Texas trouble, p.22
Texas Trouble, page 22
“Where the hell is she?” Mona’s voice, she’d know it anywhere. She must have been wearing a blond wig. “Look in the bathroom, behind the shower curtain. I’ll look in the bedroom, under the bed.”
“Closets too.” Leroy’s voice. There was the sound of breaking glass. He must have cleared her counter just for the hell of it. Bastard.
“I don’t see her.” Mona was getting frustrated. Sounds of more things hitting the floor. “Take it easy, Lee. Damn it, someone might hear us. We need to get out of here.”
“There’s a back balcony off the dining room. Maybe she jumped off of it. You sure you looked everywhere?” Leroy was close.
Scarlett swallowed. That voice. She’d never forget it. She held on to YoYo and prayed he would stay quiet. Shadows moved past the vent. Dear God, he was just feet away. Hangers rattled as her clothes were moved around just outside her hiding place. She held her breath. Then there was the sound of cloth ripping.
“What the hell are you doing, Lee?”
“Testing this knife you bought me. Good and sharp.” More ripping. “But I really need to test it on the Hall woman’s ass again.” He laughed, a deep chuckle that sent chills down Scarlett’s spine. If evil had a sound, that was it.
“Seriously?”
“You should see your face. Jealous? Baby, it’s all about the feel of the knife going through flesh and then the warm blood on your fingers. You know what I mean? I’m hard just thinking about it.”
“She’s not here. Let’s move.” Mona didn’t sound happy.
Scarlett couldn’t breathe, but YoYo wriggled in her arms and she had to concentrate on keeping him quiet. His throat vibrated under her hand. Growling. Thank God they didn’t seem to hear him. They were so close she could hear Leroy breathing, even smell him through the air vent. He’d been drinking beer. She wanted to scream, throw up, get out of there and beat the man to death with whatever came handy. God, but she hated him. And Mona?
“You keep that knife away from me.” Mona was so close Scarlett could see her shadow through the vent. “I don’t understand how she got away from us. This place is small, and I didn’t take her for the type to jump. She’d still be lying on the ground out there if she had. And where’s her dog? You saw her outside with it.” Mona must have slid back the closet door to look inside again. “We’ll have to come back. I’m not giving up. I want that bitch dead.”
“Enough. We’ve been here too long. Come on.” Leroy sounded like he’d moved to the living room, his voice fainter. “Burned my hand on that fucking grill. I’ve a mind to toss that thing in here and set the place on fire.”
“And bring the cops here faster? Just leave it for now, Lee. She’s probably already calling for help wherever the hell she is. Let’s head out of town. We’ll finish her later. Just when she thinks she’s in the clear.” The front door slammed.
Scarlett counted to ten. When she heard nothing else, she eased open the bolts and the small door, being as quiet as possible. She held a squirming YoYo. No way could she put him down with glass on the floor. The bedroom was chaos, her clothes in shreds, but there was no sign of Leroy or Mona.
She had one thought: They couldn’t get away. If they did, she’d live in a constant state of paralyzing fear, waiting for them to come back and “finish” her.
She ran to the narrow front window and carefully moved the edge of the curtain aside. The silver Honda was just easing out of the parking lot. No! Once they left the complex, that car would be lost in a sea of similar vehicles. She couldn’t even see the license plate number from where she stood.
She ran for her cell phone and car keys. With YoYo in her arms and the phone, she pushed open the broken door as soon as she was sure they wouldn’t be able to see her in their rearview mirror. Simms had shoved the grill out of the way, and she hurried down the stairs to her car. She dropped YoYo into the passenger seat, then backed out, staying well away from the Honda. Thank God the speed bumps in the parking lot had slowed them down and they were driving carefully, obviously trying not to draw attention as they left. Luckily a neighbor pulled out from a side lot and drove between them as the gate opened. Forget 911, this situation would be impossible to explain to a stranger. Scarlett hit speed-dial for the first number she could find.
* * * *
Once on Sixth Street, Ethan made quick work of gathering a couple of changes of clothing and stuffing them into a duffel bag. Mike hadn’t lied. The street was swarming with cops. He walked into Amuse Tattoos, relieved to see it was business as usual.
