Music to my Soul
Chapter V
Cole distractedly took the way to his friend's house rather than going to his own apartment. When he realized it, he figured that he might as well discuss what happened that day with Paul. Of course, he suspected Paul would be totally against his idea. However, that never kept Cole from doing anything he set his mind to before. Yet, if Paul couldn't stop him, he often gave him ideas on the way to go about whatever his plans were. In spite of strong reticence, Paul still supported him even in the craziest endeavours. All but his way with women… On this, Paul and he agreed to disagree, a long time ago.
Cole remembered that time during the war when he decided to take it upon himself to attack an outpost against their officer's order. Paul had been beside himself for a while, but then he came along anyway, and so did Leo.
The three of them found themselves about three hundred feet from a bunker, as Paul made yet another attempt to convince Cole to give it up.
"Come on man, we've got no business being here on our own."
"Those guys have been pounding on our lines for the last three days. If we don't take them out, they'll take us out for sure."
"This is stupid. The Captain said they were planning something already," Paul countered.
"Paul…I never figured you for a coward…"
Paul frowned angrily at this and Cole realized he had gone too far.
"I didn't mean that…don't mind me," he pursued quickly. "But if you don't stop talking, the Fritz will know we're here too soon; where's that gonna leave us?"
"I still say we wait for the Captain and the others," Paul replied after a moment of tense silence. "What are we really here for anyway?"
"For glory…?" Cole half-mocked… "Nah," he continued when he saw Leo and Paul grimacing, "I just think they're waiting too long. We've lost too many men to those Fritz already. Samuel was the last straw!"
Cole was referring to an artillery man who had just succumbed to his wounds after being hit by the German battery, which was hidden in the bunker. When Samuel died, Cole became enraged at the lack of response from their superior officer. He went to his tent and if it hadn't been for his many acts of courage, Cole would probably have ended up demoted right then and there. In spite of his insistence, the officer refused to budge on this. Thus, that night, Cole managed to convince Paul and Leo to do it themselves and they went for it, albeit reluctantly on Paul's part.
Before them, two soldiers were walking the outer perimeter, while one was smoking near the bunker's entrance. They watched the enemy soldiers for a while and as soon as they found a hole to slip through, Cole signalled that it was time. Paul sighed heavily, casting a disgusted look towards Leo, but both men still followed, crouching in the underbrush. However, when Cole was about to make his move against the careless soldier who still stood near the entrance, Paul caught his arm firmly. Cole gave him a look of reproach, thinking that Paul was again trying to stop him. Before he could protest however, he saw what had caught his friend's attention. Besides the soldier smoking near the bunker, another one was standing about fifteen feet away and would have surely shot Cole if Paul hadn't stopped him.
With a slight nod, he signalled to Paul that he understood and then he made a wide gesture, indicating that they should try going around. This took them long minutes, as they had to be careful not to alert the patrol. Then when they were in position, they again waited for the right opportunity. As soon as Cole believed they had another chance, he didn't hesitate to go after the second man. Pulling a double-edged knife out of his boot, he cautiously walked toward the soldier.
Paul and Leo watched attentively, ready to intervene was the man to sound the alarm, but he never got the chance as he fell to the ground without a sound, his throat slashed. Cole didn't even look at the man falling before he rubbed the knife against his pants and cautiously advanced toward the bunker, while his companions followed, with their guns at the ready. The second soldier uttered a strangled scream before falling just as quickly as the first one and Cole threw himself against the bunker, fearing that someone would come out. After a few seconds however when no one seemed to have noticed the man's scream, he decided he should make his move before the patrol came back. Until then, it was going according to plan. He grabbed a grenade from his belt, ready to blow up the offending battery. Cole had time to pull the pin out of the device and was preparing to throw it in, when he was stopped by a clamor behind him.
Paul and Leo were throwing their guns to the ground even as he looked back. The patrol came into view, training their guns on Cole's friends and it stopped his move. They had not noticed him yet and he carefully put the pin back in place. Then, he took out his gun and lined up the first soldier. During training, Cole had become an expert shot and he proved it by killing both men with two precise gunshots. Paul and Leo then rushed to get their guns, knowing that this would bring the rest of the soldiers out, and Cole hurried to throw the grenade through the cannon hole before running toward his friends. Indeed, even before the grenade exploded, two men came out of the bunker and started after Cole. Fortunately, the force of the blast knocked them down, which allowed the three companions to escape. Even as they went, Cole and the others heard a series of explosions, which told them that the ammo was blowing up, effectively destroying the bunker.
When they were almost to their own lines, Paul turned to Cole in annoyance.
"Now that was crazy!"
"Hey," Cole replied, unconcerned, "we got them. That's all that matters, isn't it?"
"You'd say that."
"Well, for once, I tend to agree with Cole," Leo intervened. He was obviously excited by what happened and it was surprising since, just like Paul, he usually preferred the side of caution. In the end, their enthusiasm got to Paul, who began showing signs of pride. By the time they reached their encampment, none of them cared whether the Captain would blow a gasket. They were certain of the rightfulness of their actions. Indeed, in spite of severe reprimands, the three of them mostly got accolades from their fellow soldiers as ultimately, their heroic gesture allowed the company to finally move ahead after a three-day stand off.
As Cole parked in front of Paul's house, he reflected again that glory went to those who dared. Thus making his decision about Fredo all the easier. However, if taking this job didn't cause him too much worry, Lara was another story altogether. As he knocked on the door, his thoughts returned to the young woman and a strange longing came to him. At great efforts, he rejected the softening that threatened to invade him, as this would only be a weakness. There was no place for weaknesses in his life.
When Lydia opened the door, he had managed to get Lara out of his mind, if only for the time being.
Rather than her usual soft welcoming smile, Lydia grimaced unhappily.
"Hey, am I interrupting something?" Cole questioned, without too much concern.
"No… but that could be because my husband is too worried about your stubborn ass to take care of his wife properly."
Cole was always amazed at how direct Lydia could be. In fact, he believed this could be one of the reasons why he managed to get along with her. Unlike most women, she held very little back.
"What? Your other half is still neglecting his pretty wife? I offered my help, you know," Cole teased.
"I'll bet," Lydia replied curtly, although with an amused smile that negated the severe tone of voice. "What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into this time?"
"I'm surprised Paul didn't tell you. Anyway, if you let me in, I'll tell you all about it…" Cole retorted, while leaning toward her playfully. Lydia was used to his pretend come-ons and she simply played along, smiling almost flirtatiously.
