help.”
Chapter 14
Harry broke out the whiskey while Sandy
made sandwiches. No one had any supper and it was well past
nine.
Harry asked,
“So where are you staying,
Karma?”
“Nowhere right now. I can’t go back and
I can’t go to Tony’s. All my clothes are in my car. I guess you
could say I’m in a transition phase.”
“You can stay here, in the spare
bedroom.”
Sandy slammed the sandwich platter on
the table.
“Like hell she will. Not unless I’m
here.”
“You can both stay. We’re safer in a
group.”
Karma held up both hands.
“I don’t want to impose.”
Harry was quick to respond.
“You won’t be an imposition. Your offer
to help is gratefully appreciated.”
Sandy’s face was beet red and she wore
a frown leaving lines so deep Harry wondered if they’d leave
permanent scarring.
He said, “Sandy?”
Then he gestured toward
Karma.
Sandy took the hint.
“Yah, thanks Karma.”
Harry said,
“So it’s settled. You’re staying. You
can sleep with me.”
Sandy jumped to her feet and stared at
him.
“Just kidding. You’re sleeping with
me.”
“Not likely.”
“Come on Sandy. It’s been a hard day.
Lighten up a little.”
She sighed then sat and
said,
“Maybe you’re right. It’s the waiting.
It’s nerve racking.”
Harry thought a moment.
“Any ideas on what to do
next?”
It didn’t take Karma any time at all to
answer.
“Joe will be hard to get to. He’ll hang
around his bar with lots of backup while you’re alive. Bobby Mercer
is Joe’s right hand. He makes the drug buys and manages all of
Joe’s illegal activities. Joe manages the money and makes the
decisions but Bobby is the man who physically carries them out.
There is also a special bond between the two. They go everywhere
together and do everything as a pair. Not queer in the physical
sense but in everything else. Bobby’s like a pet dog around Joe and
Joe appreciates the loyalty.”
“So I kill Bobby?”
“Maybe grab him and stash him somewhere
would be a better idea. He’s of use alive. Maybe I can read his
thoughts. Dead he’s just another reason for Joe to kill
you.”
“There’s always a house or two for sale
in Hockley. Or maybe one where a family is on vacation. I could
find one that’s empty and secluded. Locks don’t mean anything to
me.”
“I know where Bobby makes his illicit
deals. He took me shopping in Toronto a few times when he made some
buys. It was kind of nerve racking because he bought the actual
product and put it in Danny’s car. Danny by the way is Bobby’s
right hand man. They keep their group small, mostly just the two,
so they won’t draw attention. Sometimes Danny brings a van. They go
every Tuesday and Thursday.”
“So you know where they go and what
time?”
“Yah, we’ll be waiting.”
Harry realised it could all be an
elaborate plan to capture him. He’d be out of his element and
totally in Karma’s hands. He saw doubt and mistrust in Sandy’s eyes
as well. It was a matter of trusting Karma. She was the only help
he had against an invincible foe. He’d have to sleep on
it.
It was well past midnight and they were
about to retire when there was a noise in the laneway then the
sound of boots on the front porch. Harry grabbed his Beretta but
before he could get to the front door it imploded. Tony Moore
strutted in on stiff legs, his hands outstretched, reaching. Harry
had no idea what waited outside. He had to immobilize Moore
immediately. He fired a shot into his thigh. Tony stopped but
regained his tempo.
Karma was at Harry’s side. She removed
her ring and held it toward Tony. She chanted in a tongue foreign
to Harry. She yelled the last syllables. Tony stopped then folded
like a puppet with no strings.
Karma cried and ran to him, kneeling on
the floor by his side. She rolled his head into her lap and stroked
his hair. Harry ran through the front door scanning the laneway and
road. Whoever had dropped Tony off was nowhere to
Chapter 14
Harry broke out the whiskey while Sandy
made sandwiches. No one had any supper and it was well past
nine.
Harry asked,
“So where are you staying,
Karma?”
“Nowhere right now. I can’t go back and
I can’t go to Tony’s. All my clothes are in my car. I guess you
could say I’m in a transition phase.”
“You can stay here, in the spare
bedroom.”
Sandy slammed the sandwich platter on
the table.
“Like hell she will. Not unless I’m
here.”
“You can both stay. We’re safer in a
group.”
Karma held up both hands.
“I don’t want to impose.”
Harry was quick to respond.
“You won’t be an imposition. Your offer
to help is gratefully appreciated.”
Sandy’s face was beet red and she wore
a frown leaving lines so deep Harry wondered if they’d leave
permanent scarring.
He said, “Sandy?”
Then he gestured toward
Karma.
Sandy took the hint.
“Yah, thanks Karma.”
Harry said,
“So it’s settled. You’re staying. You
can sleep with me.”
Sandy jumped to her feet and stared at
him.
“Just kidding. You’re sleeping with
me.”
“Not likely.”
“Come on Sandy. It’s been a hard day.
Lighten up a little.”
She sighed then sat and
said,
“Maybe you’re right. It’s the waiting.
It’s nerve racking.”
Harry thought a moment.
“Any ideas on what to do
next?”
It didn’t take Karma any time at all to
answer.
“Joe will be hard to get to. He’ll hang
around his bar with lots of backup while you’re alive. Bobby Mercer
is Joe’s right hand. He makes the drug buys and manages all of
Joe’s illegal activities. Joe manages the money and makes the
decisions but Bobby is the man who physically carries them out.
There is also a special bond between the two. They go everywhere
together and do everything as a pair. Not queer in the physical
sense but in everything else. Bobby’s like a pet dog around Joe and
Joe appreciates the loyalty.”
“So I kill Bobby?”
“Maybe grab him and stash him somewhere
would be a better idea. He’s of use alive. Maybe I can read his
thoughts. Dead he’s just another reason for Joe to kill
you.”
“There’s always a house or two for sale
in Hockley. Or maybe one where a family is on vacation. I could
find one that’s empty and secluded. Locks don’t mean anything to
me.”
“I know where Bobby makes his illicit
deals. He took me shopping in Toronto a few times when he made some
buys. It was kind of nerve racking because he bought the actual
product and put it in Danny’s car. Danny by the way is Bobby’s
right hand man. They keep their group small, mostly just the two,
so they won’t draw attention. Sometimes Danny brings a van. They go
every Tuesday and Thursday.”
“So you know where they go and what
time?”
“Yah, we’ll be waiting.”
Harry realised it could all be an
elaborate plan to capture him. He’d be out of his element and
totally in Karma’s hands. He saw doubt and mistrust in Sandy’s eyes
as well. It was a matter of trusting Karma. She was the only help
he had against an invincible foe. He’d have to sleep on
it.
It was well past midnight and they were
about to retire when there was a noise in the laneway then the
sound of boots on the front porch. Harry grabbed his Beretta but
before he could get to the front door it imploded. Tony Moore
strutted in on stiff legs, his hands outstretched, reaching. Harry
had no idea what waited outside. He had to immobilize Moore
immediately. He fired a shot into his thigh. Tony stopped but
regained his tempo.
Karma was at Harry’s side. She removed
her ring and held it toward Tony. She chanted in a tongue foreign
to Harry. She yelled the last syllables. Tony stopped then folded
like a puppet with no strings.
Karma cried and ran to him, kneeling on
the floor by his side. She rolled his head into her lap and stroked
his hair. Harry ran through the front door scanning the laneway and
road. Whoever had dropped Tony off was nowhere to
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