One Night in Vegas Rated PG
Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2011 5:02 pm
This is a new story that I am currently working on. It's not finished yet but here is the beginning. Any input would be great!
The Vegas Hit
Ella713 Rated PG
Mick looked out over the horizon from the balcony of his apartment. He loved days like this. Huge pillowy white clouds covered the sky, partially hiding the sun from view.
He smiled to himself thinking of Beth. She had confessed her love for him shyly, like a schoolgirl. Staring at him waiting for the words he could not bring himself to say. The funny thing was that he did love her. He had always loved her. But why was it so hard to say?
He knew. Fear. He was a vampire and she was human. Warm and sweet and fragile. Everyday she would grow older and he would remain forever 30 years old. He knew that Beth would never want to be turned, so where did that leave them? He sighed heavily and turned to go back inside his apartment. The phone started to ring and he was grateful. Maybe a case would get his mind off the situation at present.
“Mick St. John” he answered.
“Mick, this Josef. I need you to get to my house as quick as you can” His friend Josef replied in a hurried tone.
“Why….” He started to ask but Josef had hung up. His 400 year-old friend had a problem with manners and boundaries but Mick always overlooked those small things and thought of Josef as a very dear friend. His best friend.
So he grabbed his keys and headed out.
Josef lived in a sprawling high rise penthouse. Being a vampire definitely had its perks and Josef had accumulated the kind of wealth that would make Bill Gates look like a pauper. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.
Josef appeared at the door looking amused.
“You’re slipping Mick. You used to be a lot faster in your younger days”
“Bite me Josef. What’s so important that I had to risk getting a speeding ticket?”
Picking up an envelope from a nearby table, Josef handed it to him. Mick flipped it over, no address just the word “confidential” stamped on the front.
Mick poured out the contents and immediately saw why Josef was concerned. Inside the envelope was a mock newspaper style heading that read “Josef Kostan…….Not The Man You Think He Is” and below the heading was a crystal clear picture of Josef, fangs for the entire world to see, biting a freshie.
Mick looked over at Josef.
“When did you get this?” he asked
“It was with the morning paper. Rosa gave it to me”
“Ok Josef, who has it in for you?”
“Mick you’re joking right? Who hasn’t got it in for me? You live for 400 years you’re bound to make some enemies”
“True” Mick said with a grim smile “Alright, what do you want me to do?”
“Well you can start with her” Josef said pointing to the woman in the picture. “Her name is Candi Watson and she works at Maximillian’s on Rodeo Drive”
“Candi?” Mick asked with raised eyebrows.
Josef rolled his eyes.
“I’ve known her for a few years. Isabella introduced us. Everything was fine but lately she’d become unreliable and distant. I asked her what was wrong and she said that she had borrowed money from Mickey Cross when she first came to Los Angeles and she was paying it back, but he kept raising the “interest” on the loan and she couldn’t keep up”
Mick nodded beginning to comprehend the situation.
“So let me guess, you had a talk with the loan shark?”
“Let’s just say that I convinced him to accept the original amount”.
“Just how convincing were you Josef?”
Josef said nothing and looked out the window.
“So you think this is someone from his crew coming after you?”
“I don’t see how it could be anyone else. Look, just feel the waters for me on this one. If this is a threat then we all need to be worried”
Mick studied the clipping that was sent to Josef. Nothing about it stood out. Plain stock paper sold at a few thousand locations in California alone.
Mick nodded his head. While this was typical of a “Josef situation”, someone had managed to get some very incriminating evidence which could place all vampires in danger.
Maximillian’s was a very chic very expensive bistro that catered to the idle rich of Los Angeles. The conversations inside were hushed and the steamy sounds of John Coltrane whispered throughout. Mick walked up the hostess.
The hostess looked up annoyed then her eyes softened while she batted her overly long eyelashes.
“Hellooo. What can I do for you?” she said seductively
“I’m looking for Candi Watson” Mick said with a slow smile. Hey if he had to flirt to get what he needed, then he would flirt.
“Candi? She quit last night and didn’t even give notice. Very unprofessional of her in my opinion. But I’m sure whatever she was helping you with, I could do a much better job” She replied licking her lips.
