Knockout! A Passionate Police Romance (22 page)

She opened a copy of “The Ring” magazine she had bought at the airport. She had a growing fascination with the awful spectacle of boxing. It contained a courage and nobility that normal life could not expose. Not everyone was a world champion. Many were just beaten up and thrown away. On page 2 there was Freddie! He was standing on the middle rope, arms raised in victory. A photo of Billy “The Boulder” Brennan appeared in the next column. His face was battered and his blue eyes looked cruel and merciless. His shoulders were wide and one showed a tattoo of a naked girl holding a pit bull dog on a chain.

The article recycled tales of Freddie being out of shape, consorting with a girl in the South of France just two weeks before the fight. How on Earth did they know this kind of stuff? The article concluded with the words “Perhaps it would have been better for the Frenchman to tend his grapes rather than confront the wrath of Brennan. He will need every minute at Pete’s gym in Seaside CA if he is to stand a chance on the big night in New York. Both men will enter the ring undefeated. Who would ever have thought that you could get odds of 5to1 for the Champion to lose?”

She touched his glossy photo as tears once again filled her eyes. Somewhere he was living and breathing. Could she transmit her love to him - could he feel her love as she hung in the sky seven miles above the Atlantic holding his picture?

She picked up a hire car from the Avis desk at Monterey airport. She should have just taken a compact but instead drove away in a Crossfire convertible. She had dreamed of driving by the Pacific Ocean with Freddie on Highway One with the wind in her hair. Now she had only dreams. She was an emptiness defined by his absence. She checked in at the Monterey Bay Inn on Cannery Row. She sent him a message “Love you. Will dream of you” and slept wrapped in his robe as the sea lions barked on the harbor breakwater.

In the morning she called her FBI contact - Special Agent John Mayer. Twenty minutes later a square cube of a guy strolled into the lobby. He was about forty with fair crew-cut hair. He had an easy laid back smile.

Anna had dressed in cream linen trousers with a short coral colored tailored jacket over a floral scoop necked blouse. She knew at once he was a cop and stood to greet him.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he said with a rigid politeness and a firm handshake. “I kinda guess I’m here to stop you ending up in the ocean.”

“You’re my guardian agent then.” She said with a warm smile that she could see slightly embarrassed him. She could feel he had not expected this. This was a one woman guy and she was at home. They took a seat in the lounge and ordered coffee.

“I have to explain some rules Anna. You have no powers here. You are a civilian helping the police - if you can.”

She nodded her understanding.

“May I ask - um - what is your relationship with La Salle?”

“I’m his fiancée, but that’s between us.” She answered feeling the sting of the lie in her heart.

Agent Mayer raised an eyebrow. Clearly it was not normal for an undercover cop to be engaged to a suspect. He shook his head a little before speaking.

“Well, like I say ma’am - keep in touch. There are guys high above me who want this to run. Don’t take any risks - these crooks have no respect for a woman. I guess you’ll be checking out - um - Freddie.”

“Well not so much. He’s in final training and it’s not - you know - a girl thing.”

He smiled a little.

“Kinda keeping his strength for the fight...”

“Quite so. Quite so,” replied Anna with a deliberate Englishness.

“Hey- you really are a Mary Poppins,” laughed Mayer, visibly relaxing, “so tell me - what is your guy up to? I’m a wrestler, not that WWF stuff but real grappling ma’am.”

Anna smiled broadly. She liked this guy.

“What’s he up to?” She repeated.

“Yah - you know - Freddie always goes the distance - he’s no big puncher. We guess the referee will let Brennan fight 12 rounds with his head in Freddie’s face. Billy Brennan is one tough psycho and on home ground you can’t see any other winner. The question is why La Salle agreed to this fight in New York? It’s got to be just about money.”

Anna thought quickly. It would be a strange fiancée who did not believe in her man.

“He’s gonna win. I only know what Freddie tells me and I know he is confident.” She said, glad that she was not telling a lie.

“That’s great - I’ll tell my wife Jo to book that cruise to Europe. I can get five to one on Freddie and a tip from Mary Poppins is good enough for me.”

“Don’t risk too much...”

“Hey - we’re cops Anna. Risk is something else for us.”

She beamed. It was good to have the companionship of a fellow officer.

“Just don’t sell the house.”

Agent Mayer stood up and shook hands again.

“Stay in touch. As far as I can see you should be safe. We won’t be following you so report anything unusual. Like I say - you’re a tourist so enjoy Monterey.”

Anna thanked him and watched him go. He was as broad as a barn door. If it came to any situation she would want him on her side. For now it was a beautiful day and she was a girl on a mission.

As she reached her car she saw some kind of paper under the wiper. Surely she hadn’t got a parking ticket! She picked it up and read a note typed in large print -

WELCOME TO MONTEREY. SAY HI TO YOUR MAN AND TELL HIM TO BE A GOOD BOY.

She swiveled round half expecting to find somebody there. She should tell guardian agent Mayer but the result would be her removal from the case. She was bait in a trap that she had set herself. The spring was winding up and getting ready to snap.

In the harbor sea lions barked and a hint of clam chowder drifted on the ocean breeze. She started the Crossfire and gunned the throttle South towards Pacific Grove. Mom owned a neat little $4 million house in Acropolis Street between the Ocean and the golf course. She cruised by and parked out of sight. A Toyota SUV was on the driveway. She had wanted to see the house but did not intend to provoke some kind of drama on the doorstep. She called the number from the dossier.

“Hi - what’s up?” Answered a confident female voice.

Anna’s heart raced. This would not be easy.

“Linda La Salle?”

“Who wants to know?”

“My name is Anna - Anna Leyton.”

“You’ve got some nerve young woman...”