"Hey you, Romeo," came Paul's voice from inside. "Didn't I tell you to leave my wife alone?"
Cole jumped back, pretending guilt.
"Nothing happened… Scout's honor," he said then with a wide grin.
"Right," Paul said as he came to the door behind his wife. "Come in…I'm glad to see you're still in one piece…"
"You are?"
"Oh come on Cole. You know how much of an idiot I am."
"Don't I know it!"
Paul hit his shoulder roughly, but Cole only laughed heartily as he followed him in. Lydia closed the door behind them with a falsely exasperated sigh.
"You guys are just like kids…"
"Don't you like kids? I thought that was why you were after Paul to pay you some attention…"
"Hey Cole, I want kids, but little ones. I could use more maturity around here. When is it that a man matures?"
"Don't ask me," Cole replied with a big grin.
"And here I thought earning our keep and putting a roof over our head qualified as maturity…" Paul said with a falsely offended expression.
"Maybe I'll believe that when you try staying under that roof more than a couple hours at a time… Ok guys... as curious as I am about Cole's latest cockamamie scheme, I think I'll leave you two alone. Paul's gonna tell me all about it later, won't you?"
Paul grimaced unhappily, as Lydia left the room without waiting for an answer.
"Hey, I can come back another time, you know," Cole asked his friend with a grimace of his own.
"Nah…she's just miffed because I promised her we'd go out tonight but I had to cancel… I was gonna go check up on you as a matter of fact."
"Hum…it's a wonder she didn't shut the door in my face then…"
"Hardly enough, she likes you… that's the wonder actually. You're not the one she's upset with. It's just the third time in a row I had to cancel and the other two had nothing to do with you…"
"It's good to know I'm not the only reason why your marriage's on the rocks…"
"My marriage is just fine thank you," Paul answered curtly.
"Hey, can't you take a joke?"
"Sorry, I'm on edge… and you're not helping. What happened?"
"Since when do you want updates on my conquests," Cole countered.
"I've been living vicariously through you for like ten years. So why would it surprise you?" Paul joked. Of course, that wasn't true. Ever since he met Lydia, Paul had only showed passing interest in Cole's women stories. Moreover, even that was mostly to try convincing him to stop.
"Yeah right," Cole retorted. "Anyway, I'm here to surprise you…"
"Really," Paul asked in the manner of one who thought nothing could surprise him anymore.
"I'm thinking of changing jobs…for a while at least…"
"What? I thought you were fine with the tuning bit."
"Oh I'm fine with it, but I just got a tempting offer…"
"Ok you got me there," Paul conceded as he went to sit on the upholstered chair standing near the radio. Cole took the sofa and waited for the inevitable questioning.
"How good was that offer, and when the hell did you manage to get it anyway?"
"Well, let's just say that Leo should be happy… Fredo just offered me a job in his outfit…"
Cole waited for the explosion, flinching already. However, Paul didn't say anything at first. He seemed dumbfounded.
"Come on, Paul. Say something. I know you're dying to."
"Well…"Paul began, and then he stopped himself for a few seconds… "What can I say?"
Then the explosion Cole had expected came.
"What the fuck are you thinking?"
"Simply that I can get information better from the inside…" Cole replied calmly, only unnerving Paul more.
"Did you hit your head? Or is the guy I knew changed so much that now you wanna be a gangster?"
"Hardly," Cole protested. "I'd only be a driver…"
"A driver to a Gangster, do I need to remind you?"
"Paul, I'm not stupid…"
Paul got up and started pacing the room nervously.
"That's up for fucking debate…. Cole you went there to seduce a girl. How in the blazing hell did you manage to get an offer from her sugar daddy? How did you even get to talk to the guy? Leo told you to stay away from him, didn't he?"
"Cool it," Cole exclaimed. "I didn't plan on it, but well, shit happens…"
"And it seems to happen to you a lot; mostly because you step in the way consistently."
You didn't accept yet, did you?"
"No…but I'm planning to…" Cole replied, ignoring Paul's predictable reproaches and caution.
"Whatever happened to getting the girl to talk with your dubious charms?"
"Hey it's one thing to be mad at me; it's a whole other thing to insult me directly. Although, for once, you should be proud of me…"
"Oh and how the hell do you figure that ? Right now, I'm envisioning a bunch of sleepless nights, wondering when Leo will ring the bell to get me to identify your bloody remains…"
"I wish you'd trust that I can take care of myself. I seem to remember many times where I was the one saving your ass."
"And I can't help feeling responsible for yours. That's my curse… Now, tell me why I should be proud of you. I've got to tell you though; it better be good!"
From the next room, the sound of pots and pans being stacked noisily told Paul that he might want to consider lowering his voice. Lydia hated it when he got this unnerved and she had her own way of showing it. Cole noticed as well, and wasn't exactly surprised when he saw Paul going back to his seat and taking a few deep breaths to calm down. He waited until Paul had regained some control before continuing.
"Ok, well, I went there and saw the girl… Hell, I even spent the afternoon in the same room. Leo was right… she watched the whole thing like a hawk…" Just talking about Lara was enough to unnerve Cole. He tried to get through this part of the story as fast as he could.
"Well, I probably would've gone for it… but I ended up saving the big boss's ass instead. Now he's grateful and wants me on the payroll…"
"Whoa… back up here. You're saying you…saved his ass? How?"
Relieved that Paul wasn't questioning him any further about the girl, Cole described the incident to him and the subsequent conversation with Fredo… As his story progressed, Paul became increasingly worried.
"Look Cole… this thing doesn't feel right to me. First off, being Fredo's driver isn't gonna give you any info…"
Cole was about to interrupt, but Paul pursued quickly.
"And even if it did, things'd be much worse. Do you really think he's gonna let you go after you found stuff out about his business? Even worse, if you give what you found out to Leo and they get him for it, I'm sure there's gonna be others to kick your ass afterward. At least the girl scheme had the advantage of keeping you out of the loop…"
"I won't stay there long enough to get too deep into the business, Paul. I'm only gonna investigate discreetly. He won't know a thing…"
Paul was astounded at Cole's carelessness.
"You can't seriously believe that you could get stuff on them and they wouldn't find out. It's suicide."
Cole sighed heavily at his friend's warnings.
