Chapter 4

Somewhere e in the far distance, a clock struck ten. The gentle musical beat-beat-beat of its chimes came to Kevin from a long way off; suddenly, the noise of heavy footsteps droned out the chiming sounds.

Kevin opened his eyes. The room came mistily into focus. He became aware of big powerful men in uniforms standing near him. They cradled automatic rifles in their hands, and colt .45s on their hips. What the hell? He thought as he peered at the men, their faces hard as granite. Then he recognized Detective Tomayo, Smith, and Rogue.

“Mr. Carter! You really took a long nap," Tomayo said, a sardonic expression on his face. He squatted in front of Kevin, and using big scissors, he cut the thick ropes and freed Kevin's hands and legs. Then he helped Kevin up.

Panic blanketed Kevin's mind. He couldn't think, couldn't speak. He just stood staring at Tomayo's face. The men who had surrounded him moved back from him, and all were watching him closely. Tomayo touched his shoulders.

“Mr. Carter, are you alright? Do you care for anything? "

Kevin drew in a long, whistling breath. The touch of the cold hand of the detective snapped him out of his paralysis.

“He fixed them! “He exclaimed, glaring at Tomayo. “That bastard fixed them. Oh! So much blood."

Tomayo grimaced.

“Mr. Carter, I’ve seen their bodies, and for me, it's so brutal for someone to die in the way they had died."

Kevin shuddered and grimace.

“Mr. Carter, could you please tell me what happened here?” Tomayo watching Kevin's face.

“I…I need a smoke," he stuttered.

One of the men fumbled for a pack of cigarettes inside his pocket, lit one, and gave it to Kevin. He took it, nodded his thanks, drew in smoke into his lungs, and told the detective the whole story of why he had visited Wynter, what he had seen on the bed, and how the hell Razor had killed her and Ruby. Tomayo listened without interruption. He remained silent until Kevin had finished his story.

“Well, that's it,” he concluded. “I was really crazy to have come here."

“Well, you did, and everything is now shambles." Tomayo said a bite in his voice. “Let me tell you what we've gotten so far while you were taking your nap. We found some ID in the bedroom. One belonged to one of the women named Wynter Heather. She's a shemale pornstar. The other woman is Ruby Summers. She's Wynter's girlfriend, and she's from Chicago. Also, two of my men who were assigned to watch you were found in the passage. One of them, officer Jess Holmes is dead. He was shot in the chest. The other, Tommy Harper, had one of his eyes knocked out. He’s permanently blind. That damn psycho must have a heavy punch. He really hit Tommy hard on the face. Well, Tommy is in the hospital now,” he paused and went on, “Jess and Tommy must have heard some noise up here and came to check it out. Instead of calling for backup, they tried to be heroes and paid dearly for it. They should have called for backup. A gun was recovered in the passage. We figured it belonged to the killer. But from the evidence we gathered about him so far, I wouldn't be surprised if no prints were found on it. “He was cut off abruptly by a little commotion in the apartment as the police photographers began to feed their cameras with snapshots and the fingerprint men circled the rooms, holding their gadgets in their hands. Tomayo turned to Smith and Rogue.

“Fix the light in the passage and look around for any details we might I've missed. Then check all the rooms on this floor and if you find anything out of place, let me know."

The two men nodded and bounced out of the room. Tomayo watched them go and turned to Kevin.

“I warned you, Mr. Carter, that things could get really ugly if you don't stay off women.”

“But I don't understand. I can't just remember ever hurting anyone. I just don't get it. Why is this man after me? "

“The order was for you to stay put and stay off women; why can't you do just that?” Tomayo snapped.

Kevin's face lost color.

“You better watch your words, detective. I've got people in the high places. People that could fix you up for life. "

“I think you are one hell of a selfish man," Tomayo continued a bite in his voice. He knew he was walking on eggshells now, but somebody had to tell this rich, stupid slob the truth. “If not for the fact that I don't want to drag your name into any mess, I'd have gotten you arrested by now."

“What?” Kevin returned lines of anger on his face.

“You heard me right, “Tomayo fired back.” You are the cause of the death of these women."

Kevin was livid now.

"As I said, watch your words. I'm not a killer. If I had known Wynter's got a little secret about herself, I wouldn't be here. I'm sorry that she and her friend her both dead. But the person that fixed them should be held responsible and not me."

Tomayo was mad with rage. At that moment, he could have hit Kevin on the face, but he controlled himself “Mr. Carter, let gets this straight," he slowly and distinctly. “Five women are dead in just three weeks. Five women! Somehow you are connected to these murders, and somehow, you could have avoided it. Because of these killings, my superiors are beginning to question my proficiency. My job is on the line here. We've tried to keep the press out of this, but with the way the bodies are piling up, they would blow the lid off, and things would really get messy for you. Think about the relations of these murdered people. At least there should be an ounce of conscience in you. If the press got a whiff, you are connected to all these messy killings, and they would chew you up like a hungry hyena. I, for once, would not like to see someone like you go down, but if you're bent on going down, then go ahead, be my guest."

Kevin stared at Tomayo for a long moment, a remorseful expression on his face. Then he drew in a lungful of smoke and blew the smoke in a thin stream to the ceiling. Knowing his words had hit home, Tomayo smiled wanly.

“Mr. Carter, I swear with every breath in me, I’ll nail that sonofabitch! But you've got to help me. You help me, and I help you. That's the way this will work”

Kevin drew in a long slow breath and crushed out the cigarette, a hard tightness around his mouth.

“Alright! Alright! I'll stay off, women! I'm giving you my word. I'm sick of this. This has gone too far! Too damn far! We've got to nail that bastard for good."

Tomayo regarded his cold expression for a long moment beamed with a smile.

“Good to know, Mr. Carter!” he said, clapping Kevin's shoulders. “Let me show you something.” He dipped his hand into his pockets and brought out a pile of folded papers from his pockets. He thrusts it to Kevin, who collected it, glances through it, and raised his head, a deep scowl on his face.

“How did hell did you get hold of these?” he said a worried expression on his face.

“In my mailbox, of course, " Tomayo answered. “In his letters, he calls himself Razor. So, I think our killer has got a name after all. Though Razor is not a name, we can get a good lead on. He's been sending me these letters for some time now, threatening that he will fix me if I don't stop helping you. He said in these letters this was between you and him. That you’ve got to pay for what you did. I've tried to trace him through the courier service agency to know where the letters were coming from, but I got nothing. So, I believed he usually drop these letters into my mailbox by himself. That way, I won't be able to trace him. I'm not scared he knows my house. If he comes knocking on my door, I'll take him down. When I take someone down, they stay down! "

Kevin felt a cold sweat rolled down his handsome face.

“What does he want with you?”

Tomayo shrugged indifferently.

“To stop me from helping you, that's all. He figured I pose a big challenge to him. I guess my reputation in Miami city precedes me."

Just then, Smith charged into the room, a grimed expression on his face.

“Sir! You've got to see this."

The urgency in his eyes told Tomayo something was up. He turned to Kevin.

“Mr. Carter, please stay here. I'll be back.” He rushed out of the room with Smith. Kevin watched them go, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. To keep himself busy, he prowled around the small room, smoking cigarette after cigarette. Forty minutes later, Tomayo returned to the room. By then, Kevin was feverish with anxiousness, and his face looked tired and drawn from waiting too long. A. demure look on Tomayo's face told him something was wrong.

“Anything the matter?” Kevin asked in a quiet voice.

Tomayo heaved heavily, and he looked twenty years older.

“The couples in room “11” are dead," he answered.

“What?” Kevin said, bewildered. “How come?”

“Razor or whatever he calls himself used their rooms to sneak into Wynter's bedroom.” Tomayo replied. “That explains why he was able to catch you guys unaware. He placed a canister of sleeping Vapour beside the couples to wake up in case they hear any noise in their room. But he miscalculated. The vapor was too much for their breathing. It suffocated them. We called an ambulance, and it had taken the bodies away. "

“All these just to get me?” Kevin said, feeling tightness in his chest. "

“Yes!” Tomayo answered. “It might seem unnecessary, but to Razor, it is important. It adds more to his character. He could have entered Wynter's room directly, but I think that will be too easy for him. He wants something challenging, something invigorating.

