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Baldy shrugged. “I don’t know if it was a he. Like I said, his…or her…voice was mechanical. We called him, told him it was done, and he told us where we could pick up the money.”
“When and where?”
“That night at a park in Dunwoody off of Shallowford Road near the basketball courts.”
Laz frowned. “They didn’t ask for proof that I was dead?”
Again, the kid hesitated. “Nah, but he called after we got the money and told us to dump the gun and that we better hope you’re dead.”
“And if I wasn’t?”
“He said you would hunt us down like animals and kill us.”
Interesting.The person didn’t care if I was dead or not.
Otherwise, they would’ve wanted proof. This person, whoever they were, also knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t rest until he found the people involved.
I just need to know who. Who’d pay five thousand and not care if I was dead?
That question bounced around in Laz’s head, but he still needed more information.
“You keep sayingwe. Who else was involved?” Laz assumed he was referring to Shaggy but wanted to make sure.
The kid hesitated, and Laz pressed the gun harder against his temple. “My patience is spent. So your ass better answer my damn question. Now!”
“I ain’t no snitch! I ain’t sayin’ nothing else. Do what you want to me. I don’t care. Just…just don’t hurt my grandfather. He had nothing to do with this shit. If you gon’ shoot me, go ahead.” The kid closed his eyes tightly.
Laz’s mind went to Arielle, who was fine and enjoying her time in Florida, but all he could think about was how terrified she’d been. For that, he wanted so bad to kill the worthless piece of shit.
He glanced up to find Parker staring at him. He was standing in somewhat of a shadow caused by the positioning of the lamp that didn’t emit much light. Yet Laz could see the warning in his friend’s eyes and feel the intensity bouncing off him.
After a few tense seconds, Laz lowered his weapon and jammed it into the back waistband of his jeans. Then before he could stop himself, he throat-punched the kid, not hard enough to crush his trachea but hard enough to cause pain.
Benny fell forward, holding his neck, gagging, before a coughing fit ensued. Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, Laz pushed Benny’s head back against the chair, wrapped his hand around his throat, and squeezed. All he could see were the whites of Benny’s eyes.
“If youevercome after me again or anyone I know, Iwillkill you. It won’t matter whether you’re in jail or on the opposite side of the planet. I will hunt your ass down and end your useless life.”
“Enough,” Parker growled.
Laz jerked his hand away from the man’s neck. The move was so violent that it sent Benny falling over the side of the chair and crashing onto the hardwood floor. Benny gasped for air as he tried to get up but fell back to the floor.
Unable to help himself, Laz kicked him in the side of the head and stomped his chest while delivering another verbal warning. Benny lay curled in a ball on the floor, crying in pain.
Good.
Laz headed to the door they had come through. The plan was for him to question Baldy and/or Shaggy, then call Ted to share what he knew. Well, some of what he knew. He’d have to figure out how to erase parts of the recording before handing it over.
If he knew Ted, the detective would continue questioning the thugs, hunt for more answers, and dig for the burner phone which had been thrown in a sewer drain near the basketball court.
By the time the investigation was done, Ted would no doubt wrap it up pretty for the DA’s office, and the two punks would end up in jail.
But that still left Laz with a problem. Who the hell was gunning for him?
And there was only one reason the person would pay the money, even though the hit was a bust.
Someone was sending a message….
