Cool Heat (28 page)

Rouse seemed unable to come to grips with the situation, let alone a drink.

Leon just shrugged. “Well, let’s go to the office, work out something. Our prenup has to be changed.” Then he said, looking at the smartphone, “Thorp’s talking to his lion. Man’s a little nuts. C’mon, move it.”

Marco wanted to make a move, but not with Sydney out of his sight and under Kora’s control.

60

When the three of them entered the office, Rouse followed by Marco and then Leon, Sydney felt a little sense of relief. She’d feared the two men might not get along, end up in a battle, and bring the whole thing down with them. She turned her attention to Rouse.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Tricky Dick,” Sydney said.

Rouse looked like he was on the verge of a stroke or heart attack, his face white, his eyes bugged out. He stared at Sydney as if she’d arisen from the graveyard before his eyes.

“You find anything interesting?” Leon asked Kora.

“You wouldn’t believe the shit this pervert has on people,” Kora said. “He takes voyeurism to a new level. He’s got surveillance tapes on everybody and their mother, and we haven’t even gotten into the safe. Can’t wait to see what’s in there.”

Kora looked at Rouse. “Oh, and Sydney needs your various passwords.”

Rouse, as if trying to wake from his nightmare, seemed for the moment incapable of movement or speech. It was hard to tell if he was petrified or so stoned he couldn’t get his brain in order, or just in extreme shock.

Leon encouraged him with the business end of his automatic’s silencer pressed against the lawyer’s ear.

Kora said, “If you’re going to shoot him, back up a little so we don’t get splatter all over us.” She said it with a small, cold grin.

Rouse wrote down his passwords on a desk tablet without further encouragement.

“Now let’s get that safe open,” Leon said. “See what kind of goodies you got in there.” Leon checked the smartphone. “Thorp is still down there talking to his lion. Bet that’s a conversation.”

Rouse went to the safe and began the process of opening it.

“You can rob us,” he said in a hushed, tight voice. “You can kill us. But it’ll trigger the biggest manhunt ever.”

Kora said, “He opens his mouth again, shoot him. Then we’ll bring Thorp up here and see if he can’t open it. I’m sure he knows the combinations and how to change the time-lock sequence or whatever.”

“She’s not kiddin’, dude. Woman doesn’t like you much,” Leon said. “Not much at all.”

Rouse sucked air like a landed fish, the veins on his neck popping. He spun the dial.

Kora chuckled. “We’ve been your little slave girls for the past couple years, Dicky. Now we’re gonna see how you like it, you disgusting freak. You and that tiny little prick of yours that needs drugs to keep it propped up. One of the girls says you make clucking sounds when you fuck, sounding like a sick chicken.”

Leon laughed as best he could. “He don’t get this safe open pretty quick, he’s looking to become Tricky Dickless.”

Rouse’s hands were shaking violently. Everything he did with the combination, the wheel, had to be repeated.

Finally, a gun against the back of his head, he got himself under control and opened the wall safe.

“Holy shit,” Kora exclaimed.

There were three shelves piled with stacks of money. Open boxes that appeared to have stocks and bonds. They had Rouse bring out those and other boxes that contained gold, jewelry, and various bonds and certificates of deposit.

“The mother lode,” Kora said, opening a box and pulling out a handful of jewelry.

Leon looked at Rouse’s cell when it buzzed. “That’s your boss,” Leon said, handing him the phone. “Tell him everything’s cool. Tell him we’re on our way down with Daisy. And talk normal. I even think there’s a hint of a signal, you’re dead.”

Rouse did as he was told, and then Leon took the phone from him, adding, “We’re on our way, boss.”

He hung up.

Kora said, “I stay with Tricky Dick here. Find out some things, like where else he’s got secrets hidden. And he can help me pack some money and stuff. I don’t want to hang around. You go deal with Thorp.”

Motioning to Sydney and Marco, Leon said, “Let’s go down and see old sport, get him on the program.”

This can’t go well,
Sydney thought as they left Kora and Rouse in the office and headed back into the hall.

Sydney was in the lead, followed by Marco and then the killer. She was edgy. Leon was unpredictable, and how much power Kora had over him—and how long it would last—was the question. Plus the guy was on some powerful drugs and drinking, by the smell of him.