“My God!” Kevin muttered. “He’s one hell of a wacko guy."

“That he is!” Tomayo answered in a grave voice. “I guess he's really sick in the head, and he's unstable. He needs help. Anyways, ballistics will run a check on the bullet recovered from Jess and Ruby bodies and see if it matches that of Jessica's. I'll bet it will match. "

Kevin was tongue-tied. The full impact of what Razor was capable of doing knocked the sense out of him. Then he remembered something.

“He told me that I took a woman from him.”

Tomayo shut him a puzzled look.

“A woman? Did he tell you anything about her?”

“He only told me her name was Angelina. He said I made him kill her. It was as if he was blaming me for her death. I told him I didn't know any woman by that name, but he did not believe me."

Tomayo grimaced.

“I always know this guy was crazy. But I think we've got his motive now. The solution seems to lie on your shoulder. Do you know anyone by the name of Angelina? Have you ever dated anyone by that name? "

Kevin shook his head.

“I’ve never. But here's the problem; I've dated lots of women with different names. Lots of them. How can I know if I have dated this Angelina or not? For all I know, this killer could have mistaken me for someone else. Who knows? Maybe I'm not the one he's out to get. "

Tomayo drew in a long, slow breath.

“Mr. Carter," he said,” I see your point. As you said, Razor might be mixing you up with another person. But I don't want to count on it. Razor saying you made him killed someone he really cared about shows how unstable he is. It doesn't just make any sense. As I said, I'll nail him one way or the other. Well, I've got a plan."

Kevin narrowed his eyes.

“A plan! What plan are you talking about? "

“Mr. Carter, listen attentively. All you have to do is this." Tomayo said, and then he began to speak slowly and quietly.

***

Kevin was flabbergasted. What Detective Tomayo had told him had stunned him totally and stiffened his nerves. At first, he had assumed the detective plan would be for him to get out of Miami to elude Hell Razor.

Or he would be taken to a safe house surrounded by heavily armed men. Rather the detective had told him a woman will be watching over him now. A woman? Kevin asked himself as he sat patiently at the end of the bar inside the Pick 'n Eat restaurant in South Beach. A martini was before him, a pack Marlboros on the table, and an anxious expression on his face.

The detective had told him to go to the restaurant where the woman will be meeting him. Feeling the need for a smoke, he took out a cigarette, lit one, and drew in smoke into his lungs. He checked his gold Rolex watch and grimaced. She was running late. He looked around the shabby, bad-lit restaurant and shook his head. What a hole? He thought. His mind switched to the conversation he had had with the detective, and he drew in a long, slow breath. He could remember detective Tomayo's exact words.

“Since Razor is bent on fixing the women in your life, " Tomayo had said.” Then I think a woman will be the best weapon to fix him. Don't get it twisted, Mr. Carter; this is not a romantic rendezvous for you to satisfy your hungry libido. This is strictly important for your safety ".

“You wouldn't kid about a thing like this? “He had said, a zing of excitement flowing through his body. “You told me to stay off women, and now you're saying a woman will be babysitting me?”

Tomayo shook his head vehemently.

“Not babysitting you. She'll be watching you. Think of her as your guardian angel."

Kevin smiled.

“My guardian angel! That's good news, detective. I'll love that. Can we go out on dates too?” he said, jeering lights in his eyes.

Tomayo made an impatient movement.

“Look, Mr. Carter, let's not waste time on this matter. This setup might look absurd to you, but I tell you this, it's going to work. We are going to use the woman as bait. It's like luring a sheep into a wolf's lair. In this case, Razor is the sheep. Since he seems to be following you around like a fly after a cow's tail, I believe we'll nail him using a woman. You've promised to lay off women and to help me find Razor, and I think this is your best shot to fulfill your promises."

“Alright! Fine! “Kevin said exasperatedly, “I get it. If you want me to be babysat by a woman, then maybe you could hook me up with Lara Croft or Nikita or one of those Charlie's angel’s girls. Those are real beauties."

Tomayo grinned.

“I know the perfect beautiful woman for a man like you, Mr. Carter. You'll love her that I promise you. She's going to handle you the way a monkey handles a coconut. Tomorrow morning, you will go to the Pick 'n' Eat restaurant in South Beach at exactly nine o'clock. She will meet you there."

Kevin moistened his lips with his tongue.

“How will she know I'm the one?”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Carter, “Tomayo had said.” Just make sure you're there at the said time. She'll meet you there."

Kevin had a sudden idea.

“Look, detective, since we know Razor follows me around, why don't you send some boys along with me. Razor might come to this restaurant. I'm meeting this woman. Your boys, we'll surround the parameters of both the inside of the restaurant and the outside too. They will be in plain clothes, and their cars will be beaten up and shabby looking so as not to give themselves away. Any strange cars parked around the environs of the restaurant will be searched. Razor cannot escape this. If he comes, they will arrest him. If he tries to run, then they will give him a hell of a chase him and nail him; sounds perfect, right? “He finished breathing heavily.

Tomayo smiled.

“Your plan sounds good, Mr. Carter. But you forget two things. One, how can we identify him, someone we don't know. We don't have a good description of him. For all we know, Razor might be sitting across the restaurant in a car, looking like a damned old grandad with a dog as a friend, and we won't know. Two, this is a hushed case. We don't to frighten the public that a manic his in our midst. And we've got to consider your personality too. That's why. We are keeping the public and press out of this as much as we can. Suppose Razor got there, one of my boys noticed something odd about him and tried to arrest him. Razor got a whiff of my boy and drove off. Then my boys start chasing him, then what happens? All the cops in the whole Miami start chasing him, and then the press gets in too, finds out you're connected to all these killings and blow the lid off this racket. No, Mr. Carter, you'll have to go with my plan."

And now, as Kevin sat in the restaurant, his mind active, his heart pounding with the thought of the woman, he wishes to hell she will hurry it up before he loses his mind. Just then, an argument ensued at the doorway of the restaurant. A waitress in a white and pink uniform was arguing with a man who had refused to pay his bill. For Christ's sakes, he thought irritated, cursing Tomayo for picking a shabby restaurant like this for a meeting.

“Been waiting long?” A woman voice said.

Startled, Kevin dragged his eyes from the doorway to look at the woman standing in front of him. She was in her late twenties, tall and slim with dark hair. Her eyes were large and as blue and as hard as ice. She wasn't beautiful in the accepted Hollywood standard of beauty. Her blank face, her plucked eyebrows, her pale lipstick merely emphasized her lack of charm.

His eyes ran over her figure about how any farmer will look at cattle he is thinking of buying. He could see the heavy swell of her breasts under the black wool sweater she wore and her solid, heavy hips inside the pale blue slacks. Her figure was terrific, but the face was a write-off.

“I hope you're satisfied," she said, her words laced with sarcasm “I tried to look my best for this meeting. I'm Gina, by the way. My boss sent his greetings."

Kevin stared at her for a long moment, bewildered, thinking this was a mistake of some sort. Just then, a realization hits him.

“Detective Tomayo sent you?” he asked in a shaky voice.

“Yes," she answered in a clear, hard voice.

Kevin shook his head. This woman with her ugly face could not be the woman Tomayo was talking about, but as he stared at her, he knew the detective had played a fast one on him.

“This must be some kind of mistake," he said, unable to hide his irritation. “Couldn’t he have sent someone better?”

“Well, so far, I'm the best out there, Mr. Carter;" she said and gave him a hard smile. “Where’s my bag? I sent it to the detective's office yesterday? "

He regarded her face and cursed under his breath.

"It's with me," he mumbled. “One of the detective's boys delivered it this morning."

"Good," she said. “Let’s eat. I'm starving."

