“But-”
“No buts. We’ll get it washed and cleaned, and then take it somewhere to get stolen.”
“Why the two of you?”
“Because one of us will need to follow in another car. In the meantime, do not spend a dime of your share. Mitch is right. We don’t know the situation yet. If the cops get on us, or Johnny, or friends of whoever got shot last night, we’re going to need it.”
“For what?” Ian asked.
“Maybe just to stay alive.” Mitch put one hand on Alex’s shoulder, the other on Ian’s. “Guys, listen. I know this isn’t what we planned. But neither was last night. This isn’t a game. If we get caught, we’re going to jail. And that’s only if the police catch us. If it’s Johnny, or someone else?” He blew a breath.
“We’re in this together,” Jenn said. “We get through it together or we go down together. That’s the only way. OK?”
There was a long silence. Ian rubbed his nostrils between thumb and forefinger, and shuffled his feet on her rug. Alex looked like he was thinking of bolting out the door with one of the bags.
“OK?” she asked again.
“Fine,” Ian said, heaving a sigh. Alex only nodded. Neither of them would look at her.
And all of a sudden she had the strongest feeling they were fucked.
CHAPTER 17
“YOU DIPSHITS KNOW WHO I AM? You’re in a world of hurt for this.”
Victor heard the voice through the doorway and paused to listen.
“You think I’m just some restaurant owner you can jack off the street and shake down? Not gonna happen, kid. I’m connected all the way up. I’m done, you’re going to regret waking up this morning.”
The words were right, but the tone rang false to Victor. One of the things that made him good at his work was a nose for fear, and through the bluster, Mr. Loverin was scared.
Good.
The ten-flight climb had Victor winded, and he took a moment to calm his breathing. Then he fastened the top button of his jacket, shot his cuffs, and walked through the open doorway.
The space would one day be suites, another anonymous gray Chicago office building. But now it was an empty room half a city block in length, sitting vacant while the owner wrestled the city council over permits. Coils of wiring hung from exposed girders. The wind whipped through open walls. Dawn was just breaking in the east, painting the sky with a blood-red brush.
Johnny Love sat in a chair at the far end, ten feet from the edge. His hands were cuffed behind him, and a black hood covered his face. Victor smiled. Nice touch.
Slowly, conscious of the theatre of the thing, Victor began to walk over, his dress shoes ringing loud on the cement. The two men standing near Johnny straightened, nodded at him. Ex-Army guys. Real money bred an efficiency that love of the flag sometimes didn’t. Especially after getting stop-lossed once or twice.
“Who’s there? What the fuck is this?”
Victor stood for a moment, let the guy imagine the worst. Then he nodded, and one of his soldiers snapped the hood off.
“What the fu-” Johnny’s mouth froze open, and his eyes went wide. “You.”
“Me.”
“I was going to call you.”
“Oh? When?”
“I was on my way when these geniuses grabbed me.”
“But you were robbed last night.”
His eyes darted. “How did you-yeah, I was. But I was taking care of it. I have calls in, people out…”
“Calls.” Victor nodded. “People.”
“What is this, anyway? We’re partners, for Christ’s sake.” Trying to recover his bluster.
“Stand up, Johnny.”
“What?”
“Stand up.”
Moving like he was afraid he was going to be knocked down again, Johnny rose. Victor gestured, and one of his men moved the chair. “Now. Here are the rules.”
“Rules?”
“Don’t worry, they’re simple. I’m going to ask you questions. Every time I don’t like your answer, I’m going to take a step forward. And you”-Victor gestured-“you’re going to take a step back.”
“What are you…?” Johnny spun, saw the open air and the hundred-foot plummet to broken ground behind him. His skin visibly paled as he measured the distance. “No, hey, listen-”
“Where’s my merchandise?”
“I-I don’t know, really, I don’t know.”
Victor took a step forward. Johnny stared at him. “I’m not going to-are you crazy?”
Victor sighed, glanced at one of the men. The soldier started forward, and Johnny took a hurried step back. “OK, OK.”
“Good. Now. I’m curious. When was the last time you were robbed?”
“I’ve never-never.”
“But you were last night.”
“Yes. They came in wearing masks, waving guns, they-”
“Don’t you find it a little unusual that you were robbed for the very first time on the one occasion we’re doing serious business?”
“It wasn’t me. I wouldn’t do that. You know I wouldn’t.”
Victor took a step forward, his eyes locked on Johnny’s. After a moment’s hesitation, the fat man took a step back. A gust of wind cut through the floor with a reek of garbage and exhaust.
“Where is what I want?”
“They must have taken it.”
“By ‘they’ you mean the men who robbed you, for the first time you’ve ever been robbed, on the exact night that you were getting my merchandise? Merchandise for which I graciously, and in violation of my general principles, supplied part of the purchase price?” He cocked his head. “Do you see my concern?”
“Yeah, totally, but-”
Victor took a step forward.
“Hey, no, listen.” Johnny glanced behind him, his eyes measuring the half-dozen feet between him and the edge. “I’ll get you your money back. Right away. I know how this looks, but it’s not that. I would never do that. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“I think you owe me a step. If you make me take it from you, it might be more than one.”
Trembling, the man moved back a scant six inches.
“Johnny.”
He winced and went another foot.
“That’s better. Now. I’m afraid that the money isn’t my only concern right now. I want the materials you promised. I have some gentlemen very eager to take delivery. And I have a reputation to protect. When I say that I have something for sale, I need to deliver. Otherwise, people don’t trust me anymore. And it’s important that people believe every word I say.” Victor curled his fingernails in to look at them. “You, for instance. Do you believe me?”
“Yes.”
“Good. That’s good. Because you have three steps left, and that last one’s a doozy.”
“I swear, I didn’t say anything about you to the police.”
“I know you didn’t, Johnny. I’ve read the report.” He let the words sink in. “I want to know what you think happened.”
“I-” He paused. “Maybe it was an inside job.”
“Did you tell someone?”
“No, of course not. I had a bartender working as security, but no way it’s him. He’s a civilian, kind of a pussy. And he didn’t know what was going on.”
“Then how could it have been an inside job?”
“Maybe someone on your end found out about it. No disrespect,” Johnny added quickly. “Just that the guys who came in, they were pros. And that would explain the timing.”
Victor smiled. “Do you think so?”
“I… maybe.” The man put his hand to his forehead, his eyes widening. “Wait a second. Bennett.”
“Who?”
“Bennett! The guy who scored this stuff in the first place. What if he’s burning us?”
“Go on.”
“He said he wasn’t going to come himself, right? Told me in advance that he was going to send someone to bring me the stuff and take the money. A kid named David Crooch.”