Gumshoe Ghost Mystery: Dying for the Past Part 37

"Sure, Bear." Spence shoved Dobron into the cellar room and followed.

We all went upstairs to the lounge. Dobron slumped into one of the chairs around a playing table. Spence sat behind him. Angel and Andre settled on two bar stools and Ruth-Ann stood in the doorway talking on her phone.

Me, I stood by the bar watching the show. "Bear, how's Chevy?"

"Chevy's gonna make it. He's on the way to the hospital-still unconscious but he'll pull through."

"Good, another witness." Ruth-Ann closed her phone. "I've got one of my men waiting at the hospital. I don't want any of Dobron's men there, Detective. Understand?"

Bear shrugged. "Sure, I'll have my-"

"Just my men. Chevez is a federal witness. I'm not losing another one."

"Another one?" Angel asked.

Ruth-Ann walked over to Dobron. "Do you want to explain Katalina Kishkin or shall I, Jim?"

Dobron didn't blink.

"Have it your way." Ruth-Ann went to the bar and leaned back against it. "Katalina Kishkin was an insider in Anatoly Nikolaevich Konstantinova's organization. She was family-related by marriage to Petya Chernyshov. Petya was a low-level thug for Anatoly's gang."

"Kishkin?" The pieces started to fall into place. "Angel, Kishkin-"

"I remember," Angel said. "Vasily Kishkin killed Vincent Calaprese decades ago. He's where all this started."

"Vasily Kishkin killed the old mobster?" Ruth-Ann forced a laugh. "Vasily wasn't so bad after all."

"Ruth-Ann," Bear said, "tell us the rest."

She did. "Katalina worked for Anatoly but she got cold feet and went to Dobron's people. She wanted out of the Russian mob and wanted into WITSEC. She didn't know Dobron was working for Anatoly."

I whispered to Angel, "She means witness protection."

She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Anatoly was onto her. I can only imagine who reported her, right Jim? Katalina disappeared. I believe she's under Nicholas Bartalotta's protection as we speak."

"Nicholas?" Angel asked. "Ruth-Ann, is this what your problem with me has been? You thought I knew?"

"Yes, Angela. I'm sorry, but I felt you were complicit in this from the beginning. Knowingly or not."

Andre gestured to Dobron. "Dobron was trying to find her and kill her, Angela. Ruth-Ann was trying to save her."

"Yes," Ruth-Ann glared at Dobron. "As I said before, every case I've had against Anatoly has gone bad. Dobron made sure. Katalina doesn't even know who betrayed her. But it was Dobron."

"Screw you, Ruth-Ann," Dobron growled. "My team is solid. Is yours?"

"We'll soon find out, won't we?" She waved toward the door and a dark-suited man-one I recognized from Ruth-Ann's entourage at Poor Nic's place-walked in with Jack, the man in our bushes last night. "I have a warrant for you, Jim. My men will escort you to the WFO. I've spoken with the Director personally. They're looking forward to seeing you."

"Ruth-Ann, wait." Angel raised a hand. "He did save our lives. It must count for-"

"Nothing, Angela. He silenced another witness against him. That's all he did."

Andre said, "Angela, he'd already killed Stephanos and the others. Bonnie was the last link to him."

"I didn't murder anyone." Dobron snapped. "Stephanos was going to turn the book over for a deal-for he and Bonnie. We do it all the time; information for a deal."

"And you say Grecco was making a deal?" Ruth-Ann folded her arms. "My office would have to know about such a deal-and there's no record of one. The only deal you were making was with Anatoly."

"Screw you." Dobron stood up and poked holes in the air between them with his gun-finger. "This is all lies, lady."

Ruth-Ann handed the book to one of her men. "Agent Michaels, Agent Cary, please take him into custody."

The two headed for Dobron. Michaels said, "You're under arrest."