Kevin stared at her bewilderedly as she pulled out a chair and sat in it. They ordered hash browns, bacon, eggs, and coffee. While Gina was eating, Kevin was examining her curiously, his eyes stripping her. With the way she sat well in the chair, her back straight and her shoulders square, and with the no-nonsense and direct features of her face and hard set of her eyes, he could see she had been through the rigor of military training and discipline. No wonder she's got an ugly face, he thought bitterly.

He had no taste for military girls. He thought of making love to her with her plain face staring up at him, and he grimaced. What a waste, he thought, looking at her heavy bosom and thinking of her heavy hips. He eyed her as she chewed her food, oblivious of what was going on around her. Then he cleared his throat suddenly, and she lifted her face to look at him.

‎ “Is something wrong with the food?” she asked, her voice muffled by the food in her mouth.

“No!” he answered.

She eyed him quizzically.

“Then it must be me?” she said, lifting a well-pencilled eyebrow.

“No doubt!” he replied indignantly.

She dropped her fork, leaned back into her seat, and regarded his sweaty face for a long moment. Then she dipped her hand into her purse and brought out a pack of cigarettes. She took one out, lit it with a lighter, and drew in smoke. She did not offer Kevin the pack.

“Mr. Carter!” she said, smoke drifting out of her nostrils, “Are you more concerned about your life or my face?"

The question hit Kevin like a blow to his groins, but he controlled himself. How could she have seen through him so quickly? He wondered, was he so plain that she had noticed his distaste for her on his face?

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Don’t play games. I could read you like a damn book."

He grinned wickedly. This is one hell of a cocky bitch, he thought.

"I'm just thinking how a girl like you winds up with a guy like me," he said, wanting her to feel the disgust in his voice. “Can’t you see we don't fit? I don't roll with ugly girls. Ever!"

Gina gave him a hard smile.

“Mr. Carter, you don't have to be worried about my face. This is about you. I'm here because of you. Detective Tomayo's briefed me about the case. So please, let's focus on how we're going to fix this killer, alright? And if you're not satisfied, take it up with the detective and leave me out of it." With that, she crushed out the cigarette, picked up her fork, and continued her meal.

‎Kevin was dumbfounded. He clenched his fists tightly and muttered a curse under his breath. He was so angry he was afraid he would burst an artery. Look at this bitch, telling me what to do, he thought, don't worry, I will have your ass mailed back to that stupid detective as soon as possible. He pushed his chair back and got to his feet.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“None of your business," he snapped, moving away from the table.

“The detective told me not to let you out of my sight,” Gina yelled, watching his broad back as he made his way to the restaurant exit door.

“Bite me!” he fired back and sauntered out into the hot sun. His eyes ran around the busy streets for a place where he could make a call. Beside the restaurant was a locked doorway over which was a blue and gold canopy. He moved towards it and stood under the canopy. Then he brought out his cell phone and dialled Detective Tomayo's number. After few seconds, he heard a click, and a voice said, “Detective Tomayo here. how can I help you?"

“This is Kevin Carter," he seethed out, hoping the detective will feel the scorn in his voice. He was not disappointed.

“Hey! Mr. Carter, what's the problem? You sound so worried, are you alright?”

“Detective, how could you do this to me?” he demanded hotly.

“Do what? What the hell did I do?"

“You are asking me that after dumping an ugly cow with me," Kevin bawled.

“What do you mean by an ugly cow?” Tomayo said incredulously. “I’m not a cowboy, and I've never owned a cow in my life."

“Quit the monkey play, detective. I'm talking about Gina Rux," Kevin snarled into the receiver.

“Oh! You've met Gina, that's good to know. So, tell me do you find her to your taste?” His voice was laced with mischief.

Kevin was livid now.

“Detective, I want you to listen attentively. I don't want this woman you are putting me up with. I don't deal with ugly women with foul words in their mouths. So, get rid of her. And please, the next woman I'm to be dealing with must be somebody I can relate with. Most importantly, somebody beautiful and not a woman with a wash-out face."

There was a long pause at the other end, and then Tomayo began to speak.

“You know what, Mr. Carter; allow me to jog your memory a bit. The main reason we are having this conversation is because of you. You are the cause of all this. For my plan to work, we need a woman, not just any woman, an efficient one, if I may say. Gina Rux is a good girl, and she has proven to be the best in the past in what she does. So please, Mr. Carter, be a gentleman and learn how to relate with her. If you have to nurse her until she likes you, and then nurses her. But don't ever think I'm going to replace her just to satisfy you. This is about fixing that damned Bill Razor. This isn't about your lust. Get a grip on yourself with Mr. Carter."

Before Kevin could reply, he heard a sharp click, and the line went dead. He stood there for a long moment, his body boiling with rage, cursing himself for his bad luck. Then he shoved the cell phone into his pockets and walked back into the restaurant. Dark rage on his face, he ignored the curious glances the patrons shot his way as he walked back to the table where Gina was waiting for him. He got there and found her head down, typing excitedly on her cell phone.

“Hey, don't tell me you are chatting with your peeps when you should be on the lookout for me,” he said, his face showing contempt.‎

Gina looked up from her cell phone, but she did not say anything. She only stared, her face expressionless.

Kevin thinking she was scared of him, smiled to himself. Military or no military, if you handle a woman right, she'll behave, he thought.

“Where’s that damned girl that served us?” he growled, angered by the fact he will have to pay for Gina's meal.

" If you're worried about the bill," she said." don't be., I've settled it”

Kevin grinned to himself, thinking he wouldn't have to pay for her meal.

“Let’s go," he said to her.

She slipped her phone into her purse and got to her feet, her face hard and expressionless. As they neared the exit, one of the waitresses rushed towards Kevin.

“Sir! I'm sorry to bother you, but you've not settled the bills," she said.

Mad with rage, Kevin turned to Gina.

“But I thought you said you've paid for our meals? “He snarled.

She gave him a cold, hard stare. Then her lips made a movement of a stiff smile.

“Sorry, Mr. Carter, it was a private joke. I just wanted to lighten you up after our rough chit-chat."

‎ Kevin could have slapped her right at that moment, but he pulled himself together with an effort. He swore under his breath and asked for the check. The waitress told him, and he brought out a wallet stuffed with dollar bills and paid for their meals.

His body surging with anger, he took hold of Gina's wrists and dragged her outside while the little audience in the restaurant looked on, a puzzled expression on their faces. He walked her to his big, glittering Cadillac, opened the door, and told her to get in. She entered the car and leaned back into the comfortable seat.

Kevin got in too. He snapped on the car A.C., turned his face to her, and said between locked teeth, “Look at me, woman! Look at me!” He bawled.

Gina turned her eyes to his face, meeting his angry look with cold, defiant eyes.

“For the love of God, never embarrass me in such a way again. I don't joke around with my reputation in this city."

Gina stared into his face for a long moment, and then she laughed with genuine amusement.

“Oh sure, Mr. Carter!” she said, “Anything you say.”

Kevin, his face masked with rage, called her an obscene name. He had hoped to shock her into silence, but the leering look in her laughing eyes told him his words were wasted.

“I need to use the bathroom," she continued, “Can we please go already?”

He gave her a hard look, and then he started the engine shifted the gear, gave gas, and sped away.

***

Bill Razor, seated in his convertible Porsche, his hands resting lightly on the steering wheels, a puzzled expression on his face, watched Kevin drag a woman out of the Pick 'n Eat restaurant, then into his car.

He had been parked under the palm trees now for the past hour. He had tailed Kevin from his penthouse to the restaurant and watched him enter it. Then after half an hour, Kevin had come out again, looking as if he could rip someone's head off. He had seen Kevin made the call under a blue and gold canopy. Then he had watched him enter the restaurant again and, a few seconds later, came out dragging a woman with him into his glittering Cadillac.

All this puzzled Razor. Why did Kevin look so mad? He thought who made him angry? Was it the woman? And what was Kevin doing in a shabby restaurant like this one?

He lit a cigarette, settled himself comfortably, and continued to think hard and fast. He had never seen Kevin angry with a woman before. Something was going down, he told himself.

