typea_all (33 page)

"I'll take his gun and give it to his mother. She'll beat the shit out of him for going after family. He'll make it home okay."

With Bruno leaning on my shoulder, we made it back to his car. "I just wish Freddie didn't get mixed up with that side of the family."

"What do you mean, that side of the family?"

"Jimmy. Oh, I didn't tell you? Jimmy is my brother-in-law, my ex-wife's kid bother. A real hothead." Bruno drove off, leaving me standing in the parking lot.

******

     Okay, I thought, I had to do something. I had my boss breathing down my neck and I saved my job only by using blackmail. Ryan was angry with me, and he was almost beaten up in a parking lot. I'd even gotten a patient, poor Charlie, involved. I almost let a man drown in the bay, and worse than that, I wish he had. And all of this happened because I wouldn't fake a blood test, but some mobster thought that I was going to fake it. I had to explain all that to Big Jimmy, certainly he would understand, he seemed so reasonable at the Ocean One Mall.

     I looked up an address in the Atlantic City phone book, and then I called Lipschitz.

     "John, it’s Brooke."

     "Uh...hi."

     "I have my other wish."

     "You’re really going to hold me to it?"

     "It's really nothing, and yes, I am going to hold you to it."

     "What is it?"

     "Here's an address. I want you to meet me there. It’s the Ace Storage Company. Tonight, right after work, I'll be there at 6:30."

     "Okay, I'll be there."

     "And John?"

     "Yes."

     "There's one other little detail."

     "What is it?"

     After work, I drove straight home and changed into black jogging pants and a black sweatshirt. I kind of felt like a secret agent or one of the special army rangers, so I put on my Swiss Army earrings. Each was a miniature jeweled pocketknife, with little miniature working parts. They weren’t from Lunch at the Ritz, but I wore them anyway.

     I drove down Atlantic Avenue into Atlantic City, and parked in a spot across from Ace Storage. I waited about 15 minutes and was starting to think that Lipschitz chickened out when I saw him pull up across the street. The ninny had actually driven over with the sword on his back, so he was pushed forward hugging the steering wheel. I had no idea how he drove and how he got here without being stopped by the police.

     The plan was to get into the building and see Big Jimmy. If Jimmy wasn't there, I would leave a message. What did I want Lipschitz there for? I figured he'd look like my bodyguard. I know, I know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

     I walked across the street and collected Lipschitz.

     "Okay, John, let's go."

     It was really funny watching him get out of the car with the sword on. "Where exactly are we going?"

     "I have to talk to a friend. All you have to do is stand next to me and look mean."

     "Look mean? I thought you said this was a costume party."

     "Sort of. Just stand next to me, don't say anything, and don't smile. And whatever you do, don't wet yourself. Let's go."

     Ace Storage was in a ramshackle building with a lot of boarded up windows. I couldn't imagine anyone paying to store things there because the place didn't look safe and secure at all. I was surprised that the door was open, and more surprised that nobody was around.

     "Anybody here?" I yelled. "Jimmy. Jimmy Breslin? Anybody?"

     "Nobody is here, let's go," Lipschitz said.

     "We're not going anywhere. Let's look around a little."

     We walked around the first floor, and up to the second. We started walking around, and then someone came behind us.  It was some guy with a gun.

     "Who the hell are you?" he said.

     "My name is Brooke Castle, and I’d like to see Big Jimmy."

     "Jesus." Lipschitz.

     "Who's the clown in all black with the sword?"

     "That's John 'The Dragon' Lipschitz, my bodyguard."

     "Lady, you got to be kidding? He's fat. He ain't no bodyguard."

     I looked at Lipschitz and found it difficult not to laugh. He really didn't look anything like a ninja. He sort of looked like a big fat kid in black pajamas with a sword on his back.

     "I know who you are, lady. I heard Jimmy talking about you. He'll be very glad you’re here, very glad. Fat guy. Yeah, you. Take off the sword and put it in the ground before you stick yourself in the ass. You two, go that way." He pointed his gun and we went in that direction. "Up those stairs."

     We went up another flight of stairs, and into a small office. Inside were Big Jimmy and Julie Reynolds.

     "Look who I found, Jimmy."

     "Well, Ms. Castle. I'm glad you came," Jimmy said.

     Julie looked at Lipschitz and started laughing so much that she starting choking and stuff came out of her nose. "What is that? Don't tell me, he's here to protect you."

     "Don't let his looks fool you," I said. "His hands are deadly weapons."

     "What's he gonna do," Jimmy laughed,” jerk off until we die from laughing."

     "Where'd you..."

     "Shut up, John," I said. "Listen, Jimmy, I just came here to tell you I have no intention of doing that blood test, so you can leave me and my friends alone."

     "Is that right? Well, it looks like it doesn't matter now, with Reynolds in the hospital. He just might croak before signing over the business to me, and it would be all your fault."

     "My fault?"

     "Yes, your fault," Julie added. "If you hadn't told Jason you were thinking about doing the test, he would have signed everything over by now. You had to meddle."

     "I just wanted to get everyone off my back."

     "Well, we have a surprise for you." Jimmy turned to his goon. "Tape their wrists together, and put them in with our other visitor."