"Screw you, too." Dobron lunged forward, landing a hard right-cross into Michael's jaw and sending him to the floor. He swung a wild left at Cary but it never collided. Cary stepped in, blocked the punch, and delivered a crushing jab to Dobron's chin. Cary followed it with a second, powerful punch to his stomach-collapsing Dobron in half. Then, the struggle ended when Cary's knee drove into Dobron's face and he collapsed onto the floor.

Both men descended on Dobron, grappled his arms behind him, and used his own handcuffs to restrain him. They had him back on his feet clutched between them in seconds.

"Dammit, let me go." Dobron tried to twist free but couldn't. "Ruth-Ann, I'll-"

"Save it, Jim. Don't add threatening a federal officer to the charges."

Ruth-Ann's men escorted him from the room.

I said, "Holy c.r.a.p, Angel. I never saw this coming."

She shook her head. "Neither did I."

Ruth-Ann shot her a sideways look and walked over to Bear. She extended her hand. "Detective, I had my doubts about you, but you've been an invaluable a.s.set. I'll pa.s.s along my congratulations to Captain Sutter."

Bear nodded. "Thanks. What about-"

"I'm sealing this case, Detective. You'll be called as a witness-all of you. But all facts and evidence relative to Stephanos Grecco, Anatoly Konstantinova, and Frannie Ma.s.seria will be under a gag order. It's all cla.s.sified as of this moment." She walked to the lounge door and turned around. "Andre, you'll need to come with me. I'll need to debrief you."

Andre looked at Angel and shrugged. "I don't know what to say. I, well, I'll explain the rest when this is over. I'll call as soon as I can. I'm so sorry I've lied to you."

And without another word he strode out the door behind Ruth-Ann Marcos.

sixty-three.

As Bear called Captain Sutter and a crime scene team, Angel sat at the bar. Her head was shaking as she tried to make sense out of all the events unfolding. I wasn't much help so I went looking for Vincent again.

I followed Benny Goodman's And the Angels Sing to the dining room and found Vincent gazing at the portrait of Frannie Ma.s.seria.

"My Frannie was a good girl, Oliver. You would have liked her."

"I'm sure, Vincent. I have some questions."

Woof. Hercule bounded into the room following Doc as he walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Questions later, Oliver. For now, just listen." He turned, stone-faced, and looked at Vincent.

"h.e.l.lo, Vincent."

Vincent walked up to him and without a word, threw his arms around him in a long, emotional bear hug. The two stood there, embracing in a silent, long-ago moment. After a few more moments, Vincent released him and stood face-to-face holding his shoulders.

"Benjamin, it has been too long. Why haven't you come to see me?"

Doc's eyes were filled with tears. "It was my fault, Vincent. Mine. Our kids were crazy in love and I almost kept them apart. All because of your book. It took your life and I couldn't save you. I was terrified it would take theirs, too-I am so very sorry."

Vincent patted his shoulders. "It took your life, too, my friend. And many others."

Huh? "Hold on there, Vincent. Rewind a little. Doc was killed over the book? And who else-"

"Me." Sa.s.sy sashayed into the room and threw an arm around me. "Hi ya, Tuckie. Good to see the old boys together again, ain't it?"

Was it? "Someone tell me what's going on."

She did. "Them Commies came for the book a few months after Vincent died. They busted in and tore this place apart. I was hiding upstairs in our secret place-you know-in the attic. I came down too soon and they nabbed me. They tried to make me talk but I wouldn't. Like I told you, I ain't no snitch."

Doc went to her, kissed her cheek, and wrapped old, tired arms around her. "I'm so sorry, Sa.s.sy. You didn't deserve what happened. You weren't involved in any of this."

"Nope, I wasn't. Lousy commies." She kissed him hard on the mouth. "But it's okay. It's a long time ago and it saved Frannie and Ollie-for a while. So what the heck, right?"

"I too am sorry, Doc." Vincent patted Doc on the back. "The book was to protect us all-but it couldn't save you."

"Doc?" I asked. "Don't leave me hanging."

He looked at me and his eyes were lost in bad memories and hard times. "Your grandfather-Ollie-was a war hero. He came back and married Frannie. By then, using the book, she had built up enough of an empire to keep the hounds-and Vasily-away. She and Ollie were safe."