If Kevin was angry with the woman, he thought, then his plans will just be a waste of time. For Razor’s plan to work, Kevin must at least be in love with the woman and not hate her. That way, when Razor struck, Kevin would feel the pain of losing someone close to his heart. But wait, it is a normal thing for a man to be angry with a woman, he told himself, but not in the case of Kevin. If Kevin's anger was caused by something else, it was preferable. But if he was angry at the woman, then something was definitely wrong.

He drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. All these seemed like a puzzle to him. He hated puzzles. It would have been easier if he had seen the woman's face clearly and if he had known the main reason for Kevin's anger. He waited for a few moments, his mind busy with thoughts. Then after making up his mind on what to do, he flicks the butt of the cigarette out of the car window, regarded the entrance of the Pick 'n' Eat restaurant for a few moments, and stepped out of the car.

He crossed to the other side of the road, pushed open the restaurant door, and entered. His beady eyes ran over the room, taking in the patrons who were eating their meals, the platter of steaming hot foods on the glistening diner countertop, and the waitresses who circled the room, waving their hips as they cope with the rush of the hungry patrons. As he watched the scenario, Razor had a sudden idea. He turned to one of the waitresses, a sexy, red-headed girl who was about to waltz past him.

“Hey! I need information about a man and a woman who just left here."

She lifted an eyebrow and regarded him as if she was trying to weigh the answer she might give him.

“A man and a woman?” she finally said.

“Yeah! They left here, let's say, two minutes ago. You couldn't have missed them."

The girl chuckled.

“Sorry, mister, as you can see, there are lots of folks here who come and go. So, you've got to be a little specific? What do they look like? “She asked.

Razor gave her a vivid description of Kevin but a sketchy one of Gina’s.

She shook her head.

‘I don't think I've seen anyone that fits in with the description you gave. I'm sorry I can't be much of help," ' she said, giving him an apologetic smile before moving away from him.

Razor swore under his breath. Someone must have seen something, he thought angrily, thinking how shallow-minded people can be. He looked around the room, his eyes glittering like wet pebbles. His eyes rested on one of the waitresses who were chatting excitedly with one of the patrons. Judging from her looks, he knew this girl would definitely talk her head off given the chance. He moved towards her, and when he reached her, he brushed the man who she was talking to aside and said, “Beat it, buster!”

The offended man wanted to react, but when he saw the deadly evil look on Razor’s ugly face, coupled with his powerful muscular shoulders and arms, he nodded and went away. Hell, Razor turned to the girl. In her early twenties, she was blonde, with big blue eyes and dark, heavy eyelashes a cow would envy.

“A little minute of your time, pretty?” he said in a hard-clipped voice.

“Well, Well, My hero. “She said, smiling “You sure know how to put some scare into people, see how you run poor Danny off."

“Forget Danny,” Razor continued looking at the name tag on the front of the shirt under which lay an underdeveloped bosom." I need information about a couple who left here a while ago. I'll make it worth your while, Kitty. "

“How do you know my name?” she asked, puzzled.

He dragged his eyes to the name tag on her chest then to her face. She followed his eyes, and her lips curved into a smile.

“Pretty obvious, huh?” she said.

“Let’s talk. No time to waste," he answered impatiently.

Kitty studied his hard face for a moment.

“Follow me," she said, and she led him into a lit hallway with doors on both sides. They got to a shabby door with the words STAFF ONLY written in faded gold. Kim turned the handle, and they both stepped into a room with overhead fluorescent light clustered old-looking lockers, a gigantic mirror, and a dressing table. She turned to him.

“Now, what exactly is it that you want?” she asked as she lit a cigarette and drew in smoke.

Razor gave her a detailed description of Kevin.

“You couldn't have missed the man," he concluded. “That’s if you really pay attention to the things going on around you. He's got a bloody face of a womanizer. He dragged a woman out of the restaurant half an hour ago. None of you working here could have missed such a scene. "

Kitty blew a stream of smoke to the ceilings.

“I think I know the couple you're talking about,”

“You do?” Razor asked breathlessly.

Kitty nodded.

“Yeah! You see, I took their orders."

Hell, Razor heaved heavily, relief flooding through his body.

“You’re not trying to bluff me, are you?” he asked in a low voice, trying as much as possible to control his anxiety.

Kitty licked her lips and narrowed her eyes.

“I served them myself, alright? I can't kid about such a thing. Look, mister, if I'm going to talk, you've got to drop something," she said, giving him a sly look as she stretched out a well-manicured hand

Razor eyed the hand for a long moment, and then he dipped his hands into pockets and brought out a dirty, worn-out wallet. He opened it, brought out a two-dollar bill, and offered her the money. She snapped it up faster than a lizard's snaps up a fly.

“Talk!” he snarled.

She tucked the money into her uniform and said, “I watched the man as he came in and sat down on one of the chairs. From the way he sat and waited, I knew he was waiting for someone. Then after a while, a woman came in and went straight to him. Then they both talked. But it was obvious the man was not pleased to see her. Well, I took their orders, and I noticed the man was not even interested in the food. It was like he had a lot going through his mind."

“Keep talking,” Razor growled, not yet satisfied.

“The man did not touch his food. Then suddenly, he got up and walked out of the restaurant. I think the woman said something bad to him because there was this kind of odd expression on his face as he left the table.

Razor mentally thanked his instincts. He was right all along. Something was definitely wrong.

"Where were you when all these were going on?” he asked.

“I was taking the orders of the other patrons," she replied. “But my eyes and ears were fixed on these two people."

“Why?” Razor asked, frowning.

“Because of the man, of course," Kitty said a lustful expression on her young face. “The man is a hunk of flesh, and he looks very loaded. It's very rare to see men like that come here."

Razor thought about this for a moment while Kitty watched him inquisitively. There was something about him that told her he was dangerous and violent. Looking at his terribly ugly face, his massive built and wiry arms, she had the feeling if she angered him, he could twist her neck to an unnatural angle without blinking an eye.

“Tell me more, kid," he sneered. “I didn't pay you to be quiet."

Kitty turned her mind away from her thoughts and swallowed hard.

“I think this will interest you. After the man had left the woman in annoyance, she called me and said she wanted me to help her play a little game."

“What game?” he chipped in.

Kitty smiled uneasily.

“Why are you asking all these questions? Are you a cop?"

“Yeah," Razor retorted.

“You know, you don't look like one," she noted, her blue eyes running over the clothes he wore.

“That’s the plan, kid," he growled. “So what game was she talking about?”

Kitty thought about the question for a moment. Then she said, “She told me all I had to do was wait patiently for them to reach the exit door before I tell the man to pay for their meals."

“Why would she ask you to do that?” he asked, looking bemused.

“I don't know!” Kitty said. “She told me she wanted to make the man laugh, and for that, she tipped me, and I was hooked. A girl has to make a living, you know,” she added said shrewdly.

“Yeah!” Razor sneered, thinking of ripping her cunning head off her neck. “So, what happened next?”

"Well, I did exactly as I was told. I waited patiently for them to reach the exit door before asking the man to settle the check, and he kind of freaked out.'

"Freaked out?” he asked, lifting his left eyebrow.

'" Yeah! Freaked out! But not at me," she hurriedly. “He got annoyed at the woman for lying that she had paid."

‎Razor drew in a long, slow breath and grimace. That explains the reason why Kevin had been angry with her, he thought, thinking he had wasted money on a stupid hunch he had had. Even though he was satisfied that he now knew why Kevin had been so angry, he still had a feeling something was still missing. The puzzle was not yet completely solved. He dragged his eyes girl's face as he saw her staring at him. She must have been staring at him for so long because immediately his eyes locked with hers, she turned her eyes to the opposite wall, her cheeks turning bright.

“What is it?” he snarled at her.

“There’s one more thing,” she answered, looking at him.

“Is there?” he asked indifferently.

Kitty nodded.

“They don't match. The man and the woman don't fit together," she said.

Razor stiffened like a gun dog.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Why, the man is so hot while the woman is simply a plain Jane. Though she's got the figure of an hourglass, but her face is hell no."

“You said plain Jane?” he muttered blankly. “Is her name, Jane?”

