“Yeah, I hear ya. You should meet my head of resort security. He’s a real smart-ass. Anyway, as your guys were telling me, I’ve got Denny to thank for my boat exploding then?”

  Remy’s lips pressed together into a tight line and his head crooked slightly to the side. “They told you that?”

  I nodded.

  “Idiots.” He sighed. “I heard through the grapevine that you were planning to propose to Val that night. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  I frowned. “How the hell’d you hear that?”

  He considered me for a second and then shrugged. “It’s actually a funny thing. Your fireworks guy mentioned it to his barber, who just happened to be one of Val’s better customers. He came running right over to me asking me if it was true that Val was getting married.”

  “Ahh. That makes sense,” I said, nodding.

  “You know, I’m not going to let you do it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Marry her. She’s mine and she always will be mine. I’d hoped I could just scare you off, but it looks like I’m going to have to come up with a more permanent solution to our little problem.”

  “Val doesn’t seem to think she’s yours. And that’s what matters. Even if you kill me right here today, Val’s leaving your little business. She wants out. She wants a better life. And don’t you think she deserves that?”

  “Val deserves whatever I give her, and that’s that. She owes me a lot, you know. I brought her here. From Colombia. She has me to thank for that.”

  “I tell you what, Rem. Why don’t you let me pay off whatever it is that she owes you, then the two of you call it even?”

  Remy laughed. “Oh, you’re funny, Artie.” He pointed at me. “Can I call you Artie?” Without waiting for me to respond, he kept going. “In my line of business, it doesn’t work like that. Her debt can’t be paid off that easily.”

  “I have a lot of money.”

  “Yes. I’m sure you do,” he mused, tapping his chin lightly as if he were briefly debating if he wouldn’t be willing to sell her to me.

  “We could work something out.”

  “No. I don’t think we could. I think I’ll just take back what’s mine.”

  “By killing me?”

  “It makes the most sense, don’t you think?”

  “Not really. I think your other plan was better.”

  He frowned at me. “What other plan?”

  “The one where you frame me for arson and send me up the river.”

  42

  Remy stared at me hard. Tipping his head to the side, he seemed to give my words some careful consideration. “I think the idea definitely has merit.”

  “I’m sure you do. That’s why you did it.”

  His mouth curled into a devious grin. “Did it?”

  “Oh, no need to play coy with me. Your boys admitted it.” It was a lie, but I had to feel him out. I couldn’t read him. “It was a brilliant plan, really.”

  After a long pause, he finally threw his hands up, frowning. “I’m sorry. I’d love to play along, but I’m too curious. I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. What did my boys admit to?”

  “Obviously, burning down the Crystal Point Resort.”

  His face registered only a complete and utter lack of awareness. I could see it in his eyes. He literally had no idea what I was talking about.

  “That was you, wasn’t it?”

  “I heard about the fire,” he said, frowning. “Val mentioned it, but she didn’t tell me that you were suspected of burning it down.”

  My eyes narrowed. “So you are still in contact with Val.”

  A dark shadow passed over Remy’s face. “Of course I am,” he snapped. “I told you. She’ll always be mine.”

  “But you’re saying that you had nothing to do with the fire?”

  “Unfortunately, I did not. Thought it would’ve been brilliant, and perhaps I should’ve taken credit for it, I did not have involvement,” he chuckled. “I don’t know why my guys would’ve admitted to doing that. It must’ve been some kind of misunderstanding.”

  I nodded. “Speaking of misunderstandings, I think there’s something else you should know.”

  Closing his eyes, Remy held his hands up as if to stop me. “If it’s about how much you love Val and she’s turned your world upside down, save it. I don’t want to hear about it. Okay?”

  “Yeah, no. It’s not about that. In fact, the truth of the matter is, Val’s not even my girl.”

  Remy’s left brow quirked up in the middle. “Look, just because my guys in there are about as gullible as they come doesn’t mean their idiocy rubbed off on me. All right? I’m the boss for a reason. You don’t just propose to a hooker for shits and giggles.”

