Nightmare in Angel City (12 page)

"That about wraps that up," said Joe as Callie untied his hands.

Frank pulled his wrists free, and the ropes fell away. Bates was defeated, and with satisfaction Frank saw the street people had everything under control. Except for one thing, he abruptly realized.

The briefcase carrying the two million dollars was gone, and so was Patch.

"Callie!" he shouted. "Take charge here." To Joe he said, "We're one short on the head count." They raced to the street.

Patch, the briefcase in his hands, which were still tied behind his back, had just turned the corner at the end of the block and disappeared.

"There he is!" Joe yelled as they rounded the corner a few seconds later. Patch was having trouble holding on to the briefcase and running through the Westwood crowds at the same time. The Hardys could hear shouts of surprise as Patch bumped into pedestrians, knocking them aside. Step by step, they were catching up to the thief.

Patch twirled as they neared him, and shouldered a woman into the Hardys' way. Joe tripped and tumbled, and Patch cast himself into the heavy traffic in the street. If he could make it to the other side, Frank knew, they'd have an even harder time catching him.

Tires screamed, and Patch stood frozen in fear as a delivery truck careened toward him. Frank dove at him, tackling him, hoping against hope there would be time to get out of the way of the onrushing truck. But as he rolled, it seemed time had run out. , The squeal of brakes ended, followed by a sickening thud.

Sprawled against a parked car, with Patch lying dazed at his side, Frank stared at the open brief- ' case crushed by the truck's front tire. The money was scattering across the street, blown by the wind. That had stopped traffic as nothing else could.

Patch struggled to get to the money, but Frank held him pinned against the parked car. Joe came over to them, a bundle of money in his hand. "Looking for this?" he asked, thumbing the bills in Patch's face.

The top bill was real money, but everything underneath was cut from old newspaper clippings.

"Looks like Bates conned you, Moran," Frank said. "You both conned each other right into prison."

Moran spat. "So what if Bates and I stole that money?" he finally said. "So what if I killed some guy years ago? I'll never admit that to anyone else. Do you really think the cops will believe a famous producer and an old bum are partners in crime? They'll laugh you all the way back to wherever you came from."

"No more of the harmless street artist act, Moran," Joe said. He grasped Patch by the collar and raised a fist. "You'll tell everything, or — "

"Or what?" Moran sneered. "You'll beat a poor old drifter up?"

"They don't have to," said a familiar voice. The Hardys looked up to see Callie there, her video camera recording everything Patch had said.

"I got the whole thing on tape," Callie said. "I have my story."