"Tiki Moon" drabbles by Christopher

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 271

Tiki Moon #271

I went and yanked the cord off one of the phones and hogtied the other guy, who was still going beddy bye after that clay pot nightcap Scarlett administered.

Then I got on one of the other phones and called Harrigan's home phone number.

It rang a few times and then a gruff voice said, "This better be good!"

"Jim, it's Jake. You need to come to the Commonwealth Construction Company's office in Culver City."

"And why the hell would I do that when I'm off duty, Randolph?"

"Because," I said in a soft voice, "I just killed Mr. Saint."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 270

Tiki Moon #270

"Are you okay?" Scarlett asked in a panic.

I staggered to my feet, "Yeah, yeah....I'm okay."

I took the flashlight from Scarlett and shined it down on Mr. Saint. He looked like he was wearing a square eyepatch over his left eye. It was the under side of the memo spike. The rest of it had went through his eye socket and into his brain. Blood was erupting out from under the memo spike and drowning his face. Scarlett screamed and turned away.

I grabbed her and pulled her to me.

"It's okay, baby. It's over. It's all over now."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 269

Tiki Moon #269

I brought my arm around and aimed it toward Mr. Saint's head. I was almost unconscious at this point, but I felt the memo spike hit Mr. Saint's face. I pushed as hard as I could. He let out a short but bloodcurdling scream and then fell onto his back.

I shook my head and breathed heavily, trying to get air back into my lungs. Scarlett came running over with the flashlight, shining it right in my eyes. I thought for a moment I had died and was about to find out just what was waiting on the other side...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 268

Tiki Moon #268

I had one chance. I reached over my head to the desktop, searching for anything to use as a weapon. I felt a piece of metal. It was cool to the touch. It had a long spike on it. I'd seen one on Scarlett's desk. It was a memo spike. A metal base with a spire jutting up that had a sharp point on the end. Office workers impaled memos down on to them. Sort of a violent alternative to a paperweight.

I grabbed the base in my hand, letting the spire come up between my second and third fingers...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 267

Tiki Moon #267

He pushed my back against the front of a desk as he stood on his knees in front of me with his big meathooks around my neck. I think Scarlett was searching the floor for the gun but I couldn't be sure. That warm black hole was surrounding me like a security blanket. My ears felt like they had water in them. In fact, my whole body felt like it was floating in water. And I was ready to succumb to it, just let go and let the darkness envelop me.

I heard music like a chorus of heavenly angels...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 266

Tiki Moon #266

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the other guy staggering to his feet. I was barely hanging on fighting one guy, I certainly couldn't handle both of them. But I needn't have worried. Scarlett grabbed a big clay flower pot from her desk and brought it down on the poor bastard's head and he went bye-bye again.

Mr. Saint and I were still rolling around, punching and kicking. He landed a punch on the side of my head and I felt like I was falling into a black hole filled with nothingness.

A deep black hole...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 265

Tiki Moon #265

Mr. Saint got to his feet and we locked up, punching each other anywhere we could land one. This guy was one of the toughest dudes I had ever fought. He was strong and seemed to be able to counter almost every move I made. We fell over another desk and hit the floor. Paper clips rained down on us as we continued struggling with each other, using everything, our fists, our knees. I expected one of us to start biting at any moment.

He got a couple of good punches on my jaw and I was seeing stars circling...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 264

Tiki Moon #264

I grabbed a rotary phone off Scarlett's desk and hit Mr. Saint's hand with it. His gun went flying as the phone crashed to the floor, making a loud ringing sound as if someone were phoning up belatedly to warn us of danger.

I lunged at him and we hit the floor, he on his back and me on top of him. I punched him a couple of times in the face before he pushed me off him. He turned onto his stomach, trying to crawl toward his gun.

I got to my feet, kicking the gun across the room...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 263

Tiki Moon #263

"You're right, Groucho!"

Mr. Saint's voice came from right behind me. He couldn't have gotten into the room without me seeing him. He must have been in the room the whole time. He had to have been in the room when Nick Berman was still here before Scarlett and I even arrived.

I turned to see a dark figure slap the gun out of my hand. He pushed me back onto Scarlett's desk, pulling a gun of his own. I heard the hammer click back. I guess the idea of the strangulation and robbery had gone right out the window...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 262

Tiki Moon #262

It would have been funny if it weren't so serious, me sneaking up behind Mr. Saint who was sneaking up behind Scarlett. Just before he got to her I took the butt end of my revolver and brought it down hard on the back of his neck. He fell forward on his face, out cold.

Scarlett exhaled loudly as I got the flashlight and rolled Mr. Saint over. I shined the light in his face. Only it wasn't Mr. Saint.

Scarlett said, "Well, is that him?"

