Novel, "Sisters," Chapter 2


Posted by critmk on May 08, 2003 at 07:44:41:

Sisters
a story by critmk
written for CashTV

Chapter 2 – The Client’s Wife

The circumstances of our meeting showed that my client was ruthless. The conversation that followed showed she was smart. And one look at her showed that she was sexy.

She took me to school on the case. She knew who I was, and she knew that the late Koncharova sisters were involved in a plot to gain control of her father-in-law’s company and cut her husband out of it. That’s why they had to die.

I’d figured that much, but she hinted at twists and subtleties I hadn’t imagined.

“Mr. Conlin, I hope you haven’t developed a foolish sense of loyalty to my husband,” she said. “Believe me, he’d sell you out in a minute if he thought it was to his advantage.”

“In my business, one buys loyalty,” I told her. “Your husband is paying a moderate price for mine. How do you know my name, Mrs. Laufer?”

“Make it Barbara, Jack.” She nonchalantly waved the silver Colt. “Would you be more comfortable if I put this away?”

“I’m comfortable enough. Keep it if you like.” She put it on the side table next to her.

“I made some discreet inquiries and directed Norman to you,” she said. “It’s part of the setup. He’s a drunk, a cheat and an idiot. And a lousy lover. I want him out of my way. That’s why I shot the Booby Sisters over there with Norman’s gun. He had opportunity and motive. He’s been moaning to everyone about how unfair it was that his daddy was giving his inheritance to a couple of sluts.”

“I got an earful of that whining myself. Your husband needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.”

“It’s too late for that,” she said, with sudden bitterness in her tone. “It’s too late for everything with him. He’s taking the fall for these murders. He’ll be off to prison, I’ll be left to comfort his daddykins, who will be heartbroken about his son trying to kill him and his beloved girlfriends. With the bimbos and Norman out of the way, I’ll control the old man. When he dies – I’ll give him some help if he needs it -- I’ll get the company.”

“And where does that leave me?”

“You, Jack, are at my disposal. You see, I had my nitwit husband tape your conversation. How many people have you killed for hire, Jack? Did you know that Missouri is a death penalty state?”

I couldn’t prevent myself from flushing with anger, which she seemed to think was cute. She laughed out loud – which pissed me off even more – and went on:

“There, now, don’t be so upset. I will happily give you that tape if you do a little job for me. And it’s not all stick; there’s a $200,000 carrot in it for you.”

“Go on.”

“The cunt sisters over there were way too stupid to run this scam on my father-in-law by themselves. A shady law firm is involved.”

“Kennet and Sikes.”

“Yes! How did you know that?”

I looked at her blankly. It was a small and simple thing, but I had managed to be a step ahead on something. I wanted to retain a little mystique in her mind.

“OK, don’t tell me, I don’t care. I found out by running a reverse-directory check on the phony ‘answering service’ number the girls used. It’s a very small firm – three lawyers, one legal assistant, a receptionist, a secretary. They work on a lot of immigration cases for Russian women. Several of those Russians seem to have inherited money from elderly American men. Large chunks of it probably went to Kennet and Sikes and through them to the Russian mafia. But that’s just a guess.”

“Why do we care about Kennet and Sikes? Their bimbos are dead, it’s over, you win.”

“Because I’m not sure how far they got with my father-in-law. The old fool won’t tell anyone whether or how he’s legally changed his will. I don’t know what provisions are in it in the unlikely event that he outlives his girlfriends – which, of course, he has. The girls talked him into having Kennet and Sikes draw up the contracts, so it’s bound to be bad.”

“I think I see where this is headed. Can’t say I like it.”

“Come on, Jack, we’re both adults here. I saw that bulge in your pants when you saw those dead sluts. You get off on it, don’t you? I’ll tell you a secret – so do I.”

She took the Colt in her gloved hand again, but this time didn’t aim it at me. Barbara walked to the bed. She lifted her skirt and began to roll her hips sensually as she stroked herself. When her breathing became fast and audible, she leaned forward and pressed the barrel of the noise suppressor to the circle of pink just above Sonya’s left nipple. The soft breast gave way and formed a crater around the cold metal.

Barbara fired and the dead girl’s head bobbed violently. The bed rocked and squeaked. A curl of smoke rose from the new black hole when Barbara lifted the barrel away from it.

She dropped the gun on the bed and turned to me. She opened my trousers, straddled my legs, and lowered herself onto my erection.

As she pumped me, she whispered hotly in my ear:

“You’re not going to mind killing those girl lawyers, now, are you honey? Will you do for me, honey?”

“No,” I heard myself saying. “I won’t mind at all.”