"Look Paul. My life hasn't been all that exciting lately. I never felt more alive than during the war. Here's my chance to do something good and to feel like that again…"
"I thought all those flings were meant to do that…"
"When you've seen one jealous husband, you've seen them all," Cole clowned. However, it didn't crack Paul up one little bit.
"Not funny, Cole. Why couldn't you just stick to what Leo asked you to do? Hell, why did you go and save this creep anyway? If you'd let things well enough alone, now we'd be back to business as usual…"
"I couldn't let a guy get shot in front of me and do nothing…"
"Sure you could've. When it's a gangster like that one..."
"That didn't come to my mind, Paul. He was just a guy about to be ambushed."
"Well, you didn't use to save the enemy before."
"The line between who's the enemy and who's not isn't so well defined anymore…"
The phone ringing kept Paul from replying to this. He waited two rings, supposing that Lydia would get it, but it was soon obvious that she wouldn't and he went to the phone with an exasperated sigh.
"Yes?" Paul answered curtly.
"Oh Sarah," he continued after a few seconds, already more business like. "Really? No kidding?"
"Alright, send the photographer ahead and tell him to wait for me. No heroics…we'll go in together."
After he hung up, Cole stared at him curiously.
"Seems I'll have to cut this short, Cole. The paper just got a tip about a big bust that's gonna happen tonight."
"Do you often get tips like these?"
"Hell yeah. Although, sometimes, I get the feeling they're using us… Like in this case, it's probably a rival gang who gave the tip to the cops and us. No matter, it's news and we don't ignore that kind of tip. Who knows what big headline might slip through our fingers if we did."
"Do you mind if I come with you? I promise I'll stay out of the way. I'm just curious…particularly now that I'm getting into the thick of things…"
"Don't remind me…Cole seriously. I want you to think about this. Give yourself some time. In fact, come with me and maybe it'll help convince you of your foolishness. Those guys, they're not choir boys. Usually there's heavy resistance during these busts."
"I told you, I'm only gonna drive for them and only for a little while…"
"Think about it," Paul repeated, ignoring Cole's protests. "Meanwhile, let's hurry up. The bust is set to happen in less than thirty minutes and it's on the edge of town. We've got no time to lose."
The two men were already on their way when Paul remembered that he still had to tell Lydia. He was turning back when he saw her in the threshold.
"Sorry baby…gotta run…" He said somewhat sheepishly.
Lydia grimaced but said nothing. Paul went to her anyway and kissed her good bye lightly on the lips. Her response was a little too cold for his taste. Paul then promised himself to make it up to her soon, very soon.
Phoebe could sense the tension in their private booth, even as Fredo pretended to be interested in the show. The Pharaoh Club was packed and it was a good sign for her big debut, which was three days from today. However, the atmosphere around her took away from her satisfaction. Instead, she was scanning the crowd, half expecting someone to get up with a gun and start shooting at them. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Fredo…" The old man turned to her with a hint of irritation, which only confirmed Phoebe's impression of the problem.
"What is it doll?"
"Is there something wrong? I mean after today…"
"Nothing's wrong baby," Fredo interrupted quickly while patting her thigh reassuringly. "Just concentrate on your stuff and leave the worry to us men…"
"Are you sure it's safe…"
"I told you, I took care of it…"
This condescending attitude didn't please Phoebe in the least. However, she knew that now wasn't the time to protest. Even when he smiled at her, Phoebe could sense that she was being dismissed. Sighing, she tried to set aside her fears but all that did was bring back the disturbing memory of the piano tuner. Even as his smile haunted her thoughts, Phoebe reflected that she had been looking for anything to distract her from it. Every time she let her mind wander, the thought of him returned, bringing back the strange emotions that she didn't want to have. Ever since the day that boy had caused her life to be a living hell, Phoebe swore to herself that she'd never love any man. Strangely, at the time, and even if she had never met him directly, she was sure that she had loved the pianist. "For all the good it did me," she reflected bitterly. Yet, right then, the feelings that stirred her insides bore a strange resemblance to those days and it bothered her greatly. Maybe, she reasoned, it was just the fact that he was so handsome and at the piano… like a memory of feelings. That had to be it… for how could she have fallen so quickly for a perfect stranger who behaved like an ass toward her on top of things?
Then again, maybe she was simply reacting to his refusal. Indeed, Phoebe wasn't refused by any man. That hadn't happened once ever since she set her sights on the guard assigned to her by her father all those years ago. After her escape from the Reform School, Phoebe had used her power over men to climb into the music business, which had brought her here, so close to her apogee. In order to chase away the annoying feelings, Phoebe actually forced herself to think back to those beginnings. As disturbing as they were, at this point, she preferred this to the storm that raged inside of her.
Sylvia had not lost time in preparing Phoebe's escape after the shower room incident. She obviously feared a repeat of the event and didn't care much for it. Phoebe was at once excited at the idea of freedom and terrorized by the consequences were this to fail. She clearly remembered the screams of that girl accused of such an offense. Even as she hid in the laundry container, holding her breath for fear of being discovered, her buttocks contracted nervously at the idea of the correction she might receive. It was too much of a reminder of the way her father had beat her up. However, anything was better than being subjected again to the humiliation those girls had put her through. Even the thought of it made her noxious. She could still feel their filthy hands on her and she promised herself that she would run quickly not to have to endure the same fate from Sylvia.
Before the incident, she had even believed that she could allow the matron to have her way with her as some sort of reward for helping her. No more…
A vibration told Phoebe that the carriage was on its way in even before she heard the big doors opening and the horses neighing close by. The trip would be a short one, but she knew it might turn out to be rough, mostly because of how nervous she was. It didn't take long before she felt the container being lifted, but it was put down quickly as the handler protested.
"Hey that thing's really heavy. What do you put in your laundry," he asked suspiciously.
Sylvia's voice came from beside the container.
"Don't you try and ask for help, Colin. I know what you're trying to do. This isn't any heavier than usual…"
"I beg to differ…"
"I checked the load myself," Sylvia uttered firmly. "Are you accusing me of something?"
The man named Colin didn't answer right away and Phoebe worried that he might look in.
"Of course not," he finally replied, albeit reluctantly.
"That's much better," Sylvia said severely. "Now do your job. I've got better things to do than stand here waiting for you to finish."
