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Chapter Twenty-Five
“Where’s Lissa?”
Kozlowski was standing in the doorway to the back office where he spent most of his time holed up. He was leaning against the doorjamb, his polyester slacks straining against the muscles in his leg, his secondhand-store jacket flapped open, revealing his shoulder holster and gun. A caricature of himself.
“She went to pick up the girl,” Fi
Kozlowski shook his head. “No reason.”
“You guys got a date to register for china patterns this afternoon or something?”
Kozlowski looked confused. “What?”
“ China patterns. That’s what people do when they decide to get married, right?” Fi
“Fuck you.”
“How about hot plates? Either of you guys got a hot plate?” Fi
“We’re not doing that,” Kozlowski said. He sounded definitive.
“You have to. A marriage isn’t legal without a china pattern.” Fi
“Really? Someone with your sensitive feminine instincts? I’d have thought you knew before we did.”
“That’s good; I like that.” He looked at the older man; Kozlowski shifted uncomfortably. “Marriage,” Fi
“Marriage,” Kozlowski repeated. He shrugged. “We’ve been together for over a year,” he said.
“I know, that’s what I don’t get. Seemed like you guys had it all figured out; like you guys had what everybody else is looking for. You really want to risk screwing it up?”
“I love her,” Kozlowski said.
“Of course you do. So why do you want to risk losing her?”
“I risk losing her by marrying her?”
Fi
“Maybe you don’t know us as well as you think you do.”
Fi
“This go
“Not for me. Not unless you guys screw it up. I need both of you here. I don’t want either of you thinking you can get out of your commitments to me by getting married to each other.”
Kozlowski shook his head. “We won’t screw it up.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“Fuck you.”
Fi
“More than you deserve.”
“You’re go
“I said I love her, not that I deserve her,” Kozlowski said. “I’ll take it.”
“Fair enough,” Fi
“You said that already.”
The phone rang, and Fi
“Is this a law office?” the woman’s voice said.
“It is,” Fi
“This is City Hospital. Does a woman named Lissa Krantz work there?”
“Yes. Why, is there something wrong?” Fi
“She’s okay,” the woman said. “At least she should be. She was involved in an altercation.”
“What kind of an altercation?” Fi
“I don’t really know, sir. That’s all the information I have. Is she married?”
“Sort of.”
“The doctor told me that we should get her husband here if possible, for when she wakes up.”
“Wakes up? She’s unconscious? What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry, I only have the notes they gave me. The doctor’s in with another patient, and it’s a little crazy around here. You’ll have to come down to the hospital to get the full information.”
“Okay, we’ll be right down,” Fi
There was a pause on the other end of the line before the woman spoke. “What girl?” she asked.
“They said she was okay?” Kozlowski said.
“Yeah.” They were moving as soon as Fi
“Did they say what happened?” Kozlowski asked. His voice seemed calm, but Fi
Fi
“Who?” Kozlowski’s full consciousness was devoted to Lissa at the moment.
“Sally,” Fi
Kozlowski shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Can you think of anyplace else she would go?” Fi
“I have trouble thinking of anyplace she wouldn’t go.” He looked at Fi
Fi
“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Kozlowski said.
Fi
He pressed the button to accept the call and put the phone up to his ear. “This is Fi
“I have the girl,” the voice said.
“Who is this?” From the accent Fi
“ Devon will know who I am,” the voice said. “Tell him I have her. Tell him I want the paintings. If I get the paintings, I’ll let her go. If not, I’ll kill her.”
“I don’t understand; what paintings?” Fi
“ Devon will know.” The man’s voice made Fi
“What if Devon doesn’t know what you’re talking about? What if he doesn’t have any paintings?”
“That would be too bad. Particularly for the girl. His daughter, as I understand it? Either he gives me the paintings, or he trades himself for his daughter. If I have time with him, I’ll find out for myself whether or not he knows anything. Otherwise, she dies. Tell him.”
“I’ll tell him.”
“One more thing,” the man said. “Don’t go to the police. If I think they are involved, I’ll kill her. Then I’ll come after Devon. Then I’ll finish off the woman from today and her old man. Then I’ll come after you. Are we clear?”
“ Crystal,” Fi
“Good.”
“I need time to get him out of jail,” Fi
“I’ll give you a day, then I’ll call back.”
“I don’t know that it’ll happen that fast.”
“One day, Mr. Fi
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“You’ll do better than that. I’ll call tomorrow at the end of the day. Six o’clock. Have Malley out, and be ready with an answer. Otherwise, I’ll be coming.” The line went dead.