“Do you have any idea where she went?” Mick asked
“No I don’t” she said sensing that she was getting no where. Mick lightly placed his hand over hers.
“You know I could really use some help” He said “Any help at all would be appreciated” The hostess brightened at his words and leaned into Mick.
“She did leave an address for us to send her last paycheck. Would that help?” she said almost giddy. She wrote the address on a Maximillian’s business card and slid it Mick’s direction.
“My number is on the back” she said flirtatiously.
“Thanks….Margo” Mick said looking at the business card. She sighed when he walked out of the restaurant. Candi always did get the lookers!
Beth sat in her office not noticing what was on the computer. Her thoughts were elsewhere. On Mick. Always on Mick. She didn’t even notice when her cameraman entered her office.
“Come on Beth! We got a hot one!” he said almost bouncing up and down with excitement.
“What is it?”
A murder that’s what. And from what our LAPD contact says a pretty gruesome one. A restaurant manager from Maximillian’s. They found her on the balcony of her apartment butchered”
When Mick pulled up to the address Margo had given him, he immediately saw that it was too late. The police had the building taped off and were ushering on lookers away from the scene. He saw Lt. Davis talking to a small stopped over man that Mick knew right away was the landlord. He looked up when he saw Mick approaching. After he had shooed the landlord away he walked over to Mick.
“St. John, what are you doing here?” he asked
“Working a case that appears to have gotten much bigger. Let me guess Candi Watson?” he asked as he watched the EMT’s bring the covered body out the building on a stretcher.
“How did you know?”
“I was hired this morning to find her”
“What for?”
“Client privilege Carl, you know that”.
“Client privilege my ass! If you know something Mick now is the time to tell me or I’ll have you arrested for obstruction!”
“Alright but this can’t get out. She was being leaned on by Mickey Cross”
Carl let out a deep breath. That was just what he needed. A slimy loan shark with mob ties!
“How much was she into him for?” Carl finally asked.
“I wasn’t told the amount. But my client went to Mickey to negotiate on Candi’s behalf”.
“Well it looks like Mickey wasn’t impressed, but that doesn’t make any sense. Loan sharks don’t go around killing people who owe them money. Yeah maybe beat them up a little or break a few fingers, but they keep them alive and paying. This here was overkill. I mean someone really wanted this woman dead”.
Beth and Steve pulled up to the crime scene and immediately got to work. Beth questioned everyone on the street. From the downstairs neighbor who swore she didn’t hear a thing to the old man from across the street who said Candi was “very popular with the men”. She was so busy taking notes that she was startled when she saw Mick standing in front of her.
“Mick, what are you doing here?” she asked
“Working a case for Josef”. Mick saw her eyes light up. She knew that if Josef was involved something really big was going on.
“What does Josef have to do with a murder case?”
Mick took her by the arm and led her to a quiet spot by some trees.
“The victim was Josef’s freshie. She owed Mickey Cross some money and Josef tried to help her by going to Mickey Cross and talking things out”
“Talking things out?” she replied. For Josef, that meant the tar pits. “So you think this a retaliation hit?”
“Look Beth there’s more to it but I can’t talk about here. Come home when you’re done”. He said and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.
Josef was screaming at someone on the phone in Japanese when Mick walked in. Josef motioned for him to have a seat. Mick was always amused by Josef’s business side. Largely because it wasn’t much different from his non business side. Josef hung up and waited for Mick to start.
“Josef, Candi Watson is dead”. He waited for this to sink in. “I mean dead dead. Someone really did a number on her”
“Do you think it was Mickey Cross?” he asked finally.
“Carl said no, loan sharks like their targets alive and paying. This looked more like a hit. What was this woman involved in?”
“I have no idea. Ask Isabella”. Josef said with a shrug.
Mick never had to use the services of a cleaner but accidents happened all the time. Maybe Isabella knew more about the woman she introduced Josef to. But glancing at his watch he knew that Beth was most likely waiting for him.
“Josef, I gotta run. Beth may have some information for me”
“When are you going to do the sensible thing and just turn our pretty little Lois Lane?”
“Are we going to talk about my love life now or do you want me to find out who killed Candi Watson?”
