'Til Death (Part four of fifteen)

‘Til Death

A Trick Molloy Mystery

©2009 Michael A. Stackpole

Part Four

“Want me to come with you?”

I fell in love with Talia right then. It was the question, how she asked it. It wasn’t any tentative “should I call 911” inquiry. She was ready to go out and kick the IAD cop’s ass.

“I got it, baby.” I kissed her. “Save me a couple more dances.”

“As many as you want.”

I looked at RT Sullivan. “Lead the way, Detective.”

RT Sullivan walked with a strut that made me want to sucker punch him in the back of the head. With a cinder block. Solidly built, clean shaven, shoulders about twice as wide as his hips, he had so little body-fat his skin looked like beige plastic wrap. RT wanted everyone looking at him, everyone thinking he was the definition of alpha male.

I hated him. He was one of the triumvirate out of Internal Affairs that bounced me from the force. RT was his nickname. I don’t even know what his real name was. He was proud of the initials. Thought they stood for Rat Trap, since he was the top catcher on the Rat Squad.

I always figured RT was for Rancid Turd.

And there I go insulting turds.

Outside, Sullivan headed for the alley. I stopped following.

He turned. “Afraid, Molloy?”

“Not on your best day, RT.” I folded my arms across my chest. “Just avoiding temptation.”

“You, keeping your nose clean? There’s a first.”

I glanced at my watch. “Getting in overtime?”

“What were you doing at the Morgue with the Jane Doe?”

“What did Doctor Chase tell you?”

He shook his head. “That isn’t how it works, Molloy. You must remember that much.”

I rolled my eyes. “A girl misses a shift or two, doesn’t answer her phone, they have me find her. Could be she’s hopped a bus back to Iowa. Could be she’s fish food. I bring Cate some coffee, she lets me see if I can solve any mysteries.”

“This one fit a girl you’re looking for?”

“Janice Dabney, used to dance as Bingo. Same build, same legs.” I shrugged. “Wasn’t her. We done here?”

“We’re done when I say we’re done, Molloy.”

I straightened up and drew my shoulders back. My spine popped in a most gratifying manner. “We’re done unless you stop with the games. She wasn’t a cop, so you’re thinking a cop did her, or was involved with her. Let’s get to the talent portion of the program here.”

He ran a hand over his jaw. “I understand you’ve been talking to Sandbag.”

Sandbag. That’s what jerks like RT started calling Lou after he stopped that bullet. “You think he’s dirty?”

“I know he’s dirty, it’s just the degree.” His eyes narrowed. “He talked to you in the club.”

“Yeah, he was tired of humping his left hand. Wanted to know if I could fix him up with any of the girls.”

“Did you?”

“I’m a bouncer, not a pimp.” I glanced down, letting him think I was hiding something. “If he said he had a score, I’m taking it he’s radioactive?”

“With a half-life of forever. What did he want you to do for him?”

“He wanted some talent.” I said it so RT would know I meant magick. “Diner he likes mooching meals from has a problem with some pests running a protection racket. Lou isn’t up to dealing with the collectors, so he wanted me to do it.”

“That’s not what he says.”

“Like he’s going to tell you the truth.” I shook my head. “Doesn’t matter. I blew him off.”

“After what he did for you?”

I pointed back into the club. “You see her in there? Hot, smart, has a career and medical benefits. You think I want to be dragging bits and pieces of my past out for her to decide to chuck me? I ain’t stupid.”

RT frowned. He was thinking.

The trick to dealing with the Rat Squad wasn’t keeping your mouth shut. It was telling enough half-truths that they lost themselves trying to make all the pieces fit. RT had seen Talia. He knew I wasn’t lying about her. My suggesting that I saw her as a meal ticket fit with his vision of me. He took that as the whole truth, and that meant I’d blown Lou off.

My comment also gave him leverage. He could report back to Talia what I’d said, and she’d ditch me. We both knew it. He liked having that power. He’d use it to punish me once he figured out how I’d lied to him. That was how the Rat Squad worked.

“Okay, Molloy, we’re done. For now.”

“Great.” I started back into the club, then turned and faced him again. “Oh, just so you know, that raid wouldn’t have worked.”

RT gave me a sneer.

“Seriously. We have contacts. The place would have been cleaner than a nursery school. The second your boys gathered, we got the word. And remember, I know where the vice squad would be looking, so anything worth finding would be somewhere else.” I winked at him. “Looks like finding that Vice mole would be a good job for the Rat Squad—if you have the time.”

I returned to the club. Talia waited at the bar with three suitors and a double Irish whiskey. I tucked myself into her and the liquor. It was nasty well Irish, but it worked to warm my belly. My drinking it also gave the swains a chance to evaporate.

She took the empty glass from my hand and kissed me. “Everything okay?”

I nodded. “Probably. Lou’s playing me or being played. I’ll have to figure out which.”

“Want to go?”

I smiled. “Nope. We have some dancing to do, remember?”

“How could I forget?”

She hadn’t. Nor did she forget the experimentation we’d agreed to do for the sake of science. Lucky science. Conclusion? Not enough data. We’d have to do a lot more experimentation.

I love that repeatability is so important in the scientific process.

Morning came way too fast, after far too little sleep. The warm pleasures of the night before lingered. Despite RT having showed up, I was feeling pretty happy. I really wanted that feeling to last.

Despite my desire, and that little warning voice inside, I went looking for Lou’s wife.

If you are enjoying this story and were wondering how we got here, please visit the Stormwolf Store. The short story “The Witch in Scarlet” is the Trick Molloy tale that immediately precedes this one.