Phoebe thought she heard the man groan unhappily, but he picked up the container again. His heavy breathing told her that he was barely managing to carry the thing. Nevertheless, in the end, she thankfully felt the container being lowered on the platform of the carriage. Soon, the conveyance was on its way and Phoebe allowed herself to breathe normally again. Her relief didn't last long however, as she knew that if she wanted to escape, she now had to get out of this thing before they arrived at their destination. Cautiously, she lifted the lid and peeked around. It was night, but the street lamps gave her enough light to distinguish the surroundings. From her point of view, Phoebe saw the back of the carriage and freedom ahead. She almost jumped out right then, but she reflected that she should make sure the driver wasn't watching. Phoebe lifted the lid some more and turned her gaze toward the front of the vehicle. Thankfully, Colin didn't pay any attention to his load. He even started whistling some god-awful tune, his voice painful to her delicate ears. Certain that she could get out safely, she pushed the lid all the way up but almost caused it to hit on the outside of the box. Phoebe barely managed to catch it in time, as she cast another worried look toward the driver. More carefully this time, she got out still holding the lid and then put it back in place just as cautiously.
From then on, Phoebe didn't lose any more time. Still hearing the whistling, which told her that her presence remained unknown to the driver, she went to the back and after taking a few deep breaths, she jumped toward the pavement. She had to hold in a scream of pain, as she scraped her bare forearms. Determined to put a lot of distance between her and the carriage, she got up quickly and ran toward a row of buildings. There, she found an alley and let herself down to the ground again, breathing heavily. This had all happened so quickly. It was almost too easy. However, Phoebe knew that she wasn't out of the woods. In the pocket of the civilian clothing Sylvia gave to her, she patted the ticket that was supposed to bring her to Sylvia's hometown by train. Phoebe did not intend to ever go there however. Instead, she would exchange the ticket for a destination of her choice. When she was certain no one had noticed her, she said aloud:
"Thanks for everything, Sylvia…So long." Then she got up and headed for the nearest train station on foot, hoping to god that her luck would hold.
Besides Phoebe in the booth, Fredo bent toward Saul and whispered something she couldn't hear. She still got the sensation that the severe expression on her lover's face wasn't a good sign and right then she wished she knew more about his business dealings.
"Are you certain it's gonna be over tonight," Fredo asked intensely.
"The police are taking care of our problem as we speak…I assure you," Saul replied confidently.
Cole and Paul remained silent for a while. They were staring ahead, tense at the idea of what they would find once they got to destination. However, Cole noticed some annoyance as well in his friend's expression.
"Lydia wasn't too happy, was she?" He asked, guessing at Paul's worries.
"No she wasn't…" Paul answered curtly. He was conflicted about this. On the one hand, beside Lydia, his job was everything to him and he thought that his wife understood this. On the other hand, her attitude was understandable given the fact that the last few months had been hectic. The rise in criminal activities had also meant a very busy schedule for Paul and of course, those guys didn't necessarily act during daylight. Far from, in fact… Regularly, he was called upon at odd hours to go investigate either a crime just committed, or a tip like tonight. At first, Lydia took it in strides, but after a few months of this, she was getting tired of his numerous outings. It was also true that he had been too tired to take care of her properly. It wasn't the lack of desire that kept him for sure. Just the thought of his beautiful wife was enough to stir him still. However, the circumstances didn't give him much chance to act upon those stirrings. Sometimes, he even feared that Lydia might become so fed up with this that she would leave him. This thought was a very disturbing one, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Even if he had just been joking with Rodney that day, he truly wanted to climb in the ranks, to be recognized for his work… Paul knew that the times were favourable to it. Every day, he hoped that the big story would fall into his lap and he would finally get the acknowledgment he sought.
Every time the fear of losing her arose, he reasoned that when he got his big story, she would see what he was working for and be proud of him.
Cole interrupted his train of thoughts.
"You know, maybe it's not worth losing your wife…"
This echoed his thoughts so much that Paul jumped. Not so much because Cole had guessed at his worries, but because it was Cole…
"Since when are you worried about my marriage? Come to think of it…" he trailed, thinking back of their earlier conversation, "that's the second time tonight…"
"Hey, can't a man worry about his friend's happiness?"
"Any other… Cole, I've never known you to worry sincerely about my relationship…On the contrary, I'd expect you'd say I told you so…"
"Goes to say you don't know me as well as you think…"
Paul cast a strange look to his friend, wondering…
"No… I know you very well indeed…. Hey, what about that girl?" He suddenly questioned, instinctively guessing that she might have to do with this change in Cole. "You didn't tell me much about her… That's actually strange because usually I'd have to stop you from boasting of your conquests…"
"You said yourself you didn't care much to hear about those…" Cole was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but hoped that Paul wouldn't see that. His friend had a keen eye however and he noticed the increasing tension.
"I don't care much when you try talking about it, but when you try avoiding it, I've got to admit, that peaks my interest."
"Well, if you must know," Cole began, trying his best to sound casual, "she's a pretty thing but that's just about the end of it with her. Now that I got a new idea on how to take care of Leo's request, I don't see the interest in talking about Lara…"
"Cole… I know you as if I made you. This new touchy feely thing is not like you. Let alone this "let's not talk about the girl" attitude. What happened with that girl?"
Cole was tempted to send his friend packing at this point. He had never been very good at lying to Paul. There was no point anyway because Paul always saw through him. He was probably the only one who could, but that didn't help Cole's cause right then. If he started talking about Lara, he knew that Paul would see the effect she had on him.
"Cole?" Paul insisted when he saw his friend hesitating. Now his curiosity was fully awakened as he realized that there was something really strange about Cole's reticence.
"Oh well," Cole began at last, looking away as he did so, "she's a pretty thing…really pretty…" he trailed.
"You said that before…And?"
"And nothing," Cole replied almost angrily as he looked back at his friend. "Mostly, she's got to be the most cold-hearted bitch I've ever met. A real good example of what I think of women…"
"Oh, oh…" Paul uttered with a teasing smile…
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Could Casanova have finally met his match?"
Cole grunted unhappily and was fortunately saved from more questioning when they reached the outskirts of town. Soon, the hangar that was supposed to be a depot for a large amount of hard liquor was in sight and so were a number of police cars.
Cole got out of the car hurriedly as soon as they stopped, but Paul reached him quickly, the mocking smile still plastered on his lips.
"Don't think I won't pursue this…this is too good…"
Cole cursed his friend's intuition inwardly, but he only grunted some more as he cautiously moved toward the police line.
