[Uhaku]

Ah, thanks Crampy. U got my lazy ass to go and check on Casablanca (1942).
Ok, I think I’d still make some sense if I were to transport back to 1930s. LOL!
But I think it might be slightly off. Gotta make sure with a native English speaker but I
couldn’t find them nowhere. BTW, it is my lazy ass again not having described enough of the
clothing aspect, assuming everyone is a fan of black and white movies like me. Spank me!

Thanks Volkster and ShowmeLove. I’m glad u picked up on the mink and all.
Not that it means much. LOL. I hope I keep the Cadillac and motorbike/sidecar in your mind! Ride on!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>

CHAPTER 16


“More whiskey?” Dimitri Volkov broke the silence in his dark, study room. He was in his pajamas
and a pair of glasses. This private meeting was immediately held after he warded the police off
his ranch with bribes, or threats.

Senator Iver sat himself on the couch, waving his hand lightly in refusal. He had no choice but
to remain here until his driver could think of a plan to leave the ranch unseen by the
journalists waiting at the entrance. A politician like him wouldn’t like being caught in a
scandalous party inside the home of a notorious gangster, who happened to be one of his
most trusted friends.

“I thought that one of the guests was the shooter, but under this bizarre circumstance in
which nobody seemed to know the exact identity of our guy… I had my men checked and
the record showed a few guests who didn’t show up. You must have known who they are
by now,” Dimitri said, studying Victor’s calm face. He had solely meant the Irish. No one
in his recent memory managed a miraculous escape from an outrageous murder such as this
but Lena Cohen.

“Your daughter is missing, I believe,” Victor said quietly.

Dimitri had had enough. “Oh, Victor! Victor, please! We’re friends, for Christ’s sake! It’s
ridiculous to speak to me this way! Yulia can’t shoot a wall for the love of God! I’m not trying
to frame Irish, but you know how it looks!”

The senator rolled his eyes in exhaustion. The night had been too long for everyone. “No
invitation card simply meant she wasn’t here from the start. She’s out of the picture.”

“Mitch told me about Frederick’s misdeed and Irish’s disappearance the past week. Frederick
died tonight, and it looks very likely that the shooter was her!”

“It was impossible that she’d be carrying weapons inside your ranch, unchecked.”

Dimitri washed down his drink. “My daughter must have helped her…”

“Yulia isn’t that stupid to get involved in this mess.”

“I really hope you’re right, Victor. I goddamn hope you’re right.”

Victor thought for a second. “How about that Roland Myer?”

“This kid only knew how to lie to women, but he didn’t have the guts to lie to me. I believe
he didn’t know a thing,” Dimitri said, staring at his friend. “One shot in the chest, two shots in
the head, done in the middle of a huge crowd. Now, that was rude, Victor. Just reckless and
disrespectful! You stood up for her once, which was understandable. But you can’t keep
protecting her! You have too much to lose for a girl you barely know!”

Staring at the parquet floor, Victor tightly clasped his hands together until his knuckles went
white. “Don’t think I ever wanted to risk for her. Don’t you think that,” he said firmly.

“But you are doing it again!”

“Dimitri!” Victor raised his voice, and he easily commanded the scene. “I needed to solve
Mason’s incident because it was indirectly concerning my reputation. I’m not protecting her
this time even if she really were the one who shot Frederick.”

“You’ll be a great defendant in court, Victor. You sound most sincere when you’re not,”
Dimitri said, scoffing and pouring another drink for himself. “Mason’s case was different. He
was gone without a smartass sidekick to take over. His three-year-old son died when the
place was burnt down… But Holden Young would never stop until he had the justice and
saved the reputation of his father’s gang. You shouldn’t put yourself in his way. You are not a
hoodlum, Victor! You’re a politician, and you’d be the president of the United States one day!”

“That’s a plan far too ambitious for me,” Victor said briskly.

“You may be right. You’re too kind to be one.” Dimitri lazily nodded. He knew this friend of his
would never reveal his thoughts to anyone. This man was as cold as a marble, unexpectedly
dangerous like fire. He was the kind of person Dimitri would imagine as the Irish’s father,
which he truly happened to have the honor.

Victor first met his illegitimate daughter after Mason’s murder made the headline. It was the
crime of hate, and its reward was the revenge the Irish seek. She got it all right.

“You can’t save her again. She’ll need to learn how to be a proper gangster for once! Chicago
does have rules! The slaughter put us in a dangerous spotlight, attracting too much
attention. But an outlaw stick with another outlaw, Victor. I don’t have any other choice but
to join Holden,” Dimitri said with finality.

