Jack Stratton: Jacks Are Wild Part 32

"Hold on, Jack," Morrison called over while he shook his head.

Jack looked down the hallway and saw Replacement outside Marisa's office door. His jaw dropped open as he glared.

She shrugged, turned, and whispered to someone inside. A second later, Kiku walked out and shook her head.

Jack glowered as she grinned. The two women walked out the back entrance just as Morrison came over.

"Morrison?" Sheriff Collins's voice crackled over the radio. "Are you on scene?"

Morrison looked wide-eyed at Jack. "Yes sir, I am."

"I'm en route. Five minutes," Collins snapped while Morrison ran his hand over his hair. "If Stratton shows up, keep him the h.e.l.l out of it."

"Yes, sir." Morrison clicked his radio off and shook his head. "That's your cue to make for the exit."

"I'm going to go out the back." Jack started to walk down the hallway just as Morrison stomped after him.

"Do you have any idea what he'll do if he finds you here, Jack?"

"I'll just take a quick look. Two seconds. I know the office; it will help you."

"Lately you and help seem to go together like peanut b.u.t.ter and bullets."

Jack hurried down the corridor to take a quick look into the office. The tattoo table in the corner was covered in blood and there was blood splattered on the walls. The rest of the office looked undisturbed. Jack walked over to Marisa's desk and looked at the papers stacked in neat piles.

Shawn said he didn't go back here. No way the desk was that neat when I left.

He looked at the blood splatter.

d.a.m.n. Someone really worked that guy over.

Jack walked back out to find Morrison holding up his hands. "Do you have an opinion?"

"Yeah, but I have about two minutes before Collins gets here."

"Go." Morrison angled his head toward the exit.

"Thanks." Jack nodded and headed out the door.

The alley was empty. He looked at the spot where the car would have parked when they took Marisa and exhaled.

Jack walked to the end of the alley just as Collins's Crown Vic pulled up in front of the tattoo parlor. He scanned the street, but the Impala was gone. He turned to head in the opposite direction of Collins.

Replacement got the car out of there. That was smart. I'll go over to Elderberry and- "Need a ride?" Jennifer Rivers called out as she pulled the unmarked car over to the curb.

Jack looked down, stuck his hands in his pockets, and then rocked back on his heels. "I was just out for a walk, enjoying the night."

"I only have a minute, Stratton. Get in."

Jack only debated for a second before he hopped in the backseat. Jennifer glared into the rearview mirror.

"Is there a reason you want me to look like a chauffeur?"

"Yeah. I'm trying to have Collins not see me."

Jennifer pulled away from the curb. "If Walter knew I was talking to you, he'd have my head examined. I only have a few minutes. I may have a hit."

"Why are you telling me?"

"We know the Mancinis are in town. Lots of them. We also learned Takeo sent a group here as well."

Kiku.

Jack nodded.

"We just got the call about the tattoo parlor, but we did intercept another call. It wasn't part of our wiretaps. It was during a separate NSA investigation, but they received it a day ago and just now pushed it over to us. Walter thinks that you just peeved everyone off and led them here on a wild-goose chase. But..."

Jack grabbed the back of the seat and pulled himself forward. "What did you get?"

She took a left and then pulled into a doughnut shop drive-through.

Jack's hands went up. "You have a doughnut craving now?"

"Walter and I just got to the tattoo parlor. I saw you, and I needed a reason to leave. There was a call to Severino. It just said 'Darrington.' Three medium coffees, regular, and an a.s.sorted half-dozen." She spoke into the speaker and didn't wait for an answer before she pulled forward. "The second call was to Takeo. We're working on identifying the woman. They spoke in code and we're trying to crack it."

"If it was code, why do you think it's related?"

"They traced the sending cell to a tower in Darrington." Jennifer grabbed some bills from her pocketbook.

"Did they understand any of the call?"

"One word was Greek. Damocles. It's part-"

"I know the story," Jack said.

"Do you know what it means, then?" She looked back at him.

Yeah, I'm letting my executioner sleep in my bed.

Jack shook his head.

Jennifer handed the teenage girl some cash and took the coffee.

"I know you can really tick people off, Stratton." Jennifer pulled away, driving directly to the other curb. "But for this much activity, there has to be something going on. Let me work on Walter."

