Chapter 11
Maximo
I’m sitting in my office alone, my head vibrating with the buzz I’ve developed from drinking too much this afternoon. When my phone dings with a text from Constance, I’m momentarily confused; I have to read her message before my muddled mind understands how she got her phone back.
Melissa had my phone and purse with her at the hospital. We’re circling the block now. Come on down and we’ll stop to pick you up.
I’m not so drunk that I’m not immediately suspicious, so I text Trenton to make sure everything is on the up and up. I just got a text from Constance that you guys are outside. Did she get her phone back from Melissa? Are you really circling the building?
Yeah, it’s legit, Trenton replies seconds later. Be careful, though. I spotted a dude on a motorcycle across the block wearing Gargoyle patches. They’re keeping an eye on the building.
I’ll have security walk me out. Be right there, I reply before draining the dregs of whiskey in my glass and clambering to my feet.
“I’m heading out, Renee,” I tell my secretary as I pass her desk. “Have a good night. I probably won’t be in tomorrow. Just call my cell with anything important.”
“Certainly, Mr. Luciani. Have a good evening,” she says with a smile.
When the elevator deposits me on the ground floor, I stop by the security desk where Wilson and the new hire are still on duty screening entrants. “Mr. Lombardi, would you be good enough to escort me to my car?” I ask him as I approach.
“Of course, Mr. Luciani. Keep an eye on things, I’ll be right back,” he tells his partner before maneuvering his bulk out from behind the desk and lumbering towards the doors.
He holds them open for me, and we step out into the gray, overcast afternoon and walk down the front steps to wait for my men to pull up.
While we’re standing by the street, I cast my gaze up and down the block trying to see the biker that Trenton warned me was lurking nearby.
It doesn’t take me long to spot the man, a hulking brute with long dark hair tied back in a ponytail and a gut that peeks out from under the edge of his worn t-shirt.
He’s standing by some sort of large motorcycle with an extended front fork, casually smoking a cigarette.
Our gazes meet, and we stare each other down until the black SUV I’m waiting for pulls up and blocks my view.
Trenton hops out of the passenger seat and opens the rear door for me. “You see him?” he asks me as I step past him.
“I did. Thanks again, Mr. Lombardi. Have a good night,” I add to my escort.
“You too, Mr. Luciani,” he says as he turns and walks back towards the stairs.
Trenton climbs back into the front seat and turns to Joey. “You see him doing anything concerning?”
Joey shakes his head in the negative, but I can see his hand lingering near the pistol tucked between his hip and seat belt buckle.
“Did they point him out to you?” I ask Constance as I lean over and give her a kiss.
She nods. “They did. It can’t be a coincidence that another member of their biker gang is keeping an eye on you here. What do you think they’re planning?”
“I don’t know. Hopefully it won’t matter after tonight. I struck a deal with the Savage Kings,” I announce, loud enough for Trenton to hear me in the front seat.
He reaches over to turn down the Judas Priest still blasting from the stereo. “You gotta chill out with the leather-daddy metal,” he huffs to Joey. “That’s good about the Kings,” he adds as he turns around in his seat to talk to me. “What’s the plan?”
“Do they think they can help us find Sizemore?” Constance asks.
“I’ll know more tomorrow,” I hedge, not wanting to lay out the plan in its entirety. I know I can trust Trenton. His man Joey seems reliable enough. But I learned my lesson after being betrayed by my chef, Francis. I’m not willing to give up the game because I felt chatty on the ride home.
“I’ll tell you everything later,” I whisper to Constance.
“Are you all right?” she asks me. “You look flushed, and you smell like alcohol. It’s not a bad smell or anything, I just hope you’re holding up okay,” she adds.
“I’ve got a lot on my mind.” I sigh as I reach over and take her hand. “I’ll tell you all about it once we’re alone tonight. Are you hungry?”
“I don’t think we should hang out in town hitting up restaurants tonight,” Trenton interjects. “If the Gargoyles are keeping watch out for you, we don’t want to hang out in one place too long and give them an opportunity to get at you two.”
“He’s probably right,” Constance agrees. “Could you ask Leonard to set something up at the estate for tonight? He did a great job with the caterer the other day.”
“That reminds me. He told me this morning he was handling dinner tonight. I’m glad you mentioned him.
It had slipped my mind with everything else going on.