“I mean, her face sucks,” Kitty said, looking at him strangely. “What are you? A new learner at words?

Razor became angry. He thought the girl was playing around with him. Like a striking snake, he stretched out his hand and grabbed Kim's neck. Then he began to squeeze hard. She held his hand tightly with her two hands, trying to tear his fingers off her throat, but he had a grip like a monkey-wrench.

“I’ll break your neck like a stick if you don't tell me what you mean," he seethed out, leaning close to her, his eyes bright and glittering.

Kitty's eyes were already starting off her head, and she was making gurgling sounds like an empty tap.

"You…are…killing me," she said weakly.

“I could do worse if you don't start talking," he yelled.

“Ugly…She's ugly," she managed to say.

Razor released her neck and shoved her away violently, and then he stormed out the room. As he walked into the violent afternoon sun to his Porsche, the word ugly echoed and re-echoed in his mind.

***

“Would you like some coffee, Mr. Carter?” Gina asked, looking at him.

Kevin stared at her, his face white with shock. She had not spoken to him on their way home after his outbursts, and not even for once did she glance at him while he was driving. When they had got to his penthouse, he had grudgingly shown her around and more to his distaste; her pale, expressionless face revealed nothing to appreciate him of the whale of money he had spent on the decor. She did not even give him a nod of approval, and now, standing inside his kitchen, fixing the coffee percolator, she was asking him if he would like some coffee? What a dumb fool.

“Look, I don't want your damn coffee," he said. "I don't even want anything from you, alright?”

Gina smiled and shrugged indifferently.

"It seems, Mr. Carter; you have a knack of not keeping to yourself how you feel about someone. I feel so sorry for any woman that falls in love with you."

Kevin's mouth gaped open, and his face lost color.

“What do you say?” he said quietly, moving towards her and closing the gap between them.

He stared into her eyes, and his face darkened as he saw the teasing glint in her eyes. She remained rooted to where she stood, unflinching, meeting his angry look with a defiant one. He was perplexed. There was something about her that bothered him. At one point, she will look feeble and innocent, like that moment when she had told him the truth about not clearing the checks, and another time, she will give him that cold stare and stubborn look as if she did not give a damn what he could do to her.

“Mr. Carter,” she said, bringing his whirling thoughts to a stop. “If you don't have anything to say, how about you show me to my room. I've got to hit the hay."

He drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. Don't worry, boy, he told himself, you'll fix her damn cocky mouth, just don't worry.

“Come with me," Kevin said curtly as he moved out of the kitchen.

She followed him up the stairs and along a passage to a big, airy room done over in lemon green lacquer, with brown drapes, a big mirror, and a double-sized bed with a brown and lemon green quilted head. There was a big conditioner which hummed softly, and the room smelt of fresh lavender.

Kevin turned to her.

“Your bag is in there, and this where you'll be staying until I figure out what to do with you," he said harshly as he stepped out of the room and stood in the doorway.

Gina gave him a cold smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Carter, and goodnight," she said and slammed the door shut and shot the bolt.

Kevin licked his lips and stared at the closed door with a hard look. For all he cares, he thought as he walked to his bedroom, she can lock herself in for eternity. He entered his room and flopped hard on his king-sized bed. He folded his hands behind his head, thinking fast and hard. She had been a pain in the ass, he thought, thinking of how he had nearly lost his nerves back in the restaurant. He bit his bottom lips and shook his head. He disliked her. Correct that. He hated her for her ugliness and her goddamned guts. Who the hell did she think she is? He thought, rolling to and fro on the bed. If not for that stupid detective, I would have dropped her sorry ass. On an impulse, He sat up on the bed, groped, dug into his hip pockets, and brought out his cell phone. He dialled detective Tomayo's number, waited few seconds, and then he heard a voice.

“Mr. Carter, I’ve been expecting your call."

“Let’s cut the bullshit. What do you want me to do with the girl you sent? "

Tomayo gave a hard backing laugh, and Kevin's skin crawled with irritation as he heard the laughter at the other end.

“Just go with the flow, Mr. Carter. Go with the flow."

“Flow? What the hell do you mean by going with the flow? “Kevin yelled.

“Calm down, Mr. Carter. I've told you the plan. Now that Gina is with you, all we have to do is to wait for Hell Razor to strike, and by then, we'll be ready for him."

“For Christ sakes, " Kevin exploded." You've hooked me with a woman that makes me sick to the core, and you expect me to be calm. "

“Mr. Carter, listen to this, “Tomayo said in a hushed voice.” Gina will come in handy, trust me. When the right time comes, you will understand what I am telling you. It's just a matter of time, don't you worry."

"Handy? What do you mean handy? “He asked, nonplussed.

“Yes, handy. Good night, Mr. Carter," and Tomayo ended the call.

Handy? Kevin thought as he took the phone off his ear; what does this man mean by handy? With the back of his hand, he wiped away the sweat that had beaded on his forehead. He got up from the bed, moved towards a table in which stood a bottle of Don Perignon Champagne, a bottle of Jack Daniel's, two wine glasses, and a whisky glass. He picked the bottle, slushed some drink into a glass, and tosses it down his throat.

He shivered slightly as the drink stiffened his nerves. Then he lit a cigarette and drew in smoke. He brooded about what the detective had told him. He had a feeling the detective had deliberately attached Gina to him. The only problem was that he was not sure of the reason. For your sake, detective, he thought, I hope you know what you're doing. After thinking for a while, he stubbed out the cigarette in a gold ashtray, took a quick shower, crawled into his bed, and allows the power of sleep to claim him.

***

It was the blare of the alarm clock on the dresser beside the bed that brought Kevin finally awake. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, and stretched out like a contended fat cat. He got up from the bed, thinking of how badly he needed a cup of coffee. He entered the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and splashes some water on his face. Then he stepped out and crossed the room to his closet. He slid into a Massimo Duty wool sweater and struggled into Levi's jeans. Then he picked his cell phone and dialled Roxy's number. She answered immediately.

“Hi Kevin!” she said, releasing a squeal of excitement. “I guess you wanted to know if I'm in the office. Well, I'm there already. When are you coming in today?"

“I can't, Roxy,” Kevin’s voice went down a note. “Look, there's a lot of things going on I've got to figure out. I wouldn't want you to involve, alright? Please, you've got to manage without me for a week or two, darling."

“A week or two?” she shrilled, making Kevin cringed.

“Yeah! it might even take longer than that," he replied.

“What the hell is happening to you, Kevin Carter?” She asked with concern in her voice. “I missed you."

“I know," he said bitterly. “Just take care of things for me, alright, Roxy? I'll raise your pay on this.”

"It's not about the money, and you know it," she said huskily. “I’ll do anything for you."

“Yes, I know," he said. “That’s why I'm leaving things to you. Make sure you and the others work together as a team, alright? Call me if there's any problem. Bye for now, Roxy," and he ended the call, threw the phone on the bed, and moved out of the room.

As he walked down the stairs, a pleasant aroma of brewing coffee hit his nose, and he stiffened. In his moment of waking up, his mind has been busy with thoughts; he had totally forgotten a woman was in the house. He paused in the lobby. To the smell of coffee was now added the sound of meat sizzling. His stomach growled in protest. He stood there for a moment contemplating on what to do.

Finally, he braced himself, pushed open the kitchen door, and then paused. Gina was standing over the big gas cooker. Her head jerked around, and they both stared at each other. There was a fresh glow to her skin now, and her hair looked silky and neat. She was wearing a dressing gown, and she had rolled up the sleeves with that extraordinary knack most women have; she somehow had made herself look presentable even when the heavy makeup she had hurriedly done to her face made her look uglier than ever. Her lips parted in a grin.

“Morning, Mr. Carter," she said. “How about you help yourself to some cup of coffee. It's on the table. I hope you like steak. You've got a well-stocked freezer. I'll be done in two minutes, okay?"

Kevin drew in a long, slow breath. Accepting the situation, he shrugged his powerful shoulders and walked into the living room. He found the dining table well lay. The woman had found the cutlery, the salt, pepper, and mustard. Kevin realized how much he needed a woman in his life.

