Yup.
Those reactions were Gemma and Joey to a T.
“Still, everyone needs friends,” Harlow muttered.
Since she was our leader considering she started this Angels gig, Raye took control. “Right, Shanti, you’re not on shift yet so you contact Clarice. Tell her we need all we can get on the night manager of the Sun Valley Motor Lodge.”
“On it,” Shanti replied.
Clarice, for your info, was a top-notch defense attorney.
She was also our handler (we were strictly forbidden to call her our Bosley). She was our conduit to Arthur, who none of us had met, and none of us knew who he was.
Get it?
Angels?
Raye turned to Jess. “Can you call Jinx? If he can’t be seen coming to us, we probably shouldn’t be seen going to him. But Jinx is there every night to conduct business. It’s not going to seem weird if she talks to him.”
“Consider it done,” Jess said.
“Also, ask her if she’s seen anyone hinky hanging around or watching the motel,” I added. “Maybe talking to Mr. Shithead or something. And a woman. She could be a colleague of hers, but I figure, after the Angels found the group of women those assholes grabbed, no one is going to try that again, or if someone is missing, Jinx or one of the girls would know about it and say something. So my guess is, it’s an outsider. Not in the life. Not a regular at the motel. But he said she treats him ‘decent,’ so maybe she comes to visit him.”
“Good catch,” Raye said.
I smiled.
“If she has, then we need all the deets,” Raye told Jess. “What she looks like. Car she drives. Stuff like that. If it’s the hinky people, the same.”
“Gotcha,” Jess replied.
“You have cakes to decorate this afternoon?” Luna asked.
I nodded.
“Okay, then,” she said. “Raye and I’ll connect with Titus and see if he’s heard anything on the grapevine.”
“Why do you two get to connect with Titus?” Jess asked.
“Yeah,” Shanti put in. “Why does Jess get Jinx and I get Clarice but you two get Titus?”
“Do you want Titus?” Luna’s question had the tone of a verbal wagging of her eyebrows.
“I could take a shot at Titus,” Shanti answered.
We all laser focused on her, especially me.
“Really?” I asked.
Shanti shrugged. “He’s gorgeous. He’s loaded. He has his own army. I mean, it’d remain to be seen if he’s a keeper, but he intrigues me.”
“He intrigues me too,” Jess mumbled.
“I can’t wait to meet this guy,” Gemma said.
“You have a hottie,” Harlow pointed out to Jess.
“Does that mean I can’t be intrigued?” Jess returned. “I can be intrigued. Mostly, though, I just want an excuse to hang at the man cave.”
