Dying For LA by Ian Jones (top fiction books of all time .txt) 📕

vehicles and always for cash. Always something to do. But today, nothing. In fact this had been the same for a while now.

Unsurprisingly Sal wasn’t convinced of the benefits of his promotion, and had been attempting to persuade Rico not to do anything drastic. They had wandered around for a couple of hours before resignedly heading back to the apartment.

Voorhees was standing inside the door, waiting.

‘Where the fuck have you been?’ he snarled.

‘Just walking Yann, just getting out.’

‘You been in a bar? I told you, no more, not after last time. I fucking told you.’

‘No, no way,’ Sal told him.

Voorhees moved closer and looked closely at both men.

‘I need you to be at Union Station for eight-thirty. I got a new guy called Karl Weiss coming in, I got no idea what he looks like so you’ll have to be smart.’

Rico paled.

‘Downtown? You sure that’s a good idea, after last night I mean.’

Voorhees glowered at him.

‘If it hadn’t got fucked up I wouldn’t have had to arrange this, would I? So just fucking do it.’

‘Er … where’s he coming in from Yann?’ Sal asked.

‘Phoenix. And the word is he can be an asshole, so make sure you persuade him to leave any of that shit outside the door OK?’

Both men nodded.

They set off in an old Chevy Lumina just after seven, they didn’t want to risk being late. Rico’s obvious nervousness was rubbing off on Sal, and both men were fighting inner demons by the time they pulled up close to Union station. They sat in the car waiting for the time to pass, which it did slowly. They made small talk, watching a policeman drinking coffee from a stand along the street.

‘Cops everywhere, man,’ Rico said looking all around.

Sal was doing the same. He saw a patrol car at a junction further along past the station and two uniforms just inside the station doors.

‘Yeah, but they ain’t looking for us, right?’ he said pensively.

‘I guess so.’

They got out of the car and walked down to the station entrance, trying like all the world to look like a couple of regular guys come to meet a buddy. Both men just wore jeans and t-shirts, which they were now regretting as the night was chilly and inside the station was no warmer than outside. The police at the doors paid them no heed as they passed.

Sal had written ‘Karl’ on a sheet of paper and was holding it up lamely as people walked out from the platforms. Rico checked the arrivals board.

‘Due in a few minutes I reckon,’ he told Sal.

They sat down to wait on a bench, constantly looking everywhere, knowing there would be cameras in the station and there was nothing they could do about it but keep their heads down.

A train pulled in and eventually a line of people appeared walking away from the platform so they stood near the exit, Sal holding the sheet of paper in front of them.

A man walked out on his own, late twenties, tall and thin, long white hair shaved on one side, wearing sunglasses despite the fact it was night and a long black coat. He looked around, spotted them and headed over.

‘Jesus Christ,’ breathed Rico.

‘You Karl?’ Sal asked when the man stopped in front of them. He could not have stood out any more.

‘Yep. Who the fuck are you?’

‘Oh Jesus,’ Rico whispered to himself, not really believing what he was seeing. Yann was going to go apeshit.

‘I’m Sal, and this is Rico. Let’s go.’

They led the way out the station and down the street to the car. Sal moved over and opened the boot.

‘What the fuck is that?’ Weiss asked, finally removing the sunglasses.

Both Sal and Rico turned to see what he was looking at.

‘It’s a car,’ Sal told him,

‘It’s a piece of shit. Should be a fucking limo. Don’t tell me I got amateur hour here.’

Rico lost his patience.

‘Karl? Get in the fucking car. Or I swear to God I’m gonna start breaking some fucking bones. We do not need any more shit.’

He stood very still, right in front of Weiss, staring up into his eyes.

Weiss stared back insolently, then looked away and stepped back, throwing his bag into the boot.

‘OK, OK, Jesus. What the fuck. I’m just saying.’

Rico clenched his fists, Sal led him gently away. The last thing they needed right now was any more trouble. Weiss sniggered and climbed in the back of the car.

They drove back to the apartment in silence, Weiss put in earphones while Rico fumed as he drove and Sal worried next to him. The walked into the apartment and Sal crossed the hallway and knocked on the office door. Weiss looked around the dismal surroundings and shook his head.

‘No fucking way.’

Sal beckoned him over.

‘Boss wants you,’ he said, then pushed Weiss inside and shut the door.

Chapter Ten

John and Keane walked the short distance back to the hotel, climbed the stairs and then knocked on Warner’s door.

The big man answered then went back to lying on the bed in his pyjamas, watching a movie on a laptop. Keane explained what he and John had done earlier without any real detail, and Warner looked impressed.

He stood up.

‘So, trip to Hollywood?’ he asked.

Keane looked at him carefully.

‘I think just me and John should go. I’ll tell you for why. I don’t know this place the tattooed guy mentioned but they are all the same, if it looks like we are going in strong they will clam up. All sorts own these goddamn places, nobody wants to say the wrong thing. All we got to do is ask a couple of questions about some guy who has been in there a few times, just keep it casual, no big deal. You are a big black guy Kyle, no way we can change that. You look like muscle, that’s how it is. On our own we can fumble around like a pair of assholes, nobody gonna look twice. You cool with this?’

John looked at Warner, wondering