Chapter V
Cole distractedly took the way to his friend's house rather than going to his own apartment. When he realized it, he figured that he might as well discuss what happened that day with Paul. Of course, he suspected Paul would be totally against his idea. However, that never kept Cole from doing anything he set his mind to before. Yet, if Paul couldn't stop him, he often gave him ideas on the way to go about whatever his plans were. In spite of strong reticence, Paul still supported him even in the craziest endeavours. All but his way with women… On this, Paul and he agreed to disagree, a long time ago.
Cole remembered that time during the war when he decided to take it upon himself to attack an outpost against their officer's order. Paul had been beside himself for a while, but then he came along anyway, and so did Leo.
The three of them found themselves about three hundred feet from a bunker, as Paul made yet another attempt to convince Cole to give it up.
"Come on man, we've got no business being here on our own."
"Those guys have been pounding on our lines for the last three days. If we don't take them out, they'll take us out for sure."
"This is stupid. The Captain said they were planning something already," Paul countered.
"Paul…I never figured you for a coward…"
Paul frowned angrily at this and Cole realized he had gone too far.
"I didn't mean that…don't mind me," he pursued quickly. "But if you don't stop talking, the Fritz will know we're here too soon; where's that gonna leave us?"
"I still say we wait for the Captain and the others," Paul replied after a moment of tense silence. "What are we really here for anyway?"
"For glory…?" Cole half-mocked… "Nah," he continued when he saw Leo and Paul grimacing, "I just think they're waiting too long. We've lost too many men to those Fritz already. Samuel was the last straw!"
Cole was referring to an artillery man who had just succumbed to his wounds after being hit by the German battery, which was hidden in the bunker. When Samuel died, Cole became enraged at the lack of response from their superior officer. He went to his tent and if it hadn't been for his many acts of courage, Cole would probably have ended up demoted right then and there. In spite of his insistence, the officer refused to budge on this. Thus, that night, Cole managed to convince Paul and Leo to do it themselves and they went for it, albeit reluctantly on Paul's part.
Before them, two soldiers were walking the outer perimeter, while one was smoking near the bunker's entrance. They watched the enemy soldiers for a while and as soon as they found a hole to slip through, Cole signalled that it was time. Paul sighed heavily, casting a disgusted look towards Leo, but both men still followed, crouching in the underbrush. However, when Cole was about to make his move against the careless soldier who still stood near the entrance, Paul caught his arm firmly. Cole gave him a look of reproach, thinking that Paul was again trying to stop him. Before he could protest however, he saw what had caught his friend's attention. Besides the soldier smoking near the bunker, another one was standing about fifteen feet away and would have surely shot Cole if Paul hadn't stopped him.
With a slight nod, he signalled to Paul that he understood and then he made a wide gesture, indicating that they should try going around. This took them long minutes, as they had to be careful not to alert the patrol. Then when they were in position, they again waited for the right opportunity. As soon as Cole believed they had another chance, he didn't hesitate to go after the second man. Pulling a double-edged knife out of his boot, he cautiously walked toward the soldier.
Paul and Leo watched attentively, ready to intervene was the man to sound the alarm, but he never got the chance as he fell to the ground without a sound, his throat slashed. Cole didn't even look at the man falling before he rubbed the knife against his pants and cautiously advanced toward the bunker, while his companions followed, with their guns at the ready. The second soldier uttered a strangled scream before falling just as quickly as the first one and Cole threw himself against the bunker, fearing that someone would come out. After a few seconds however when no one seemed to have noticed the man's scream, he decided he should make his move before the patrol came back. Until then, it was going according to plan. He grabbed a grenade from his belt, ready to blow up the offending battery. Cole had time to pull the pin out of the device and was preparing to throw it in, when he was stopped by a clamor behind him.
Paul and Leo were throwing their guns to the ground even as he looked back. The patrol came into view, training their guns on Cole's friends and it stopped his move. They had not noticed him yet and he carefully put the pin back in place. Then, he took out his gun and lined up the first soldier. During training, Cole had become an expert shot and he proved it by killing both men with two precise gunshots. Paul and Leo then rushed to get their guns, knowing that this would bring the rest of the soldiers out, and Cole hurried to throw the grenade through the cannon hole before running toward his friends. Indeed, even before the grenade exploded, two men came out of the bunker and started after Cole. Fortunately, the force of the blast knocked them down, which allowed the three companions to escape. Even as they went, Cole and the others heard a series of explosions, which told them that the ammo was blowing up, effectively destroying the bunker.
When they were almost to their own lines, Paul turned to Cole in annoyance.
"Now that was crazy!"
"Hey," Cole replied, unconcerned, "we got them. That's all that matters, isn't it?"
"You'd say that."
"Well, for once, I tend to agree with Cole," Leo intervened. He was obviously excited by what happened and it was surprising since, just like Paul, he usually preferred the side of caution. In the end, their enthusiasm got to Paul, who began showing signs of pride. By the time they reached their encampment, none of them cared whether the Captain would blow a gasket. They were certain of the rightfulness of their actions. Indeed, in spite of severe reprimands, the three of them mostly got accolades from their fellow soldiers as ultimately, their heroic gesture allowed the company to finally move ahead after a three-day stand off.
As Cole parked in front of Paul's house, he reflected again that glory went to those who dared. Thus making his decision about Fredo all the easier. However, if taking this job didn't cause him too much worry, Lara was another story altogether. As he knocked on the door, his thoughts returned to the young woman and a strange longing came to him. At great efforts, he rejected the softening that threatened to invade him, as this would only be a weakness. There was no place for weaknesses in his life.
When Lydia opened the door, he had managed to get Lara out of his mind, if only for the time being.
Rather than her usual soft welcoming smile, Lydia grimaced unhappily.
"Hey, am I interrupting something?" Cole questioned, without too much concern.
"No… but that could be because my husband is too worried about your stubborn ass to take care of his wife properly."
Cole was always amazed at how direct Lydia could be. In fact, he believed this could be one of the reasons why he managed to get along with her. Unlike most women, she held very little back.
"What? Your other half is still neglecting his pretty wife? I offered my help, you know," Cole teased.
"I'll bet," Lydia replied curtly, although with an amused smile that negated the severe tone of voice. "What kind of trouble are you getting yourself into this time?"
"I'm surprised Paul didn't tell you. Anyway, if you let me in, I'll tell you all about it…" Cole retorted, while leaning toward her playfully. Lydia was used to his pretend come-ons and she simply played along, smiling almost flirtatiously.
