JACKS ARE WILD Page 8

  11:15. Their buffet must start early.

  There were perhaps three dozen people seated at tables with a half-dozen employees moving back and forth with carts and trays of food. A young girl hurried up to him, greeting him with a customary Chinese bow.

  “How many, please?” she asked.

  “One.” Jack took his cap off.

  “This way.” She bowed again and led Jack over to a square table with four place settings. Another waitress rushed over to quickly remove three of them.

  “Would you like a drink?”

  I’d love you to leave a bottle.

  “Tea, water, and I’ll get the buffet.” Jack returned the smile that seemed to be constantly on the young girl’s face.

  “Very good. Thank you.” She bowed again and rapidly headed off toward the kitchen.

  Jack put his hat down on the chair next to him, got up, and headed toward the back where the restroom sign pointed. He noted the tan, circular floor in the middle of the room.

  Dance floor? Maybe they do weddings.

  The restrooms were in the back, down a small hallway. Jack frowned. The men’s and women’s rooms were the only two doors in the narrow corridor.

  Where are the offices?

  He opened the men’s room door and walked over to the row of four sinks. The bathroom was large with six stalls and four urinals.

  No windows.

  Jack had just finished washing his hands when the door opened and four men walked in. All four were Asian, and around five six except for the guy on the left. At five ten and two hundred pounds, he was much larger than the other three slender guys. They were all dressed in business suits, but Jack knew from the way they lined up in front of the door they weren’t businessmen. Three wore blue, and one wore black.

  Three are Japanese and one’s Korean. Looks like I’ve come to the right place to find the Yakuza.

  “Why are you here?” Black Suit asked.

  Jack looked over at the urinal and then back to the guy and smirked. The man on the end laughed and then quickly stopped.

  Black Suit bared his teeth. “Talk.”

  “Why don’t we sit down over a cup of tea?” Jack turned his hands out.

  Black Suit shrugged. “Kick his ass.”

  The three others started forward.

  Jack didn’t wait for someone to throw a punch. He lunged forward, grabbed the big guy’s shoulder with his left hand, and then hit him in the throat.

  Fight them one at a time. Drive them toward the urinals.

  Jack grabbed the large guy with both hands. Jack’s muscles fired from his feet, traveling up his thighs, and his strong back muscles kicked in. The big guy’s legs were already wobbling so Jack used him like a battering ram as he drove him into the other three. Three of the four men tumbled into the back wall. The laughing guy fell, and Jack heard his head crack on a urinal before he hit the floor.

  Black Suit was fast. He sidestepped the big guy and kicked at Jack’s ribs. Jack didn’t block the kick but twisted out of the way so the kick just missed.

  Jack punched hard, but Black Suit tilted his head. As Jack’s fist passed his face, he grabbed the back of Black Suit’s head and slammed him face first into the stall door. The laughing guy wasn’t moving. The third guy got to his feet but didn’t stay there long. Jack’s first punch broke his nose, which made him fall back onto the big guy. Like playing a drum set, Jack unleashed a flurry of blows on the men, and then, panting, he straightened up.

  Black Suit was back up on his feet. A thin blade was in his hand, and he wiped his bloody nose with the sleeve of his suit. Jack’s lip curled into a wiseass grin.

  “That blood’s going to be hard to get out of that suit. If you don’t drop that knife, there’ll be more of it.”

  “You want the knife?” He swung the blade in a big arc.

  “I actually said drop the knife.”

  Black Suit lunged with a straight thrust, but Jack blocked it with his right forearm. Jack’s hand opened and grabbed Black Suit’s arm. Jack’s legs settled into a deep horse stance, and he pulled the man’s arm straight. Jack yanked up with his right hand as his left forearm smashed into the man’s elbow.

  As the bone snapped, the man gasped but didn’t have a chance to scream out as Jack’s left fist crashed into the side of his head, and he crumbled backward onto the tile floor.

  Jack straightened up and looked down at the four men who groaned on the ground.

