Chapter Fifteen
In Town
Shopping
Saturday Mid-Day
This day was absolutely wild. Had anyone told Dannie that he would be shopping for the two Feds, he would have laughed, but that was how desperate he was to take part in this investigation.
Despite what the two Feds might think, he wanted to protect and serve his community, and if he had to buy underwear and clothing for the men, so be it.
It was a small price to pay in order to stay connected to this case. For him, it was personal. Someone was hurting people in his town, and as someone who had a girlfriend here, the idea that she might be next…
It freaked him out.
So, he had to be part of this as his way of keeping her safe.
Now, that being said, helping out was most definitely going to be problematic.
How?
Well, like now as his phone began ringing.
Pulling it from his pocket, Dannie saw that it was his partner, and he knew the shit was about to hit the fan.
Oh, boy.
Leah was going to lose her mind. In fact, it was going to be worse than that. She was going to be pissy when she found out that he was working with the Feds, and she was not.
The last thing he wanted to do was make her angry, since she had a temper, but she’d played the game wrong. Maybe had she not been so cranky…
Still, that didn’t absolve him from this one sin.
He was helping the ‘enemy’.
Well, now, he couldn’t lie because when she found out, there would be hell to pay for lying too. He had a lady. He knew exactly how to avoid those pitfalls.
“Yo,” he said, hoping and praying she wouldn’t go there and ask about working. Maybe she was locked out of her place again, and he could pop two streets over from the retail area, and use the spare she gave him to get her in.
Could he be that lucky?
One could hope.
Hearing his voice, she went there.
“What happened on Main Street?” she asked. “I took a nap and woke up to the news going crazy. I can hear the commotion from my apartment. Are you at your girl’s place? Did something happen to the Feds?”
Well, here went everything.
“Yeah, Agent Cantrell was walking down the street to get something faxed, and the killer shot at him. Instead, this person hit some innocent woman, and she died on the scene. The media is all over it.”
Leah paused.
“That sucks. Uh, can you tell me why you're on the news being there?” she asked, suspiciously, with some hurt evident in her voice.
Here it went.
“I was visiting Steph, and about to crash there for the day when I heard the gunshots. It was literally three buildings down from hers. Don’t get cranky and make up some wild theory that I’m doing you dirty. Stay calm.”
Oh, but she was already there and taking him on a little trip.
To Guilt-ville.
“So, you were there and saw it all go down? Why didn’t you call me? You know I live near there, and I could have been there fast.”
Yeah, this was pretty much what he’d expected.
So, he was to the point.
“Leah, none of this was planned, and once the woman was shot, I just raced down from Steph’s apartment to see if I could help. There was no thinking. Now, I’m just doing what I need to do.”
Now, she was curious.
That was an odd way to end that explanation.
“What’s that mean?”
Yeah, he had to tell her.
“The agents cleared me, and I’m helping. Don’t get mad. I asked about you helping.”
She was silent.
“Are you still there?” he asked, thinking she’d hung up on him. There was nothing coming from her end of the call. Well, nothing that wasn’t ominous.
She finally answered.
“Yeah, I’m here. Let me guess. They hate women, and I’m out. Blah, blah, blah.”
He sighed.
Oh, brother.
While he loved being her partner, there were issues that they always had. Leah hated men on a good day when she perceived they did her dirty. On a bad day, she was downright angry about it.
“You’re out of your mind. They don’t hate women. They just tend to do things their own way. I asked if you could help. I haven’t spoken to them since, but I’ll get an answer for you. I promise.”
Which wasn’t a lie.
He would get an answer, but would it make her happy? That was the question.
“What are you doing now?” she asked.
There was no point sugarcoating it, since he really wasn’t ‘helping them with the case’. He was more like chauffeuring and butler-ing for them. Unless the killer was in the underwear section of the shops, he wasn’t catching shit but weird looks as he bought lots of underwear.
“Well, in case you want to be jealous, I’m buying them clothing at some shops because they both got bloody and are running out of things. That’s it. There’s not a clue in sight, Sherlock.”
She was pouting.
How did he know?
When she was absolutely silent, she was either plotting someone’s demise or upset.
He wanted to sigh.
“Stop,” he said. “I’ll talk to them when I get their clothing to them.
I’m literally a gopher. I’m not actually working a case.
I’m playing pick up this, run this person here…
You’re not missing anything. In fact, they aren’t even working this yet.
