Chapter 14
Charlie
T hree weeks later
It was my third double in a row at the diner. I would have quit two weeks ago if I didn’t feel like I was close to getting info on Biaz. Lola worked here up until a few weeks before the twins were born.
From the information I gathered so far, she was clean. So how does she get hooked on drugs a few weeks before her due date? Those few weeks is all it took for the twins to develop Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, or NAS.
The corner booth flags me over. Four guys in suits. They look out of place in the dingy diner. Only they’re frequent flyers who come in two to three times a week. They always sit in the same corner booth.
I hurry and set the plates for table two down before hustling to the corner booth. I pull out my pad and pen and brace myself. While the men have never introduced themselves, I knew each of them.
Marcus “Pistol” Brooks sits in the far-right corner. Black hair falls to his collar. Hazel eyes devour me. He always makes it a point to leer. I ignore him. Seated next to him is Caleb "Cal" Robillard. Across from Cal is Victor "Vico" DeLuca. Next to Vico is Raynard "Ray Ray" Jacobs, the man who flagged me over.
“What can I get for you today?” I ask, addressing Ray Ray.
“You can give me your number,” Marcus says.
“Shut up, Marcus,” Cal says. “We’re ready to order.”
I paste on my best fake smile. “Ready when you are.”
After putting their orders in, I refill their coffee and leave a full carafe on the table before scurrying off to cash out another table.
Shirley, the head waitress, flags me over.
“You have a phone call, sugar.”
I hurry to the phone, wondering who would call me here.
“Mamma.” Lucia’s scared voice comes over the line.
“Lucia, cosa c'è che non va, piccolina?”
“We’re lost. The car broke down and no one else is answering.”
“Can you see a street sign?”
“We’re too scared to get out of the car.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll find you. I’m on my way. Stay together, lock the door.”
I hang up the phone and turn to Shirley.
“I’ve got to go. My girls are in trouble.”
“I’ll tell Sal when he gets back.”
“Thank you.” I take off my apron and hand it to her.
“I’ll cash out for you and hold your tips.”
“Thanks, Shirley. You’re the best.”
I run to the locker, speeding through the lock’s combination, and grab my purse. On my way to the car, I rummage through my purse to grab the keys. Some jack hole left a flier on my windshield. I grab it and toss onto the passengers’ seat.
I dial Wizard’s number while putting my seatbelt on. He answers as I turn the car on.
“The girls are lost, and the car is broken down. Can you use the tracking app and tell me where they are?”
“On it.”
“I’m heading toward their father’s place. They are supposed to be at his house.”
“It’ll take me a few minutes. Stay on the line with me.”
Wizard keeps up the small talk while he searches for the girls.
“Found them, sending the address to your GPS. I’ll meet you there.”
“Thank you, Damien.”
“Thank me after we get the girls home safe. I’ll have a prospect there with a tow truck.”
The next thirty minutes feel like the longest of my life as I follow the directions Wizard sent to my phone. I go as fast as I dare. The last thing I need is to get pulled over. With shaking fingers, I dial JR’s number. He picks up on the fifth ring. I can hear music and party noises in the background.
“I’m busy.”
“Yeah, busy fucking off instead of spending time with your daughters. This is the last straw, JR. The very last fucking straw. You’ll be lucky if you see them again before they’re eighteen.”
“Please, we both know you don’t have the money to take me to court.”
“Watch me, Twatknot. I’ll fucking bury you. If anything happens to the girls before I get to them, I’ll feed you to the bayou gators while you’re still breathing.”
I disconnected the call and focused on the navigator's voice. Twatknot calls back a half dozen times. I let it go to voicemail.