Sam Spade 05: Case of the Lost Girls

Chapter 9

I sipped my drink, the bourbon went down as smooth as a baby's bottom. It was of a much better quality then the rotgut I slop into a glass at home. "Sue, Lenny, I want to talk to you about Frankie. At first, she was very upset that you disowned her and took away everything she ever had. But today's events have driven her further away."

When I paused to take a sip, Sue looked at Lenny and asked, "You disowned her?" He looked down and did not reply. She looked at me, "When I speak with her," she looked at him, "When we speak with her we will clear that little problem up." Looking at me, she said quickly, "That is if you will allow Lenny to come also."

I nodded, "Of course Sue." I looked at the dead fireplace and continued, "I know what it is like to be estranged from your family." I looked back at them and said, "That is why I came tonight. I do not want Frankie to go through I went through. She deserves better than that." Sue nodded and even Lenny looked up at me listening for the first time to my words. I guess it shocked him that I had not demanded the girls back but I needed to resolve Frankie's issues first.

"I know as head of the families, Lenny, you must do something about Frankie in reprisal for this morning. If you do not, then you will be questioned as going soft. I know that and understand that." I said looking at him. "So, here is my plan. Frankie must die and be reborn as someone else. You can put out any story you wish concerning her demise and I will confirm it."

Don Bruce spoke up, "That's it? No threats or blackmail?"

Shaking my head, "No, I just want Frankie to be happy. Once she is officially dead to the families, you can still see and visit her as much as you want. She will have a new name and look, part of that has started already. But most of all, I don't want to see her trying to kill her father or you your daughter, Lenny."

Without looking at Sue, Lenny nodded, "I agree." He looked away, "I have punished the men who took her. They were supposed to ask her to come so we could work out our differences. However, ask in the mob's terms that means come no matter what. That was not my intention Miss Spade."

"Ok then I guess we are done here." I said standing up.

Sue stood up and hugged me, "Please call when she wakes up."

"I will." I replied. As I turned to go, I stopped and looked back at them. "There is one thing you could do for me."

Lenny looked up and muttered, "Here it comes."

"Could someone give me a ride home? I don't think walking down the street in a gown and rubies would be a wise thing." I said looking at Sue.

"Of course dear, Lenny will be happy to give you a ride home, and on the way show you where he has your other daughters stashed." She replied looking pointedly at Don Bruce.

"Ummm..." he said looking away. We both turned and looked at him. "I don't have your daughters, Miss Spade."

I looked at him, "What do you mean? You killed them?" I felt my knees go weak as the shock rolled over me.

Sue hurried over to me and guided me into a chair. Looking at him she said, "Lenny, you didn't..."

"Of course not pumpkin, you know I would never harm a woman." He replied indigently. "I never took them."

I wanted to ask about the pistol he had in his hand but I could not think right, "Never took? But on the phone you said..."

He looked at me, "I was talking money Miss Spade. I was talking Frankie's dowry."

I looked at Sue and then at him, "What about the pistol?"

In reply, he walked over to the desk, put the pistol to his head, and pulled the trigger. It made a clicking sound. "No bullets," he said.

Sue came over and knelt before me, "Would you like us to help find them dear? It's the least we can do."

I shook my head, "Thank you Sue but no, if any of the girls saw someone they did not know they would ether fight back or run." Standing I hugged her, "Could I get that ride now? It looks like it will be a long night for me."

Don Bruce drove me back himself in an old beat up Chevy. When we had stopped in front of the mansion he said, "Miss Spade, will you tell Frankie I am sorry." He waited a moment and added, "Regardless of how it looks, I run this town."

Nodding I got out of the car. They were waiting inside for me and I did not have any answers. Not speaking I walked past them and to the bedroom. I moved as if I were a robot with a low power charge. Slowly I removed the rubies, put them up, and then slipped out of the gown. Letting it drop to the floor I sat on the edge of the bed. I was still sitting there when Jasmine came and sat beside me. I should have said something to her about just walking in, but I was too tired.

She sat beside me not speaking. Finally, I looked at Jasmine; she was looking at me with her hands folded on her lap. When I made eye contact she spoke, her voice filled with sadness, "They are dead aren't they." She looked down at her lap and said, "I'm sorry Red. I should have noticed when they were taken."

