Chapter 33 – Bam
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.”
“Get it now,” I order. We’re not coming back here a second time.
“I don’t have the code, but my dad has a terrible memory, so it’s written down somewhere. I just have to search for it.”
Niki rolls his eyes. “Boy, go and get the money before I go down to the office myself.”
The kid stares at us, his hands balled in fists, but he knows better than to use them. After a few tense moments, he spins on his heel. I’m halfway through a new episode of Slow Horses when he returns, money in his hand.
“You got a good relationship with your old man?” I ask as Niki counts the money.
“What’s it to you?” The kid sticks out his chin.
“Just curious. If you were missing, how long would it take for him to report it?”
“My dad would be on your ass before you could clear the gates,” he retorts.
“Noted.”
Niki holds up the stack. “We’re good. You should give up that nose habit. Probably make your dad happy.”
“Who do you think got me hooked?” the boy says sourly.
“Maybe we were better off without dads,” Niki remarks as we reach the river.
The last two collections were easy. I only had to throw one punch before the gas station owner handed over his payment.
I always think I can’t be surprised by people, but this guy was using a photo of his wife and two little girls to cut his blow.
How could he look at his family and then proceed to do the very thing that would hurt them?
“Thinking you’re right.”
Five Pipes are lounging in front of the noodle shop situated not far from the strip club. The oldest one straightens up from the wall of the building when he sees us approach. The others scramble to their feet and then take off running.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath. I hate running, but I speed after them.
Niki takes care of two of the slowpokes while I race after the leader.
If we take him out, the others will fall in line.
He heads toward the river. It’s rocky down here, and I have to watch where I’m going so I don’t trip and fall.
The two others fall off, and I leave them for Niki, but the leader forges head, scampering over the terrain like he’s a friggin’ goat. He finally stumbles about a mile in. My heart feels like it’s on fire, and so I’m extra pissed when I reach him.
His hands go up to shield his face. “No, wait. I’ve got something to trade.”
I tighten my grip on his T-shirt until the collar starts choking him. “Not interested.”
“One of our guys is missing.”
“What’s that got to do with us?” Niki’s voice says over my shoulder.
The guy says through his raised arms, “I saw him with that dead kid, Cole. They were exchanging money. Maybe making bets. I don’t know.”
I drop my fist. “You’ve got our attention.”
“Right. So this kid went to Templeton. He played basketball for a time but dropped it because he didn’t have the money. Needed to work instead of practicing. Anyway, he started gambling and got in deep with our bookies.”
“Your bookies or someone else?” I ask.
“Ours. He needed to make a payment or they were going to kick him out.”
“So he made a payment with money from Cole?”
“No. He disappeared.”
I release my grip on the shirt. “When’s the last time you saw him?”
“A couple weeks ago. I know the date because we were supposed to get together to tag the car wash on Sixth Street just south of the high school, but he didn’t show up, and you guys—”
“Scully and Win tagged it,” Niki tells me.
“Right.” The Pipefitter’s shoulders slump. “That’s why we were at the club. To make trouble for you.”
“It’s nothing personal, but we gotta protect what’s ours,” I explain. “I’ll let you go this time, but show up around the club again and we’re not going to let it slide.”
“Yeah, I hear you.” The leader scuttles off.
“I’ll take the money back to Clark,” Niki offers. “You gonna meet up with Josie?”
I nod. “Maybe she can put something together.”