Everywhere That Tommy Goes (12 page)

“Any suspects?”

“None yet.”

“Have you questioned the bartender?”

“Not yet, but we’ll get around to it.”

“I don’t mean to intrude,” Tanner said, “but that’d be the first place I’d go.”

“Don’t worry. We’re on it,” Knox said, sternly.

“Yes, Chief, I’m sure you are. What bar was that?”

“Listen, I said we’re on this. I don’t want you snooping into our affairs, here.”

“I know. I assure you we will be very discreet. We only want to help, and a violent act like you’ve described may be pertinent.”

“Very well,” Knox said, reluctantly. “The place is called the Schooner.”

“Thank you. So, were there any other incidents worth talking about?”

“A DWI, but we caught the guy. A missing persons report, a shoplift . . .”

Tanner interrupted. “Missing person. What was that all about?”

“It’s probably nothing. A local girl who works over at the Surf Shop by the beach. Her boss called it in when she didn’t show up for work two days in a row, and he couldn’t reach her by phone.”

“Well, that seems odd,” Tanner said.

“Not really. She’s one of those girls who dresses in black and has piercings all over the place. You know the type. She’s probably strung out on drugs and just sleeping it off.”

“Have you checked her home?”

“It only came in a day ago,” Knox said. “We’re looking into it.”

“Okay, then,” Tanner said, letting out his breath. “We’ll be on our way. Here’s my card. Please call me if you come up with anything.”

“We will. Just stay clear of trouble while you’re here.”

“Of course.” Tanner rose and walked out, Sung still at his heel.

Once outside, Tanner turned to Sung. “Can you believe that? She’s got to be the most disinterested cop I’ve ever met.”

Sung shook his head. “It’s almost as if she doesn’t want to admit that crimes take place around here.”

“Yeah, she’s more concerned with keeping things quiet so the tourists don’t get turned off by the crime rate.”

“So what are we going to do about it?” Sung asked.

“First, we go to the Schooner and talk to the bartender. Then, we go to the Surf Shop. It all may be for nothing, but it’s a start.”

CHAPTER 26

A door slammed shut. Aurora awoke.

“Hello. Who’s there?”

Troyer slid quietly over to Aurora and stopped directly in front of her. Slowly, he began tapping his foot on the wood floor.

“Is that you Troyer?”

Troyer stopped tapping his foot, allowing silence to fill the air.

“Please untie me, or at least take this blindfold off. I want to see you for who you are.”

“You’re in no position to make any demands, lovey!”

“So it is you, Troyer. Tommy warned me about you.”

“I’ll bet he did, love. But you didn’t listen. Did you, now?”

“What do you want from me? And why are you doing these things to Tommy?”

“Tommy did this to Tommy!” Troyer shouted. “I’m just along for the ride. There’s a lot you don’t know about that bloke.”

“Like what, you psycho? All I know is you killed two innocent girls and left him to clean up your mess.”

“My, my, love, you are bloody bold,” Troyer chuckled. “I can see why Tommy fancies you.”

“Does this amuse you, asshole?”

“Quite, my dear.”

“Good—I’m glad you’re having fun. Now why don’t you take off this blindfold so I can see who you really are. If you’re going to kill me, I think I deserve to see your face.”

“Not so fast, love—not so fast. Only Tommy knows what I really look like, and that’s the way I intend to keep it.”

“So what do you want with me?”

“I don’t want a thing from you, love. It’s all about Tommy.” Troyer’s laugh echoed from deep inside. “Haven’t you realized that yet?”

“So what do you want with Tommy?”

“In time, lovey—in time.” Troyer reached out, grabbed the top of her shirt, and ripped it open.

“Ahh, very nice, but oh-so-unnatural.” Troyer thrust his hand inside her shirt and squeezed. “Breasts are such an important part of a woman’s sexual identity, and inflating them artificially just sends the wrong message.”

Aurora squirmed. “Get your hands off me, you slime!”

“Then again, feistiness turns me on,” Troyer said, as his fingers softly painted their way down from Aurora’s chest until they reached her jeans. After a moment’s hesitation, he abruptly pulled at her waistband, tore open the zipper, and exposed the fine lace beneath. Aurora screeched.

“Relax, bitch. I’m not ready for you yet. I’m just curious to see what Tommy desires.”

“Is this the only way you can get a woman, you psycho?”

