Whistler's Angel (61 page)

“Because the less you see of me, the better for me. Fair enough? Shut up and indulge me.”

“…Okay.”

“I’ll steer you into a bedroom, but it’s just to the closet. I’m not going to touch you in any bad way. That’s a promise. Are you with me so far?”

“I…I guess.”

Okay, thought Kaplan. So far, this is progress. Now we try to establish some reasonable doubt in case she’s ever called as a witness, God forbid.

He said, “I’m going to leave you because I have to go. After that, you might hear things. This is after I’m gone. What you’ll hear won’t be me because I’m gone by that time. Is that clear in your head? It won’t be me.”

A little klutzy, thought Kaplan, but maybe she’ll buy it. Leslie, however, had concerns of her own. She asked, “You mean you’re leaving me with these two?”

“They’ll be otherwise occupied. They won’t hurt you, believe me. In maybe two hours, I’ll call your cop friend and tell him where he can find you. Before that, however, you must not make a sound. That’s no matter what you hear going on.”

“Arnie…your name’s Arnie?”

“I got lots of names.”

“Can’t you tell me what’s going to happen?”

“Some people are coming. They’re not very nice. You don’t want them to know that you’re here, so be quiet. Myself, I don’t wish to be here when they come.”

“Well, I don’t either, damn it. Take me with you.”

“Leslie…this is my neck I’m trying to save. I’ll help you, but I can’t have you fingering me. This is the best I can offer.”

“And you swear that you didn’t hurt Adam or Claudia?”

“Would I be talking like this if I did?”

“I…guess not.”

“So push. Keep your eyes shut and push.”

Felix Aubrey, taking care not to move the sheer curtains, had been watching through the kitchen’s side window. He’d seen Lockwood step through what was once the garage wall and retrieve some chrome-plated
tool
from the yard. He called to Briggs in a whisper, “What on earth are they doing?”

Briggs answered, “I don’t know. They’re in there talking. I can’t hear.”

A few seconds later, Briggs said in a hush, “I see Lockwood out front. He’s got this big tarp. I think he’s hanging it over the garage.”

“To what purpose?”

“Hide the cars, I guess. It figures they’re hot.”

And therefore a sensible measure, thought Aubrey, so it must have been Kaplan’s idea. And yet Kaplan, we fear, had allowed Vernon Lockwood to make good his threat against Whistler and the girl. Perhaps he wasn’t able to stop him.

Aubrey asked Briggs, “Any sign of the girl?”

Briggs shrugged with his hands and shook his head.

“Or of Kaplan and Crow?”

Briggs whispered, “Still in the garage. I hear grunting. I heard Lockwood say he’s going to bring Crow.”

“Make no move until all four are inside. Once they are, do not dawdle, Mr. Briggs. Do your work.”

“I hear them. They’re coming. Get back.”

THIRTY SIX

Whistler, in the Taurus, had followed the tank truck as it wound through North Forest beach. He had thumbed Molly’s number on his cell phone. She answered. He told her that they were on their way to the house. He was in no mood to explain how it happened that Claudia was now riding with Carla. Nor did Molly bother asking. Her response was a sigh. She asked him, “What’s that address?”

Having taken it, she said, “And you say they have no vehicles?”

“They’re stranded according to Carla.”

“Adam, stay well back. I’m going to call the police.”

“Don’t do that just yet. Let us get in place first. We can block off both ends of the street.”

“Are you sure you have Carla under control?”

“Carla’s the least of my worries right now. I need to see that Claudia’s kept out of this.”

“Well, I worry about Carla. I know how she is. Carla tries to be non-lethal these days. Did you know that?”

“Non-lethal? With a Calico? How does one manage that?”

“She might try not to kill them, but she will shoot to maim. That Calico is better than a chain saw. You have no idea of the mess she can make. Let me call the police and be done with it.”

“Hold off until I can scout out that house. I’d like to get Leslie out first if I can. Let me see how close I can get.”

“Adam…you are
not
to put yourself at risk either. There’s more at stake here than you know.”

“You’ll explain that to me, won’t you? One of these days?”

“Your father will explain it when he gets here this evening.”

An exasperated growl. “We’re almost there, Molly.”

“Then you’re close enough. I’m calling the police.”

“No, don’t. I need ten minutes.”

“I’m calling right now. Goodbye, Adam.”

Whistler put the phone aside and stepped on the gas. He was already on Lagoon Road. He pulled around and in front of the Texaco truck and signaled for it to pull over. He got out and told Carla what Molly had said. He repeated that Carla was to cover, nothing more. She was to stop this truck a full hundred yards short of the house they were in.

