Read Online Before The Killing Starts (Dixie Killer Blues Book 1) by Harper James - Free Book Online
Authors: Harper James
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the wall
behind Alvarez eyeing them carefully. It seemed to Dixie that Miguel was paying
a lot of attention to his hands as he hugged the big man back. Maybe he was
watching in case Dixie tried to grab his boss by the throat and throttle him.
He'd have had a better chance trying to strangle a utility pole.
Alvarez released him and
Dixie drew the air gratefully back into the whole of his lungs. Alvarez held
up a finger and Miguel hopped to it and produced a bottle of Tequila and a
couple of glasses. Dixie shook his head and waved it away.
'I forgot, you don't
drink,' Alvarez said and got Miguel to pour him a glass of water.
'We've got a small
problem, Enrico,' Dixie said, sipping his drink, wishing it was Tequila or even
a beer, anything with some alcohol.
Alvarez smiled and
opened his hands wide. It hadn't crossed his mind yet that Dixie might be
suggesting he could be that problem. 'We're happy to help, whatever it
is.'
Dixie swallowed nervously. 'A three
million dollar problem . . .' he said.
The room was suddenly very
quiet, the only sound a rhythmic lip-smacking as Miguel chewed gum with his
mouth open.
'Ah,' Alvarez said,
nodding mechanically as the implications began to sink in. The smile had faded
although it hadn't mutated into anger yet.
Dixie took a deep breath and ran a hand
through his hair. 'Somebody hijacked our people at a gas station. The woman you
gave the money to has disappeared. With the money.'
The last remnants of
Alvarez's smile had disappeared. 'And you were wondering if I'—he touched his
chest—'know anything about that?'
Dixie cleared his throat and shifted
uncomfortably in his chair. He felt as if his skin were two sizes too small.
Alvarez watched him, his eyes bright and mean, his breath exiting noisily
through his nostrils as his anger started to build.
'Is that what you are
asking?' Alvarez repeated with more of an edge to his voice.
Dixie showed him his palms in apology.
'Absolutely not,' he said and shook his head vigorously. He forced a strained it's
all a misunderstanding smile onto his face, although he knew it only made
him look as if he was constipated. 'We just want to start at the beginning and
take it from there. Can you tell me exactly what happened?'
Alvarez raised a single
eyebrow and looked at Miguel. They gave each other a he serious? look.
'What about that ret . . . I mean Ricardo? He was there. Has he disappeared
too?'
No, much to Chico's regret .
'No, he was in the
bathroom at the time,' Dixie said.
Alvarez grinned at that
and made a gesture with his hand as if he was shaking a charity collection can.
Miguel sniggered from the other side of the room. Ricardo's washroom habits
were obviously well known. 'And the other guy?'
Dixie shrugged in a resigned, you
can't get the staff way . 'Somebody laid him out with a baseball bat. When
Ricardo came back from the bathroom, the woman, the car and the money were
gone. That's all we know.'
Dixie swallowed. His throat was dry and
scratchy. He picked up his glass but it was empty. He wished he'd saved some
for now, even if it was only water. Nobody offered him a top-up.
Alvarez gave a small
shrug of agreement, one employer to another, as if to say such are the
trials and tribulations of your everyday drug dealer .
'They gave us the
merchandise, we gave them the cash and they left. I assumed they were driving
straight back to you or Chico or whoever.' He gave a dismissive flick of the
hand and leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes drilling into Dixie, daring him to contradict him.
Dixie wasn't sure what to say. He options
were, one, say okay, great, thanks for that and get up and go, or, two,
say I think you're a lying wetback bastard and see where that led.
Alvarez took the
decision out of his hands. He leaned forward suddenly and slammed his open hand
on the desk, rattling the glasses and making everyone in the room jump. Dixie braced himself in his chair, ready in case Alvarez launched himself across the desk
at
behind Alvarez eyeing them carefully. It seemed to Dixie that Miguel was paying
a lot of attention to his hands as he hugged the big man back. Maybe he was
watching in case Dixie tried to grab his boss by the throat and throttle him.
He'd have had a better chance trying to strangle a utility pole.
Alvarez released him and
Dixie drew the air gratefully back into the whole of his lungs. Alvarez held
up a finger and Miguel hopped to it and produced a bottle of Tequila and a
couple of glasses. Dixie shook his head and waved it away.
'I forgot, you don't
drink,' Alvarez said and got Miguel to pour him a glass of water.
'We've got a small
problem, Enrico,' Dixie said, sipping his drink, wishing it was Tequila or even
a beer, anything with some alcohol.
Alvarez smiled and
opened his hands wide. It hadn't crossed his mind yet that Dixie might be
suggesting he could be that problem. 'We're happy to help, whatever it
is.'
Dixie swallowed nervously. 'A three
million dollar problem . . .' he said.
The room was suddenly very
quiet, the only sound a rhythmic lip-smacking as Miguel chewed gum with his
mouth open.
'Ah,' Alvarez said,
nodding mechanically as the implications began to sink in. The smile had faded
although it hadn't mutated into anger yet.
Dixie took a deep breath and ran a hand
through his hair. 'Somebody hijacked our people at a gas station. The woman you
gave the money to has disappeared. With the money.'
The last remnants of
Alvarez's smile had disappeared. 'And you were wondering if I'—he touched his
chest—'know anything about that?'
Dixie cleared his throat and shifted
uncomfortably in his chair. He felt as if his skin were two sizes too small.
Alvarez watched him, his eyes bright and mean, his breath exiting noisily
through his nostrils as his anger started to build.
'Is that what you are
asking?' Alvarez repeated with more of an edge to his voice.
Dixie showed him his palms in apology.
'Absolutely not,' he said and shook his head vigorously. He forced a strained it's
all a misunderstanding smile onto his face, although he knew it only made
him look as if he was constipated. 'We just want to start at the beginning and
take it from there. Can you tell me exactly what happened?'
Alvarez raised a single
eyebrow and looked at Miguel. They gave each other a he serious? look.
'What about that ret . . . I mean Ricardo? He was there. Has he disappeared
too?'
No, much to Chico's regret .
'No, he was in the
bathroom at the time,' Dixie said.
Alvarez grinned at that
and made a gesture with his hand as if he was shaking a charity collection can.
Miguel sniggered from the other side of the room. Ricardo's washroom habits
were obviously well known. 'And the other guy?'
Dixie shrugged in a resigned, you
can't get the staff way . 'Somebody laid him out with a baseball bat. When
Ricardo came back from the bathroom, the woman, the car and the money were
gone. That's all we know.'
Dixie swallowed. His throat was dry and
scratchy. He picked up his glass but it was empty. He wished he'd saved some
for now, even if it was only water. Nobody offered him a top-up.
Alvarez gave a small
shrug of agreement, one employer to another, as if to say such are the
trials and tribulations of your everyday drug dealer .
'They gave us the
merchandise, we gave them the cash and they left. I assumed they were driving
straight back to you or Chico or whoever.' He gave a dismissive flick of the
hand and leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes drilling into Dixie, daring him to contradict him.
Dixie wasn't sure what to say. He options
were, one, say okay, great, thanks for that and get up and go, or, two,
say I think you're a lying wetback bastard and see where that led.
Alvarez took the
decision out of his hands. He leaned forward suddenly and slammed his open hand
on the desk, rattling the glasses and making everyone in the room jump. Dixie braced himself in his chair, ready in case Alvarez launched himself across the desk
at
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