“Get inside.” Maria poked the gun into Mac’s back.
Mac walked over the door sill and into the hall. His face was a portrait in fury. I had obviously missed a few texts. But he had allowed himself to be caught while on sentry duty. That was a whole lot worse. I would have felt sorry for him, but I was doing my best to clear my head of all emotion.
I needed a clear head.
Maria kept the gun steady as she closed the door behind her. I couldn’t tell the make of gun from here, but it looked like she knew how to use it.
“I thought you were mob,” said Maria, looking at me. “Your big boy here seems like a novice. What are you doing, running a daycare?”
I could see Mac stiffen at that.
I shrugged. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”
So far, Maria had seen only me. I was holding the bag of goodies. Ritz had retreated back into the shadows behind her.
Hopefully, Maria wouldn’t even know Ritz was there.
“Put the jewelry down,” Maria said. Her voice was ice cold.
I should have been scared. In truth, my heart was beating triple time. But I’d go to hell and back before I’d show fear to this dame.
“Nope,” I said. All eyes swung to me.
Ritz moved a little to the right. She could take Maria out with a karate chop, I knew. But she had to get close enough to reach her.
“The jewelry.” Maria gestured with her free hand. “Put it on the table there, or I’ll shoot.”
I glanced at the little hall table. Then I looked back at her. “Nope,” I said again.
“Huh?” Maria said.
“No you won’t.” I shrugged again. Big, nonchalant shrug. Like I didn’t have a care in the world.
“Won’t what?” asked Mac. He was clearly baffled. Probably from having watched too many cop shows. They always get it wrong in cop shows.
“Won’t shoot,” I said with confidence. I turned back to address Maria. “See? There are two of us. You can maybe shoot one of us. But the other will jump you. And we’re mob-trained,” I said. Well, I was. I didn’t know about Mac. “So you won’t leave this room alive.” I was actually relishing this moment.
“And you’re willing to take that chance?” The gun moved to aim at me.
“Sweetheart, more to the point, are you?” I was pretty sure about this. “You kill me, he kills you. No question about that. So we’re no further ahead. Is this a good day to die, sister?”
The gun drooped a bit. She was clearly thinking it through. We all waited in silence.
“So what do you suggest?” she said.
Think, Del. Think! “A compromise. We take the Morton necklace. You get to keep the rest of the haul. We all go home happy.” Except she was already home. And she didn’t look very happy.
I was right about that. This woman didn’t look sane. A black look crossed her face. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. Her eyes shone like a madwoman’s, and she lifted the gun.
Zzzzzttt!
“Eep.” Maria fell to the floor. The gun dropped beside her.
Ritz stood directly behind her. Her hand was raised.
“A Taser? Ritz, where the hell did you get a Taser?” I asked.
She shrugged. “Guy I know.” This shouldn’t have surprised me. Ritz knew a lot of people whom you wouldn’t want to know your address.
“Good work,” I said, reaching down for Maria’s gun. “Moving around her like that to get in position.”
“Piece of cake,” she said. “You don’t have to get right up to a vic to use a Taser. Just get within range.”
Mac came to life. He jerked forward as if to touch Maria. Then he wisely stopped himself and stared down at the body. “Is she dead?”
I asked the person most likely to know. “Ritz?”
“Don’t think so,” said Ritz, pocketing her weapon. “Not planning to stick around to find out. You got the goods?”
I held up the sack. Mac stared at me. He was surprisingly calm about all this, considering. “Are we just taking the Morton necklace?”
It was my turn to grin. I really wanted to get back at this dame. “We take the bundle. Because I’ve got a cunning plan.”