I shook my head, "I've never seen this guy before. He's not Mr. Saint."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 261

Tiki Moon #261

The street lights from outside were shining in through the big windows of the office so it wasn't completely dark. Scarlett fiddled around in a desk drawer and found a flash light, which she turned on. She was shining it around on the desk trying to gather up the papers she was working on when I heard faint footsteps approaching.

A figure entered the room, presumably Mr. Saint. He had some sort of cloth in his hands, which was no doubt a scarf or something he intended to strangle Scarlett with.

I pulled my gun, stepping out of the closet...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 260

Tiki Moon #260

After Berman left I gave the thumbs up to Scarlett so she'd know I was there and headed for the broom closet. I left the door ajar so I had a clear view of Scarlett's desk. The area was large, so there was no way Mr. Saint could sneak in without me seeing him.

Scarlett worked for an hour while I sat in the closet smelling ammonia and floor cleaner. My legs were cramping. I had to stand up and stretch them.

At about 10:05 pm the lights went out and I knew Mr. Saint had cut the power line...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 259

Tiki Moon #259

Scarlett arrived at the office of the Commonwealth Construction Company in Culver City just before nine pm. I sneaked in a back door, which she had unlocked on her way to her office. I eased up to the big outer area of Deborah's office and peered around the corner. Scarlett's desk and several other desks were lined up in two rows. Apparently a lot of employees used this area.

Nick Berman was there and showed Scarlett the paperwork of what had to be done. Then he said to have a good night and exited. I ducked back out of sight...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 258

Tiki Moon #258

The plan was simple: she was to go to the office and do her work as normal. I would sneak in, hide and wait for Mr. Saint. I couldn't show up with her as he might be staking the building out.

Stan North had said he'd tell Mr. Saint to strangle Scarlett. Nick had said there was a cash box in the desk drawer of his office and suggested Mr. Saint take it after strangling Scarlett to make it look like a simple robbery that turned to murder.

The only murder victim that night was going to be Mr. Saint...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 257

Tiki Moon #257

Scarlett and I hung the phones up and she swore. I never expected something that ugly to come out of such a beautiful mouth.

"That weasel! Did you hear the way he said goodbye?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Oh, I can't wait to see the look on that bastard's face when he finds out his little plans got thwarted!" she said angrily.

I smiled. She was even sexier when she was hopping mad. She saw me smiling and shot me a look. I quickly wiped the smile off my face.

I said, "Let's go over the plan one more time."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 256

Tiki Moon #256

"I'll be there at 9 tonight, Nick," Scarlett said. She was quite the little actress.

"Great. Thanks, Scarlett. Goodbye."

The way he said goodbye made my skin crawl, my blood boil and my trigger finger twitch. I didn't really like Morty, but the more interaction I had with Nick I realized I despised him. Morty was a dolt. But I was now seeing that Nick was pure evil. I wanted to see Morty in jail but I swear I wanted to see Nick Berman in the ground.

And if I got the chance I was going to put him there...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 255

Tiki Moon #255

"I'll make it worth your while if you do it," Nick said. If I got the chance I was going to pummel that little pansy.

Scarlett paused a moment to make it look good.

"Okay, Nick. I'll do it."

"Great. I'll have everything set for you by about 9 pm. It shouldn't take a competent girl like you more than a couple of hours to finish the work."

"You can save the sweet talk, Nick. I've already agreed to do it."

He laughed and I so wanted to pull him through the phone and throttle the life out of him...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 254

Tiki Moon #254

Sure enough, Scarlett's phone rang about 10 am. I picked up the other extension to listen.

"Hello," Scarlett said.

"Hey, Scarlett. It's Nick. I hate to bother you on Saturday but I need to see if you can come into the office tonight and do some paperwork. We're about to get the Pacific Palisades job started again and I need new insurance and tax forms, as well as some new employee information processed."

"That has to be done tonight?" she asked.

"Yes," Nick said, "because I have emergency meetings in the morning with subcontractors and I'll need it first thing."

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 253

Tiki Moon #253

I put my hand under her chin and raised her head up, kissing her lips. She collapsed back into my arms and I sat there holding her until she'd fallen asleep. Then I picked her up and carried her to bed. I laid down beside her, on top of the covers and still in my clothes, minus my gun which I removed and then pulled off the shoulder holster.

The next day, after some early morning lovemaking, I went over the battle plan with her for that night at the Commonwealth Construction Company's office.

Then there was some more lovemaking...

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Jake Randolph in "Tiki Moon" Pt. 252

Tiki Moon #252

I grabbed her in my arms and pulled her to me. She had started sobbing. I was afraid this would happen but I didn't know any other way to handle it. Maybe I should've approached it another way.

"Listen," I said as I looked her in her wet eyes, "I'll be there in the office with you, hiding. And when he shows his ugly face I'm going to rip him a new asshole."

She giggled and rubbed the tears from her eyes.

"This is my fault, Scarlett, not yours. And I'm going to make it right. I promise you that."