Twists and turns on road back to Charlie

Ernesto pulled onto Coldwater Canyon, leaving the San Fernando Valley behind. The Crown Victoria was built for freeway pursuits, not the constant doglegs of this shortcut to Beverly Hills.

He was forced to concentrate to keep the car on the road. He didn’t like having a gun pointed at him, either. Especially by a 30-year-old gold digger.

Ernesto tried to appear oblivious to the gun as he navigated the winding road. Genie began to relax a bit, swaying with each turn and wondering if Charlie had beat her to Falco’s house.

As they approached the bottom of the hill, on a particularly sharp curve, Ernesto sped up and tugged the wheel to the right, forcing Genie to lean to the left. As she did, he reached out and clamped his hand on the Beretta like a steel claw. Genie yelped in surprise and pain. With a quick twist, Ernesto pulled the gun away and laughed.

He tucked the Beretta into his jacket pocket.

“Now give me the flash drive.”

Genie hesitated and then rummaged around in her purse before reluctantly handing it to him.

“Now who is in the driver’s seat?” Ernesto laughed. Genie shuddered at the sight of his yellow teeth. “Don’t worry, we will still go see your friend Falco.”

Minutes later they pulled up to the congressman’s house. Genie noted that Ernesto hadn’t had to ask her for directions.

Ernesto got out and walked to the other side of the car. He opened the door and Genie slid out, pouting as usual. Neither noticed the black BMW with tinted windows parked down the block. Ernesto pointed the gun at Genie as they walked toward the large gate, her heels clicking on the cobblestones.

The front doors of the BMW opened simultaneously.

Inside the house, sitting at the dining room table, Falco and Charlie looked up as a buzzer broke the silence. Falco pointed to the monitor above the door to the kitchen.

“We’ve got company.”

Jim Botting is a retired FBI agent, a former police chief, an eclectic reader and a fan of Charles Bukowski.