“I’m just saying” Josef said as he turned to take a call.
Just as he guessed Beth was sitting cross legged on the floor in the apartment reading over her notes.
“Great, you’re here” She said as she quickly stood up. “You won’t believe what I found out!”
Mick shook his head and smiled. He’d only been gone for a short time and she already had information. .
She immediately started to dig through her bag.
“Okay, Candi Watson was born Rebecca Granger from, Minneapolis Minnesota. She was a bartender at the Palace Station Hotel in Las Vegas and she witnessed Mickey Cross and his gang executing three men who they thought were muscling into his territory. One of the men killed was an undercover Fed. Anyway, Candi testified and Mickey got 10-20, but two years later there was some issue of evidence tampering and he was let go. I’m guessing that Candi was placed in the witness protection program.”
“But if all of this happened in Vegas, how did Mickey Cross find her? She’s using a different name and I assume she changed her appearance somewhat?”
“That’s where I’m lost. But what does Josef have to do with all of this?”
Staring into space Mick reached for the envelope in his jacket pocket and tossed it to her. Beth carefully examined the contents.
“Oh boy. This isn’t good” she said softly. “What are you going to do?”
“First I have to talk to Isabella. She introduced Josef to Candi. Maybe she knows something more”.
“I’ll stay here and do some more research” she said as she stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “You be careful”
“I will” he said as he strolled out the door.
Chapter 2
Josef was on his way out of the office when his cell phone rang. Not bothering to check who it was he answered.
“Kostan” he replied
“Mr. Kostan, you and I have some business to discuss” the menacing voice said.
“Really. I don’t recall having anything scheduled for this evening”
“Did you get my envelope?”
“What do you want?” Josef said angrily
“Money. What else would I want? I think $15 million will make me forget what I saw”.
“And what makes you think I have $15 million just lying around?”
“Don’t bullshit me Kostan! You’re going to pay up or the whole world is suddenly going to become a lot more interested in you! I’ll call you tomorrow with a place and time” he hung up.
“Damn!” Josef swore softly.
Cleaners were very secretive. In fact Isabella was the only one he had ever had conversations with. She was an old vamp. Not as old as Josef but close to 300 years old. He punched in her number and waited.
“Location.” A seductive husky voice said.
“Isabella this is Mick St. John. I need to talk to you”
“Don’t tell me you need a clean up?” she asked.
“Candi Watson.” Mick said.
“Yes. What do you want to know about her?”
“She was murdered last night. Josef said you introduced them”. There was a long silence before she spoke again.
“Five years ago in Vegas, Candi caught me behind the hotel where she worked feeding. She screamed and started to run but when she turned the corner there was Mickey Cross and his gang in the process of executing some men. Before she could scream again I grabbed her and took her back to my hotel room” she explained
“So you saved her?”
“She is dead. So no Mick I did not save her”.
“You couldn’t have known Isabella”
“No. But I should have suspected. I moved her to LA after the trial. Even with Mickey in prison I knew his associates would be looking for her. The cops wanted to put her into witness protection but I knew that Mickey would find her. He had contacts on the police force. But it never occurred to me that Mickey would walk or that he would move his operations west”.
“Why did you introduce her to Josef?”
“A new girl in the city as pretty as she was would not have lasted long. Being marked by Josef insured her protection. No one would dare take from Josef Kostan”
“Did you know that she told Josef that she owed Mickey Cross money? Why would she do that?”
“Perhaps she thought Josef would kill him”
“Isabella, I think we both need to speak with Josef” Mick said finally.
“Certainly” was her reply.
Beth stared at the photos Mick left with her. There was something so familiar about them. The angles maybe? The lens that was used? She touched her fingers to her temple closing her eyes.
Then it came to her. Steve! She quickly jumped off the sofa and ran out the door.
Mick and Isabella were pulling up to Josef’s place as he was just coming out. Josef looked up in surprise when he saw Mick and cleaner step out of the car.
“Ok. I’m confused” He said with a smirk that was trademark Josef.
“We need to talk” Mick said
“Ok. Let’s go get comfy” he said heading back to the building.
Letting them in he led them towards his study.
