Jamie Hill Triple Threat (56 page)

The first man laughed. "I think it's hilarious the way they zoned in on you. Still not quite sure how that happened, but it works for me."

"I know how it happened,"
Moreno
snarled. "We're taking care of it. There's nothing fucking funny about it, either. So stop being such a fucking schmuck, or I'll tip those cops in your direction."

Keep talking, Tony. Give me that tip.
Brady inhaled and placed his ear closer to the door.

"Aw, fuck you," the other man returned jovially. "You're the king of the fucking schmucks. You stupid putz."

King of the schmucks? Stupid putz?
The phrases rang in Brady's ears and he tried to recall hearing them before. Something shifted behind him and he spun to see what it was, just as something hard and heavy crashed down on his head. Brady saw the outline of a man, and then he saw stars. Then, nothing.

Chapter Eight

Gina stared at the pink plastic stick in her hand. The full five minutes hadn't elapsed, but there was no doubt about it. A perfect plus sign was visible in the small window. The fact that she'd been throwing up every morning for the past week was the clincher.

"Maledizione!"
she swore for the third time at the third pregnancy test. "Damn it!" She tossed the stick in the trash can on top of the others. With all the precautions they'd taken, she really couldn't see how this was possible. But three home tests were in agreement.
I'm pregnant.

The news hadn't sunk in, yet. But the more time that elapsed, the more real the baby became. She returned to her living room and scooped Pussy from the chair into her arms. She sat and nuzzled the cat as her mind wandered.

Abortion was out of the question. She'd had some friends in college who'd chosen that route, and didn't begrudge them their decisions. She just knew it wasn't the right thing for her. Adoption seemed a more tolerable solution, but not a great one. After carrying the child for nine months, would she be able to give it up? And what would the pregnancy do to her figure? She knew that last thought was vain, but at the same time a valid question she needed to give serious thought.

I could keep the baby.
The thought flitted through her mind and she immediately tamped it down. Brady had made his feelings pretty clear the last time they'd spoken. One thing she was sure of, she wouldn't use the baby as a bargaining chip to get him back. Couples who stayed together for the sake of children rarely had happy relationships, as far as she could tell.

Could I raise a baby on my own?
The question was so complicated, it boggled her mind. She felt the stirrings of a headache and decided to think about that monumental possibility later. It'd be a huge decision, and would require a great deal of thought.
Later.

Gina had to work at three, so she grabbed a bite to eat and lay down to rest for a couple of hours. She must have fallen fast asleep, because she was almost late getting to the Pink Banana. When she arrived, she hurried inside, pleased to find no sign of
Warren
in the restaurant. Gina waved to Randy and slipped into the back room to punch the time clock.

"You're late."
Warren
's irritated voice came from behind her.

"Only a couple of minutes." She waved her time card at him. "See, three-oh-four. Not so bad."

"You weren't scheduled to start at three-oh-four. You were supposed to be here at
three
. You even made out the schedule yourself. If you can't stick to it—"

"Look, I'll stay five minutes later to make it up. Let's don't make this a big deal."

He curled his fingers around her wrist. "Five minutes isn't the big deal. It's your lack of respect that's cheesing me off. I've given you some responsibilities, and I'd like to give you more.
Plenty more
. But you have to treat me the right way." He ran his fingers up her arm, and locked gazes with her.

Gina's already-sensitive stomach rolled. Brady or no Brady, she could never be interested in the bar owner with greasy black hair and pock-marked skin. She tugged her arm from his grasp. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, and I don't really want to know. I'm going to go do my job, and forget this conversation ever happened."

His face reddened. "You're going to regret that, little girl."

Her eyes flashed. "I'm not your 'little girl'. Now, if you'll excuse me." She brushed past him and hurried into the restaurant. Her heart raced and Gina fought the urge to be sick. She needed this job more than ever, but if
Warren
was going to turn into an even bigger jerk, she had no idea what might happen.

"Everything okay?" Randy asked from his perch behind the bar.

"I hope so." She cast an irritated eye toward the office, and then attempted to put the unpleasant exchange behind her. "Got an apron back there for me?"

"Absolutely." He reached under the bar and handed her an apron and a ticket book.

Gina tied the strings around her waist, wondering how long it would be before the pregnancy showed. As much as she tried to put the baby out of her mind, it kept creeping back in.
If only I had something else to think about.
There weren't many great alternatives. Her love life sucked, her family life sucked, her job sucked.
My life sucks
, she thought drearily, and went to wait on her first table of the day.

Two long hours later, she was surprised and not overly excited to see Jack Dunlevy enter the bar. He scanned the room until his gaze fell on her.

With no time to slip into the back or pretend she didn't see him, Gina walked slowly toward the man.

"Hey, Gina. How you doing?"

"I've been better," she offered hesitantly, wondering what the hell he wanted.

"Yeah, well, I have, too. I'm looking for Brady, actually. Been trying to call him all day and no answer."

"I thought he was confined to bed rest."

Jack's eyes lit up. "How'd you know that?"

She shrugged. "I heard what happened. I saw him for a few minutes a couple days ago."

"That the last time you saw him?"

She didn't care for his line of questioning, and narrowed her eyes. "What's this about?"

