Beyond Blue by Austin S. Camacho Read Free Book Online

over. “Recognize any of the names?”
    â€œJust our traveling truck dispatcher from Staten Island,” Steele answered with a grin.
    â€œGoddam, good for you, buddy,” Stone said. “Take the pictures and let’s get the hell out of here.”
    As Steele mechanically photographed the pages, he kept up a soft running commentary. “I’d still like to get Jerome’s checkbook. See if there’s been any cash transferred to either Benedetto or D’Elia’s. That would nail it.”
    â€œIf we got it,” Stone said. “And if not, we do it the old fashioned way.”
    â€œLean on Benedetto until he gives us Jerome.”
    â€œWorks for me,” Stone said.
    Their heads snapped up as if pulled by the same string to focus on the doorknob, which was turning slowly. Stone grabbed the folder and they both darted into the nearest office. Stone pushed the door nearly closed, then crouched to look out. The trio walking through the door wore conservative suits and ties, but otherwise they must have been on loan from that World Wrestling outfit. Stone didn’t like to deal with big guys with no necks, but these guys were particularly dangerous. Their tread was light, and they weren’t talking, just looking around. The smallest guy, only a little bigger than Steele, pointed to the smaller offices while he drew a pistol and headed for Jerome’s office. The biggest guy nodded toward the room Stone and Steele were in.
    Stone felt Steele crouching beside him, and heard him whisper, “We are so fucked.”
    When Chastity Chiba finally closed the main office door behind her, Gorman leaned on Gunny’s desk and released a gentle sigh. “From this I have to go straight to a meeting with Ruby Sanchez.”
    â€œIt
was
a long briefing to get her spun up on that case,” Gunny said. “And with Ruby Sanchez and Steele and Stone on cases too, it gets to be like herding cats, don’t it?”
    â€œYeah, sometimes,” Gorman said, allowing himself a small grin. “But a particularly talented bunch of cats indeed, old friend. Now if there’s nothing else pressing, I really do have to go meet the most challenging of them all.”
    As Gorman walked out the door, Gunny looked down at his personal notebook where he had jotted down a few words from an earlier conversation. There, in his neat printing, as precise as a typewriter, was everything he knew about the man he spoke to that morning. Gunny’s instincts told him the man was in serious trouble, so deep undercover that he had started thinking like one of them. He said he needed to talk to someone he could trust about getting out of his situation, but Gunny knew that what he really needed was an anchor, someone to remind him of his true self.
    Or, he was lying through his teeth and it was a set up to bring down the head of Beyond Blue Investigations. Gunny picked up the phone and punched in the numbers to the mysterious mobster’s pager. He wasn’t ready to let Gorman put himself at risk on this one. Gunny would meet the man himself.

Chapter Four
    Gorman pulled himself out of the taxi at two minutes before ten and waited for the light to change before he crossed Madison Avenue. When he moved forward, it was with a military posture and the gait of a man who was not in a hurry but knew exactly where he was going. The wind whipped his dark hair like the mane of a charging lion.
    From his left, he saw Ruby Jackson Sanchez approaching. He allowed himself to admire the long, shapely legs growing down out of her suede coat. How in the world did she walk in those spiked heel boots?
    â€œHey, sailor,” Ruby said when she was close enough. “You new in town? Buy a lady a drink?”
    Gorman grimaced and pulled the door open for her. Ruby stepped into the little coffee shop and headed for a table in the back. Men’s eyes turned toward her as she walked, which Gorman would have