I looked away and said, "I don't know if they are or not. Don Bruce did not have them; he was talking about Frankie's dowry." Resting my hand over hers I added, "It is not your fault dear." When she looked at me I said, "Will you let the others know for me. I would like to be alone."

Jasmine nodded and said, "Yes mistress." As she reached the door, she turned and said, "Sam?" I looked up, "No one is blaming you." With that said, she left me alone.

No one was blaming me, except me. Of the thirteen of my daughters, I was missing eight. Instead of finding the seven missing together, I had spent the day seeking one and dealing with her family issues. Granted I had thought Don Bruce had taken my pets and I was expecting to get them back. Even so, I had let my imagination and hopes rule instead of good old-fashioned detective work. With those thoughts filling my mind I pulled back the covers, grabbed bear, turned off the light, and laid down. I knew I needed sleep, but my mind would not calm down enough for it to come.

It was near four am when I finally gave up trying to sleep. I grabbed a quick shower and after putting a robe on, I went to check on Frankie. In the dim light of the room, I could see she was well on her way into her transformation. Beside her, Angela sitting in a chair, looked at me and said, "No change mistress. She is in no danger." Nodding I left the room, my over tired mind, took Angela's simple words and made more out of it then was there. Why had she called me mistress instead of love or Samantha I wondered?

I went into the kitchen and started the coffee pot. Sitting down I wondered not for the first time how my girls were doing, lost and alone in the night. When the coffee was done, I took a cup to my seat of solitude, as I liked to call the bench off to one side in the atrium. The more I tried to understand where they had gone the less I knew. I needed to get out, pound the pavements to find a clue. Setting the cup in the sink in the kitchen, I went and dressed. Sliding the 45 home in its holster, I heard the door open to the bedroom.

Turning I saw Heather holding a tray with a covered dish, "We thought you would like something to eat before you go mistress." I looked at her; she looked like hell, bags under her eyes and the sluggish movements of someone who has not slept, in other words someone like me.

"You eat it pet. I want you to make sure someone goes and picks up Alvin and hold the fort while I am gone." I said as I walked up to her.

"Yes mistress" she said looking down.

I moved past her and out of the room. On the other side I saw both Jasmine and Ashley standing there watching. Like Heather, they two looked like hell. With a nod in their direction, I put my hat on and walked on. Leaving by way of the front door, I realized I had parked the car in the back. With a sigh, I walked along the gravel drive to the rear of the house and my car. The sun was just peeking out when I finally pulled down the drive and headed downtown. I really did not have a clue as to where to go but I could no longer sit in the house doing nothing.

I ended up at a small all night diner on the edge of the industrial district. I sat there, drinking bad coffee, eating runny eggs buried in grease, and sopping up the yokes with limp toast. After I finished breakfast, I felt almost alive. It had been years since I had had a breakfast as nasty as that one. Pulling out a small spiral notebook, I started making notes of what I knew.

Known:

 Girls missing

 No sign of struggle

 Fat Johnny's phone number left

 Don Bruce not responsible

I chewed the end of my pencil wondering. I did not know much did I.

Questions:

 Are their weapons missing from the house?

 Why would they leave the house?

I looked at the notes. At least one of the questions was easily answered. I called the house and Heather answered on the first ring. "Heather, check and see if you can find any of the missing pet's pistols and call me back." She said she would right now and clicked off. I sat looking at the paper not really seeing it as a scenario unfolded in my mind. If the pistols were missing, then I was on the right track. I still did not know who but had a good idea of how. When Heather called back, I could ask her a simple question and see how she would answer. If she did as I thought, then I knew for sure how they had left.

While I was waiting on Heather to call back, I called Fred, "Hey Fred." I said looking into the small camera on the video phone.

He smiled, "Hi Sam." I chit chatted for a few minutes and then asked how the word on the gang wars was going. His face sobered up, "I don't know. It seemed like everything had calmed down during the night but now, someone planted a bomb out at Maple Street and blew a block worth of office building's windows out." I realized that was the block where we had our current offices. It seemed someone wanted me dead.

