FOLLOW THE LEADER - Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Something troubled me that night as I drove away from the campus and headed down Geneva Avenue. Something besides the pain from the knife wound I had patched up with my first aid kit.
I sensed that I was being followed.
I quickly checked my mirror.
A big SUV turned left onto Geneva, as I had.
I slowed down so I could get a look. I was sure it was the big guy in the Black Escalade. Yes. Still wearing his yellow shades.
I took a circuitous route to Dolores Park. Then I slowly eased up a hill along Church Street, where I could look down on the park. Luckily I saw a spot to park and jumped out. I skittered down the grassy hill and into the park.
I saw a couple of stoners, two girls, under the bridge. They were sharing a joint.
“Yo!” I called. “What’s up?”
They didn’t know what to make of me.
One of them dropped the joint, stomped it out.
Finally the taller one said, “S’up.”
“You waiting for Zack, too?” I asked.
They exchanged a quick look.
Again the taller girl spoke. “We don’t know any Zack.” “Nice try. This is where he deals.”
“If you say so,” said the shorter girl.”
“Dude, we gotta get back. It’s getting’ late.” said the other.
Something troubled me that night as I drove away from the campus and headed down Geneva Avenue. Something besides the pain from the knife wound I had patched up with my first aid kit.
I sensed that I was being followed.
I quickly checked my mirror.
A big SUV turned left onto Geneva, as I had.
I slowed down so I could get a look. I was sure it was the big guy in the Black Escalade. Yes. Still wearing his yellow shades.
I took a circuitous route to Dolores Park. Then I slowly eased up a hill along Church Street, where I could look down on the park. Luckily I saw a spot to park and jumped out. I skittered down the grassy hill and into the park.
I saw a couple of stoners, two girls, under the bridge. They were sharing a joint.
“Yo!” I called. “What’s up?”
They didn’t know what to make of me.
One of them dropped the joint, stomped it out.
Finally the taller one said, “S’up.”
“You waiting for Zack, too?” I asked.
They exchanged a quick look.
Again the taller girl spoke. “We don’t know any Zack.” “Nice try. This is where he deals.”
“If you say so,” said the shorter girl.”
“Dude, we gotta get back. It’s getting’ late.” said the other.
They walked off and left me.
When did females start calling each other “Dude?”
I decided not to wait for Zack. I figured I had spooked him back at school. He was not going to deal tonight.
I was driving home warily, checking my rear view mirror when I spotted the Escalade again. He was being careful—or as careful as one could be inside a behemoth, staying two cars back. When I checked again he was gone.
After driving west up 24th Street into the heart of Noe Valley, I turned left onto Sanchez. So did my shadow.
I turned right onto my street, expecting him to follow.
But he drove on.
I pulled up onto the driveway of a little wooden garage I was
renting, two doors down from my place.
The old door was secured with a padlock and a rusty hasp. I
opened up both doors, got back into my car and drove in.
This is really a bad set-up for a fast escape, I thought.
As I locked it, I glanced down the street corner where I had
turned. Nothing.
This guy is all business, I decided. No way he’ll give up so easily.
I hatched a plot.
I quickly crossed the street and opened my own gate. Instead of heading up the garden path I hid behind a hydrangea bush. The wooden fence in front gave me all the cover I needed.
Nearly five minutes passed before I heard the old gate squeak open. My pursuer started up the walk. I saw now that he was bald and muscular, but not overly so. Easily six feet tall. And still wearing the spooky yellow shades.
I tackled him, knocking him to the ground. As I pushed myself up, he clipped me hard in the forehead with the heel of his hand and I fell off him.
When did females start calling each other “Dude?”
I decided not to wait for Zack. I figured I had spooked him back at school. He was not going to deal tonight.
I was driving home warily, checking my rear view mirror when I spotted the Escalade again. He was being careful—or as careful as one could be inside a behemoth, staying two cars back. When I checked again he was gone.
After driving west up 24th Street into the heart of Noe Valley, I turned left onto Sanchez. So did my shadow.
I turned right onto my street, expecting him to follow.
But he drove on.
I pulled up onto the driveway of a little wooden garage I was
renting, two doors down from my place.
The old door was secured with a padlock and a rusty hasp. I
opened up both doors, got back into my car and drove in.
This is really a bad set-up for a fast escape, I thought.
As I locked it, I glanced down the street corner where I had
turned. Nothing.
This guy is all business, I decided. No way he’ll give up so easily.
I hatched a plot.
I quickly crossed the street and opened my own gate. Instead of heading up the garden path I hid behind a hydrangea bush. The wooden fence in front gave me all the cover I needed.
