9. Vortex
NINE
VORTEX
Havoc and I sit in my SUV and stare at the apartment complex. There’s a Permit Parking Only sign next to us, which Havoc keeps eyeing.
“I’ll go in alone,” I tell Havoc. “You stay here and be ready to drive us away.”
“So I’m the getaway driver,” Havoc says skeptically. “You’ll have to let me actually sit in the driver’s seat then.”
I don’t like the idea of him being in the driver’s seat of my car, but it’s better than having him come inside with me. His temper is always hot, and putting him around the person who’d spooked Seven so badly on his date with Caleb seems like it would be setting him up for failure.
Again.
“Yeah, go ahead,” I say, even though I have to fight to relinquish control and say those words. I get out of the car, and he comes around to slide into the driver’s seat. “I won’t be long.”
Havoc doesn’t get in the car. He stands there, staring at me.
“What?” I bark.
“Don’t do anything that’ll make Seven sad,” Havoc says. “I know Caleb can bail you out of jail, but if you get arrested, Seven will be upset.”
He’s not wrong, but the fact that it’s coming from Havoc has me rolling my eyes. I want to tell him that he should remember that the next time he gets pissed off, but I know he means well.
So instead of snapping at him, I nod curtly and head toward the building itself. It’s a nice building, but there are no swipe cards to get in, and no one is seated at the desk in the lobby.
Good.
Erica Reese is in apartment 205, and I take the stairs up to the second floor. When I get to the right apartment, I stop to listen. I hear the faint sounds of music, and I can smell something being cooked.
Good to know she’s currently busy.
I pull out my lockpicks and insert them into the lock of her door. It wouldn’t be a good thing if someone else came up the hall to see me, and while it’s not likely she’d hear the subtle sounds even if she hadn’t been distracted, so I work quickly.
I hear the lock finally click, and I tuck the kit away again before easing the door open. I close it behind himself, turning the lock into place once I’m inside, then spend a moment taking stock of my surroundings.
Erica must be in the kitchen. I glance around the neatly-decorated living room. She must do well for herself — either that, or she’s no stranger to taking bribes or being paid off.
When I enter the kitchen, she’s standing at the stove with the fan on. The music is loud enough to be heard over the fan. I watch her from the side of the doorway until she turns the stove off and takes her pan over to the counter, where a plate is already set out.
Erica dishes out the single portion, then turns to put the pan in the sink. That’s when she finally spots me. She lets out a loud scream and drops the pan. It clatters loudly against the tile floor, splattering red sauce everywhere.
“Sit down at the table, Ms. Reese,” I tell her calmly. I don’t have a gun out, but as far as she knows, I’m armed. Even if I wasn’t, I’m twice her size, and if she decides to go for a weapon of her own, I’m fast enough to take her down first.
“The… the building has cameras,” Erica says, her voice trembling. “I work for the government. They’ll look for me.”
I chuckle darkly. “No one will have to look for you as long as you cooperate,” I tell her.
I don’t particularly feel like dealing with a body, but at the same time, it may have to happen.
I don’t think Havoc would like it, and I’d be dealing with him as well as the situation, but I’ll do anything it takes to protect Seven. “So sit down, and let’s talk.”
Erica’s body shakes, but she sits down at her small kitchen table.
I also notice that her hand is going into her jeans pocket, where her phone is.
“No,” I bark out. “Hands on the table.”
The music is still playing some catchy tune, but I ignore it. I’m laser-focused on her, on making sure I get as much information as I can out of her before something goes wrong.
No. Nothing is going to go wrong.
Erica looks at me—then keeps reaching for that phone, faster now. She gets the emergency call screen open before I yank on her wrist and send the phone flying out of her hand.
“Let go!” she shouts, struggling against me.
I should’ve brought a gag, but I guess that would’ve been counterproductive, considering I want information, not to kill her.
“You do realize the Lockwoods don’t own the cops in Calamity, don’t you?
” I ask, my voice low and deadly. “Sit the fuck down, Ms. Reese. We’re going to have a conversation, then I am going to leave, and you’re going to pretend this never happened. ”
Erica sobs, but she nods, too, and I force her back into the chair. I kick her phone far out of reach.
“Who are you?” she asks, her voice still uneven.
I give her an unimpressed look, then ignore the question. “The Lockwoods have bought you, somehow. You’re going to tell me what you’re doing for them.”