  “No, I’m serious. I didn’t propose.”

  He wagged a finger at me, smiling. “You know, if it hadn’t been for one of my girls just happening to see the announcement in the newspaper this morning, I might actually believe you.”

  “I don’t know what to say. I think you should believe me.”

  “She showed it to me,” he said frowning. “I know you and Val are planning to marry. And like I said, Artie, I just can’t let that happen.” He pulled a gun out that had been holstered under his suit jacket and pointed it down at my face.

  “But that’s just it, Rem. I already told you. I’m. Not. Artie.”

  Smiling, he shook his head. “You really think I buy your bullshit?”

  I squinched my eyes shut and looked at him out of the corner of one eye. “It’s the truth, Remy.”

  He gave his gun a little bounce. “You know, it’s offensive how stupid you think I am. I saw you and Val together shopping. And my guys got you coming out of your house. I know you’re Artie.”

  “Look. Unless you witnessed me coming outta Artie’s momma’s vajayjay, I’m afraid you’re wrong. I’m a friend and employee of Artie’s. I live next door to him and Val. Your friends just happened to catch me coming out of Artie’s place today because I was looking for Val.”

  “But you were shopping with her the other day.”

  “As a favor to Artie. He asked me to take her shopping for an engagement dress. He was planning to propose, and he asked for my help. Look, if you’ll remember, before you punched my face, I introduced myself to you.”

  Remy frowned at me, like he was trying to recall what I’d said before he’d punched me. “Yeah, as Artie.”

  “No. I said, ‘Hey, how’s it going. I’m Drunk.’ You said, ‘Yeah, well, I’m not,’ and then you punched me and almost broke my nose.”

  Remy stared at me for a long moment and then nodded. “I do remember you saying you were drunk. But what’s that got to do with anything?”

  “My name is Drunk. Danny Drunk.”

  Remy laughed. “Sure it is.”

  “I’m serious. I’m not Artie.”

  Remy stared at me then, not sure what to believe. He shook his head and pointed his gun at me again. “Nah. You’re just pulling my chain.”

  My head rolled back on my shoulders. “I’m dead-ass serious. Look, my wallet’s in my truck back at the Seacoast Majestic or I’d show you. You said you saw Artie’s engagement announcement in the paper. I assume there wasn’t a picture, but does that mean you get the paper here?”

  “Yeah, out front.”

  I had to think back to what day it was that Al had seen my picture in the paper. “It was the Sunday before last.” My head bobbed. “Grab the Sunday paper. My picture’s in it. There’s a story about me.”

  “You were in the paper? For what?”

  “You can read all about it when you see it. Then you’ll know I’m telling you the truth.”

  “I think it’d just be easier to kill you.”

  “Then you’d be killing the wrong guy, and Artie would still be out there. Okay? Would you just go look for the fucking paper!”

  “Ugh. You’re really turning into a pain in my ass.”

  “Same. Just go look.”

  He moved to the door and pulled it open, putting his foot between the door and the jamb to keep it propped open. Then he stuck his head inside. “Charles!”

  Seconds later. “Yeah, boss?”

  “Go get me the stack of newspapers in my office. They’re on the floor under my desk.”

  “All of ’em, boss?”

  “Yeah, just grab the whole stack and bring it here.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  Remy and I stared at each other while we waited for Charlie to bring the papers in. Minutes later, he appeared with a big cardboard box. Charlie had thrown all the papers in haphazardly, and they stuck out in every direction.

  “Sorry, boss, I couldn’t find anything to put ’em in.”

  Remy groaned as he looked down at the mess. “You got ’em out of order, Charles. I just wanted you to carry them out here to me like they were. You couldn’t just do that, could you?”

  Scratching the back of his head, Charlie looked down at the mess blankly. “Oh. Uh. Sorry, boss. I didn’t know whatcha—”

  “It’s fine, Charles. I got it. You can go back up front now.”

  Charlie slipped away with a nod before his boss could say anything else.

