The Lady in Red Final Part

1. The Order of things

I was a race punter before right after the war, placing all my back pay on those thoroughbreds. I had my wins but the loses outnumbered the wins. When I was detective, I was taken aback by the rings that operated the scam but the back pay was not coming back again. Today, I am back at the race tracks but on the public gallery. I am watching a mare being given the run as part of the exercise. The horse was a wonder and wished she was there when I was placing those bets. I shook off my past and focus on the present; Huang and his mare are in the private gallery. They are probably talking on their new acquisition; the new mare named Hellene. I pulled the trigger and shot the mare. I hate the new odds.

I managed to escape and await the retribution.

The race turf was easy access but to get back to the home turf of Huang was more difficult. He offered me free passage as I have the briefcase. The meeting was set at his office on the tenth floor of the same building where I been returning often.

"Huang, your briefcase is here." I handed over the case to him. We are not alone in the plush office as there were the mare of his, Shirley and one other hoodlum. Huang was behind his desk while Shirley was seated next to me in front of Huang' desk. The hoodlum was standing to the right of the desk next to me.

"I am pleased you are returning this. I trust you did not disclosed this to anyone outside." Huang took the notes out and He took it and inspected the contents. Suddenly he stopped and looked more closely at some papers. Shirley got up but Huang motioned her to remain seated. He continued reading and put down the contents. Shirley went pale on seeing the contents being revealed on the desk.

"Where is he?" Huang asked me.

"In my motel room." I gave the details of where Huang can find his cousin, the Oriental man with a limp. I got up and walked to the bar and poured myself a drink. It was Shirley who asked Huang what happened.

"Shirley, I sanctioned your operation to do the vice but blackmailing the clients was not in my agenda. They are my allies and I needed them on the level with me. Why did you do that with my cousin? And Archer. Manning?”

Shirley was looking pale as she knew there was more to that.

"Albert killed the girl on your request. I allowed it as you are their mistress. But I cannot allowed this when you used your operations to jeopardize mine." Huang shook his head. Shirley pulled out a .38 stub barrel from her jacket pocket.

"Huang, you can't do this to me." She shot the hoodlum before he can pulled his gun out. She then ran towards Huang and held the gun to his forehead. "Anyone coming through that door would caused me to kill you first."

The hoodlums busted in but they held their trigger on seeing the new threat. I was still nursing the drink in my hand at the bar. It was a classic stand off

"Shirley, you might want to surrender. They won't let you go." I pressured her while taking my first drink of the day.

"Shut up, Mike.. Why did you have to get involved? Who was she to you?" Shirley asked me.

"One, Marilyn was a friend who once slept in my apartment. So did Connie." I looked at her. "Shirley was never there."

"I fought you to keep you from investigating? You killed the cops." Shirley came back hard.

"Yes, I did, but you also shot up Jake. That's personal. My car was also personal. I had to take down your mare in repayment." I gulped down the drink. Shirley laughed at my claims.

"You are pathetic. You hold onto a lady laid one time and took the vendetta to this level." Shirley laughed at me. "She was a whore, Mike/."

"You are a whore too. A personal one who became more greedy. I did not planned for that. I just wanted Marilyn' murderer. Those new revelations were more like icing on the cake."

"I was his whore. I played to his whims and fancies. He pays me millions but there are worth not any value. So I took it out of the clients who patronize my girls. I also have his men under my control./ Sex controls everything. He was my slave." Shirley laughed out louder. "You men are all alike."

"Shirley, we did not fuck. That' make the difference." I pushed the glass away and walked towards the door. "I am leaving the family matters to yourself. I already got my murderer and also my payback."

I stepped to the elevator and pressed the button for it to come. The shots came soon enough but I am not keen to stay to know who won. Both sides are equally bad but the matter was closed when they delivered Albert.

I just hate devious wives. I had two before before I stopped offering vows.

2. The order hardly changed

Huang survived the incident; he had good bodyguards. Shirley got a head shot before she could pulled the trigger.

The Oriental man was never seen; probably ended up on a ship to the East. Not so much for Manning, he ended up in a concrete block.

Jake still survived bad coffee.

Vinny still thinks her life revolves around the bitch pet she rears.

I was still chasing up divorced cases in a new Saratoga late model, courtesy of Huang who paid me three grand and the car. He said that was the balance after paying for a new mare.

I also got two new shirts for Friday.