Murder in the River City(2)

She knew people. A few guys who’d give her a room in exchange for sex. Not too bad a deal, until she figured out where to go next.

She looked in the back seat and saw the bag Joey had tossed back there. She glanced up at the second floor where Mack’s apartment was located. It was Sunday night; Mack always worked Sundays. Had something changed? It didn’t make sense to her, but Joey was being all weird about this job of his. She didn’t even know exactly how Mack fit in, only that he was holding a bunch of cash that belonged to Joey and Pete’s boss.

She turned, grabbed the bag, and looked in it. Baseballs and cash, only a couple hundred dollars. They robbed the bar? This was peanuts compared to what they’d been talking about. Tens of thousands of dollars, from what she’d pieced together. What was going on?

She picked up one of the baseballs and turned on the overhead light. There was a smudge. Red. It looked like blood.

Her stomach churned. She looked back inside and found a bloody rag.

Oh, God, they hurt someone. Mack? Pat Dooligan? Who’d been in the bar? What had happened to them? Why was Joey acting all strange?

The door opened and she jumped. Pete grabbed the bag from her. “Nosy bitch.”

“Drive,” Joey told her.

“Where?” she asked.

“South.”

Great, she would be driving south, down the freeway, no destination. She almost said something, but Joey was so tense she decided to keep her mouth shut.

Pete was back on the phone. “It’s not there,” he said. “All I could find was his address book.”

She thought she heard yelling on the other end of the phone. She hid a smile.

“Got it,” he said and hung up.

“I can try talking to Mack,” she said.

When neither of them said anything, she pressed on. “You know, we had a thing for a while, I can convince him to turn over the list.” If they’d hurt him, maybe she could get him help. Or better, she’d go back tonight, after Joey was asleep, and be the hero. Take him to the hospital. Pat Dooligan would give her back her job. That would tide her over until she found another score.

Pete said, “You told her?”

“Nothing important,” Joey said. “Fuck it, Callie, can’t you just shut your big mouth?”

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m just trying to help. You didn’t tell me anything.”

“Pull over,” Pete said, “next exit.”

“Why?” Callie asked.

“I’m not getting cell reception here. I need to make a call.”

“Is Mack okay? He’s okay, right?” she asked.

“Just fine,” Pete said. She glanced in the review mirror. His eyes told her he was lying.

They were at Discovery Park, a recreational area at the American River. She’d been here a couple times, but it was much too crowded in the summer.

At night, it was completely empty anytime of the year.

“In there is good,” Pete said. Callie pulled into the small parking lot. “Keep the car running. Gleason, I need to talk to you.”

They both got out of the car. Great. They were talking without her. She had had it. When they got back to the apartment, she was leaving. She didn’t care if she didn’t have any money. She had a few things she could grab.

Go, now. Leave.

She bit her lip. She put the car into reverse, fear giving her the only advice worth listening to. Joey opened the driver’s door. She hadn’t even seen him walk around the car.

He pulled her out. The car started rolling backward. She screamed. “What—Joey—what’s going on?”

Pete shouted, “Fuck, the car!”

Joey held her while Pete chased the car and put it in park.

She fought. She knew they were going to kill her. She broke free once, but Pete pushed her and she fell hard onto the rough ground. Blood filled her mouth and she spit it out, then tried to get up and run, but Pete had his knee in her back and wrapped his belt around her neck. She couldn’t see anything, the only sound Pete’s grunts, her racing heart, and the cars on the freeway. People were in those cars, people who couldn’t see what was happening.

I’m dying, people! Help!

She tried to scream again, but couldn’t get any sound out. She couldn’t breathe. She tried to kick; the belt around her neck pulled tighter. Her head ached, practically exploding in pain. Her lungs burned. Her vision faded.

The last thing she heard was “I knew she was going to be a problem the minute she opened her fucking mouth.”

Though Callie regretted every choice she’d made, only her last decision was fatal.





Chapter Two



Monday



Shauna Murphy ran down the wooden sidewalk, tears stinging her eyes, her curly hair bouncing off her back. She barely noticed her cotton dress clinging to her damp skin in the sweltering Sacramento heat, or people staring at her as if she were crazy. Her thoughts were focused on Dooley.