Checkered Crime: A Laurel London Mystery (12 page)

“You get to go undercover with a cool gun and hot guy while I get to stay around The Cracked Egg and watch Louie Pelfrey gorge himself.” She smiled.

We busted out into laughter. That was one of the special things we did and I loved it. Gia was more of a sister than a friend. I wondered if I had a real sister. Hell, I’d even take a stinky brother for that matter.

“What?” She stopped laughing and looked at me.

“What?” I asked.

“All of the sudden you got a serious look.”

“Oh,” I blew her off. I didn’t want to get into the whole pity-poor-orphan-Annie act. I had accepted my fate a long time ago. I could do the research without telling anyone, that way, if I came up on the wrong trail, I didn’t have to bother explaining it all. “I wonder what Trigger is doing down at the docks. And if Morty has anything to do with it.”

“I don’t know, but I’m telling Carmine to be careful.” Gia drummed her fingers together.

“No. You can’t tell Carmine anything. I told you it was top secret.” I pretended to lock my lips like kids did when they were sworn to secrecy. “You agreed.”

“Okay. But promise me you won’t let yourself get into trouble.”

“Promise. Let’s eat. I’m starving.”

In reality I wasn’t a bit hungry. In fact, since these whole crazy new twists of events after Morty fired me, I hadn’t had an appetite.

Chapter Eleven

After dinner I checked my email from Gia’s computer. The Craigslist gun owner emailed back and told me to meet near the docks at nine thirty p.m. It was just enough time to go check on Trixie and try to get a few questions answered about my past.

The stress of the situation I had gotten myself into had made me feel crazy and sick to my stomach which made me believe it was in my genes. Trixie had to know something. She knew something about every other kid in the orphanage. Maybe not who their parents were, but she knew where some of them were born and other little things. With my skills, I’d be able to take a small lead and find something, anything.

Trixie’s house wasn’t too far from the docks.

She had always wanted a little vegetable garden and chicken coup for fresh eggs, so she bought the little two-bedroom cottage on River Road with enough land to have everything she wanted.

It was a nice out which meant she was doing one of two things. Either sitting on the porch with her nightly cocktail or weeding out her garden.

Luckily for me, it was the first.

“What is your pleasure or pain?” She held up the clear glass with nothing but ice in it. She wiggled the cup causing the ice to jingle against the sides.

“What do you have? Or did you have?” I snickered. Trixie was known to tip back a time or two. Henrietta used the full extension on her leash to smell around and roll around in something I was sure was some sort of chicken poop.

“Vodka on the rocks. Good for the spirit.” She winked. She got out of the rocker and made it over to the door. Her hair was still covered by her foil hat. She had on a denim mini-skirt and a jersey-styled top with the number twenty-nine printed on the front. The ice stopped clinking together but the bracelets that lined her wrist jingled.

“If you are sure you aren’t expecting company.” Trixie was far too dressed up to just be home alone. Most nights she laid around in her leopard print bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. “I’ll take what you have.”

“You never know who might pop over.” She flung the screen door open and disappeared.

The door slammed shut. Sounded just like a gunshot, nearly knocking me out of the chair. I was still so jumpy from all the turn of events from the last two days, I had no idea how I was keeping it together.

A few minutes later she was kicking the door open with her foot and handing me the ever-so-needed drink. Maybe this was all I needed for the stress.

“Cheers!” We clinked glasses.

My skin nearly melted off my body because she’d made the drink so strong.

“So,” Trixie eased herself back into her rocker. Her eyes on me. “What is wrong with your phone?”

“I think it’s broken.” I took another drink to avoid eye contact.

“Really? Because when I pinged it, it says that you are on River Road.” She leaned on the arm of the rocker with her elbow, hand and glass in the air, with her pinky finger out. “I gave Clyde the coordinates and he said it was in a ditch somewhere. Do you know that I thought you were in a ditch? Dead.”

“Well I’m not.” I smiled and took another drink. Her coolness was evidence that she wasn’t approving of my responses to her questions.

“I know. Derek said he saw your big yellow car around town. So then I knew you were alive.”

