Chapter 22 Morris
MORRIS
This has been one of the most awful fucking days ever.
When I get my hands on that motherfucker Jerry Cruz, and I will someday, I will make sure when I’m done with him, he can’t tell his mouth from his asshole and his asshole from his ear.
And after that, I’ll make sure he never has the use of his natural teeth again.
It takes the rest of the goddamn day to sort out the bullshit with the police. Alice’s douchebag husband filed a missing persons report and a missing child report on Alice and Zoey.
It took the entire day of giving statements, providing documents and evidence, and explaining the situation to the cops before they agreed to let us go.
But the worst of all was Alice and I had to ride with the cops to the shop to show them that Zoey was indeed alive and well and in the care of friends entrusted by her mother.
Thank God Alice had Zoey’s birth certificate on her, as well as a passport.
Since she plans to enroll Zoey in a new school, she’d brought all the paperwork she needed to assure the police that the girl was who we said she was and that Alice was her sole parent and legal guardian.
She never planned to go back to Jerry’s house, so she’d taken absolutely everything.
But that motherfucker didn’t bother mentioning that all Alice’s personal paperwork was missing when he called the cops.
Since Jerry never adopted Zoey, he was smart about that call.
He didn’t make a familial abduction report, but he was able to claim that he wasn’t able to reach his wife or her daughter and that he was in grave fear for their safety since they never got on the flight they’d planned for their spring break.
As far as Jerry knew, his wife met some unknown fate and never made it on that plane to Denver.
He reported that she left for a vacation with her daughter, but when she never got on the flight, he drove to the airport parking lot and found her car.
When he went into the car, he found Zoey’s iPad under the driver’s side seat turned off and their luggage, packed full of their clothes, in the back.
He hadn’t heard back from Alice. Rayne, her sister, seemed as confused about what was happening as Jerry was.
And Jerry knew Alice’s phone was either turned off or dead.
Dead is what it was, smashed under the heel of my boot when that fucker tried to stalk her using it. But of course, he couldn’t know that.
After a day without word from his wife and her daughter, he called the police and made the report.
Coincidentally, and I say that with air quotes around it, not long after the report was taken by local authorities in Miami, a tip was called in to the Florida state police saying that a woman who matched Alice’s description was spotted in a truck.
And yeah, they managed to catch the license plate.
My license plate.
That fucker Jerry knew exactly what he was doing.
Alice begged the police to take some kind of action against Jerry for filing a false missing persons report, but they claimed they couldn’t.
Technically, since Alice had never texted or called Jerry back, he had no way of knowing she wasn’t actually missing or in danger.
The police told us they would close their report and notify the spouse that Alice had been located and had left of her own accord.
But the fucking salt in the wound of all this was that there would be no penalty for Jerry. He caused us a day of stress and inconvenience. And there wasn’t a goddamn thing I could do to vent out the rage that rose through my chest like steam.
The good news, if there was any, was that since we technically didn’t do anything wrong, we weren’t in trouble. Small fucking favors.
The cops gave Alice some pamphlets about domestic violence and offered some social services for Zoey, all of which she politely declined for now.
But being off the hook with the cops didn’t do jack shit to ease my full-body rage.
“That motherfucker’s gonna pay,” I seethe. It’s nearly sundown by the time we’re all back at the building.
Lia and Leo have taken care of Zoey all day, and all of us are tired and out of sorts.
Alice has been alternating between crying and cursing a blue streak.
Rage, sadness, guilt. It’s been a charged day, and all we want is to get the fuck back to Leo’s, have a meal, and put this goddamn day in the rearview.
The only ones who seem completely unfazed are Lia and Zoey.
“Check it out, Mama. The puppies are on TV.” Zoey came running through the grassy lot to greet us.
We’ve barely parked the truck in front of the building when her glittery shoes come running from inside one of the middle storefront doors.
Leo is working in the repair bay with all the doors open, and Lia trails a few steps behind Zoey, closing the door to the store, leaving her girl crew of dogs inside.
“Yeah, baby. That’s great.” Alice manages a weak smile and gives Zoey a hug.
