that, thus far, I have been a formidable opponent. Boring adversaries can be so tedious, don’t you think? Nonetheless, you have risen to the challenge and done quite well with it. You should give yourselves a pat on the back for getting Dori through Poseidon. Your resourcefulness deserves applause.” Delta looked over at Connie, while Elson applauded on the tape.
“Ah, but I am remiss in my etiquette. How is your leg, Officer Stevens? I imagine it took a few stitches to patch you up. But you’re a tough one, and I’ll bet you’ll be back on your feet in no time. You gave me no alternative, you know. For, had I killed your partner, you no doubt would have done the same to me. Consuela has chosen well her entourage in life. She surrounds herself with women more capable than she; women who can balance her inadequacies and weaknesses; women who challenge the various maniacal forces of society. Take a good look at the women in her life: There’s you, Officer Stevens, relentless in your pursuit of evil in the corporeal form, and the ever-charming Gina, who attempts to rid the mind of impurities—”
Delta reached over and clicked the recorder off.
“Stevie?” Leonard asked, raising his eyebrows.
Turning to Connie, Delta saw all the color leave her face. “Con?”
“Turn it on, Del.”
Delta pushed play, carefully watching Connie’s expression.
“Now, there’s an odd profession, don’t you think? Ghostbusters of the psyche. Why, all afternoon she’s been trying to tell me there are bats in my belfry.” Elson chuckled.
Connie went completely white and had to brace herself against the table. “You fucking bastard!” she yelled at the recorder and pounded her fist on the table. “You son-of-a-bitch! I’ll kill you with my bare hands!”
Putting her arm around Connie, Delta held her tightly before she could hurt herself or the machinery around them. “I’ll kill him! I swear to God, I’ll spend the rest of my life tracking him down if he touches a hair on her head.”
“Connie, listen to me!” Delta cried grabbing Connie’s face in her hands. Leonard took the liberty of turning the recorder off during Connie’s outburst. “Get a hold of yourself. You’ve got to calm down.”
“He’s got her, Del. God damn it, don’t stand there and tell me to be calm!” Connie’s flaming black eyes were like two pieces of burning coal. “He-has-my-lover,” she enunciated without moving her jaw.
“I know that. But you’ve got to get a handle, here. Every second counts, Consuela. I need you to get a grip. I need you. Gina needs you.”
The last line triggered the response Delta was hoping for. Inhaling deeply, Connie closed her eyes and nodded. “Okay, okay. Turn that damn thing back on. I want to hear it. All of it.”
Motioning for Leonard to turn the recorder back on, Delta looped her arm across Connie’s waist and pulled her closer. She could feel Connie trembling, as Leonard pushed the play button.
“Are you wondering if your cute little girlfriend is in my possession? You always did have good taste in women, Consuela. And this one is a dandy.”
“If he’s touched her . . .”
“I suppose you’re wondering why I came and left without my prize. Well, I haven’t. Not yet, anyway.”
Delta looked at Connie, who glared at the recorder; her jaw was set, her eyes small and intense, as if she was ready to spring. Connie had remained intact and held together by a thread, but Delta knew it would not last. The thread was fraying every second and it was clearly all Connie could do to keep it together. Her best friend injured, her lover abducted, and her own life threatened, Connie had been as reasonable as anyone could expect her to be. But Delta could feel the tide turning. She felt the slow unleashing of energy building within her. It was only a matter of time before Connie lost it and Delta didn’t know who to be more afraid for—Connie or Elson.
“You came close when you thought that stealing Harold’s Hybris was my next move. I enjoyed watching all of the Keystone cops gearing up for my visit. But come now, girls, stealing a horse? That’s a trifle bizarre, even for me.”
“Just tell me what you want, you fucker!” Connie cried, as large drops rimmed her eyes.
“I planned on taking something, all right, but it wasn’t a horse. That was too obvious, don’t you think? I do, indeed, have your little precious bundle of joy with me as I speak.”
There was a slight hesitation before Elson went on. “And I imagine, being as practical as you are, you’ll question the validity of that statement, so I’ll afford you the simple luxury of hearing her voice.”
Delta pulled Connie closer and held one of her hands.
“Connie?” Gina’s voice was small and barely audible.
Connie steadied herself against Delta’s grip. The voice was unmistakably Gina’s.
“Honey, I’m okay. He hasn’t hurt me or anything. I’m sorry. I should have known.”
Elson’s voice came back on. “Lest you panic and believe I am not following the game, let me assure you that I am. You just aren’t bright enough to pay attention to the more important clues.”
Connie closed her eyes and let her tears fall onto the floor. “I’m going to kill him.”
“You see,” Elson continued, “Hybris is what you’ve always had, Consuela. You are arrogant and proud of your many accomplishments. You’ve become blinded by self-righteousness. If you studied your Greek history and mythology closely enough, you’d know that the agent of punishment over mortals who commit hybris was named Nemesis.” Here, Elson cackled like an old crone hovering over a black pot. “Apropos,
n’est-ce pas
? And you must also be aware that Nemesis’s job was to take away the property of one who has become too prosperous in the eyes of the gods. That’s where you blew it today. Stealing a horse would not have been taking anything away from you, my dear. You are and always have been too high on yourself, so I, as
your
Nemesis, have taken away the thing you cherish most. And until you rid yourself of hybris, you shall never get beyond the Poseidon level.