Desire Unleashed (22 page)

“It’s simple, and I’ll make it worth your while.” Sonny assured him, barely able to keep the disgust from his voice at the other man’s habit. They were both twenty-nine years of age, but no one would have guessed it. Chuck easily came across as ten years older. The lifestyle he led had ravaged his features, making him look old before his time.

Sonny hesitated for the briefest moment while he contemplated whether Chuck was up to the task. He could be so lame at times, and this could not be botched. He’d rather do it himself than risk any stuff ups but Socrates had a point, if something did go wrong, better it be Chuckie boy’s butt in the slammer than his.

Sonny decided to bite the bullet. “Okay, here’s the deal. There’s this woman in Coronado I want you to nab.” He handed a photo of Kathy to Chuck as he spoke, so there’d be no mistaking her identity. “Don’t hurt her, just bring her to me, and I’ll take it from there. Steal a car, you don’t want anyone ID’ing yours. Oh yeah, and get yourself a ski mask or something.”

*

Chuck turned away, hiding the grin on his face. If he didn’t fuck up now, then this was gonna be an easy week. No break and enters, no snatch and grabs, and no prostituting his ass. He quickly did the numbers, hell if he played his cards right, this little job could net him a fortune and keep him high for the next couple of months.

“You know I’d do anything for you buddy, but this is gonna cost ya.”

His old school pal started the negotiations at three fifty, and he replied with a negative shake of the head. “No dice. I want at least double, and that’s cheap. Anyone else I’d charge a grand.”

Five hundred was the next offer on the table. They finally settled on seven with his bud agreeing to pay half now and half when the job was done. Chuck pocketed the bills without bothering to count them and took the yellow sticky note his friend held out.

“This the delivery address?”

*

“Yeah.” Sonny confirmed and crossed to the doorway, eager to beat feet, too much time in Chuck’s company made his flesh crawl.

“I’ll be seeing you next week then.”

“You can count on it.”

Sonny hurried down the stairs and onto the pavement. The wheels were now in motion, and all he had to do was sit back and wait. He whistled as he briskly made his way through the darkening streets to his car. He’d been prepared to pay at least a grand for Chuckie’s services, but the dumb son of a bitch had zero negotiating skills and tipped his hand early, so he’d got out of it cheap.

Chapter 12

It was nudging six p.m. as Kathy jogged the last few yards uphill along the road that ran beside the sand dunes. It wasn’t a busy road, and that was the main reason she’d chosen it. The only passing traffic was from the few residents who lived there or those wanting to take-in the view from the lookout at the top of the hill.

She especially enjoyed this alone time; apart from keeping her fit, it made her feel serene and allowed her to reflect on her day. She was later than usual today, having decided to accept a spur of the moment invitation to have coffee with Anne and Len after school. They’d met at
La Patisserie,
and it had been pleasant sitting in the fresh air, catching up over cappuccinos. They hadn’t stayed long though, Len had a dentist appointment and Anne had a family function to attend, so they’d arranged to see a movie together Monday night. She’d declined at first, hoping the other two would go as a couple, but Anne wouldn’t hear of it knowing that Shane’s schedule dictated that he’d be away. Kathy had kept their romance pretty much under wraps not wanting to read too much into it. Shane’s insistence on casual and “when this thing has run its course I’ll walk away” speech echoed hollowly in her head. Only Anne had an idea of her deepening feelings, but she guessed the time was coming to be honest with Shane, and admit how she really felt. If that meant breaking up, she’d just have to deal with it.

The wind that had started as a gentle breeze when she’d set out had picked up considerably. It whipped strands of hair across her face and brought with it a distinct chill. The sky had darkened, and the smell of a coastal shower was in the air. Kathy checked her watch. It was getting late, and the streetlights had just come on. Evening was drawing in. She hadn’t reached her intended goal but not wanting to chance a drenching, turned around to retrace her footsteps.

Kathy hadn’t gone far when her eyes skewed to a white van by the curb. She’d noticed it earlier parked at the foot of the hill, and she knew it was the same van by the bright blue stripe down the side and the dent in the front fender.

