The Sentry Part 31

"Up-"

"-up."

Daniel stared at the mammoth stuck in the sludge, head back, tusks high, like it was begging G.o.d to pluck it from the muck. He wondered if the Bolivian was lying about the arrow dude. If the guy was a merc, then maybe the Bolivians had hired the sonofab.i.t.c.h to find Rainey and Platt just like they hired Daniel. Maybe they fed him all the same information, and had given him all the s.h.i.+t they learned from Daniel. These things were possible and made Daniel's head hurt. Made it hurt bad.

Tobey's calm voice soothed him.

"Stop it, Daniel."

Cleo's gentle echo comforted him.

"Make it stop, stop."

Daniel concentrated on the mammoth, trying to imagine what it felt like to be boiled in hot tar. Probably not so hot.

Tobey's laugh boomed like faraway gunshots.

"That's a good one, Daniel!"

Cleo laughed, too. Like revved-up chainsaws.

"You're killin' me, killin' me!"

Daniel pushed the paranoia aside. Either the Bolivians were f.u.c.kin' him or they weren't, and they probably weren't. Even the Bolivians weren't stupid enough to f.u.c.k with a werewolf.

The dude with the arrows had probably heard about the reward, and was working for himself. Daniel was fine with it. Being a mercenary meant the guy was in it for the money, which meant he could always be bought if it came to that, but for all Daniel knew, the dumb a.s.swipe lost Rainey and stopped off for a hamburger. Daniel might never see the tattooed, sungla.s.ses-wearing a.s.scheese again.

Tobey gently chided him.

"Let's not be stupid."

"Stupid, stupid."

The boys were right. If the Bolivians hadn't fed the arrow dude information, then the guy was f.u.c.kin' good. Way he showed up at the ca.n.a.l, way he popped up on the billboard-this guy was dangerous good.

Daniel picked up the woman's phone, and looked at her. She was lying back there like she was dead. Daniel liked'm that way.

"Your f.u.c.kin' boyfriend better call soon. I'm gettin' anxious."

She didn't move. Not even a twitch. Just stared at him with these narrow, watchful eyes. Like she was thinking.

Daniel jiggled the phone, and smiled at her.

The deader the better.

38.

Both ends of Azzara's street were blocked by black-and-white radio cars when b.u.t.ton and Futardo arrived. By then, LAPD barriers and yellow crime-scene tape ran from the house to the street, and Hector's Monte Carlo was hidden by a collapsible screen. Hollywood Station owned the crime scene, but the Malevos Pacificos Malevos Pacificos and Venice and Venice Trece Trece belonged to b.u.t.ton. belonged to b.u.t.ton.

b.u.t.ton hammered Pike and Cole with questions as they walked through the scene, but Pike wanted him focused on Azzara.

"We believe he returned here from the airport because his car is missing. He drives a black Prius. Get his tag, and put it out to patrol."

"Did Azzara kill these people?"

Cole said, "We told you who killed them. Azzara probably has Rainey, and one or both of them can probably help find Rose Platt."

Cole showed them William Rainey's booking photo.

"I wrote Rainey's file number on the back. Call the Louisiana Department of Justice. They'll back up what we're saying."

b.u.t.ton's jaw worked as he stared at the photo, but he handed it to Futardo.

"Call down there and see if you can find someone who knows about this."

Futardo started away, but b.u.t.ton stopped her.

"Hang on-before you call, pull Azzara's DMV and give it to the patrol commander. Tell him Azzara is a suspect in a multiple homicide. Tell him I'll call him as soon as I can."

She started away again, but he stopped her again.

"Futardo. They give you any s.h.i.+t down in Louisiana, bring me the phone."

This time he let her go, and turned back to Pike.

"Twelve f.u.c.king million dollars, and this guy is making sandwiches in Venice?"

"Po'boys."

As Futardo left, a Pacific Station gang detective named Eduardo Valenti waved them over to the banger by the coffee table.

"I know this one, too. Bobby Ruiz, aka Lil Rok."

"One of Azzara's people?"

"You bet. Born and bred Malevos Malevos over by Ghost Town." over by Ghost Town."

Valenti had already identified the banger by the kitchen island as a Malevos Malevos lifer named Trejo Hermanos, who was known as Crazy T. lifer named Trejo Hermanos, who was known as Crazy T.