“Mrs. La Salle - I know I made mistakes... ”

“Mistakes! You rip my boy off for a twenty thousand dollar Cartier ring while you’re trying to get him in jail.”

“I love him. I can’t live without him. You can have the ring now if it’s just about the money.”

“Now, waddayamean. Now! Are you in town? Where the hell are you? Just leave us alone.”

Anna struggled to suppress her emotions. She could tell this woman was as hard as stone. She tried a different approach.

“You know he’s in danger from these gangsters - Scappaticci and Tondelli. I know who they are and I guess you do too. Freddie was never the police target. I may not have told him everything but perhaps he didn’t tell me the whole truth either.”

She sensed that something she had said had hit a softer spot. Linda La Salle answered abruptly.

“Just stay out of our hair. We don’t want you here.”

“Has Freddie said that?” Anna asked desperately.

Linda snapped a final “Goodbye” and hung up. Anna rested her head on the steering wheel and could no longer hold back her tears. What was she doing here? What did she hope to achieve. It was not about police work. It was about her man. The most likely result of her activities would be a visit from the boys. The note on the windshield had hinted that he was not cooperating. She was their key to him. At least he would know one day that she had loved him.

She heard the sound of approaching footsteps. She checked the mirror anxiously. It was only a slim female jogger who slowed briefly to look at her before crossing the street and turning the corner. She was getting jumpy.

She drove down to the beach and looked out at the azure, turquoise and aquamarine cocktail of the Pacific Ocean. Waves split into pure white fragments against an off shore rock. The beautiful loneliness of the scene mirrored her feelings of desolation. The rollers finished their journey pounding their force against the uncaring sand. She lay her head back and let a wave of fantasy break over her as he kissed her lips and moved inside her. For a few seconds he was there again in her heart but too soon the image washed away leaving only the call of gulls and the trickle of her desperate tears.

She headed back through Monterey to Seaside and parked up across the street from Pete’s run-down gym. A yellow painted door appeared to open onto stairs that led up to a room above a Laundromat. She watched a couple of tough looking Hispanic guys bundle laughing out of the door and stroll to an impossibly battered pick-up. They roared away as an old Camaro growled slowly past. The driver sported shades and a bandana. Did he look back at her in his mirror? She couldn’t be sure.

She crossed the street and pushed the button on a ragged intercom. She stood feeling out of place on the street as a group of kids with backward baseball caps slouched by. She caught an eye contact of insolence.

“Yah” said a rough voice from the speaker.

“Is Freddie there?”

“Who are ya?”

“Anna.”

“Wait.”

She waited. The old Camaro growled another length of the street. She was edgy.

“Nope - he ain’t here.” Snapped the intercom.

“Tell him I’ve got a message from Tondelli - tell him Anna loves him! Geddit!” She half shouted at the seedy chipped door.

A reply crackled out. “Yeah.”

She crossed back to the car, hit the soft top control and took off South towards Highway One with her raven hair streaming back in the wind like the tail of a galloping horse. Nothing had surprised her. She had not expected Linda La Salle to welcome her to her home or to be offered the red carpet at Pete’s gym. At least they all knew she was here. Stage one was over. Stage two was for another day.

The first gray light of dawn was in the sky as she walked from the hotel down to the path that ran along the coast. Dressed in trainers, jogging bottoms and her Bench top she began to run back towards Pacific Grove. The smell of salt and fish filled her lungs. A big black guy on skates startled her as he powered noiselessly along the path. There was no one else in sight. She ran on, straining her eyes into the distance. Then she saw a figure ahead - a jogger approaching. She pulled up her hood watched for a minute before turning and running away in the same direction - but at a far slower speed. This was a wild guess…

The sound of footsteps came closer and closer behind her. She did not turn. It was a powerful runner and she could hear his breathing. He was right on top of her now! He was moving alongside... She heard his startled exclamation as he pulled up.

She span round and searched into his deep brown eyes and handsome face for a glimmer of hope - of love.

“Freddie!” She gasped.

He stared at her. Her heart leapt. She was within reach. He took a step and pulled her into his arms as her tears of joy poured down her hot cheeks. His strong contoured arm curled around her waist while he pushed back her hood and gently traced the line of her jaw towards her lips.

“Anna!”

She could hear the emotion in his voice as he lifted her from the ground and pressed his lips to hers in a tender kiss. She melted into the hardness of his body, feeling her strength flowing out of her. She felt his grip relax and she found herself standing in front of him.

“This can never work.” He said with a shake of his head.

“Tell me you don’t still love me and I’ll go.” She sobbed angrily.

“Are you still on my case detective?”

“I’m on the case - these guys have got at least sixty million dollars to gain if you lose this fight. They won’t let you freestyle through this. Tondelli paid me a visit before I left Antibes...”

“God Anna... I didn’t want you mixed up in this.”

“But I am!”

“You could have walked away - stayed in London. You’re putting your head in a noose here.”

“You’re my man Freddie. My man.”

He let out a deep sigh. She searched his expression, gazed at his lips, brushed her eyes along the savage scar above his eye.

“I’m gonna win this fight Anna - there’s things you can’t hope to understand at present - maybe I should have told you...”

He stopped and steadied his gaze on her face. The warmth and nobility of the man shone out from his passionate eyes. She felt his desire for her as he pulled her to him again, cupping her soft butt with his powerful hand. She felt the thrill of her flesh against his hard body. He tilted her chin up and found her lips. She lost herself in his kiss as his love and passion poured into her. He rocked her gently in his arms as the world with all its troubles slipped away.

“I’m late for breakfast and a day at the office,” he said with a smile, “you’ll get a call in a while - I’m going to do something I should have done...”