“Not guys who look like that,” Harlan said. “Hard to believe that guy has a problem with women. What the hell was Eve telling him?”
“She said he just wanted to know how she wound up being a prostitute, so she told him about her no-good boyfriend. Could be the guy was just lonely.”
Harlan stood up behind the desk. “We’ll keep an eye out, but unless something happens, we’re better off ignoring the whole damn thing.”
“What about Veronica? You gonna tell her what happened?”
Harlan grunted. “Not likely. You never know which side that bitch is gonna to take.”
“Whatever side does her the most good,” Marvin said darkly.
“Like I said, we’ll keep an eye out. Aside from that, I’ve got work to do and so do you.”
Marvin just nodded. He couldn’t remember feeling so relieved.
Jase spent Monday setting up surveillance he hoped would lead to Harlan Burke’s run to Dallas, which was supposed to happen the next day. The strip mall across the street from the massage parlor provided a place to park the Yukon, just one of more than a dozen vehicles mostly hidden by a row of trees.
If the run went down, they would follow Burke’s car the first 150 miles of the 240-mile route back to Dallas. Jax Ryker would be waiting in Fairfield to take over and follow the car to its final destination.
Since Burke had never seen Kate or the Yukon, she would be driving while Jase kept a low profile in the passenger seat.
They were packed, loaded and waiting Tuesday morning, hoping like hell Burke didn’t change his schedule. The massage parlor opened at ten. Jase had taken a risk that Burke wouldn’t leave much earlier than that, but they couldn’t afford to be spotted, and he figured a whorehouse was a late-night business. Not likely Burke would be an early riser.
It turned out to be a long day of waiting. Hot and sticky the first half of the day, the wind kicking up in the afternoon. Jase was grateful for the breeze.
All day long, men and women streamed in and out of the massage parlor, some actually there for the low-cost massages the business offered, others, he figured, heading upstairs for women to service their needs.
As the afternoon heated up and the car got hotter inside, Kate napped for a while, then went into the deli and bought sandwiches and Cokes. Then Jase napped while Kate kept watch.
It was late afternoon when he focused his binoculars on a white four-door Audi driving out of the alley behind the building in the direction that led to the interstate.
“It’s him,” Jase said, sliding low in the seat. “Give him a minute to get on the road.”
The Audi pulled into traffic and Kate started the engine.
“Stay as far back as you can. Odds are he’s heading up I-45. That’s the fastest route.”
The Audi disappeared around a corner, and Kate kept her distance but maintained the same speed. “What if he’s watching for a tail?”
“If he is, he won’t be expecting a woman.”
She eased back on the gas, giving Burke a chance to pull even farther ahead. The Audi drove onto the Sam Houston Tollway and they followed a safe distance behind, giving Burke as much room as they could without the risk of losing him.
Once the Audi merged onto I-45, Jase began to relax. “It’s a long way to Dallas. Stay back as far as you can and just keep pace with him. There’s plenty of traffic on the road heading north. If we’re lucky and Marvin Duff kept his mouth shut, Burke won’t be expecting anyone on his tail.”
The trip progressed exactly as Jase hoped. He phoned Jax Ryker, and let him know they were on their way and should be in Fairfield in a couple of hours.
“Keep me posted,” Jax said. “I’ll be there before you get there.”
When they reached Fairfield, Burke pulled into a service station on the edge of town. Kate drove past, took the next off-ramp while Jase phoned Ryker. When the Audi drove back onto I-45, Ryker picked up the tail and followed the car toward the city.
Jase traded places with Kate and drove the rest of the way to Dallas well out of Burke’s sight, receiving updates from Jax along the way. Then the call came in Jase had been waiting for.
“Burke just pulled up in the parking lot of a place called the Blue Bayou. It’s an upscale nightclub on Elm Street.” Several minutes passed. “Burke just went inside carrying a briefcase,” Jax said. “Looks like you got what you needed.”
“Looks like. Thanks, bro, I owe you.”
“We aren’t going in tonight, are we?” Kate asked.
