“Mr. Kiss, I wanted a favor. I have an important date at The Old Lady. Any chance you can get me inside?” asked John.
“No problem, John. Walk up to the bouncer after two minutes. I will take care of it for you.” said the voice on the other end, and the call disconnected. John waited for two minutes. As he waited, his earpiece radio kicked in. Sheila was already here.
“Boss, can you hear me?” said Sheila.
“Yes, Sheila, loud and clear. I am guessing that you are already in the club.” said John.
“Got here an hour early. Did not wish to make you wait.” said Sheila.
“I am not going to bother asking how you managed to get into the club. You must have done something.” said John.
“I did something, alright. As always, I will spare you the details, Boss. So far, the girl has not come in. I will keep an eye out. Bye for now.” said Sheila. Two minutes had passed by now. John walked up to the bouncer.
“Hi. I am John Russo.” said John, to the bouncer. The bouncer, a huge guy with muscles as big as John’s head had a rigid expression on his face. He seemed to recognize John’s name.
“Hi, Mr. Russo. I was expecting you. Please come in. Don’t forget to have fun.” said the bouncer, letting him enter the club.
“Thank you.” said John, as he walked across the darkly lit, neon filled club entrance. As he walked toward the main dance floor, the noise got louder and louder. Once inside, the whole place was vibrating with loud music and loud voices. The Old Lady was a popular club in the city, and John was not surprised to see it full of men and women of up to about thirty. Many of them were already dancing like crazy.
Not wanting to see too much of the dancing and the unnerving crowd, John reached the bar, sat on the farthest chair, and ordered a martini. He tipped the drink mixer generously and kept an eye out for the lipstick girl. Even as he kept sweeping across the club, he noticed Sheila a couple of times. As promised, she did not respond with any sign of recognition. She also had not reported anything so far. An hour had passed, and John was now on his fifth drink. In all fairness though, John had been pouring every drink he ordered into the next person’s glass without him being aware of it. John was pretty good at faking that he was a regular club goer who loved his drinks. Another hour passed, and then the radio crackled.
“Boss. Lipstick Lady is seven o’ clock to you.” said Sheila, over the radio.
John looked at the direction that was mentioned by Sheila. Just as she said, there she was, the red Lipstick Woman. John noticed that she was looking straight at him. That pretty much told John what he had been guessing all this time. She was following him, rather than his client. The lights on the dance floor were fuzzy at best, and John could only make out the outline of the woman. He still could not see her face clearly, although he already had a good idea of what she looked from the picture. John paid the bartender for the last drink, added another generous tip, and decided to exit the dance floor and head to his car. He spoke into the radio again.
“Sheila, I am walking out of the club now. If I am right, the Lipstick Woman should follow me out of the club. I will drive away from the city, and I want you to follow her, all the while she is following me. Once we are in the quietness of the city outskirts, we will catch her and find out what this is all about. Is that clear?” said John, speaking into the radio, even as he walked out of the club. Sheila acknowledged what he said.
Once he was outside, John gave the parking ticket to the valet. His car was brought to him in a few minutes and he got in. John drove slowly out of the building premises and kept a close eye on the rear view mirror. Another car also left just as his card did, and he noticed that the driver was the Lipstick Woman. John continued to drive and was now out on the streets. He turned left out of the main road and then drove straight to the outer ring road that bordered the entire city. Driving slowly at first, he quickly picked up speed, and avoided taking any road that was longer than a mile. All the while he drove, he kept continuous radio contact with Sheila, making sure that she was right behind the car that was following him.
John had about a mile to go to his planned destination, an open ground that was bound to be empty at that hour. He was hoping to stop at the rather deserted place and catch the driver who was following him. John looked up in his rear view mirror, and what he noticed made him worried. The car that was following him was not there! John quickly spoke into the radio.
“Sheila! That car is gone. Do you have it in your view?” asked John.
“Boss, I am still taking the turn where she just entered. What do you mean, she is not in the view?” she asked.
“She is not in my view. Take the turn and let me know if you see her,” said John, stopping the car, reversing it to drive in the other direction.
“Boss, the road is empty. All I see is your car at a distance.” said Sheila.
John stopped turning his car. He got out of it, and about a mile away, he could see the lights of Sheila’s car. John was a little disappointed with himself. At the same time, he was also impressed with the person who managed to fool two drivers. John kept his eyes on the road, and he could still see Sheila’s car approaching him. From this distance, all he could see were the car headlights. As if the night hadn’t seen enough action, the car seemed to slow down and started driving in an odd fashion, as if the driver was struggling to keep it straight.
“Sheila, what is happening? Why are you driving that way?” shouted John into the radio. He got no reply. Sensing danger, he quickly got back into his car and started driving toward Sheila’s car. As he drove furiously, his assistant’s car stopped completely, made a U turn, and started racing away from him. There wasn’t much light on the road, and the driver’s light was switched off in the car. John could make out a vague silhouette and it did not resemble that of Sheila. That left only one conclusion. It was that Lipstick Woman.