She pointed. “That’s it. Two blocks up on your left. The one just this side of that privacy fence.”

He looked and nodded. He said, “I’ll take that end. The fence is good cover. It might let me get close enough to look in some windows. I’ll try to see where they’re holding Leslie.”

Carla said, “Say you spot her. Then what? You go in?”

“No, I don’t. You don’t either. We both wait for the police.”

“Adam…”

“No, Carla. Look into my eyes. Do I look like I’m playing games with you now?”

“I’m not either.”

“That’s good because if you should get Claudia hurt, you’ll never hurt anyone else.”

“Adam,” said Claudia, “there was no need to say that.”

Whistler ignored her. His eyes bored into Carla’s. He said, “The same goes for Leslie if you get her killed. Do you hear what I’m telling you, Carla?”

Carla smiled at him. “I hear you. Now will you lighten up? Not that I wouldn’t like to see what you’ve got, but you won’t have to fight me on this one.”

“That’s a promise?”

“It’s a promise. Now get down there.”

Aubrey opened the kitchen door just a crack as two figures came into view. The first thing he saw was the gaudily striped jacket and the flat straw
hat worn askew. No mistaking that one; it was Kaplan. And he saw that Kaplan was leading the girl. The girl could only be Whistler’s friend, Claudia.

Her hands appeared to be bound behind her back. Her head was covered by what looked to be a towel held in place by a wrapping of tape. She was bound and blindfolded, but apparently not gagged. He heard Kaplan telling her to be quiet.

It was only the lack of a gag across her mouth that kept Aubrey from opening the door. He wanted to let Kaplan know that they’d arrived, but his
sudden appearance might cause her to cry out. The last thing he needed was for Lockwood to hear a shout of “Who’s that?” from outside.

“Mr. Aubrey,” Robert whispered, his breath at Aubrey’s ear, “where is he going with her?”

Aubrey pushed him away. He mouthed, “
Shush
.”

But Robert persisted. “Mr. Aubrey, he’s taking her to a bedroom. All those rooms where he’s going are bedrooms.”

“He’s got to put her somewhere. Be still.”

“If he means to take his pleasure with her, we cannot allow it, Mr. Aubrey.”

“Robert…you were told not to speak or to think. He has no such intention. Be quiet.”

Aubrey chanced a better look. He opened the door slightly. He saw that they indeed had gone into a bedroom. He heard sounds coming from it. They were rustling, scraping sounds. It seemed the sort of noise that one makes in a closet, sliding hangers of clothing out of the way. Robert was beginning to breathe heavily.

Robert said, “That’s a bed. The springs of a bed.”

“No, it isn’t. All you’re hearing is clothing.”

“Clothing? Do you mean he’s removing her clothing?”

“He is not. And for the last time, shut up.”

“He’s assaulting that woman,” Robert said through his teeth. “You said that you wouldn’t permit it.”

“Must I shoot you?”

“I will stop it,” hissed Robert. “I’ll be quick. I’ll snap his neck.”

Before Aubrey could stop him, he had pushed through the door. Aubrey reached to snatch Robert’s collar. He missed. Briggs took a step from his place of concealment, frantically waving his arms and then pointing. He mouthed the words, “
Lockwood. He’s coming.”

In that instant, the door from the gagrage was thrown open. Aubrey heard a deep-throated grunt from outside. The cause of the grunt was immediately
apparent. Lockwood was pulling a body behind him, backing his way through the door. But the body was a live one. It had started to squirm. Aubrey saw that it was Joshua Crow.

Lockwood called, “Hey, Arnie. Come give me a hand.”

Crow became more aware of what was happening to him. He felt for the hands that were dragging him. Flailing, he raked Lockwood’s wrists with his fingernails. Lockwood cursed and called, “Forget it. I got him.”

He snaked his left forearm under Joshua Crow’s jaw, seizing him in its crook. He stood up, lifting Crow. Crow was choking and kicking. Lockwood’s arm had formed a vise. He squeezed harder. He said to Crow, “I’m really sick of you, pal. You’re dying now. You feel yourself dying?”

Aubrey saw that Robert had been frozen in place a few feet from the door
to the bedroom. Lockwood still hadn’t seen him. His back was turned to him. Now Robert was lowering himself to a crouch, the better to reach the ankle holster that he wore. He seemed to be descending an inch at a time. Aubrey could no longer stand it. He heard himself shouting, “Well, shoot him, you dolt.”