  They’re no longer a threat.

  “Excuse me?” A girl’s voice called out as the door partly opened. A young girl, her eyes wide, slowly stuck her head in. Jack watched her from the corner of his eye while he still looked at the pile of men.

  “Excuse me. Please come now. The owner needs to speak to you.” Her forced smile trembled slightly.

  The owner?

  Jack nodded and then followed the girl down the short hallway where they turned the corner and stopped. All of the customers were gone. One man sat at a large round table in the middle of the restaurant. Jack counted at least seven guys around him, all armed.

  You really thought this through…

  Three men walked forward: two kept pistols pointed at him while the third patted him down and took his gun. The man seated at the table was in his late thirties with short gray hair, gleaming white teeth, and black eyes. He held out his hand and gestured to the chair across from him. Jack walked forward and sat down.

  The man stared; he didn’t glare or scowl but simply sat there and studied Jack. Finally, he spoke.

  “I am the owner. Why are you here beating up my employees?” His voice was even and calm.

  “They started it. I didn’t come here to fight. I came looking for my friend.”

  The owner angled his head slightly as the waitress came over to pour Jack a cup of tea.

  “I have already given my answer to the Mancinis, but you are not with them.” He looked at Jack’s gun. “You are a police officer.”

  There are no markings on my gun. He’s guessing.

  The stupid trick of saying the building was surrounded flashed through Jack’s head, and he smirked.

  The man smiled back.

  “You are a friend of Angelica? Do you have a name?”

  “Friend,” Jack replied.

  The owner nodded. “Now I understand. Angelica Mancini went into witness protection. Even though you fear she has been kidnapped, you still try to hide where she was relocated. That is why you will not tell me your name and it also explains why you have no wallet or phone.”

  This guy is good. Dangerous.

  The man took a sip of his tea. “Since you are alone, I wonder if your colleagues even know you are here?”

  “I don’t have an issue with you, and neither did Angelica.”

  The owner’s lips pursed as he nodded.

  “True. Since you are a policeman, and I do not want to deal with any repercussions from you not walking out of here, I will explain something to you. Look around. Look at me. We operate a business. Not like the old ways. You followed the Mancinis to the same blind conclusion. Severino’s daughter goes missing and your knee-jerk reaction is that it must be my organization? You need to ask the right question, friend. Even if we are not allied with the Mancinis, why would I kidnap Severino’s daughter?”

  “I don’t care about why. I just want her back.” Jack held his ground.

  “You have to look elsewhere, then. I know nothing about her.”

  Jack studied his face. The owner watched him calmly.

  Jack put his hands on the table. “You should know this. If something was to happen to Angelica, I’ll hold you responsible.”

  The owner crookedly grinned, and his head gave the slightest shake. “That is the second time today I have heard those words. Are you a friend of Paolo?” He set his teacup down. “My answer to you is the same I gave to him. I had nothing to do with the girl’s disappearance. Do not come back to Chinatown.”

  Four men walked up; two moved on ei
ther side of Jack.

  Jack stood up and looked down at the owner, who took a sip of his tea and didn’t look up.

  The men escorted Jack to the door. At the bottom of the stairs, a guy on his right handed him back his gun. As Jack walked out into the sunshine, his mood turned black.

  I have no idea where she is, and now I’m in way over my head.

  Another case

  Jack took a right as he came out of the restaurant and walked two blocks. He crossed the street and glanced back to see whether he was followed. Farther down the road, two Japanese men in suits walked side by side. One crossed the street.

  Thank you for being so obvious.

  Jack walked around the corner and saw a men’s clothing store two doors down. He walked to it calmly and entered. The store had a mixture of urban clothing for young men. Jack grabbed a baggy T-shirt, thin jacket, blue jeans, sunglasses, and a bottle of hair gel and then tossed them on the counter. A pimply faced teenager, who looked bored out of his mind, rang him up, using one finger to press each of the cash register keys. Jack used all his cash except a ten dollar bill.