As John drove through the street tailing his assistant’s car, he was getting extremely worried. He stopped thinking about it, and continued to drive, increasing the speed with each passing lamp post. The driver in front of him obviously knew that he was behind them. The driver kept increasing their speed, and John kept doing the same thing. Both the cars were now racing at over a hundred miles per hour. John’s mind was filled with thoughts about what could have happened to his assistant, and he did not notice what was about to happen.
There was about a hundred meters of gap between the two cars, or about three seconds. If John wanted to, he could have closed that gap. For safety reasons, he kept that gap, and then it happened! A vehicle suddenly appeared between them from one of the side roads, timed to be in between the first car and the second. John hit the brakes as hard as he could. Then again, a hundred meter gap was never sufficient to stop a car that was moving at hundred miles per hour. John’s car rammed straight into the vehicle that came in front of him. John did have his seat belt on, and the air bags went off instantly. His car did not topple over and eventually came to a complete halt.
John’s detective training and his fitness training held up just fine. For a few seconds he went a little light headed but recovered quickly. John tore off the air bag with his hands to get a better picture of what was happening in front of him. Only now he noticed that the vehicle that came in front of him was not a car but a truck. Not surprisingly, the driver had run away. It took less than a second for John to realize that the whole thing was planned. The moment the Lipstick Lady had his assistant, she called up the truck driver. Then she intentionally rode fast and let John do the same. Now, here was John, stuck in his car with a shattered wind shield. John looked past the vehicle in front of him to see where the car in front of him was going. Sheila’s car was nowhere to be seen.
John got out of his car and pulled out his phone. His first instinct was to call her number. Then he realized the speed with which the Lipstick Woman had come up with a plan to distract him. He knew that Sheila’s phone would have been long switched off or probably thrown away. He dialed his friend at the police station, Scott Peters. The phone rang twice and it was answered right away.
“Scott here.” said the voice on the other end.
“Scott, it’s me, John. You remember me?” said John.
“John…John Russo! Private detective. How can I help you today, detective? Working on another divorce case are we?” answered Scott.
“Not really. My assistant has been kidnapped, and I have been involved in an accident. You may want to send someone over here, Scott.” said John, breathing easy.
“Oh! John, are you alright? I am sending the ambulance and a patrol car toward you. Give me your location.” said Scott.
John gave him the information. Four minutes later, a patrol car had arrived, along with an ambulance. John had no injuries, but the paramedics insisted on checking him anyway. John let them have their way. The patrol officer came to speak with him.
“You are John Russo? I am Officer James Finger.” said the officer.
“That’s me, officer.” said John.
“So, what happened here, detective?” asked the officer, looking around the crime scene. He was noticing the crashed car front and the side part of the truck. “That looks nasty, detective. Thank God for car safety mechanizations.” said the officer, appreciating the damage.
“Yeah. Thank God for that. I was chasing this woman as part of a case I am investigating. She turned out to be smarter than I expected. Before I knew it, my assistant was gone, and so was her car.” said John.
“Do you have license plate number of the other car that was driven away? I could alert the city traffic control, and they should be able to locate the car in less than an hour.” The officer stared at him, waiting for the information.
Chapter 8
John gave him the license plate number. The paramedics were done with him and they said he was doing fine. John knew that was obvious, but he would rather not argue with any member of the medical fraternity. As John watched the scene around him, the officer he was talking to was relaying commands on the phone. He was speaking over the radio while also managing the other police officers who came with him. A few more minutes passed and then, it looked like he had some information. He quickly walked up to the detective, and the detective got up from the sidewalk on which he was sitting.
“They have located your assistant’s car, John. If you are in any shape to walk, I can take you there right now.” said the officer, pointing to his jeep.
“I am in good shape to drive along with you officer. Thank you.” said John, stepping into the vehicle. The jeep started right away. The officer and the detective were on their way to the spot where Sheila’s car was found.
“Did they find anybody inside?” asked John, watching the night street. It was almost ten at night.
“No. The car was abandoned on the main street, right in front of the traffic management camera.” said the officer.
“That’s odd. Why would someone kidnap my assistant, steal her car, and then drop it off ata spot where anybody could find it? This Lipstick Woman is driving me crazy with her mind games.” said John.
“Lipstick Woman?” asked the officer, surprised to hear such an expression.
“That’s what I call this woman I am after. She is, as of now, the primary suspect in this case that I am working on. As you know, I cannot really talk about it.”
“I understand detective. I think, this Lipstick Woman wanted the car to be found. Perhaps, she knew that you would be looking for it.” said the officer.
“Perhaps.” said John, thinking about what he was dealing with.
