Not in the Cards Read online

Connie turned to Delta to explain. “I didn’t think one car was enough to lure our perp from his hiding place. So Sal located four more red Camaros.”

  “With transmitters?”

  Sal nodded. “Of course.”

  Delta thought about the logistics of having five cars tapped and waiting to be stolen. “Where are these cars now?”

  Sal shot a questioning glance over to Connie, who shook her head. “You haven’t told her?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Told me what?”

  “Sal has arranged to have the Camaros placed in certain high crime locations.”

  Delta’s eyebrow rose again. “What do you mean, ‘placed?’”

  Sal strode forward and looked up into Delta’s face. “You want to catch a mouse, you should probably set more than one mousetrap, right? Well, I sent the boys out with the cars and had a van round them all up. Simple.”

  Simple? While she was muddling around with her relationship woes, Connie had clearly been doing all the hard work. “What ‘boys?’”

  “Sal has some Vietnam Vet friends who do some work for her occasionally.”

  Delta cocked her head in question. “Work? What sort of work do you do?”

  Sal shrugged and grinned mischievously. “A little of this, a little of that. The boys are my...partners. And they sure came in handy.” Moving away from Delta, Sal adjusted her cap and started for the garage door. “We didn’t move it, just like you asked, Connie.” Lifting the door, Sal unveiled one of the most beautiful cars Delta had ever seen; a cherry red Camaro with the license plate FAST on it. It shone wetly, and there was enough chrome on it to make it look like it was wearing jewelry.

  “It’s a beaut, isn’t it?”

  Delta nodded as she stared at her own reflection in the chrome bumper. “If this car doesn’t interest a thief, I don’t know what will.”

  “I’ll bet she purrs when her motor’s running.”

  “I’d take that bet.” Tossing Connie the keys, Sal reached in the car and pointed to where she’d placed the transmitter. “I put her inside so we don’t have to worry about water or bad weather, or anything like that.”

  “Good.” Connie took her car keys from her pocket and tossed them to Delta. “I’ll follow you. I think we should take it to the Latino part of town. Maybe leave it at Kennedy Park.”

  Delta nodded. “If they’re after darker kids, that’s the best place for it.” Looking down at Connie’s keys, Delta sighed. “I won’t even ask why you get to drive the cool car.”

  Connie’s teeth sparkled as she grinned. “You do great work, Sal. Remind me of that when I return the favor.”

  Adjusting her cap once more, Sal nodded. “You’ll get my bill soon enough.” Turning back to the gate, Sal nodded in Delta’s direction. “Someday, I’d really like to sit down and have a beer and trade war stories with you, Delta Stevens.”

  Delta grinned. “I’d like that. And thanks.”

  “No problema. I’ll call as soon as the phone comes to life. We’ll get those pricks, don’t you worry. I gotta run now, gals, I’m waiting for some of my other irons in the fire to start glowing.” Winking at Connie, Sal disappeared behind the gate.

  “She’s an interesting duck,” Delta whispered to Connie.

  “Yes, yes she is.”

  “You’ve never spoken about her. How come?”

  “Sal’s a very private person. I respect her privacy.”

  Delta put her arm around Connie and patted her shoulder. “You’re a great friend.”

  “Yes, I am. Now let’s get this car out so our sicko snatcher can fall in love with her.”

  “Con?”

  “Yeah?”

  “It’s about the other cars. That was a great idea.”

  Shrugging, Connie opened the Camaro’s shining door and gingerly sat inside. “One of the vets owns a car dealership. These guys are more than willing to help Sal out.”

  “Can I ask why?”

  Staring the engine and listening to it hum, Connie nodded before closing the door and rolling the window down. “Her father saved their lives in Da Nang.”

  “What happened to him?”

  “After he had saved the four guys, he went back for one more and had his throat slit by one of the booby traps the Congs had set.”

  Delta clutched her chest. “How awful.”

