~Salvation's yours for just the time
It takes to pay the dancer
And once again, such anxious men
Find questions but no answers~
—from Daily Nightly by Michael Nesmith
Ruby sighed softly to herself as she collected the empty glasses and plates and stacked them on a tray. She was working the late shift tonight, and for the moment she was all alone. The last customers had left, and the janitor had not arrived yet. Perhaps it was dangerous to be the only person in the building, but Ruby was not concerned. There had never been trouble with unwanted, lecherous people coming in before. They would not have any way of knowing that Ruby was alone right now unless they had been stalking the establishment, and she did not think that anyone was.
Still, when the door flew open a moment later, she was startled. Quickly she set the tray down on the counter and looked over, then was stunned to see her rescuer wandering inside. He seemed to be by himself tonight, and he went over to the bar and sat down. "Is this place still open for business?" he grunted, giving no indication that he recognized or remembered Ruby. He looked annoyed, as if he had just come from something that had not been profitable in the least.
Ruby went over to him hesitantly. "Y-yes," she stammered, still surprised to see him again. "I'm sorry, it's kind of a mess in here." She laughed weakly. "I'm the only one here, and I was just cleaning up." It was not a very pleasant job, either. She often found leftover food that had not been finished, and drinks and ranch dressing spilled on the tables, seats, or even the floor, and sometimes people would stick bubblegum under the tables. She always tried to avoid being the last waitress there whenever she could.
He grunted. "I don't care." He shoved a half-empty glass away from him and Ruby hastened to catch it as it sailed across the bar, barely succeeding before it would have tumbled off the edge. "Just bring me some whiskey."
Ruby nodded. "Okay." She felt extremely nervous around him, seeing that he was not in a good mood and remembering what Vivalene had said. Everyone who knew anything about Baby Face Morales knew that he had a notoriously short temper, and Ruby was not anxious to test the theory that he would not hurt a woman. She could appreciate Jan's confidence, but she was not certain that she shared it.
And yet, as she collected a bottle of whiskey and a shot glass and brought them to him, she could not forget her own feelings that she was safe around him. She wondered, though, if it had been a silly and foolish idea brought on by her desperation. At that time, anyone at all might have seemed safe in comparison to Ralph. And that did not mean that they actually were.
Without actually realizing what she was doing, she studied him as she walked over to where he was. The brim of his fedora hat was pulled low, shading his eyes, but she could still see the glimmers of annoyance and bitterness and hatred in the hazel orbs. She felt all the more anxious then, and when he locked eyes with her, she nearly dropped what she was holding from the mental shock of the intensity of that gaze. She felt as if he was looking directly into her soul. Quickly she set the bottle and the glass down on the counter and looked away. "Here," she said softly. Without being able to help herself, she soon found herself looking at him again.
He nodded in thanks and opened the bottle, then poured some of the liquor into the glass. "What is it?" he grumbled, noticing how she kept staring at him. He did remember her, even though it was not apparent to Ruby. He had found her to be a nice girl who had been understandably nervous and edgy due to her circumstances at the time of their meeting. It seemed to him as if she was still that way now, though obviously not for the same reasons as she had been before.
Quickly she looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she apologized quickly. "It's nothing, Mr. Morales..." Then her eyes widened as she realized what she had said.
He looked at her with slight amusement, much to her surprise. She had thought that he would be furious. Instead he actually chuckled. "Heh, so that's it. You know who I am now." He downed the whiskey in one gulp and poured some more. "And you're scared of me. You are, aren't you?"
Ruby bit her lip. "Well...I guess I am," she admitted softly, "kinda..." She smiled weakly, watching him. "I mean...some people call you the most vicious killer in America. I don't think they give out titles like that idly."
Baby Face smirked. "Oh? Well, some people do. But I wouldn't expect you to understand about that. You've probably had a pretty normal life, without a lot of experience with judgmental and self-righteous people." He leaned on the bar. "You weren't afraid of me last night. How'd you find out who I am?"
Ruby again hesitated, wondering if the Vivalene woman would get in trouble with him if she said anything. And also, she was slightly offended by Baby Face's comments. She had been around more than he seemed to think, and she was quite aware of how judgmental some people could be. She had several relatives who were like that. But of course, he would not be able to know that. At last she sighed and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "That woman who works with you...She was here earlier, and she told me. She overheard me telling Jan what happened."
