Dewey Decimated, page 24
“Welcome to Tootsie’s, famous to those in the know for showcasing up-and-coming music groups and stand-up comics,” Julie said as if she were reading my mind.
“But why meet someone here to talk?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. Maybe Kevin likes the entertainment. But there’s a bar and a few rooms off the main hall that are soundproof and the lights are kept low.”
“Where people can meet in between listening to music or watching comedy gigs.”
“Whatever. You can see for yourself it’s a popular place.”
I moved to open the car door when Julie stopped me.
“Just a minute.” She turned around and began rummaging through a large carton on the back seat. A minute later she pulled out a wig of long red hair topped by a perky newsboy cap in dark green leather. She fitted it over her blonde hair. The transformation was amazing.
“Let’s see what we have for you.”
“I don’t need a disguise,” I said, but she paid me no attention. “Ah!” she declared a minute later, handing me a wig with curly blonde hair with a beret set rakishly to one side.
I shook my head. “No way.”
She went back to digging in the box. Up came a wig of long black hair with purple streaks and dangling shoulder-sweeping earrings.
I laughed. “That was me a year ago.”
“Put it on.”
I did and grinned at myself in the rearview mirror. I missed my eye makeup and dark lipstick, but in the dim lighting I could pass for Goth Girl.
“Last but not least,” Julie said as she drew long, dark plastic coats from the flat box next to the carton and handed me one. “Slip this on before we go inside.”
We parked and walked to the entrance. I caught my reflection in the side mirror of a parked car and was startled to see a stranger. Hair and hats did wonders to change one’s appearance, and the long coat gave my figure a nondescript shape. Neither Kevin nor the person he was meeting would be able to recognize me, especially if the lighting was poor.
Tootsie’s was larger than it appeared from the parking lot. A young woman met us in the entranceway. After exchanging words with Julie, she led us past the main room, three-quarters filled with people watching a stand-up comic, to a table in a dimly lit room with a bar that ran the length of one wall. I was surprised to find my chair well upholstered and very comfortable.
We hadn’t been there two minutes when an emaciated-looking boy who couldn’t have been more than eighteen approached our table. “What can I get you ladies?”
“We’ll each have tonight’s special drink,” Julie said.
I opened my mouth to protest, then shut it again when Julie nodded ever so slightly.
“That’ll be two margaritas,” our waiter said. “Good choice. They’re extra yummy tonight. Be right back with some nibbles.”
He hurried away.
“You have to order at least one drink if you want to stay here,” Julie explained.
“Okay.” I glanced around. It was dim, all right. Our table was a few feet from the bar. Most of the twelve barstools were occupied, but it was too dark to make out anyone’s features. I was beginning to think this was a really bad idea.
“Kevin’s in the far corner,” Julie said when she’d finished stretching her neck in all directions. “At the table surrounded by all those plants.”
I had to squint to make out Sean’s son sitting at the small table diagonally across the room about thirty feet from us. I wondered if he had requested that table for its privacy. A planter filled with bushes hid the person who was sharing the table with Kevin. I hadn’t a clue if was a man or a woman.
“Look! The restrooms are in the alcove just beyond their table,” Julie said as if I couldn’t see that for myself. “When you go to the ladies’ room you’ll pass right by their table. You’ll see who Kevin’s with and catch the gist of their conversation.”
“Why me?” I asked automatically, then wished I hadn’t bothered. I had no problem checking out the situation. In fact, I had to force myself to remain in my chair and not rush over impetuously. What I didn’t like was Julie giving me orders.
Our waiter returned with our drinks and nibbles, and my hand reached out automatically to the dish filled with trail mix. The nuts were delicious, as was the dried fruit, though it was a type I wasn’t familiar with. But now wasn’t the time to think about nibbles.
“What are they doing?” Julie demanded. She sounded annoyed, probably because the focus of our attention was not in her line of vision but in mine.
“As far as I can tell, they’re just talking. Kevin just called the waitress over for something to eat or drink.”
“Probably to drink,” Julie said. “That’s what people do here.”
“And not their first,” I said when the waitress picked up two glasses and left.
She returned a few minutes later with fresh drinks.
Julie downed the last of her margarita and ordered a second. Her fingers rapped against the table. Clearly she was nervous, while I felt strangely calm. I glanced over at Kevin and his tablemate. They were practically nose to nose over the table. Their conversation had reached its boiling point. I drained the last of my margarita and stood.
“Where are you going?”
I flinched because she’d spoken loud enough to draw attention to us. But one quick look around the room and I realized no one had so much as glanced our way. The other patrons were talking and laughing, some even louder than Julie because of all the drinks they’d imbibed, while the two people in the corner were too busy arguing to give a thought to anyone else.
“I’m going to the bathroom.”
I reached for my pocketbook and slipped the long leather strap over my shoulder. I got out my phone and pretended to make a call as I walked across the room. I slowed down as I approached their table. Kevin was ranting.
“I don’t care what arrangement you had with my father. Buzz and I have other plans.”
He’s talking to Rafe! Kevin’s face was red with anger. Rafe’s emotions seemed tamped down—except for the tic pulsating in his neck.
