A Killing in China Basin - By Kirk Russell Page 0,72
he’d gone to hear her talk, just to see what she looked like, and he watched how she changed her posture now, nothing like the lack of confidence she’d showed as she’d looked for the boat.
‘Strange to meet after all these years,’ she said. ‘Are you going to show me your face when we get out on the bay?’
‘I am, and don’t think I’m crazy for doing it this way. Erin once tried to kill me and for all I knew, you were her.’
She warmed up to that idea. She’d once had the same fear herself and said, ‘All these years you were afraid you were talking to her online?’
‘Yeah, could have been and it’s another reason I wanted to see you walk down the dock.’
He kept his face turned away as he steered the boat out. He kept the sunglasses and hat on, his coat collar turned up. But she acted like this was all good fun now. She had to be scared but appeared to be enjoying this, asking, ‘If you’ve found her why are you sharing it?’
‘Because I owe money and I’ve got to get paid off. I can’t do it alone. Besides, you’re going to get her arrested, right? I can’t do that, so I may as well help you and get help with the costs.’
She could see his back and that wasn’t going to be enough, no matter how much TV she’d been watching.
‘She tried to kill you?’
‘Stole all my money and then tried to kill me.’ Stoltz made it up on the spot. ‘She ran off with another guy and all my money, and they thought I was dead but they’d killed the wrong person.’ He let a beat pass and then let her know. ‘I recognize you.’
‘That’s what I didn’t want to have happen.’
‘I think what you do with your foundation is cool.’
‘Thank you.’
They were well out into the bay now and he turned the wheel slightly before reaching in his pocket and pulling the gun as he turned.
‘Nothing is going to happen to you, and this isn’t a rape or a trick.’
She was much quicker than he would have ever guessed and tried to get out on the deck. He had to drag her down from behind, grabbing her hair, wrenching her head sideways and slamming her down. He spun a roll of duct tape around her mouth as she fought him. He had the handcuffs ready and clicked those on, ran the chain through the eye hook and snapped the lock.
‘We’re going to talk, and depending on what you say, you’ll be fine. Otherwise we’ll go outside the Gate ten miles and you can swim in.’
He took the duct tape off her after he got around to the east side of Angel Island and cut the speed to nothing. Without forward speed the boat wallowed, but the bay was calm and would be dark soon enough. As long as he moved occasionally no one would pay that much attention to them. He took her purse into the forward cabin and went through it, found a small gun, what looked like a .25 caliber. He removed the bullets and put them in his coat pocket, then walked out on the forward deck, debated throwing her phone in the water and put that in his pocket also. He didn’t find any money and walked back to the stern cabin.
‘You forgot to bring money.’
‘After we make a deal, I’ll wire it to you.’
He looked at her, handcuffed, chained down, and still talking like that.
‘You brought a gun.’
‘For self defense, but I want the information. I want to make a deal.’
‘You’re going to get one chance to.’
He took his sunglasses off now and the hat. He turned the collar down.
‘Now, your turn. Recognize me?’
She shook her head.
‘Cody Stoltz.’
She recognized the name. She couldn’t hide that and quickly said, ‘The person the police are framing.’
He almost smiled.
‘You should be scared, but there’s a way out of this for you. I know you’re smart and tough, but nothing will save you if you don’t have what I need.’
‘Will you free at least one of my hands? It hurts so much I can’t think.’
He freed her left hand and then told her, ‘I want to know how you ended up with her identity and why you’re looking for her still.’
‘I’m looking because she’s blackmailed me for more money. We are on the same side here and I know the police have been framing you. Everyone knows and—’