Page 46 of Etched in Stone
Jesse sighed in relief. “Thank you.”
Helen came in with some coffee. Tommy practically inhaled it.
“If you don't mind me saying so, cos, you're looking a little worse for wear. There's a couch over there. Why don't you take a little nap while I see what I can put in motion?”
Jesse nodded and went to the couch in question. Despite the worry in her stomach, she drifted off nearly the moment her head hit the armrest.
“Jesse looks so peaceful on that couch. I'd hate to disturb her.” She knew that voice and jack knifed straight off the couch when she heard it. Pablo, in yet another suit stood there, calm as you please, next to Tommy.
“She was talking crazy. Said something about an alien. Rambling about you trying to kill her.”
“Don't worry, don't worry. She's just a little crazy, but we give her meds, and all will be right with the world.” Pablo had two little pills in his hand.
“Ah, well, I'm not sure I can be a party to forcing her to take any medication that she doesn't want
to take.”
“No way in fucking hell am I taking anything from Pablo. Did I tell you he confessed to killing his wife? That was right before he tried to kill me the first time,” Jesse spat out.
Tommy backed toward the door. For a moment, she could swear he winked at her before exiting.
“Now, now, don't be a little shit,” Pablo said through his teeth.
“You're going to have to kill me before I take whatever the hell that is. And you're going to have an awfully difficult way of explaining yourself if you do.”
“Why should you be worried about that? You'll be dead. But I don't want you dead anymore. Not yet anyway. Your stubborn fuck buddy is refusing to talk.”
“Where is he?” Jesse scrambled off the couch, but she was in the corner, and Pablo was slowly inching forward.
“Take the pills and I'll take you right to him. I promise. Swear even.” He couldn't even hide his annoyance any more.
“So you can use me as leverage? Ha. You tried to lie to him, didn't you? And now you need me so he'll talk? But I know too much. As soon as you get what you want, I'll be expendable again. Just like on the street when you were going to shoot me the second time.”
“I only tried to shoot you once. The first time I threw you off the roof. Next time, I think nice and personal, you know, close like a knife sliding across your throat. Letting your blood squirt through my fingers.” He seemed positively gleeful at the the thought. “Now swallow the fucking pills. They’ll make all your troubles go away.”
Jesse wondered if screaming bloody murder would do her any good. No, she decided to settle for a swift kick to the balls. Pablo was not ready or fast enough to counter her attack. She got him squarely in his pastel crotch. He bent over in pain and Jesse sprinted for the door.
It was opened by another woman sporting a pantsuit covered by a blue windbreaker and rather familiar eyes. She circled around Jesse and straight to Pablo.
“Pablo, you’re under arrest for threatening a federal witness, and well, everything else. Get up.”
Pablo only managed a squeak. The woman handcuffed him anyway. A matching pair of federal agents in US Marshal jackets picked him up by the arms and escorted him out. Tommy came back into his office behind him. He was smiling broadly at the woman.
“Jessenia, meet your other cousin, Margaret Lark.”
“Named after our grandmother,” Jesse said, finally catching on.
“Yeah, but don’t call me Midge.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. The last time he was arrested, he had a gun on the streets of New York City and was out in an hour.”
“Oh, don’t worry. I plan to follow him around and lose his paperwork for a good long time. In fact, his papers might just get misfiled permanently. And welcome to the family, by the way, even though it sounds like you’re not long for this world.”
Margaret shook her hand and departed, punching her brother on the shoulder. “You owe me one,”
she called out as she left.
“But what about Ray? How are we going to find him?” Jesse pleaded.
