She shrugged, the thin material of the dress clinging to her skin. “I’m out of options.”
Her eyes were full of the truth of that statement. She didn’t look desperate, though. Just determined. It was a good look on her, that was for damn sure.
“Tell me what you think I can give you.”
“I… don’t know everything you’re capable of.”
“Use your imagination,” I murmured. “It’s probably something I’m capable of.”
“The specifics aren’t necessarily important. I just need something I can pin on him without fail. Something that’ll stick. No escape.” There was a tone in her voice that arrested me. A strong, stern passion.
Usually, when people came to me, there was hesitancy in their tone. Sometimes fear. Typically, an overload of one fight-or-flight emotion or another.
Theresa was definitely nervous, I clocked that when she walked over. But she’d buried that nervousness under something more powerful, truer to her own core. A resolve that seemed outsized for someone so slight and so beautiful.
I wondered what other surprises she might have in store?
The combination of all that resolve bundled up in such a delectable little package did something to me. Raising a feeling that’d been long dormant in me.
It was somewhat disconcerting if I’m honest. Emotions didn’t really play a role in the work that I did. Couldn’t afford them. Might mean you made a mistake. And a mistake in my line of work could mean death.
I sipped my drink, let the scotch’s burn in my throat bring me back to the present moment. I flipped through the Larroca file with what I hope looked like a detached nonchalance. It was a look I’d cultivated over the years. But Theresa had put me just a little off my game.
“Well?” she prodded me. “What do you think? Can you make something stick on him?”
“Probably.”
“Will you take the case?”
That was the question every potential client asked. They all got one of three answers.
The straight “no.” That was when I knew there was no way I’m getting involved in whatever they had going on. That was the way these initial consultations almost always went.
There was the “I’ll consider it,” after which I tended to quickly leave and spend some time seriously pondering the situation. Again, most of them ended with me leaning toward a “no.”
Third, and least likely of all, was the immediate “yes.” It took a lot to get me to straight up go there at the initial meeting. It had to be a special combination of the case, the circumstances and, occasionally, the client.
There was no denying what drew me about this case. Sure, nailing Larroca and knowing he was off the streets would definitely be a plus.
But more than that, I wanted to see this woman again. Beyond just this moment.
“Well, Fixer?” she asked again, cocking an eyebrow as she used my title.
“I’ll take the case,” I answered quickly, before I could think about it too hard.
Sometimes, going with the gut was the best way.
5
Theresa
There had been more moments in my life where I had felt more adrift than I’d care to remember. Feeling as if there was no safe harbor, no way back and no way forward. Just stuck, lost on an open sea, no engine to propel me forward.
No chart to guide me.
More often than not, dealing with the criminal element of Chicago had been prime ground for this kind of bullshit. Larroca being the worst of the lot. There had been days when I’d thought of chucking it all out the window, giving up and becoming a barista or something.
So when that man… the Fixer, that stranger to me, agreed to help, the relief I felt was almost overwhelming.
Let’s be honest here: I was not fooling myself. I knew that he operated outside the law most of the time, if not all the time.
But one thing I’d learned for sure in my time with the district attorney’s office was this: the law was not the same thing as justice. And sometimes, you needed to be willing to subvert one to obtain the other.
“I cannot thank you enough,” I said, with a relieved sigh. I reached out, not thinking, and put my hand on his arm.
My skin touched his, just for a moment, but it was more than enough. I could feel a charge shoot between us, running from him to me and vice-versa.
Suddenly, I felt myself grow flushed and warm, a tingling sensation coursing through me.
What the fuck is this? I thought to myself and slowly withdrew my hand, wanting to keep contact, but not wanting to give up every part of myself away this quickly.
Looking at him, I could tell right away: he felt it too. There was suddenly a hunger in his eyes that wasn’t there before.
“Sorry,” I said, suddenly self-conscious. “I don’t mean to be… overly familiar.”
“Not at all.” He held my gaze for a moment, then slowly shook his head. “You’re… more than fine.”
The way his eyes slid up and down my body, I could tell he meant that. My hips started to wiggle a little on their own and I had to fight to get them under control.
Jesus, I thought to myself, get it together, Theresa!
“So, “ I cleared my throat, “what do you think your first steps will be in helping me address this… problem?”
He looked at me, cocking his head. There was something inscrutable about him. It was both maddening and incredibly exciting.
“Well, I think my first steps will be reaching out to some contacts I have. A person like Larroca isn’t exactly low-profile. He likes the attention. Which seems antithetical to maintaining a solid working reputation, but that’s who he is.”
“And the people that pay him want him to make a splash of sorts.”
“Also true. They figure that’s how their enemies will get the message in the end.”
“Right. Makes perfect sense for a nutjob like him.”
The Fixer shook his head slowly and moved over to a chair, sitting down.
“Be careful with that.”
“With what?”
“Don’t just dismiss him as being crazy. He’s pathological, don’t get me wrong. There’s no question about that. But he’s not just some loser looking for kicks. He’s deadly smart. He also happens to be completely without a moral compass of any kind.”
A shudder raced through me as he spoke about Larroca. I knew he was right. And if we weren’t careful, this could have a very bad end indeed.
“I hear what you’re saying, I do,” I countered, “but I cannot allow him to keep slipping through the cracks of the system. He’s hurting too many people, causing too much damage and waltzing away as if he’s blessed from on high!”
Fixer nodded, standing back up. “Yes, I know. And truth be told, I’ve been circling Larroca for years. I knew someday that we’d end up stuck next to each other. I could just feel it. Looks like that time has finally come.”
He got up to leave and started for the door.
“Wait a minute,” I said urgently. “I don’t know what the plan is! What are you doing to do?”
Turning to look at me, it was if his eyes were burning right into my soul. “I think I have a good idea on how to make Larroca sweat a little bit. I don’t want to say anything more than that right now. But I can tell you that I will be in touch soon.”