Roger asked her if she remembered the number of the bus.
“Of course I do. It was the number 12.”
He jotted a note to himself to have one of the techies track down the route.
“Did speak with Old Crow?”
“Of course I did! You can forget bringing him in for a chat. He wouldn’t ever talk to the cops, there’s the code. You’re lucky I’m talking with you.”
“Don’t I know it? Go on.”
“Well, he was a bit shaken up when I went over to him, muttering to himself in that way of his, rocking back and forth. So, I asked him outright, I said: ‘Old Crow, what did that Bandit say to get you in such a state?”
“So he says to me, ‘Hazel, I don’t know much but one thing I do know, evil, that one is evil. Wants someone dead, asks me if I know anyone who’d do the job. Now I’ve done lots of things in my life that weren’t good, and the Good Lord knows how I did, but I never laid a hand on anyone. Truth is, did most of the hurtin’ to myself. I couldn’t look in those eyes; they were something else, cold, cold as a marble toilet seat. The evil one I wasn’t going to say anything, practically hissed at me before walking away’. Poor guy was shaking. I passed on a bit of the change you gave me and told him to go get something to eat; he perked up a bit then.”
“You positive he wouldn’t talk to us?”
“Positive.”
He pulled out his wallet and passed her the largest bill he had. “How about you, are you afraid?”
“No, why would I be? Most people don’t see us you know and if they do, they pretend they don’t. And by the way, you don’t need to be paying me. I would’ve told you without it.”
“I know you would but we have a budget for this sort of thing.”
She nodded and took the money.
“Hazel, can you meet me here tomorrow night around 10? Sorry for the late hour, but I have an early evening commitment and it’s important we meet as soon as possible. We need to know when the black coat bandit’s in the neighbourhood again. I’m going to bring you a cell phone”, he pulled his out of his pocket, “and it will look just like this one. It won’t cost you anything to use it and when the minutes are gone, it can be filled up again. So pay close attention now, I’m going to show you how to use one.”
Roger spent the next fifteen minutes instructing her.
“Time to go good looking”, Hazel said, “if I read your watch right. I don’t want to lose my bed.”
Roger stopped the car in front of the shelter and watched as she struggled to lift her arthritic body out of the front seat and watched until she disappeared through the doors.
Chapter 19
Kate turned down Shirley’s offer of a drink at the pub and went home. A quiet night, a movie and early to bed should restore her tired body. She pulled into underground parking and for the first time since moving in, took the elevator up to the third floor and slipped the key into her side door.
Flicking on the hall light, she made a beeline for the kitchen. Passing the den, an acrid smell hit her senses. The thought of a large glass of Merlo won out over the smell, and she kept walking.
She sensed a presence behind her but before she could react, an arm was across her throat and duck tape covered her mouth. The pressure on her throat was excruciating; her vision blurring. Pushed into the bedroom, she kicked back with her foot but hit nothing.
“Try that again, bitch, and you’re dead.” The voice was deep, gravelly, male.
Heart pounding, she tried to swallow but couldn’t, a wave of dizziness and the black spots in front of her eyes. Grabbing her hair, he forced her to the floor and threw his full weight on top of her. His hands tore at her clothes; his hot breath ragged in her ear.
She tried to kick but he blocked her and struck her across the face. “You want to live, bitch, keep still.”
She closed her eyes and forced herself to lay still. She knew her only chance lay in taking him off guard. She moved her right hand to the small of her back, pulled the glock from her waistband, and slammed it into his gut.
“You want to live, you get up now, very slowly, or I’ll pull the trigger.”
As he lifted himself off her, she rose with him, her gun hand never wavering. She grabbed her cell out of her back pocket with her left hand and hit the speed dial.
An hour later she stood outside the interview room staring at his face.
“You know, Withers, I nailed the bastard outside the gym a couple of weeks ago. How could I have been so stupid? I should have realized he wouldn’t stop stalking me. I should have hauled his ass in then. The man’s a danger to every woman who walks. How could I have been so stupid?”
“Don’t give me the victim spiel, Kate, it’s not your fault. Now, come with me, we’re going to the hospital and get you checked out. You’ve got some nasty cuts and bruises. I know you’re tired but it’s best everything is documented.”
He grabbed a camera from the duty desk and took pictures of Kate’s wounds. June, who had accompanied Withers to the precinct, put her arm around Kate.
“Ok, hon. Let’s go. I’ll stay with you through it all if you want and then its home to sleep. I’ll stop by the house on our way home, grab