  Remy squatted down to rifle through the box.

  I watched him for a whole minute before I cleared my throat. “You know, if you untied me I could help you find it. It’d be faster that way.”

  He sighed. I could tell he didn’t like that idea, but he also didn’t like not knowing the truth about who he was about to kill. He reached out to spin me around. Then he cut my zip ties with a pocket knife and spun me back around again.

  Thankful as hell to finally have my hands free, I pulled my hands together to rub my sore wrists.

  “No funny business.”

  “Yeah, yeah.” Even though I badly wanted to punch the guy in his smug face for having punched me days prior, he was the one with the gun, not me. I needed to restrain myself for the time being.

  The two of us worked quietly, rifling through the papers until finally I found the right one. “Ah. Got it.” I flipped through the pages until I found the picture of myself in my fedora and shades. I showed it to him. “See? That’s me. Daniel Drunk.”

  Remy snatched the paper from my hand and read the article. “Newest Islander Takes Down the PGC.” He looked at me then, eyes wide. “Holy shit, that was you?”

  I shrugged.

  He kept reading. “Officer Drunk of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department…” He looked at me again. “You’re a police officer?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Was a police officer. Back in the States. I’m not anymore.”

  “So you’re really not Artie, then?”

  “That’s what I told you.”

  His eyes widened as he stared back down at the paper. He scanned the rest of the article and then looked up at me again. “There’s a lot of guys who want you dead for bringing down the PGC.”

  I swallowed hard, hoping that Remy wasn’t one of those guys. “Oh yeah?”

  He nodded. “I had a lot of clients in the PGC.”

  I swallowed hard. “Oh yeah?”

  “Yeah. Most of them are in jail now.”

  Fuck.

  “Huh. Well, sorry about that, I guess.” I lifted my hands in an awkward shrug.

  “I should fucking kill you myself.” He pointed his gun at me again.

  I smiled at him, holding my hands up on either side of myself. “You really don’t have to do that. I wouldn’t hold it against you if you just let me go.”

  Remy laughed. “You know, the more I think about it, you’re actually more valuable to me alive.”

  I lifted one hand to my chin in a thoughtful position and gave it a little rub, nodding. “I like the sound of that. Keep talking.”

  “I bet you could fetch a pretty penny for those wanting to get some revenge.”

  Panic froze my limbs. “I’m sorry. What?”

  He nodded. “Yeah. You know. I think that’s what we’ll do. If I put the word out I’ve got Officer Danny Drunk here, I bet there will be a bidding war over who gets to be the one to kill him.”

  “Uh-huh. Uh-huh,” I said, nodding. “Or—just hear me out—or, I could round up some cash to give you instead of you selling me to one of them.”

  Remy grinned. “Nah. I think I like my idea better.” He opened the door to the front and hollered inside again. “Charles! Get me John Oakley on the phone. I got something he might want!”

  43

  Remy and the Bostonian misfits (sounds like a sweet name for a band name, doesn’t it?) spent the rest of the afternoon working out a plan to sell me to John Oakley, some guy who apparently had a major bone to pick with me. When they finally got the go-ahead to make the handoff, Remy ordered Charlie to load me back up into the Chrysler 300.

  I made a face as the memory of my purge session took hold of me. “Can’t we take one of these other cars?”

  Remy frowned at me. “What’s it to you which car we take?”

  “Ah, he made a mess in the back of Cholly’s car, boss,” said Denny.

  “A mess?”

  “Yeah, sonovabitch tossed his cookies,” said Charlie. “Smells like the inside of a dumpster back there. I can’t drive it until I hose it out or sumpin’.”

  Remy glanced over at me and then pulled his keys out of his pocket and tossed them to Charlie. “Fine. Take my car.” He pointed at Charlie. “But you put a scratch on it and I’ll have your ass in a sling.”

  “I got it, boss. I’ll be careful, don’t worry,” said Charlie. He nodded towards the silver Lexus parked on the end. “Boys, put him in the back. I’ll be right there.”