“I still insist I have no insight about this murder. Merry Christmas,” Victor said with finality. He
then got up and put on his suit jacket before leaving the room.


>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

CHAPTER 17


Strong rays of light pierced through the gap between the curtains, shining over Lena’s bare
feet that slipped out of the blanket. Lena had just woke up and found herself in a small room.
Besides the bed she laid upon, there were only a wooden chair and a round table at the
corner. She couldn’t remember how or when she got here. Even though she wasn’t trying to
move, the sore in her wound sharply stung.

Volkova walked in with a brown bag, filled with foods and drinks. “Hi…” The word slipped
through Volkova’s mouth. Her blue eyes widened, she looked as though she was seeing a
ghost. But Lena thought the look was rather positive when a smile came across Yulia’s face.

“What are you doing here?” Lena whispered with her voice dry. She remembered Volkova
appeared in her distant, interrupted dreams.

“You really don’t want me here, do you?” Yulia said. She went straight to the table and put
the bag down. From the look on Lena’s face, Lena must have forgotten that she had woken
up several times during the past few days, asking the same question over and over again. She
had Yulia stayed up for three nights straight.

“Tonya’s father often helped some fugitives in town, and he always suggested this place to
them. I figured it’d be good for you here. We’re not too far from downtown, and yes, it’s
dangerous. But if we were to go to the country, I couldn’t have gotten the help you
needed. You’d probably be dead by now… Oh, don’t worry. The landlord only cared if he’d
get the money. He even took the bullet out for you. He was quite at ease with it, too! I
supposed he must have done it a few times before.”

Frowning, Lena lifted the blanket up a little, peeking down. Beneath the white, large, cotton
shirt she was wearing, a bandage was wrapped around her torso, tightened the wound.

Yulia watched Lena, studying her. She recalled how Lena twisted in the bed and finally passed
out because of the pain. The landlord had given her some anesthetic he stored downstairs.

“You’ve been unconscious for three days. I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

Lena couldn’t believe that she had been unconscious that long. How was Roland dealing with
all of this? What was waiting for her out there?

“Can you sit up?” Yulia asked. She unpacked the foods and brought it to the bed.

“I’m not hungry,” Lena muttered. In fact, she started to feel hungry, but opted to lie still,
not wanting the pain to spread any wider. Squealing like a pig in front of Volkova wasn’t the
best idea to her.

Yulia perked her chin up. “Okay, lie still. I know it hurts, but you must have some foods.
Come, be a good girl for once.” She then shoved a spoonful into Lena’s mouth.

“How’s… Roland…?” Lena spoke with a mouthful.

“The public may not know who the shooter was, but I believe the inner circle already knew.
Mr. Myer must be going crazy right now, trying to find you before anyone else does.”

“You helped me…” Lena murmured.

“I had the most fun ride ever, Ms. Cohen. You entertained me much that night.”

Lena stared at Yulia.

Yulia looked away and sighed. “You’re Mr. Myer’s friend, and I’m sure he doesn’t want to see
you captured.”

“I would have made it without you—”

Yulia interrupted Lena with another spoonful. “Is that so? Face it, Irish. You escaped Mason,
yes. But Mitch could have killed the legend.”

Lena paused. “Did he know it was me?”

“Anyone might have guessed it by now. My father must have had my room checked and saw
the blood on the bed. Angela would assure him that the blood wasn’t mine. The best bet is
my father knows I helped you, but I’m not sure how long he can keep it secret.”

Lena caught the worried look in Yulia’s eyes. “You should go home before this gets out. It’d
make your father look bad. I want no accomplice in this.”

Yulia looked down, deep in thought. As expected, the bloody Christmas episode made first-
page headline the next day, and Yulia found herself a kidnapped victim in the story. She
thought about ringing Roland but eventually chose not to. If Lena wanted to pull Roland into
this mess, he would have known of her plan from the start. Yulia realized how much Lena
cared for her companion, and decided to respect it.

“Should I ring Mr. Myer now?” Volkova asked quietly. She wasn’t sure it was the best idea to
leave Lena alone.

The soft tone surprised Lena, however, it relieved her because she didn’t have the energy to
fight at the moment. Staring up at the ceiling, Lena just shook her head tiredly. She soon fell
asleep again.

Yulia gathered her purse, worn stockings and some of the new shirts she gave some money
to the landlord to buy for her. She thought about going home as soon as she dropped Lena
here three days ago, knowing her parents must be worried. But Lena’s then condition was
worse than she thought. Now that Lena was becoming more lucid, it seemed to be the time
to leave.