The Rock 'N Roll Detective's Greatest Hits - a Spike Berenger Anthology by Raymond Benson Page B

great rock stars and some not-so-great ones, had partied and broken bread with the best of them, and made a name for himself.
    Those were the good years. He had even married and had children, but Berenger couldn’t help thinking that had been just a side project. Linda Steinman had certainly rocked his world and for three years it had been a blast. But like his mother, Berenger had wanderlust and couldn’t stay at home.
    He had experienced a difficult time staying faithful as well.
    Then, in 1991, he met Rudy Bishop. Already an entrepreneur with a successful concert security business, Bishop asked Berenger to help him with a delicate situation. Bishop was working security for Maggie Tantra, one of the hottest heavy-metal performers at the time. She was on the verge of becoming a superstar with a number one album that was popular in the Alternative scene. The problem was Maggie’s ex-husband. The guy, also a musician, was jealous of Maggie’s success and had issued a death threat against her. When Maggie’s band was scheduled to play in the husband’s hometown of Seattle, Berenger was hired as a bodyguard. During the show the husband leaped onto the stage and came at Maggie with a hatchet. Berenger tackled the bastard, wrestled him down, and disarmed him in front of 10,000 screaming fans. Luckily, they all thought it was part of the show.
    After that, Bishop made Berenger an offer and Rockin’ Security was born.
    His cell phone rang and Berenger stopped playing the guitar. He dug it out of his pocket and saw from the caller ID that it was none other than Charlie Potts.
    “Hey bud, I was just thinking about you,” Berenger said after he connected and held the phone to his ear.
    “Aw, really? Is that why my ears are burning?” his friend asked. “What’s up?”
    “Nothing. I was just playing some of our old songs while I got drunk. What’s with you?”
    “Just wondering when we’re gonna jam again. It’s been a while.”
    “Yeah, I know. Later this week, maybe. I’ll have to call you. I’m kind of on a big case right now.”
    “No big deal. Hey, guess who I ran into today.”
    “Who?”
    “Dave Bristol.”
    What a coincidence. “Really? What’d he have to say?”
    “Oh, the usual. He and the band are having the usual troubles. He was sure bad-mouthing Flame.”
    “Yeah? What’d he say?” Berenger asked.
    “Some shit like Flame got what was coming to him. Pretty tasteless if you ask me.”
    “Hmmm. Well, you know Bristol and Flame. They were natural enemies that happened to make incredible music together. They didn’t have to like each other.”
    “I guess not.”
    “Anyway, he’s playing at Mortimer’s tomorrow night. You wanna go?”
    “Blister Pack is playing?”
    “Yeah.”
    It might be a good opportunity to talk to the band about Flame. “I just might. Can I let you know tomorrow?”
    “Sure.”
    “I may bring Suzanne. Listen, Charlie, I’ve gotta go. Right now I just want to finish my Jack Daniel’s, take a shower, and crash. S’ok?”
    “Sure, man. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.”
    “Whatever.”
    Berenger hung up and considered what Dave Bristol had said.
    Flame got what was coming to him .
    Maybe he did. Maybe he did.
    The phone rang again. Berenger quickly picked up the receiver and was bombarded by loud, distorted Punk music coming through the earpiece. He winced and held the phone away from his head. Then someone on the other end added “vocals.” Screaming into the phone in Punk Rock fashion, the caller shouted in rhythm—

    “ You’re gonna DIE tomorrow night, mister mister mister, you’re gonna DIE DIE DIE,
    you’re gonna DIE tomorrow night, mister mister mister, you’re gonna DIE DIE DIE!”

    And the phone went dead.

10
Trouble Every Day

( performed by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention )
    R ockin’ Security’s morning began with a team meeting. Berenger dragged himself in with an annoying hangover. It had been a bad night for him but the booze had