The Gumshoe Diaries (15 page)

“Relax Judy, I’m not interrogating you, I’m
on your side, okay?”

“Sorry, let me think, when I got there I
remember jetting into a parking spot in front of the building
before some chick in a Hummer grabbed it. She was pissed and waited
behind my car until I got out so she could flip me off
properly.”

“Interesting; but lets back up a little. When
did you call Ernie and let him know you were coming over?”

“I don’t know, four or five I guess,
why?”

“And you got there around seven or so,
right?”

“I got there at 6, again, why?”

“Well, if you were being watched, maybe you
were being listened to as well? And if you were, maybe Mr. Mystery
went ahead of you to UCLA to scope out the situation? Does that
make sense?”

“It’s possible I guess. But if I’m the one
he’s stalking why would he care about Ernie?”

“I don’t think Ernie interests him, but if he
wanted to know what you were up to he might go ahead of you to find
a perch to spy from while he decided whatever it is he needed to
decide?”

“You’re not making any sense,” Judy said,
frustrated.

“You’re a scientist doll, it’s all trial and
error isn’t it,” I said with a wink.

“
Touché,”
she replied, smiling for the
first time in a couple of days.

“That’s better, here’s something else to
smile about,” I said, pointing out the window as Ronnie came
bouncing down the steps.

I remained seated as Judy jumped up and ran
outside and into the arms of my ex wife, Rhonda. I smiled as I
watched Ronnie comfort her and left them alone to enjoy the moment.
I knew that Ronnie would be in to grill me shortly and saw no need
to rush that aggravation. A large group of patrons pushed past them
while I waited for them to finish. I tensed up suddenly and grabbed
a menu from the napkin holder on the table and quickly covered my
face. The scary Arab from Carney’s the other night,
Hassan
,
was about to enter the building.
SHIT!

****

(“The future’s uncertain and the end is always
near…”)...The Doors…1970

Chapter Twenty

Casey’s Pub, Grand Ave., Monday, Feb 23,
2009…1pm

The big Arab was faster than he looked and
was hovering over me before I could ferret out an escape route. I
glanced out the big bay window to make sure Judy and Ronnie were
okay, then mentally prepared myself to be either shot or garroted
in front of twenty or thirty eye witnesses. Still breathing five
seconds later I leaned back in my chair and gave the thug my best
tough guy sneer and pushed the chair across from me toward him with
my foot. It made a loud scratching sound, like nails on a
chalkboard as the narrow legs scraped along the old wooden floor.
Lazily I waived my hand toward the empty seat, silently inviting my
would-be assassin to sit and be my guest. He smiled wryly, taking
me up on the offer. We eyeballed one another for a second or two
before I took the high road and initiated contact.

“Fancy meeting you here;
Hassan
isn’t
it?”

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“Thank you, no. My compliments, you have a
better memory than my former colleague Mr. Roode. Thank you for
confirming how much you over heard the other night,” the big man
replied.

He folded his hands on the table in front of
him and laced his fingers together slowly. They were thick and the
knuckles were covered with hair. His eyes were black as coal and he
studied me intensely, amused by the look on my face when I realized
that I’d said too much,
damn it!
The fact that he never
blinked once under those bushy eyebrows made the hair on the back
of my neck stand up. Actually, just between you, me, and the
fencepost it made my sphincter pucker as well. This was one scary
guy.

“Yeah, well let’s not fall in love just yet
slick? The fact is Ray Ray isn’t exactly a Rhodes Scholar now is
he,” I said calmly, trying not to look scared. I kind of doubted he
was buying any of it so I continued to play the tough guy role.

“But then I guess I don’t need to tell you
that. I mean you’re here and he’s not, right? So much for LA’s
finest,” I added with a grin, hoping my sarcasm was masking my
fear.

“Detective Abernathy was not important, and
to be clear I did not work for him. As for his absence, he is not
here because he was a parasite, and, unfortunately for him, had
become a liability.”

“
Was?”