Baby Face grunted. "Yeah?" He poured yet another shot of whiskey. "She's jealous of any other female that I see, even if I just pass by them on the street. I guess she couldn't handle that I saved your life. What she doesn't get is that I'm not interested in her at all. I hate her kind." His eyes narrowed darkly and Ruby gathered that he was thinking about Vivalene, or someone else like her.
"Well...why do you keep her around?" Ruby asked, amazed at herself for even asking such a thing. It was strange...but he was easy to talk to, and he seemed to be in a fairly calm mood, despite how annoyed he had seemed when he had first come in.
"Eh. She's useful every now and then. But she's not irreplaceable. There's a million others who'd be better." Baby Face was surprised himself at how relaxed and calm he was feeling. It was true, he had not been able to escape with the loot from the house, but he was impressed that Tony had actually gotten it away from him. Tony intrigued him. He was dedicated, but not rash, serious, but not stuffy, and intelligent while not believing that he knew everything. Baby Face would not mind having Tony in the mob, but he did not think such a thing would ever happen.
Ruby began to relax. "She said that you might get mad and attack me," she said slowly. "I guess she thought I was competition and she wanted me out of the way." She laughed weakly. "She really is jealous. I mean, it's ridiculous for her to think that there would be anything to worry about. I'm not anyone important, really. I didn't even think we'd ever meet again."
Baby Face grunted. "I'm not interested in any of that romance garbage anyway," he said flatly. "I don't think there's really anything to it. It's a pack of fairy stories, invented to get kids all excited about life. But life's nothing to get excited about. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, with everyone out for himself." He slammed the shot glass on the counter and filled it once more. "I'll tell you this, though—if I did believe there was something to it, a girl like you would have more of a chance with me than someone like Vivalene."
Ruby was stunned out of her mind. For a long moment she stared at him, not certain if she had even heard correctly. It seemed too bizarre to actually be the truth. "Why?" she asked finally.
Baby Face shrugged. "Because someone like you wouldn't try to bump me off in my sleep some night," he retorted. "Someone like you gives her all to a person and is completely loyal. Someone like Vivalene is all about the power and the money and getting what she wants, and she wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I stood in her way of that."
Ruby nodded slowly. "So it's just for safety's sake that you'd want someone like me?" she wanted to know. That certainly made sense to her. It sounded like the way a gangster would think. It was how Ralph had believed, she was certain.
"Yeah, it probably would be." Baby Face got up and took out his wallet, dropping a bill onto the counter. "I've got no use for romance and that kinda thing. I never believed in fairy stories." He turned to go, then thought of something else and glanced back. "By the way," he said as he started to walk off, "I really don't beat up on women. I don't see any point in it."
Ruby gazed after him, again with mixed feelings. He was so much different than anything she had previously believed that the notorious Baby Face Morales was. She had always feared him, when she had heard about his heists and the people who had ended up dead during them. And Ralph had hated him. But now, after she had spoken to him twice and had seen what he was actually like, she wondered why she had ever feared him. She knew that her opinion could change if she ever saw him completely snap, but somehow she did not think that it would.
****
When Tony reached the hospital and was led to the room where Alice had been taken to rest, he was relieved to see her sitting on the edge of the bed, looking perfect well save for a nasty bruise under her right eye. Before he could say anything, she got up and went to him, taking his hands in her own.
"Oh, I didn't want them to call you," she berated. "Look, you're all tense and upset, but I'm alright. The hospital staff just completely overreacted." She smiled gently in amusement, brushing a stray tuft of hair back from Tony's forehead. He had been in such a hurry to get to the hospital that he had forgotten to comb his hair back into place after the scuffle with Baby Face.
Tony gazed at her, anger boiling in his veins as he looked at the dark bruise. If he had only warned her against using the car, this probably would not have happened! "You had an accident with the car," he replied then. "I don't think it's overreacting."
Alice sighed. "The car is fine," she said slowly. "It didn't give out on me or anything like that. I remembered some things I needed at the store, so I thought I'd go get them. But while I was driving there, someone started crashing their car into mine. I don't know, he was probably drunk or something. I tried to get away from him, but . . . well, he ran me off the road." She looked at him. "Were you able to catch Baby Face?"