“Hey, Carl, Luke. Did the cops come by and show you the photos of the man they’re looking for?” Ethan had his phone out, ready to share if they hadn’t seen them.
“Sure did.” Carl stopped in the middle of an elaborate design of an American flag. “Let’s take a break, Al. How about some water?” He patted the customer on his beefy shoulder.
“Yeah, I’d like that. But I don’t drink out of plastic bottles. I read a report that those BPAs can cause cancer.” Al sat up. He was so covered in tattoos it was a wonder he’d found a vacant spot for a new one.
“No worries. We filter our own water, no bottles. I’ll bring you a glass,” Carl said as he nodded Ethan toward the back. “Al cage fights but worries about BPAs. Go figure.” He pulled down a glass from a shelf and filled it from a pitcher in the refrigerator. “Keep your voice down about the fugitive, Ethan. I don’t want to freak out my customers.” He took the glass to the man. “Be right back, Al.”
“Sure. So what do you know?” Ethan followed Carl to the room where Casey usually worked. Of course she’d taken the weekend off to be with Rhett. Did Scarlett’s brother have any idea what was going on? Probably not, or he might have headed back from Houston early.
“A Ranger, Mike Taylor, came by and showed us a couple of pictures. He said he knew Scarlett and had met you. Anyway, Luke recognized Simms immediately. The guy was in here the other night to get his own tattoo.”
“You’re kidding. That took stones. On the run for murdering a cop and he strolls in here for a new tat?” Ethan couldn’t believe it. Leroy Simms had been right next door to where Scarlett worked. God, it made his blood run cold. “What kind of tattoo? You think it’ll help the Rangers find Simms?”
“We usually don’t share that information, but since he’s a fugitive, I guess it can’t hurt. He got a heart with the name Ramona over it. Told Luke that she was his woman.” Carl had filled a glass of his own and drank it down. “That got the cop excited, I’ll tell you.”
“Wow. Ramona. That would be Ramona Delgado. Scarlett says she’s a secretary at Zenon.” Ethan realized that meant nothing to Carl. “Never mind. You have any idea where Simms was living?”
“He gave a fake name, no address, and paid cash. But Luke said he seemed to be on foot. That was all we could tell the Ranger.” Carl shook his head. “I can’t believe we had him here, Ethan. And let him get away. He had a jailhouse tattoo, Taylor said, but Luke noticed the man had a big Band-Aid on his arm that was probably covering it up. The guy claimed he was healing from a kitchen accident.” Carl set his glass in a sink. “Shit. I’m sorry we didn’t know who we had.”
“He’s dangerous, man. Better to let the cops handle it.” Ethan was gaining new respect for law enforcement. He should have called them in as soon as his mother had appeared. Now it was too late without bad consequences to himself and maybe Albert.
“You think Luke and I couldn’t have taken that bastard down?” Carl sniffed. “I’m armed. Always am in here. See this?” He lifted his loose cotton shirt and showed Ethan his handgun in a holster. “I keep the gun snapped down in the holster so no one can snatch it from me. I learned that lesson the hard way.” Carl shook his head.
“You’re kidding. What happened?” Ethan knew there was a story there.
“Never mind. The truth is, I take in a lot of cash and people know it. Been robbed a time or two. Or at least they’ve attempted it. I sure haven’t been bothered like that with all the cops cruising the street lately. The real trouble started when your bar was standing vacant and there was no action there. I even had to run off some squatters.”
“I appreciate that.” Ethan followed Carl back to the front of the shop. “The place still was trashed. You should have seen the bathroom.” He turned to Luke. “Scarlett says the women in the ladies’ room wrote some nasty things about you. You might want to check yourself, dude.”
“Seriously?” Luke shook his head. “I didn’t know women did that. Like phone numbers and shit?”
A woman who had seemed to be waiting her turn for a tattoo looked Luke up and down. “Not phone numbers. Warnings.” She smiled at Carl. “Word gets around about who is a gentleman and who isn’t. Know what I mean?”
“Sure do, Gina.” Carl smiled at her. “I’ll be through here in ten.”
