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Authors: James Grippando
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him. She carried it with her at all times, as did everyone on the task force.“Is this the man who did that?”
He only glanced at the photograph.“I saw his picture on television this morning. It was the guy who busted out of prison last night. He even stole my clothes.”
Andie got a description of the clothing, then asked, “Did he have a gun?”
“I didn’t see one.”
“How long ago did he leave?” Andie said with urgency.
“Couple of hours ago, maybe.”
“Did he steal your vehicle?”
“No. I didn’t drive here. I was out walking my—” With that painful reminder of his beloved companion, he broke down.
Andie needed to question him further, but she filled the emotional pause with a quick phone call to the task force leader.
“Talk to me,” Miller said over the encrypted cell connection.
Andie gave him the essential details and then launched into her recommendation. “Let’s reactivate choppers and canine units. Get MDPD going door-to-door and highway patrol roadblocks on major east-west thoroughfares south of turnpike Exit 11. Reems is wearing a green-and-white madras shirt, khaki pants. Assume he’s still armed and clearly dangerous. Estimate he’s at most two hours out from our current position, but the timing of the neighbor’s 911
call would put it at even less than that.”
“Are you certain that the subject left the target residence on foot?” asked the deputy marshal.
LAST CALL
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“No vehicle sightings as yet.”
“What’s your recommended containment perimeter?”
“That’s your call. But . . .”
“But what?”
She hesitated. Andie did like Theo, and what she was about to say would only make it harder to convince Jack that she wasn’t out to get his best friend.“We have to deal with the likelihood that the subject will double-back to what he considers safe ground.”
“Meaning?”
She hated to say it, but she couldn’t ignore the information in the BOLO.“Sparky’s Tavern.”
Chapter 8
The woman is trying to kill me,” said Theo.
He was speaking to Jack, who was seated on a bar stool at Sparky’s.Theo was on the working side of the bar, his white shirtsleeves rolled all the way up to his bulging biceps and his Pop-eye forearms resting atop the Formica.An old Marvin Gaye tune—
Jack’s selection—played as the Saturday night crowd started to fill the booths and tables.
Jack said,“Trina’s crazy about you.”
“Stop being fecesish.”
“You mean facetious.”
“No, I mean you’re talking shit.”
“Trina doesn’t want to kill you,” said Jack.
“Maybe not. But she wants to hurt me real bad.”
“Let me talk to her.Where is she?”
“Hell if I know. I told her not to come around here no more.”
Theo fished a dreaded hazelnut out of the bowl of mixed nuts on the bar and pitched it into a wastebasket thirty feet away. If hazelnuts were the NBA’s sphere of choice,Theo would have been a Hall of Fame power forward.
“Exactly what did she do that was so horrible?” asked Jack.
“She told me to get a Prince Albert.”
Jack’s expression was blank.“I have no idea what that is.”
“Neither did I, till she sent me down to the Keys to see this guy named Manny.” Theo looked from side to side, making sure no one could overhear. The young women to Jack’s left seemed sufficiently engaged in conversation with a couple of LAST CALL
63
guys who—Theo would have bet his liquor license on it—had left their wives at home.
Theo said, “Manny’s a body piercer. And a Prince Albert is a metal ring through the head of your penis.”
Jack’s mouth opened, but the words didn’t come. Finally, he said,“Ouch! Why would Trina want you to get that?”
“Sends a woman into orbit, I guess.”
Jack narrowed his eyes, as if trying to imagine how.“Whatever turns you on.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I dig a woman who’s always looking for better sex.”
“They put it right through the head?” said Jack.Theo’s last remark
He only glanced at the photograph.“I saw his picture on television this morning. It was the guy who busted out of prison last night. He even stole my clothes.”
Andie got a description of the clothing, then asked, “Did he have a gun?”
“I didn’t see one.”
“How long ago did he leave?” Andie said with urgency.
“Couple of hours ago, maybe.”
“Did he steal your vehicle?”
“No. I didn’t drive here. I was out walking my—” With that painful reminder of his beloved companion, he broke down.
Andie needed to question him further, but she filled the emotional pause with a quick phone call to the task force leader.
“Talk to me,” Miller said over the encrypted cell connection.
Andie gave him the essential details and then launched into her recommendation. “Let’s reactivate choppers and canine units. Get MDPD going door-to-door and highway patrol roadblocks on major east-west thoroughfares south of turnpike Exit 11. Reems is wearing a green-and-white madras shirt, khaki pants. Assume he’s still armed and clearly dangerous. Estimate he’s at most two hours out from our current position, but the timing of the neighbor’s 911
call would put it at even less than that.”
“Are you certain that the subject left the target residence on foot?” asked the deputy marshal.
LAST CALL
61
“No vehicle sightings as yet.”
“What’s your recommended containment perimeter?”
“That’s your call. But . . .”
“But what?”
She hesitated. Andie did like Theo, and what she was about to say would only make it harder to convince Jack that she wasn’t out to get his best friend.“We have to deal with the likelihood that the subject will double-back to what he considers safe ground.”
“Meaning?”
She hated to say it, but she couldn’t ignore the information in the BOLO.“Sparky’s Tavern.”
Chapter 8
The woman is trying to kill me,” said Theo.
He was speaking to Jack, who was seated on a bar stool at Sparky’s.Theo was on the working side of the bar, his white shirtsleeves rolled all the way up to his bulging biceps and his Pop-eye forearms resting atop the Formica.An old Marvin Gaye tune—
Jack’s selection—played as the Saturday night crowd started to fill the booths and tables.
Jack said,“Trina’s crazy about you.”
“Stop being fecesish.”
“You mean facetious.”
“No, I mean you’re talking shit.”
“Trina doesn’t want to kill you,” said Jack.
“Maybe not. But she wants to hurt me real bad.”
“Let me talk to her.Where is she?”
“Hell if I know. I told her not to come around here no more.”
Theo fished a dreaded hazelnut out of the bowl of mixed nuts on the bar and pitched it into a wastebasket thirty feet away. If hazelnuts were the NBA’s sphere of choice,Theo would have been a Hall of Fame power forward.
“Exactly what did she do that was so horrible?” asked Jack.
“She told me to get a Prince Albert.”
Jack’s expression was blank.“I have no idea what that is.”
“Neither did I, till she sent me down to the Keys to see this guy named Manny.” Theo looked from side to side, making sure no one could overhear. The young women to Jack’s left seemed sufficiently engaged in conversation with a couple of LAST CALL
63
guys who—Theo would have bet his liquor license on it—had left their wives at home.
Theo said, “Manny’s a body piercer. And a Prince Albert is a metal ring through the head of your penis.”
Jack’s mouth opened, but the words didn’t come. Finally, he said,“Ouch! Why would Trina want you to get that?”
“Sends a woman into orbit, I guess.”
Jack narrowed his eyes, as if trying to imagine how.“Whatever turns you on.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I dig a woman who’s always looking for better sex.”
“They put it right through the head?” said Jack.Theo’s last remark
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