“Will do. So I ask for license and registration and Wags says they’re in the trunk. Who the hell keeps their license and registration in the trunk? No one. So I step back and ask him to get out of the car, go back there, and get them. He doesn’t say a word. He just opens the car door, gets out, and walks around back to the trunk. He pops it open, and boy, oh boy, Judd, I wish you could have seen his face.”
“What happened?”
“Son of a bitch was so drunk he forgot what he had back there.”
Judd sighs. “Give it to me, Mike.”
“He tried to shut the trunk so I told him to step back. Figured I didn’t search his trunk without permission. He told me his license and registration were back there. He opened it. So I’m in the clear.”
“Probably,” says Judd.
“But he didn’t listen. He started to close the trunk when I stepped in and stopped him. And guess what I saw.”
“Don’t got time for guessing now, Mike.”
“Right. Sorry. It was a big box of catalytic converters. Nine of ’em by my count. But I played it cool. Like the catalytic converters were no big deal and I just wanted his license and registration. Dumb shit really did have ’em in the trunk. I don’t know what the hell he was thinking. So I walked him back to the front of the car and asked him if he wanted to blow into a tube or walkthe yellow line. He chose the tube. Idiot blew a .16. I cuffed him, took him back to the station, and locked him up.”
“And why do I need to hear this tonight?” says Judd. “You remember I’m not the chief, right? Maybe you’re blowing a .16.”
“Come on, Judd,” says Mike. “You know why. Teddy was stealing those converters for Wags, and Wags was selling them for the rare metals. I think Wags knows what happened to Teddy. And if he hadn’t passed out on his cot, I’d know, too. But you might want to be here when he wakes up.”
CHAPTER 36
Braedon’s back in his own bed and having trouble sleeping after the eventful night. He checks the world clock on his phone. It’s 8:30AMin Scotland. He tries Emily.
“What are you doing up?” says Emily. She’s out walking with her family in a green park but has fallen back to take Braedon’s FaceTime call.
“Some big stuff happened tonight. Want to hear about it?”
Emily looks at her family, stops to let them get ahead more, then says, “Yeah, I do. Did you find Teddy?” She starts walking again.
Braedon shakes his head. “No. The police arrested someone tonight. They think he might know something about where Teddy is. My grandpa is there now talking to the guy.”
“And your da?”
“No,” says Braedon. “He’s home to be with me. After what happened.”
“Which is?”
“I found my mom.”
Emily stops. “You what?”
Braedon recounts the story. With a little hindsight, and at least for the moment, he’s more proud of his investigative work than he is hurt by his mother’s betrayal. Maybe that’s out of necessity—he doesn’t want to cry in front of Emily.
“That’s bloody brilliant, Braedon. I can’t believe you found her on your own.”
“Yeah,” says Braedon. “Sue told me that’s what the police do now. Search for people on the internet. She gave me the idea.”
“Are you going to contact her? Your mum?”
“Don’t know,” says Braedon. “But…” Braedon hesitates.
“What?”
“Maybe when I get to visit, you and I could go see her.”
“In London?”
