Blood Red

Pardue did an about-face and got half a step before Boyd was bellowing loud enough to have the kid next to him let out a little gasp. “FREEEEZE!”

The baboon stopped where he was. He was well trained like that.

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Bullshit. You’re always doing something.” He walked over and moved around until he was in front of the slimebag. Tom Pardue had a nice, long record, but he was normally smart enough to avoid getting busted. Boyd made it a point to stop him every single time he saw him, because he kept hoping he’d get lucky.

Pardue was looking scared enough to rabbit, smart enough to stay exactly where he was, and angry enough to throw a tantrum.

“I’m just here to see a friend.” His voice was shaking; either he was up to something, or he was carrying something.

“Yeah? Who you coming to see?” Boyd did his best to sound bored. He was very good at sounding that way. It was a gift.

“A girl I know.”

“One of your hookers?”

Pardue started looking nervous. “Um. No, just a girl I date.”

Boyd saw it from the corner of his eye, the way Ben Kirby jumped as if slapped. He checked the reaction again when he continued. “You don’t date girls, Tommy. You just do quality checks on your own stable; who do you think you’re kidding?”

Yep. Ben got a look of absolute shock on his face. He didn’t even try to hide it.

“Get up against the wall, boyo, now.” He complied, but to make sure he got it right the first time, Boyd had Danny help him. Danny was only as gentle as he was obligated to be by law.

When he was done, Danny got that little sad look he always got when a beautiful girl was married, or when he didn’t get to have fun with a perp. “He’s clean.”

Boyd snorted. “He ain’t clean, just smarter than he looks.”

“Hey, I’m right here.”

“Don’t I know it. Now don’t you think you should be somewhere else? Before I forget you’re a nice, upstanding citizen and find something to arrest your sorry ass for?”

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“And Tommy? If I find you around here again, I’ll think of something inventive.” He looked at Pardue as hard as he could. He hated the little shit. He’d hated Pardue back when he was on vice and knew he was beating the crap out of the college girls working for him. Boyd just never could find a way to get any of them to talk. The notion that the little fucker was slippery enough to escape him still stuck in the back of his throat.

“That sounds like harassment.” See? That was what he was talking about. There he was getting all smug again, because there was no evidence.

“No, Tommy. That isn’t harassment. That’s a promise.” He moved in closer until their faces were two inches apart, his eyes felt like they would pop out of his head he was staring so hard. “Harassment doesn’t happen to little fucks like you. I happen. Try me.”

Pardue nodded his head, all semblance of uppity asshole removed for the moment. Then he wised up and got the hell out of the way.

But as he was standing to the side, he looked back at Ben with a murderous glare.

“You got a problem with my suspect, loser?” Whatever the problem was between Pardue and Kirby, he figured the least he could do was make it a little easier on the kid. Christ, the kid was definitely returning the favor over lunch.

“What?” Pardue looked at him suddenly all innocent again.

“I said do you have a problem with my suspect?”

“No. I don’t even know him.”

“Good. Now get the hell out of here.” This time he waited until the walking ape ass was gone before he moved on with Ben and Danny.

“Friend of yours?”

Ben looked distracted. Boyd was pretty sure he could guess why.

“No. I’ve only met him twice.”

“Knows somebody that you know?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell your friend to watch herself. Do that, okay?” If his voice was softer than usual, he didn’t notice.

“I will. I definitely will.” The open book of Ben Kirby’s facial expressions closed down hard and fast.

As long as he was still willing to talk about Freemont, it was all right in Boyd’s book. Still, if he’d screwed up something in the kid’s life, he’d probably feel sorry about it later.

VI

Maggie sat in class and did her work. Ben wasn’t there, and that bothered her a bit, but she tried not to let it drag her down. When her work was done and it was time to be on the way, she packed up her notes and grabbed her belongings.

Today was payday.

Big payday. Her duties for Soulis were completed, and again she felt elation and depression at the thought. Still, she had a nice sum of money coming her way and that helped salve the thoughts going through her head.

She walked out of the classroom and into the middle of a bright day that made her wish she’d brought her sunglasses. They were still in the car, where they did her absolutely no good.

She checked her cell phone for messages: there were three. Two were from clients who wanted to know when she could see them. One was from Jason. The other two would have to wait for a bit.

She called him back and he answered on the fourth ring. “This is Jason Soulis.”

“Hi, Jason. This is Maggie.”