Black Diamond by John F. Dobbyn Read Free Book Online Page B

locked onto me. I watched him waddle his way down the bar until he was standing behind Scully. He looked at me, but he spoke to Scully.
    â€œWho might this be, Scully? And what makes him think I owe him ten thousand dollars?”
    Scully shrugged. I kept the voice level low.
    â€œYou got the message wrong, Mr. Boyle. I’m here to give you ten thousand dollars before I leave this place.”
    My heart would have leapt at any glint of uptake in Boyle’s face, but there was none. It apparently needed more explanation. At least I had raised his interest.
    â€œWould you look at this, Scully? He wants to give me ten thousand dollars just like that, if you please. Let’s not keep the man waiting.”
    He turned on his heels and marched back into his office. I took it as an invitation to follow. I could feel Scully following close behind.
    Boyle planted himself in a chair behind an oversized desk in a room about fifteen feet square. He pulled open a drawer and plunked his feet on it. I stood at the front of the desk. My shadow, Scully, leaned against the wall behind me beside the door.
    I led from my strongest suit. “Mr. Boyle, I have a check made out to cash for ten thousand dollars. Consider it a delivery made free and clear.”
    â€œFree and clear is it, Boyo. Do you know who I am?”
    Tough question. How informed I should seem was a touchy issue. When in doubt, hedge.
    â€œWord has it you’re a man of importance, Mr. Boyle.”
    He looked at Scully and broke into a grin.
    â€œA man of importance, Scully. What do you think of that?”
    Scully followed suit with a grin and a nod. Neither of us knew where this little scene was going until Boyle slammed the drawer shut with a kick and stood up. The volume went up ten decibels.
    â€œThen take your head out of your arse, you little shyster. I learned one thing on the way up. No one ever gives me a damn dime without expecting twenty cents change. The question is what do you want from me? And the first word of bullshit I hear, Mr. Scully throws you out on your arse.”
    One thing was clear. Boyle enjoyed his own dramatics. The test was not to flinch. I kept the tone low. He was still holding my business card in his hand. I nodded to it.
    â€œTurn the card over, Mr. Boyle.”
    He did. He glanced at the two words I had written on the back—Erin Ryan.
    I figured that would lead to a rush of comprehension and we’d get down to business. I could not have misfigured more completely. There was not a glimmer of recognition.
    â€œSo? Who the hell is this?”
    I could feel my heart physically fall to the pit of my stomach. I had hoped as never before that I could make the deal for Erin’s release on the spot. The total brick wall I ran into caused a dizziness that made it difficult to go on standing. Worse than that, this absurd scene that I had promoted could result in harm to Erin and Colleen. In my silence, Boyle turned to Scully behind me. He held up the card.
    â€œYou know who the hell this is, Scully?”
    I was snapped back into the game when I put two realizations together. Scully was clearly up to his ears in the kidnapping. He had been the surveillance at Colleen’s home all afternoon. Match that with the total oblivion of his boss, and you got the inkling that Mr. Scully was playing his own game behind Boyle’s back.
    Scully’s nerves must have been a bit strung out. There was a slight hesitation before he shot back a quick shrug. “No, Mr. Boyle.”
    I picked up the flash of a look in Boyle’s eyes before he turned back to me.
    â€œSo what the hell is this about, Knight?”
    â€œIt’s about a mistaken identity. My mistake. It’s a business matter. I jumped to the conclusion that you were one of the parties involved. You can consider yourself fortunate that you’re not. It’s about to fall apart. There’ll probably be indictments for anyone connected.”
    Of