What is found is lost, what was lost is found
I intended to sneak this in without comment. After all, it's been well over a year since I posted chapter 4, and I'm more than a little embarrassed by my procrastination. But I've recently received a handful of e-mails from readers who are still apparently interested in the story. I've also read recently in "Observations of a Picky Reader" by Barns10 that "Probably the worst thing as a reader is when you are reading a multi-part story and the author quits writing." Ouch! I get the point. So please allow me to humbly apologize to those of you who might still care about the outcome of this story. Here it is -- finally.
*
At precisely 3:25 in the afternoon Tobe Lanscott stepped into the lion's den. He was wearing a new gray pinstriped suit with a light blue shirt and dark blue tie, dark glasses, and an automatic under his left arm. He was nervous as hell.
He stood in the middle of the lobby of the Brunswick Hotel and let the room work him over a bit.
Its décor was made up of hard surfaces, bright geometric slices of plastic and fake stone masonry, with
thick, soft, muddy-colored carpeting and over-sized angular furniture which resembled a herd of large
stationary beasts grazing on the rugs. To Tobe, the room felt about as relaxing as a hockey game.
Trying to ignore the pounding in his chest, Tobe ambled over to the long mahogany check-in counter. A large portrait of Mr. Teal Maggard -- Pharaoh -- faced the lobby like Big Brother spying on the hotel's front entrance. For once Maggard's eyes were not hidden by dark glasses and Tobe was surprised by their bright youthfulness. But Maggard's smile was forced, hard and artificial. He practically had no neck, as if his large, bald head had been forced up through his shirt collar. A man in a maroon blazer with freshly manicured nails looked up from his computer and asked the obvious question. Tobe pointed to the picture and said,"I'd like to see Mr. Maggard."
The clerk cleared his throat. "Mr. Maggard does not reside here and he's not in the office at the moment. My understanding is that he's out of town for the foreseeable future. Would you like to see one of his associates?"
"I've already seen his associates. They weren't too helpful. No, I want to talk to Maggard himself.
And he'll want to talk to me. The name is Lanscott. Let him know I'm here."
"I just told you, sir - "
"I'll be sitting right over there." Tobe checked his watch. "If he's not here in, say, a half hour, tell him I'll be taking Mrs. Lanscott back home with me. If she means what I think she means to him, he'll
want to talk with me."
Tobe eased himself down into the lap of one of the beast-like chairs by the large front window. He
picked up a magazine and pretended to read, flipping the pages as his mind raced ahead.
I can still get out of this thing, he thought. I can walk out of here and never look back, cut my losses
with Sheila, file the goddamned divorce and get on with it. But, of course, there's Angel. What the hell is she to me? A one night stand, that's all. I owe her nothing. So what if she's been forced to go back
with her ex, that asshole Hoagly. That's no skin off my nose. Here I am, sitting in Pharaoh's backyard
with a gun tucked up under my arm, thinking I can pull this thing off. I'm in way over my head. Arnold's right, this plan of mine really sucks. No way am I going to get out of this safely hand-and-hand with Angel. Tobe tried to will himself out of the seat, out of the Brunswick Hotel, back on the highway to Ravensfiled, the thing with Sheila and Angel behind him, his self-respect intact - or not.
A large, black shiny SUV pulled to the curb across the street, The driver got out and looked right across the street through the hotel window, seemingly right into Tobe's eyes. He was Hoagly, Hogg, the cruel man who was holding Angel Dearsing in bondage. His passenger was, of course, Teal Maggard, Pharaoh, big and broad with a passive face half hidden by dark glasses. They sauntered across the street as if they were on a golf course.
Too late, Tobe thought, I've got to play this out. Then a wave of relief washed over him. He's bought it, the son of a bitch bought it. Tobe leaned back into the padded chair and tossed the magazine away. The gun under his arm now felt more comfortable. Well, he thought, here goes nothing. Maybe Tobe Lanscott was drawing on resources he really didn't have. He would soon find out. He crossed his legs and waited.
II.
Four hours before, he was sitting with Arnold outside a coffee house several blocks from the
Brunswick on the opposite side of the street. Both were dressed in suits and ties and dark glasses. Brief cases were at their feet and guns under their arms.
Arnold said, " I feel like a goddamned insurance salesman."
Tobe nodded. "That's what you are, Arnold. My insurance."