  “No, Del, the awful part was that the Cong jumped all over him, cut his head off and waved it in the air. Those four young men watched their hero destroyed right in front of their eyes. According to Sal, that was when they decided that no matter what happened, if they got out of there alive, they would see to it that Sal and her brothers were taken care of. They’ve been taking care of her ever since.”

  Delta slowly shook her head. “What a story.”

  “Isn’t it, though? It’s one of those Vietnam stories that should have made it to TV. It really shows how deep that kind of love and respect goes.”

  “I like her.”

  Connie grinned. “I know. Sal’s not hard to like.” Connie slowly backed the Camaro out of the garage. “All our pieces are in pretty much in place, Del. Now, it’s their move.”

  Nodding, Delta headed for Connie’s car. If they could pull this off—if they could get into that meeting or come up with the man who was abducting the kids—no one would touch them.

  No one. Not Captain John Henry. Not the chief. Not even the feds. Smiling, Delta checked her mirror, buckled her belt and drove off.

  It was 9:30 that night when Delta’s phone finally rang. She jumped and grabbed it off the cradle before it could completely finish its first ring. “Yeah?”

  “It’s Sal. They took the bait.”

  Delta’s heart raced. “What’s the line?”

  “That part isn’t so good. The guy who left the message wants you to go to a phone booth on first and Hamilton and bring the money with you.”

  Delta didn’t like the sound of that. Carrying a lot of money could be asking for trouble. “When?”

  “Midnight.”

  “Tonight?”

  “Yep.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He said to wait for a call in the phone booth and he’d give you more instructions then.”

  Delta nodded and reached over to click the television off. “Got it.”

  “Is there anything else I can do for you, Delta?”

  “You’ve been a real gem, Sal, but now it’s up to me and Con. Thanks.”

  “Roger. Good luck.”

  Depressing the button, Delta dialed Connie and told her it was going down.

  “They obviously checked you out first,” Connie said flatly. “Will we wire you up?”

  “That’s too risky. If they’re this cautious, you know they’ll pat me down. They might even run a metal detector across me.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “Neither do I, but Con, we’re this close. If I get in there, we have a good chance of stopping these guys. This is the break we’ve been waiting for.”

  Connie sighed loudly into the phone. “I know that Del, but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

  “Relax. I’ll take one of the transmitters and use your car. That way, you’ll at least be able to follow.”

  “Great idea. I’d feel much more comfortable doing that. What about back-up?”

  “I’ll call Carducci.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. Why him?”

  “He wants in on it. He’s willing to put it on the line to make the collar. Besides, we might need him. He’s a sharpshooter, remember? If anything slides sideways, Carducci can start blowing people to smithereens.”

  “Good point.”

  “I’ll need the rest of the money and an athletic bag.”

  “Don’t you want a briefcase?”

  “Nope. Too formal. Too suggestive of a setup.” Delta picked up a pen from next to a notepad and doodled dollar signs on the piece of paper.

  “Anything else? Is there anything we’re missing?�
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  Delta thought for a moment before answering. “I don’t think so. We have about two hours before show time, so if you think of anything we need, just yell.”

  “Delta—”

  “Don’t worry so much, Con. I’ll have you and the transmitter, and Carducci and his rifle, and me and my wits. Everything will be fine. See you in an hour.” After hanging up the phone, Delta made her way over to her closet and fished out one of Megan’s dresses.

  This is it, Delta thought as she hastily threw on the uncomfortable dress. This was what she’d been waiting for.

  At two minutes to midnight, Delta drove right up to the phone booth and got out, taking the maroon athletic bag with her. Once in the booth, she had only a ten second wait before the phone rang.

  “Yes?” She said, placing the phone to her ear.

  “I’m sure you understand the need for us to be cautious, Ms. Anderson.”

  “Of course. I understand completely.”

  “Good. I see you brought the money.”

  Delta did not look around, but it was clear why they had chosen this particular spot. There were high rises on all four corners, allowing the caller complete anonymity as well as a perfect aerial view of the phone booth.

  These guys were better than she thought. She would not underestimate them again.

