“You have friends?” Rachel’s face dropped comically into open mouthed wonder, drawing laughter from Nick. “You’re a more personable psycho than you’ve led me to believe.”
“Repartee is a dual-edged sword, Kimmy,” Nick retorted, standing and helping a now growling Rachel to her feet.
“I…hate…that…name!” Rachel whispered through clenched teeth as Dan and Carol descended to the beach area waving animatedly.
“Well, damn. What the hell have you gone and done, boy?” Dan asked gruffly, shaking Nick’s hand while smiling brightly at Rachel.
“Dan!” Carol cringed before holding her hand out to Rachel. “Hi, I’m Carol Lewis and big mouth here is my husband Dan.”
“Dan, Carol…I’d like you to meet Rachel Hunter.” Nick caught up on the introductions. “The little girl over there is Jean and the mutt is named Deke.”
“Very happy to meet you,” Rachel shook Carol’s hand, happy to hear her real name after so long.
“Did Nick order a family from an on-line catalogue without telling us?” Dan smiled at Rachel, taking her hand in both his weathered ones. “You do realize you’ve taken up with a serial killer, right?”
Nick grinned, noting as Rachel nodded gamely, covering up for the split second of utter confusion that rolled over her.
“Why yes, I believe he did mention something about being a cold blooded murderer. That’s why I brought the family down to visit.”
Oh, that was good, Nick thought approvingly, laughing along with Dan and Carol.
“You’re okay, Rachel.” Dan pronounced between laughing and warding off Carol. “So, you’re down from Pleasanton to stay at the big house, huh?”
“I told them I’d met someone while researching up in Pleasanton,” Nick filled in when Rachel looked at him questioningly. “Carol thinks I need more romance in my novels. I figured I’d better get some experience if I’m planning on giving my assassin, Diego, a love life.”
“I’m a research project?” Rachel entertained Nick with enough credible outrage to worry Dan and Carol until she started laughing. “Just kidding. I’ve never read his books, so I wouldn’t know if he were researching a project or not.”
“You and Nick make quite a match.” Dan nodded speculatively.
“Are you two stopping at the Café on the way back, or going there now?”
“Neither this morning, Nick,” Carol answered. “Dan has his annual check-up in an hour. They have to keep checking each year to make sure all his blood hasn’t turned to vinegar.”
Nick saw Jean and Deke approach the laughing adults together before waiting with impatience for the hilarity to subside. After introductions, during which Nick made Deke sit and shake hands with Dan and Carol, irritating Rachel to no end, the older couple continued home. Deke, sensing something different in Rachel’s attitude began hopping around snapping at Rachel’s heels, grabbing her pant leg and pulling.
“Why you…no good…ungrateful cur…call your damned dog off, Nick!” Rachel ordered.
“C’mon, let’s go get coffee and hot chocolate at the Café. We’ll get them to go, so you can grab an application, and Deke won’t get into trouble tied up outside.” Nick whistled a short two-tone come on to Deke, who immediately ran over, sat down, and waited for his leash to be attached.
“You’re lucky you’re already fixed, traitor.” Rachel shook an angry finger at Deke’s perpetually smiling face. “Maybe we can get the vet to do a follow up just to be sure.”
“Mom!” Jean ran over to hug the docile Deke. “Don’t you dare!”
Nick, who had been viewing the interaction with intense amusement, leashed Deke. “We’d better move along, Dawg, before Rachel goes postal on your hairy butt. Did you like the beach, Jean?”
Jean nodded in the affirmative, but immediately qualified her answer. “Are there ever any kids around here my age?”
“We’ll find some,” Nick promised, taking Rachel’s arm.
Chapter Six
“Bring him in, Nick.” Joe beckoned from the counter as Nick poked his head in after holding the door to the Monte Café open for Rachel and Jean. He held Deke within sight on his leash. “It’s a slow morning, and a good thing, too, since Nancy’s still out. Where’d you pick up the strays, Hemingway?”
Nick chuckled. “Up North, along the side of the road. This is Rachel Hunter, her daughter Jean, and Deke the dog. I don’t want you to get into trouble for having Deke in here, Joe.”
“Glad to meet you, Rachel, Jean, and of course, Deke.” Joe gestured at the first table by the window. “I’m the owner of this establishment, Joe Montenegro. Now, if you see anybody come in, act like Deke’s your seeing-eye dog, Hemingway.”
“I have my sunglasses right here,” Nick agreed instantly, holding them up. “Two coffees and a hot chocolate, please Sir.”
“Coming right up.” Joe left to get their order.
“Another friend?” Rachel needled Nick.
“Any more out of you, Kimmy, and I’ll have Deke herd you up to the house.”
Deke gave out a short ‘grumphf’ in agreement and on cue.
“Okay, for you, Hemingway,” Rachel retorted as Jean giggled.
After collecting an application from an eager Joe, who offered to hire Rachel on the spot, the four walked up 12th Street to Nick’s house as sunlight streamed through the dissipating clouds. Nick saw that Rachel kept glancing over her shoulder at the ocean’s colorful transformation under the sun’s rays.
“It’s gorgeous when the sun comes out,” Rachel noted, as they stood on Nick’s porch.
“Yep, it’s nice. We can go up on the balcony. I’m working on my outline for Diego’s next adventure.” Nick disabled the alarm system, propping the screen open, and kneeling down to check over Deke. “You didn’t collect much sand, Deke. I guess we don’t have to give you a bath this time.”
Nick opened the front door. Jean skipped over the stoop and a huge hand grabbed the little girl up. Nanoseconds later Deke clamped onto the wrist with snarling ferocity. Morris cursed, dropping Jean, while pivoting to the right, swinging the attached Deke with him. Rachel scooped up Jean and Nick stomped his booted right foot into Morris’s left Achilles tendon. Morris collapsed, gritting his teeth against the blinding pain while trying to swing his silenced automatic toward Nick. With Deke out of the way, Nick swung his left boot up in a roundhouse kick which smashed into Morris’s face like a jackhammer. Morris’s weapon clattered to the hardwood floor. Morris pitched over on his back, blood gushing from his shattered nose. Nick had the automatic pointed at Morris in the next split second. He kicked the front door closed.
“Take Jean and Deke upstairs, Rachel.” Nick directed, watching Morris roll around in misery.
Rachel carried the stunned Jean upstairs, pausing only to call Deke.
“Go on, Deke. Thanks for the save, mutt.”
Deke gave out a sharp bark and ran after Rachel and Jean.
Nick waited, keeping his distance from Morris. Morris coughed up blood after rolling to his hands and knees. He tested his left leg, falling on his right side with a grunt of pain. Getting back to his hands and knees Morris looked up at Nick sullenly.
“You’ll hav’ to call. The tendon’s busted,” Morris said nasally.
“What the hell are you doing here? Frank and I have a deal.”
“You ain’t got a deal with me. If not for that Goddamn dog, I’d -”
Nick fired two shots into Morris’s right temple and one more into his forehead after tipping the shuddering man onto his back. Nick went into the kitchen and pulled out two black plastic garbage bags and his duct tape. After pulling Morris into a sitting position, Nick covered the head and upper torso with doubled black plastic bags, duct taping them tightly into place. It took Nick twenty minutes longer to clean up the blood spatter. He retrieved the satellite phone and made initial contact. Fifteen minutes later the phone vibrated.