Pike didn't care who they were. The entire Los Angeles patrol division would now be looking for Azzara's Prius, which was what Pike wanted, so now Pike wanted to continue the search himself. If Azzara had Rainey, then finding Azzara would give him Rainey, and Pike wanted Rainey.

Pike left Cole with b.u.t.ton and Valenti, and stepped outside to call Marisol.

"How's Artie?"

"Hold on-"

She was probably with Artie, and had to change rooms to speak freely. She came back on the line a few seconds later, her voice soft so Artie wouldn't hear.

"He's better, I think. I checked his temperature like you said. It's okay."

"What about the blood in his urine?"

"Kinda pink, but not as much. I've been giving him cranberry juice. You think that's okay, the cranberry juice?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."

Pike waited while a Coroner Investigator went by on his way to a dead Federale Federale. While Pike waited, he saw Straw enter the great room. Straw badged a uniformed officer, who pointed him toward b.u.t.ton. Then the CI was gone, and Pike continued with Marisol.

"I'm at Azzara's house. That was a good address you gave me. It helped."

"You are with Miguel?"

"No. Azzara isn't here, but six people were murdered. Three of them are Malevos Malevos. It will probably be on the news, so I wanted you to hear about it from me, first."

"I understand. Thank you."

"Azzara took off with one of my friends when he found the bodies-a man from Louisiana. I need to find him."

"I don't know what to tell you."

"People run home when they're scared, and Miguel will be scared. If you hear something, will you call me?"

"May I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill them?"

"No."

"Did Miguel?"

"No. A man who wants to kill my friends killed them. That's why I have to find them first. Will you call?"

"Yes. Of course, I will call."

"Stay with Artie. Watch his temperature."

"You are a strange man."

Pike closed his phone, then went to the chaise lounge where Dru Rayne had lain in the sun. He sat where she sat, and stared at her bottle. It was still on the deck. Dos Equis. Pike took out his phone and called her. Voice mail. He put away his phone, and thought over his options as he watched Cole, b.u.t.ton, Straw, and Valenti talking. Straw saw him and raised a hand, but Pike did not respond.

The call from Dru told him the killer would keep her alive until he had Rainey. By letting her make the call, he was using her as bait, but this didn't mean he would kick back until Rainey showed up. He was a predator, so he would hunt. He was probably searching for Rainey even as Pike sat in the sun on Azzara's chaise lounge. Pike felt confident he understood what the killer would do, but he was less certain about Rainey.

Pike wondered if Rainey would deal with the killer or run. Dru's call suggested Rainey had the money, so Pike thought Rainey would probably run. Even if he wanted to stay, Azzara might not give him the choice. Whatever business Rainey had with Azzara and the Mexicans might force him onto a private jet.

b.u.t.ton came outside while Pike was thinking, and called him over.

"Stop sunning yourself and c'mere! Valenti has a question."

When Pike went inside, Valenti said, "The guy who looked like a veterano veterano , you said he had a ghost on his arm? Was it Casper the Friendly Ghost? You know that cartoon?" , you said he had a ghost on his arm? Was it Casper the Friendly Ghost? You know that cartoon?"

"Yes. It was Casper."

Valenti turned to b.u.t.ton.

"Jose Eschuara had a Casper. They called him the ghost because he'd sneak up behind people to shoot them-his vics never saw him."

Cole said, "Creative."

"Eschuara's a big deal-a senior member in La Eme La Eme's command structure in California. If Eschuara was here with the Federales Federales-if these cowboys are really Federales Federales-this was a high-level meeting. Way over Azzara's pay grade."

b.u.t.ton said, "Thanks, Eddie. Get us a picture of him. We'll have Pike take a look."

As Valenti walked away, Straw examined the dead cowboy on the couch.

"The person who did this is the same person who killed Mendoza and Gomer?"

"That's how it tracks. Cole says he's a Bolivian hitter. Rainey used to be in business with a Bolivian cartel."

Straw frowned at Pike.

"These people are Rainey and who?"

"Rainey and Platt."

Straw glanced from Pike to Cole as if he didn't believe it.

"You're sure about this?"

Cole said, "Positive. We had a vision."

b.u.t.ton laughed, but Straw seemed annoyed.

"Did your vision show you where Mr. Rainey is?"

b.u.t.ton weighed in like he was tired of Straw's questions.

"That's what we're doing here, Straw. We're trying to find these people. This is all late-breaking news. We'll know more when we talk to the Louisiana FBI office. They have the case."

Straw arched his eyebrows.