Chapter 56 Eddie

56

Eddie

The Mustang's wheels locked as I stood on the brakes in West 74 th Street.

A white panel van was parked outside the Jacksons' house.

The lights were on in the hallway. I got out of the car, sprinted across the street, up the steps and stopped in front of the closed front door. It was solid oak. Thick. Expensive. My shoulder and probably my hip would break before I could force the damn thing open. No element of surprise.

Ruby was in there. She'd hired that van. And whatever her end-game might be I knew in my guts it was happening right then in that house.

I rang the doorbell.

Waited.

Nothing.

I rang it again. Checked the street. No sign of Bloch or Lake, yet I knew they were on their way.

Maybe the doorbell was busted or disconnected.

I pounded on the door with my fist.

Waited. The neighbors would hear this soon and they would be poking their heads out their front doors to see what was going on.

Two cars arrived on the street. Bloch's Jeep and, behind it, Lake's Aztek, already billowing black smoke from the exhaust. I smelled it before I saw it.

They pulled in, killed their engines and were out of their vehicles and running up the steps behind me.

I pounded on the door again.

And listened . . .

I thought I heard someone inside. Someone turning the doorknob. I bent my right knee, put my weight on my left foot. Ready to push my way in as soon as the door was opened . . .