I see my dad smirk out of the corner of my eye. I pick up my fork and dig in, thinking I could really get used to this.
Chapter Thirty-Three
BAM
After breakfast, I meet up with Niki at the laundromat. Clark has work for us.
“There’s some Pipefuckers over near the river who are hassling customers of the strip club. Need you to go and straighten that situation out. You can do that after you collect from these gerbils.”
He hands Niki a short list which he memorizes and then passes it over to Emile, who burns it.
“Any update on the missing guy?” Clark says as he returns to his chair behind the ugly metal desk.
“Other than that he’s dead, no,” Niki says.
“Josie had a visit from the cops.” I fill them in on the interrogation.
Clark frowns. “You should find who killed that guy before the cops come sniffing at our door.”
“Trying,” I answer.
“Good.”
The one word response is our sign to leave.
“Got any leads?” Niki asks as we head out to do our collections.
“None.” I hesitate. “There’s something funny about the dad. He waited to report that Cole was missing. I don’t have experience with parents, but I remember your mom being out of her mind when she couldn’t find Julie at day care. She was on the phone with the cops right away.” I shrug. “Maybe it’s different with babies.”
“How long did he wait?”
“Over a week since we found Cole’s body. His dad had to have known his son was gone that long unless he was on some overseas trip again.”
Niki’s brows crunch together. “That’s fucking odd. You think the old man had something to do with it?”
“Maybe, but why I can’t guess. The house was ordinary, and he seemed normal, but then again, what do I know about dads?”
“Don’t look at me. My old man has been in the wind since before I can remember, and Julie’s dad…” Niki shrugs. Julie’s dad is a doctor at the hospital where his mom works and won’t acknowledge the kid is his.
“Josie’s got a great relationship with her dad, and he says the whole thing is wack.”
“It is.”
Our first collection is a banker’s son. A senior and captain of the math squad, whatever that is. He lives in a gated community, but we have a lot of clients who live here and know, from past experience, that the ten-foot-high iron gate only extends a little past the entryway. After a few yards, the iron gate ends, and three low rows of barbed wire encase the community property. It’s easy enough for us to hop over. The kid is still surprised when we show up in his bedroom.
“How the hell did you get in?” he shouts when he throws open the door to see me lying on his bed and Niki sitting in his computer chair eating from the bag of chips that we found on the desk.
“Door was open.” Technically it was just unlocked, but that has essentially the same meaning. If you don’t want people to come inside, you have to secure the doors.
“I have the money, but I can’t give it to you yet.” He gets straight to the point, which is nice.
“Where’s the money?” Niki asks.
“Not here.”
“Then I guess we’re staying. Got any more food? I haven’t had breakfast,” I lie. Josie’s dad fed me good. I think he’s warming up to me.
“It’s in my dad’s safe. When he’s gone this weekend, I’ll go and get it.”