He walked to the big window and pushing aside the curtains and he looked out at the Miami skyline, the cruising yacht, and the glittering waters. Just go with the flow, he said to himself, thinking about what the detective had told him the other night. He prowled around the room restlessly until Gina came in, carrying a tray. She put down two plates loaded with perfectly cooked steaks, mushrooms, vinegar potatoes, and macaroni cheese.

“Come on, Mr. Carter," she said. “Food is ready."

They sat opposite each other had begun to eat. This woman could cook, Kevin thought. The steaks were excellent, and the mushroom and the potatoes perfectly done. Halfway through the silent meal, Gina paused and looked at Kevin.

“How do you like my cooking?”

Just go with the flow, Kevin told himself.

“Do you want to see how much I like your cooking?” he said. “I’ll show you. ". He cut off a piece of steak, smothered it with mustard, conveyed it to his mouth, and chewed savagely, making funny sounds as he chewed.

Watching his mouth, she nodded in response and began to eat again.

“Where did you learn how to cook?” he asked, trying to draw her into a conversation.

She looked at him, a bemused expression on her face, and then she hunched her shoulders.

“I’m a woman, Mr. Carter. The last thing a woman should know how to do is cooking”

Kevin narrowed his eyes at her.

“Apart from cooking, what else can you do?”

“You’ll know in due time," she said, her mouth full of food. She paused to pour coffee and shoved a cup towards Kevin.

He wolfed down the last of the steak, sipped coffee, belches gently, and leaned back into the chair, watching her face closely.

She looked up from her food.

“Are you okay? There are more steaks if you want some? "

Kevin shook his head and touched his stomach.

“I’m loaded already, thanks anyway. So, tell me about yourself, Gina, what do you do? How did you get to know detective Tomayo? "

Gina shook her head as she forked a piece of steak into her mouth. She chewed it taking her time, sipped coffee, and wiped her mouth with a white serviette.

“I know how it is," she began. “Trust me, I understand. When a man is eating a nice meal, the next thing is to start running his mouth, asking questions he shouldn't even ask. Well, the less you know about me, the better alright, Mr. Carter. "

Kevin licked lips with the tip of his tongue. He felt as if she had splashed a bucket of cold water on him.

“Fine!” he said tightly. “I won't bother you."

She stared at him for a long moment.

“What’s your plan for today?” she finally asked.

Knowing that he had no plan whatsoever and angered that he would have to spend the whole day with her, he opened his mouth without thinking.

“Well, my plan today is not your concern. Don't you think we should focus on how this thing between you and me is going to work?” he said with a bite in his voice.

Gina's eyes regarded him under thick lashes.

“I think the more you get used to the idea of you and me been stuck together, the better it will be for you. Get used to it and stop moping around. You're not a kid."

Kevin glared at her, and his eyes were as hard and as cold as the pellets of ice.

“You should watch your mouth, woman. It's as big as your feet."

She sipped the coffee, and then grinned at him.

“I heard you've got the hots for pretty ladies," she went on. “If I were you, I would watch where my libido takes me, and we wouldn't want another innocent woman to die all because you couldn't restrain yourself, right?”

Kevin's face twisted with anger. He got up from the chair and pointed a thick finger at her.

“You ugly bitch! I'll fix you for this,” he said hotly, his chest rising and falling.

Gina smiled wickedly at him.

“You better watch your blood pressure! With the way you boil over, I wouldn't be surprised if you had a heart attack one of these days, not that I care."

Kevin stormed out of the room in a blinding rage of fury.

***

At seven o'clock on this Saturday morning, Razor got out of bed, put on the coffee percolator, and then took a shower. He shaved with an electric razor, dressed, and went to the small kitchenette and fixed himself a slice of grilled bacon, ham, and egg. He ate his meal and washed it down with coffee.

He fixed himself another coffee, carrying the cup into his shabby living room; he sat down and sipped it. Then he began to think fast and hard. Ugly! He thought, what was Kevin doing with an ugly woman? He drew in a long, slow breath, picked up a packet of Marlboro cigarette, lit one, and drew in smoke. Since the day he had talked to Kitty in the Pick 'n' Eat restaurant, he had spent sleepless nights. Kevin with an ugly woman, he asked himself, as a girlfriend or what? His instincts for danger told him something was wrong.

He remembered that every woman he had seen Kevin was all beautiful. He had studied Kevin well enough to know he was not the kind of man to roll with the ugly ones. Kevin had tasted, and his tastes had never run to an ugly woman, no matter how good her figure was. So, what, he asked himself, was Kevin doing with an ugly woman? His mind drifted to detective Tomayo. He had warned the detective to stay off the case of Kevin, but the man had refused. All the letters of warnings he had written to the detective had been dully ignored.

As he thought about Tomayo, he felt a slight chill run up and down his spine. He knew that the detective was helping Kevin to catch him. He had a feeling a trap had been set for him, and if he were not careful, he would walk right into it. If truly Kevin was engaged with an ugly woman, then his revenge plan was a waste of time. If only he had clearly seen the face of the woman Kevin had dragged out of the restaurant, he thought bitterly.

He crushed out the cigarette in an ashtray and considered his next move. Since he had wiped out the two men monitoring Kevin and since they had not been replaced, then it was safe to monitor Kevin's movements in broad daylight. This would allow him to confirm what Kitty had said about the woman he had seen with Kevin. If she's beautiful, then he would be killing again. Sooner than he thought. If she was ugly, then something definitely is up. He leaned back into his chair, closed his eyes, and dreamt about Angelina.

***

The time was twenty minutes past twelve. Kevin Carter was inside his bedroom, on his bed, a dark scowl on his face. On his dresser was a gold ashtray crammed with stubbed-out cigarettes. The room was hot and stiff, but he did not mind the heat. The thought to put on the big air conditioner did not even occur to him. His mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of Gina. After she had talked rudely to him the other day, he had gone straight to his room, took some sleeping pills, and fell into a heavy induced sleep. He had woken up at midnight, tired and very hungry. He had staggered into the kitchen, threw a box of sandwiches into the microwave, and fixed himself a cup of coffee with a lot of creams.

After the meal and not wanting to wake Gina, he had crept back to his room, flopped back on his bed, and slept off. He had woken up at exactly ten o'clock in the morning. He had heard crockery being moved in the kitchen, and by that, he knew Gina was already awake. Not wanting to have another encounter with her, he had remained in the bedroom for hours, chain-smoking, but now, after staying long in the room, he felt like a caged tiger. How much longer he was going to live like this, he asked himself. How much longer was he going to hide from a psychotic killer who was only interested in frustrating his life?

He drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. Then he forced himself to relax, stretching out his long legs and resting his head on his pillow. For a long ten minutes, he listened to the sounds of his breathing, the chirping of a bird outside the windows, and the tick-tuck of the wall clock in his room.

When he could no longer bear the loneliness, he pulled off his clothes and entered the shower. After taking a quick bath, he dried himself thoroughly and crossed the room to his closets. He struggled into a blue shirt, slid into a white linen jean, and wore a pair of Hazel loafers. He wandered over to a vast dressing table on which stood perfumes, shaving kits, wristwatches case, and astringents. He selected a wristwatch, wore it, grabbed up a Gucci sunglasses case and his car keys.

He crossed the room to the door, and very quietly, he opened it. He peered out and listened. There was no sound from the living room or the kitchen. Fully satisfied that Gina would be in her room, he closed the door quietly behind him and walked down the stairs, into the living room, and then to the front door and slid out. Briskly, he walked to his vast garage, whistling to himself, knowing that he had escaped Gina. He got there and brought out a small remote pad from his pocket. He pressed a button, and the garage door slid open. He entered it and headed towards his Ferrari Porsche.

He opened the door, slid behind the steering wheel, and fired the engine. Then he trod on the accelerator, and the car surged forward. Suddenly, a woman came out of nowhere and stood in front of the garage driveway, making him tread on the brakes sharply He held the steering wheel tightly; his knuckles white and hard, his heart giving him a hard kick against his ribs.