" Did I tell you I think this plan of yours sucks? "
" Then why are you here? "
" I dunno. I must be getting soft, as in soft-in-the- head. Maybe I'm beginning to like you. Maybe
I feel sorry for you. Maybe I want a little excitement. Maybe I just want to see how this all turns out.
Maybe I got a hard-on for the Maggard brothers. Maybe I have a death wish. Maybe all of the
above."
" That's a lot of 'maybes'. But I'm glad you're in. There's no 'maybe' about that. "
Tobe got up for more coffee. Arnold grabbed his sleeve.
"Hold it, Lancelot. We got action."
A spotless white Cadillac with gold trim pulled up in front of the Brunswick. A man in a chauffeur's
uniform got out and stood on the curb, sucking on a cigarette.
"That's Hicks," Tobe said. "He's about your size, don't you think?"
"Sit down and shut up."
He sat and watched Sheila come out of the Brunswick. She was wearing a yellow dress which showed off her legs and bare shoulders. Her golden hair flounced down her back She nodded to Hicks and got in the back seat. Hicks stepped on the cigarette butt and got in behind the wheel.
"Okay, gumshoe. We're off," Arnold said.
For a frozen moment Tobe sat there trying to make a connection between the woman who had just got in the car - this woman who had attached herself to this hoodlum and his organization, this woman who now spread her sexual favors around as if they were so many thoughtless kisses - and the woman who had been his wife, the one he intended to build his life around. They seemed to be strangers to each other. And both strangers to him. He felt Arnold's fingers dig into his shoulder.
"Man, if you wanna make this thing work, you gotta move your ass -- now!"
Hicks was in no hurry and Arnold had no trouble keeping the white Caddy in sight.
"You're getting too close," Tobe cautioned.
"Relax, will ya?. We're practically invisible in this crate."
They were riding in a six year old slate-gray Honda that Tobe hoped wouldn't attract any attention.
"I think you're over confident, Arnold."
"Look who's talking about being over confident. Weren't you the one who came to town asking a
lot of questions, who let a cop get the drop on you, who walked blind into a trap, who got himself beat up and left in some goddamned manure field? Do me a favor, will ya? Take a nap or something. I'll wake you up if I need you."
Hicks pulled into a strip mall and parked in front of a hair salon with a pink facade. Arnold made an abrupt left turn and slid into a space across the street. They watched as Hicks got out and opened the door for Sheila. She had a few words with him. He nodded and she disappeared into the salon. Hicks
got back into the car. Almost immediately the front window slid down and cigarette smoke billowed out.
"This is no good," Arnold said.
"What's wrong? You said we could pull this off in broad daylight," Tobe said.
" Sure. But it's too crowded. And besides, it looks like the guy is just going to sit there and wait for your old lady. Let's hope that this is only their first stop."
Sheila was in the salon about an hour. When she emerged her long thick hair was a shade blonder.
Once again Hicks played the chauffeur. He backed up and took a right going north. When there was a break in the traffic, Arnold made a u-turn and followed.
The next stop was a shopping center -- the Carriage Mall -- out on Ohio Avenue. Hicks pulled up
to the multi-door entrance to a large department store -- Wellington's -- next door to a Victoria's Secret.
Shelia got out, checked her watch -- apparently telling Hicks when to return -- and disappeared through
a set of double doors.
"This looks more like it," Arnold commented as Hicks pulled away. The white Cadillac seemed to meander without destination for a while.
" He's made us, " Tobe said. "He knows we're on his tail and he's just playing with us. "
Arnold shook his head. " No. He knows where he's going all right. "
Finally Hicks pulled into the parking area of an almost deserted municipal park. He got out quickly,
throwing his cap and chauffeur's jacket on the front seat and then cutting through a picnic area to the back of a house at the far end of the park.
" What's that all about/ " Tobe asked.
" He's probably seeing some broad. She's probably married and he's taking no chances. I give him an hour. Unless this park gets real crowded in a hurry, this is where we'll take him."
"We should've taken him when he got out."
"Relax. Let the guy get his rocks off. He's going to be pretty uncomfortable for while."
"Getting a little soft, aren't you?"
It was less than an hour when they spotted Hicks at the other end of the park.
" An afternoon quickie," Arnold commented. " Get down. I'm going to have a few words with the gentleman."
" I think I should take it from here."
" He knows you. Let's don't blow it. Stay down and listen."
Arnold got out and Tobe flattened himself across the front seat. He soon heard Hick's approaching voice.