She saw no good end with Thorp once he realized what was going on. Or maybe Leon and Kora had another game up their sleeve. Maybe an ultimate betrayal was still coming.

They were ushered through the great room, then down another hall filled with paintings, mostly of what looked like French and Italian scenes. Then they walked into a back room that led to the tunnel.

She heard Marco say from behind her, “I’m thinking, after this, you get bored down the road, we might work together again. This is turning out to be interesting.”

Sydney liked how Marco was playing this guy, trying to get the guy thinking ahead. But that might not mean anything in the end. Outthinking a sociopath was impossible.

“The world is ripe for the taking,” Leon said.

Based on logic and Sydney’s experience, either the client was going to be killed, or they were.

They reached the tunnel. Ogden Thorp waited, standing by the cage door.

They passed under the faux torchlights on the medieval stone walls.

“What took you so—” He stopped and appeared to be trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

“I got a present for you,” Leon said. “They aren’t dead. I was just fooling you. Setting you up for the big shockaroo. It’s something I wanted to surprise you with.”

Sydney’s gut tightened. Maybe he was always, in the end, going to hand them over to Thorp and his lion.

“What the hell?” Thorp said, confused, looking a little drunk and definitely shocked.

“Alive and well,” Leon said.

Thorp didn’t seem to know how to react but chose to be positive. He smiled. “I’ll be damned. You’re just full of surprises.”

“Life’s all about surprises,” Leon said.

Thorp said, “Sydney Jesup, I thought you were dancing at the bottom of the lake. But I’m actually glad to see you. I have someone I want you to meet.”

“I’m sure you do,” Sydney said, looking at the big old lion sitting on the slab across the pool, under a dim ceiling light, his yellowish eyes watching them, a massive wreath of fur exploding around his neck. Behind him, a cave, more rocks.

She figured the moment of truth had arrived. But she had no idea which way it was going.

61

“Easy, boy,” she heard Leon say to Marco, who was no doubt poised to make some kind of desperate move.

“Marco, we’re good,” Sydney said. “Right, Leon?”

“That’s right,” Leon said in that muted drone of his.

They had gone from trusting Kora and getting betrayed to now hoping the killer was under Kora’s control and would follow the plan.

Sydney thought Thorp looked like some mad fool pacing around in his white suit with his English racing cap. He pushed open the iron cage door, saying, “George has been waiting, haven’t you, old sport? Didn’t get fed yet today.”

He turned to Leon. “Where’s Daisy and Rouse? They don’t want to miss the big show.”

“We made a mess,” Leon said. “They’re cleaning it up. Maybe we’ll go up, help them.”

Thorp said, “I got something here I want to show you.” He pulled a small Derringer from his pocket. “Jesup, come on over here.” He pointed the small gun at her. “You and me need to conclude our business.”

Thorp said to Leon, “This is the woman who busted your face and nearly destroyed the greatest project in the history of Lake Tahoe.” Then he turned back to Sydney. “You’ve been a royal pain in the ass. I’ve dreamed about this moment. You and your boyfriend here like to fight, well, you’re gonna have a real fight on your hands.”

“First we need to talk about some things,” Leon said.

“Later,” Thorp said, almost yelling. “I’m gonna hire you permanent. You did one hell of a job and you’re going to get a very big reward. A payday you’ll love.”

Thorp motioned to Sydney with the Derringer. “George has been dying to make your acquaintance, right George?” he said, glancing back at the old lion.

“Damn, that’s a pretty gun,” Leon said. “Never seen one like that.”

“A piece of history,” Thorp said with drunken pride. “Two guns were made and one of them John Wilkes Booth used to kill Lincoln. This is the brother to it. A real piece of history.”

“You’re bullshitting,” Leon said.

“I certainly am not. This is the real thing.”

“Let me see that,” Leon said. “I love the history of guns. Marco, move over there along the wall under the light.”

Marco went to the wall under one of the torchlights. Sydney exchanged looks with him. He was tight, coiled. Leon was well aware of his demeanor and didn’t want him close.

Leon moved Sydney ahead of him and then reached out for the gun. Thorp didn’t look like he wanted to put his prize in Leon’s hands, but he surrendered it, given Leon had a much bigger weapon in his hand.