"But not you." Sa.s.sy kissed him on the cheek again. "Commies wanted revenge. They figured out who Doc was after a while. Frannie tried to keep them away but she couldn't. The book protected her and Ollie and your father, Tuckie. But not everyone."

Doc lowered his head.

"It took them years but they got their revenge," Vincent said. "The battles went on year after year and they lost most of them. Then, after some shenanigans in the fifties, they made a move on Frannie. But their plan failed and they got beaten even harder. In retaliation, they hit Doc instead."

Hercule came over and woofed at the three of them. He stood there, wagging and moaning up a storm until Sa.s.sy knelt down and rubbed his ears. Herc had a way with beautiful women-dead or alive.

I just stood there, trying to grasp it all. Each of them had died-horrible deaths-because of the d.a.m.n book. But as much as it took away, it had saved my grandparents-at least for a while- and my father.

I asked, "Tell me about my dad. Tell me about Frannie and Ollie, too."

"Another time, Oliver." Doc knelt down beside Sa.s.sy and gave Hercule a good head-rub. "You're not done, Oliver. Vasily Kishkin's heirs are about to exploit the book-they finally have it after all these years. And it is more dangerous than ever."

What? "No, Doc. Bonnie's in custody-maybe dead. Dobron is in custody, too, and the Justice Department has the book. Who's left?"

"Who's left?" Vincent's voice boomed. "The killer, Oliver."

Oh, no. "You can't mean-"

Doc nodded to me. "How could you miss it, Oliver? It's right there in front of you. A Cuban family owned Quixote's-they were the first of the socialists who came here in the thirties."

"Cubans? So what do the Cubans have to do with-"

Vincent raised a hand. "Vasily Kishkin was a Soviet agent who used Quixote's as a hideout. His sister worked at the restaurant, too, and had a crush on the owner's son. They married. They created a very dangerous and ruthless alliance when the Soviets befriended the dictator, Fidel, years later."

I knew where this was going. "Come on, how was I supposed to know all the history? You could have told me that days ago."

"Ah, yes, perhaps we're being hard on you, Oliver," Doc said. "All right then. Vasily's sister and the Cuban boy had a child. Their child started a long family line of spies and gangsters who still exist today."

Sa.s.sy stood and linked her arm with mine.old, "Tuckie, you'll never guess whose family owned Quixote's."

Yes, I can. "Ruth-Ann Marcos'."

sixty-four.

I ran to the lounge where Bear and Angel were talking.

"We've got this all wrong, Angel. Dobron wasn't the killer," I said. "It was-"

"Ruth-Ann?" Angel said, looking past me.

Poor Nic stood in the doorway behind me. He shoved Ruth-Ann Marcos into the room at gunpoint. Behind them, a pretty, dark-haired woman followed along with Andre Cartier. Poor Nic waved the girl to a chair and kept the gun trained on Ruth-Ann. "Detective Braddock, please place Miss Marcos under arrest. I don't enjoy holding this gun."

Bear's mouth dropped. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, lord, I screwed up, Angela. I really screwed up," Andre said, walking over to her and giving her a big, long embrace. "I was so wrong. I trusted her, Angela."

"Detective," Poor Nic said, "if you will call your office, you will find one of her men just tried to kill young Victorio Chevez at the hospital. My men were waiting and interceded. We have also detained the others, too, and they are with Agent Dobron. He is well."

Angel stood up. "But, they were escorting him to the Washington FBI office, Nicholas. What are you doing?"

"Stopping the madness." Poor Nic kept his gun on Ruth-Ann who stood silent beside Bear. "I may be an old man, but I still know Washington is east. They were heading west into the mountains. No, Angela, they were taking Agent Dobron elsewhere and not for interrogation."

Bear took Ruth-Ann by the arm. "Sit down, Ruth-Ann."

"You're going to listen to this thug?" she yelled. "Andre, don't listen to him. I'm a-"