As John wondered about the mysterious Lipstick Woman, the officer drove toward their destination. For the rest of the trip, the two men kept quiet. The officer seemed to understand that John was worried about his assistant, although he could not quite make out why a boss would be so worried about his receptionist. The officer thought that it was possible that something was going on between the detective and his assistant. The officer smiled about that thought and continued driving.
“We are here. Is that the car, detective?” asked the officer, stopping his car and pointing at a rental. John immediately recognized it. Just as the officer had promised, there was a patrol car next to it, but the officers had stayed put. They were yet to enter the car.
“That is the car. Yes.” said John, jumping out of the jeep and running to the parked car. The car was not damaged in any way. Taking his lead, the other police officers started walking toward the car. John opened the back door first, hoping to find Sheila. The backseat was empty, but John noticed something. There was a drop of blood on the seat. John was a little scared at the sight of that. Considering that the driver was the Lipstick Woman, the blood might be Sheila’s. John wanted to bring the police’s attention to it but, they were going to discover that in a few minutes anyway. The car had no clues that John could use.
For a few moments, John thought that there might be something worth looking for in the car. However, he quickly realized that the Lipstick Lady had covered her tracks very well. John shook his head in disappointment. The officer walked up to him.
“You did not find anything that could help you, did you detective?” asked the officer.
“No. Anyway, thanks for all the help officer.” said John, looking up towards the sky. It was a clear night.
“No problem, detective. If we find something, we will let you know immediately. Take care. Don’t worry about your receptionist. She will be fine.”
“She is more of an assistant than a receptionist, officer.” said John.
“My mistake, detective. Don’t worry. Your assistant will be fine.” said the officer.
“Thank you officer. Good night.” said John, walking away from the officer and hailing a cab that was going in front of him. John got into the cab, and settled on the back seat. The cab driver asked him his destination and John gave him his office address. The cab started driving away. The cab must have only moved a few meters when John heard a phone ringing at his side.
“You have a phone call, Mr. Russo” said the driver, without turning around to look at John.
John was wondering how the cab driver knew his name. Even more surprisingly, why was he asking him to answer a phone call.
“What did you just say?” asked John.
“Answer the call Mr. Russo. Or else, the same thing that happened to your lady friend will happen to you.” said the driver, still not turning around and continuing to keep his eyes on the road. The phone continued to ring. John couldn’t quite see his face either. Seeing that he did not have any other choice, and also because the doors of the car were locked, John answered the phone call.
“Hello” said John.
“Hello detective. How are you this evening? Or should I say, night?” asked a voice on the other end. It sounded cool and calculated.
“What have you done with my assistant? Why do you need her?” asked John.
“I will be the one asking the questions here detective. So, shut up and listen to what I have to say. Check the pocket that is at the back of the front seat.” said the voice on the other side of the phone.
John checked the pocket. There was a small bottle in it. It contained transparent liquid and the container had an easy to remove cap on it. The bottle had no labels on it and there was no indication of what it was. It could be water or something else entirely. John had a good deal of an idea what was about to happen. More like, what they would ask him to do next.
“I have the bottle in my hand.” said John.
“Good. You know what to do then. I don’t have to tell you again, that if you don’t follow my instructions, your assistant gets it.” said the voice.
Seeing that he had no other choice, John gulped down the liquid from the bottle. Everything around him started going around in circles. Soon the car dissolved into nothingness and everything went dark. It could have been minutes, hours, days or years. John had no idea. When consciousness started returning to John, all he could do was hear sounds and voices around him. A few seconds later, John could hear everything clearly. His vision though, was non-existent. It took him a few more seconds to realize that he was being blindfolded.
“Hello detective.”
John recognized that voice right away. It was that voice from the phone again. John couldn’t tell the direction where he was standing. The voice seemed to be coming from everywhere.
“Hey there.” said John, unable to think of a better response.
“Who are you working for detective?”
“Let me see. I am working for the grocery store that is run by your grandmother. She has to find a better hobby.” said John.
Something fast approached his ears and smashed right into his head. It hurt bad, real bad. John was prepared for something like that, all the training started back to this. For the first time, John was finally beginning to realize the meaning of pain. John was prepared for that, but it hurt crazy nevertheless.
“I ask you again detective. Who are you working for?” asked the voice.
John did not say anything. Maybe it was the pain or the fact that he was just not in the mood. He could not come up with anything smart to say.
“You really want to lose your head over a simple case, detective? Look at this file here, we have on you. Let me see. You came out of University two years ago, and picked up a small business of your own soon after. Then you abruptly stopped working about six months ago and now you are back at it again. Stop messing with us, detective. Tell us who is snooping around and asking information about one of our men.”
“Looks like I have a stalker. I am flattered. Of course, you should know that I am straight.” said John. He was feeling a little bit better.