  Remy gave me a little salute before Denny and Ennis dragged me away. “It’s been real, Officer Drunk. You have a great day now. It’s about to be your last.”

  Denny and Ennis forced me into the trunk of Remy’s car, folding my body in like an accordion.

  Suffering with my legs up by my chin, I whined. “Oh, come on, guys. My body don’t bend like this. Can’t I just sit in the backseat?”

  “No! And you puke in the boss’s car and I’ll shoot you. Got it?” snarled Denny, pressing the cold muzzle of his gun to my forehead.

  “Yeah, yeah. I got it. I got it. Jeez.”

  He slammed the trunk on me and then I heard Charlie’s voice.

  “Get in the cah, fellas. I ain’t got all day. Let’s go.”

  As the car began to move, my eyes immediately began to look for a way out. I couldn’t let myself get handed over to John Oakley. I didn’t know him, but I was already sure I didn’t like him.

  And then I saw it.

  The T-shaped latch on the inside of the trunk lid, glowing in the dark like a fucking beacon of hope.

  I knew what it did. I only had to find the right time to pull it and hope that it worked.

  I had no idea how far we were going. John Oakley could be up the street or he could be on the other side of the island, but I didn’t want to take the chance. I’d plan that I didn’t have a lot of time. I needed to get out sooner rather than later, yet far enough away from Remy’s place that I wouldn’t be busted.

  And as much as it would’ve been easier to escape when the car was stopped at a light or something, I knew they were more likely to feel my weight fall out of the trunk and I’d be dead within seconds. I had to do it when the car was moving so if they did feel me, I’d have at least a few seconds to get away before they got out of the car and could chase after me.

  So as soon as I felt them accelerate, I pulled the latch. The trunk popped open, but I held it from popping up too high into their rearview mirror and alerting them that I’d opened it. I peered out at the street. There was a car behind us with a female driver. If I rolled out now, she’d hit me for sure.

  I waved at the car, trying to get the driver’s attention, but the woman was talking animatedly on her phone, oblivious to my hand sticking out of the trunk. We drove through an intersection and she took a right.

  Now’s your chance!

  I kicked out one leg and then the other and then closed my eyes. I knew it was going to hurt like hell and probably tear off some skin, but I was pretty sure a bullet to the skull and whatever beating or mutilation John Oakley had in store for me would hurt much worse. So I sucked in a deep breath and pushed myself out of the trunk.

  I rolled out of the vehicle in a lump, rolled twice, and when I came to a stop, I was staring at the back end of the Lexus as it drove away. Charlie and the boys didn’t stop despite the fact that the lid had popped up.

  And now there was only one thing on my mind.

  I had to run like hell.

  With my pulse racing and my knees and elbows burning from the gravel-covered road rash I didn’t have time to inspect, I climbed to my feet and took off, running in a dead sprint to the nearest alley. With no idea how long it would be before Charlie noticed the trunk open, I couldn’t afford to hesitate. I kept running, with no idea where to go. I had no phone, no wallet, and no idea exactly where I was. So I kept running until I came to a run-down little strip mall in a shitty part of town. I ran inside a little rent-to-own furniture store and up to the counter. An old man working behind the desk looked up at me.

  “Can I use your phone?” My breathing was labored and my arms and knees were bloodied from the fall.

  He stood up immediately and pointed towards the door. “Get outta here before I call the cops!”

  My eyes widened. “Yes! Please. Call ’em! It’s an emergency.”

  The man looked like he was going to kick me out again but then pursed his lips and picked up the receiver of his landline phone and dialed.

  I gave him a huge smile and clapped my hands together. “Oh, thank you. Ask for Inspector Francesca Cruz. Please. Tell her it’s an emergency and she needs to get here right away.”

  He didn’t say a word to me but waited with one eye glued to me until the police answered. He told the officer who answered the phone that a man had burst into his building and he wanted Inspector Francesca Cruz to come right away. Then he hung up and pointed at the door. “You’ll have to wait outside.”

 

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