” Rather than keep Constance in suspense, I dig my phone out of my suit pocket, text Leonard to verify the dinner plan, then send her a message.
“Check your WhatsApp,” I lean over and tell her.
“I sent you a message. I’m going to delete it entirely after you read it. ”
I don’t want to tip my hand around other people after that unpleasantness with Francis.
The Savage Kings think they can round up Sizemore for us tonight.
They’ll let me know late tonight or early tomorrow and we will go from there.
Salvatore Bianchi came to see me. Irina Volkov kidnapped his youngest son, Gregory, yesterday.
Irina demanded he lure me into a trap to get his son back.
Constance’s eyes widen as she reads through the text. She turns to me as if she’ll ask me a question, but I point to her phone, signaling for her to reply there. A moment later I read, Why would Bianchi come to you if Irina has his son?
He’s practical, I reply. He knows he stands to lose much more than a son if he makes a direct move against me. Irina underestimated you, and now she’s done the same with me.
Are you sure Bianchi didn’t come to you today to lure you into something? Maybe gave you part of the truth to put your guard down?
I turn to her with a grin at the question.
“I already thought of that,” I tell her.
“But I’m glad to see that you did as well.
If I can find a way to help, I will. But it’s not my main concern.
If he turns up while we’re…let’s say, making our moves, then that is all well and good. Otherwise, it’s not my problem.”
She opens her mouth as if to say something else, but then with a glance at the front seat thinks better of it.
I nod to her and delete the messages between us, then read the other text I just received.
“Leonard says the caterer is setting up a Mexican spread. If you have any specific requests, Trenton, text him what you want. Joey, tell me what you like, and I’ll make sure it’s prepared. ”
“Chimichangas, chicken, fried,” Joey replies. “Thanks,” he adds as an afterthought.
“How about you, firefly?” I ask Constance. “You don’t have his number, do you? I’ll text him your order, too.”
“Let me get two hard-shell beef tacos and a chicken quesadilla. Oh, and some beans and rice, please,” she tells me just as her stomach lets out a rumble.
I can’t help but laugh as she blushes and puts a hand on her belly. “Are you sure that’ll be enough?” I ask. “I’ll tell him to have them bring some extra queso and chips just in case.” I add my own order and then relax as the buildings slide by outside the window.
We’re almost out of the city when I receive another phone call. “It’s Detective Tillman,” I announce to the car as a warning before I accept and greet him. I motion with my hand to Trenton to turn down the radio while talking. “Good afternoon, Detective.”
“Mr. Luciani? Are you and Ms. Monroe all right? You haven’t had any further issues today?”
“We’re doing well, Detective. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call? Do you have any updates for us?”
“Yes and no, Mr. Luciani. Is Ms. Monroe there with you? We’d like to find a time when the two of you might be able to stop by and answer a few more questions.”
I glance over at Constance, then say, “She’s with me now, Detective. You’re welcome to ask any questions you may have, but I’m afraid we’ve left the city for the day.”
“Ah, well, I suppose we can discuss this over the phone. As I said yesterday, our working theory right now is that the attempted abduction of Ms. Monroe was a retaliatory act by the Volkov family in response to your funding of a police crackdown on their enterprises.”
“Yes, I remember, and that certainly makes sense,” I agree. “Do you have some new information that refutes that theory?”
“No, in fact, what we’ve discovered so far only seems to reinforce it.
We haven’t been able to locate our third suspect, this Jacob Sizemore fellow, just yet.
What we have done is research his background, however.
Jacob Sizemore is Kirill Volkov’s half brother.
They have different fathers, but both are the children of Irina Volkov. ”
“Jacob Sizemore is the half-brother to Kirill Volkov?” I repeat for everyone riding with me. “And he’s another son of Irina Volkov? Well, that certainly explains his involvement, doesn’t it? You mentioned that you haven’t apprehended him yet. Is there an issue with locating him, Detective?”
“We’ve secured a warrant for his arrest, Mr. Luciani, but we don’t have any information on where he resides.
We’ve discovered that he’s an associate, or I guess it’s more accurate to call him a prospect, of a motorcycle gang over in Jersey called the Gargoyles.
We’re going to loop in our Jersey counterparts to help track him down, but it may take some time.
While we’re doing that, I wanted to ask you and Ms. Monroe if you’ve had any further contact with the Volkovs or any of their representatives.
Have you received any other threats or demands since yesterday? ”