Through the windshields, he recognized the woman as Gina. She had on a black dress and high black heels. Her long, tapering legs were in nylon, and it smoothed her dress over her well, solid hips. She stared at him, her eyes intent and curious. He peered out his head through the driver's window side.

“Hey! Do you want to die? “He yelled at her.” I could have run you over! "

Gina did not reply to him. She sashayed to the offside of the car, opened the door, and slid in. Kevin stared hard at her. He could see her heavy pancake make-up had been expertly put on, and he could smell the perfume she had sprayed on her hair. She turned, and her blue eyes locked with his.

“I told you, Mr. Carter, where you go, I go. Now drive! "

“Look here, woman. I don't buy the idea of you following me around. You're not a dog," he said hotly.

A sudden, vicious glint jumped into her eyes.

“Are you referring me to a dog?” she asked in a distinct but clear voice.

Despite himself, Kevin shook his head in response. There was something about her that stiffened his nerves. Something that told him she could handle him if she really wanted to.

She smiled at him. But it was a cold, bitter smile.

“Since we are clear about that, now drive."

“What If I go back inside?” he said curtly, finding his voice.

“Then we'll both go back together," she fired at him.

Kevin swallowed hard. He regarded her determined, hard face for a long moment and shrugged. He knew that arguing with her would only be a waste of time. He started the car, revved the engine, and swung out of the garage with an angry clashing of gears.

He drove fast and hard on the Key Biscayne highway, his mind busy with the thoughts of going to detective Tomayo's office then maybe cooling off in one of the clubs in Miami Beach. Not once did he glance at Gina, who was sited beside him, and she, on the other hand, did not say anything to him. You could hang a hat on the silence that hung in the car.

Kevin got to a boulevard leading to Miami Beach and South Beach and came suddenly on a long line of cars, crawling towards the city. His Ferrari Porsche joined the creeping cars, and after a good twenty minutes had been wasted, the traffic jam cleared. He trod hard on the accelerator and drove on towards the highway that led to the Miami Police headquarters.

“A car is following us," Gina said, breaking the silence.

Kevin turned to her sharply.

“What did you say?”

“We are being tailed," she replied in a hard, clipped voice.

Kevin looked at his driver's mirror and saw a black Porsche right behind them. He dragged his eyes to Gina.

“How did hell do you know? “He asked.

“He’s been following us since we left the house.” She answered, not taking her eyes off the passenger side mirror.

Kevin's body turned cold with sweat. He had noticed the car alright but had not paid much attention to it. Now, he knew something was up. He trod hard on the accelerator, and the car came alive and surged forward.

The Porsche behind them also increased speed and began to gain a gap against Kevin's car. He looked at the driver's mirror and felt the Porsche closing upon them. His heart was beating fast against his ribs, and he could feel the sweat rolling off him. Who could it be? He wondered, was it Hell Razor? , his mind jolted back to reality when he heard Gina's voice.

“Where you heading?” she asked a cold expression on her face.

“The Miami Police headquarters!” he answered weakly.

“I’ve got a plan, alright?” she said.

“You do?” Kevin asked in a shaky voice.

“Yeah! Just do as I say," she replied, “I know this road very well. There is an intersection right ahead of us. When you get there, I want you to turn left, alright?” she said, pointing to the road ahead of them.

Kevin shook his head.

“Why should I trust you? For all I know, you may be leading me to him," he said stupidly.

Gina faced him and said curtly.

“You don't have to trust me. All you've got to do is to listen for both our sakes. I want you to maintain a normal speed level. I don't want you to give our tailer the notion that we already know he's following us."

Kevin nodded and bit hard on his bottom lip. He reduced the speed of the car and kept his eyes on the road. Up ahead, he saw an intersection and gave the car little gas. He looked at the driver's mirror and saw that the black Porsche driver had reduced speed, maintaining a not too close distance between them and his car. He got to the intersection and immediately swerved the car onto the left Broadway.

“Nice!” Gina said, smiling wickedly. “Now, let's see if our tailer is really onto us."

A few seconds later, they both heard the screeching sounds of peeling tires behind them and saw the gleaming body of the black Porsche closing on them.

Kevin turned to Gina while she, in return, gave him an I- told-you -so-look. Kevin was now certain that the driver, who so ever it might be, was really tailing them. With a grimed look on his face, he trod hard on the accelerator, and the car hummed as it increased speed. The car behind them also increased speed, determined to close upon them.

“A minute drive from now," she said." You'll come across a dirt road by your right side. Watch out for it. You'll turn to it when you reach it, alright? "

“Dirt road it is!” Kevin replied. He could feel cold sweat run down his face and his shirts drenched. He shot Gina a brief glance. He was surprised to see her plain face, calm and expressionless. It was as if they were rushing to the beach.

“Mr. Carter! Keep your eyes on the damn road and drive fast," Gina snapped, still looking at the rear mirror.

Kevin nodded sharply and turned his face to the road. A few minutes later, he came across the dirt road.

“Now! Mr. Carter!” she shouted. "Now! "

“Alright! Alright!” Kevin retorted as he uncouthly swerved the car to the dirt road. It was very sandy and dusty, and as he drove fast, he left behind him a heavy cloud of sand and dust.

“This road will lead us to a highway; turn right immediately when you get there," she said again.

Kevin glances at the driver's mirror. He could only see a thick cloud of dust. He now saw the reason why Gina had asked him to use the dirt road. No way would the person tailing them be able to see their car in that fog of dust. When they finally got to the broad highway, he immediately turned right, only for him to mutter a curse as the traffic lights just ahead of them turned a bright red.

“Calm yourself," Gina said, noticing the dark look on his face. “I think we've lost him but only for a short time. When the light turned green, I want you to hit the pedal and drive straight up. No turning this time. "

“Sure?” Kevin asked blandly.

“I’m damn sure," she snapped. “Oh shit! Behind you! "

Kevin jerked his head around and snarled. His car was just four cars away from the black Porsche. At least, they will have a quick head start against the Porsche. He turned his attention to Gina. This girl has got a lot of sense in her head, he thought, how I wish she were beautiful, I would have loved to…

“Now! Now! Now!” Gina snapped loudly, breaking into his thought.

He jerked his eyes to the traffic light. It was bright green! Kevin could hear the cacophony of car horns blare behind him. He cursed under his breath as he shifted the gear and floored the car.

The car surged forward powerfully, and it increased speed and sailed past the other cars on the road. He looked at the driver's mirror and grimaced. The black Porsche was five cars from his own. He increased speed and heard Gina say, “drive straight, Mr. Carter, and for Christ's sakes, hit that pedal as you mean it.”

“Will you drive?” he fired back, cold sweat rolling off him.

He glanced at the driver's mirror and smiled to himself. The black Porsche had vanished. It was as if it the pursuer had known where they were heading to and had quickly ducked out of sight. Kevin breathed easily when the Miami Police headquarters came in sight. He swung the car onto the driveway and pulled up in a vacant space. Then he put his head on the steering wheels and drew in a long slow breath. His nerves calmed, he turned to look at Gina. She was staring at him, her face cold and expressionless. Her eyes went from his head to his feet. Then up again.

“What?” he snapped, unable to stand her cold stare?

“What were you thinking of before the light turned green?” She asked.

Kevin narrowed his eyes at her.

“None of your bloody business."

“You could have let that tailer get to us," she went on.

Kevin made an impatient movement.

“But I brought us here. That counts! That damn counts! "

She regarded his flushed, white face for a long moment, and then she opened the offside door and stepped out of the car. Kevin watched her, a bewildered expression on his face as her ducktail walked into the police headquarters.

***

Kevin waved impatiently to Ambrose Lee in the Charge Room, and rushed up the stairs to Detective Tomayo's s office door. Without knocking, he opened the door. Detective and Gina were talking in low tones. On hearing the door opened, they turned their heads to the door. Tomayo's face lit up when he saw Kevin while a frown was on Gina's face.

“Hello, Mr. Carter, please come in, “Tomayo said, coming around the table to shake hands with Kevin.