“Liquid refreshment anyone?” he joked motioning to his freshie.
“Josef this is serious. Isabella tell him” Mick said.
The cleaner stood tall and told Josef the story of Rebecca/Candi and how she came to know her. She showed absolutely no fear. Had Mick been in her shoes, he would have been…..well…concerned. But Mick never really understood Josef’s relationship with Isabella. And when she left with her very beautiful head in tact Mick had to inquire.
“Alright Josef, what’s going on with you and Isabella? Anyone else who put you in this position would have been taken to the tar pits!”
“I’m her sire” Josef said.
“What?”
“It was a long time ago. In Vienna. I was being hunted. I was on the run. I hadn’t fed in days. She was gathering water from a well for her family. I was hiding behind some trees. Isabella led the hunters astray. She didn’t even know me, but I owe her my life”
Mick shook his head in astonishment.
“Your lady love is here”. Josef said suddenly and turned towards the door. Beth came rushing in with the photograph in her hand.
“Steve!” she said.
“No Josef” Josef said with a smile.
“That’s who your blackmailer is. Steve. My cameraman!” Mick walked over to her.
“Beth are you sure?”
“Hell yes I’m sure! I was studying this photograph and something about it was familiar to me. Something in the style of it. Look every photographer has a signature. Something that is unique only to them. Something that they specialize in. Steve’s expertise is in tilt-shift photography. It’s the use of camera movements on small and medium format cameras, or selective focus” She explained pointing at the photo. ‘That’s his work!” she said slapping the photo down on the table.
Mick stared at the photo.
“Why would Steve do something like this? It didn’t just come to him to follow Josef around. Someone paid him to do this”.
“I’ve known Steve for 5 years. Before tonight I would have told anyone who even suggested what I am that they were full of it” Beth said.
“Well, I’m supposed to meet him tomorrow night with $15 million dollars” Josef said. Mick looked up in surprise.
“Do you have that kind of cash just lying around?” he asked in surprise
“Mick, of course not. Everything is done wirelessly” Josef said “But I’d really rather not if you catch my meaning”
“I don’t think these two incidents are related” Beth said.
The Vegas Hit
Ella713 Rated PG
Mick looked out over the horizon from the balcony of his apartment. He loved days like this. Huge pillowy white clouds covered the sky, partially hiding the sun from view.
He smiled to himself thinking of Beth. She had confessed her love for him shyly, like a schoolgirl. Staring at him waiting for the words he could not bring himself to say. The funny thing was that he did love her. He had always loved her. But why was it so hard to say?
He knew. Fear. He was a vampire and she was human. Warm and sweet and fragile. Everyday she would grow older and he would remain forever 30 years old. He knew that Beth would never want to be turned, so where did that leave them? He sighed heavily and turned to go back inside his apartment. The phone started to ring and he was grateful. Maybe a case would get his mind off the situation at present.
“Mick St. John” he answered.
“Mick, this Josef. I need you to get to my house as quick as you can” His friend Josef replied in a hurried tone.
“Why….” He started to ask but Josef had hung up. His 400 year-old friend had a problem with manners and boundaries but Mick always overlooked those small things and thought of Josef as a very dear friend. His best friend.
So he grabbed his keys and headed out.
Josef lived in a sprawling high rise penthouse. Being a vampire definitely had its perks and Josef had accumulated the kind of wealth that would make Bill Gates look like a pauper. He walked up to the door and rang the doorbell.
Josef appeared at the door looking amused.
“You’re slipping Mick. You used to be a lot faster in your younger days”
“Bite me Josef. What’s so important that I had to risk getting a speeding ticket?”
Picking up an envelope from a nearby table, Josef handed it to him. Mick flipped it over, no address just the word “confidential” stamped on the front.
Mick poured out the contents and immediately saw why Josef was concerned. Inside the envelope was a mock newspaper style heading that read “Josef Kostan…….Not The Man You Think He Is” and below the heading was a crystal clear picture of Josef, fangs for the entire world to see, biting a freshie.
Mick looked over at Josef.
“When did you get this?” he asked
“It was with the morning paper. Rosa gave it to me”
“Ok Josef, who has it in for you?”