“Yes,
he was
. As are you and your
friend outside,” Hassan answered pointing through the window in
Judy’s direction. She looked up and caught us staring and waived to
me, asking with her eyes who had taken her seat. I waived back and
gestured for her and Ronnie to make tracks. She didn’t waste any
time and spun Ronnie around, pulling her quickly up the stairs to
the street above. I turned my attention back to Hassan and made
sure he wasn’t planning to pursue them.

“You needn’t panic Mr. Roode, I am not here
for that,” Hassan said without stirring in his seat.

“By that I assume you mean murder. What,
we’re not on your ‘to-do’ list yet,” I asked sarcastically, anger
replacing fear for the moment.

“Not yet, possibly not ever. That will be up
to you and Dr. Looney. All we ask is that you abandon your
investigation into Miss November’s unfortunate demise.”

Now he went and done it, that was as good as
a double dog dare. Consequently my addiction to curiosity trumped
my basic survival instincts and I pressed him further. Solving Mei
Li’s murder had become a blood oath after Lu and Jai had passed and
I couldn’t let that go. Hassan’s expression told me that he
suspected as much. I really don’t have a very good poker face which
probably explains why I live alone in the bowels of Los Angeles.
Well, that and paying the great state of California’s version of
the King’s ransom,
spousal support
, what a gyp!

“So what was she to you anyway? What’s your
employer afraid of,” I demanded more than asked?

“She was nothing to me, a task, however I
suspect that she was about to become somewhat of an embarrassment,
as do all whores eventually.”

“That’s deep Hassan. Why do I get the feeling
that there is more to it than that?”

“Why indeed? In any event you needn’t look
any further. I confess it was I who killed your friend’s niece,”
Hassan said coolly.

“That’s it? You tracked me down to confess?
How do you know Judy hasn’t already called the cops? What if I cuff
you right now to that chair and wait for them to get here and haul
you in? What about that?”

“Please Mr. Roode, do not insult my
intelligence or waste my time. Surely you and the good doctor have
collected enough evidence to link the girl with my Russian
friends,” Hassan asked tiredly?

“
Actually,
we hadn’t. What about the
Russians,” I replied, suddenly embarrassed.

“Perhaps Detective Abernathy gave you too
much credit. I was led to believe that you were quite intelligent?
Let me spell it out for you in an effort to save time.”

His eyes shifted slightly to his right and
then to his left before continuing, checking both entrances to the
bar. He had my complete attention; I was all ears and pumped full
of adrenalin. Russians he said, this was getting interesting.

“Miss November was more than an acquaintance
of my employer; she was an employee as well…”

“Your Russian employer,” I asked
interrupting.

“
Yes.
As I was saying, she was far too
close an acquaintance if you ask me, but alas that was not my
business. In her capacity as a
hostess
shall we say; she was
privy to certain habits of powerful and influential individuals? It
was a position of trust which she chose to violate, a lethal choice
in the end. Her ambition was equal to her beauty, which as you know
was considerable. Apparently she kept a journal, and, she had a
partner. A friend of yours I understand. Their mistake was choosing
the wrong broker.”

“Ray Ray?”

“Yes, this is where Detective Abernathy
enters the picture. By the way, he was also in our employ on
occasion. Shall I continue? You look puzzled,” Hassan asked.

To be honest I was flummoxed as to why he was
telling me all of this, when it would be much easier to put a
bullet between my eyes and give Judy the same? I had suspected that
Mei Li was in over her head from the get go, but blackmail? That
hadn’t occurred to me. I had a pretty good idea who her partner was
and I didn’t need Hassan to tell me that it cost him his life as
well. Unfortunately it also cost Lu his. Sally was working with
Jai, which meant he knew all along that she was nearby and kept it
from Lu. What I couldn’t figure was why. Jai didn’t need money, he
and Lu were loaded. And soft touch that he was, Mei Li would want
for nothing with Uncle Lu nearby. It didn’t add up, it didn’t make
sense. God damn it, I was getting pissed!

