Hard News (Rune 3)

Rune said, "What about Randy?"

"Boggs?" Nestor snorted. "That loser? We set him up. He didn't know anything about the hit. He couldn't kill anybody if he was about to get whacked himself. He lost his job in Maine and called me looking for work on a fishing boat in Florida. I had him meet me in New York. I made up some shit about a credit card deal. Lee and I were going to make it look like he hit Hopper then I'd waste him and leave the gun. There would've been a few loose ends but basically there's a perp and there's a vic so the cops'd be happy. But the son of a bitch ran right into a cop car. Well, he doesn't know we'd planned to kill Hopper so he plays stand-up guy and doesn't turn me in."

Nestor continued. "Everything was going along fine but then I read in the paper about you planning on getting him out. So I come to town and talk it over with Lee. We try to make the story go away and in the meantime I have this spic buddy of mine happens to be in Harrison try to move on Boggs but that doesn't work. Then you get him out and things go to hell. He's got his money and he's gone."

The shock wave passed over her like a fever. So Randy was innocent--to the extent he could be innocent after having been mixed up with people like these. She swallowed. "Please let me go. I won't say anything. I don't care about Hopper. Just let me go, please? I'll be quiet about it."

Maisel looked at Nestor, who was shaking his head no in a humorous, exasperated way. "Can't, Lee. You can't trust her."

Maisel said, "Rune, Rune ..."

Her teeth were pressed together and she felt anger, hot and searing. Oh, what she wanted to say to him ... But the words were logjammed in her mind and even if she found the strength and the calm to sort them out she knew he wouldn't comprehend them.

Nestor stirred. She understood. This was his show now. He'd seen Lee weakening and knew it was time for the pro to take over, before more mistakes were made.

Maisel said, "Jack, I don't think--"

The killer held up his hand, a patient school teacher. "It's okay, Lee. I'll take care of it."

Rune said, "No, please, I promise I won't say a word." Her eyes were in Maisel's. He opened his mouth to speak then looked away and sat down in his chair.

Nestor stood up. Pulled a gun out of his pocket.

"These're soundproofed rooms, right?"

Maisel, looking away from Rune, nodded.

The killer looked around and saw a large roll of dusty seamless: a ten-foot-wide paper used for backdrops. He dragged Rune toward it and shoved her down. Presumably to absorb the blood.

Then he looked down at the gun and pulled the slide back, aimed it at her head matter-of-factly. He hesitated. "Do you ever see pictures?" he asked. "Pictures in your head?"

Rune, crying, said, "What do you mean?"

Nestor shook his head. "Never mind." He started to pull the trigger.

"Don't move!" a man's voice called.

Bradford Simpson walked into the room, pointing a pistol at Jack Nestor. "Drop it!" he screamed.

Nestor glanced over his shoulder in disgust and when he saw the hysteria in the young man's eyes, tossed the gun on a nearby table. "Who the fuck're you?"

"Bradford!" Rune said, running toward him.

The boy's attention was wholly on Maisel now; he had no interest in Nestor, who watched the young man with some amusement.

"You son of a bitch," the young man cried. "You killed him! It was you!"

Maisel glanced at the pistol, which was feet from his chest. He said nothing.

"What're you doing here?" Rune asked.

"I'm going to kill him." Bradford said.

"Why?"

"Because Lance Hopper was my father."

chapter 33