"I told you, I'm looking for Brady. He's supposed to be home, yet he hasn't been there all day. His Explorer isn't in the garage."

"You tried his cell?"

Jack shook his head. "His cell was ruined in the accident. He hasn't gotten a new one, as far as I know."

"Oh." Gina rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe he went to visit someone. A relative?"

Again, Jack shook his head. "There's nobody. He should be home, and he's not. I'm worried about him."

She hated to admit it, but she was, too. With a show of false bravado she said, "Brady's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"I'm not so sure about that. We both know he's lost all objectivity on his case, and with the concussion I'm not sure he's thinking clearly. I talked to Mel Curtis at the W.P.D., and she said he'd been calling her trying to get information. Unfortunately, Mel and her partner were put on a new case. When she broke the news to him, Brady was pissed."

"Pissed enough to do something stupid?" She knew Brady well enough to answer her own question.

Jack focused his gaze on her. "I'm really worried, Gina."

She folded her arms across her chest. "What exactly do you expect me to do? How am I supposed to help?"

His stare chilled her to the bone. "If you know anything—
anything
—about what might have happened to him, or where he could possibly be, you need to speak up
now
. I don't care if you're mad as hell at the guy, or hate his guts. He's a cop, and any foul play that might come to him, is serious business. Not to mention that he's my best friend, and a damned good guy."

"I know all that," she snapped. "I don't hate him, and I could never stay mad at the
scemo
. Believe it or not, I love him, Jack. Still. Sometimes I think I always will."

"Then if he's in trouble, you should want to help."

"Of course I do!" She froze, the full realization of his visit hitting her. "You think my family has done something to him."

"Other people involved with your family have turned up injured, missing or dead. So, yeah, you're my first stop." He glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on Minnie, the busty blonde stripper, for a moment.

Gina scowled. "How did you know I worked here, anyway? Did Brady tell you?" She recalled him saying he hadn't mentioned that fact to Jack or Crystal.

"Brady never brought it up. Mel Curtis told me."

She remembered the brunette in the stuffy suit. "She's the one you should be talking to, then. If you're so sure something bad has happened, go to the police. They can help you more than I can."

"I will, if I have to. I'm trying to keep Brady out of trouble here. There's something I haven't told you. I, uh,
let myself
into his house today, concerned that he might be sick or passed out or something."

"You broke in to his house?" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Shh!" Jack looked around again. "He was always going to give me a key. Just never got around to it. Anyway, I found his lockbox, open on his bed. Empty."

She shook her head, not following him.

"He lost his gun in the accident. He kept a back-up piece in a lockbox in his house."

Gina's heart sank. "He took a gun with him?"

"As if he expected trouble."

"Damn it," she muttered, her heart racing.

"So if you know anything—"

"Of course, I don't know anything!" A lump had formed in her chest. "But I might know a couple of people to ask. I need to tell my boss I'm leaving."

"I'll wait here." Jack nodded.

Gina spotted
Warren
behind the bar and went to speak with him. "Something's come up. I need to leave for a little while. We'll call it my dinner break. I'm not sure I'll be back in an hour, but I'll make it as soon as possible." She untied her apron and set it on a shelf.

"What the fuck do you mean you're leaving? The dinner crowd will be coming in soon."

"Julie can handle things. I'm sure Randy will help out, too." She gazed at the bartender.

"Uh, sure I will." He nodded agreeably.

Warren
grasped Gina's bicep and squeezed. "This isn't a democracy where you can come and go as you please. If you want to work here, then you need to
stay here and work
. Leave now and you might as well not come back."

She instinctively recoiled from his touch, which seemed to make him even angrier. "Let go of me!"

His eyes flashed. "I'll do what I damned well please!" He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her around to face the wall.

Gina spotted a horror-stricken Randy in her peripheral vision, and then spied Jack, moving toward them.
I'll be damned if I'll let him come to my rescue
. Raising one foot behind her, she kicked
Warren
in the knee with all her might.

He groaned, and while he was caught off-guard, she spun around and punched him, full-fist, in the face.

Warren
doubled over, giving her enough time to slip out from behind the bar. She grabbed her purse from the office and headed out to the front.
Warren
eyed her with fury, but by this time, Jack stood between them.

"I'm out of here," Gina announced to everyone in the bar. "I won't be back. You put your hands on me three times today, Warren Clifton. You're lucky I don't file charges for assault."

The bar owner glared at her, but had apparently figured out lots of people were watching, and said nothing.

Jack leaned over the bar and scooped a handful of ice into a napkin. He balled it up and handed it to
Warren
. "You might want to put this on that eye. And when you can see your way clear, I'd suggest you write Gina a check for whatever pay she has coming, plus a couple of weeks' severance. Or I might just have to accompany her down to the police department and give witness testimony to the assault."

He leaned over the bar again and made another ice pack. He moved next to Gina and reached for the hand she'd used to punch
Warren
. "Here you go."

She stared at him, confused.

He placed the ice on her hand and she jumped. She took the makeshift pack from him and held it to her knuckles, which were starting to throb and swell.

Jack motioned to the door and held it open for her so they could walk out.

"Thank you," was all she could muster.

He chuckled. "What? You did all the work. I liked how you handled yourself with that scumbag. Brady never told me you were such a scrappy little fighter. I guess I should have known."