“Oh, how I love defiance. Please keep going.”

“Screw you. I won’t even give you the satisfaction.”

“Very well, then. Perhaps I can entice you with some food. You must be hungry, my dear.”

“I‘d never be hungry enough to eat anything from you. Go fuck yourself!”

“Now, now, I have a sandwich for you. Stop talking and open your mouth. I’ll feed you.”

“Not a chance. I don’t want your poison.”

“See here, love, if I wanted you dead, you’d be already, so wise up and have a bite. You’re going to be here for quite some time.”

“I’d rather starve.”

“Suit yourself,” Troyer said, ramming the sandwich into Aurora’s mouth. “Chew on this bitch and swallow it now, or I may have to stick something else in there to force it down.”

Aurora gagged and spit out the food.

“Not wise, my dear. That will bring the rats.”

“I’d prefer rats over you any day.”

“Really. We shall see. I think this may be the perfect time to go. Have fun with the rodents. Perhaps I’ll check up on you in a few hours; perhaps I won’t. Good day, love.”

“Fuck you, asshole!”

CHAPTER 27

The Schooner was moderately crowded when Tanner and Sung entered and walked over to the bar.

“Afternoon, officers. What can I do for you?” the bartender asked, looking at Tanner. “You’re in uniform, so you can’t be here for drinks.”

“You’re correct, Mr. . . .?”

“Mike. You can call me Mike.”

“Very good, Mike,” Tanner said. “We’re investigating the incident that took place outside the other night.”

“You mean the old man who took a beating?”

“Yes, the old man.” Sung said.

“Not much to tell. He was pounding them down for a few hours. I’ve seen him here a few times before. Keeps to himself, never gave a name.”

“He get into it with anyone at the bar that night?” Tanner asked.

“Not that I recall.”

“Well, then, do you recall who was in the bar?” Sung asked.

“Sure, a couple of old men and some young guy. It wasn’t too busy here.”

“The young guy—what do you remember about him?” Tanner asked.

“I don’t know—not much. Gimme a minute. I gotta serve some drinks.”

Mike headed down the bar, filled an order, and returned.

“Come to think of it, I remember that the guy had a Brooklyn accent, but he told me he was from Vermont, if that helps.”

“Was he with anyone?” Tanner asked.

“Nope. The guy was alone the whole time he was here.”

“How long would that have been?” Sung asked.

“I dunno—less than an hour.”

“What time did he leave?” Tanner asked.

“He came in late, so I’d have to say around midnight.”

“When did the old man leave?”

“Maybe a half hour after the guy.”

Sung took out a picture of Sullivan and showed it to Mike. “Could this be the guy?”

Mike took the picture in his hand and examined it. “Could be—kinda looks like him, but I can’t be a hundred percent.”

“Thanks. Take my card,” Tanner said. “And if he comes in here again, please call me right away.”

“Will do.”

CHAPTER 28

I’m sitting on the bed, sweating from places you don’t want to know, and watching the local news channel. I’m praying I don’t see a report about a girl found dead someplace nearby. Thankfully, the biggest news around is tomorrow’s weather. A knock at the door makes me jump. I don’t know if I should answer it. Maybe it’s the cops. Or maybe it’s Aurora. There’s no peephole, so I look out the window, but I can’t see anyone. I hold my breath and stand in front of the door feeling real stupid. As the knock gets louder, my heart pounds inside my chest.

“Open up, mate. I know you’re in there.”

Holy shit, its fuckin’ Troyer! How does he keep finding me? I pat myself down wondering if maybe he’s got some kind of bug on me. It’s useless though. I pull open the door and he’s standing there with this real toothy grin, looking all proud and shit.

“What did you do with Aurora?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, mate.”

“Don’t play that shit with me, asshole. I know you took her. Now whaddya do with her? If you hurt her I’m gonna kill you.”

“Ease up, you wanker,” Troyer says, waving his hand and smiling like he owns the world or something. “Lovey is fine. A bit tied up right now, but she’s just fine.”

“Why are you playing me like this?”

“I’m trying to protect you from yourself, Tommy Boy. Don’t you see that?”

“Get real. Just tell me where she is and get outta my life. I don’t need a psycho like you to look out for me.”

“Oh, but you do, mate. With every move you make, you are incriminating yourself more and more, so I’m here to make you stop. I know you’re still thinking about going to the police and telling them all about me, but believe me, my friend, if you do that they’ll arrest you, and you’ll spend the rest of your life in jail.”

