Pike glanced at Cole, then studied Rainey. Something about his story didn't add up.
"If you were in business with these people, why did Mendoza and Gomer beat you up?"
"We weren't in business, then. Those assholes were trying to rob me, just like you thought. Then Azzara came around to lean on me, making all these bullshit threats, La Eme this, La Eme that, and that's when I got the idea."
"Azzara."
"Yeah. I was in business with drug traffickers for years, and all traffickers have the same problems. I laid it out for him. Here's what I can do for you, but here's what you gotta do for me."
"Make the Bolivians back off."
"Yeah."
Rainey took a moment, then shook his head.
"That's how bad they hate me, those fuckers. Now they got a war with this Baja cartel, and they don't even give a shit."
Pike cut him off.
"Play her last message."
Dru's third and final message was more desperate. Her voice showed the mounting stress as she gulped shallow breaths, and Pike could hear her fear.
"Stop it now, Willie, you hear? You must call me at six o'clock. I'm begging you. Please get this done. You know how to get it done. You don't call, he says he'll kill me."
Her call abruptly ended.
None of them spoke for a moment, then Rainey stared at Pike.
"You asked why I called you. When she says, get this done, you know how to get this done. She's telling me to call you. That's when I called."
Pike didn't understand.
Rainey frowned, showing a weakness in his eyes that told Pike he was embarrassed.
"When this started with the bangers and you waded in, she told me you were the kind of guy who could get stuff done. She liked that."
Pike studied him until Rainey looked away, then Pike took the phone. He checked the time. Ten minutes before six. Time was running out.
Pike said, "Does she have a sister?"
"What?"
"Rose. She has two brothers. Does she have a sister?"
Rainey squinted like Pike was speaking in code.
"No. What does that have to do with anything?"
Cole said, "Where's the cash?"
"I got a storage space up in Van Nuys. You want it, it's yours. All three-forty-two."
Cole glanced at Pike.
"This time of day, that's two hours, there and back. No good."
"We don't need it."
Rainey shifted, looking from Cole to Pike.
"What are we going to do?"
"The Bolivian, the one who wants you dead. What's his name?"
"Jesus, it's a cartel. It's a whole bunch of guys."
Cole leaned forward and tapped Rainey's head.
"Think. Who did you rip off? Who's the alpha male?"
"It's gotta be Hugo Joaquin. He was runnin' it. Who gives a shit? What are we going to do?"
Pike checked the time. Three minutes. He had what he needed.
"I'm ready."
Rainey said, "Ready for what?"
Cole tapped Rainey again.
"Get out. We're waiting outside."
"For what? What's he going to do?"
Pike checked the time again. One minute to go.
"This is the part where I sell you."
Cole climbed out, pulled Rainey out the front, then closed the door, leaving Pike alone with the phone.
On the other side of the parking lot, a family got out of an SUV and went into the diner. The father carried a curly-headed little girl on his shoulders. Fifty feet away, cars crept along Sunset Boulevard, jammed up by rush hour. Pike blocked all of it out and called Dru Rayne.
44
She answered on the third ring. Pike figured it took one ring for Gregg Daniel Vincent to show her the incoming number, one for her to confirm this was Rainey, and the third for Vincent to punch the answer button and hold the phone to her ear. Her voice sounded tentative.
"Hello?"
"Is he listening?"
Saying it for Vincent.
A full twenty seconds passed before she answered, which was probably Vincent figuring out what to do.
"Yes, he's listening. Where's Willie? Willie was supposed to call."
"Willie can't call. You good?"
"Ah, yeah, I'm okay. He hasn't hurt me."
"Give him the phone."
"He, ah, he doesn't want to talk. If Willie doesn't call, he's going to hurt me."
"No, he won't. I have Rainey and the money, but mostly I have Rainey."
"Ah, he wants to know who you are."
"Tell him."
Pike heard her tell Vincent his name. Vincent said something, but too low for Pike to understand. They were still talking when Pike spoke again.
"What's his name?"
"What?"
"His name?"
Another mumble in the background before she answered.
"Ah, his name is David."
The corner of Pike's mouth twitched.
"You're a liar, Mr. Vincent. Your name is Gregg Daniel Vincent. Knock off the bullshit, and get on the phone. If you don't want Rainey, I'll sell him to the Bolivians."
Thirty seconds of silence this time, edging to forty before a male voice came on the line.
"What's your deal, boy? How do you know my name?"
"A friend told me."
"I'll kill your fuckin' friend, you, your family, any motherfucker you've ever met. Your friend tell you that?"
"My friend told me you're the guy the Bolivians send to scare people. I know who you are. None of it matters."
"I have friends, too. You work Nicaragua or Honduras? You work Ecuador or Colombia? You think maybe we faced off before?"
The corner of Pike's mouth twitched. He had not told Dru where he worked, so she couldn't have told Vincent. His name, yes, and that he had been a military contractor, but no more than that. Vincent had checked him out, which meant he saw Pike as a threat.
"All right. We both have friends. Maybe our friends are the same people."
"What does that mean?"
"I have Rainey and the money. I'll sell him to you."
"Sell'm, my ass. You need to walk, and hope I don't come looking."
"If I walk, I'll sell him to Hugo. They've already offered a million. Maybe I can get more."
The silence felt different this time, and when Vincent spoke, his voice was both thoughtful and wary.
"Yet here you are, talking to me. I must have something you want."
"The girl."
"Ah."
"The girl, plus one half of the remaining money. You get Rainey and the other half."
"Walk away, boy. I'll cut this bitch in half."
"I'll still have Rainey."
Vincent shouted.
"I'll cut you in half, too, you motherfucker, then I'll have'm both."
Pike knew he was winning. The shouting was good, so Pike kept his own voice low and steady.
"Here's where we are. You're only going to get one of these people for Mr. Joaquin, so which one do you want? Which one does he want most? Rainey ripped him off. Rose was just along for the ride."
Pike let it sit. Outside in the world, Cole and Rainey were watching. The family returned to their SUV, carrying boxes overflowing with hot dogs and fries. The traffic moved like a sluggish pulse.
Vincent said, "You working for the Bolivians?"
Pike was surprised by the question. Vincent was concerned about his position with the Bolivians.
"I never discuss my employers."
Pike let it sit again, knowing that Vincent's insecurity would grow. By playing it vague, Vincent would think Pike's friend was a Bolivian. He also knew that Vincent would be trying to figure out how he could get both Rainey and Rose.
Vincent finally made his decision.
"Okay. How do you want to do this?"
"However you want. Let's meet somewhere. You give me the girl, I'll give you Rainey, all there is to it."
Vincent laughed, as Pike expected. Pike had talked it out with Cole while they were waiting for Rainey. Vincent would never expose himself. He would never walk the girl out to Pike and Rainey, two on two, because this would make him a target.