by the car, but he didn’t see Hicks.
“Who’s this?”
“I’ve seen him. The weird one.”
“Supposed to be three. I see one.”
“Way the hell out here, maybe they got lost.”
Riley stepped out of the car. He didn’t like the location and he didn’t like standing in the open. The thought crossed his mind they were being set up. He felt tight as a bowstring.
“Where’s Hicks?”
The man smiled dumbly, and offered his hand. He was a big boy, but not big like Pitch or Terrence. He looked swollen and soft, with wide sloping shoulders and a round puffy face.
“Hello, Mr. Riley. My name is Blanch. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He spoke softly, his voice whispery and hoarse.
Riley ignored his hand.
“Where’s Hicks? Hicks and the other man were supposed to be here.”
Blanch slowly lowered his hand.
“Well, we didn’t know when you’d arrive, so Mr. Hicks went to check the location. He should be back soon. It’s close.”
“How close?”
The man slowly pointed up the highway.
“There.”
Pitchess said, “Supposed to be a third. He go with Hicks?”
“That would be Stegner. He hasn’t arrived. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly.”
Riley glanced at Terrence and Charlie, and Pitchess. Terrence shook his head and spit at a rock.
Riley wanted to kill them right here. Wait for Hicks to return, and drop them right here in the light of the Pacific Coast Highway. But this would leave the third, Stegner. Riley didn’t want to tell his employer one got away.
Charlie frowned.
“What’s that?”
Riley turned.
“What?”
“Hear it?”
Pitch said, “Yeah.”
He pointed at Hicks’s car.
Riley heard a thump. Then another. The car thumped again.
Riley stepped past Blanch to the car.
Thump.
Something in the trunk thumped.
Riley looked at Blanch.
“Open it.”
“All righty.”
The boy made his idiot’s smile and opened the trunk.
A young woman lay curled on her side. She was bound with duct tape and cord, and tape covered her mouth. She managed to lift her feet, and brought them down hard.
Thump.
The idiot said, “This is Carly Knox, Isabel’s friend. Isn’t she pretty?”
Riley walked away, shaking his head. No wonder crazies like Manson and the Night Stalker popped up out here. These people were defective.
50.
Hicks
Hicks saw their cars as he hustled back to the fish shack. Two big sedans, parked behind Blanch. The cowboys stood by the cars, looking as large as grazing cattle. Hicks didn’t see Stegner, and felt a stab of concern. Stegner should have arrived. He put in a call as he crossed the parking lot. Voice mail.
“Call me, Jason. I need you.”
He pocketed his phone as he reached the others.
Riley looked tense.
“Who’d you call?”
“My guy. Stegner. I don’t know where he is.”
Riley looked at Blanch.
“Impressive associates. Where is she?”
“Gone. She’ll be back. They’re close.”
Riley grabbed his arm so quickly Hicks was caught off guard. He broke Riley’s grip, and pushed the larger man back.
“The fuck’s wrong with you?”
Two of the cowboys hovered near Blanch. The third drifted behind Hicks.
Hicks grabbed his pistol but didn’t draw. He edged backward, eyes flicking from man to man, but mostly on Riley.
“Wanna go? Go! Do it! You fuck!”
Riley didn’t move. He didn’t look frightened.
“You told me she was here.”
“She’s here. She just—”
Hicks searched for an explanation.
“—stepped out for a few minutes.”
“Her bodyguard?”
“Him, I don’t know. He’s probably with her.”
The moment of violence passed. Hicks let go of his gun and patted the air, trying to calm Riley’s nerves.
“Relax. You’ll have her in five minutes. Ten minutes, tops.”
“Except for the part how you don’t know where she is, or when she’ll be back, or even if she’s coming back. With her bodyguard. A man who killed three of your men.”
“I got it covered.”
“So do I.”
Riley glanced at his bulls.
“Saddle up.”
The cowboy named Charlie went to a sedan and popped the trunk. The other cowboys crowded around as Charlie handed out bullet-resistant vests and crop-stocked Benelli shotguns. Watching them strap on the vests, Hicks thought they looked like West Texas linemen suiting up for a championship game.
Riley turned, and Hicks knew the man was making a decision.
Riley said, “So? Where is she?”
Hicks shoved past the herd of cowboys to his car. Blanch stood by the trunk with his hands in his pockets, watching the cowboys.
Hicks said, “Gimme her phone.”
Blanch held up a phone.
“The cool thing about nabbing her friend is we nabbed the friend’s phone. It was a hoot reading their texts. You should see this stuff. All these chicks do is text each other.”
Riley squared off behind him as Hicks tapped the phone.
“Stop wasting time. If you don’t know where she is, take us to the house. We’ll find