Dying For LA by Ian Jones (best adventure books to read TXT) 📗

and desperately unsure. But she wanted to speak to the British guy before someone else did, if only she had grabbed hold of him last night, but there had been so much going on.

Frustrating. He could be big, big news.

‘Oh yeah? And what can I do for you?’ Jimmy asked, fiddling with his crotch.

‘I’m looking for someone Jimmy. And I was told you were the man to come and see.’

‘Maybe, but nothing is for free baby.’

‘I’m happy to discuss that.’

‘Hmmm. So you been working at that LA Plus a few months, right? How come you didn’t come and look me up before?’ Frost asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Sammy looked around her. There were a million reasons why she wouldn’t normally set foot in this dump, and another million to never speak to Jimmy Frost. But there had been a time when he was as good as it gets, a crime reporter second to none in the city, probably the whole of California. She had even heard his name back in Indianapolis. But ten years ago, at the very top of his game, Frost been following a story about a corrupt district attorney. It was a big deal, the main event for some years. And he had been warned off, repeatedly, CBS had told him outright to drop it, which he had ignored. But always overconfident he had been outfoxed, set up, discovered by police in a motel room with an underage prostitute, several packages of heroin and cocaine and the icing on the top; two Glock handguns.

Frost had been out of it, incoherently mumbling about being drugged, but it was no good.

Because there was no sexual activity, he was so wasted, and the toxicology report showed no cocaine or heroin in his system just a cocktail of other illegal substances Frost avoided a custodial sentence, but it was a close call.

The CBS news channel he worked for promptly got rid of him, they couldn’t handle that kind of negative press, nobody could. And he had slid fast down the ladder, getting work when he could, which was becoming less and less.

He had done several stories for LA Plus, there was no doubt when he wanted to he still had the touch, and undoubtedly still had the contacts, but now he spent most of his days in Flanagan’s. He had a crappy little apartment just round the corner, and enough dwindling savings left meant reality was somebody else’s problem. For now.

‘Sorry Jimmy, I’ve been busy, settling in, you know,’ Sammy told him.

‘Yeah, sure. I bet.’ His mouth set in a firm line. ‘Well, you’re here now, and just maybe you found who you are looking for sweetheart, you and me, we could work out real well.’

Sammy shuddered inside, she was afraid she might really vomit. She sat back up straight, cleavage away as much as she could without being obvious and dug a photograph out her bag. A still of John Smith staring at the camera.

‘I need to find this guy Jimmy. He was with the police all last night. I think he still is, but nobody is saying anything.’

Frost looked at the picture and shrugged.

‘Don’t know him.’

‘Well, no I know you don’t. I mean neither do I, he spoke to me last night after the attack at the Metro station and we’re real keen to get his story.’

‘Why?’

‘Because he was there. And the police were very interested in him last night.’

‘So what, he’s the attacker? This guy is a terrorist?’

‘No, I don’t think so. The only person we’ve been able to talk to is a guy who was walking into the Metro, and he said it looked to him like this man chased them off. But when I mentioned this to Chief Brady he got real funny about it. We got told we’re not allowed to interview any witnesses until they say so.’

‘Yeah, well that’s usual in things like this.’

‘I know that. But I need to get out in front.’

Frost looked at her again.

‘Well you certainly do that missy. You do that real good.’

‘So can you help me? Please? Everybody says you got the connections, that someone in the police department will talk to you.’

Frost drained his glass and lit another cigarette, considering.

‘Maybe. But what’s in it for me?’

He placed a hand on her leg, filthy fingernails digging in.

She gave him a winning smile, and with an effort didn’t move his hand away.

‘Well let’s just see Jimmy. Meantime, before we get to know each other better, have a drink on me.’

She laid two hundred-dollar bills on the bar, keeping her fingers on them. She had been advised that was the going rate.

Frost looked at the money, and then at her. He licked his lips, then sighed.

‘Sure. Why the hell not. OK, I can make some calls I guess.’

She slid the notes across along with a business card, thankful but desperate. Now she could get the hell away from here.

‘My cell’s on that. I got to go, I’m sorry.’

She climbed off the stool.

He looked at her.

‘You’ll be seeing me again baby.’

‘Oh yeah, you bet.’

With great difficulty she fixed on a smile again and walked back into the main bar, where she hurried straight across without looking anywhere and into the street, fighting the urge to run back to her car.

Chapter Six

Keane had advised John to get away from the Montage, he needed to get undercover, hide out of the way, and fast. The press was always hanging around the place. John could see his point, but it was shame as it was a beautiful hotel. Arrangements had been made for John, Judy and Kyle Warner to stay down in Santa Monica, which was a busy, transient location, lots of hotels and motels. Outside the police station Keane gave the address to Warner.

‘Look, right now, we got nothing. Na-da. I got some clearing up to do here. I need to instruct these guys exactly what they can and can’t do, and what the can and can’t say. And if