I left there with the name and number of the man I was supposed to contact, hoping that he was going to be exactly what Chalupa needed to get out of this mess, so we could focus on what really mattered.
Once you’re safe at home, Chalupa, we can finally focus on planning our move against whoever had the audacity to try to mess with us. That’s the kind of justice we’re going after. It shouldn’t be long now.
Ten
Lacey
Where do I go from here?
Staring at the clock in my office on Friday afternoon, after having had a conversation with the DA about how little evidence I had been able to gather, I began to plan my next move.
He was pushing me to dig deeper, to befriend some of the people in the area hoping that they would talk. I’d heard a lot about the Blue Dog saloon, and from what I was able to gather, it was the stomping ground of a particular biker gang that would probably be able to point me in the direction of someone that would do enough talking to give me the information I needed.
I headed home, bidding goodbye to Richard on the way out. He’d been avoiding me since he heard that I was given undercover work to do, and I could sense a bit of jealousy in his eyes, but he decided not to pry too much.
Back home, I started rummaging through my closet, looking for something appropriate to wear to a biker bar, but I had no idea what would fit the occasion. I knew that this could go horribly wrong for me if any of them discovered my involvement with the law. I needed to fit in, but I also needed someone who was going to help me let loose and have a bit of fun. It was the only way that I was going to get the attention of any of the biker gang, and so I decided to give my best friend a call to see if she was up for a late-night undercover outing.
“Please tell me you don’t have any plans tonight,” I asked the moment I heard the phone connect.
“You’re in luck, Lacey,” Mona replied without hesitation. “I am absolutely free tonight, and judging from the tone of your voice, you have something incredibly exciting in mind.”
“I’m not too sure about exciting. The word I’d use would probably be dangerous.” I didn’t want to give too much away, but it was only fair that Mona knew what she was letting herself in for. “As you know, I’ve been picking up a bit of extra work at the office and was asked to check out what’s been happening at an auto shop in the heart of the city. Apparently, a few bikers were arrested in connection with some illegal operation going on down there, and now I’m walking directly into a biker bar to play dumb and hope that someone tells me what I want to know.”
“It sounds like you need someone to get drunk with at this dangerous biker bar. What time are we heading out?” Mona was always up for a bit of excitement, but for me, this was work.
“First of all, this is business only. We have to look like we’re having a good time so one of them will talk to us, and I can get a bit of information about what really goes down at a place like that.”
“Yes, ma’am,” she mocked, laughing as she did.
“I have no idea what to wear, though. Do you think you could help me pick something?”
She laughed again. “I’ll be right over.”
Mona and I spent the next hour deciding on a perfect outfit. When we finally settled on one, Mona tried to convince me it looked absolutely sexy, but I felt incredibly uncomfortable and exposed. It wasn’t the kind of thing I liked to wear out, but my main goal was trying to get the attention of a few bikers, and Mona insisted that was the way to go.
I followed her advice, hoping that she was going to help me leave my inhibitions at the door when we finally arrived, because the more tense I felt, the more I worried that they were going to figure out what I was doing.
We arrived at the place, and I watched Mona walk ahead of me while I stood back to take in the surroundings. It was loud, there were people at every corner drinking themselves sick, and I could feel the heat emanating from each of their bodies, making it hot and hard to breathe. Mona grabbed ahold of my hand, guiding me through the crowd and finding us a seat at the bar, where she ordered me a drink that sounded like something I’d find at a hardware store.
“I haven’t been out like this since college, and I haven’t dated at all since law school,” I shouted above the noise. “I don’t know why I was even given this opportunity. I obviously don’t fit in at a place like this.”
She gave me a stern look. “Will you relax and enjoy the night, please? I know this may all feel like work right now, but in order to get close to the people you want to rattle for answers, you’re going to have to start showing them that you do belong.”
The bartender brought over our drinks and I downed mine without thinking, feeling the alcohol burn into my throat. I immediately started to feel tipsy, and it took a few more hits before I was finally starting to loosen up, but I was glad. I was able to let go of my worry, hold on to my sobriety enough to focus on what I had to do, and try to get near someone that would find me attractive enough to hold a conversation.
“So what kind of man are you looking for tonight?” Mona teased.
“Come on, Mona. You know these aren’t my type. I like professionals, fairly wealthy, and well-read men.” I nudged her because she knew that about me.
“You mean you like boring men, who have boring conversations with you, and take you home to have boring sex.”
“Sex is overrated.” I rolled my eyes and looked over at her, watching her mouth drop at my words.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she said, but just before I had the chance to answer her, a gang of bikers walked in, and everyone turned to look at them. They all greeted each other, shaking hands, laughing, until they caught sight of Mona and me. Some of them were faces I had seen at Tiny’s when I was having lunch after my failed attempt at scoping out Ortega’s Autos.
One of the men came up to me, smiling, while everyone around him went quiet. I didn’t think we stood out that much, but apparently I was wrong. I felt naked sitting there while everyone watched, and I started to worry that maybe it had been a mistake to come after all.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before, darlin’,” he said, and I felt even more uncomfortable hearing those words leave his mouth.