"Hey you, Romeo," came Paul's voice from inside. "Didn't I tell you to leave my wife alone?"
Cole jumped back, pretending guilt.
"Nothing happened… Scout's honor," he said then with a wide grin.
"Right," Paul said as he came to the door behind his wife. "Come in…I'm glad to see you're still in one piece…"
"You are?"
"Oh come on Cole. You know how much of an idiot I am."
"Don't I know it!"
Paul hit his shoulder roughly, but Cole only laughed heartily as he followed him in. Lydia closed the door behind them with a falsely exasperated sigh.
"You guys are just like kids…"
"Don't you like kids? I thought that was why you were after Paul to pay you some attention…"
"Hey Cole, I want kids, but little ones. I could use more maturity around here. When is it that a man matures?"
"Don't ask me," Cole replied with a big grin.
"And here I thought earning our keep and putting a roof over our head qualified as maturity…" Paul said with a falsely offended expression.
"Maybe I'll believe that when you try staying under that roof more than a couple hours at a time… Ok guys... as curious as I am about Cole's latest cockamamie scheme, I think I'll leave you two alone. Paul's gonna tell me all about it later, won't you?"
Paul grimaced unhappily, as Lydia left the room without waiting for an answer.
"Hey, I can come back another time, you know," Cole asked his friend with a grimace of his own.
"Nah…she's just miffed because I promised her we'd go out tonight but I had to cancel… I was gonna go check up on you as a matter of fact."
"Hum…it's a wonder she didn't shut the door in my face then…"
"Hardly enough, she likes you… that's the wonder actually. You're not the one she's upset with. It's just the third time in a row I had to cancel and the other two had nothing to do with you…"
"It's good to know I'm not the only reason why your marriage's on the rocks…"
"My marriage is just fine thank you," Paul answered curtly.
"Hey, can't you take a joke?"
"Sorry, I'm on edge… and you're not helping. What happened?"
"Since when do you want updates on my conquests," Cole countered.
"I've been living vicariously through you for like ten years. So why would it surprise you?" Paul joked. Of course, that wasn't true. Ever since he met Lydia, Paul had only showed passing interest in Cole's women stories. Moreover, even that was mostly to try convincing him to stop.
"Yeah right," Cole retorted. "Anyway, I'm here to surprise you…"
"Really," Paul asked in the manner of one who thought nothing could surprise him anymore.
"I'm thinking of changing jobs…for a while at least…"
"What? I thought you were fine with the tuning bit."
"Oh I'm fine with it, but I just got a tempting offer…"
"Ok you got me there," Paul conceded as he went to sit on the upholstered chair standing near the radio. Cole took the sofa and waited for the inevitable questioning.
"How good was that offer, and when the hell did you manage to get it anyway?"
"Well, let's just say that Leo should be happy… Fredo just offered me a job in his outfit…"
Cole waited for the explosion, flinching already. However, Paul didn't say anything at first. He seemed dumbfounded.
"Come on, Paul. Say something. I know you're dying to."
"Well…"Paul began, and then he stopped himself for a few seconds… "What can I say?"
Then the explosion Cole had expected came.
"What the fuck are you thinking?"
"Simply that I can get information better from the inside…" Cole replied calmly, only unnerving Paul more.
"Did you hit your head? Or is the guy I knew changed so much that now you wanna be a gangster?"
"Hardly," Cole protested. "I'd only be a driver…"
"A driver to a Gangster, do I need to remind you?"
"Paul, I'm not stupid…"
Paul got up and started pacing the room nervously.
"That's up for fucking debate…. Cole you went there to seduce a girl. How in the blazing hell did you manage to get an offer from her sugar daddy? How did you even get to talk to the guy? Leo told you to stay away from him, didn't he?"
"Cool it," Cole exclaimed. "I didn't plan on it, but well, shit happens…"
"And it seems to happen to you a lot; mostly because you step in the way consistently."
You didn't accept yet, did you?"
"No…but I'm planning to…" Cole replied, ignoring Paul's predictable reproaches and caution.
"Whatever happened to getting the girl to talk with your dubious charms?"
"Hey it's one thing to be mad at me; it's a whole other thing to insult me directly. Although, for once, you should be proud of me…"
"Oh and how the hell do you figure that ? Right now, I'm envisioning a bunch of sleepless nights, wondering when Leo will ring the bell to get me to identify your bloody remains…"
"I wish you'd trust that I can take care of myself. I seem to remember many times where I was the one saving your ass."
"And I can't help feeling responsible for yours. That's my curse… Now, tell me why I should be proud of you. I've got to tell you though; it better be good!"
From the next room, the sound of pots and pans being stacked noisily told Paul that he might want to consider lowering his voice. Lydia hated it when he got this unnerved and she had her own way of showing it. Cole noticed as well, and wasn't exactly surprised when he saw Paul going back to his seat and taking a few deep breaths to calm down. He waited until Paul had regained some control before continuing.
"Ok, well, I went there and saw the girl… Hell, I even spent the afternoon in the same room. Leo was right… she watched the whole thing like a hawk…" Just talking about Lara was enough to unnerve Cole. He tried to get through this part of the story as fast as he could.
"Well, I probably would've gone for it… but I ended up saving the big boss's ass instead. Now he's grateful and wants me on the payroll…"
"Whoa… back up here. You're saying you…saved his ass? How?"
Relieved that Paul wasn't questioning him any further about the girl, Cole described the incident to him and the subsequent conversation with Fredo… As his story progressed, Paul became increasingly worried.
"Look Cole… this thing doesn't feel right to me. First off, being Fredo's driver isn't gonna give you any info…"
Cole was about to interrupt, but Paul pursued quickly.
"And even if it did, things'd be much worse. Do you really think he's gonna let you go after you found stuff out about his business? Even worse, if you give what you found out to Leo and they get him for it, I'm sure there's gonna be others to kick your ass afterward. At least the girl scheme had the advantage of keeping you out of the loop…"
"I won't stay there long enough to get too deep into the business, Paul. I'm only gonna investigate discreetly. He won't know a thing…"
Paul was astounded at Cole's carelessness.
"You can't seriously believe that you could get stuff on them and they wouldn't find out. It's suicide."
Cole sighed heavily at his friend's warnings.
