Smith Investigation Series Box Set 1 (16 page)

Chapter 5

As he had promised, James woke me up the moment he got the notification. By the time we got back to the station, he was still unhappy with the fact that I only got four hours sleep. I wasn’t.

“Henry Malloy,” another detective I had seen around greeted him. “Suspected accomplice in another kidnapping, wanted since.”

“Marvelous. Thank you, Karen.”

James took the file from her and started leafing through it.

“What does it say?” I asked, reaching to a page.

“That’s police only,” Karen advised me. I raised my eyebrows.

“That’s alright, detective. I’ll take it from here.”

“What’s up with her?”

He shuffled uncomfortably.

“Oh, my God. You were involved with her!”

His reply was looking down, red faced and embarrassed.

“Isn’t that like against the rules?”

“Yes. Can we get on with the investigation?”

“Yes, yes. What does it say?” I pointed to the file, still smirking.

“He’s 24, in and out of juvie, did some time for theft as adult.”

“So he’s a pleasant character. Any address or associates?”

“Only his mother's address.”

“Shall we pay a house visit, then?”

“Let’s go.”

We left the station once again and I got to drive. I was sick of waiting idly and driving made me feel like I was doing something. Besides, James was getting way cockier lately.

The home of Henry Malloy’s mother was your typical low income house. Slightly decrepit, with can unkempt front lawn, it looked unoccupied.

“Let’s hope someone still lives here,” James said as he got out of the car. I followed him up the cluttered driveway and let him knock on the door. After a long while, the door opened with a squeak and a much older woman than I expected came into the frame.

“May I help you?” she asked us in a typical old lady voice.

“Sorry to bother you, Ma’am. Are you Henry Malloy’s mother?” James asked.

“What’s that rascal done now?”

“I’m detective Bellagio and this is Robin Walsh, private investigator. May we come in for a minute?”

“Why? I don’t need any trouble. What will the neighbors think?”

“Alright, Ma’am. We can talk here. Do you have any idea where your son might be?”

“Which one?”

“Henry, Ma’am. Henry Malloy.”

“Oh. I haven’t seen him since his father threw him out. That was six years ago. He was a troublemaker, that one. His little brother, he’s a good boy. He’s studying engineering in Seattle.”

“Anything you could help us, it’ll be grand. Anything at all about Henry?”

“I can give you his phone number, if it helps.”

“Are you sure it’s current, Ma’am? You said you haven’t seen your son in six years. That’s a long time.”

“I’ve talked to him. Young man, I’m not senile. I told you I haven’t seen him, that doesn’t mean I haven’t spoken to my son in six years. What sort of mother do you take me for?”

We exchanged a glance and I could see that James’s patience was close to its limit.

“Thank you, Ma’am. The phone number would be of great help,” I said and smiled at her as she turned to get the number.

“Oh, my God,” James whispered, rubbing his temples.

“Calm down. It’s almost over. Gee, you’re not good without your beauty sleep.”

“Ya think?”

“Fine, be like that. So, what can you do with his number? Give him a call and ask him nicely to hand over Robert?”

“We can trace him, if the phone is turned on.”

Of course. I didn’t like feeling stupid, but I managed to turn the situation around: if I was considering my bruised ego it meant that I was starting to feel confident enough about this investigation. And that made me smile because, whenever I was confident about something, it always turned out well.

“There you go,” the old woman said, slipping an uneven piece of paper through the barely cracked screen door.

“Thank you, Ma’am,” I said and turned to leave.

“Ma’am? Make sure you’re not going to mention our meeting to Henry, if you speak to him. Alright?”

“I’m not stupid, young man. What do you take me for? I know official business when I see it.”

“Was that a yes?” I asked James when he caught up with me at the car.

“I don’t know,” he shrugged. “What I know is that I need sleep. Lots of it. Come on, I’m driving.”

“You’re not pleasant when you’re tired.” I threw him the keys and made a face. I was definitely feeling better about finding Robert.

* * *

We had stopped so that James could get another coffee. In favor of this decision I had argued that Matthews only needed the number to find a location, we were redundant. Besides, it would be easier for us to get to wherever Matthews would send us, as were already in our car.

He was now finishing his coffee.

“Better?” I asked, bile rising in my throat. I had barely kept my breakfast down from the smell.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, thanks. Could you throw that out, please?”

