Rachel watched Nick’s cohorts ambling around their room, making drinks, and stealing glances at her when they thought she wasn’t looking. For his part, Nick stayed in the kitchen, helping to make and pass out refreshments, avoiding her since saying hello upon his return. She knew they sprung the trap earlier in the day, and were mostly without sleep for the better part of two days. To her, The Unholy Trio and their Geezer mascot seemed far too cheerful. Jean was sipping a soda, staying near Nick so as to accumulate information with Deke next to her.
“Okay, this has gone on far enough. Who am I going to have to beat the story out of? John. Don’t look away from me. What the hell is going on?” Rachel invaded John’s airspace, grabbing his chin and shaking it. “Tell me! You are in my power. You will tell me everything.”
“Muerto took another hit for right after we get back to Pacific Grove. He was supposed to tell you as soon as he walked in, but when he didn’t I knew you would try and torture the information from us. Unhand me, woman! Muerto! Do something, you spineless jellyfish.”
“Nice one, John,” Nick replied. “It took you only five seconds to throw me under the bus. I’m demoting you back to minion for this horrendous lack of fortitude and loyalty.”
“Don’t blame John, Muerto,” Dan said. “We’ve been listening to your new gig, and how you were going to sell it to Princess Bump all the way from Seattle. The moment you get in the door, you head for the liquid courage, and clam up like a sprung bear trap.”
“Et tu, Dan?” Nick borrowed and reworked the famous line of Julius Cesar to his supposedly loyal friend Brutus when stabbed by said friend during the Ides of March.
“You’re the fearless, El Muerto, not Cesar, you spineless jellyfish.” Gus piled on. “We could have left you to face Princess Bump alone, but risked the wrath of the Bump out of compassion and eagerness to watch the aftermath. Grow a pair, drink some booze, and give her the outline of yet another outlandish commitment to the Muerto ego supreme.”
“El Muerto was merely winding down a bit after saving Seattle from the deadly clutches of a wicked mass murderer, stalking, torturing, and killing young ladies of the night. Does El Muerto even get a few cherished moments to enjoy his incredible accomplishment? I think not.”
Rachel enjoyed the continuing roast and professed outrage of Nick. She sat down at the kitchenette table. “Come sit down and tell Princess Bump all about it. At some point today, you guys will need some sleep.”
“I can’t bail Muerto out of this one anyway,” Dan said. “If you gentlemen will excuse me, I’m going to go sleep for the next twenty-four hours.”
“See you, when we see you, Dan,” Nick waved at him. “You were a great pimp.”
“Thank you… I think.” Dan shook hands with his battery mates Gus and John as he made his way to the door. “Don’t let the Bump tear Muerto apart too much guys. He still has to show for the book signings.”
“We’ll take care of him, Dan. We took down the Ripper. The Bump will cut him a little slack for that,” Gus replied.
The moment Dan closed the door behind him, Rachel ordered the other two thirds of the Unholy Trio to the table. “Sit down you two so Muerto can quit stalling. Can you put this in a way so the Daughter of Darkness can stay, or does she need to go to her room?”
Jean knew better than to plead.
“She can stay. With all that’s happened in the last few weeks there’s no use in playing pretend, not that it ever worked after Jean’s experience on the cross country flight from the Tanus mobsters,” Nick admitted. “There’s a situation Grace and Tim want me to handle in Santa Cruz a bit like you and Jean had, only with a personal thread tied in with Grace. A woman and her two teenage sons are in the WITSEC program. One of the boys made calls back to an old girlfriend, giving away their general location. A killer has moved into the area on the hunt. He’s the same one that ordered Grace’s Uncle Joe killed in Queens. She never mentioned him before. This Chino Salermo recruits local gangs to do his dirty work in protection rackets and killings. He’s a soldier for the Lino Verducci mob in New York the woman is testifying against at a murder trial.”
“Did Grace mention she’d probably catapult to number one on my shit list for dumping this on you?”