Art and Murder. Don Easton

don’t kill us!” Liam wailed.

      His shrill voice aroused Klaus, who sat up, cupping his broken jaw with the palm of his hand. A broken tooth emerged from between his fingers and fell to the carpet. He looked at Jack and growled, “Who the fuck are you?”

      Jack glared at him. First of all, you beat and torture a young woman, then scare the crap out of me because I thought I’d busted your neck. I really do hate you. “I’m with hotel security,” Jack snarled. “I’m here because the music is too loud.” He then pointed the shotgun at Klaus’s head and said, “You dumb piece of shit! Who the hell do you think I am?”

      Klaus gingerly felt his broken teeth with his fingers, before picking out another broken piece and tossing it on the floor. The glower he gave Jack was meant to intimidate.

      Jack acted like he didn’t notice, just shook his head and muttered, “I can’t believe what you did to my girl.”

      “I’m sorry,” Liam spouted. “Things got a little carried away. We’ll make it up —”

      “Shut the fuck up!” Jack snapped. He turned his attention back to Klaus and said, “Hasn’t anyone told you that you have really bad teeth? Don’t you ever go to the dentist?”

      Klaus’s look turned to pure hatred.

      “Lie face down on the floor and put your hands behind your back,” Jack ordered.

      “I’ll kill you,” Klaus spluttered.

      “Trying to tell me I should kill you first?” said Jack menacingly.

      Klaus decided to obey, arching his shoulders to rest his forehead on the carpet before putting his hands behind his back. His movements were slow, but Jack didn’t know if it was in defiance or due to pain.

      Jack gestured at Clive and Liam with the shotgun. “You two goofs, lie face down on each side of your buddy with your heads in the opposite direction.”

      “The opposite direction to who?” Liam asked as he got out of the chair and meekly crawled forward on his hands and knees.

      “To your stupid friend who won’t be eating any corn on the cob for a while. Who do you think I meant?”

      “Please, don’t hurt us.” Clive hobbled, bow-legged, across the floor while holding his scrotum with one hand. “We can make it up to you … honest.”

      “No more talking from any of you,” Jack said. “If I hear as much as a whisper I’ll waste the three of you.”

      Jack saw Laura go to a closet to retrieve a hotel robe. When she glanced at him he said, “Give her the robe, then come out and cover me.”

      Jack used pillowcases to blindfold the men before yanking the belts from their pants and tying their hands behind their backs. Despite the loud music, he could hear Brandy crying as he worked. It did nothing to alleviate the anger he felt.

      When he was finished securing the men, he took the shotgun back from Laura and placed the muzzle of the barrel on the base of Klaus’s scull. “I’m going to talk to my girl and find out what you maggots did to her. I’ll be able to see the three of you from the bathroom door. If any one of you so much as hiccups, you’re all dead.”

      “Maybe you should gag them,” whispered Laura once they were out of earshot.

      Jack shook his head. “Klaus might suffocate if I do. It’s not only the blood, but a broken jaw means a loss of support for the tongue. Call me an old softie, but we should keep an eye on him.”

      “Yeah, it’s always been a concern of mine that you’re a little too soft on people,” Laura muttered.

      As soon as Jack opened the bathroom door, Brandy rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come!”

      “Keep your voice down. Of course we came. I told you I would protect you.” He patted her on the back to calm her, then said, “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything.”

      Between sobs, Brandy told Jack and Laura what she had endured. Jack knew that her physical injuries were not life-threatening, but emotionally, she would have nightmares for years to come. “Why didn’t you call me as soon as Clive contacted you?” he asked.

      “It was late when he called for me to meet him. He told me to hurry because he had some friends coming over after. I thought I would only be an hour and was going to call you when I left.”

      Jack nodded. “And it was Klaus who stole the money from your purse?”

      “Yes. I should also have an ounce of blow. I don’t know if he took that, as well.”

      “Go into the room and get your money back.”

      As soon as Brandy left the bathroom, Laura whispered, “Are you sure you should let her do that? We could already go down for assault. Armed robbery makes it worse.”

      “It’s her money.”

      “Tell that to a judge. Even if we weren’t convicted, we’d lose our jobs. Let’s take Brandy and leave.”

      “A real pimp wouldn’t go yet. He’d have his rep’ to consider. He’ d want to scare these guys so badly that not only wouldn’t they ever do it again, but they would also be too afraid to retaliate. Right now, Klaus needs an attitude adjustment. If these assholes ever figure out who we really are, they’ll kill her. Besides, maybe I can shake Clive up enough to learn something. I’ll go back in and see if I can remember the lines from all the tough-guy movies I’ve ever seen.”

      “Oh, man. Don’t you think he’s already shook up —” Laura fell silent as Brandy returned to the bathroom with a fistful of money and her purse.

      “You two stay in here,” ordered Jack loudly. “This could get messy.”

      Jack returned to the room and ripped the pillowcases off Clive’s and Liam’s heads, then gestured at them with the shotgun. “Do either of you two dumb fucks know what an Italian silencer is?”

      They both shook their heads.

      “It’s a way to muffle noise,” said Jack. “You’re in for a special treat because you’ve got the best view of Act One of three acts. Watch this,” he said as he knelt behind Klaus. “The only bad part is cleaning the barrel after.”

      Klaus lurched and tried to squeeze his ass tight when Jack slowly pushed the tip of the shotgun barrel between the cheeks.

      The looks on Clive’s and Liam’s faces were ones of absolute horror. Klaus’s head jerked and he gave a pitiful moan from inside the pillowcase. Any thoughts he had of being defiant had evaporated.

      “I can’t believe what you did to her,” said Jack angrily. “Eye swollen shut, burns on her ass … she won’t be able to work for at least a month!”

      Klaus cried out in response, “Mein Gott, mein Gott!”

      “Too late to be praying to some god,” said Jack. “Besides, I’m an atheist.” He gave Clive a hard look. “How about you? Do you believe in some god? Wanna meet him?”

      Clive shook his head as panic clouded his ability to speak. He stared at Liam, who was babbling and pleading for his life.

      “Hey, big nuts, quit staring at the bawl-baby and watch.” With that, Jack locked eyes with Clive’s once more.

      Clive’s jaw twitched, but no words came out. He panted twice, then said, “Please, I can make all this up to you. How about I give you a half-pound of coke? High quality … totally uncut.”

      Jack did not want to appear anxious. He was hoping to get a lead on the fake passports, but knew he couldn’t bring up that topic himself. He looked at Clive and hesitated, then ripped the pillowcase off of Klaus’s head. “What do you think? Should I take him up on his offer?”

      Klaus coughed