Leon, a gun in each hand, brought the Derringer up where he could get a good look in the dim light. “Boy, that is a beauty. You have this tested or something? Make sure it wasn’t some fake replica?”

“Everything was checked out,” Thorp said. “I’d like to give it to you, but I can’t do that.”

“I love old guns,” Leon said. “But nothing in my collection matches the history of this baby. Consider it a gift for a job well done.”

“We’ll see about that later,” Thorp said. “First things first.” He made a sudden move, grabbing Sydney by one arm and her hair. He jerked her against the door and then into the cage with such violence she was thrown off balance as he yelled, “George, got something for you.”

It happened so fast, Sydney found herself falling backwards toward the pond, but she twisted around, reversing the momentum. Thorp lost his balance when she twisted. He started falling and had to let go of her. Sydney jumped back.

Thorp tripped, struggled to get his footing, and kept staggering back toward the pond with a cartoon-like struggle to regain his footing. His attempts failed and he went down on his butt at the edge of the water.

The old lion—roused by all the commotion, his primal instincts kicking in—suddenly rose and came across the small pond in a single bound. The big old cat hit Thorp with the impact of a three-hundred-pound linebacker coming full speed.

Thorp never had a chance. His racing cap flew all the way back to the door. The old lion grabbed him around his head and neck and began to drag him away.

At first it looked like Leon was going in to help him, but instead, he went in for the racing cap, never, as he moved, taking his eyes off Marco or her.

“Back out,” he said.

She retreated to the tunnel corridor.

Leon came out with the cap and shut the cage door behind him.

The big cat dragged Thorp across the concrete floor around the pond and disappeared with his catch into his den. At first, Thorp’s legs had kicked and his arms flailed, but by the time he was dragged around the pond, he stopped all resistance.

One shoe had come off. He had on white socks that looked to be held up by garters. He never even got out a scream. The big cat had knocked the wind out of him, then dragged him by the head. A wing-tipped shoe floated in the pond.

“You see how fast that bastard came across that water?” Leon said, all excited. He put the racing cap on, like a bowl atop the face mask. “How do I look?”

“Smashing,” Sydney said. “You look like you were born to drive a Jaguar convertible across the English countryside.”

Leon laughed. He kept the cap on and then backed off and told Marco to secure the iron cage door. The sound of metal on metal echoed down the tunnel like a cannon shot.

To Marco, Leon said, “You did good not making a move. I’d hate to have had to shoot you.”

“We’re gonna work together,” Marco said. “Never entered my mind to mess things up. Far as I’m concerned, we’re partners.”

Leon stared at Marco for a moment. Then he turned to Sydney and said, “If someone put this scene on the Internet, it’d get a billion damn hits.”

Leon chuckled. The mask and the English cap gave him a comedic and completely insane look. He then said, “Well, let’s go get paid for our hard work. Been one hell of a night. Can’t remember when I’ve had so much fun.” He held up the Derringer. “I’d of loved to know how many people back in the day took a bullet from these little babies.”

“There was only one that really counted,” Sydney said.

“I guess you’re right about that,” Leon said. “Too bad I can’t use this on some future project. Drive the CI guys crazy. But I’d have to give the gun up, and I have a better use for it.”

Sydney and Marco exchanged looks. This isn’t over, Sydney thought. This guy is orbiting a planet we’ve never visited.

As they started to leave, Sydney glanced back at the cage. She had no sympathy for Thorp. He’d gotten what he deserved.

62

When they retraced their steps and returned to the office, Kora and Rouse were talking about something intense. Kora played with her pistol on the desk, the big briefcases from the vault in front of her. Rouse sat in the chair, looking very frightened.

Kora turned as they walked in, a strange, almost ecstatic look on her face. She said, “We watched on the monitor. That lion…Jesus, that was the coolest thing ever.”

“You liked that?” Sydney asked, thinking this girl was really, truly sociopathic material.

“Loved it,” Kora said. “That video is going with me. I want to have it for whenever I’m depressed. I can watch that bastard meet George over and over. Me and Dicky, here, had a ringside seat.”

Leon smiled and said, “I got a little present for you, sweet pea. The twin brother Derringer to the one that killed Lincoln.”

He handed her the gun.

“You lie. No way this is the real thing,” Kora said, looking the gun over.