“You’re making a big mistake, Kevin.”
“Are you threatening me? Because that’s not gonna work.”
I continued past them and hovered in the small hall, doing my best to stay out of Rafe’s line of vision. I needn’t have worried. His complete focus was on Kevin.
“Not a threat, but it would be a courtesy to tell me why you and Buzz are so quick to wash your hands of me. Your father’s called me in on several big jobs. We worked well together for years.”
Kevin snorted. “Really? You’re honestly telling me that you and my father worked well together? That every single job didn’t incur costs above and beyond the expected because of your mistakes? I don’t know why he kept referring you for the jobs. Neither does Buzz.”
Rafe shrugged. “There are always unexpected glitches. I hope you’ll be prepared for them in your new role as contractor.”
“Yeah, well, my father thought your mistakes were excessive.”
“What else did he say?” There was a different tone to Rafe’s question. He was no longer goading Kevin. He wanted a genuine answer.
“About what?”
“Mistakes your father claimed were excessive.”
Kevin reared back in his seat. “Nothing. What else is there to say?”
The two men stared at each other.
Kevin downed the rest of his drink. “That’s it. I told you there was no point in us meeting. I wasn’t about to change my mind.” He held up his hand to call over the waitress. “I’m tired and I’m going home to bed.”
I hurried back to Julie. She’d been watching, but I could tell from her grimace that she had no idea what was going down. Kevin had just told Rafe that he wouldn’t reconsider his refusal to work with him on future jobs. There had been a subtext to their discussion that I didn’t comprehend, but I’d sensed something ominous was about to erupt.
“They’re leaving. We have to go,” I said.
Julie heard the urgency in my voice and stood. We each fished a twenty from our wallets and made our way to the exit. The air was cool outside. I shivered, appreciating the warmth that my disguise provided. We walked around the corner of the building and waited for Kevin and Rafe to leave.
Chapter Thirty-Two
We didn’t have long to wait. Kevin came storming out the back door, mumbling to himself. We watched him fumble in his pants pocket for his car fob as he headed to his car. Rafe followed a minute later. He glanced around in a furtive manner. I elbowed Julie behind me, thinking it was a good thing we’d hidden from sight. She stood close enough for me to feel her nod. Good. She knew what I was thinking.
Rafe called out to Kevin. “Wait a minute, Kev. There’s just one thing more I need to tell you.”
Kevin spun around, clearly pissed. He retraced his steps. “What is it?”
“This.” Rafe pulled out a pistol and used it to wave Kevin closer. “I want you right here when I talk to you.”
I looked around. No one else was in the parking lot. How could that be? The place was filled with people. We were alone with an armed man who had his sights on Kevin Powell. Was Rafe a murderer? Was he planning to kill Kevin?”
Kevin approached Rafe slowly, his hands up but below shoulder height as if he couldn’t believe Rafe was for real. “What’s with the gun, Torres? You planning to shoot me?”
“It depends on what you’re about to tell me.”
“Tell you? I told you everything I had to say inside.” Kevin turned around.
Before he could take a step, we heard the click of the gun.
“Don’t be stupid, Powell. Get over here and answer my question or I’ll shoot you here and now.”
Kevin obeyed. The dim light of the tall lamppost a few feet from where he stood revealed the horror that was dawning on his face. “Did you kill my father?”
“What did your father tell you?” Rafe asked. His voice cracked with emotion.
“About what?”
“About me, dammit.”
“I told you. You caused too many headaches. Screwed up issues you should have noticed early on. You cost the business big bucks, but he had no choice but to keep working with you.” Kevin sneered. “I have no idea why, but you must have been holding something over his head. Is that what you want to know? Is that why you killed him?”
Rafe’s gun arm wiggled a bit. “What else?”
Kevin said nothing, but a look passed over his face. He understood what Rafe was after. “There’s nothing else. Now can I go home?”
But Rafe had caught his expression. His lips formed a smile that held no mirth. “So you know. He told you.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Rafe moved closer to Kevin. “Let’s go to your car. Start walking.”
“Are you crazy? So you can kill me?”
Rafe poked the gun in Kevin’s chest. “Or should I shoot you here and now?”
“Please. Why are you doing this?”
“Your father had no right telling you something that was a secret!”
Rafe shouted the last word. Kevin turned and slowly headed for his car with Rafe close behind.
I shot Julie a look of anguish. We can’t let him kill Kevin! But how can we stop him? It’s too dangerous.
Julie must have thought I was begging her to do something. And do something she did. She jumped on Rafe’s back, yanking up his arm.
Oh, God! What is she doing? Rafe spun around and shook free of her grasp. Julie’s wig came flying off.
“Carrie, help! What are you waiting for?”
I hesitated like any normal person would in this situation, but Kevin got in the act. By the time I reached them, he and Julie were wrestling Rafe to the ground. With one great burst of effort he broke away from their grip and lurched to his feet. Which was when I lowered my head and rammed into him, downing him once again.
When Rafe tried to get up again, Julie drew back her arm and punched him right in the face. I cringed as her fist made contact with his nose. Rafe shrieked in pain.