“You have it set up so I’m pingable?” I wasn’t sure if pingable was a word, but it seemed to fit her crime.

“I like keeping tabs on you.” Trixie chugged the last of her drink and let out a big sigh. “Especially now, since there seems to be some funny business going on.”

“There is no funny business going on.”

Unless you wanted to count a mob boss giving me loads of cash to drive him around and the FBI asking me to be on their payroll to help bring down the aforementioned mob boss.

“Which reminds me.” I sucked in a big breath. “Do you know anything about my parents?”

She shook her head, staring straight ahead.

“Nothing? Not even where I come from?” I stuck my finger in my drink and twirled it around to try to mix it a little better or even hope the ice cubes would help water it down.

“Why you come from right here. Walnut Grove, Kentucky.” She didn’t look at me.

“You mean my parents were from here?” That couldn’t be right. Everyone was in everyone’s business and I would have heard some sort of tale if that was the case.

“Nope. You’ve been with me since you were a day old. I didn’t ask questions. Not my part.” She used the heels of her feet to slowly rock her chair back and forth. “You were cute. Did I ever tell you about the time
—
”

“Stop right there,” I interrupted. “Every single time I ask you about my past, you always want to tell me a story starting with ‘did I tell you’ and I need to know.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. I noted she never looked at me once. “All I know was that there was a note attached to you that said to take good care of you. I’ve done that, haven’t I?”

“Yes,” I said with quiet emphasis. That wasn’t enough to stop me. “Do you have the note?”

She shook her head back and forth.

“Where are my records?” There had to be records. I remember the orphanage office was filled to the gills with records.

“You didn’t come with any. Found you in a box on my steps with the note.”

“Yes. I know that. But didn’t you tell the police?” I asked. I mean it wasn’t like it was ancient times and I had floated down the river like Moses or something.

“Of course they knew. But Walnut Grove Police Department wasn’t going to waste time trying to find somebody who didn’t want to be found.” Her words hit a spot directly in the middle of my gut.

She was right. They didn’t want to be found which meant they didn’t want me.

“How is the job search? I was meaning to get down there and give Morty a piece of my mind.”

“That’s exactly why I wanted my background information. My mind. I need to know if anyone in my family had any diseases or say…mental health issues?”

“The only thing I bet was in your family was a long line of criminals after what you put me through.” She gave me a sideways glance and laughed. “Now drink up.”

No matter how much I tried, there was no way I was going to get it out of her. I was going to have to figure out where those records were. Surely there was something in the files about me.

Trixie and I didn’t bring up my past again. We talked about jobs I could apply for. Most of them were in Louisville, which wasn’t bad since it was only a thirty minute drive. I was getting used to it since I had become Trigger Finger’s personal driver.

“Oh.” Thinking about Tony jarred my memory of my meeting with the gun owner from Craigslist. “Got to get going if I’m going to drive to Louisville in the morning to look for a job.”

Trixie got up.

“Let me get you some gas money.” She held her hand on the metal handle of the screen door.

“I’m good. I’m still using the little bit of guilt money Morty gave me.” I lied, but she didn’t need to know anything about Tony, the mob, Jax Jackson or the finger. She would have a heart attack for sure and die. Then I’d really be gone.

I smiled at her. Her face softened into a sweet grin. She really was all I needed, but it sure would be nice just to know my DNA.

“I thought you said you were going to pay Pastor Wilson and Rita upfront rent money,” she questioned me.

“I did. But it didn’t take all my money,” I lied again…

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” Trixie said. She was a little leery. I leaned over and we hugged. “I don’t know what happened to your phone, but go get another one.” She shook her finger at me. “Do you understand?”

“Yes. I will.” I grabbed Henrietta and we jumped back into the Belvedere and headed east toward the docks.

I eased the Old Girl right next to Morty’s. It was well lit there… most of the time. The dock light looked like it needed to be replaced.

The sound of a boat knocking up against the dock caused me to look down at Morty’s dock because there were flashlights wiggling all around. Two of them to be exact.

I ducked behind the old dumpster and held my nose.

“Let’s get out of here!” I heard one of them say and the flashlights got closer as they seemed to dart up the ramp.

