Thin Ice 6 - Hangman & Socrates (26 page)

“
I never meant to hurt her like that,” he went on his voice quiet and tight. “I made it up to her though,” he told Rait looking to him for absolution of his sin.

Rait simply nodded and kept his opinions to himself.

“
I killed Auriel in front of Lauren for lying, and for exposing her to that fucked up shit she was into,” Carlo told Rait.

“
I never intentionally hurt her after that,” he went on. “Every time we were together, I was gentle and loving with her. I had to teach my daughter what a woman is supposed to be, and feel for a man,” he continued.

Rait couldn’t believe the justification Carlo had sold himself for the horrendous things he’d done to not only his wife, but his daughter. He’d ruined the woman’s life forever with the twisted things he’d done and taught her.

“
Yes, doc, I know what I did was wrong in most people’s eyes,” he told the psychiatrist again reading his mind.

“
But I love my daughter, and I taught her how to survive,” he went on. “Why do you think she hasn’t been found in all these years, it’s because she knows how to stay hidden,” Carlo told him with pride.

“
Lauren can handle herself in any situation. She knows how to run a business, how to package and cut dope, how to set up a contract killing, how to kill,” he said calmly. “Until such time Lauren wants to be found, she won’t be,” he finished for the doctor. “Now, I’ve answered your question, I don’t intend to ever be questioned about it again, understand,” Carlo threw out as Rait quickly nodded.

“
What about me, Carlo,” he asked timidly.

“
I’m afraid your fate is sealed doc,” he told him calmly.

The guard again snatched Rait from the chair as he began to cry and beg Carlo not to put him back in solitary.

“
Not solitary in that sense doc,” Carlo told him calmly. “But you will remain in this prison until the day you die,” he added cryptically as the guard again began pulling Rait away and the man’s pleas and wails permeated the prison corridors.

*****

Stefan was sweating profusely as he continued to punish the man in front of him. So far Jake Cook had been extremely uncooperative in giving him any information Roderick Aames.

“
Talk you sonofabitch,” Stefan growled planting two more solid punches to the man’s midsection.

Jake was a small framed man and no match for the big man abusing him at the moment. Still his lips held tight to their secret, even as Stefan unleashed more punishment.

“
Jake, you know I can kill your crooked ass in this apartment and it won’t cause a damned ripple,” Stefan continued to threaten.

“
Leave me alone Stefan, you’re just as knee deep in dirt as I am,” he finally yelled back trying to get the man to stop hitting him.

Stefan chuckled, snatching Jake up by the collar, right in his face.

“
Yeah, but you can’t prove mine,” he threatened as Jake swallowed hard.

“
You’re trying to get me killed, Stefan,” he returned as the captain saw some of the will begin to leave him.

He was almost there.

“
Jake, look, I am not trying to get you killed, I just want answers,” he told him trying to appear diplomatic.

Swallowing hard the smaller man continued to regard the other cautiously.

“
I can’t tell you,” Jake began as Stefan made a fist and came at him.

“
But,” he threw out quickly, hands raised in defense, giving Stefan momentary pause. “If you were to ask me questions, I’d have to answer them,” Jake finished as Stefan smiled slightly.

He supposed this was easier for the man to live with than thinking he’d sold out his colleague, Dr. Promise, in addition to implicating himself in the matter.

“
Fine,” Stefan returned, firing the first question at him.

“
What did Roderick Aames pay you to do concerning Hope Cisneros,” he spit out, waiting for an answer.

Jake sighed deeply, but answered the question honestly.

“
Fuck me,” Stefan replied, somewhat subdued by the answer.

“
Do you have paperwork or recordings to back up what you just told me,” Stefan asked once again.

Jake replied he did, as Stefan asked him would he surrender them to him, and Jake again replied yes.

“
As far as anyone else will know Jake, your hands are clean of this,” he told him as Jake watched him quietly. “Your story will be the same as Keith’s,” Stefan told him. “You were forced, threatened and coerced into helping,” he finished Jake nodded slightly and told him what time and where he could obtain the documents he had.

Stefan was getting more and more excited as the days passed. He’d endured listening to Hope and Roderick make love again last night. The man had been at her home almost every night in the last two weeks since his original conversation with Keith. He was definitely trying to keep Hope away from any other man and Stefan was frankly tired of it.
Just a little while longer,
he thought recalling all the information he’d gotten from the two men. There were just a couple more loose ends and questions he needed answered and those would fall into place in the next week or so. Until then Stefan would patiently continue to play the loving friend to Hope as he tightened the noose he was placing around Roderick Aames neck, waiting for just the right moment to spring the trap and watch the man hang himself. His phone rang and Stefan answered. Conversing with the other party he was getting more good news. Disconnecting he called Ernie and let him know they were finally starting to make progress and if everything went according to plan, Hangman and Socrates would be free men in the next seven or eight months. Ernie thanked him and told him to let them know when more money or services was needed as they disconnected.
It’s almost time Hope baby,
Stefan thought cheerily pulling into the fast food drive thru and ordering his dinner. Tomorrow was a new day and there was work to be done.

*****

Blue saw the picture fall from the worn book that his cellmate kept and hit the floor. Leaning down he retrieved it, about to hand it back when his eyes fell on the woman in the photo.

“
Who are these people,” Blue asked calmly even though inside he was anything but.

Poncho took the picture and sighed deeply before answering.

“
These was my people,” he replied sadly.

“
This was my girl, Tweety,” he told Blue pointing to the smiling woman in the photo. “This was my boy Devontae and his girl, KiKi,” he finished as Blue’s mind was registering what he was being told.

