Loose Ends
Harry Blaine sat at the bar watching the people come and go. He sipped at a mug of beer as he watched them. Outside snow was lashing at the windows and piling up on both the sidewalks and the streets. Then she walked in and Harry took notice. She was a slender girl in her early twenties, wearing a charcoal gray sweater dress in mini length. Her shapely legs were encased in black tights and knee length black leather boots that did nice things both her legs and her ass. He light brown hair hung down on her shoulders and had a few blonde streaks running through it. She wore a gold bracelet on her left wrist and silver rings on all her fingers. Her nails were painted a dark red and Harry was willing to bet that her toes would match.
The girl sat down at a small table in the corner and opened the small clutch purse that she carried, pulling out an enameled black cigarette case with gold trim. A single strand of pearls adorned her neck. She removed a cigarette from the case and before it could reach her lips Harry was across the room flicking his battered black Zippo to life. She gave him a questioning look and he nodded, then she touched the end of the cigarette to the flame and inhaled. A moment later she leaned back and exhaled twin clouds of smoke from her nostrils. Harry clicked the lighter closed and dropped it back into his pocket. Then he sat down in the chair across from her.
“That wasn’t an invitation,” she said in a tone the screamed I want to be left alone. Harry grinned back at her.
“I never thought it was. Naw Honey, we got business to transact,” Harry smiled at her again.
“Whatever you’re trying to buy, I’m not selling,” she glared at him.
“I ain’t here to buy nothing, Doll. I’m more in the ‘recovery’ business. Nick sent me. You remember Nick don’t ya?” Harry smiled once more but this time it never touched his eyes. Under her make-up she paled and her hand trembled slightly as she took another drag.
“I remember Nick,” she nodded, exhaling, holding the cigarette in her hand, her elbow cocked on the table. A waiter came up and put a glass of red wine in front of her. Harry waited until he was gone before he spoke again.
“Nick wants his property back. You got it with you?” Harry asked gently. Looking at them, most people would have thought it was a kindly older gentleman talking to a pretty young woman. Which was the case, on the surface.
“Upstairs in my room. I’ll go get it,” she put down her cigarette and stood. Harry stood up as well.
“We’ll both go,” Harry took a gentle but firm grip on her arm and escorted her out of the bar. They walked quickly to the bank of elevators in the lobby of the hotel and took one up to her room.
“How did you find me?” she looked up at him.
“You got expensive tastes, Sweetie. It was just a matter of checking out the right places,” Harry shrugged.
“You didn’t trust me not to run out did you? That’s why you came with me.”
“Something like that,” Harry chuckled.
“Listen, Nick doesn’t need to know you found me. I’ve got money I could let you have,” the girl’s eyes were wide with fear now that they were alone in the elevator.
“It ain’t about money, Kid. I said I’d bring it back and that’s what I’ll do,” Harry shook his head. The kid didn’t get it. She honestly had no clue. The elevator doors opened and they walked out into a carpeted hallway. Harry let her lead the way but never released his hold on her arm. They stopped in front of her room. She opened her purse and fumbled for her key.
Harry was ready when her hand came out with a knife in it. Harry slapped it out of her hand and sent it spinning across the hall to land on the floor. Harry forced her body against the door, positioning her so she couldn’t put up much of a struggle. He took the purse from her hand and dug out the key card and swiped it to open the door, and then he roughly shoved her inside. Harry followed her in and kicked the door gently shut.
“That wasn’t very nice, Sweetie,” Harry told her as she picked herself up off the floor. Her hair was hanging in front of her face and she tossed her head to move it.
“A girl has to try,” she shrugged, smiling.
“True enough. Didn’t do you a whole lot of good though,” Harry shrugged. “Where is it?”
“Top drawer, black velvet bag,” the girl lowered her head in a posture of defeat. Harry didn’t buy it.
“Get it,” he replied. She pushed to her feet and walked over to the dresser. Harry was right behind her and saw the gun in the drawer before she had it fully open. He slammed the drawer against her hand as one hand slipped up and clamped over her mouth, effectively muffling her scream of pain. Harry spun her around and hit her, knocking her head back into the wall. She slumped to the floor leaving a streak of blood. Harry opened the drawer and took the pistol, stuffing it into his waistband. He picked up the bag and opened it, pouring the contents into his hand. It was a large white diamond. Harry tested it on the window. It cut into the glass. Satisfied he put it back in the bag and dropped it into his jacket pocket. When Harry left he used the stairs and caught a taxi a block away for the airport.
Nick Scanlon was looking out the large plate glass window of the ....Miami.... high-rise when Harry walked in. Scanlon was tall and thin, his skin deeply tanned. His curly dark hair was slicked back against his skull. He was pulling on a thick white terry cloth robe and belting it around his waist. A half-empty wine glass was on the table next to him. Scanlon turned to face him. “Welcome back, Harry. I guess you found her?”
“I did. Got your property back too,” Harry pulled the bag out of his pocket and tossed it to Scanlon who caught it in mid-air. Scanlon opened the bag and took out the diamond. It was the size of an ice cube and he lifted it up, letting the cut facets catch the light and reflect it around the room. Then he smiled as he clenched his fist around it.
“You do good work, Harry,” Scanlon grinned.
“It’s what you pay me for,” Harry shrugged.
“You think she’ll talk?” Scanlon asked as he walked over to a picture and swung it away from the wall to reveal a safe.
“Not much danger of that,” Harry walked over to look out the window, purposely putting his back to Scanlon.
“Loose ends, Harry. You’re good at tying them up,” Scanlon shut the safe and spun the dial to clear it. “Maybe you should take a little vacation, just in case there is any heat. The islands are great this time of year.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Harry turned back toward his employer. Scanlon had a neatly banded bundle of cash in his hand. He extended it to Harry. Harry took it in his left hand and slipped it into his jacket pocket.
“Thanks.”
“Enjoy it, Harry. I’ll talk to you in a couple of months,” Scanlon waved at him. Harry knew he was being dismissed. He headed for the door. Something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint it. He stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the basement. The car dropped one floor and stopped, and the doors opened.
Rocky Salvatore and Moose Mulligan entered the elevator, nodding to Harry. Harry nodded back, stepping to the back of the elevator. The doors closed and the car started moving again. Both men seemed tense. They had never been tense around him before. Harry thought about what Scanlon had said. Loose ends. There had been a message there. He had almost missed it. Harry popped his neck and the other two men jumped. They spun towards him, but Harry was ready.
His right foot caught Moose in the balls and lifted him off the ground. In almost the same motion he drove a right hook into Rocky’s jaw, knocking him back. Harry stepped forward, delivering another punch that shattered Rocky’s nose and smeared it across his face. He jerked the .38 from Rocky’s shoulder holster as he collapsed to the floor where Moose Mulligan was vomiting up his breakfast. Harry thumbed back the hammer and aimed the pistol at Moose. A squeeze of the trigger later and blood and brains was mixing with the vomit. He gave Rocky a shot to the head as well. The elevator doors opened and two men were waiting. Harry shot them both and walked past them, leaving them on the floor of the garage. They had a car waiting with the motor running. Harry dropped the revolver into a trash can and go into the car and drove it out of the garage.
Nicky had made a bad mistake in trying that. Harry had worked for him a long time and he knew for a fact where the literal bodies were buried. Nicky was worried about loose ends. Harry smiled. This loose end was going to turn into a noose around his neck. But not for a while. Revenge was a dish best served cold. No, Harry would leave town for a while, let Nicky sweat it. Then he would come back and take care of his personal loose end. Harry threw back his head and laughed as he headed back for the ....Miami.... airport.