“We did find the place where we think he was last night.We went to the Russian grocery store he told me about, and the clerk said he’d been there.And there was this business card on the bulletin board.”I pulled it out of my purse and put it on Rachel’s desk.“We went there, but it was closed up tight.But just as we were about to leave, this car drove up.”
I told Rachel about the two men and the three young women.Her lips pursed as she listened, and after a second she started clacking on the computer keyboard.“The place belongs to someone called Stella Ivanov.Hence the name, I guess.”
I nodded.
“She’s owned it a couple of years.Bought it off a corporation called BGH.Got a good deal on it, too.”
Good for her.
Rachel leaned back on the office chair.It creaked.“Let me guess.You’re going there tonight, when they close, to see if you can get a better look at the girls.”
The thought had crossed my mind.However— “I’m not sure I’ll be able to.It depends on how long this operation at the Arena takes.I have to call Diana next, and see if she wants moral support.”
Rachel refrained from rolling her eyes, but I could see that she wanted to.“Just tell her you don’t want to miss the excitement, Gina.You don’t have to fib to the person who hired you.”
I guess I didn’t.But it still seemed more polite to couch the request as me doing her a favor rather than her doing me one.
“At any rate, I don’t know how long I’ll be there.I guess it depends on what happens.Mendoza is making arrangements, so I guess they’re hoping to catch someone in the act of picking up the money.It could take some time.And I don’t know how late the club stays open.”
“Later than the Arena,” Rachel said.“My guess is you’ll have time to do both.Unless you plan to get some sleep at some point tonight.”
I hadn’t really thought about that part of it.I’d been up early this morning.If I went to the Arena, and then to Stella’s to lie in wait and watch when the two Russian men and the three girls left, and then perhaps follow them home, I might be looking at tomorrow night before I got any sleep.
On the other hand, if I didn’t do it tonight, there was no guarantee I’d get to do it at all.They were there tonight.They might not be there tomorrow.The fact that I’d been there asking questions, on top of Zachary having been there last night, might mean that they’d suspend operations for a while.
By the time I got there later, they may have closed up shop and left, if it came to that.
“I think I’d better try,” I told Rachel, and explained my reasoning.
She nodded.“Would you like me to come along?For company?Or moral support?”
I blinked.I hadn’t expected her to offer to do that, but it was nice of her.“Are you sure you want to?I’m not paying you to do field work.”Just office administration.
“You’re not paying me at all right now,” Rachel pointed out.“The only one of us who’s getting paid is Zachary, and he’s in the hospital.If I can help figure out who put him there, I’d like to.”
“That’s really nice of you,” I said.“Bring binoculars.”
“Anything else?”
“Dark clothes.Something you don’t mind getting dirty, or getting ripped.We might be crawling around in the trees.”
She looked at me.If I haven’t mentioned it, Rachel is about fifteen years older than me, in her mid-fifties, and not skinny.
“Not in them,” I clarified.“We’re not climbing.Just hanging out under them.Where we can see the back door of the club when theye take the girls out.”
Rachel nodded.“Give me a call when you’re ready to go.I’ll meet you there.”
I warned her that it could be late.“Maybe we’ll open late tomorrow.It’s not like anyone’s beating down our doors.”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Rachel said, and pushed her chair back.“Take the dog with you.”
I planned to.She was looking at me expectantly, and wagged her tail hopefully when I turned her way.“Time to go.Car ride.”
She jumped up, grinning happily, her doggie tongue lolling.“Mendoza gave her to me,” I told Rachel as we all headed for the door.
“I know.Yesterday morning.”
“Permanently.Araminta Tucker doesn’t want her.She wanted Edwina taken to the pound.Can you imagine?So Mendoza told me I could keep her.”
