“Be careful,” said Connie. “Forensics hasn’t —”
“Just making sure that either of these two isn’t The Toad. They switch identities like most people change underwear. They’re not. No money here, I take it?”
Connie shook her head.
“There’s a rental out front. Could be theirs.”
“It is. We already checked. No bags of money.”
“Sure, you say that now,” said Jack. “I’ll be watching. If you two retire next week I’m coming after you.”
Connie grinned and replied, “Don’t I wish.” Her face then became serious and she asked, “Any suggestions? Can your sources help us out? We think one guy was wounded and escaped out the bathroom window.”
Jack rubbed his chin and thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe The Toad decided to retire early. The bikers probably had security out front. Bet that’s why he slipped out the back.”
“But who would have shot him?” said Connie. “There’s some blood on the bedspread and a smear on the bathroom wall. Neither victim had a gun in his hand.”
“Who says he was shot?” said Jack. “This guy sprawled out on the floor ... maybe he saw it coming and got a punch in. The Toad might only have a broken nose.”
Connie considered this and then said, “Guess that’s possible.” She paused, then asked, “Your hooker friend have any leads as to where he might be?”
“I’ll check. You should call the narcs right away and tell them what I told you. This much action should have their sources talking. Tell them I have a hooker close to The Toad. Maybe something will click with them. If The Toad is running off with the club’s money, he won’t be sticking around long. Maybe one of the narcs will know something to identify the Brit. If we find him, I bet we find The Toad as well.”
Connie looked carefully at Jack as she digested what he said.
“We’ll head out now,” said Jack, moving toward the door. “Tell our source to get to work.”
“Not so fast, Jack!” said Connie.
Laura felt a lump in her throat. Oh man ... I knew we couldn’t pull this off!
“What’s the problem?” asked Jack.
“Your DNA,” said Laura. “It’ll be all over the room now. We’ll need a sample for elimination.”
Laura had wondered why Jack had moved around the room. Now she knew.
Jack and Laura were just returning to their car when Jack received a call on his cell.
“You said you wouldn’t bust our guys! I’m dead! I’m fucking dead!”
Jack recognized Lance’s voice and said, “Your guys weren’t busted.”
“Bullshit! I just left the motel. There are cops all over the place! The Toad’s not answering or returning calls!”
“I know. I’m at the motel now. I was notified about it through Homicide.”
“Homicide?”
“The maid checked the room this morning. Both strikers are dead and The Toad is missing. Looks like he took the money and split.”
“You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding me!” “We should come and meet you and talk about it.” “Danny back in action?” “No,” said Jack, glancing over at Laura. “I’ve got a new partner. You can trust her.”
“It’s a her? Oh fuck!”
“She’s a ... good friend. Trust me.”
“Yeah, like I have a choice.”
On their way to meet Lance, Laura asked, “How long do you think it will be before Damien hears the whopper you just told Connie?”
“Wish we knew who the dirty narc is. Regardless, the club is out a few bucks. Not to mention two dead strikers and a missing toad. The heat will be on. I bet Damien hears the story by Monday or Tuesday. The friend I’m about to introduce to you will hear when Damien finds out.”
Jack introduced Laura to Lance. He was polite but mostly ignored her. Bikers tended to view women as property. Not as anyone you would listen to, let alone take orders from. At the moment he had too many other things on his mind to worry about Laura.
“What the hell happened? Who whacked ’em? Where’s The Toad?”
“We don’t know,” said Jack. “You called me last night to say everything was okay. That it was a done deal!”
“It was! I don’t know anything about this!”
“You said nobody knew about the motel except you and The Toad,” said Jack accusingly.
“And the Colombians,” said Lance. “But that don’t make sense. They were already paid before I...” Lance stopped and glanced at Laura.
“She knows,” said Jack. “I trust her. You’re going to have to do the same.”
“Yeah, well ... anyway. They were paid before the ship was unloaded. So why would someone kill ’em?”
“Have you talked with Damien? Maybe The Toad is with him.”
“Not yet. Guess I better send him a short message, then drive over to talk details.”
“Do it, but first call the motel office and see if they’ll tell you what happened.”
Lance understood, and a couple of minutes later a clerk at the motel admitted that two guests had been murdered.
“Good,” said Jack. “Now tell Damien you went to look for The Toad and saw cops all over and called the motel. Call me as soon as you’re done meeting with him.”
After Lance left, Laura suggested, “Home to bed?”
“Think you can sleep?”
“I might. When I get really stressed I feel like my whole system shuts down. All I want to do is close my eyes.”
Jack nodded, then gestured toward the back of the car and said, “Right after I stash what’s in the trunk.”
“Three-point-five. You’re going to have a lumpy mattress.”
“Actually ... I rented a storage locker the other day.”
“I knew it! How long have you been planning all this?” she said, letting her exasperation show.
“The storage locker was for something else a couple of weeks ago.”
“Something else?” She paused, then asked, “You have a freezer in there?”
Jack smiled, then replied, “You are tired. If I had a freezer in there I wouldn’t have had to call you out last night. Great idea, though. Maybe I should get one and extend the rental.”
“If you do, get a new partner while you’re at it. No wonder Danny is on stress leave.”
Laura had meant it as humour but saw the look on Jack’s face and was embarrassed. “I’m sorry,” she said, “that was a dumb thing to say.”
“Not your fault. I just feel bad about how things turned out between me and Danny.”
Jack noticed that Laura was silent as he drove her back to her car. Then he saw that she was shaking. “Cold?” he said, turning up the heat.
“It’s not the cold. I’m scared.”
“Of what?”
“Of what I did! Helping you!”
“Now