“I didn’t kill your father, Theena.”
His caress was cold, oily. She didn’t know if she believed him or not.
“How about Dr. Townsend and Dr. Fletcher?”
“What about them?”
“They weren’t at the funeral.”
Rothchilde frowned. “Yes, I noticed that, too. I’ll have Halloran check on them. I should probably put some men on you as well. If someone’s trying to sabotage me, they may go for you next.”
Theena folded her arms.
“I can take care of myself.”
“Of course you can, dear. If the bad guy comes to your door, you can always fuck your way out of danger.”
She made a fist, intent on putting a permanent dent in his long pointed nose. But Bill was leaving the building. He’d changed into jeans and a new jacket, and was lugging an overnight bag.
Rothchilde blew her a kiss. “It’s that fire in you that makes you so dynamite in the sack.”
Bill climbed into the back of the car, putting his suitcase on the seat next to him. “All set.”
Rothchilde didn’t need directions to Theena’s apartment, but she gave them anyway. Bill may have suspected Rothchilde, but he gave no signs that he suspected her. She wanted to keep it that way.
They drove in silence. Theena harbored so many doubts that sorting them out was difficult. She had originally aligned herself with Rothchilde because they shared a common goal. Whomever sponsored N-Som needed to have deep pockets and major clout. Theena was a large part of the reason that American Products acquired DruTech. She’d slept with him at her father’s request.
But sex and murder were two entirely different things.
Theena knew men, what they wanted, and how to control them. She thought she had Albert wrapped around her finger. Now she wasn’t so sure. And the stakes had gotten higher than simply getting N-Som approved.
Theena thought about Townsend, and O’Neil, and Julia and Red. She’d been working with these people for years. They were her family. Now Townsend and Red were missing, Manny had been attacked twice, and her father was dead.
Could she be next?
Theena furrowed her brow, trying to come up with a solution. Rothchilde owned the police. He had friends in both the state and federal government. He was in bed with organized crime. If Rothchilde wanted them all dead, who could she go to?
Don’t panic, she told herself. Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe it would all work out for the best.
She knew it was a lie, but she clung to it anyway.
It was all she had.
Jack Kilborn
Disturb
Carlos was holding a napkin to his swollen lip when the car phone rang. He had a pretty good idea who it was.
“Yeah?”
“You were supposed to scare them, not shoot them.”
Carlos spat some blood out the window. He pretended it was in Rothchilde’s face.
“The prick sucker punched me.”
“I thought Gino told you to follow my orders exactly. Shall I tell your boss you’re having a listening problem?”
What was with this guy? They were doing him a favor. He could show a little respect. These big business types felt like the whole world should bow at their feet.
“No, Mr. Rothchilde.”
“I’m glad we understand each other. I just dropped them off at Theena’s place. The situation has changed. I want them out of the picture.”
“Out of the picture?”
“Theena and Dr. May have worn out their usefulness to this organization.”
Carlos shook his head. At the first little bump in the road, Rothchilde wanted to whack everybody. And saying this on an open line, yet. Gino must have been making a real mint off of this idiot to keep him around.
“That’s not a smart idea, Mr. Rothchilde. Two FDA agents dead, both on the same case, plus her father and her.”
“We had nothing to do with her father.”
“So? Cops will still look.”
“Let me handle the cops. You just clean out your wop ears and do what you’re told.”
“I’m Cuban.”
Rothchilde went off on a yelling jag, and Carlos hung up. He looked at Franco, who was clutching an ice pack between his legs.
“He wants us to take out the Doc and the girl.”
Franco smiled.
“Good. I’ll enjoy snuffing that guy. And the girl will make a yummy dessert.”
Carlos frowned. He didn’t like the way any of this was going. He decided to call Gino.
“Whaddaya want?”
“Gino, it’s Carlos.”
“No shit. You see that big bright display on your phone? It’s called Caller fucking ID.”
No respect. Didn’t anyone see the movie Scarface? Now Pacino, he had respect. Maybe it was just this generation. Carlos had worked for Gino’s father, years ago. That man respected everyone who worked for him, and he got that respect back. Carlos would have taken a bullet for him. He wouldn’t take a mosquito bite for Gino.
“He wants us to take the doc and the girl out.”
“Jesus. That guy. Okay, you do it, make sure it don’t get back to me. I don’t want it to look like a hit. Maybe a robbery. Or some crazy killer Charlie Manson thing. Messy. Franco is good at that psycho shit.”
Carlos sighed. It kept getting better and better.
“You got it, boss.”
Gino hung up.
“We gonna do it?” Franco was practically drooling.
“Yeah. We have to make it look messy.”
“I like messy. We need to stop at the store for supplies.”
Carlos kept a box of disposable latex gloves in the trunk. He also had duct tape, carving knives, and some butcher’s aprons, along with his disguise. The tools of the wet trade.
“We’re set.”
“You got rubbers, too?”
“Rubbers?”
“Make it messy, right?”
“Jesus, Franco.”
Maybe it was this generation. Carlos suspected MTV had a lot to do with it.
“Stop at that place on Damon. They sell the extra large kind.”
Carlos pointed the car east.
Jack Kilborn
Disturb
Theena’s apartment didn’t match her personality. It was plain, with little frill or flourish. There were no photos of friends or family anywhere, and the bland painting hanging over the sofa looked like it came with the frame, probably purchased because the color scheme matched the sofa and love seat.
Neat, tidy, impersonal. Sort of like a motel, Bill thought. The only distinctive object in eyeshot was a potted cactus next to the front door, jutting out of its terra cotta pot like a two foot, green exclamation point.
“Are you hungry?”
“Tired, mostly.”
They’d spent the previous night in Manny’s room, and hadn’t slept much. Bill could say without question it was the best day he’d had in over a year. It was more than just the sex. He felt connected. For a few wonderful hours, Theena had taken away his guilt and loneliness, and given him back a shred of self-worth.
But the woman Bill had been with yesterday was nowhere to be found at the moment. Today’s Theena was withdrawn, distant, defeated.
“The bedroom is the second door, there.”
Bill yawned. He needed a nap, but there was a lot he had to do. The N-Som folder he’d taken from Bitner’s house was in his overnight bag. Among other things, Bill was anxious to see how the experiment with Sam the monkey ended.
But it was more than that. Bill didn’t want to sleep because he was afraid Carlos and Franco might find him. He couldn’t be caught unaware.
“I’m okay, thanks.”
“You look exhausted.”
“I am. But I don’t think sleep is a good idea right now.”
He wanted to share his doubts about Rothchilde with Theena. Bill had a solid feeling that the A.P. President was behind those two thugs, Franco and Carlos. He also believed that Rothchilde had some kind of pull with the Chicago PD, which is why Bill hadn’t gotten any help.
But something held Bill back. Even with all he’d shared with Theena, there was still something he didn’t completely trust about her.
Or maybe the lack of sleep was just making him paranoid.
“I have some N-Som.”
“Hmm?”
“You could take a pill. Then you don’t have to sleep.”
“No thanks, Theena.”
Theena came over to him, serious.
“Bill, I’ve been working with this drug for almost a decade. It’s safer than taking Vitamin C.”