Nearly five minutes passed before I heard the old gate squeak open. My pursuer started up the walk. I saw now that he was bald and muscular, but not overly so. Easily six feet tall. And still wearing the spooky yellow shades.
I tackled him, knocking him to the ground. As I pushed myself up, he clipped me hard in the forehead with the heel of his hand and I fell off him.
Karate hands!
I was groggy and slow as I clambered to my feet. He was already up and kicked me in the solar plexus and I went down again. I gagged, tried to get my breath back.
He stood over me, waiting to see if I was going to try to get up. He’s still wearing his spooky shades! I had not even knocked off his glasses.
I surprised him when I slowly got to my feet. I knew some karate moves, myself. I adopted the stance, ready for anything. I saw at once that he did not want to fight.
He drew a Glock from somewhere.
“I could kill you right now,” he said. “But you’ve got some shit on you that you just took from Zack. I want it back.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m investigating a murder, and Zack is a suspect. If you’ll let me, I’ll show you my PI license.”
“Go on.”
I pulled out my wallet and fished out my license. Held it up. “Like I can read it in the dark,” he sneered. “Throw it over
here.”
I did. It landed at his feet.
He carefully knelt, keeping his pistol pointed at my chest.
He picked it up and read it in a glance, then let it drop to the ground again.
“Which murder?” he asked.
“Katherine Rollins.’ I said. “And don’t pretend you’ve never heard of her.”
He scoffed at me.
“Good riddance,” he said. “She—!”
“Yes?”
“That was over a year ago. You’ll never catch him.” “How do you know it’s a man?”
“I know, that’s all.”
“Okay. In any event, I don’t have your dope. That’s what
you’re after, right?”
“Francis? Who you talking to?” It was Terry.
I was groggy and slow as I clambered to my feet. He was already up and kicked me in the solar plexus and I went down again. I gagged, tried to get my breath back.
He stood over me, waiting to see if I was going to try to get up. He’s still wearing his spooky shades! I had not even knocked off his glasses.
I surprised him when I slowly got to my feet. I knew some karate moves, myself. I adopted the stance, ready for anything. I saw at once that he did not want to fight.
He drew a Glock from somewhere.
“I could kill you right now,” he said. “But you’ve got some shit on you that you just took from Zack. I want it back.”
“That’s bullshit. I’m investigating a murder, and Zack is a suspect. If you’ll let me, I’ll show you my PI license.”
“Go on.”
I pulled out my wallet and fished out my license. Held it up. “Like I can read it in the dark,” he sneered. “Throw it over
here.”
I did. It landed at his feet.
He carefully knelt, keeping his pistol pointed at my chest.
He picked it up and read it in a glance, then let it drop to the ground again.
“Which murder?” he asked.
“Katherine Rollins.’ I said. “And don’t pretend you’ve never heard of her.”
He scoffed at me.
“Good riddance,” he said. “She—!”
“Yes?”
“That was over a year ago. You’ll never catch him.” “How do you know it’s a man?”
“I know, that’s all.”
“Okay. In any event, I don’t have your dope. That’s what
you’re after, right?”
“Francis? Who you talking to?” It was Terry.
The intruder turned to face him.
I pounced forward and kicked him on the side of his left knee as hard as I could. He dropped like a sack of cement and howled in pain. I stomped on his right wrist and he howled again, releasing the Glock. I scooped it up and backed off.
My intruder’s ligaments in his left knee would take forever to heal. A con who had taught me that kick—it had a special name—told me that one of his victims had to have his knee replaced.
“Give me back my gun.”
I unloaded it and threw it out onto the street.
“Go get it,” I said.
The floodlight came on.
Terry came down the path, brandishing a baseball bat. Before he could open his mouth I said, “Take a picture of this clown.”
Terry dropped the bat got out his smart phone. I rolled the guy over onto his back.
“I’ll kill the both of you.”
“Shouldn’t we call the cops?” Terry asked. “He’s just leaving,” I said.
I pounced forward and kicked him on the side of his left knee as hard as I could. He dropped like a sack of cement and howled in pain. I stomped on his right wrist and he howled again, releasing the Glock. I scooped it up and backed off.
My intruder’s ligaments in his left knee would take forever to heal. A con who had taught me that kick—it had a special name—told me that one of his victims had to have his knee replaced.
“Give me back my gun.”
I unloaded it and threw it out onto the street.
“Go get it,” I said.
The floodlight came on.
Terry came down the path, brandishing a baseball bat. Before he could open his mouth I said, “Take a picture of this clown.”
Terry dropped the bat got out his smart phone. I rolled the guy over onto his back.
“I’ll kill the both of you.”
“Shouldn’t we call the cops?” Terry asked. “He’s just leaving,” I said.
Comments
Post a Comment