Read Online The Legacy by Stephen Frey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stephen Frey
Tags: Fiction, Thrillers, Espionage, Detective and Mystery Stories, Conspiracies, Large Type Books, Inheritance and succession
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practically on top of her. He glanced around frantically, but there was nothing he could do now.
The man with the scar on his left cheek raced up behind the woman, breathing heavily. He patted her on the shoulder, pointed at the tape in Coles hand and mumbled something unintelligible into her ear. Then he moved to where Cole stood and grabbed the tape. Cole didnt release his grip on the tape right away, but the man yanked harder and finally tore it loose.
You thought youd made it, didnt you? The man remained in front of Cole for a moment, smiling smugly.
Cole didnt respond.
Sure you did, the man answered himself. But even if you had given us the slip, we would have gotten you when you went back to your apartment. Its all set to explode, he said, still smiling. Then he turned and walked to where the woman stood. Shoot him, the man ordered loudly.
Instinctively Cole put his arms up and ducked, then dropped to the ground and rolled. He heard the crack of a gun, but felt no pain. Maybe you dont feel a gunshot wound right away, he thought as he scrambled behind a parked car.
Suddenly Cole saw the man with curly blond hair sprinting up the street, pistol in hand, aiming at the man with the scar, who had taken off toward Madison Avenue. And he saw the woman lying on the sidewalk, blood oozing from a neat hole in her forehead, her gun at the end of her outstretched fingers. Then the street became quiet as the two men disappeared around the corner.
Cole bolted from his hiding spot behind the car and ran west, away from the corner around which the two men had disappeared. Within seconds he had reached Fifth Avenue and flagged down a cab.
Minutes later the cab screeched to a halt in front of Emilios. Cole jammed a ten-dollar bill into the slot in the Plexiglas between the front and back seats, then moved quickly into the restaurant.
Wheres the woman I left sitting right here forty-five minutes ago? Cole shouted at the bartender, who was busy fixing a round of drinks.
Huh? The bartender didnt look up.
The woman I left sitting right here. Cole repeated himself as he pointed down at the stool beside which he was standing. You and I talked briefly before I left. I told you to make certain she didnt leave.
The bartender finally glanced up as he finished mixing the last drink. What did she look like?
Tall, blond, beautiful, with a face you couldnt possibly forg
Oh, right. The bartender snapped his fingers and pointed at Cole. Sure, I remember now.
Well, where the hell is she?
She just took off. The bartender waved at Jimmy to let him know that his round of drinks was ready.
What?
Yeah. She was trying to call some friend of hers but couldnt reach her. She said the woman was supposed to be meeting her at her apartment. The bartender gestured at the door. So she left to meet the woman. She said to tell you shed see you back at the
Give me that phone! Cole interrupted.
What?
Right there! he yelled, pointing at the cordless phone standing next to the cash register on the counter behind the bar.
Sure. The bartender picked up the phone and tossed it to Cole.
Seconds later the information operator had given Cole the main number for his apartment building and he had punched it into the phones keypad. The line rang ten times before a recording finally answered. Dammit! He tossed the phone back at the bartender, then turned and raced out of Emilios.
Emergency lights flashed red and orange across Coles face as he stood on the sidewalk gazing at the two ambulances and three pale blue-and-white police cruisers parked at odd angles in front of his apartment building. There were several hundred residents in the forty-story buildingmany of them elderly and likely candidates for emergency servicebut he still had a terrible feeling about what was going on. Slowly he limped forward, putting one foot in front of the other as if in a daze. He was exhausted and his ankle was swollen, but he barely noticed the pain. His gaze was now fixed on
The man with the scar on his left cheek raced up behind the woman, breathing heavily. He patted her on the shoulder, pointed at the tape in Coles hand and mumbled something unintelligible into her ear. Then he moved to where Cole stood and grabbed the tape. Cole didnt release his grip on the tape right away, but the man yanked harder and finally tore it loose.
You thought youd made it, didnt you? The man remained in front of Cole for a moment, smiling smugly.
Cole didnt respond.
Sure you did, the man answered himself. But even if you had given us the slip, we would have gotten you when you went back to your apartment. Its all set to explode, he said, still smiling. Then he turned and walked to where the woman stood. Shoot him, the man ordered loudly.
Instinctively Cole put his arms up and ducked, then dropped to the ground and rolled. He heard the crack of a gun, but felt no pain. Maybe you dont feel a gunshot wound right away, he thought as he scrambled behind a parked car.
Suddenly Cole saw the man with curly blond hair sprinting up the street, pistol in hand, aiming at the man with the scar, who had taken off toward Madison Avenue. And he saw the woman lying on the sidewalk, blood oozing from a neat hole in her forehead, her gun at the end of her outstretched fingers. Then the street became quiet as the two men disappeared around the corner.
Cole bolted from his hiding spot behind the car and ran west, away from the corner around which the two men had disappeared. Within seconds he had reached Fifth Avenue and flagged down a cab.
Minutes later the cab screeched to a halt in front of Emilios. Cole jammed a ten-dollar bill into the slot in the Plexiglas between the front and back seats, then moved quickly into the restaurant.
Wheres the woman I left sitting right here forty-five minutes ago? Cole shouted at the bartender, who was busy fixing a round of drinks.
Huh? The bartender didnt look up.
The woman I left sitting right here. Cole repeated himself as he pointed down at the stool beside which he was standing. You and I talked briefly before I left. I told you to make certain she didnt leave.
The bartender finally glanced up as he finished mixing the last drink. What did she look like?
Tall, blond, beautiful, with a face you couldnt possibly forg
Oh, right. The bartender snapped his fingers and pointed at Cole. Sure, I remember now.
Well, where the hell is she?
She just took off. The bartender waved at Jimmy to let him know that his round of drinks was ready.
What?
Yeah. She was trying to call some friend of hers but couldnt reach her. She said the woman was supposed to be meeting her at her apartment. The bartender gestured at the door. So she left to meet the woman. She said to tell you shed see you back at the
Give me that phone! Cole interrupted.
What?
Right there! he yelled, pointing at the cordless phone standing next to the cash register on the counter behind the bar.
Sure. The bartender picked up the phone and tossed it to Cole.
Seconds later the information operator had given Cole the main number for his apartment building and he had punched it into the phones keypad. The line rang ten times before a recording finally answered. Dammit! He tossed the phone back at the bartender, then turned and raced out of Emilios.
Emergency lights flashed red and orange across Coles face as he stood on the sidewalk gazing at the two ambulances and three pale blue-and-white police cruisers parked at odd angles in front of his apartment building. There were several hundred residents in the forty-story buildingmany of them elderly and likely candidates for emergency servicebut he still had a terrible feeling about what was going on. Slowly he limped forward, putting one foot in front of the other as if in a daze. He was exhausted and his ankle was swollen, but he barely noticed the pain. His gaze was now fixed on
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