Part 34 (1/2)

”Ilario, look at me.” He turned his head. ”Angelica's counting on us. They're going to call soon. When they call, you have to let me know.”

He nodded. ”I have to get back.”

Jack got out of the car, and Ilario sped off into the night. Jack looked up at his apartment and saw Replacement and Kiku looking down at him.

He shook his head, and Replacement turned away.

Jack paced the floor of the apartment and listened to the police scanner. It was a constant stream of police officers' voices as they radioed in their positions. Detectives were now at Arber's house, and Collins must have called out half the force.

”Well, we can rule out the two people who may have had a local angle to grab her.” Jack stopped pacing.

”You suspected Arber and Shawn?” Replacement typed away at the computer.

”I didn't rule them out. Shawn wanted to buy her business, and Arber was a sc.u.mbag ex-boyfriend.”

”We can rule out the Yakuza and the Mancinis,” Kiku said, not looking away from the window as she stared off into the night. She held a cup of tea with both hands.

Jack was silent.

Kiku turned around and lifted an eyebrow.

Jack's lips pressed together.

”You still distrust me, Officer?”

”You checked in with Takeo.”

The wolf-like smile spread across her lips.

”You rat us out and now you're smiling?” Replacement's chair tipped over and crashed onto the ground.

Jack saw Kiku go rigid, and he tensed.

”I didn't tell him anything not already known,” Kiku sighed, ”but I had to check in.”

”What did you tell him?” Jack asked.

”Why did you even have to talk to him?” Replacement demanded.

Kiku looked from her to Jack and back again. She turned and leaned up against the window frame, peering back out into the darkness before she spoke. ”If I didn't call him, he would send more men, and I would face repercussions.”

”What did you tell him?” Jack asked again.

”That we have heard nothing. I let him know that I am following you...closely.”

”Did he say anything?”

She looked down into her teacup. ”He is going to send men if there is not progress soon. He would rather fight a war someplace other than his front steps.”

”Anything else?”

”He wanted to know if Angelica lived someplace else before coming here.”

”Why?” Replacement asked.

”If we did not take her, it must be someone else,” Kiku explained. ”He has men looking at our enemies, but that has not been fruitful.”

”So you're going to say you're being framed?” Replacement sneered.

Kiku glared.

”Anything else?” Jack asked again.

Kiku looked back at him, and her lips pressed together. ”I did not inform him of your suspension...yet.”

Jack's heart sped up, but he nodded and forced his face to remain expressionless.

Replacement turned around to look at him, and Jack could see the fear growing in her eyes as she realized what Kiku was saying.

Smart kid. She figured it out.

Jack smiled.

Replacement spun around to face Kiku. ”Because Jack's a cop, Takeo was hesitant to kill him.”

Jack could see Replacement's shoulders rise and fall as the speed of her breathing increased. He took a step closer to her.

Kiku nodded.

Replacement connected the last dot and lunged at Kiku. Jack caught her around the waist and groaned as he tried to hold her back. A string of profanities poured out of her mouth as she tried to get to Kiku.

Kiku continued to lean against the window but kept her eyes on the struggle.

After a moment, Replacement stopped fighting and stood panting with Jack's arms around her waist.

”So if you tell Takeo Jack is suspended-” Replacement surged forward again, and Jack lifted her off the ground.

”Alice, sto-” Jack groaned as her flailing leg connected with his thigh, and he dropped her.

She landed on her b.u.t.t, and he fell to one knee.

”Sorry,” she blurted out and spun to face him. ”Is it your bad leg?”

Of course.

He grimaced and nodded as he worked to stand. The pain shot deep into the muscle and rippled up his side as he put weight on it.

”Do you want ice?”