The Red Storm (23 page)
Authors: Grant Bywaters
I got away with Mallon's death because Mallon was publicly shown to be a threat, and because of the department doing all they could to keep my involvement under wraps.
Then there was the illegal entry, mingling with criminals, withholding information from authorities, and other laws I broke or chose to ignore with reckless abandon. As justified as these actions might have been, in front of a judge I would lose all credibility.
I had barely skimmed by this time and only a fool would keep going in the direction I was. A lot of rope was given to me, enough to hang myself on, and that's precisely what I was sure they would be waiting for.
The only solution was to lay low. I had enough money saved up, combined with what Zella gave me. I wouldn't have to take a case for a few months, not that I currently had any cases to take. When the money started to get low, I would have to make the decision on whether or not to continue the trade.
With that settled, I cooked dinner. A knock came on the door when I had finished eating. I answered it and saw Ida standing outside in a red lace evening dress, a suitcase positioned next to her.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
“Mallon hid me all the way out at Baton Rouge in some second-rate dive. When I read what happened to him, I laid low, and caught a bus out here. I'll be taking another bus tomorrow back to New York. I'm in no real hurry to get there, though.”
“Well, you have a safe trip and all,” I said.
Her lips went into a pout. “You can at the very least be a gentleman and invite me in for a drink before I shove off.”
“I ain't a gentleman,” I said.
“That's for sure. Come on, how about it?”
I stepped out of the way and ushered her in with my hand. I set about rummaging the cabinets for a bottle of bourbon I kept around for guests. I poured her out a glass. She had made herself comfortable in one of the chairs when I handed it over to her.
“It's strange,” she said, taking a unladylike portion of the contents in her glass. “A brute like you not even attempting to make a move on me. Does me being a former whore disgust you?”
“Why would it?”
“I don't know. A lot of people are. Not that I'm ashamed of it, it was good money, and trust me, I earned it.”
“So you've told me,” I said. “Anyway, this has been a real delight, but I'm going to bed. You can finish your drink and help yourself out. Don't think about casing the joint, I don't got nothin' worth hocking.”
I had nearly stepped into my bedroom when she said, “You want me to join you?”
I twisted back to her. “Join me where?”
She stood up from the chair and said, “In your bed, dummy!”
I didn't say anything. She must've seen the confusion on my face.
“Look here. I don't like you much, but it's been a long time comin' since I had some attention. I'm sure it's been a while for you, too. So I'm offerin' us both a chance to get some release, see.”
In the course of her talking, her hands by some means had made their way to my belt, which she slipped off with the ease of someone who had a lot of practice taking the belts off men.
I stood outside the door like a chump as she went into the bedroom, slipped out of her dress and propped herself on top of the bed in a position that could only be described as pornographic.
“Make sure to shut the light off when you come in. I don't want to look at that face of yours,” she said.
Â
I would like to thank my wife, Heidy, and my family, as well as my editor, Jennifer Letwack, for all her help in making this book happen.
Â
GRANT BYWATERS
has worked as a licensed private investigator. He is currently finishing his bachelor's degree in psychology at Portland State University. Bywaters lives outside of Portland, Oregon.
The Red Storm
is his first novel. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
Â
Thank you for buying this
St. Martin's Press ebook.
Â
To receive special offers, bonus content,
and info on new releases and other great reads,
sign up for our newsletters.
Â
Or visit us online at
us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup
Â
For email updates on the author, click
here
.
Â
Contents
Â
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
A THOMAS DUNNE BOOK FOR MINOTAUR BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Publishing Group.
THE RED STORM
. Copyright © 2015 by Grant Bywaters. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover designed by David Baldeosingh Rotstein
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-07307-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-8507-3 (e-book)
e-ISBN 9781466885073
Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at
[email protected]
.
First Edition: December 2015