Tony shook his head. "No," he answered, preoccupied and stunned at this news. He had assumed that the brakes had failed or some other such thing. He had not even considered that someone would have followed her and ran her off the road, though he knew that he should have. After all, he had already concluded that there seemed to be two stalkers. One of them could have been staking out the house while the other was sending the latest note to Tony. "Did you get a good look at the driver at all? You said `he'."
"I know, but I just figured it was a man." Alice led him to the door. "Let's go home, Tony. I'm tired, and you know how much I dislike hanging around in hospitals." She gave him a soft smile. "I'm sure it was some drunkard. The police are looking for him, so we don't have to worry."
Tony allowed himself to be pulled along the hall and out the door, but he knew that he would have to tell her what had been going on. She needed to be aware of the danger. He hated that he had not told her before. What if she had gotten a worse injury than just a bruise? What if she had been killed? He never would have forgiven himself. And yet he wondered if she would have even taken any stock in it if he had told her. She might have gone out anyway, not thinking that there was actually anything to worry about. She was like that.
He was so involved in his thoughts that he barely noticed when they arrived at his car. Finally he became aware that Alice was softly calling to him.
"Tony? We're here."
He came back to the present, seeing her touching his arm and looking at him in concern. Nodding slowly, he opened the door and she got in. Then he walked around to the driver's side. For several moments he simply sat there, not knowing how to say what he needed to. At last he reached into his pocket, withdrawing the crumpled note from earlier. He smoothed it out, glaring at it, and then handed it to Alice. "This was left on the windshield tonight," he said quietly.
She took it, confused, and read it over. Tony heard her gasp, and then she looked up at him. "I don't understand, Tony," she said slowly. "What is this?"
Tony sighed. "Someone's been stalking me for the last few weeks," he admitted, "and lately they've acted like they're stalking you, too. I've been trying to find out who it is, but I haven't had any luck." He gripped the steering wheel as a new wave of loathing swept over him. "When I called you before, I was going to tell you about this latest message and that you shouldn't go out tonight—but I didn't. I thought you were going to stay home, and that I wouldn't need to tell you about these notes yet. I didn't want you to worry about me more than you already do. That's why I haven't told you anything before now."
Alice was silent for the moment, trying to digest this information. She was not certain whether to be angry, upset, understanding, or something else entirely. But she could see that he was distraught and that he despised himself already. He had made a mistake, and he knew it. Gently she reached out, turning him to face her. "Tony, I would have wanted to know," she chastised, not unkindly. "I want to know whenever you're in trouble. But you know what? This could have happened to me whether you had told me or not. If these people are serious, they could have attacked at any time. I can't just stay in the house all the time, you know. And even if I tried, they could hurt me there."
Tony did not feel comforted, but he knew that Alice was right. "I should have told you," he berated.
"Yes, you should have," she agreed, "but there wasn't really any harm done." She leaned forward, kissing him softly before pulling back again. "The next time you get one of those notes, I need to know about it. I don't care if they're threatening me, but if they're after you I have a right to know."
"You have a right to know either way," Tony replied then, and knew it was true.
Alice smiled. "Now, come on. Let's go home."
Tony nodded slowly and started the engine, silently vowing that he would find the one responsible. He would put the Morales case on hold if he had to. Nothing was more important than finding the stalker before Alice was seriously hurt—or worse.
****
True to his word, Tony diligently worked over the next weeks to try to uncover the identity of the mysterious pursuer—but it seemed that everything he did was something that he had tried previously. He checked all of the notes for fingerprints, even though he had done that before and had not found anything other than his own. He went over the list he had compiled of the criminals he had put in prison, and all of their known family members and friends, and he tried to single out the ones who seemed the most likely possibilities judging from what he learned about them. But he was not learning anything new, and it seemed that there were dead ends at every turn.
Then, as he was going over the records for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, he found several names that were familiar. Several were criminals whose charges had been cryptically cleared, others were police officers, but all had in common the fact that their names were in the files Tony had given to the captain—who, incidentally, had never mentioned them since then.
Tony frowned, leaning back as he recalled this. It was time that he found out if the older man had done anything about it at all, as he had said that he was going to. It seemed to him that something very strange was happening, for these names to continue entering his investigations. First it had been when he had been trying to learn information about Ralph Adelardi's men, and now it was while he was trying to find the identity of the stalker.