“Mick you’re joking right? Who hasn’t got it in for me? You live for 400 years you’re bound to make some enemies”
“True” Mick said with a grim smile “Alright, what do you want me to do?”
“Well you can start with her” Josef said pointing to the woman in the picture. “Her name is Candi Watson and she works at Maximillian’s on Rodeo Drive”
“Candi?” Mick asked with raised eyebrows.
Josef rolled his eyes.
“I’ve known her for a few years. Isabella introduced us. Everything was fine but lately she’d become unreliable and distant. I asked her what was wrong and she said that she had borrowed money from Mickey Cross when she first came to Los Angeles and she was paying it back, but he kept raising the “interest” on the loan and she couldn’t keep up”
Mick nodded beginning to comprehend the situation.
“So let me guess, you had a talk with the loan shark?”
“Let’s just say that I convinced him to accept the original amount”.
“Just how convincing were you Josef?”
Josef said nothing and looked out the window.
“So you think this is someone from his crew coming after you?”
“I don’t see how it could be anyone else. Look, just feel the waters for me on this one. If this is a threat then we all need to be worried”
Mick studied the clipping that was sent to Josef. Nothing about it stood out. Plain stock paper sold at a few thousand locations in California alone.
Mick nodded his head. While this was typical of a “Josef situation”, someone had managed to get some very incriminating evidence which could place all vampires in danger.
Maximillian’s was a very chic very expensive bistro that catered to the idle rich of Los Angeles. The conversations inside were hushed and the steamy sounds of John Coltrane whispered throughout. Mick walked up the hostess.
The hostess looked up annoyed then her eyes softened while she batted her overly long eyelashes.
“Hellooo. What can I do for you?” she said seductively
“I’m looking for Candi Watson” Mick said with a slow smile. Hey if he had to flirt to get what he needed, then he would flirt.
“Candi? She quit last night and didn’t even give notice. Very unprofessional of her in my opinion. But I’m sure whatever she was helping you with, I could do a much better job” She replied licking her lips.
“Do you have any idea where she went?” Mick asked
“No I don’t” she said sensing that she was getting no where. Mick lightly placed his hand over hers.
“You know I could really use some help” He said “Any help at all would be appreciated” The hostess brightened at his words and leaned into Mick.
“She did leave an address for us to send her last paycheck. Would that help?” she said almost giddy. She wrote the address on a Maximillian’s business card and slid it Mick’s direction.
“My number is on the back” she said flirtatiously.
“Thanks….Margo” Mick said looking at the business card. She sighed when he walked out of the restaurant. Candi always did get the lookers!
Beth sat in her office not noticing what was on the computer. Her thoughts were elsewhere. On Mick. Always on Mick. She didn’t even notice when her cameraman entered her office.
“Come on Beth! We got a hot one!” he said almost bouncing up and down with excitement.
“What is it?”
A murder that’s what. And from what our LAPD contact says a pretty gruesome one. A restaurant manager from Maximillian’s. They found her on the balcony of her apartment butchered”
When Mick pulled up to the address Margo had given him, he immediately saw that it was too late. The police had the building taped off and were ushering on lookers away from the scene. He saw Lt. Davis talking to a small stopped over man that Mick knew right away was the landlord. He looked up when he saw Mick approaching. After he had shooed the landlord away he walked over to Mick.
“St. John, what are you doing here?” he asked
“Working a case that appears to have gotten much bigger. Let me guess Candi Watson?” he asked as he watched the EMT’s bring the covered body out the building on a stretcher.
“How did you know?”
“I was hired this morning to find her”
“What for?”
“Client privilege Carl, you know that”.
“Client privilege my ass! If you know something Mick now is the time to tell me or I’ll have you arrested for obstruction!”
“Alright but this can’t get out. She was being leaned on by Mickey Cross”
Carl let out a deep breath. That was just what he needed. A slimy loan shark with mob ties!
“How much was she into him for?” Carl finally asked.
“I wasn’t told the amount. But my client went to Mickey to negotiate on Candi’s behalf”.
