Sunday, August 20, 2017

Guardian Angels – An Interesting Life (6)



Vic looked down at the table, drawing circles on the top with one finger. "I'm not a crook. I'm a private investigator." He glanced up at Evan. "A damned good one—usually. This time I made a mistake and it cost me. Not a big one, but one that apparently let someone know I was more interested in them than they liked."
"Some gangster?"
Vic smiled wryly. "It should be so easy. I was hired to find out who was blackmailing… well, let's just say a person whose name you'd probably recognize."
"Isn't stopping that what the cops are for?"
"If you were well known and someone was blackmailing you, would you go to the police? They'd want to know the details and…" Vic spread his hands. "Get the picture?"
Evan nodded. "So instead, he hires you."
"One of his people did, so no one will connect it to him. Supposedly I'm watching this woman's husband because she thinks he's playing around."
"Is he?"
"No. That's just the cover story, with her husband's consent. It gives me a reason to be places he is, since he's one of the blackmail victim's…associates."
Evan shook his head. "I think I'll stick with setting up security for people and let them deal with the consequences if someone tries to breach it. No one's going to beat me up, or worse, for that."
"Probably not," Vic agreed, smiling. He got up at that point, slowly, and limped into the living room.
Evan started to follow him, stopping when Vic returned with the bottle of pills in hand. "If you'd asked, I could have gotten those for you." 
Vic shrugged. "I'm going to owe you a new bottle," he said, popping two pills, washing them down with the last of his milk after he'd retaken his seat.
Evan watched Vic carefully, trying to assess what shape he was in. "You're not planning on working for a while, I hope."
"Do I have a choice?"
"Not really. You're fifty shades of purple and puce; every time you take a deep breath, you wince. You're limping, though you're trying to hide it."
"Not too successfully I take it."
Evan chuckled. "Not at all. So, since you're going to be stuck here for at least a couple of days, let's use the time to figure out how you're going to catch the blackmailer."
"Stuck here?" Vic cocked an eyebrow.
"Obviously the person you're looking for knows who you are, since they sent someone after you. That means they know where your office is, and probably where you live as well. I doubt you could fight off another attack—or escape one."  
Vic frowned. "Unfortunately you're right, but you don't have to put me up. I can… go to a motel."
"I have the spare bedroom that you're welcome to use. Not to put too fine a point on it, but I think you should stay so I can make certain there was no internal damage that hasn't shown up yet. Also, you're safer here, since I practice what I preach. No one can get in here without my knowing it."

* * * *

"Bet me," Dom said, chortling.
"I don't think we count," Paddy replied. He studied Vic intently. "No internal damage, but I can't quite reassure him or Evan about that. I wish we knew who sent those men to deal with him."
"I'm sure he does as well."
"He has to have some idea. I could try reading his mind."
Dom shot Paddy a dire look. "That is not allowed except in emergencies and you know it."
"Don't you think keeping him alive is an emergency?"
"Not the way I meant it. The rules say…"
"Rules are meant to be broken." Paddy sighed. "Okay, for now I'll play by them but if Evan can't worm a name out of him…"

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