A Hard Rain Part 15

The rest nodded they were fine as they brushed gla.s.s out of their hair or off their coats and hats.

"Okay," Dix said, "they're going to wonder what happened to us right about now."

Dix studied the faces of his people. Bev looked flushed, even in the dark street light, Whelan had lost his hat somewhere, and Carter's face was pale and he was breathing hard. The others were staring at him, taking deep breaths of the cold night air, their breath white clouds in front of their faces.

"We're running out of time," Bev said.

Dix knew that as well as anyone. "I want everyone to spread out and work their way back to my office. If you are stopped by the police, say nothing about where you are headed."

Everyone nodded.

"Bev, you and I are going to go see if we can just talk to Harvey Upstairs Benton. Who knows, maybe he's willing to cut a deal."

"At this point anything is worth a try," Bev said.

Dix couldn't agree more.

"If we don't return in half an hour everyone report to Mr. Riker."

Again everyone nodded.

"Let's go, people," Dix said.

With that, they turned and started off, a few heading back toward the intersection they had just come through, others starting across the street toward the next intersection, their footsteps the only sound on the silent, dark street.

Dix and Bev stayed on the sidewalk, walking as fast as Bev's high heels would allow them to go.

And with each step more time pa.s.sed, time they couldn't afford to lose or waste.

Section Two: Dealing with the Devil Dix hovered over Bev, his back to the street, his coat spread out for cover as the two of them crouched inside a deep doorway, hiding as a cop car pa.s.sed, slowly, looking for them.

The sound of the car's engine was loud in the street, echoing off the dark windows and empty pavement. Dix held his breath until the car turned the corner and the sound faded, then he exhaled and stood. It had been very lucky for them that they had heard it coming.

He reached down and helped Bev up. "You all right?"

She nodded, brus.h.i.+ng off her skirt and straightening her hair and coat.

Dix eased carefully to the edge of the arched doorway and looked out at the street.

Deserted.

"Too close," Bev said as they stepped out of the doorway and started again toward Harvey Upstairs Benton's headquarters.

"With a little more than a few hours left, I think everything is too close," Dix said.

His stomach was tied in a knot, and he didn't know if that was from worry or from not eating for so long. He pushed the discomfort away and focused on what he had to do coming up.

And if he had missed anything.

Bev said nothing, her heels clicking on the sidewalk, sharp offbeats to his footsteps.

Dix had a strong feeling they weren't going to find the Heart of the Adjuster at Harvey's place. Yet it was the only logical thing he could think of to try at the moment, so they had to do it. Nothing after this made any sense at all.

Suddenly, as if someone had tossed a switch, the weather s.h.i.+fted. On one block it had seemed like a normal night, with the fog swirling over them, threatening rain at any moment; on the next block it got bitingly cold and snow drifted down in between the buildings.

"Snow in the city by the bay," Bev said, holding out her hand and catching a few flakes as they walked. "Now that is something you don't see very often."

"Along the lines of people coming back to life," Dix said.

"Yeah, along those lines."

In front of them Dix could see the corner of Harvey's car dealers.h.i.+p. "Hands up."

Bev did as he said without missing a stride or dropping her purse.

Holding their hands in the air, they stepped out into the intersection and headed for the front door of Harvey Upstairs Benton's headquarters.

A very large man, with a smashed-in nose and a gun impossibly large, stepped toward them. Snow, like a bad case of dandruff, covered his shoulders and hair.

"We came to see your boss," Dix said. "We have an offer he's going to want to hear."

"He knows you was comin'," the guy said.

Dix glanced at Bev, then shrugged. At this point nothing was surprising him.

With the big gun the guy with the damaged nose waved them toward the front door of the car dealers.h.i.+p. Inside the heat was on and the snow melted off them almost instantly. Two other men came forward, also pointing guns at them.

"Armed?" one of them asked.

"Of course," Dix said, opening up his coat and showing them the gun.

"That's where it stays," one man said.

"I understand," Dix said. "I'm here to deal, not fight."

"Smart move," the guy said. "Healthy."

He pointed the way toward a door in the back, leaving the big guy with the smashed nose to move back out into the snow to stand guard.

Dix and Bev went through the door and down a long hall to an office filled with pictures of cars, a large desk, and not much else. A man in an expensive pinstriped suit sat behind the desk doing paperwork. He glanced up as they entered and the two goons took up positions on both sides of the door behind them.

Harvey Upstairs Benton looked just like a car dealer. The minute he looked up at them he flashed a smile that was about as phony and put-on as smiles came. His hair was slicked back and thinning, and he wore too many rings.

"Mr. Hill," Harvey said, "I hear you are looking for me."

"Actually," Dix said, "I'm looking for a small ball, about so big." Dix showed him the size, then went on. "Painted gold."

"And this ball is worth waltzing in here in the middle of the night to ask me about?"

"It is," Dix said.

"Must be a valuable ball," Harvey said.

"To a few people, it is," Dix said. "To everyone else, it is worthless."

"And if I had this ball," Harvey said, "you'd be willing to pay for it? Am I right?"

Dix could feel his stomach twist. Was it possible this man actually had the Heart of the Adjuster? "I would."

Harvey laughed. "And just what might you have that I could use?"

"First," Dix said, staring into Harvey's cold eyes, "to show my good faith, I'll give you some information you can use right now."

