The Most Dangerous Dame

Natasha searched my face. I was pretty sure I wore a rather murderous expression, which to be fair was enough to warrant her anxiousness.

“Let’s go. We’re outta here.” My step never faltered as I strode past Esmeralda’s office. I had to get away from the condemning atmosphere. Every corner seemed to whisper with Desiree’s accusing voice.

“Mick.” Benny glanced up from viewing his holoband. “Uncle Flacco wants an update. Says to meet him at his safe house in the Docks.”

“You know where it’s at?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok.” I jerked my head toward the exit.

“Mick.” Natasha nearly had to jog in order to match my stride. “Why won’t you tell me what happened?”

“Cause you don’t wanna know what happened, Natasha. Some things are better off left alone, understand?”

I gratefully pushed open the exit doors and stepped out in the welcoming stench of New Haven gutters and smog. The clamor of traffic, sirens, and the morning bustle helped clear my mind and hone my focus. Things were as bad as I’d seen them get, but I was still walking and still had the Mean Ol’ Broad tucked in her holster under my arm. I’d go with those odds any given day.

Natasha wasn’t one to give up, I’d say that for her. She placed a hand against my chest to halt my stride.

“I told you not to treat me like a child, Mick. I think I deserve to know what’s behind that gloomy expression you’re wearing. I can handle it.”

My heart broke a little when I looked at her. She was a rose in a concrete world, ignorant of the likelihood of being trampled by crowds of indifferent feet. A large part of me wanted to do as her parents tried to: protect her from the cruelties of that world, shield her from its filth and corruption. But the rest of me knew it wouldn’t make a difference in the long run. Sooner or later the world shows you its ugly side, and when it does you’d better be ready to face it.

“Know what a Glasgow Smile is?”

She shook her head.

“It’s when someone takes a razor blade or a knife, puts it in the corner of your mouth—” I traced a line across her face with my finger. “—and slashes. Then they beat you in the face or continue cutting until the muscles contract, causing the cut to spread from ear to ear. Sometimes the victims bleed out enough to die. Those who survive the trauma are left with a permanent scar as a memento.”

Natasha cringed and took a step back. “Is that what—?”

“—happened to Desiree? Yeah. That’s what the killer did to her face. Afterward she slit Desiree’s throat, the same as Scarlett’s. That’s what you wanted to know, right? Maybe I should take you back there, like Esmeralda said. You wanna get a close look, see what death looks like? That it?”

“I’ve seen what death looks like.” Natasha’s voice lowered to a near-whisper, but she never dropped her gaze. “How my parents were slaughtered was even worse. Don’t ever forget that, Mick.”

I stared at her, shocked by the sting in her words. “I can’t forget that. I’ll never forget that as long as I live.”

Benny cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt this tender scene and all, but whaddya saying: you’re connected to the girl that was snuffed here?”

I turned, relieved at the interruption. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Whoever this killer is, she’s toying with me. She wants me to know she can smoke me anytime, but she wants me to suffer first. Well, it’s working. I’m suffering all right, so much I can barely breathe. All I wanna do is shoot someone right now, but I still don’t even have a target.”

“Maybe you outta take that Sinn fox up on her offer, Mick. ‘Cause it looks like you’re gonna need all the help you can get.”

I scrubbed a hand across my chin. “Maybe you’re right, Benny. Can’t hurt at this point.” I tapped on my holoband and pulled up the number she gave me. Her face appeared on the screen instantly, alluring even in thumbnail size.

“I’ve been waiting for your call, Mick.”

“Is that so? I figured you’d have a thousand other things to occupy your digitally enhanced mind.”

Her lips curved. “Fortunately I multi-task with ease. What can I help you with?”

“Surveillance footage of who’s been through here in the last twenty-four hours.”

“I’m afraid the blackout was professionally done. Your hidden enemy is either jacked into the system or has some highly skilled assistance.”

“Great news. If that’s the case they can track my every move. If I’m gonna pull this off you have to get me off the grid.”

“Not a problem, Mick. I can tag your holoband with a cloning signal. Anytime someone tries to lock on to you the signal will produce thousands of duplicate signals, making it impossible to track you. From here on out you’re a ghost in the machine.”

“Not a bad trick. Thing is, I let you do that and you’ll be able to track me anywhere. How do I know I can trust you?”