A Dangerous Man by Robert Crais

Author:Robert Crais [Crais, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

31.

Heavy clouds dimmed the evening light. The little house beside him belonged to an older couple. Nicholas and Faye spent most of their time in the rear, but when they came to the front of the house, Pike heard them clearly. He listened to note their movement, but tried not to hear. When the couple returned to the back of the house, their voices blurred to a mumble. Pike preferred the mumble.

An incoming call disturbed his peace. A slight vibration, and Pike checked the screen. He made no sudden moves, and did not disturb the branches. Chen. Pike answered as soft as a falling leaf.

“Yes.”

“Joe, this is John Chen.”

Chen’s voice was unusually calm.

“Yes.”

“The man from the SUV is Nathan Daniel Hicks. I got his prints, right where you said.”

Pike’s mouth twitched. The pale man had a name.

“I’m sending his sheet. I didn’t get all of it. It’s long. The dude’s pretty bad.”

Pike felt another vibration as whatever Chen sent arrived. He listened for Nicholas and Faye. They were still in the rear.

“Bad how?”

“Armed robbery, aggravated assault, grand theft. It goes on. Hijackings and warehouses, mostly. Did two stints in prison. You’ll see.”

Chen delivered the news in the same distant voice.

“Wants or warrants?”

Rap sheets provided a record of an individual’s criminal history. This included prior arrests and prosecutions, convictions and dismissals, sentencing and parole information, and pretty much any and all contact the individual had with the criminal justice system. The California DOJ’s sheet would also include outstanding criminal warrants.

Chen said, “None. Last arrest was eight years ago. Nothing since then.”

Pike knew the lack of arrests didn’t mean Hicks had stopped doing crime. Professional criminals did crime for a living. Hicks would have continued taking scores. He’d simply grown smarter, and figured out how to avoid arrest.

Pike listened for Faye and Nicholas again, and once again heard nothing. He wanted to get off the line and study the sheet.

“Thanks, John. This helps.”

Chen hesitated, but didn’t sign off.

“Isabel. Is she nice?”

Pike was surprised by the question, but, as always, he showed nothing.

“Yes. She’s a nice person.”

“I hope you find her.”

Chen’s voice held a numb quality Pike didn’t like.

“John? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I was just thinking—you know, like if someone was holding me hostage or torturing me or—”

“John—”

“If I needed help, you’d be the first person I’d call. Assuming I could call.”

“Are you okay?”

Chen fell silent again.

“John?”

“I never told you this, but you were the first person who ever showed faith in me. The Sobek murders. Remember?”

“I remember.”

A lunatic named Lawrence Sobek had set about murdering the people he blamed for the death of his pedophile-lover in prison. Pike, as the arresting officer, had been among Sobek’s targets. So had Karen Garcia, a young woman who had once been Pike’s girlfriend.

Chen was still talking.

“I was up at Lake Hollywood. Alone. The sun was setting. Man, you scared the hell out of me. You just, I don’t know, appeared. Poof, and there you were, looking all you. I thought you were going to kill me.

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