The fine hair on the back of her neck prickled, but she dismissed the uneasy feeling as the wind picking up and an overactive imagination. But as she drew level with the van’s side door, a freckle-faced man with stringy reddish-blond hair was revealed, crouching in the opening. Wearing a scowl, and dressed in denims and an unbuttoned plaid shirt over a black Tee, he looked menacing. Kathy gave him a hasty glance and stepped up the pace, but as she passed by, she heard his feet hit the pavement behind her and was pulled up short by a vicious tug on her hair.

She opened her mouth to scream, but his hand cut off her breath, his other arm snaked her midriff, and he lifted her bodily off the ground. Kathy struggled and fought with all her strength, gouging deep furrows along the length of his arm and biting hard on his fingers. As her teeth found purchase, her attacker reefed his hand from her mouth.

“Quit it bitch or you’re dead meat.”

Kathy took the advantage and screamed. Her assailant swung her around and silenced her with a sharp punch to the side of her face. The force of the impact split her lip and almost knocked her off balance.

A loud horn and the screech of brakes nearby caused the man to wheel around. The distraction was enough to give her the upper edge and, reacting on instinct, she lifted her leg and kneed him with as much force as she could in the groin.

He dropped like a stone and doubled over.

“Get in girl, hurry.” A woman in an SUV gesturing wildly shouted at her.

Kathy flew into motion. She raced over and jerked open the car door, barely having time to clamber aboard before the wheels spun. The vehicle fishtailed down the street, leaving a spray of gravel in its wake.

“Are you all right? Who was that man?” Her savior inquired, swiveling to face her.

“I’ve no idea. He just jumped out of that van and grabbed me. Thank God you came along when you did.” Kathy wiped her mouth with a shaky hand. The metallic taste of blood was strong. “I’m bleeding.”

“There’s a tissue in the glove compartment help yourself.”

Kathy buckled her belt and sat back in the seat shaking, chaotic thoughts raced through her mind. Was the attack related to the phone calls and flowers, or was it a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? The more she thought about it, the more she had to believe that the attack wasn’t random, and the realization terrified her.

“I’ll take you to the local precinct, you should report this.”

Kathy nodded. She remembered seeing the van parked at the bottom of the street earlier, but there’d been a number of people hanging around, so perhaps that was why he hadn’t grabbed her then, it had been too risky. Being a creature of habit, anyone observing her would know this was the same route she took every time she went running.

“Here dear, use my cell if there’s someone you want to call.”

Kathy glanced at the silver-haired woman beside her and accepted the phone with a murmured thanks. She was an older lady of an indeterminate age with kindly blue eyes that crinkled when she smiled.

“By the way, I’m Olive Green.”

Kathy gaped at her wide-eyed and blinked.

“I know,” Olive replied. “I get that same reaction from everyone. My maiden name was West, but I fell in love and married Sam Green fifty years ago and I’ve been a Green ever since.”

Kathy introduced herself, and Olive patted her leg accompanied by a calming smile.

“Try not to worry dear, I know that’s easier said than done, but try all the same, worrying won’t change a darn thing and will only give you wrinkles.”

Kathy managed a weak smile as she dialed Shane’s number but was disappointed when it went straight to message bank. “Shane, it’s Kathy… I’ve been attacked by a horrible man who tried to force me into his van. Olive Green is taking me to the local precinct… I guess I’ll talk to you later.” She was rambling but couldn’t help it. She ended the call with a sniff.

“Don’t fret love, I’ll stay with you until your boyfriend arrives,” Olive assured her. She then explained how she’d just dropped her grandchildren home to her daughter who lived at the end of the road, and was on her way back down the hill when she noticed Kathy, struggling with the man on the sidewalk. At her age, Olive said, she’d be no match for him, so did the only thing she could think of, which evidently was enough, as it allowed Kathy to break free.

*

Olive brought the SUV to an abrupt halt in front of the precinct. It was now well after six and getting darker by the minute. The cloud cover had thickened, and the faint rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Olive flung open the door and bounced out, remarkably spry for an older lady. She flicked the remote, and the vehicle responded with a sharp beep and a flash of lights as the automatic locks engaged. Olive grasped her by the arm and propelled her up the steps and into the building.