In the end he decided not to go to the captain after all. If anything had been done, it seemed that he might have been told. He would continue his own explorations into the matter and see what he would find. As much as he did not want to, he knew that he had to fully consider the possibility that some of the other cops were not honest. That explanation made sense in light of what he had already learned. And more than ever, he did not want anyone to know what he was looking into, not even Marco. He had not forgotten Baby Face's warning, even though he did not honestly believe that it was legitimate.
As the hours went by, he managed to access the various records of the officers in question. He had always made it a point to not pry into anyone's personal business, and he was actually not close to anyone else on the force, including Marco. They were more than acquaintances, but Tony would definitely not say that they were bosom buddies. However, he felt that if Marco was making an extraordinary amount of money, he would know about it. If it was anyone else, though, Tony would definitely not know—as he did not socialize with them and did not have any knowledge of their purchases.
While some of the suspicious cops had, indeed, seemed to make more money than they would just from being police officers, not all of them had been spending it. Tony was finding quite a few records of large deposits into their bank accounts. He leaned back with a sigh, wondering where to go from here. All he had found was circumstantial evidence, and he needed solid proof before he could actually do anything.
A soft beep announced the arrival of new email, and Tony blinked in surprise. He rarely received emails, especially not any of a personal nature, but as he clicked into the program he saw that the new message did not look as though it was of a business nature, either. When he opened it, however, he also found that it was not anything friendly.
"You think you're pretty smart, don't you? You think you're finding all the answers you need. Well, don't bank on it. If you keep digging into this, you're going to regret it tenfold. You're getting in over your head."
Tony narrowed his eyes at the screen. He did not recognize the sender's address, and the email was unsigned. But how would anyone even know what he was doing on his computer? No one had walked past his desk while he had been going through the records. It seemed to him that there was only one answer to this—someone was spying on him through his computer and knew exactly what he was doing and what websites he was visiting. But two could play at that game. The next step was to track down the IP address of the person who had sent the email. Then he would have his hacker, and whoever it was would regret any involvement they had with that stalker. And if it actually was the stalker, he would have a very difficult time escaping Tony's wrath.
****
Ruby had also been very busy over the past weeks. Baby Face had taken to hanging around the nightclub frequently, and he would usually talk to her if she was there at the time. He was always the same—aloof and angry, but fascinating and sometimes philosophical. In spite of Ruby's vow to not get involved with any more mobsters, she could not deny that she wanted to continue seeing Baby Face. It always made her happy when he came there and would pay attention to her. Sometimes she would wonder why he seemed interested, in spite of what he had said the first time they had met there. She wondered if he actually found her worthwhile to talk to, and if so, why. He certainly did not seem like the type who would just speak to anyone, and he did not seem to pay any of the other waitresses much attention. Jan was quite jealous.
When she heard the door open, she looked up with a start. It was late evening now, and once again most patrons were gone. A few stragglers still remained, mostly in the corner booths, but things were virtually quiet and Ruby knew that she should start cleaning up. She dreaded it, however, and was putting it off as long as she possibly could. Now she watched the newcomer enter.
She had never seen him before. He was quite short, perhaps around five feet four inches, and his brown hair was neatly and carefully combed into place. His brown eyes were cold and somber, clearly showing his no-nonsense attitude. He was wearing a dark suit, and Ruby briefly wondered if he was another mobster until he approached her and displayed his police badge.
"Miss, I'm Detective Ferano," he greeted her. "I have some questions I'd like to ask you about your Internet café." He nodded to the small area to her left, which was closed off on three sides by glass. Most of the computers were now vacated and ready to be switched off for the night, but there were still a couple of graduate students who remained, frantically trying to complete assignments with the aid of the Internet and word processors.
Ruby blinked. "Well, sure," she said slowly, coming out from around the table she had been contemplating on cleaning. "What's the matter, Detective?"
"There was a threatening email sent from one of your computers," was the reply. "I tracked the IP address here." He crossed his arms, looking up at her. "Can you get me a log of everyone who used the Internet stations today?"
"Of...of course!" Ruby stammered, stunned at this news. "There's a log at the counter in the café, if you'll follow me." Quickly she hurried over to the alcove, and Detective Ferano silently walked after her, studying each of the computers as they passed. There were six altogether, with two having a thirty-minute limit and the other four allowing up to an hour of time.