The woman was Lauren; there was no doubt in his mind about that. He knew her anywhere.
So she’s changed her name,
he thought as he continued to engage Poncho in conversation needing to find out all he could about Lauren and her whereabouts.

“
You’re from Georgia right,” Blue asked as they ventured outside and sat and smoked.

“
Yeah, Atlanta,” Poncho threw back. “I was with Tweety when I got locked up,” he clarified.

“
So she’s waiting for you,” Blue asked, already knowing the answer.

“
Nah man, hell it’s been almost seven years now, I know she done moved on, but I still got feelings for her, you know,” Poncho answered.

Blue nodded telling him he understood.

“
What about your boy and his girl KiKi,” Blue carefully asked.

“
I heard from my mama when I called that Devontae was locked up too, caught with dope and guns, gave him 18 years,” Poncho returned.

Blue was still trying to figure out if Lauren would stay in Atlanta. Would she leave and go someplace else.

“
Were she and your girl tight,” he asked, trying a new angle.

Poncho chuckled and told him thick as two thieves.

”
You would think they were blood sisters tight as they were,” he told him as Blue again grunted his understand.

“
So Tweety, your girl, she’s still in Atlanta,” Blue fished once more.

Poncho chuckled at Blue referring to Jaleesa as his girl, but answered him that she was still there.

“
Her and KiKi still hanging tight, running they own shit now from what I heard,” Poncho returned effectively answering Blue’s question.

Now he just needed to know where exactly in Atlanta she was and what actual name she was going by.

“
How they get Tweety outta Jaleesa,” Blue asked as Poncho again chuckled.

“
Cause she loves that cartoon character and she buys almost everything with a picture of that little yellow bird on it,” he explained to Blue.

“
Oh okay I get it,” he returned smiling himself now.

“
So KiKi is cause of what,” he asked, waiting for the answer.

“
Her name,” Poncho replied. “Her first name is Kaitlyn,” he added as Blue again nodded racking his mind why she would choose that name and if he’d ever heard it before.

“
I’ma head in man,” Poncho told him finishing his smoke and rising to go back to their cell.

Blue told him okay and he’d been there in a little while. He continued to think about Lauren, excited that he had an idea where to go and look for her. Unfortunately he didn’t have a parole hearing coming up for at least another 2 years.
Please let her stay put,
Blue continued to pray. He made a note to visit the prison library and see what he could find about the trial. His gut told him the answer to his questions would be found there. Putting out his own cigarette Blue rose and smiled slightly, his hopes once again lifted that he would find his Lauren and give them their life back once again.

24

Stefan was especially pleased with himself today. It’d taken two long months of painstaking research, and almost constant surveillance but he had what he needed to destroy Roderick once and for all.
This is the day he becomes Hope’s past,
he thought heading for his bedroom. Standing inside his closet Stefan began picking out various articles of clothing for his date. Hope had graciously agreed to accompany him to the gala being thrown by one of the many associations he belonged too. He sighed softly recalling her initial hesitation, given her unwanted celebrity via Carlo. Stefan assured her no one would accost her. He told her he doubted anyone remembered her now some six years after the trial. Hope finally acquiesced and made his day. Deciding he would go with a camel shirt, powder blue and milk chocolate tie and pocket square; Stefan took out the matching brown suit, adding the camel and brown Stacey Adams, and cufflinks.

Satisfied with the outfit, he headed into the bathroom, grabbing his electric groomer and getting to work. He needed everything to be perfect tonight, he mused, trimming the mustache and goatee to his liking. Once he told Hope the truth about her precious Roderick he knew she would be devastated, but he would be right there to console her. Stefan couldn’t believe the arrogance of Roderick.
He has one helluva nerve,
he continued to brood.
What kind of man takes a woman’s child and tells her its dead
, Stefan’s mind continued to question recalling all the information he’d unearthed. Even though it cost him dearly, he now knew where Hope’s daughter was. Finishing his grooming, Stefan turned on the shower adjusting the water and walking back into the bedroom. He walked over to the dresser and opened the file folder that lay atop the huge hand carved mahogany piece.
She’s a beautiful little girl,
he thought smiling slightly at the photos he’d procured.

Stefan had everything Hope could possibly want to prove to her that Roderick had intentionally deceived her.
Bet she doesn’t know he’s a damned DEA agent either,
he groused once more heading back into the bathroom. Stepping into the now steam filled room, Stefan let his mind relax. Tonight would take care of itself and he and Hope would be together just as they should have been from the start. He would have even more leverage into Hangman’s good graces and all but cement the position he wanted more than anything else right now.
Being on the take has its advantages, but it’s nothing like the green that Hangman and Socrates were pulling down, hell, still pulling down,
Stefan thought as the hot water hit him and engulfed him in its stream. He began to whistle cheerily as he lathered, his mind already working ahead to his new and lucrative future.

*****

Cartier was exhausted. It’d been a long day; but productive. Stefan had given Ernie great news and he’d immediately relayed it. They were ahead of schedule and if things stayed on track and the money demands met, he and Carlo would be out of this hellhole in the next four months. Cartier thought about Carlo’s new pet project as well as his rapidly declining health. He’d been doing well for a while, but he was once again looking gaunt and frail. He was still mean as ever though and his mind wasn’t a bit dimmed.
The psychiatrist was playing a dangerous game
, Cartier thought and chuckled aloud at the man’s fate. They’d effectively erased him from the earth with reports of his death and the warden had no qualms with making him an inmate, using the records from one who had died almost ten years ago, unreported. Closing his eyes after saying his nightly prayer, Cartier quickly slipped into the dark abyss of sleep and dreams.