Another fast movement that time and both of the sides of his head were smashed. John’s head went wild, and a few drops of blood came out of his nose. The pain, which had subsided, was back. John was still trying hard to figure out what else was going to happen. Then, he heard two guys walk up to the chair he was tied to and just stood in front of him, their loud breathing was audible to John. There was a snapping of fingers at a distance to his right.
Reacting to that finger snap, the two well-built men picked up John off the chair and dropped him hard on the ground. John then head them pick up what sounded like metal. Without any mercy or thought, they started beating him up. The iron rods in their hands started hitting every part of John they could make contact with. A regular person would have screamed or reacted with some expression of pain. John could not react. He could not give them that satisfaction. He wouldn’t scream. Two minutes later, the two men who were hitting him, stopped. They were tired and the snapper at the far corner wasn’t really enjoying the show. The snapper wanted his victims to scream and beg for forgiveness. John was offering them neither of those.
“I have to admit detective. I did not expect such guts from a former “peeping Tom” who helped angry husbands get rid of their wives. No matter, we have all the time in the world.” said the voice. John did not say anything, continuing to lie on the ground. John was sure that he had at least one broken bone in his ribcage. Either that or he had a wound that was a result of the incessant beating. The whole thing was getting fuzzy again. The voice resumed speaking.
“You two. Stay here with him. The police don’t have a clue that he is here. I will be back in an hour to continue our interrogation. Keep constant radio contact and call me if anything goes wrong.” said the voice. John then heard footsteps going away from them. At the far corner, to his left, a door with a creaky hinge opened. The footsteps went through it and the room was quiet again. The two men who were left on guard to watch John, walked away from him. John heard them drag a chair and they started talking.
“Look man. I am sorry that I did not tell you about your sister and me going out. We really did not want you to find out the way you did.” said the first guy.
The second guy was silent, like he was angry. John could only guess, for he was still blindfolded and in a lot of pain.
“You are not even going to talk to me? Dude, we have been best buddies for over twelve years. I cannot believe you are taking this so badly.” said the first guy.
Continued silence from the second guy.
“Bob! Come on man, just talk to me.” said the first guy. It sounded like he was grabbing his shoulder and making him face him.
“What do you want me to say, Sam? I am happy that you are dating my sister behind my back! That you two have been sleeping together for more than six months now. I should be celebrating that with champagne and some dancing girls. Is that what you suggest I do Sam?” shouted the second guy.
John could not believe what he was hearing. Then again, there are no rules that those who work for gangs should not have personal family feuds. The two body guards carried on with their conversation.
“I am not suggesting that you go to town with that knowledge. I am just…well…I don’t know why you are so upset with it. You think I am not good enough for your sister? What is wrong with me? I earn well. I look good and you know me for more than, well, twelve years. What is your problem with me?”
“You want to know what problem I have with you. Well, for one thing, I don’t want to mix my professional life with personal life.” said Bob.
“What! We go out for drinks all the time. I know everything there is to know about your life. If people did not know better, they would think we were a gay couple. Heck man, we stay in the same apartment. What is this crap you are talking about not mixing personal and professional lives? We are almost like brothers, we are.”
“Well, what I meant was, I did not want my sister to get involved in all this. I wanted her to stay away from what we do, Sam. Would you like it if you had a sister and she had anything to do with what we do for a living? Give me an honest answer, Sam. What would you do? How would you react, my friend?”
Sam did not have an answer. He kept quiet. Despite his painful, blindfolded condition, John was oddly curious about the conversation that was taking place in front of him. John did not have anything else to do anyway and the ongoing discussion was helping him take his mind off the pain.
“Go on, Sam. Give me an answer. How would you react?”
John was curiously listening to the guards’ conversation when he heard the sound of a window being opened.
“What was that?” asked Bob.
“What was what?” asked Sam.
“That sound. Someone is inside…ah! What happened to the lights?” exclaimed Bob.
John was fully alert now, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, he thought heard the sound of safety locks of two guns being removed. He also realized that the two confused guards were shuffling around. John could only hear the sound made by the movement of their feet, and he realized that they were confused in the darkness. John also heard a third pair of footsteps which were light, soft and calculated. Even as John was listening to what was happening, gun shots were fired. Based on the pattern of shooting, John was sure that the third person was creating a lot of confusion. A short while later, there was sound of someone being punched and followed by a soft thud, like a person dropping down unconscious. A few seconds later, there was another soft thud and now two bodies were down on the floor. John heard more sounds of the third person in the room checking the downed bodies. Then, that person walked closer to John and said,
“Are you alright, Boss?”
John was overjoyed to hear that voice. The third person who had been creating all the commotion was his assistant, and now his savior.
“I am fine, Sheila. Thank you for coming and rescuing me. I thought, I was supposed to be doing that.” said John.
“Keep quiet, Boss. We can talk later. You should be able to see now.” said Sheila, removing the blindfold from his eyes.