I signed off with a "Thank you" and looked out the window. This part of town was ugly even in the morning light. I lifted my cup to signal the waitress I wanted another cup of coffee. When she did not come by, I looked around; I was alone in the diner. A movement caught my eye and I looked back out the window in time to see a car pull in and stop before the diner.

Catching sight of a gun muzzle pointing towards me I dove for the floor. Suddenly the roar of the automatic weapons fire came loud in my ears, and bullets whizzing over my head. It seemed as if everything was moving in slow motion. I had started crawling across the floor, when from the corner of my eye I saw a rocket drifting by overhead. With a loud bang, it exploded and time picked up again. I felt myself thrown by the blast and the weight of the ceiling as it came crashing down over me.

Chapter 10

When I woke, I realized that I had been thrown under a table and aside of being bruised and minor cuts I was alive. I pushed at the pieces of furniture that had been blown on top of me and crawled out of the destroyed building. Looking at my suit, I realized I was covered in plaster dust. I looked around and saw that there was no one else around. Of the workers and other diners, there was no sign. I wondered how long it would be before the police and fire showed up. I really did not want to be here when they did. Getting in the car, I drove away. I was about a half block away when the first police car went screaming by.

I was trying to find a place to clean up when the phone rang. Flipping it open, I saw Heather's face, the first words out of her mouth were, "What happened to you?"

Oh nothing, just a little baking accident at the restaurant," I replied. She looked dubious but did not press the answer. "What did you find?"

"All of their weapons are missing mistress." Heather replied, "How did you know?"

"Detective work. Next question, if you received a call saying I was in trouble at such and such address what would you do?" I asked. I had lost my notebook in the blast and knew eventually that I would be getting a knock at the door from the men in blue.

Heather took a bit of time answering, "If it was someone I knew, I would be out the door in an instant mistress. But a stranger? I would call your number first."

"What if it was someone who looked official?" I asked a sudden thought crossing my mind.

"Yes then I would go to you no questions asked. Why are you asking these questions mistress?" She asked.

"I will explain later. Is Alvin there yet?"

"Yes, he and Jasmine are working on Angela now."

"Good. Next thing, if anyone comes by do not let him or her inside no matter what. I don't care if it is the president of the united states or your long lost sister. Do you understand?" I said hurriedly. Heather nodded in reply. "Ok I expect the boys in blue to drop by. Do not answer the door."

"Yes mistress, no one will enter without going over our dead bodies." She said.

"I am counting on you and Ashley to defend the house. Last note, if anyone calls to say I am in trouble, thank them and make a note of whom it was. But under no circumstances leave the house, no matter what you hear Heather." I said.

She nodded, "Yes mistress. We will stay here no matter what we hear. Ashley and I will let no one in or out."

"Good girls." I replied and then hung up. With the failed attack on me at the diner, ether I had been set up via my phone calls or the car. While tracking devices are illegal, I have used them for cases. I had heard that in the past they were the size of a matchbox, now however, they look nothing more than a discolored spot on paint about the size of a thumbnail. There were only a few ways to defeat a tracking bug; the first was using a jammer but I did not have one. I was sure that Jasmine could cobble one together out of spare parts but she was busy. The second way was to have someone hand wax the car, the process of hand waxing would destroy the micro transmitter is it were hidden on the paint job. If it was under a bumper, then nothing could be done except abandoning the vehicle until the battery on the transmitter died.

It was with that in mind that I pulled into a carwash. Stopping I got out and took stock of my clothes. While my jacked was a write off the pants while dusty were salvageable. Opening the trunk, I pulled out the old duster I had in it for rainy days and traded my jacket for it. The duster was made of oiled cotton and smelt faintly of mildew. However, compared to my jacket it was a step up. Putting it on I went up to the counter and paid the one hundred for a wash and hand wax. The girl at the counter looked at my dirt and dust covered face and hands but did not say anything. While they were washing the car, I monopolized the restroom and cleaned up. I felt silly putting my head under the hot air dryer to dry my hair but that was the best I could do.