He seriously doubted that the sender was still there. Most likely he had cleared out as soon as he had sent the email, and other people had probably used the station afterwards, so there would not be a way of conducting a successful fingerprinting operation. He sighed to himself, then came to attention as Ruby handed him the clipboard. After going over the names, however, he was just as exasperated as before. None of the names were familiar to him. The sender had probably used a pseudonym, now that he thought of it.
"I'd like to take this," he said, removing the paper from the board.
"Okay." Ruby watched him, feeling nervous. She wondered if he would realize this and she hoped he would not. What would happen if he found out that Baby Face often frequented the club? She did not want him to end up in trouble, and possibly even she would as well. It was likely that she definitely would, if the detective knew that she had known who Baby Face was and still had not called the police.
One of the graduate students looked over, hearing the conversation. "Hey," he chirped, "did you say that you're a police detective?" he asked, eyeing Ruby's companion.
"That's right." Detective Ferano turned to look at him, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Do you know something about the person who sent that email?"
"No, I'm really sorry," was the sheepish answer. "But I just thought you might like to know that some people have said that Baby Face Morales hangs around here sometimes." He leaned on the desk, propping himself up on an elbow. His hair was a deep red and he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with a sweater vest.
Ruby turned to stare at him in alarm. She had seen him there sometimes, but never at the same time that Baby Face was there. She wondered how on earth he knew that Baby Face was often there, and she furiously wanted to ask him, but she knew that she could not—not as long as the policeman was there.
Detective Ferano looked at him sternly, obviously surprised. "And who do you know who's actually seen him?" he frowned. "No one's ever got a picture taken of the guy, so there aren't many who know what he looks like."
The student laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, I know," he replied. "Well, I couldn't say positively that it was him, but my friend said that he's seen a guy here who matches the general description. I just thought you'd like to know." He stood up and crossed to the printer, collecting the results of his evening's work.
Detective Ferano still looked suspicious. "Why didn't your friend come to the police with this information?" he asked.
"He's afraid, I think," the student shrugged helplessly. "He thinks the gangsters will be able to find out where he lives and come after him."
"I see." The policeman nodded and looked back to Ruby. "Do you know anything about that?" he wanted to know.
Ruby swallowed hard, her heart racing frantically. What was she to say? If she said No, she would be lying to a police officer. And if she said Yes, it could end up getting Baby Face into trouble and perhaps even arrested. She knew that he needed to pay for his crimes, and yet she did not want him to end up in prison. If he did, it was likely that he would end up on Death Row. And after all of her conversations with him, and after he had saved her life, it did not seem to her that it would be a fitting payback. She did not want to go against the law, but her decision at that moment would set the path that she would walk down from then on.
At last she took a deep breath. "No, Detective. I'm really sorry, but I don't know. There's a lot of people who come in here, and maybe some of them are gangsters, but I can't tell who they are." She smiled weakly. "Imagine, though, I could be talking to some awful killer some evening and I wouldn't even know it!" She shuddered.
Detective Ferano grunted. "I'll look into the matter anyway," he said, and looked back to the student. "How long have you been here?"
"Oh...about two, three hours," was the answer. "I guess I could've seen whoever wrote the email, but no one really looked suspicious to me." He grinned. "Of course, that's why I'm not a policeman."
Detective Ferano nodded, and briefly questioned the other student, but did not get the response he was looking for. At last he turned to leave, making Ruby promise to call if any more information on either the mysterious person or Baby Face turned up. After she did, he was gone.
Ruby sighed softly, leaning against the bar. She had lied to him twice while he had been there. She would not call him with any information if Baby Face came there again. When she did see the mobster next, she would warn him that this was probably not a safe place for him to continue frequenting.
****
Tony was out in his car when he looked the log over once again. The names blurred before his eyes the longer he stared at them, and he slammed the paper down on his lap. It seemed to him that there was something there that he simply was not getting, even though he should. He leaned back, running a hand through his hair.
He wonder if it was true that Baby Face had been at the nightclub. It seemed a strange coincidence. But Tony did not see how it could be anything else. Baby Face could not be mixed up in the stalker plot. That did not make sense. And yet Tony could not forget that Baby Face had learned about him before their last meeting. That still seemed odd to him, and he had to wonder how the gangster had found out.
He looked back at the log again, and this time he noticed something that he had previously been oblivious to. One of the patrons had registered as John Fontane. "Giovanni" was the Italian form of "John," and "Fontane" looked like a variation of "Fontana." It was almost as if it was a deliberate hint, a trail for him to follow.