“No, look. Mama, you have to look! We made a puppy cam!” Zoey holds up a glittery pink cell phone and swipes at the screen.
Alice peers down at the image. “Wow, honey.” She studies the images, and I look over her shoulder.
I can somehow see the dogs that are still inside the store in a window on this glittery pink phone.
“That’s so cool,” Alice continues. “How did you do that?”
“Lia has a hotpot.”
Alice looks completely perplexed.
“Lia has an internet hotspot.” Leo comes out from the repair bay to translate.
“I use it on the road to make sure I can get a signal even when I can’t get a signal,” Lia explains. “The device itself is really cheap, and I have internet everywhere I go as long as the little guy is charged up.”
Lia walks us into the middle unit in my strip mall and points to a tiny black device plugged into the wall. It’s no bigger than an old-school alarm clock, but apparently that’s not the only thing she’s set up. There are two small wireless cameras turned inward on the store.
“When you look at this app on your phone, you’re seeing the image or video that these cameras pick up.
You can flip views and see the dogs playing, turn on the volume and actually hear if they’re barking.
You can even talk to the dogs through the app from wherever you are.
” Lia bends down in front of one of the cameras, and the view instantly changes into a giant image of her smile.
“So, if we need to leave the dogs alone, we can keep them here and just check up on them by checking the app. When they can’t be with me, of course.
And if we’re here playing with the dogs, you can use the app to peek in on us.
Sort of like a nanny cam. I set up the app on the extra phone for you, Alice. ”
Alice looks exhausted, but she manages a smile for the girl. “Thank you. That’s actually really sweet.”
Lia and Zoey high-five each other. “Team Girl Crew goes viral.”
Leo walks up to me. “Since I have internet at the house, Lia said we could leave the hotspot here for the time being. You’ll want to get a real internet package for this place eventually.
But for now, while the place is still unoccupied a lot of the time, I thought you’d like to make sure your stuff stays secure.
” Leo gives me a small grin. “Our stuff. You know, until my grandpa’s truck is drivable. ”
Leo shows me a couple of discreet freestanding cameras he’s placed facing his grandpa’s car, the dumpster out back, and then facing the front door.
“I only bought three cameras, but they’re motion activated.
They sit idle until anything moves, and then if something passes in front of it and triggers the sensor, the camera takes a picture and sends it to your phone.
So, if it’s a raccoon or something, you’ll get a notice that there’s a big-ass—butt.
” He steals a quick look at Zoey. “A big-butt raccoon walking around. It will take a picture and send it to the app. All you have to do is check the notifications and see what’s what.
It’s not a replacement for a full security system, but it’ll do in a pinch.
We can cover the truck, the dumpster, and the main door for the time being. ”
I’m awed by this technology and how much these kids know. I motion to the phone Lia has handed to Alice. “Can I check out the app?”
“I can install it on your phone,” Leo says.
“No reason why we can’t all be on it. It’s free.
The only thing we pay for are the cameras, which I bought with some of the leftover cash you gave me for the parts for Alice’s car.
” Leo looks at me. “I didn’t think you’d mind, especially if Lia and Zoey are going to be spending some time here. ”
I nod. “You did good, kid. Real good.”
“Alice might want to limit her view to only the doggie day care room, or she can just silence the notifications and only check the app when she’s not with Zoey. Or, we can all keep tabs on the shop and the dogs,” he explains.
“Think we need something like this for the house?” I ask.
“With the ladies and all…” I catch myself and backpedal a bit.
“You know, we should probably work out just how long this arrangement at your place is going to last. And I need a good meal and a couple of good drinks before I get into anything else serious tonight.”
Leo nods. “Look, Morris. You’ve given me work, you’re making all my meals, and I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.
We’re good. You all are welcome to stay.
We’ll figure it out. Just promise me you’ll bring me back to the compound someday.
Maybe let me buy you a beer and talk about the MC when all the dust settles. ”
I nod and wish I had the energy to give the kid a clap on the back. But right now, I’m exhausted and pissed off as fuck. I want a hot meal, a hot shower, and a hot little bird straddling my lap. Everything else can wait.
The mood in the house is a lot more somber tonight, but Zoey and Lia do their part to brighten us up.