“You don’t look fine.”

“I can’t stand the smell of coffee anymore. OK? I had enough of those today.”

He got out and threw the cup in a trash bin. As he was walking back to the car, I saw him reach for his phone and my heart stopped for half a beat.

“We got a location!” he shouted and started into a sprint.

“Hurry up!”

He started the engine and drove off. We were finally going to find Robert, rescue him from wherever that spoiled little girl had kept him. And then, I was going to teach her a lesson.

“Is it far?”

“No.” With the police lights on, we flew through traffic. It was still too slow for me.

“Come on, come on,” I kept saying. I hadn’t stopped grasping the armrest until James had finally pulled up at our destination and I could jump out of the car.

“Where?” I shouted.

“Basement. Henry was arrested here before. Don’t go alone!”

I waved him off and ran into the building. It was the weirdest thing, the building was a regular apartment condominium, with people casually living there. I was passing a couple on their way to walk the dog and couldn’t believe my eyes. They didn’t even know what horrors were happening under them.

I found the side door to the basement and kept running down the stairs. At some point, the lights began to flicker but I didn’t care. I was going to find Robert and if I had to, kill those bastards. It wasn’t like it would’ve been the first time for me.

In the dim lit hallway I was welcomed by at least a dozen doors.

“Shit!” I cursed, unsure of how to proceed for a second. Then one door opened and a young man stepped out. I just knew it in my gut it had to be one of the kidnappers. We watched each other like prey and predator for a split second. This was when we were deciding who the prey was.

He ran. I was to hunt him down, so I followed into a sprint.

He turned a corner and went through another door that squeaked in its rusty hinges. I didn’t hesitate, I went after him. Inside, I found him scrambling to get through a small window. I grabbed his legs and pulled him down with all my strength.

My move had been so sudden that he didn’t get the chance to break his fall. Coming down he hit his head on a pipe and I thought he was out. I turned to leave, get to Robert, but I found myself immobilized by the neck.

I kicked back but couldn’t hit anything. I was starting to feel scared, losing my breath. My knees were starting to give in after what felt like hours but couldn’t have been more than a couple of minutes, then my long buried training kicked in.

With a swift turn, I locked my hands behind his head and flipped him like a pancake. Once I got him on his back, I forced his hand behind. He yelped in pain as I made his turn on his front.

“Son of a bitch!” I cried out.

“Rob?” James called from the hallway. “Are you alright, babe?”

He walked slowly towards me and bent down to free the man from my hands.

“Where’s Robert?” I asked, and realized I was out of breath.

“He’s alright. Nothing happened to him, he’s perfectly fine.”

“What are you talking about? He was kidnapped.”

“Yes, but aside from not being free, nothing happened to him. Food, water, sleep, he got everything he needed. He’s alright, I promise.”

“Really?” This was surreal. I stepped around the guy on the floor and walked into the hallway. I couldn’t remember how I got into the street again, but I was happy to find myself hugging Robert. And then, I was crying.

Chapter 6

I was again going into Operations to pick up my things. This time, they were already waiting for me in the paper bag I had put them a couple of days ago, and this time it would have been the last time I saw the inside of the room as can employee.

Smith was sitting on my desk, fiddling with my old notebook.

“Is this it?” he asked quietly.

“Yes. This is it.” I couldn’t suppress a sigh.

“Here,” he offered me the paper bag. “This is everything you had here.”

“Thank you. I guess I’ll be going now.”

He stood up and hugged me. “Will you be alright, Rob?” he asked, letting go of me.

“I will. Why do you ask?”

“I mean, you’re made to solve cases. You’re a natural investigator, you read people. You’ve been an asset, Rob. Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. Yes, I’m sure.” I gazed out the window, a warm feeling of comfort, maybe the first sign of relaxation I had felt in a long time, getting a hold of me.

“Writing, then?”

“You know what?”

“What?”

“You look like this will be harder on you than me. So, why don’t you send me some cases if you need help? I could give you some pointers, you know?”

“Like, consulting?”

I nodded. “What do you say?”

“Deal. But, free of charge?”

“You wish, you cheap bastard.”

We shared a laugh as he walked me out of Smith Investigations. I was officially retired and it felt strangely liberating to do it on my own terms.

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