Purposely he started the engine. Now he had a place to go next—but he had the feeling that he was walking into a trap. Even so, he knew he had to take the chance.
****
It was after midnight when he arrived at Fontana's, but there were still lights on the house. He glared up at them as he went to the porch and knocked harshly. It did not look as though Fontana was planning to go to bed any time soon, but Tony did not care if he was interrupting such plans.
When the door was flung open, Fontana did not look surprised at all. Instead he gave a twisted smirk, which made Tony hate him and to feel confused at the same time. "Detective Ferano, I've been waiting for you," came the declaration. "Do come in, won't you?"
Tony did, slamming the door behind him. "What do you know about this?" he demanded, taking the printout of the email out of his pocket and thrusting it at the older man.
Fontana took it and looked it over, then calmly handed it back. "I didn't write it," he retorted smoothly.
Tony felt anger building within him, but he struggled to hold it back. "Then what's this?" he cried, now holding out the log. "It looks like a fake name based on yours. And if you don't know about this, why did you say you were waiting for me?"
Fontana put his arm around Tony's shoulders, much to the policeman's anger. "Detective, I didn't write it," he purred, "but I know who did. I didn't say I didn't know about the note. The sender used that name to get your attention. He works for me, and I wanted you to come to me because I know of your current plight. Someone you know told me."
Tony shoved the man away from him. "Who? Barbosa?" he snapped. "You've been paying him money to keep you out of jail, haven't you? And he's the one who cleared you of those charges! You were probably guilty, too!"
"My, you have been busy," Fontana laughed. "But I won't tell you whether it was Barbosa or not. In fact, I won't tell you anything unless you agree to do something for me."
Tony looked at him with hatred. "I'd never help you," he said darkly.
"Oh? I think you would." Fontana crossed the room and looked out the large picture window. "What about your wife Alice? I know you wouldn't assist me if only your life was in danger, but there's Alice to think about. She could have been killed several weeks ago, couldn't she? That driver who ran her off the road meant business. You and I both know it."
Hearing him speak so casually of the event pushed Tony's patience completely aside. In fury he ran forward, grabbing Fontana and shoving him against the wall. "Look," he growled, while the mob boss stared at him in shock, "a lot of people have underestimated me and that's been their big mistake. Now I want some answers about who's behind this, and why, and I don't want any beating around the bush or any deals with the devil. If you won't talk, I can easily go to the captain tomorrow and blow the whistle on your racket with Barbosa." His eyes flashed hatefully. Part of him felt a burning desire to inflict bodily harm upon this man, but he knew that it would not help and so he desperately tried to restrain himself.
At last Fontana spoke again. "Actually, Detective Ferano, you can't," he replied calmly. "You don't have the solid proof that you need, only circumstantial evidence. And what's more, the men who have been stalking you and your wife don't need much motivation to act again. They could try to kill Alice this very night if they knew what you were threatening to do. You really should butt out of business that has nothing to do with you."
"It became my business when they started stalking me!" Tony yelled, slamming Fontana against the wall again when he tried to get free. "What's your part in all of this? Did you order them to come after me? I've never even met you before I came to your house a few weeks ago!"
"I would advise you to calm yourself," came the quiet, maddening answer. "You know, all I have to do is call and my men will come in here and shoot you down. I could easily tell them that you were trying to kill me, and they wouldn't ask any questions." He smirked. "And that wouldn't help Alice at all, would it. It would look very bad for her, if it was said that her husband was killed while trying to murder a helpless man."
Tony glared at him furiously, the outrage still threatening to spill over, but at last he released the pathetic man and stepped back. "I want answers, Fontana," he said in a low tone. "I want to save my wife. You already know that. And I want to know who has it in for me and why. I've always made it a point to mind my own business. I can't think of anyone who would want to come after me unless it's someone I arrested, or their family and friends."
"Believe me, Detective, there is another reason." Fontana smiled. "And in answer to one of your previous questions, I am not involved with the stalkers. I'm actually the man in the middle. True, one of my men was spying on you earlier, but only to see how close to the truth you're getting. What was sent to you was more of a warning than a threat. I know the stalkers—and yes, there are two, as you so aptly gathered—but I'm not terribly anxious to protect them. All I ask in return for the information you need is a little help from you. Isn't that worth Alice's life?"