     The goon took a roll of duct tape, and bound each of our arms at the wrists. Then he and Jimmy manhandled us out the door, unlocked another door, and pushed us in. Ryan was lying on the floor with his wrists taped and blood around his mouth.

     "Ryan! What happened? How did you get here?" I ran over to Ryan and knelt down beside him. "God, what did they do to you? Ryan, are you okay? Are you in pain?"

     "Your boyfriend got the smart idea of trying to scare us away. 'Don't bother her' he said. Like I'd listen to him."

     "Why does everybody call him my boyfriend?"

     They went out and locked the door from the outside.

     "Ryan, are you okay? What happened?"

     "I'm fine. I found out where Jimmy's business was through the Internet and came to see him. I wanted him to stop threatening you, that's all. One of his guys hit me, taped me up, and threw me in here."

     "When did all this happen?"

     "Early this morning."

     "So you've been here all day?"

     "Since about nine."

     "You wonderful, wonderful, stupid, stupid man. I love you."

     "So what now?" Lipschitz asked.

     "I don't know, but we should start by getting our hands free."

     "How are we supposed to do that? You don't happen to have a scissors with you?" he said sarcastically.

     I remembered my earrings. "It just so happens that I do.  Come over here and take off my earrings."

     "What?"

     "I'll lean over. You pull the back out of my earrings and hand the earring to me."

     We were able to do it because our wrists were taped with the hands facing each other. Lipschitz popped off the backing and handed me an earring. Using the miniature scissors in the earring, I was able to very slowly cut the tape around Ryan's hands. The scissors broke about half way through, so I used the little miniature knife to finish. When Ryan was freed, he took the tape off of Lipschitz and me.

     "I knew I liked your earrings for a reason," he said.

     "Thanks, now let's get out of here. John, take off your ninja jacket." I started banging and kicking on the locked door to get Jimmy to open up. "I know your family, and you'll be sorry if you don't come down here, may your poor sister rest in peace. You'll never see Sheila get married." It took about twenty minutes of yelling before we heard the lock turn.

     "Move away from the door," someone said.

     John and I backed away from the door, while Ryan hid on the side with John's ninja jacket. The door opened a little more. "Where's the other guy?"

     "He's hurt. He's lying over there in the corner."

     When the guy was all the way in, Ryan jumped out and threw John's shirt over him, then all of us started punching and kicking until he fell on the ground.

     "Get his gun," Ryan told me. I picked up the gun, and John and Ryan lifted the guy to his feet and tied the shirt around him like a straight jacket. John's a big guy so there was plenty of material to go around.

     "Now let's find Jimmy and Julie."

     We walked back to the office where we last saw them, but it was empty. "Let's look for them," I said.

     "Maybe we should call the police." Ryan.

     "Look, if the cops come, Jimmy will tell them to charge us with breaking and entering. We have to convince Jimmy to just leave us alone."

     "If that's how you feel, than I'm with you."

     "Thanks Ryan. How about you John?"

     "Me? I suppose...I'll go along. I want to get my sword back, anyway."

     We checked every room on that floor, and then went down to the next. We decided to stay together rather than separate because strength might be in numbers. John had shown a little spark the other day when he slammed Fred with his briefcase, so he might possibly be able to help. I knew Ryan was anxious to help, and I just wanted this damn thing over with.

     As we were walking down a corridor, Jimmy came up behind us. "Don't turn around, and drop the gun. I don't know how you clowns got out, but you're not getting away again. Start walking."

     I knew that Julie was behind us as we walked. She didn't say a word, but I could tell from the sound of her heels on the tile. There are these cute Italian shoes, very popular with the rich people, that have hard rubber heals and they make a very recognizable sound. She must have spent a lot of money for those, and I was dying to turn around and look at them.

     "Why is the business so important to you?" Lipschitz asked. That was a surprise, because I wouldn't think he cared.

     "Just keep walking."

     "I really want to know," John said. "Why is it so important?"

     "Is this like your last wish or something?"

     "If it has to be," he answered.

     "Jesus, John, " I said, "You’re gonna get us killed, just drop it."

     "Too late for that," Jimmy said. "Okay, my little fat ninja man, I'll tell you. I'm a made man, I got connections. I wanted to take over R and R for the union contacts. Once I had an in, I could play with the big boys in Philly and New York. We had plans. You know that new casino planned for the bay?"

     "Yeah." All three of us.

     "When R and R built it, we were going to make it so it would be easy for us to get back in. We'd have our own way in, and could hit the place whenever we wanted."

     "But you can't do that now," I said.

     "That’s right, and all because of some medical technician."

     "That's technologist, and I'm ASCP."

     "Oh, excuse me for forgetting. I'll be sure to scratch that into the cement over your head tomorrow."

     "So what are you going to do with us?" John asked.

     "I have a special place where I put all my unwanted visitors."

     "Have you been getting a lot of those?" he asked.

     "Just one or two, you'll make it a grand total of six. Now shut up and keep walking."

     When we got to the end of the corridor on the first floor, Jimmy made us go into a large damp room. There were just a few lights hanging from the ceiling and what looked like a large metal door for a loading dock.

     "See that over there?" He pointed to an area where the cement floor was a lighter color than the floor around it. "That's my visitor's center. Now line up against that far wall and turn around."

     I was right, Julie was with him, and she had on a great pair of shoes.