  “This is only half of what I’d like to invest. As you can imagine,” Delta said, using a voice she never knew she had, “people in my position cannot be too cautious, either.”

  “I appreciate your discretion, Ms. Anderson, and I certainly do understand.”

  “You’ll receive the other half once I am convinced that this is a first class operation. I will not invest my money with amateurs.”

  The man chuckled. “Amateurs get caught. You can rest assured that this is a five-star organization. We do quality work and we already have more than a thousand orders for the next video. At one hundred dollars a pop, you don’t need a calculator to figure out how much advance money pre-sales have brought us.”

  Delta nodded. “Very lucrative.”

  “Quite. Now, you should see a blue Honda Accord pulling up to the curb. The driver will bring you to an undisclosed destination where you’ll have a chance to preview our film and to work out the necessary arrangements.”

  Delta glanced out of the booth and watched as the Accord pulled to a stop. Her stomach felt like it was going to jump into her throat. Unarmed and untapped, if Delta got into that car, she would be completely alone. Since Connie would follow using the transmitter, she had parked on a parallel street and wouldn’t even see Delta getting into the Honda.

  Great.

  “Again, I apologize for the excessive caution, but it is in order.”

  Delta swallowed hard. “I understand. My partners will be grateful.”

  “Your partners?”

  “Of course. There are three of us interested in profiting from this investment.”

  “I see. And you were picked to make the transaction?”

  Delta nodded. “I’m the best business woman of the bunch. My partners make a lot of money. It’s my job to invest it for them. So you see, they will be quite happy to know how discreet and professional your operation’s been so far.”

  “Good. I don’t wish to frighten you, but our business...well...it wouldn’t do for you to be a cop or to be followed by one, now would it?”

  Delta laughed. “Perish the thought.” Watching the driver step from the car, Delta tried to remain calm. She saw no other alternative but to go through with the ruse; if she tried backing out now, they might become suspicious.

  “Martinez has a metal detector to run over you and the athletic bag. Again, just a precaution.”

  The large man, Martinez, looked like an ex-wrestler for Big Time wrestling. His shoulders were so broad, he would have to turn sideways to get into the phone booth. His forearms were bigger than Delta’s thighs. In his large hand he held a device shaped like a lint brush. Delta managed a grin as he approached.

  “Once Martinez is through, he will accompany you to the next destination, where we will be able to conduct our business in a more secure environment. And you can be sure that all of this will be well worth it. Investing with us is a sure bet.”

  Delta nodded and wondered where the man on the other end of the line was calling from. “That’s what I’m counting on.”

  “Good. We’ll see you shortly.”

  Hearing the click of the phone, Delta hung up and stepped from the booth. The man-monster did not even move a facial muscle as he ran the detector over her.

  “Been doing this long?” Delta asked when he turned the detector off.

  Martinez didn’t answer, but solemnly opened the car door for her. “I’m sorry, Chuckles, I didn’t realize you were the strong, silent type.” As Delta ducked her head into the car, she peered in the side mirror to see if she could catch a glimpse of Connie’s car. When she didn’t see anything, Delta leaned over, buckled her seat belt and swallowed the trepidation rapidly rising inside her.

  When Martinez got in the driver’s side, the Honda dipped considerably from his immense weight. Delta guessed him to be close to 300 very solid pounds.

  “Where to, Martinez?” Delta asked, rolling her window down. For a brief flash, she considered bailing out of the car and running like hell, but decided against it. If the caller could see her well enough to know she had an athletic bag, what prevented him from having a rifle pointed right at her head?

  “What’s that?” Delta asked, turning toward Martinez. “You must have been mumbling. I asked where we’re headed.”

  “You’ll see,” Martinez grunted, pulling away from the curb.

  Looking out the rearview mirror, Delta sighed.

  Goodbye, Con, she thought, as they entered the freeway. Don’t wait up.