“Well it looks like Mickey wasn’t impressed, but that doesn’t make any sense. Loan sharks don’t go around killing people who owe them money. Yeah maybe beat them up a little or break a few fingers, but they keep them alive and paying. This here was overkill. I mean someone really wanted this woman dead”.
Beth and Steve pulled up to the crime scene and immediately got to work. Beth questioned everyone on the street. From the downstairs neighbor who swore she didn’t hear a thing to the old man from across the street who said Candi was “very popular with the men”. She was so busy taking notes that she was startled when she saw Mick standing in front of her.
“Mick, what are you doing here?” she asked
“Working a case for Josef”. Mick saw her eyes light up. She knew that if Josef was involved something really big was going on.
“What does Josef have to do with a murder case?”
Mick took her by the arm and led her to a quiet spot by some trees.
“The victim was Josef’s freshie. She owed Mickey Cross some money and Josef tried to help her by going to Mickey Cross and talking things out”
“Talking things out?” she replied. For Josef, that meant the tar pits. “So you think this a retaliation hit?”
“Look Beth there’s more to it but I can’t talk about here. Come home when you’re done”. He said and placed a quick kiss on her cheek.
Josef was screaming at someone on the phone in Japanese when Mick walked in. Josef motioned for him to have a seat. Mick was always amused by Josef’s business side. Largely because it wasn’t much different from his non business side. Josef hung up and waited for Mick to start.
“Josef, Candi Watson is dead”. He waited for this to sink in. “I mean dead dead. Someone really did a number on her”
“Do you think it was Mickey Cross?” he asked finally.
“Carl said no, loan sharks like their targets alive and paying. This looked more like a hit. What was this woman involved in?”
“I have no idea. Ask Isabella”. Josef said with a shrug.
Mick never had to use the services of a cleaner but accidents happened all the time. Maybe Isabella knew more about the woman she introduced Josef to. But glancing at his watch he knew that Beth was most likely waiting for him.
“Josef, I gotta run. Beth may have some information for me”
“When are you going to do the sensible thing and just turn our pretty little Lois Lane?”
“Are we going to talk about my love life now or do you want me to find out who killed Candi Watson?”
“I’m just saying” Josef said as he turned to take a call.
Just as he guessed Beth was sitting cross legged on the floor in the apartment reading over her notes.
“Great, you’re here” She said as she quickly stood up. “You won’t believe what I found out!”
Mick shook his head and smiled. He’d only been gone for a short time and she already had information. .
She immediately started to dig through her bag.
“Okay, Candi Watson was born Rebecca Granger from, Minneapolis Minnesota. She was a bartender at the Palace Station Hotel in Las Vegas and she witnessed Mickey Cross and his gang executing three men who they thought were muscling into his territory. One of the men killed was an undercover Fed. Anyway, Candi testified and Mickey got 10-20, but two years later there was some issue of evidence tampering and he was let go. I’m guessing that Candi was placed in the witness protection program.”
“But if all of this happened in Vegas, how did Mickey Cross find her? She’s using a different name and I assume she changed her appearance somewhat?”
“That’s where I’m lost. But what does Josef have to do with all of this?”
Staring into space Mick reached for the envelope in his jacket pocket and tossed it to her. Beth carefully examined the contents.
“Oh boy. This isn’t good” she said softly. “What are you going to do?”
“First I have to talk to Isabella. She introduced Josef to Candi. Maybe she knows something more”.
“I’ll stay here and do some more research” she said as she stood on tiptoes and gave him a kiss. “You be careful”
“I will” he said as he strolled out the door.
Chapter 2
Josef was on his way out of the office when his cell phone rang. Not bothering to check who it was he answered.
“Kostan” he replied
“Mr. Kostan, you and I have some business to discuss” the menacing voice said.
“Really. I don’t recall having anything scheduled for this evening”
“Did you get my envelope?”
“What do you want?” Josef said angrily
“Money. What else would I want? I think $15 million will make me forget what I saw”.
“And what makes you think I have $15 million just lying around?”
“Don’t bullshit me Kostan! You’re going to pay up or the whole world is suddenly going to become a lot more interested in you! I’ll call you tomorrow with a place and time” he hung up.
“Damn!” Josef swore softly.