“Nothing!” Erica shouts. “You’re crazy! I work for the gaming commission, that’s it!” She gives me an unsteady smile. “Was a recent ruling inconvenient? Have your boss make an appointment. I’m sure we can work things out.”
I smile at her. “Sure. We can work things out.”
She doesn’t look relieved, but she nods. “Make the appointment,” she repeats.
“No, I think we’ll work things out right now,” I tell her, pleasant despite the anger roiling through me as I think about the fact that she’d terrified Seven.
That she’d touched Seven. “Unless you’re terrorizing several boys in Calamity City, I’m sure you’ll remember one in particular.
I want to know more about him, and I want to know why you’re threatening him. ”
I can see the moment she puts the pieces together, her expression freezing, but she laughs and says, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you let me get my phone, I can set up an appointment right now. You can explain then.”
“I have an appointment,” I say. “It happens to be now. So you’re going to stop lying to me and tell me about what the Lockwoods have on you, then I’m going to make you a better offer.
You’re going to tell me what you know, and we’ll both walk away from this feeling better about ourselves. How’s that?”
Her eyes flick around the room, but the knives are well out of reach, and even if she managed to grab a weapon, there’s no chance she’d be able to overpower me with it. She realizes quickly that she doesn’t have an easy way out.
“If I tell you about the Lockwoods, I’m putting myself more at risk,” she finally says. “They don’t take kindly to betrayal.”
“Neither do the Spades,” I say, hedging my bets. Not that it’s really much of a risk, considering she had to know the second I’d mentioned the boy . “And they’re local. They have more of a reach.” I sigh. “Let me help you, Ms. Reese. That’s how this works, isn’t it? You help me, I help you.”
Erica straightens her shoulder. “I need a guarantee. If I do this, I need protection.”
Caleb might not like this, but he’d like it even less if I came back without anything.
“I’ll need a guarantee, too,” I tell her, “that you won’t run right to the Lockwoods and beg for their help.
You already know the cops aren’t going to do anything, so you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. ”
“I don’t know much,” Erica says. “They approached me with their offer. It was a very good offer.”
“Tell me about it,” I say. “Tell me what they wanted to know.” My eyes narrow. “Tell me what they told you about the boy they’re so desperate to get back.”
“He’s their son. I didn’t see the problem with helping them reconnect with their runaway brat.” Erica shakes her head. “The person who approached me didn’t make it seem like a big deal.”
“You didn’t think it was strange that they offered you a huge amount of money for trying to get a ‘runaway brat’ back from Caleb Spade?” I ask, quirking a brow at her. “A runaway brat who was obviously terrified of you?”
“Why would I care?” Erica asks. “It’s money. You’re here, doing this for money, aren’t you?”
No.
Nothing to do with Seven is about money.
“That, and I’m not stupid enough to play games with the Spades,” I tell her. “So who approached you? What did they tell you to do? I need more information if I’m going to talk Mr. Spade into countering their offer.”
Erica shrugs. “It was some guy. I had a video call with Paul Lockwood. They asked me to approach their son, and…” She shakes her head. “The rest is unimportant.”
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?” I ask. “Because so far, you haven’t given me enough to make it worth my while to talk to Mr. Spade on your behalf.”
She makes a frustrated sound. “I don’t know anything! Why would they tell me anything? The only other thing I can tell you is that they’ve acquired real estate somewhere in the state, and I only know that because of another acquaintance.”
That much is useful information, though vague enough to be frustrating. “Somewhere in the state,” I repeat. “Ms. Reese…”
“I only know what I know,” Erica replies.
She has to know more than what she’s telling me. I refuse to believe that she knows nothing we can use.
I stare her down, and something in my expression must spook her because she shifts uncomfortably before blurting out, “There’s an agent in town talking to a few people. I don’t know her name, but she’s in the know. If you can find her, maybe you can find out more.”
That’s as vague as the rest of what she’s given me, and I’m not impressed. “Erica—” I begin.
“Mid-to-late twenties, short, dark hair. She’s from New Bristol,” Erica says hurriedly. “She was asking questions about the Roi de Pique. I know better than to spill Spade secrets though. I’m an opportunist, not suicidal.” She grimaces. “The agent didn’t like that very much. That’s all I know.”
“And this mystery woman didn’t have a name?” I prompt.
“Not one she was willing to share,” Erica says, shaking her head.
“No business card, no contact information?” I try.
She shakes her head again.