Case # 88 by Gary Martinsky (thriller novels to read TXT) 📕

“My old friend! To what do I owe such an unexpected pleasure?” Max folded his arms comfortably and leaned slightly towards Finn, maintaining eye contact and a friendly smile. He was wearing an extravagant red velvet suit, contrasting with his bright green eyes.

Finn hesitated. Under normal circumstances, he’d never involve such a shady character in a personal situation. But this was a special case. He wasn’t worried about accidentally revealing his family’s address or the circumstances of the case. After all, how much worse could it get? And yet, he had to be careful. He needed to give Max just enough to work with without revealing the level of Finn’s personal involvement in the matter.

“Say…friend. I hope business is going well.” Finn looked around the half-empty establishment and returned his gaze back to the cheerful face opposite him.

“Naturally! You know me, Finn. Honest, hardworking folks like you and me—we know how to get stuff done. How to keep things going, you know?” Max nodded and winked at the waitress, who put down two drinks with complimentary snacks on the table. “You know, you should have taken me up on my offer. I could use a guy like you around here! Especially since you’re already so familiar with my work….”

“Max.” Finn abruptly interrupted the sales pitch. “I need some information.”

“Oh? Well, if you want to obtain something of value, then you must have something to offer me, I’m sure?” His smile widened as his intense green eyes focused on Finn’s face.

Finn had known full well how this conversation would go, and he was aware that his leverage was now gone along with his badge. But he was prepared. “You can have my car.”

Max looked puzzled for a brief moment, and then his face lit up with even more enthusiasm. “My, my… Sounds like someone’s in a pinch! What happened, Finn?”

Finn leaned back comfortably, trying to take control of the conversation. “First…you get me some valuable information about this house.” He slipped a handwritten note across the table with the address on it.  He glanced at his black 1993 Toyota Supra parked outside. He was going to switch to electric anyway. And he couldn’t think of anything else to offer Max for his services. “And then…you get the car.”

For a long minute after Finn left, Max remained seated in the booth, carefully studying the note. Unusual. Very unusual indeed. Don’t worry, my friend. I’ll be sure to find out what I can about this address. But, more importantly, I’ll find out what you’re up to and what it is that makes you so desperate. He crumpled the piece of paper in his hand and grinned. And then we’ll be talking on MY terms.

Finn briefly passed Central Park on his way back to Alexandria. It was evident that no one was waiting for him there. Doug hadn’t returned any of Finn’s texts or calls. It was unusual, but he trusted that his friend would reach out as soon as he had something valuable to share. It was already well past midnight, but the sun wouldn’t rise for a few more hours. Finn was determined to gather all the clues he could get before the end of the night.

Chapter Two

Finn arrived back at the house just as the grayish silhouettes of rooftops were starting to emerge against the backdrop of the late-night sky. He parked a few blocks away and approached the house from the backyard this time. Staying just far enough away to remain out of sight, Finn observed for a couple of minutes, but there wasn’t time to waste. He knew his folks had never felt the need to rely on fancy security systems. But, under the current circumstances, he couldn’t be too careful. Who knew what kind of adjustments had been made to the house? Finn carefully approached the back entrance, staying alert to any possible sensory input from inside the dark living room behind the glass door. There was indeed one camera overlooking the entire entry, but the small kitchen window right beside it seemed to be in its blind spot.

Luckily, Finn knew precisely what to do. Back in the day, he used to sneak in and out of that same window to go hang out with his school friends after curfew. Just slide a screwdriver or fork into the narrow slot between the window and the frame, and the slightly faulty lock would readily pop open if you twisted the tool just right. Finn had come prepared with a device on his keychain.

When Finn landed in the kitchen, he found it had been cleared out. Some of the empty cabinets and drawers were slightly open. Some dirty towels and cleaning products were sitting in the kitchen sink. The towels were still wet, producing a whitish puddle of water and bleach that hadn’t had time to dry. The place had been cleaned recently, which added credibility to the idea that the house had really been put up for sale.

Finn investigated the living room. Without making a sound, he moved along the shaded wall, carefully remaining in the security camera’s blind spot. It was hard to make out the furniture, but as far as he could tell, everything except the heavy dining room table, several bookshelves, and a few vintage display cabinets had been replaced by more modern items. All the framed pictures of his family on the walls had been replaced by stock images of perfect families. The trinkets and souvenirs from the display cabinets were gone, replaced by generic vases and statuettes.

As Finn continued looking around the room, a sudden sound from upstairs startled him. He listened attentively. He wasn’t alone in here. And the sound was coming from almost directly above him, from Dad’s office. Finn reached for his hip, his hand momentarily grasping for a nonexistent holster of a handgun. Ah… That’s right. Old habits die hard. Finn retreated back