I sat and watched them work as they polished my car. It had not looked this good in years. Generally, in my line of work, all I needed was a car that would have some muscle under the hood and would look like a junker outside. While that had been the case in the past, this time I needed to be sure that the car was not being tracked. Whoever it was that was after me did not care what they destroyed in the process. When they finished the car, I preformed the last act of covering my rear. The accessory shop of the carwash carried portable pre-paid phones. Reaching halfway back into the display I grabbed one and bought it.

Getting into the car, I realized that the shotgun from the night before was still sitting in it. Someone had placed it on the seat next to the driver's position. Sitting next to it was a handful of change in a Styrofoam cup. Getting back out I poured the change in the tip box and added a fifty. I did not often find people who were honest, and when I did, I made sure I took care of them.

Flipping open the new phone I checked in, "Any news?" I asked when Heather answered the phone. She shook her head. I gave her the new number and told her to use it instead of my regular one. Keeping the call short I managed to make sure she knew to call me when Angela was fixed, if it looked like Frankie was waking, or if anything unusual happened at the house.

I drove around to see if I had picked up a tail but was unable to see one. That did not mean there was not one there though. I decided that the only way to see for sure if the car was clean being to park it, wait, and see what turned up. Driving down to the old canning plant where Cindy died, I got out, walked about half a block away, and sat down behind a dumpster to wait to see what would happen. I was no closer to finding who was behind this then before and needed to see if I was being tracked somehow.

After sitting on my rear, with the smell of garbage for company, for almost an hour with nothing happening I stood up. I was dusting myself off when I heard the sounds of a car coming. Ducking back down I watched as it drove up next to mine and stopped. A figure jumped out and busted the driver's window on my car; within a minute he had my car started and in gear. I mentally cursed myself; I had left my good phone and the shotgun on the seat.

By the time, I came charging out from concealment the two cars were a half a block ahead of me. I was running as fast as I could when without warning, my car blew up. Skidding to a halt I stood there in the middle of the street watching it burn, "Son of a bitch!" A good citizen would have gone up and checked if he was ok, I turned and walked the other way. With the way things were going, I had little hope of finding my pets alive.

I had one place I could turn for help but loath to use it. The problem with using the mob for a favor was that they would want their pound of flesh eventually. Just as I took the phone out to call it rang. I was so skittish that I dropped it, lucky for me it did not break. Answering it, I said, "Yea?" I kept walking as I talked, I wanted to get as much distance from my burning car as I could.

"Sam?" I heard Angela's voice ask from the other side.

"Good to hear your voice Angela. Alvin must be done." I said feeling at least one thing went right today.

"Yes he did a wonderful job." She giggled, "He spent the whole time while working on me with Jasmine, hitting on her. He bought her line about being Jimmy's sister hook, line, and sinker."

I smiled, "Good, anything else happening?" I asked

Angela's face lost its smile, "There have been several phone calls looking for you. No picture or number left. What the hell is going on Samantha?"

I never could lie to Angela, "Someone shot a rocket into the restaurant where I was drinking coffee, and just now someone stole my car and half a block latter it blows up. The poor kid who stole it is roasting in the front seat even as we talk."

"I'm on my way!" she replied.

"NO!" I said forcefully into the phone. "No Angela, I am too hot. I need two things from you." She nodded, "Call Don Bruce and give him this number and ask if he would call me. Secondly," I closed my eyes, "If anything happens... take care of everyone please."

"Yes mistress," She said her voice subdued.

"Love you dear," I said and hung up.

I guess I had walked ten paces when the phone rang once more, "Hello?"

"I hear you wanted to talk to me Miss Spade," Don Bruce said. I realized that he had two faces, his official Don face and the farther and husband Lenny.

"Forgive me for intruding, but I am in need of help and you are the only man who has the horse power to help me." I said humbly. I knew I was treading on thin ice for calling in a favor that he did not owe me.

"What is it you need Miss Spade?" he asked.

I gave him the saga about the restaurant being bombed, my office, and lastly my car. I ended with, "Could you find out who wants me dead?"

He laughed, "Miss Spade, as far as I know just about everyone wants you dead. However, none that I know of would go this far to bump you off. Consider it done." He made a motion with his hand and said not looking at me, "Get right on it." After a moment he said softer, "Ok now tell me the truth, how are you Samantha?"