  The drive only took fifteen minutes. They arrived at a Super Seven Motel on the outskirts of the city. The location didn’t surprise Delta; the motel sat across from two different freeway on-ramps with a winding frontage road which had numerous turnouts. It was a mile before the freeway ran into one of the busiest and most confusing interchanges in L.A. It was no wonder they hadn’t been caught; they were smart about where they met and how many escape routes they would have.

  “Room nineteen.” Martinez grunted. “Knock twice.”

  “Thanks for the ride, Mr. Happy,” Delta quipped as she dragged the athletic bag with her. “It’s been loads of fun, really. I hope we have a chance to chat again real soon.” As she walked toward the hotel, Delta scanned the near empty parking lot and surrounding terrain. It was dark, quiet, and much too foreboding. She knew if she made one mistake, if she tipped her hand just once, she would not leave this motel alive.

  When she came to room nineteen, she knocked twice and waited. When the door finally opened, a tall, thin man with a receding hairline stood in the doorway wearing jeans, a white t-shirt, and a suit jacket. He looked like a throwback of the old Miami Vice fashion faux pax of the early eighties.

  “Ms. Anderson?” someone from the room said.

  “Yes.” Delta grinned at the thin man as if she were enjoying this whole transaction. Underneath her forced facade were drenched armpits, a rapidly beating heart, and trembling knees. Stepping into the room, Delta knew she was in way over her head. The problem was, there was nothing she could do about it.

  “Are you going to let her in or are you going to stand there barricading the door?”

  The thin man leaned forward out of the doorway and looked around. When Martinez nodded once to him, the skinny guy stepped out of the way to let Delta pass.

  Delta stepped into the tiny, mildewy room. It was dark and dank, like any cheap, sleazy motel, with brown wallpaper that curled at the top and cigarette burns on the table’s edges. The bedspread was worn and tired and appeared to have come from a Sears catalog during the early seventies. If it wasn’t for the twenty-seven inch television set and VCR, the room and its occupants were anachronisms.
/>   “Have a seat,” the thin man said, gesturing at a chair that looked like it had been bought at a flea market.

  Delta glanced at the worn upholstery. “No thank you. I prefer doing business standing. Will I be dealing with Poppy tonight?”

  The thin man shook his head. “Poppy don’t make no deals.” Before Delta could ask another question, the battered bathroom door opened and a dark haired man in his mid-forties came out drying his hands on a towel.

  “Ms. Anderson,” he said, tossing the towel on the counter before extending his hand to Delta. “I’m Rubin. I’m so glad we have the chance to do business together.”

  Delta took his hand, which wasn’t completely dry, and shook it firmly. It had been his voice on the other end of the phone and Delta couldn’t tell if he was Spanish, Middle Eastern, or neither. “My pleasure.”

  “Thank you for being such a good sport about our security measures, but Poppy is very conservative when it comes to business matters.” His face was fleshy, like a man who drank too much, and his stomach was distended as well. He wore a three-piece, charcoal colored suit and a college class ring on his right hand. Clearly the one with the power and the money, Rubin bore all the markings of the lead man. Turning from Delta, he addressed the thin man. “Offer our guest something to drink, will you?”

  Delta held up her hand. “Nothing for me, thank you.”

  “Very well.” With a nod of his head, Rubin sent the thin man over to the television set, where he stood awaiting further directions. “Very efficient of you to bring cash.”

  Delta glanced over at the athletic bag and nodded. “We believe in expediting matters. We didn’t want you leaving town before we had a chance to talk. And, well, let’s be frank here. Money talks.”

  Rubin stepped closer to Delta and smiled. “I like your style. It would please me greatly to do business with you.”

  “And my partners.”

  “Of course. And your partners. But I don’t mind saying, Poppy doesn’t care for silent partners.”

  Delta shrugged. “They have a lot to lose. They have even more to contribute to your operation. Silence is golden, Rubin, and in their case, silver and platinum as well.”

  The smile on Rubin’s face grew. “Oh, I do think we’re going to get along quite well.” Stepping away from her, Rubin sat on one of the beaten chairs and lit a cigarette. “Smoke?”