“Right, and you’re here to save me.”

“That would be correct.”

“Yeah, so what should I do next, then?”

“Well, the first thing you must do is kill Aurora. She’s the only one who knows what you’ve done. And believe me, she will tell if I release her.”

“Get the fuck outta here. There’s no way I’m killing her.”

“It’s the only way, mate, and I can’t do it for you. You have to commit. You have to cut all ties, and you have to do it right away.”

“Not a chance in hell motherfucker!”

“Don’t be so sure. When you realize it’s either you or her, trust me, mate: you’ll see the light.”

“Let’s just end this now. Take me to her and let her go. We’ll be on our way, and you can go crawl into some hole and never come out. I swear I won’t go to the cops. I just want all of this to end.”

“I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen. Perhaps you need to think about this a bit more. Let’s go for a brew and a few shots of tequila.”

I look at the dude sideways, in total disbelief. He’s got Aurora locked up somewhere and he wants me to kill her, and he actually thinks I want to hang out with him and have some drinks. Where the fuck did this guy come from?

“Come on, mate—lighten up! Things aren’t so bad. As long as we stick together, we’ll be okay. Forget the girl. She’s nothing but trouble.”

“You are one messed-up dude. Don’t you have a conscience?”

“Get real, Tommy Boy, if you want to survive in this world, you have to think about yourself before anyone else. Conscience has nothing to do with it.”

At this point, my blood’s boiling. I lose control, take a swing, and hit Troyer right across the chin. His head turns, he takes the blow like it was nothing, and shoots me a punch right in the gut. I drop to my knees, lose my wind, and can’t breathe.

Troyer gets on his knees directly in front of me, spits out some blood, and grabs my chin with his thumb and index finger. “Not a wise move, mate. You can’t hurt me, but nice try. I think I’ll come back later—after you’ve had some time to think. Meanwhile, I’m going to check on lovey.” He loads up, punches me in the face, and knocks me out cold.

CHAPTER 29

Tanner and Sung located the Surf Shop just down the beach from the Schooner and walked inside. The place radiated tourist. Walls were littered with campy T-Shirts, board shorts, and the like. Cylindrical metal stands overflowing with post cards and knick-knacks cramped the aisles. A middle-aged, balding man, sporting an oversized Quicksilver T-Shirt, stood behind the register.

“Is the manager around?” Tanner asked.

“Stock boy, manager, owner. Harry Gold at your service. I wear all the hats around here, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”

“Were you the one who called in the missing persons report the other day?”

“Yup. That’d be me.”

“Care to tell us about it?”

“What’s there to tell that I haven’t told the other cops who came here yesterday? My cashier girl didn’t show up for work for two days. She left me high and dry. I’ve been working twelve-hour shifts trying to find a replacement. You just can’t get reliable help these days.”

“What do you think happened to her?” asked Sung.

“Not quite sure. She’d been pretty responsible before, but you never know with girls like that.”

“Meaning?” Tanner asked.

“I dunno—a bit bizarre the way she dressed and all. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was good for business; that’s why I hired her in the first place. The kids find it trendy, but to me, she looked like she should have been working in a morgue. All dark and weird. The black nail polish never sat well with me, either.”

“So what made you call in the report?”

“Hell, two days with no calls—that’s not like her. She was serious about the job——needed the money, too. So when she didn’t show up on day two, I called her at home. The machine picked up, and I left a message telling her that if she didn’t get down here right away, she was history. I figured that would light a fire.”

“And then what?” Sung asked.

“When I still didn’t hear from her I decided to call the police. I knew she had no family, and in some strange way, I felt responsible for her. She was a good kid, whatever she was into, and I started thinking that maybe she was messed-up on drugs. That’s what I told the other cops.”

“Had you ever seen her on drugs?” asked Tanner.

“No, but looking at her with that diamond in her nose and the dark makeup under her eyes, it seemed to me that she traveled in those circles. You just know it when you see it. You follow me?”

“Uh-huh.” Tanner nodded.

“Hey, look: I’m not one to stereotype, but . . . anyway, like I said, she was good for business. She talked it up with the customers, made them feel at home here, and sales were
always good when she worked the counter. So I looked past her appearance. Different generation, you know. But it wasn’t like her to miss two days in a row without calling.”