Harvey stopped smiling and leaned back in his chair. "I'm waiting."

"In the wall safe behind an ugly picture, in the back room of Benny the Banger's hardware store, is Slippery Stan Hand's ledger book. And I would imagine Benny's as well."

"You mean the book that records all Stan's deals?" Harvey asked, clearly testing Dix.

"That's the one, with names and times and amounts and everything."

"So what makes you think I can get in there now?" Harvey asked.

Dix looked at him with surprise. He had known that Dix and Bev were coming to talk to him, but he hadn't known about the gunfight just six blocks away. That didn't make sense, but he couldn't tell if Harvey was playing him along or not.

"The cops are cleaning up what is left of Benny and his gang in the middle of the street about six blocks from here," Dix said. "He was headed this way to take you on, but the police got there first."

Harvey smiled, and then laughed, deep and low, and very, very mean. But neither the laugh, nor the smile, got to his eyes. "I know," Harvey said. "I was the one that tipped the cops off to Benny's and your plan."

Dix knew they were in trouble. This guy was a long ways in front of them on many fronts.

Harvey reached into the drawer and pulled out a ledger book and flipped it onto the desk. "I a.s.sume you are talking about this book," Harvey said. "I had my boys pick it up before you and your mob was two blocks from Benny's place."

Dix said nothing. Clearly this man knew far, far more than he was letting on. And until Dix knew exactly what this man wanted and what he didn't, anything Dix might say could get him and Bev killed.

"So Mr. Hill, what is it you can offer me?"

"I would a.s.sume you know," Dix said, staring into the depths of those dark, evil eyes.

Again Harvey laughed, like a salesman laughing at a joke from a customer, even though he'd heard it a thousand times. "Very good, Mr. Hill. I know why you have such a reputation."

Dix said nothing.

"How about Redblock's ledger?" Harvey asked. "Are you willing to give me Redblock's ledger, a.s.suming you have it, for this gold ball of yours?"

"I am," Dix said. He had no doubt that Harvey knew he had it.

Harvey again leaned back. "Too bad I don't have your little ball. If I did, I honestly would give it to you. But I don't, I'm afraid to say."

Dix kept quiet. He had guessed and felt, deep in his gut, almost from the moment they had started talking, that Harvey didn't have the ball and had just been playing them. Now it was a matter of getting out of here alive and trying to look somewhere else in what little time they had left.

"So," Harvey said, smiling at Dix and then winking at Bev, "how about I trade you your lives for Redblock's book instead? That sound like a fair trade?"

"I a.s.sume you keep your deals and are an honorable man," Dix said.

Harvey laughed. "Of course I'm not honorable. I sell used cars. But you have to know that I have some honor, since you're still standing there, alive."

Dix kept his mouth shut and Harvey went on.

"In this case, I will give you my word that you can leave alive and well if I have Redblock's ledger. And when I say you can trust my word, you can trust it."

"Besides," Dix said, "if you have the ledger, you have no reason to bother killing us."

"Well," Harvey said, "you do have a good point there. Who knows when I might need a detective on my side down the road, especially someone as good as you are."

Dix nodded, reached into his coat.

Guns c.o.c.ked behind them and Dix froze. Harvey put up his hand for his men to hold it. "Can't you see that Mr. Hill here is an honorable man who wouldn't want this beautiful woman friend of his hurt."

Dix didn't bother to look around at the guns pointed at him. Instead he pulled out the ledger from the back of his belt, then flipped it onto the desk in front of Harvey Upstairs Benton. It landed with a thud that felt very, very final.

Harvey quickly glanced through it, then nodded and closed the book. "Escort Mr. Hill and his lovely date out. And Mr. Hill, if you ever need a car, I'll give you a deal."

"Thanks," Dix said.

Harvey tapped the ledger and smiled. "For bringing me this, I owe you that much."

"Just let me know if you find that ball in the next few hours," Dix said. "After that it's not going to matter."

Harvey frowned as Dix turned and, with one hand on Bev's elbow, went out the door, down the hallway, and back out into the gently falling snow as the two goons with guns followed them.

They turned and at a fast walk headed for Dix's office.

If the situation wasn't so desperate, the snow might actually have been beautiful to walk in. It didn't snow that often in the city by the bay.

Section Three: Once More Into the Breach About two blocks from Harvey's car dealers.h.i.+p, it stopped snowing; a block later it started raining; a block after that the clouds cleared and the stars came out. Dix felt almost beat up, not only by the weather, but by the night that would never end. He was cold, damp, and angry at himself.

Dixon Hill and the Luscious Bev walked through the smorgasbord of weather, saying nothing. Dix didn't even much notice the changes. Pretty soon, in a few short hours, the city would be gone, and everything else as well, and all because he couldn't find a small golden ball.

After eight long blocks of silence, eight long blocks of Dix going over and over every detail he could think of, they reached his office building. He was so lost in thought, he almost walked past it. Bev had to tug on his arm to get him to stop and turn in.

"Any luck, boss?" Mr. Whelan asked from his position to the right of the stairs outside.

"Not yet, I'm afraid," Dix said. "You have guards set up?"

"Both directions down the sidewalk," Whelan said.

"Good." Dix wasn't sure why he was still having them stay on guard, but better to be warned about something coming at them than not.