I kept myself hidden until they passed. It was probably a teenage couple, no doubt trying to get it on.

I came out from behind the dumpster and all of the sudden the dock light came on
.

I saw a man on the dock. He lifted his head; his eyes locked with mine.

“Laurel, what are you doing down here?”

I jumped around. Derek was standing next to my car.

“I’m going to have to call Stanley Clever. He needs to get back out here and change these bulbs.” Derek walked toward me, using his flashlight to guide his steps. He held a small silver case in his other hand.

“What?” Confused, I looked back at the dock. The man was gone, the light was out. I gulped. I didn’t have a choice. I knew I was going to have to break into the old orphanage and get my records. I was completely losing my mind. “That was just on.” My mouth fell open and I pointed to the dock.

“Not recently. Pastor Wilson had called the station and left a message a couple days ago.” He shined the light in my eyes. I shielded it with my hand. “Sorry.”

“No problem.” Pastor Wilson? Hmm. That was the second time in the past couple of days he had been there. Why? What business did Friendship Baptist have to do with Morty? I shook it out of my head. “What are you doing down here?”

“I asked you first,” Derek said in a joking manner. Only he didn’t have a joking poker face.

It was a “thing” with us. The one-upping thing.

“Just getting some air.” I kicked the rocks with my shoe. Derek was always good at calling me out on my lies.

“Right.” He tipped his head back, his eyes looking down on me. “The truth now.”

“Fine. I’m here to buy a gunoffsomeoneonCraigslist,” I slurred the last few words so fast to confuse him.

“Did you say gun?” He held the silver case in the air. “Like a Colt Defender?”

“Yes.” We both froze when we realized he was the seller and I was the buyer.

“Are you…,” his mouth dropped. “Hackensack?”

“Yeah.” I hung my head. I knew exactly what was coming.

“Geez Laurel!” He wasn’t pleased. “Why in the hell do you need a gun? I can’t sell you this. I bet you don’t even have the right permits to carry.” He turned and walked back toward my car. “Is there a slew of robberies at the Quick Copy?”

“Quick Copy?” My nose turned up. What on earth was he talking about?

“You told me you were going to apply as a salesperson at the Quick Copy selling copiers. That doesn’t require a gun.” He was walking faster and faster.

“I haven’t applied
yet
. I need the gun.” I ran after him and grabbed his arm. His blue eyes flashed with outrage. My hand dropped. “I mean, don’t you want me to be safe when I’m driving these people around?”

“People?” he questioned. “What people? I thought you said one ride with that arrogant salesman.”

“Jax Jackson,” I muttered.

“Name fits him,” he shot back. “And if you feel threatened by him, then we need to get to the bottom of it. Now!”

“He isn’t a problem. But he did ask if I could take him back and forth places so he could get around. I don’t mind, but I think a little protection might be nice.” Sounded good to me.

“You don’t even know how to shoot a gun.” He made a good point.

“I don’t want to use it, just have it right there and pretend I do,” I said. “If someone sees a gun, they are on their best behavior.”

“Sounds like you know.” He eyed me suspiciously.

“Duh, TV.” Not that I was going to tell him about Trigger Finger Tony and his love of showing me his little friend.

“I’m not selling it to you.” He plopped the case on the Old Girl and opened it. As he took it out, I saw one of the bullets fall out and roll under the car. He didn’t notice and kept talking, “I’ll let you borrow it for show. That’s it, Laurel.”

He took the gun out and opened the barrel. He held it up in the air with one hand, the flashlight in the other. “Empty.” He rolled the barrel and slammed it back in before he handed it to me.

“Thanks.” I knew I had to get that bullet. If I had one, I could go to the store and buy more just like it without Derek ever knowing. “By the way, you don’t have any old cell phones you aren’t using lying around do you?”

“I have a couple at the shop. You can swing by and grab one. Take it on over to Johnny Delgato’s place. He can have it running for you in no time.”

“Great.” Hearing Johnny’s name made me cringe. He was one of those hunky guys with shifty eyes and sly hands. He was always trying to cop a feel at our high school dances. He had opened up the Phone Shop, not an original name, after he came back from a two-year college with some sort of business degree.