Jack nodded. His brain was already trying to process the information he'd just gotten, and he didn't care whether Prescott was...o...b..ard or not.

"If I can show him the tattoo parlor, and everything else is connected...I know you didn't hit it off, but he's a great investigator. We'll find her, Jack."

"Thanks for the heads-up." Jack opened the door and got out.

She smiled and quickly pulled away.

Jack stood on the sidewalk as he watched her drive down the street.

Damocles. I'm not the only one with a sword over my head, though. Marisa has one, too. They called the Mancinis to town because the exchange is coming. And it's coming soon.

Live or Die?

Jack jumped into the driver's seat as Replacement pulled up and slid over next to Kiku. All three now sat in the front on the bench seat.

He pulled away from the curb and drove out and away from downtown.

"This is a little awkward." Kiku shifted closer to the window.

"If it's too close, hop in the back," Replacement suggested dryly.

Jack flew down a side road. "Did you touch anything in the office?"

They both shook their heads, and Replacement spoke. "Someone beat the tar out of that guy. Did you see his face?"

Jack gripped the steering wheel. "It was Paolo."

"That is what I would a.s.sume, but how can you be sure, Officer?" Kiku leaned forward.

She's not asking because she doesn't believe me; she wants to know how I figured it out. I like it when someone believes in me.

"Besides the blood, the office was neater than when I left. Paolo loves Marisa and would be respectful of her things. Stuff was knocked off the desk and then put back...carefully."

Replacement sat up straighter and turned to Kiku. "He's good."

"Very." Kiku turned to look out the window, and Jack couldn't help his chest puffed up a bit.

Replacement tilted her head. "Why did Paolo beat him up so badly? He didn't know anything."

"The Mancinis wanted to make sure of that." Kiku's voice lowered. "They can be very brutal."

Jack's throat tightened as he remembered Kiku in the back of Paolo's car. "Rivers picked me up."

Replacement shifted in her seat. "The FBI lady? Why?"

"She wanted to give me the heads-up. They intercepted a phone call to Severino. They also know the Mancinis are in town."

Jack didn't say anything about the call to Takeo. He knew Kiku had to be the one who made it. He watched her out of the corner of his eye. Kiku's face was motionless.

That's her tell. She hardens up. She called Takeo, but she's not telling me why she made the call.

"Where are we going, and why are you driving like a bat out of h.e.l.l?" Replacement looked around uncomfortably, and Jack knew she was looking for something to hold onto.

"Can you jump in the back, kid?"

Replacement started to shift around, but after one look toward Kiku, she flopped back down. "I'm good. Where are we going?"

"Arber's." Jack pumped the brakes and turned right.

"Why?" they both asked in unison.

"The Mancinis are headed there."

"How do you know?" Once again, they spoke at the same time.

"That's creepy. Stop it." Replacement glared at Kiku.

Jack raised an eyebrow, and his smirk disappeared. "Paolo worked on Shawn for a while. Shawn must have told him all about Marisa. I figure they would have tossed her apartment first, so they would go to Arber's next."

"I don't think she dated him long-" Replacement started to say, but Kiku cut her off.

"So how would Shawn know?"

"When I first met Marisa, I came to her shop and Shawn called back to her the 'French guy' was here. He must have thought I was Arber. Marisa came out and looked like she was going to kill him. I took it to mean she'd been seeing some French guy before me. Everyone has a past."

"But you still remembered that?" Replacement made a face.

"I can be a jealous guy. Yeah, I remember that."

"The lights are off," Kiku noted as they approached Arber's house.

"Do you think he's out?" Replacement sat up.

"No. The garden lights are out, too." Jack gritted his teeth and pulled in the driveway. "I think someone cut the power to disable the alarm."

The house was dark, and there wasn't another car in sight.

"Stay in the car," Jack ordered, and both women got out.

That worked.

"Fine. I'm going in the front."

"I'll go in the back through the slider in the walkout bas.e.m.e.nt." Kiku nodded and slid up next to the house.

Jack and Replacement headed for the front door. Jack knocked and waited. He rang the bell and beat on the door.

Nothing.

He shrugged and looked to Replacement. She looked back to the street and then nodded. Jack tried the door, and it opened. The alarm panel's lights were off.

No power.