CHAPTER 46
O nce they were out of the parking lot and driving down Dale Mabry Highway, Sonya began to process what had just happened. After the carnage she'd already seen, she was getting used to violence, even committing it herself.
Those assassins certainly had it coming. But she was worried. It wouldn't take the police long to figure out those two fresh corpses were connected to Sonya Valentina. It was her apartment, after all, even if she was behind on rent...
“What are we going to do? The cops will know I'm involved, with a dead body in my apartment and another one in my doorway,” she frantically asked Dmitri.
“Those guys have rap sheets longer than my dick. They likely both have warrants out for them too. The cops will assume it was connected to the rest of this mess. They will not suspect you.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It's not my first time in a shootout. But if the authorities want to question you, they will have to do it later, because it would be too dangerous for you to talk to them now. You have to lay low for a while. And we'll get you the best lawyer money can buy, if it comes to that.”
“Could a lawyer save me from double homicide?”
“It was self-defense. The only issue is that you fled the scene, but that’s something a hotshot lawyer can easily brush aside, especially for a respectable girl like you.”
“Respectable, eh? I don’t feel like I’ve been getting much respect lately.”
“Yeah, well, we’re teaching everyone to respect you from now on.”
“I guess… So, we can get a dream team, like OJ had?”
“Something like that. Besides, you've been missing for two weeks. You have an alibi. Unless somebody saw you today?”
“Damn, I talked to the girl in the front office. I didn't have my key.”
“Fuck. Great time to lose your key. Don't you have pockets in those velvet pants?”
“My kidnappers stole it, jerk. And besides, they're not velvet, they're tweed.”
“Excuses...”
“Wow, you never let up.”
“Sorry. I try to keep it light in stressful times, it helps me relax and think rationally. Hmm. Let's see. Are you friends with the receptionist?”
“Yeah, I guess. We used to chat. We've never hung out or anything though, why?”
“You have her number?”
“No.”
“Some friend. What about the office number?”
“No, but I can call 411 and find out.”
“Do it. Ask the girl if the cops have questioned her yet. They probably went straight to the crime scene. But they'll interrogate her soon. Tell her those dead guys tried to kill you and that you'll end up dead too if she mentions you to the cops. I'm sure she won't suspect you of being a killer. You have such an innocent face for an assassin.”
Dmitri pulled into a gas station.
“Use that,” he said, pointing to a pay phone and handing her a quarter.
Sonya got out. She came back a few minutes later.
“Okay, I talked to her. She said she won't say anything.”
“Good. She might talk anyway. You never know what will happen once the cops get a hold of someone and scare them. If this girl says she saw you show up right before the gunfight, I'll take care of her.”
“Are you crazy? You're going to kill the receptionist?”
“Not if you put it that way. You make it sound bad. Receptionists are nice. Witnesses, however, I don't care for.”
Sonya stared out the window. She hoped he was joking, but she knew he wasn't.
He's just trying to protect me, I guess. But I don't want to be protected like that.
Dmitri could sense she was upset. He reached over and squeezed her knee, firmly yet softly.
“Don't worry. I won't harm her. I doubt she'll say anything. And if she does, we'll figure something out. With the right lawyer, instead of prosecuting you, the city of Tampa will give you a medal for killing those scumbags.”