Tony clenched a fist tightly. If Alice was here, she would tell him that No, it was not worth it. She would tell him that nothing was worth sacrificing any part of his integrity. But Alice was not here. And Tony had already lost people he loved in the past. His parents had both been killed when he had been eleven years old. He had been on his own since then, and only Alice had been able to get into his heart. He had always tried to follow the rules, ever since he had been in the prestigious private academy that his parents had sent him to, but in a case like this, did rules actually matter? Did anything matter, save for trying to save Alice? He felt like screaming in frustration. "I don't even know if you're telling the truth," he said finally, his tone still dark.
"Can you afford to take chances? I'm the only lead you have, and you've been looking for months." Fontana crossed his arms. "I'm giving you a chance, but it won't be offered again. If you turn away from this, you will not be able to come to me later if you change your mind."
Tony felt thin streams of blood beginning to run from his palm. "What do you want from me?" he demanded then.
"Not much. Only your silence on the fact that I'm connected with Barbosa's activities. In fact, your silence on the entire matter. I want you to ignore what the dishonest officers are doing. If any of this is exposed, it could end up incriminating me." Fontana moved close to him and looked into his eyes, and Tony felt the man's hot breath on his face. "I want you to keep me out of prison at all costs. Instead of money, I'll pay you with information."
It was what Tony had expected, but he was still furious. "That's extortion!" he said indignantly. "I'm trying to stop this racket, not join them!"
"And so it's been with all the others." Fontana smirked. "You don't know that you'll find anyone to help you. Alice may be dead before you can. But if I have your promise on silence, you will be able to catch them before anything more goes wrong. If you dismiss me as being a liar, and then she is killed, you'll always wonder what would have happened if you had listened to reason. You're a reasonable man, aren't you, Detective?"
Tony felt his heart racing. He was a desperate man, and Fontana knew it. He shut his eyes tightly, weighing the various possibilities and outcomes in his mind. Once he made the decision, his fate would be sealed. But Alice's life might be saved. If he played his cards right, perhaps he could still outsmart Fontana in the end. If he could bring the stalkers to justice, then he could go after Fontana as well, and the dirty cops. Perhaps he and Alice would then have to escape into the Witness Protection Program, but they would be alive—and together.
He opened his eyes again, and they were filled with a darkness that Alice would have been horrified to see. "I'll do what you want," he said then. "Tell me what you know."
****
Tony did not know how late it was when he walked out onto Fontana's porch. Under his arm he carried a folder, which he had gone over several times already. All the information he had needed and wanted and searched unceasingly for, was all right there. The names, the criminal records, pictures they had taken of Tony and of Alice at different times over the past months, phone records of calls placed. . . . But he did not feel triumphant. He had a numb, dead feeling, as if a part of his very heart and soul was missing. And he knew that it likely was.
As he walked down the steps and the long, winding driveway, he spotted a dark figure leaning against a tree near his car. He frowned, wondering if he was being spied on. Perhaps this was one of the stalkers right here! Perhaps all of this had been a setup and Fontana had secretly notified the men to come ambush him. His hand drifted to his gun. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The figure shook its head slowly and then spoke softly in a chastising way. "Tony, Tony, Tony, you're getting in over your head." It was a male voice, and one that Tony could never forget. He pushed himself away from the tree and walked over to the stunned officer, who now recognized him as Baby Face.
"Are you following me?!" Tony wanted to know after finding his voice. He was stunned at the expression that Baby Face had chosen to use. That statement had been included in the threatening email he had received only earlier that day! He could not think of a good reason why the criminal would be following him around, but it seemed like such a strange thing, to run into him here. In truth, Tony doubted very much that Baby Face was another stalker, however. He had been getting the threatening notes since before he had even been assigned to the case, and anyway, he could not see that sending such messages would be in keeping with Baby Face's character. For him to use the expression was probably mere coincidence.
Baby Face shrugged. "Does it matter? I saw your car here and thought I'd eavesdrop a little. After all, why should you come to see one of the most successful men in the Detroit underworld? Who'd have thought that you'd be getting into extortion?" He smirked and crossed his arms, speaking smoothly. "It just proves what I've been thinking for a while now, ever since our first meeting. You and I are a lot alike."