As Kevin stepped into the room, he noticed that Gina did not even acknowledge his presence. The two men shook hands.

“Mr. Carter, this is an impromptu visit,” Tomayo went on “I was just asking Gina, what you guys were doing here? He went around to his desk, sat on his chair, and waved Kevin to the client's chair.

Kevin gave him a fake smile as he dropped into the chair.

“Yeah! I know you were not expecting us. I just wanted to find out if you have anything on Razor."

Detective Tomayo drew in a long, slow breath and shook his head.

“We’ve got nothing! But don't worry, he'll make a move. We'll just have to be patient enough."

Kevin nodded stiffly and dragged his eyes to Gina. Her calm expressionless face was focused on Tomayo, and she seemed not to take notice of him as he sat in the chair. It was as if he was not even in the room. Vexed by her hostility, he turned his eyes away from her and said hotly to Tomayo “How 'bout what we talked about Miss Roux here? Are you planning to change her or what? "

Tomayo gave him a bemused look.

“I thought we are past that, Mr. Carter. Is she giving you any problem? "

“Yeah! She is giving me a lot of heat! We've got a communication problem. She can't work with me", “She will have to do, Mr. Carter," Tomayo said an edge in his voice.

The muscles in Kevin's face tightened.

“No, she won’t! “He yelled. “I’ve had enough of her. Get rid of her ", Unable to control his rising anger, Tomayo exploded.

“Mr. Carter, you're acting like a goddamned newborn baby. If I had my way with you, you wouldn't be standing here in this room. You'll be locked up in a four-inch cell with bars at the windows with only a bowl of soup to shit in."

Kevin reacted as if he had been stung by a wasp. He rose from his chair and stretched out a clenched fist to hit Tomayo on the face, but another hand shot out and held him. Obviously bewildered and with unbelieving eyes, he followed the hand that held him to Gina's face. Her eyes were glittering like wet pebbles as she stared at him.

“That was a wrong move, hotshot," she said in a hard, low voice. “I’ll fix you if you pull that stunt again."

They stood like a pillar of stone, staring at each other. Only their breathing made them alive. Then finally, Kevin growled, “Let go of me."

Gina moistened her lips with her tongue. Then she took her hand away and moved over to a cabinet stuffed with books. She folded her arms across her breasts and watched him the way a tiger looked at meat that had been sneaked out of his cage.

Tomayo, who had been taken aback by the whole scenario, got up from his chair, slightly dazed.

“That was very insolent of you, Mr. Carter. Attempting to assault a law enforcement officer? Are you nuts? "

Kevin stared at Tomayo's face for a long moment, his body surging with rage. Then he pulled himself together and sat on the chair, a solemn expression on his face.

Tomayo turned to Gina.

“Nice one, Gina," he said

Gina smiled in return but said nothing.

“Mr. Carter,” Tomayo said, facing Kevin now. “This is the last time we are going to have this conversation. Gina is going to help us with this case. She told me all about the chase you guys had before you got here. She gave me a detailed description of the car the tailer had used. My boys will begin work from that angle. I can bet my last buck on it that the person who drove that black Porsche is Bill Razor. It has to be him. I think he knows we are up to something and got agitated. I believe what actually got him agitated was Gina. He must have tailed you to the Pick 'n restaurant the day you met her and must have seen her. Something about her must-have startled him. Because he wanted to be certain about Gina and because my men were not watching you, he felt safe to tail you in broad daylight. That was his first mistake. He tailed you guys, got anxious, and gave himself away. That's shows he's not so smart after all, and for us, that's a plus. The beauty of this whole plan is for him to make mistakes till we nail him,” he paused and went on, “Though, Razor is like a dangerous, hungry tiger. You see, tigers are ambush hunters who preferred to sneak up on their prey, and when a hungry tiger strikes, it strikes with a force that leaves you fixed. The only problem is that Razor is messing with the wrong hunter. That hunter is me. I'm going to use Gina as the bait. For this to work, you've got to help Gina. You both work as a team on this. Are you following?"

Kevin nodded stiffly in reply.

“Failure to comply with me,” Tomayo went on, “Then I’ll have to take this case up with my superiors and tell the press about the women Razor had killed and how the killings were all connected to you. I'll throw the press at you and let them chew up like wolves. By the time they are done with you, you'll regret ever stepping foot in Miami City."

Kevin swallowed hard, a deep scowl on his face. Looking at the hard, granite face of Tomayo, he knew he was fixed. There was nothing he could do now. He thought of the long, dragging days he would have to spend with Gina. If not because of Razor, he would be in his house right now, probably with a girl who had the face of the Mona Lisa. But with Hell Razor tailing him, he had to kiss that entire goodbye. Why am I been punished for what I don't know? He asked himself. For Christ's sake, why?

“Do you have anything to say, Mr. Carter?” Tomayo asked, breaking into his thoughts.

Kevin dragged his mind away from his thoughts. He drew in a long, slow breath and got to his feet. There was a kind of resigned expression on his face, and he looked forty years older. He turned to Gina.

“I’ll be in the car," he said and walked out of the room.

Tomayo and Gina watched him go, a solemn expression on their faces. Then Gina turned to Tomayo.

“I’ll keep a very good eye on him," she said. “I’ll handle him. “

Tomayo gave her a wan smile.

“That’s very good. Kevin Carter is like a man sitting on a time bomb, ready to explode anytime. But I believe you'll handle him. I am relying on you, Gina. You're the best shot we've got in nailing that bastard. You can go now."

They both shook hands, and Gina went out of the room.

Detective Tomayo returned to his two-bedroom bungalow house at exactly twenty minutes after eleven. During the day, after Kevin and Gina had left his office, he had instructed his boys to check the surveillance camera grid of the police headquarters building for a black Porsche that had driven within a mile towards it, but it had been unsuccessful. They did not find any car that matches the description on the black Porsche. To Tomayo, it seemed Razor must have known Kevin's car was heading for the headquarters, and he had sensed the danger of getting anywhere near the police headquarters and had quickly ducked out of sight in time.

He opened the door of his apartment, stepped into the room, and reached for the switch. He snapped it on, but there was no light. That's odd? He thought, looking around the room. Black darkness surrounded him. He listened. The only sound he heard was the thump-thump-thump of his heart against his ribs. Silently, he reached for his gun, which was in his shoulder holster, and slid it out.

Holding the gun in his right hand, he slowly and quietly walked towards his bedroom. He knew the geography of his apartment, and the stifling darkness did not bother him. As he was about to get to his bedroom, he had a crunching sound like breaking glass under his feet. Instinctively, he bent and picked the object. Then he felt it in his hand. It was the fragment of a broken object. His instinct told him it was the fragment of the bulb in the living room. The person who had broken into the house must have knocked out the bulb. At that moment, he felt instinctive that he was not alone in the room.

He clicked back the safety catch of the gun, thrust it forward, and held it tightly. The air in the room was hot and dry. He could feel cold sweat rolling off and the short hairs on the nape of his neck bristling. The terrifying silence in the room did not deceive Tomayo. There was danger lurking in the darkness of the room. Then an idea occurred to him. He dipped his hand into his pockets and brought out his cell phone. He turned it, and as he was about to dial the number of Rogue, he heard a voice behind him in the darkness, a cold, hard voice that could resurrect even a corpse.

“If you make that call, detective, I'll blow your head clean off.”

Tomayo swallowed hard. His face was wet with sweat and his shirt drenched. His hand, clammy with sweat, tightened on the gun.

“Now drop it, “The voice said from the darkness “The gun and phone! Drop it, or I'll give you a load of lead."

Tomayo, his face white as a fresh fall of snow, dropped his cell phone and the gun. The objects fell to the ground with a loud thud. Then something cold and hard screwed into the back of his neck. The shock made him turned into a figure of stone. He knew what it was - a gun! But how? He wondered, how had he gotten behind him, unaware? He was still thinking hard when a sharp pain hit him on the back of his head, and he grunted and fell forward. The sharp pain was repeated as Razor hit him again.