“Can’t wait, lover.” She settled down with a magazine.
Ethan’s phone buzzed. Damn it, what now?
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Scarlett?”
“Ethan! I’m in my car following Leroy Simms and Mona Delgado.”
“What?” He sounded shocked. Of course he was.
“They came to the apartment. After me.” She took a breath when her voice cracked. “I’m okay. I hid and they didn’t find me. But I can’t let them get away.”
“Stop. Don’t do this. What if they see you?” Ethan sounded like he was running. “I’m still near the bar. I see Mike.” He was yelling the Ranger’s name. “Mike, I’ve got Scarlett on the phone. She’s behind Simms and Delgado, following them in her car. They tried to kidnap her or kill her. Shit, I don’t know. I’m giving him the phone, honey.”
“Scarlett. What the hell are you doing?” Mike sounded very official and, impossibly, scared. “Back off now.”
“I’m not too close. Listen, they’re in a gray or silver Honda. I can’t read the license plate. I think they put mud on it or something. Anyway, we’re headed down Martin Luther King toward the freeway. The one you call Mopac that goes north and south.” Scarlett reached down to push YoYo out of her lap. “Oh, no! They’ve turned. They’re going down Guadalupe, that street that runs right in front of the University of Texas. God, Mike, it’s swarming with students. Don’t send the police after them now. It would be a bloodbath if they decided to pick up hostages and make a stand.”
“You think I don’t know that? And the first hostage would be you.” Mike took a breath. “Girl, you have no business following people who are no doubt armed and dangerous.” Mike started issuing orders to people around him. “I’ve got units headed your way. I’ve told them no lights or sirens. Both Simms and Delgado are in the car? Did you see weapons?”
“I heard Simms use a knife, ripping up my clothes in the closet. I was in my panic room, right next to where he was slashing at things. Don’t know if I told you about that feature in the apartment.” Scarlett figured that was something he didn’t care about now. “Anyway, I don’t know what other weapons they have. But I’m sure they have them. They…they talked about finishing me.” Do not break down. “Listen, I’ve got two cars between them and me. I’m okay, Mike. But I’m scared.”
“Of course you are. You got a description of the two? How they look now? In case they get away. Which would be fine. Back off and let the cops do their job, Scarlett.” Mike said this firmly.
“I can’t let them go. I have to keep them in sight, I have to. I saw Mona in a blond wig, jeans and a pink T-shirt. Simms looks bald, dressed like a regular guy in a dark suit with a white shirt. Like he’s pretending to be an office worker. He’s got a mustache and goatee. But I recognized him, Mike. Right away. Thanks to the pictures you sent us. Bald. Oh, I already said that.” She remembered to breathe, then stomped on the brakes when the car ahead of her stopped for a yellow light. Was she going to lose them? She might have except…
“You’re not going to believe this, Mike. They’re driving through a Whataburger. Like they didn’t just try to kidnap me or whatever they had planned. They’re ordering food!” Scarlett choked back a sob but didn’t let a tear fall. Her hands gripped the wheel. “Mona hates me. I don’t know why. What did I ever do to her?” When the light changed, she pulled into a gas station across the street from the restaurant where she could watch them. Crazy! When she saw Mona look around, Scarlett ducked and threw herself across the console. God, if the woman saw her, she wouldn’t put it past her to jump out of the car and dodge traffic to come right after her. She really didn’t understand it. Why did Mona hate her so much?
“Scarlett, Scarlett! Are you there?” Mike sounded frantic.
“I’m here. I had to get out of sight. I was afraid they saw me. I’m okay.” She stayed where she was. There had been a couple of cars ahead of the Honda. How long would it take them to go through the line?
“Listen to me. I’m telling the cops getting close to play this by ear. They know what you’re driving and will be careful not to involve you. You’re right. We can’t risk a shoot-out where there are so many people. I’m on my way. Ethan is with me. He insisted.” Mike’s voice was rough. “Honey, you can’t try to figure out psychopaths. You’re a good, decent person with friends and family. Delgado may hate you just for that. Don’t let it upset you.”
