Heartless: A John Zalerian Novel (Book 1) Detective Thriller by Ian D. Feldman

Author:Ian D. Feldman [Feldman, Ian D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2024-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

20

Herbie Rides Again

5:49PM Day 2

The hum of equipment fans thrums through the well-insulated hidden space behind Roman’s bedroom. Cheap carpet with interlocking rubber tiles covers the cheap carpet. Computer gear placed with precision fills the void. I recognize the tall rectangular box at the far end—a blade server, the kind you see in Fortune 500 basements calculating and controlling their far-flung empires. Wall-mounted monitors slew data at speeds my eyes can’t track. Lots of blinking lights—red, orange, yellow, green, and blue—wink at me as they execute their programs under the antiseptic glow of ceiling mounted LEDs. The gear and floor on which it sits hasn’t a speck of dust. Two air purifiers collect everything airborne. A single backless chair from which Roman managed it all awaits his return.

A wave of sadness creeps over me. Roman had big dreams that have turned to vapor. This kid could have become a corporate titan. Instead, he lies on a slab, his criminal exploits exposed and his gear possessed of more spirit than his chilled corpse. Whatever this is, I’m in way over my head. Even Yanos is scratching for clues. I need to find his utility bill. With his power consumption, he must pay by wire transfer. The utility wouldn’t know what to do with that much cash at the regional office.

On the short side of the entrance, a Smith & Wesson forty-five caliber 1911D pistol dangles from a hook on the wall above a nasty-looking HK MP7 submachine gun. Extra clips rest on a table underneath in front of a five-foot tall safe with an electronic lock. This last garners the senior detective’s attention.

“Any ideas on how we get this open, junior?”

“Explosives?” I dial up the overhead LEDs. The polished surface of the steel beast bears a single word in all capital letters—UNBREAKABLE. I whistle. “I read a circular on these when they hit the market a couple of years ago. Two inches of a patented titanium alloy all around, including the locking bolts. Explosive failsafe device to freeze the locking bolts in place. Fire rated to five thousand degrees for twelve hours. One thing’s for sure, Roman didn’t skimp on the important stuff.”

“Okay, junior, time for a lesson. Maybe you’ll remember this one. It’s good to have friends.” With that, Yanos whips out his phone and dials. “Frankie? Archie here. How’s the family? Glad to hear it. Did Lucy get her braces off? Yeah? No more hiding her beautiful smile. That’s great, Frankie. What’s that? Groovy. I’d love to see you guys. Next month? I can make that work. I need to get out of LA soon. This place is killing me. Yeah, talk to the missus. Let me know what works for you guys. Oh, by the way, I’m looking at a five-foot-tall Unbreakable. I need to open it, but the owner’s dead. Yeah, electronic lock. Sure, I can wait.” He taps his foot to the hold music. “That’s it? Hilarious. They’ll have to change the advertising. Thanks, Frankie. You’re the best.

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