It was relatively quiet at that time of evening, and the reception area was empty. The desk sergeant who was having an animated telephone discussion looked up as they approached the counter. Kathy’s battered face told its own story, and he indicated with his hand for them to take a seat.

Sergeant Samuels returned the phone to its cradle. “What can I do for you ladies?” His polite enquiry was laced with concern.

“Good evening officer, I’m Olive Green and this young lady who was attacked on the street less than half an hour ago, is Kathy Bellamy. Lucky for her that I happened along when I did, or he’d have forced her into his van and the devil knows what he’d have done to her then.”

“Did you know the assailant ma’am?”

“No Sergeant, but I got a good look at him.”

“And I memorized the license plates, and that sucker was writhing on the ground clutching the family jewels after Kathy kneed him in the nuts.” Olive added for good measure.

The sergeant looked a touch nonplussed, and Kathy couldn’t believe her ears. Olive was certainly a live one. Oddly enough, her mother’s words came back to her loud and clear. “Humor can be found in any situation if you look hard enough.” Olive certainly provided it tonight.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to sit down I’m feeling a bit faint,” Kathy announced, retreating to the bench by the wall.

The sergeant kindly brought her water from the nearby dispenser. “Here drink this,” he said, handing her the tumbler then disappeared only to return a short time later with a tall sandy-haired man in a charcoal suit.

“This is Detective Jesse McKenzie.” The desk sergeant made the appropriate introduction.

Kathy extended her hand and the detective shook it professionally. He appeared to be around thirty-eight and would have been a handsome man except for the nasty scar that ran down his left cheek and disappeared into the collar of his shirt. It was a vicious scar that made him look like a thug, someone you wouldn’t want to meet in a dark alley.

“If you two ladies would like to follow me into an interview room, I’ll take your statements.”

Kathy and Olive were about to stand and follow the detective when the front doors burst open.

* * * *

Ice left the building and strode across the asphalt toward the base parking lot. He’d just come from a meeting and knew from the preliminary discussions it was only a matter of time before he was officially offered the position of trainer on a permanent basis.

He’d been lucky throughout his career, in as much as he hadn’t sustained any serious injuries, which in his line of work was a real possibility. Down the track, the offer would have been tempting, but he thrived on field work and figured he hadn’t quite reached his use by date yet.

With a flick of his wrist he glanced at his watch, it was almost six-thirty, and he was running late. Kathy was expecting him to cook dinner, but it had been a long day, so he thought he’d pick up some take out instead. Tossing his briefcase on the passenger seat, he took out his phone to give her a call. The phone showed two missed calls so he checked those first. One was from his carrier offering an updated plan. The second one sent him into a tailspin. It was from Kathy.

Slamming the car into gear, Ice tore out of the parking lot as if the hounds of hell were after him. He had to get to her fast. Thank the Lord there was little traffic and the lights were in his favor. As he powered down the road, he kept rehashing the conversation he’d had earlier in the week with Wolf.

True to his word, Wolf had wasted no time in tracking down the florist. Ice even knew the shop. It was situated next to the real estate office where Kathy paid rent. Wolf had used his charm and Hollywood smile to sweet talk the shop assistant into revealing that the order had been made over the phone. The young florist remembered the details all too well because when she’d written the messages on the cards the caller refused to give his name, so she’d christened him Romeo. It was such an unusual request, Romeo claimed he didn’t have a credit card, that in itself was weird because who doesn’t have one in this day and age? When Wolf asked how he’d paid, she’d said he put the money in an envelope and slipped it under the door. He couldn’t come during business hours as he worked the night shift and slept through the day, so there was no physical evidence to link Kathy’s flowers to anyone.

Ice reached the precinct in record time. It had started to bucket down as the vehicle skidded to a halt behind an SUV, but he didn’t notice the rain as he leaped from the car in one fluid movement and raced up the stairs.

Barreling through the double doors, he scanned the reception area for Kathy. Their gazes locked across the room, his settled on her swollen mouth, and coldly furious, his eyes hooded over. Kathy caught his look, and her bottom lip trembled. He reached her in three strides and gathered her into his arms as she started to unravel.