“Tell the cops to be extra careful. I guess classes just let out or something. There are students everywhere.” Scarlett peeked over the steering wheel. The Honda was at the window, and she saw Leroy pass money to the server.
“They’re paying. So maybe you’ll get a chance to take them when we leave this area. If Simms sees the police, no telling what he’ll do. Remember how he used that knife before, and he can shoot too. He used a gun when you took out Crane.” Scarlett saw that the food had been delivered. “Okay, they’re on the move again. I’ve got to keep following them. If they decide to stop and eat, then you can move in. Don’t worry. I plan to stay well back from them.”
“You do that. I mean it, Scarlett. You are no match for those two. I’m handing the phone to Ethan. Talk to him while I drive.”
“Scarlett, baby, be careful. Maybe you should quit talking and just drive. For God’s sake don’t let them see you.” Ethan sounded scared.
“I won’t.” She pulled out of the parking lot. A police car went past but ignored them. She figured it was just confirming the identities of the two inside the Honda. “Ethan, don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”
“Stay that way.” He cleared his throat. “We’ve just gotten started, you know.”
“I know.” She realized the Honda had turned the corner. “Oh, God. Tell Mike we’re going down Thirty-Fifth now. Toward the freeway again.” Against her will, Scarlett sobbed.
Ethan shouted that direction to Mike. “What is it, baby? This should be good news. They’re moving away from the university. But you sound upset. Have they seen you?”
“No, it’s not that. They’ve slowed down, and I recognize where we are. This neighborhood.” Scarlett’s hands were damp on the steering wheel, and she had to concentrate as tears filmed her eyes. No, she couldn’t give in to the despair that made her want to howl with rage and pain.
“Scarlett?” Ethan was desperately trying to figure out what was wrong with her.
“They’re turning in at the parking lot in front of an abandoned grocery store.” No, it couldn’t be. But it was. The same place where they’d dumped her out of a van onto concrete with her ass bleeding and her body scraped and bruised. “Tell Mike it’s the same lot where he found me after Simms cut me before. He’ll know the location.” Unreal. They were parking. What a fine place to enjoy a burger. Scarlett felt the acid of hate burn in her stomach. God, if only she could run over the bastard, she’d do it, again and again.
“Get out of the car, Leroy Simms.” Scarlett wanted to shout it. Aim her car and just gun it. Instead, she drove past and pulled in a block farther down where the car could be hidden behind a bush.
“Scarlett.” Mike had taken the phone. “Are you sure?” He rattled off the address.
“Hell yes, I’m sure. I’ll never forget it. It’s a few blocks from the freeway.”
“We’re on our way. So are a half dozen squad cars.”
“Thanks. I’m hanging up now. I need a minute.” She tossed the phone onto the passenger seat and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Breathe. Easier said than done. YoYo climbed into her lap and she dug her fingers into his fur.
She’d finally calmed down when her car door was wrenched open. Mona Delgado pointed a gun at her head.
“Hello, Scarlett. Thanks for following us. We even got you a burger.”
* * * *
“What the hell do you mean, she needed a minute?” Ethan felt helpless and he didn’t like it one damn bit. “I’m calling her back.” He grabbed his phone from Mike, who was driving like a madman with one hand. “Her phone’s ringing. Why isn’t she picking up?” He clicked off when he got her voice mail, then tried again.
“Wish I knew. The squad cars should be there by now.” Mike reached for his radio. “Report your status. What do you see? Are you at the site?”
Ethan heard a jumble of the kind of codes cops used and some mumbo jumbo. But one thing was clear. There was no gray Honda in the lot at the abandoned grocery store or any sign of Scarlett’s car.
“Look down the street. Scarlett Hall said she pulled behind some bushes about a block down.” Mike braked hard when a car pulled out in front of him. He had his siren going, but this character was apparently oblivious because of the loud music blaring from his stereo system. Mike wheeled around him, almost hitting a car coming in the opposite direction. His vocabulary would have impressed Ethan if he hadn’t been praying so hard that Scarlett was okay. The Ranger slipped through a space in traffic Ethan wasn’t sure was big enough. Ahead of them was a snarl of traffic stopped at a light while a pack of students crossed the street.
