Free Ratio: A Leopold Blake Thriller (A Private Investigator Series of Crime and Suspense Thrillers) by Nick Stephenson, Kay Hadashi Page B

something cold and hard into his stomach. 
    “Consider this fair warning,” Kanezaki said, standing back. “If tomorrow night doesn’t work out, I’ll cut you down the middle and feed you to my dogs.” 
    Jonny looked down and saw the knife against his gut. Isa and Kimura held him fast. 
    “Holy shit, yeah, yeah, I get it,” Jonny said. “Don’t kill me, Jesus, don’t kill me.” The words spilled out uncontrollably.
    “You think we’d trust some shit-bag daburu like you? You’re not the only one with a part to play in this.”
    Jonny nodded frantically. “I got it, I got it. Please don’t kill me. I’ll do it, I swear.”
    Kanezaki smiled and waved the two men away. They let go.
    “Something to remember us by,” Kanezaki said. 
    One of the men drew back a fist, swung hard and hit Jonny in the face. He went down hard, seeing stars, and felt himself land awkwardly in a puddle. Scrambling, he forced himself back to his feet, pain throbbing in his jaw. 
    “I’ll be watching,” Kanezaki said. “Keep your shit together and get back to work.” 
    The three of them walked back toward the main street, knocking into Jonny with their shoulders as they passed. Jonny stumbled, almost slipping over on the rain-soaked ground. He watched them stroll away, steady and calm, as though nothing had happened. 
    His heart thumping in his chest, Jonny waited until the three men had disappeared from view before slicking back his drenched hair, feeling cold water trickle down his neck.  Anger rose up inside his stomach, flushing out the last remnants of fear. He clenched his fists, took several deep breaths.
    His cell phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID. 
    Mariel .
    Rain streaming down his face, Jonny ignored the phone and stalked back toward his car, keen to grab a fresh change of clothes and as many prescription painkillers as he could find.
    He had a feeling he was going to need them.

Chapter 14

     
     
    AFTER HER SEAT mate had fallen asleep during the flight, June had the chance to look closer at the pendant Amy had given her. Almost the size of a child’s marble, it was set in a white gold spiral. The shine of the pearl equaled that of the polished metal in which it was set, but it was the deep, warm, golden glow of the stone was beyond anything June had seen before. She knew Amy must’ve spent a fortune on it, even if it did come from the company she owned. June’s plan to pick up a birthday box of fudge from Seattle just wasn’t going to cut it.
    Just before landing, June was able to slip on silk hose and change from flats to three-inch black pumps in the airplane bathroom. After touching up her makeup, she dabbed a bit of shine cream in her hair. To complete her transformation, she draped the pendant over her neck. With one last glance in the tiny airplane bathroom mirror, she practiced an airport-greeting smile. She was satisfied when her dimple made an appearance.
    Off the plane in record time thanks to the first class ticket, she made a beeline for the baggage claim carousels. Halfway there, she was sidetracked by a man in a dark suit holding a signboard with her name on it. He introduced himself as Ricardo.
    “Good afternoon. Hope you had a pleasant flight, ma’am,” Ricardo said. “Your car is waiting.”
    “Is everything okay?” June asked, looking him up and down. His suit fitted him poorly, a little extra fabric around the shoulders. She figured a driver’s salary probably didn’t stretch to custom tailoring. “I wasn’t expecting to be met at the airport.”
    “Yes, everything is fine,” he said with a smile. “Let me help with your bags.” 
    June pointed out her luggage as the carousel shunted into life, and Ricardo hoisted the heavy suitcase off the belt. June insisted on keeping hold of her purse and laptop. 
    Ricardo made for the exit. “The car is waiting out front.”
    June followed him quickly, momentarily wishing she had stuck with flat shoes. She hadn’t met the new