“That’s for assaulting me the other night,” Julie said.
I guess she figured out who her attacker was. When I was sure that Julie and Kevin had things under control, I reached inside my pocketbook for my cell phone.
“I’m calling Lieutenant Mathers,” I announced and speed-dialed John’s private cell number. Though it was after midnight, he picked up immediately.
“John, it’s me. I’m in the parking lot of a place called Tootsie’s.”
“Yeah, I know it. What are you doing there at this time of night?”
I told him and asked him to come ASAP.
“Stay there. I’ll be there as fast as I can.”
* * *
John drove up minutes later, followed by Danny Brower in a patrol car and two state troopers in an unmarked car. His eyes widened when he caught sight of me. I realized I was still wearing that ridiculous wig and yanked it off my head.
He shot out orders to Danny and spoke gruffly to the troopers—not sounding at all like himself. John was in a mood, all right. Learning that Julie and I had solved his homicide and stopped Rafe Torres from killing Kevin had to be humiliating. I was going to have to make it up to him big time.
Though no sirens had sounded, somehow the people inside Tootsie’s had realized something was going down and had spilled out into the parking lot. The state troopers kept the crowd at bay.
“Thank God you’re here,” Kevin said as he climbed off Rafe’s back. “I couldn’t have held him much longer.”
Danny pulled Rafe to his feet. John all but growled at the sight of Julie snapping photos with her phone of Danny handcuffing Rafe and putting him in the back of the patrol car, but he didn’t tell her to stop. He couldn’t, I supposed. After retrieving Rafe’s gun, which he put in a plastic bag, he huddled briefly with the state troopers and they took off shortly after Danny.
Most of the looky-loos went back inside. John questioned the three of us briefly. He asked Kevin if he was up to coming down to the station to make a statement.
“Sure,” Kevin said. “Why not get it over with?” He looked dazed as he turned to Julie and me. “Thanks again for saving my life.”
“It was Julie,” I said.
Julie raised her hand to acknowledge him, but her attention was focused on whatever the person at the other end of her phone was saying. When she disconnected, she was beaming. “Carrie, a crew is on its way to shoot footage of the scene.”
“Why? Danny took Rafe to the precinct. John’s leaving and so is Kevin. There’s nothing here to report.”
“We’re here, silly! This is your big chance to be on television. We’ll let the public know how we took down a murderer.”
John looked up from his conversation with Kevin. “Make sure you stick to the facts, Ms. Theron.”
“Certainly, Lieutenant Mathers. I’ll be sure to mention how quickly you arrived on the scene when Carrie called you.”
John frowned. Poor guy. Did she have to rub it in? “I’d like you to come down to the precinct at nine tomorrow morning to make a statement.”
“Certainly, Lieutenant. I’ll be there!” Julie practically sang.
John waved to Kevin, I supposed to let him know he was leaving and he’d see him at the station, then strode over to his car.
Frantically, I called after him. “John, wait a minute. Please.”
He turned. “What is it, Carrie?”
“Do you think you could drop me off home? Julie brought me here and I want to leave.”
“Carrie, you can’t leave,” Julie said. “You’re my big story.”
“No, you’re your big story. I don’t want to be part of it.”
“But you are part of it. We’re Rizzoli and Isles.”
I ran over to John. “Please. I need to go home.”
He studied me for a moment. “Get in the car.”
This is going to be the most awkward twenty-minute ride, I thought as we rode out of Tootsie’s parking lot and headed for Clover Ridge. But I had no choice. It was after one in the morning and I needed to get home.
“Whose idea was it to come here tonight?”
“Julie’s.”
“Ah.”
“John, I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry about?”
That your male ego is bruised. “That you’re annoyed with me.”
Silence. “I’m not happy that you put yourself in danger.”
“We were never in danger.” The image of Julie leaping onto Rafe’s back flashed before me. I stifled a giggle. “At least I wasn’t. Julie got to him first. I never could have done that.”
“Good to know! That was the stupidest, most reckless, dangerous act. The gun could have gone off, killing Kevin.”
“It was Kevin’s only chance. Rafe was about to kill him.”
More silence. Then, “What brought you and Julie to Tootsie’s tonight?”
“She has some cub reporters at her beck and call. They’re out tailing people and running down leads like Sherlock Holmes’s Irregulars. One of them found out Kevin had arranged to meet someone there. We didn’t know who until I saw him inside.”
“Rafael Torres. Did you suspect he killed Sean?”
I shook my head. “No. I knew that he and Sean had had their share of arguments, but I didn’t think Rafe would kill Sean over that.” I sighed. “I liked Rafe. He was writing an article about old buildings in our area. He thought it might even lead to a book deal.”
When we stopped at a red light, John turned to me. “He should have stuck to writing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I did some deep dives into the various suspects. Turns out Rafael Torres only came into existence eight years ago.”
My mouth fell open. “Then who is he? Is he an architect?”
“His name is Victor Ramas. Yes, he was an architect, but he lost his license about twelve years ago because a building he designed came crashing down. Five people died.”