  “Hey. I’m trying to surprise my girl,” Jack began. “You know what that’s like, right?” The kid puffed up. “I’m going to change real quick into this stuff. Does this place have a back door?”

  The teenager’s mouth opened and then closed. He shook his head and then shifted his weight from leg to leg. Jack held up the ten. The kid snatched it and nodded.

  Jack hurried into the dressing room, where he threw all his clothes in the bag. He dressed quickly and ran the gel through his hair, spiking it straight up.

  Leave the bag. Go. I’ve been in here too long.

  When he stepped out, the teenager who was waiting for him looked surprised at his new appearance.

  “Thanks. She’s really gonna flip out.” Jack grinned.

  “Go this way. It says fire exit, but it’s turned off so we can sneak a smoke.”

  Jack hurried out the door to the alley. It ran both ways so Jack doubled back. He stuck one hand in his pocket and let the other one swing wide.

  This should work…from a distance.

  He walked at a pace that was slightly hurried but would fit his look. He stayed close to the buildings as he made his way back to the Impala. When he reached the street with his car, he walked past it to make sure no one followed. He glanced around. Nothing raised any flags.

  Best I can do.

  He headed back to the car. One last look, and then he got in and headed out. He drove in the opposite direction of the highway exit he had used.

  I’ll drive into the city and get out a different way.

  Jack drove for another half hour to the on-ramp. Once he hit the open highway, he gunned it all the way back to Darrington.

  When he pulled up in front of his apartment building, he froze halfway out of the car. His car door was buzzing.

  What the hell?

  He looked down at the door and tilted his head.

  My phone.

  He popped the door panel and frantically grabbed at Ilario’s phone.

  It didn’t ring.

  He grabbed his wallet and his own cell phone.

  One voicemail from my parents. Nothing from Replacement? I’m going to hear it from her.

  He stuffed the phone in his pocket as he headed inside. It was after four a.m., and he was starving. He walked into the apartment where Replacement was furiously working on the computer.

  “Hey,” she called back without turning around.

  “What’re you working on?”

  “I got another case.” She kept typing. “A real scumbag. This lady hired me. The disgusting pig of a man she’s married to is stepping out on her.”

  “Replacement…”

  “She’s sick, and he starts fooling around with someone else? She had her head all wrapped up in a scarf, you know. You do that when you have cancer and your hair falls out. Seriously, how low can you go?”

  “You can’t start a case by thinking the guy is automatically guilty.”

  “Yes, I can.” She kept typing. “I’m not a cop.”

  “It’s not about being a cop; it’s about being right. What if he didn’t do it?”

  She turned around with a look of total disgust on her face that instantly vanished when she looked up at him. She sat there with her mouth open.

  Jack shrugged. “I’m just saying. Maybe he’s not seeing someone else. Did you find anything out on the computer?”

  She just stared.

  “Hello?” Jack shook his head back and forth. That’s when Replacement lost it.

  She burst out laughing. Her legs shook as she stamped her feet and grabbed her sides. She laughed so hard, Jack thought she’d fall out of the chair.

  “What?” Jack thrust his arms out.

  Replacement fell out of the chair.

  When Jack looked away, he caught his reflection in the microwave.

  Damn it. My hair.

  His eyes narrowed as he saw how goofy he looked with his hair spiked up.

  I forgot.

  He marched through the bedroom and into the bathroom. Each door slammed closed as he went. He stripped the new clothes off and tossed them in the corner.

  “Wait, wait,” Replacement called out as she knocked on the door.

  “Stay out,” Jack snapped as he turned the water on. “What?”

  He jumped in the tub as she barged in.

  “Can I get a picture before you wash it out?”

  “No.”

  “Please? Please? Wait.”

  Jack stuck his head under the water.

  “Darn it, Jack.”

  “I’m not in the mood, kid.”

  “What happened? Where did you go?” She hopped up on the sink.

  Don’t get her involved in this. Just don’t.

  “I had to do some stuff. That’s all.”

