Hooked

“I’ll get a couple of my guys to help. First, lemme get you some protective gear. Won’t help much if the building comes down on you, but it should protect you from falling debris.” He hurried into the on-site trailer and came out with a jacket, boots, goggles, and hardhat. “See if these fit,” he said. Then he spoke into the walkie-talkie again and called for a couple of men. “You need a knife or something. What if she’s tied up?”
    Linc had been so focused on finding Tawny, he wasn’t thinking ahead. “Thanks. If she’s in there and still alive, she’s probably bound.”
    That was the most positive answer Linc allowed himself. He couldn’t imagine Mario Russo leaving any witnesses. Maybe, just maybe, though, he spared her so her death would fall to the wrecking ball while he was alibied in the city, sleeping in his own bed. How could Russo know he’d be teetering in the hands of the Grim Reaper before the morning’s end?
    Linc suited up. The boots were a size too big but manageable. The protective clothing fit. Hardhat went back inside the building and came out with a knife in a sheath. Linc shoved it in one of the jacket’s deep pockets.
    More cars pull in. He turned around to see Dennis and Clauson jog over. Dennis grabbed him by the arm. “You crazy son of a bitch. You’re not going in there, are you?”
    “I’m not dressed like this for nothing,” Linc said. He glanced at Clauson. “Russo?”
    “Still unconscious but hanging in there, last I heard.”
    “You can’t let him in there,” Dennis implored the foreman. “That building’s ready to fall down.”
    “It was a hazard before we started,” Hardhat said. “I’ve ordered all demolition stopped to lessen the vibrations. But time is money. You have twenty minutes, then we start. So find out if she’s there, and get the hell out.”
    “Thanks,” Linc said. “You’ve thought of everything.”
    “You won’t believe this,” Hardhat said, “but something like this happened before. Long story.”
    Dennis grabbed Linc’s arm. “You sure you want to do this? You could get killed.”
    Linc nodded.
    “Man…”
    “I’ll be fine,” Linc responded.
    Dennis shook his head. “I know better than to try and talk you out of anything.” He balled his fist and pumped it into Linc’s chest. “Good luck, partner.”
    Linc said, “I’ll need it,” but not so anyone could hear.

Chapter Forty-Four
    Not Yet Out of the Woods

    B enny sat in a stinking holding cell in the 19 th precinct, rubbing elbows with drunks and addicts and thieves. He was already starting to itch. Cooties crawled all over him, a drunk hit him up for money, and someone’s hand fondled his ass. Didn’t these people know who he was? Princess Eileen had put up such a fuss that they separated her from everyone else.
    When the police stormed the door at Upper Eighties, waving a warrant, Benny wasted no time phoning his attorney, Stan Klein, whose voicemail message threw Benny into a tirade of four-letter words. He didn’t have much time, and some electronic voice was telling him to leave a message at the beep and Mr. Klein would get back to him. Fuck that! Right after the word cocksucker, Klein picked up the phone, his voice a sleepy growl. Did Benny give a rat’s ass that his lawyer was sleeping? Did he keep the son of a bitch in Benzes so he could avoid Benny’s midnight calls? He did not, and Benny made that clear.
    For one of the few times in his life, Benny thought of someone other than himself. His children. After a quick summary of the situation, Benny told Klein to inform Eileen’s mother, who was babysitting, to please stay at the house until Klein got him and Eileen out of jail. “And you better get us out fast,” he added. Not fast enough, he thought now.
    In Benny’s mind, the worst thing he did was fail to report Cindi’s unfortuna te demise. If he’d done that, the police would have charged him with procurement―even though he wasn’t a pimp―and closed him down, which would have been a better situation than the one he faced now: accessory to murder after the fact. And not one murder ch arge, three. He doubted it made a difference that he only covered up Cindi’s murder and didn’t know about the other two until last night. Oh, yeah, Martell brought the total to four. He had nothing to do with that murder either. Now that the authorities had him by the nuts, they’d dig and dig until they found all his hidden money, and the feds