Part 11 (1/2)

”Help.” Angelo said at the mike.

The man's gun twitched up under Angelo's nose. ”None of that Detective. Besides, your partner still hasn't arrived.”

Angelo sighed and raised his hands.

The man finished patting Angelo down. He was very thorough and didn't miss anything. Angelo's back-up weapons and everything of possible use was taken away. The man and woman were both wearing nylon gloves. They were cheap gloves designed to mimic leather driving gloves. The cheap suits and the cheap gloves were intended to be burned after the hit. That and a good scrub down afterward would destroy most of the forensic evidence of Angelo's death. In cases like these. evidence was not the strong suit. The people involved were the key. Crack them and you crack the case. If no one cracks, then no one pays for the murder.

Angelo's brain had split once again into two parts. The detached, clinic part of his brain was cataloging facts. These were professional hit people and he'd stumbled into their trap like a d.a.m.ned amateur. The emotional part of Angelo's brain, the part that really felt like him alternated between desperate hope and despair. Maybe something would break right. He had to stay alert and be prepared to take advantage of anything. There probably wouldn't be anything. These people were good at what they did.

After making sure that Angelo was disarmed and not transmitting, they put his personal possessions in a cheap briefcase and ushered him outside. Angelo knew that he could make enough of a scene to draw attention. Then they'd shoot him and try to slip away. They'd probably succeed, too. It's hard to catch people right off the crime scene. You had to run them down and out think them. So Angelo could exchange his life for severe inconvenience on the part of his captors. It didn't look like a good bargain.

They walked though the lobby quickly and yet blandly. More business people on the way to a meeting in some office somewhere. No one gave the a second glance. Out into the garage. An older generic BMW waited for them. It sounded bad. Probably recovered from a wrecking yard and given just enough of a work over to make it run one last time. It only had to look good enough to escape notice. Unfortunately for Angelo, L.A. was lousy with aging German sport sedans. No one noticed. They got in, the woman driving, Angelo in the front pa.s.senger seat, and the man covering from the rear seat. They drove out of the hotel and towards the freeway.

”Where's Angelo?” Captain Brown shouted.

”Don't yell at me. Where's my lawyer?” Uhura shot back.

”I don't even know if you're charged with anything yet. Just tell me where that idiot Angelo is!” Brown tried to restrain himself.

”Why should I tell you?” Uhura asked. If Angelo could trust this man he wouldn't have needed her for back up in L.A.

”Because I'm the cop around here! Investigating crimes is my job! That's why!”

”Has there been a crime committed?” Uhura asked sweetly.

”I'm not stupid, I can read a post mortem report as well as anyone. Just tell me what you and Angelo were doing here before it gets ugly!” Brown returned to yelling. He could smell a big lawsuit and a ruined murder case circling him like a buzzard.

”I don't know. The patrolmen let him go.” Uhura admitted.

”d.a.m.n!” Brown cursed. He stomped out of the interrogation room. ”Get me Souza and Mangar!”

The door shut. ”Hey, wait!” Uhura yelled. it was too late. the interrogation room was locked from the outside.

A few minutes later, a tall man with sandy brown hair and a blond woman with a dancer's figure came in.

”Um, Ms. Young? I'm Detective Anderson, and this is Detective Franks.” The man introduced.

”Pleased to meet you.” Uhura said automatically.

”Is your first name Uhura?” Franks asked.

”Yes,” Uhura said tiredly. ”Like in Star Trek. My parents are Trekkies.”

”Interesting.” Franks said.

”You have a badge from the Vista City Police Department. Is that right?” Anderson asked.

”Yes. I'm with them.” Uhura said.

”I'm sorry, but I don't believe you.” Anderson said. ”You couldn't make the height and weight requirements to be an Officer.”