  “I can’t believe how the day flew by. I’m working a new case, and you get so sucked in you forget about everything else. Have you talked to Marisa? I can’t get her on the phone, and she hasn’t gone to the shop.”

  “No.” Jack’s voice was low.

  He hung his head as he scrubbed his hair hard.

  “I got nothing on the scumbag.” Replacement stretched her legs out. “The lady is nice. Susan Taylor. It’s sad.”

  “She thinks he’s cheating on her?” Jack asked from the shower.

  “Yeah. Her husband, Darren—he’s some office manager. He doesn’t come home from work until almost midnight and goes out all weekend, too.”

  “What’s his side of the story?”

  “He tells her he’s working. Some special project.”

  “Is he?”

  Replacement shrugged. “I just got the case this morning. I started with online stuff. I got zip. No social media. She said their finances are pretty thin. She had to stop working.”

  “Maybe that’s why he’s working more.”

  “Nope. He’s salaried.”

  She sat there, swinging her legs, and looked at the pile of clothes.

  “What’s with the weird clothes and your hair?”

  “Huh?”

  “The clothes. They’re totally not you, and—” She jumped down and stared at the pile. “Did you go undercover?”

  “No, it was—”

  “You did.” She pulled the curtain open, and Jack yanked it back.

  “I didn’t. I’m not going to get into it now.”

  “I can’t believe you went—” Replacement suddenly froze and then fumbled for her phone. She looked down and pressed a few buttons as she called out, “This is about my case. I have to go.” She dashed out of the bathroom.

  Jack stood there for a minute before he turned off the water. He watched the drops fall from his body and splash below. He heard the front door close. The last of the water swirled down the drain as he climbed out of the tub.

  I need some sleep. A couple hours, and I’ll start fresh.

  He walked into th
e bedroom and checked the phone Ilario gave him, but there were no messages. He laid it on the table next to his bed and set the alarm on his clock.

  Two hours and I’ll go back to Marisa’s apartment.

  He picked up his phone and hit redial. Marisa’s voicemail clicked on so he hung up. Forcing himself to slowly lower the phone to the table, he unclenched his hand and shook his head.

  Jack lay in bed, listening to the hum of cars driving by, and quickly fell asleep.

  Brass knuckles

  Jack sat bolt upright and looked out the window.

  It’s dark. Damn.

  He grabbed his alarm clock: 6:30 p.m.

  Someone turned it off.

  He kicked his blankets back, and stormed into the bathroom. After he got dressed, he threw open the bedroom door and headed into the kitchen. A note was propped on the counter.

  HI. LEFT A SANDWICH IN THE FRIDGE FOR YOU. SINCE YOU HAVE THE NEXT FEW DAYS OFF, I FIGURED YOU WANTED TO SLEEP. BE HOME LATE. A.

  “If I set my alarm clock, I do it for a reason,” he growled in the general direction of the empty computer chair.

  He crumpled up the note, but when he opened the refrigerator, his scowl softened. Replacement had made him a roast beef sandwich and an iced tea.

  It’s hard to stay mad at someone who’s trying to watch out for you.

  He bowed his head.

  God. Please let her be okay.

  Jack hit redial on his phone and then waited.

  Nothing.

  As he ate the sandwich, he went to get his shoes and jacket. He took both phones, wallet, keys, and his gun as he headed out the door. He looked for Replacement’s blue Bug, but it was gone. Jack frowned as he started up the Impala. He took out his phone and hit redial, again.

  Nothing.

  He drove to the tattoo parlor, but the lanky guy shook his head as Jack pulled up to the curb. Jack slid the transmission into park and then marched up to the door. Three girls and seven guys hung out at the tables. All of them looked up as he flung the door open.

  The lanky guy held up his hands. “She hasn’t showed,” he answered quickly.

  “She call?” Jack asked.

  The lanky guy shook his head.

  Jack turned to address the groups at the tables. “Have any of you seen or spoken with Marisa?”