Cleaners were very secretive. In fact Isabella was the only one he had ever had conversations with. She was an old vamp. Not as old as Josef but close to 300 years old. He punched in her number and waited.
“Location.” A seductive husky voice said.
“Isabella this is Mick St. John. I need to talk to you”
“Don’t tell me you need a clean up?” she asked.
“Candi Watson.” Mick said.
“Yes. What do you want to know about her?”
“She was murdered last night. Josef said you introduced them”. There was a long silence before she spoke again.
“Five years ago in Vegas, Candi caught me behind the hotel where she worked feeding. She screamed and started to run but when she turned the corner there was Mickey Cross and his gang in the process of executing some men. Before she could scream again I grabbed her and took her back to my hotel room” she explained
“So you saved her?”
“She is dead. So no Mick I did not save her”.
“You couldn’t have known Isabella”
“No. But I should have suspected. I moved her to LA after the trial. Even with Mickey in prison I knew his associates would be looking for her. The cops wanted to put her into witness protection but I knew that Mickey would find her. He had contacts on the police force. But it never occurred to me that Mickey would walk or that he would move his operations west”.
“Why did you introduce her to Josef?”
“A new girl in the city as pretty as she was would not have lasted long. Being marked by Josef insured her protection. No one would dare take from Josef Kostan”
“Did you know that she told Josef that she owed Mickey Cross money? Why would she do that?”
“Perhaps she thought Josef would kill him”
“Isabella, I think we both need to speak with Josef” Mick said finally.
“Certainly” was her reply.
Beth stared at the photos Mick left with her. There was something so familiar about them. The angles maybe? The lens that was used? She touched her fingers to her temple closing her eyes.
Then it came to her. Steve! She quickly jumped off the sofa and ran out the door.
Mick and Isabella were pulling up to Josef’s place as he was just coming out. Josef looked up in surprise when he saw Mick and cleaner step out of the car.
“Ok. I’m confused” He said with a smirk that was trademark Josef.
“We need to talk” Mick said
“Ok. Let’s go get comfy” he said heading back to the building.
Letting them in he led them towards his study.
“Liquid refreshment anyone?” he joked motioning to his freshie.
“Josef this is serious. Isabella tell him” Mick said.
The cleaner stood tall and told Josef the story of Rebecca/Candi and how she came to know her. She showed absolutely no fear. Had Mick been in her shoes, he would have been…..well…concerned. But Mick never really understood Josef’s relationship with Isabella. And when she left with her very beautiful head in tact Mick had to inquire.
“Alright Josef, what’s going on with you and Isabella? Anyone else who put you in this position would have been taken to the tar pits!”
“I’m her sire” Josef said.
“What?”
“It was a long time ago. In Vienna. I was being hunted. I was on the run. I hadn’t fed in days. She was gathering water from a well for her family. I was hiding behind some trees. Isabella led the hunters astray. She didn’t even know me, but I owe her my life”
Mick shook his head in astonishment.
“Your lady love is here”. Josef said suddenly and turned towards the door. Beth came rushing in with the photograph in her hand.
“Steve!” she said.
“No Josef” Josef said with a smile.
“That’s who your blackmailer is. Steve. My cameraman!” Mick walked over to her.
“Beth are you sure?”
“Hell yes I’m sure! I was studying this photograph and something about it was familiar to me. Something in the style of it. Look every photographer has a signature. Something that is unique only to them. Something that they specialize in. Steve’s expertise is in tilt-shift photography. It’s the use of camera movements on small and medium format cameras, or selective focus” She explained pointing at the photo. ‘That’s his work!” she said slapping the photo down on the table.
Mick stared at the photo.
“Why would Steve do something like this? It didn’t just come to him to follow Josef around. Someone paid him to do this”.
“I’ve known Steve for 5 years. Before tonight I would have told anyone who even suggested what I am that they were full of it” Beth said.
“Well, I’m supposed to meet him tomorrow night with $15 million dollars” Josef said. Mick looked up in surprise.
“Do you have that kind of cash just lying around?” he asked in surprise
“Mick, of course not. Everything is done wirelessly” Josef said “But I’d really rather not if you catch my meaning”
“I don’t think these two incidents are related” Beth said.