"Look Paul. My life hasn't been all that exciting lately. I never felt more alive than during the war. Here's my chance to do something good and to feel like that again…"
"I thought all those flings were meant to do that…"
"When you've seen one jealous husband, you've seen them all," Cole clowned. However, it didn't crack Paul up one little bit.
"Not funny, Cole. Why couldn't you just stick to what Leo asked you to do? Hell, why did you go and save this creep anyway? If you'd let things well enough alone, now we'd be back to business as usual…"
"I couldn't let a guy get shot in front of me and do nothing…"
"Sure you could've. When it's a gangster like that one..."
"That didn't come to my mind, Paul. He was just a guy about to be ambushed."
"Well, you didn't use to save the enemy before."
"The line between who's the enemy and who's not isn't so well defined anymore…"
The phone ringing kept Paul from replying to this. He waited two rings, supposing that Lydia would get it, but it was soon obvious that she wouldn't and he went to the phone with an exasperated sigh.
"Yes?" Paul answered curtly.
"Oh Sarah," he continued after a few seconds, already more business like. "Really? No kidding?"
"Alright, send the photographer ahead and tell him to wait for me. No heroics…we'll go in together."
After he hung up, Cole stared at him curiously.
"Seems I'll have to cut this short, Cole. The paper just got a tip about a big bust that's gonna happen tonight."
"Do you often get tips like these?"
"Hell yeah. Although, sometimes, I get the feeling they're using us… Like in this case, it's probably a rival gang who gave the tip to the cops and us. No matter, it's news and we don't ignore that kind of tip. Who knows what big headline might slip through our fingers if we did."
"Do you mind if I come with you? I promise I'll stay out of the way. I'm just curious…particularly now that I'm getting into the thick of things…"
"Don't remind me…Cole seriously. I want you to think about this. Give yourself some time. In fact, come with me and maybe it'll help convince you of your foolishness. Those guys, they're not choir boys. Usually there's heavy resistance during these busts."
"I told you, I'm only gonna drive for them and only for a little while…"
"Think about it," Paul repeated, ignoring Cole's protests. "Meanwhile, let's hurry up. The bust is set to happen in less than thirty minutes and it's on the edge of town. We've got no time to lose."
The two men were already on their way when Paul remembered that he still had to tell Lydia. He was turning back when he saw her in the threshold.
"Sorry baby…gotta run…" He said somewhat sheepishly.
Lydia grimaced but said nothing. Paul went to her anyway and kissed her good bye lightly on the lips. Her response was a little too cold for his taste. Paul then promised himself to make it up to her soon, very soon.
Phoebe could sense the tension in their private booth, even as Fredo pretended to be interested in the show. The Pharaoh Club was packed and it was a good sign for her big debut, which was three days from today. However, the atmosphere around her took away from her satisfaction. Instead, she was scanning the crowd, half expecting someone to get up with a gun and start shooting at them. In the end, she couldn't take it anymore.
"Fredo…" The old man turned to her with a hint of irritation, which only confirmed Phoebe's impression of the problem.
"What is it doll?"
"Is there something wrong? I mean after today…"
"Nothing's wrong baby," Fredo interrupted quickly while patting her thigh reassuringly. "Just concentrate on your stuff and leave the worry to us men…"
"Are you sure it's safe…"
"I told you, I took care of it…"
This condescending attitude didn't please Phoebe in the least. However, she knew that now wasn't the time to protest. Even when he smiled at her, Phoebe could sense that she was being dismissed. Sighing, she tried to set aside her fears but all that did was bring back the disturbing memory of the piano tuner. Even as his smile haunted her thoughts, Phoebe reflected that she had been looking for anything to distract her from it. Every time she let her mind wander, the thought of him returned, bringing back the strange emotions that she didn't want to have. Ever since the day that boy had caused her life to be a living hell, Phoebe swore to herself that she'd never love any man. Strangely, at the time, and even if she had never met him directly, she was sure that she had loved the pianist. "For all the good it did me," she reflected bitterly. Yet, right then, the feelings that stirred her insides bore a strange resemblance to those days and it bothered her greatly. Maybe, she reasoned, it was just the fact that he was so handsome and at the piano… like a memory of feelings. That had to be it… for how could she have fallen so quickly for a perfect stranger who behaved like an ass toward her on top of things?
Then again, maybe she was simply reacting to his refusal. Indeed, Phoebe wasn't refused by any man. That hadn't happened once ever since she set her sights on the guard assigned to her by her father all those years ago. After her escape from the Reform School, Phoebe had used her power over men to climb into the music business, which had brought her here, so close to her apogee. In order to chase away the annoying feelings, Phoebe actually forced herself to think back to those beginnings. As disturbing as they were, at this point, she preferred this to the storm that raged inside of her.
Sylvia had not lost time in preparing Phoebe's escape after the shower room incident. She obviously feared a repeat of the event and didn't care much for it. Phoebe was at once excited at the idea of freedom and terrorized by the consequences were this to fail. She clearly remembered the screams of that girl accused of such an offense. Even as she hid in the laundry container, holding her breath for fear of being discovered, her buttocks contracted nervously at the idea of the correction she might receive. It was too much of a reminder of the way her father had beat her up. However, anything was better than being subjected again to the humiliation those girls had put her through. Even the thought of it made her noxious. She could still feel their filthy hands on her and she promised herself that she would run quickly not to have to endure the same fate from Sylvia.
Before the incident, she had even believed that she could allow the matron to have her way with her as some sort of reward for helping her. No more…
A vibration told Phoebe that the carriage was on its way in even before she heard the big doors opening and the horses neighing close by. The trip would be a short one, but she knew it might turn out to be rough, mostly because of how nervous she was. It didn't take long before she felt the container being lifted, but it was put down quickly as the handler protested.
"Hey that thing's really heavy. What do you put in your laundry," he asked suspiciously.
Sylvia's voice came from beside the container.
"Don't you try and ask for help, Colin. I know what you're trying to do. This isn't any heavier than usual…"
"I beg to differ…"
"I checked the load myself," Sylvia uttered firmly. "Are you accusing me of something?"
The man named Colin didn't answer right away and Phoebe worried that he might look in.
"Of course not," he finally replied, albeit reluctantly.
"That's much better," Sylvia said severely. "Now do your job. I've got better things to do than stand here waiting for you to finish."
