Page 130 of Backtrack

“Now,” the woman said, locked in on Cutter. “You seem like the kind of man who likes to save others. You know, ex-wives, partners, that kind of thing. I’ll warn you now. You do what I say or the first bullet’s going into Moana’s belly.”

Cutter raised his hands. “Okay,” he said. “How can I help you?”

“What’s this you were saying about diamonds?”

Cutter stared at her hard. “What?”

“You heard me,” she said. “Tell me where they are and I may be able to get you out from under the two tons of shit that are about to fall on top of you.”

Both hands up, palms facing the woman, Cutter gave an honest grimace. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I don’t know anything about the diamonds.”

“Horseshit!” Hanford said. “I was standing there long enough to hear that you know Ricky Lee’s in town, and that he’s looking for the diamonds.”

“You’re the one talking horseshit,” Johnson said. “Ricky Lee Pink isn’t looking for the diamonds. He knows exactly where the diamonds are. He took them.”

Hanford’s face pinched into a pained look. “Who are you?”

“I’m the one who arrested the Man Cub,” Johnson said. “Years ago. Me and this man’s granddaddy.”

“Ah,” she said, nodding as if it were all so clear now. “You’re the one who took the diamonds.”

“Think about what you’re saying,” Johnson said. “Why would I be following Pink’s wrinkled ass all over hell if I had the diamonds?”

She brandished the gun at Cutter, still half hidden under her coat. Lola started to make a move, but Cutter gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

“That leaves you,” Hanford said, eyeing Cutter hard.

“I haven’t heard a word about those diamonds for twenty years, since Grump … since my grandfather told me about Ricky Pink.”

“Your grandpa hid them somewhere,” she said, lip quivering. Desperate. “He—”

“You never met my grandfather,” Cutter said. “He raised me, and believe me, we were poor. Honest to a fault but poor.”

“Damn you all!” Hanford said, more to herself than anyone else. “Damn every last one of you.”

“So where is Ricky Lee?” Johnson pushed away to stand again. “I’d like to talk to the man who sends his girlfriend to do the heavy lifting.”

“I told you to sit down!” She heaved a deep breath, then looked at Cutter. “Ricky’s waiting for you in the street.”

“Waiting?” Lola said. “On what …”

“Waiting to kill you.”

“I don’t much like the sound of that,” Cutter mused.

“Well, that’s too bad. He told me to tell you he’s gonna start shooting random people on the street if you’re not out there in five minutes … and that was about five minutes ago.”

“Can I stand?”

“Slow,” she said. “But the old guy and the island girl stay with me.”

Cutter rose, hands away from his sides. “So I’m clear, is he planning to shoot me when I walk out the door, or are we talking Old West gun battle in the middle of Broadway?”

“He’ll be standing across the street up from that curio shop,” she said. “You can’t miss him.”

Cutter nearly laughed out loud at that.

He didn’t intend to miss.