Tony looked at him in disbelief, which quickly turned to anger. "That's the most idiotic thing I've ever heard!" he said in outrage. "You're suffering from delusions!" He had always thought that Baby Face would have to not be all there in the head, but now he was all the more convinced of it. They were not anything alike, and it was an insult for Baby Face to even suggest it.
"Maybe." Baby Face started to circle around him. "Let's look at the facts. You're desperate to find this stalker before your wife ends up killed, so you've made what some would call a deal with a devil. You've started to dig a pit that you might fall into." He stopped and studied Tony's furious eyes. "And yet you're a nice guy. You're probably still hoping you can find a way out of this."
"Don't tell me about myself! How does this, in any way, connect with you?" Tony kept his hand on his gun, ready to grab it up if the criminal suddenly attacked. Perhaps Baby Face was trying to distract him while preparing for the kill.
"I've had a suspicion for a while—you're an outcast, aren't you. The other cops probably think that you're just trying to kiss up to the captain by keeping the rules all the time. And you're quiet and don't make friends easily, and you don't defend yourself when you hear them talking about you, so that only makes it worse for you." He leaned back. "Anyway, I'm an outcast, too."
Tony's lip curled. "Well, you deserve it!" he snapped. "You're everything they say you are—a vicious killer, and a greedy and selfish thief!"
Baby Face was unfazed. "And who's to blame for it?" he retorted. "How do you know I was always treated the way I deserved? You're not the kind of person who believes that criminals are inherently evil, are you? I pegged you as being more intelligent than that." He clenched a fist, pain and anger obvious in his eyes. "I was just a kid once, you know. I didn't deserve the way my guardians treated me. They're the ones who taught me that this world is cruel and heartless and unforgiving. And while you haven't struck back at your oppressors the way I always have, you've wanted to—haven't you? The desire's been there, but you've always pushed it back. You were taught to bridle your feelings and emotions, and that's what you've always done. But that doesn't mean that you're really as apathetic as you come off to most others. I think your outbursts tonight prove that well enough."
Tony took a step back, feeling haunted and vulnerable. It was as if Baby Face was looking right into his soul. Everything he was being told about himself was true, not that he would admit it aloud. But Baby Face already seemed to know.
The crime lord nodded approvingly. "But you have one person who understands you, and you believe that she really loves you the way you love her. You can't bear to let her go, and you're willing to do anything to keep her here with you." He half-turned. "If I really believed in that kind of love, and if I had someone like your Alice, I think I'd feel the same way." He snorted. "But I think you're living in an illusion. A nice one, sure, but still an illusion. No one really cares whether you live or die. And even if Alice does care, she'll die someday. Then who will you have?"
"Cut it out." Tony glared at him, hatred flashing in his brown eyes. "I'm not interested in your twisted philosophies. Were you at the Maltese Falcon nightclub today?"
Baby Face shrugged. "I've been there a lot, but not today," he answered. "Why?"
"No reason." Tony did not feel that it was Baby Face's business. The crime lord already knew more about Tony's situation than Tony was happy about. Baby Face should not know anything at all about Tony or his life. "How did you learn things about me?" he demanded now. "I have a right to know. Don't give me that `I have my ways' line."
"Come on, Tony, with the Internet you can find out almost anything on anyone," Baby Face answered with a smirk. "But that's not the only thing I used. I had one of my men follow you one night and he found out where you live. Then I took that information to the World Wide Web and found out more about you because of your address."
Instantly Tony's hand was gripping the gun. "Then you have been stalking me!" he yelled. "You're mixed up in this too!" At this point, in his distraught condition, he could not think of any other explanation.
Baby Face held out his hands calmly. "Cool it. I only had Vince follow you one time. I don't even know how to get to your place. Once I found out your address, I didn't need to have you followed any more. The only reason I did it was to find out who you are. Look, I know you're upset right now, but I'm not the bad guy here, Tony."
Tony tried to force himself to stay composed, even though he felt as though he was about to snap again. "Let's get back to what you said first," he said darkly. "If you're trying to warn me, then why? Why do you care if I've made a bad decision?"
Baby Face met his gaze unwaveringly. "Like I said, you're a nice guy, and you're smart. You're different from most everyone else. And I just thought you should have a fair warning from someone who's already traveled this path. Even I can be fair, sometimes." With that, Baby Face turned and began to walk away, leaving Tony stunned and stymied.