Phoebe thought she heard the man groan unhappily, but he picked up the container again. His heavy breathing told her that he was barely managing to carry the thing. Nevertheless, in the end, she thankfully felt the container being lowered on the platform of the carriage. Soon, the conveyance was on its way and Phoebe allowed herself to breathe normally again. Her relief didn't last long however, as she knew that if she wanted to escape, she now had to get out of this thing before they arrived at their destination. Cautiously, she lifted the lid and peeked around. It was night, but the street lamps gave her enough light to distinguish the surroundings. From her point of view, Phoebe saw the back of the carriage and freedom ahead. She almost jumped out right then, but she reflected that she should make sure the driver wasn't watching. Phoebe lifted the lid some more and turned her gaze toward the front of the vehicle. Thankfully, Colin didn't pay any attention to his load. He even started whistling some god-awful tune, his voice painful to her delicate ears. Certain that she could get out safely, she pushed the lid all the way up but almost caused it to hit on the outside of the box. Phoebe barely managed to catch it in time, as she cast another worried look toward the driver. More carefully this time, she got out still holding the lid and then put it back in place just as cautiously.
From then on, Phoebe didn't lose any more time. Still hearing the whistling, which told her that her presence remained unknown to the driver, she went to the back and after taking a few deep breaths, she jumped toward the pavement. She had to hold in a scream of pain, as she scraped her bare forearms. Determined to put a lot of distance between her and the carriage, she got up quickly and ran toward a row of buildings. There, she found an alley and let herself down to the ground again, breathing heavily. This had all happened so quickly. It was almost too easy. However, Phoebe knew that she wasn't out of the woods. In the pocket of the civilian clothing Sylvia gave to her, she patted the ticket that was supposed to bring her to Sylvia's hometown by train. Phoebe did not intend to ever go there however. Instead, she would exchange the ticket for a destination of her choice. When she was certain no one had noticed her, she said aloud:
"Thanks for everything, Sylvia…So long." Then she got up and headed for the nearest train station on foot, hoping to god that her luck would hold.
Besides Phoebe in the booth, Fredo bent toward Saul and whispered something she couldn't hear. She still got the sensation that the severe expression on her lover's face wasn't a good sign and right then she wished she knew more about his business dealings.
"Are you certain it's gonna be over tonight," Fredo asked intensely.
"The police are taking care of our problem as we speak…I assure you," Saul replied confidently.
Cole and Paul remained silent for a while. They were staring ahead, tense at the idea of what they would find once they got to destination. However, Cole noticed some annoyance as well in his friend's expression.
"Lydia wasn't too happy, was she?" He asked, guessing at Paul's worries.
"No she wasn't…" Paul answered curtly. He was conflicted about this. On the one hand, beside Lydia, his job was everything to him and he thought that his wife understood this. On the other hand, her attitude was understandable given the fact that the last few months had been hectic. The rise in criminal activities had also meant a very busy schedule for Paul and of course, those guys didn't necessarily act during daylight. Far from, in fact… Regularly, he was called upon at odd hours to go investigate either a crime just committed, or a tip like tonight. At first, Lydia took it in strides, but after a few months of this, she was getting tired of his numerous outings. It was also true that he had been too tired to take care of her properly. It wasn't the lack of desire that kept him for sure. Just the thought of his beautiful wife was enough to stir him still. However, the circumstances didn't give him much chance to act upon those stirrings. Sometimes, he even feared that Lydia might become so fed up with this that she would leave him. This thought was a very disturbing one, but it wasn't enough to stop him. Even if he had just been joking with Rodney that day, he truly wanted to climb in the ranks, to be recognized for his work… Paul knew that the times were favourable to it. Every day, he hoped that the big story would fall into his lap and he would finally get the acknowledgment he sought.
Every time the fear of losing her arose, he reasoned that when he got his big story, she would see what he was working for and be proud of him.
Cole interrupted his train of thoughts.
"You know, maybe it's not worth losing your wife…"
This echoed his thoughts so much that Paul jumped. Not so much because Cole had guessed at his worries, but because it was Cole…
"Since when are you worried about my marriage? Come to think of it…" he trailed, thinking back of their earlier conversation, "that's the second time tonight…"
"Hey, can't a man worry about his friend's happiness?"
"Any other… Cole, I've never known you to worry sincerely about my relationship…On the contrary, I'd expect you'd say I told you so…"
"Goes to say you don't know me as well as you think…"
Paul cast a strange look to his friend, wondering…
"No… I know you very well indeed…. Hey, what about that girl?" He suddenly questioned, instinctively guessing that she might have to do with this change in Cole. "You didn't tell me much about her… That's actually strange because usually I'd have to stop you from boasting of your conquests…"
"You said yourself you didn't care much to hear about those…" Cole was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, but hoped that Paul wouldn't see that. His friend had a keen eye however and he noticed the increasing tension.
"I don't care much when you try talking about it, but when you try avoiding it, I've got to admit, that peaks my interest."
"Well, if you must know," Cole began, trying his best to sound casual, "she's a pretty thing but that's just about the end of it with her. Now that I got a new idea on how to take care of Leo's request, I don't see the interest in talking about Lara…"
"Cole… I know you as if I made you. This new touchy feely thing is not like you. Let alone this "let's not talk about the girl" attitude. What happened with that girl?"
Cole was tempted to send his friend packing at this point. He had never been very good at lying to Paul. There was no point anyway because Paul always saw through him. He was probably the only one who could, but that didn't help Cole's cause right then. If he started talking about Lara, he knew that Paul would see the effect she had on him.
"Cole?" Paul insisted when he saw his friend hesitating. Now his curiosity was fully awakened as he realized that there was something really strange about Cole's reticence.
"Oh well," Cole began at last, looking away as he did so, "she's a pretty thing…really pretty…" he trailed.
"You said that before…And?"
"And nothing," Cole replied almost angrily as he looked back at his friend. "Mostly, she's got to be the most cold-hearted bitch I've ever met. A real good example of what I think of women…"
"Oh, oh…" Paul uttered with a teasing smile…
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Could Casanova have finally met his match?"
Cole grunted unhappily and was fortunately saved from more questioning when they reached the outskirts of town. Soon, the hangar that was supposed to be a depot for a large amount of hard liquor was in sight and so were a number of police cars.
Cole got out of the car hurriedly as soon as they stopped, but Paul reached him quickly, the mocking smile still plastered on his lips.
"Don't think I won't pursue this…this is too good…"
Cole cursed his friend's intuition inwardly, but he only grunted some more as he cautiously moved toward the police line.