I just took the one agent to the ER to get his cast replaced after wrecking it,” he offered, not mentioning the bullet.
Why?
He didn’t know. Maybe he just didn’t want to play twenty questions in the men’s section of the store.
“Really. Getting shot at slowed the investigation down. It’s at a standstill. If they are doing anything, it’s research and internet searches. That’s all.”
Okay, that made her feel a little better.
“Give me time to talk them into letting you on board. I’ll get them to let you help.
Just don’t do anything crazy until then, and don’t tell them their jobs are bogus.
Clearly, you calling the dude’s profiling bullshit didn’t help your case out.
You need to stop going with that voice in your head and listening to the devil. It gets you in trouble.”
She snorted.
“Well, the Devil did make me do it, and I still think his profiling is bullshit. He doesn’t know anything we know. I want him to show me how he does that Voodoo, and then, I’ll buy into it.”
He just shook his head.
“I’ll call you as soon as they clear you. They’re being careful,” he stated.
Then, his gut told him to go there, and he did.
“By the way, someone outed them to the media. Was it you?” he asked.
She actually gasped.
“How was I outing them? I was with you nonstop except when I took a piss. That’s a wild assumption, Dannie. You know me better than that. We were together all night working, and then I came here to nap. That’s it.”
Yeah, he did know her better.
They had a good working relationship built on trust. Their big rule was not to lie to each other.
“I had to ask because I already told them it wasn’t us. I was just making sure. You wouldn’t keep secrets from your partner, would you?”
She snorted.
“Yeah, you found me out. I’m secretly a man,” she joked. “My dick is bigger than yours, and I’m fucking your girl behind your back.”
That amused him.
Now, there was the Leah he liked hanging out with. She was like a twelve-year-old boy with her humor, and just like him.
“Idiot,” he said.
Then, he got serious.
“Don’t worry, Leah, I won’t do you dirty. I’m going to get you on this case. Just let me smooth it over with the Feds. You were bitchy, and that’s exhausting. You come on too strong, and then, it makes it chaotic for a dude.”
Well, she wouldn’t have been bitchy had they kept her in the loop.
So, who was really to blame?
“Thanks, Partner,” she said. “I’ll be ready to go as soon as you call.”
Yeah, now, he had to deliver, or that was a whole other set of issues. There was no doubt in his mind that she’d show up, read them the riot act, and throw hands. Her impulse control was also that of a twelve-year-old boy.
But for now, she was pacified.
“Talk to you later, Leah. I have to go buy men’s undies.”
She snorted.
“The pretty one wears tidy-whities, doesn’t he?” she asked. “I can feel it in my balls.”
That amused him.
“Uh, that you are playing that guessing game is weird. They both wear boxer briefs, ya freak. Go eat something and behave.”
She laughed and hung up.
Dannie gathered up all of the things the bigger Fed had requested, and there were some specific requests. Apparently, Gene liked sweaters, and Ethan did not. Gene liked color, and Ethan did not. Basically, what he ended up buying was all black for Ethan, and laid-back attire for the other man.
As he was grabbing the designer underwear on a table, he heard the two people behind the counter talking.
What about?
Oh, it was regarding their employee who died.
Well, shit.
Dannie hadn’t even been paying attention. He had been in a hurry to grab the things and never looked at the name of the place.
This was where Phylis had worked. He’d let that slip his mind, and now, being there and helping the Feds, he simply couldn’t help himself.
Okay, maybe it didn’t slip his mind, and his subconscious wanted him to jump in and help out.
That was likely more the reason.
As the one woman changed the subject, discussing how she’d just gotten to work because of a flat tire, it was time for him to make his move.
As he approached the counter, he went there.
“Were you guys talking about Phylis Lizney?” he inquired as he put all of the things on the counter to check out.
Both women looked over.
“Uh, yeah,” the older woman said. “Did you know her? She’s dead,” she stated. “There was a reporter in here before asking us questions about her.”
Well, it was time to work.
He pulled his badge and showed them.
“Actually, I’m working with the agents handling it. Maybe you can check me out, and we can talk?” he asked, putting them at ease once they saw his badge. “I’m Detective Pezzimente,” he added.
The one woman began taking things off of hangers, and the other nodded.
“Sure.”
He was to the point.
“What did the reporters who were in here want to know?” he asked. “Clearly, you worked with her.”
The older woman held out her hand and shook his.