I had no clue why Hassan was putting so many
cards on the table? He wanted something from me; that was obvious.
He was setting me up, but how and for what? I needed time to think,
I needed to talk to Judy. I needed to know what her retest
uncovered. Was Hassan the one shadowing her? If so he must have
killed the lab rat at UCLA? But I didn’t think so, but why, there
was a huge piece of the puzzle missing and those threads were the
key. Hassan was getting impatient. I needed to convince him that I
was taking his advice.

“Yeah, I’m with you so far. You killed Sally
to silence her. You did likewise for Jai Lei, and, reading between
the lines you added in Ray Ray for good measure. Does that sound
about right?”

“Those were consequences, do you
understand?”

“Wait! The journal, you never found the
journal, right? Oh brother, three murders and nothing to show for
them. The Russians must be pissed!”

“Yes, they are concerned. So you see why I am
here now, yes?”

“You’re warning us that solving this case
would be fatal. But why warn me, why not just kill us?”

“I kill when there is a need to Mr. Roode,
not for sport,” Hassan explained.

“Leave it be Mr. Roode, and live,” he added
leaning toward me for effect.

“What about the journal? What about your
Russian bosses? Won’t they wonder why you let us go?”

“You misunderstand. They do not know you or
Dr. Looney exist. I do. As long as that remains true you are safe.
Let it be Mr. Roode, let it be and live.”

“Call me Whitey.”

“Very well, let it be and live,
Whitey
.”

“Okay, just one more question though.”

“
Yes?”

“What are you gonna do about the law? I mean
you murdered a police detective for Christ sake! Look, I’m no super
sleuth. But if I can get close enough to earn a personal visit from
you, so can the coppers. What will you do then?”

Hassan shrugged and relaxed for the first
time since he arrived. Straightening his collar he gave the lapels
of his sport coat a quick tug and signaled for the waitress to come
over. For a moment I thought I noticed a grin forming on his big
square head.

“I believe I will accept your drink offer
now,” he said.

“
Okay?”

“As for the police, perhaps we can offer them
one as well,” he added pointing at two of Lt. Celaya’s crew in
plain clothes entering the bar. I recognized Iggie right away but I
had no clue who the Asian doll with him was? If she was on the job
I might seriously consider begging Oscar to give me another chance!
Seriously though, this wasn’t good. I had to choose between being
pinched for obstruction of justice and being a corpse. No brainer
Whitey, run a tab and host the circus a while. I’d meet with Judy
later and we’d decide our fate together.

****

(“every move you make, every step you take I’ll be
watching you…”)…Synchronicity…1983

Chapter Twenty-one

Casey’s Pub, Grand Ave., Monday, Feb 23,
2009…6pm

Camouflage is an art form, and I am a master.
At times I even amaze myself. Today is one of those rare days where
the stars align in the heavens and dark forces are at their zenith.
There are no angles to consider or steer around. Smooth and easy,
that’s the sort of day I am having. Contrary to the way the vast
majority of mortals live, life is not linear but circular. How
foolish they are, racing to certain death, nesting along the way as
if they might take any of their treasures with them. One starts
with nothing and one ends with nothing, it is a universal axiom.
There is light and the absence of light. There is color and the
absence of color, black and white, the alpha and the omega.
Everything that appears in between is an illusion, vivid, bright
and beautiful, but a short lived illusion.

Encountering Dr. Looney on the steps above
this establishment was a treat. How apropos, the luck of the Irish
at pub called Casey’s, I love it! She accepted my steadying hand
when she stumbled with her mate as they hurriedly exited this
place. She even smiled and thanked me. I hope she remembers that
when her time comes, that will be delicious. As for this lot, well,
watching Whitey entertain via the safety of the beveled over sized
mirror above the mahogany bar had been a bit of a chore. I sat
quietly, enjoying my pint of Guinness
(when in Rome I always
say)
and watched them unnoticed. There was no need to
eavesdrop; I already knew the nature of their chatter. I just
wanted to be there when they left so I that could tag them. It is a
practice I adopted eons ago from the Plains Indians of North
America who referred to it as
‘counting coup’
. Admittedly,
Whitey and his party remained in the bar much longer than I had
expected and I grew weary of their antics. But patience is a virtue
I have the luxury to embrace as there is always time to do what it
is I do.