Chapter 23
“So, what’s the plan?” Rick asked.
Joell had managed to overcome her retching and gagging without emptying her stomach. “Stay here. I’ll go in, ID the perp, then I’ll get him to pick me up and take me to his lair. You tail us, and don’t let him know he’s being followed.”
“Don’t worry. I know how to tail a suspect. But how are you planning to get him to pick you up? And what if it’s a woman? Can you use magic for that?”
Joell used her best femme fatale voice and said, “No magic necessary, handsome.”
Crowe felt them move up a step, heard a bell jingle, and tried to be as quiet and patient as possible.
He was covered head to toe in his own puke, but there was really nothing to be done about it.
At least, all of her personal items were stored in a separate zippered section.
Can you imagine how upset she’d be if she had to clean her hairbrush, cosmetics, and receipts?
As it is, Bas will really appreciate getting the dry-cleaning bill.
They seemed to be lingering in one spot for quite a while. At last, an authoritative female voice called out, “Prescription for Gabriel Moore?”
“That’s mine,” said a gruff male voice.
When Joell finally opened the bag, Crowe tried to be considerate. He leapt out as far from her as he could. He didn’t spatter her dress at all, but she gagged anyway.
Crowe had only seconds before Mount Wonder Witch erupted.
Where could he hide? Dashing away, looking for a shielded spot, he accidentally tripped the only other person in the store.
An unfortunate-looking young man, acne-scarred and buck-toothed.
Crowe was willing to bet this wasn’t the model, but some patsy sent to fetch his prescription.
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Joell ran to the guy and helped him up, then promptly went into her ditzy routine. “My naughty pussy ran between your legs. Are you all right?” She brushed off his pants, subtly coming close to certain sensitive spots.
The guy gave her a sinister smile. “I guess if I weren’t, I could probably sue.”
“Oh! There’s no need to do that. Really. I couldn’t afford to be sued since I spend all my money on clothes and accessories. How else can I make it up to you?” She actually batted her eyelashes.
This had to be the guy she was looking for. She’d only play along with a ruse like that if she wanted something important out of it.
She spotted Crowe behind the hemorrhoid cream display. “Come here, you naughty pussy,” she said. “What do you have all over yourself?”
The guy wrinkled his nose and said, “Your cat looks like she got into something gross. Would you like to bring your ‘naughty pussy’ back to my place and wash her?”
“Oh, could I?”
Yep. This has to be the guy. She picked Crowe up by his neck at arm’s length and settled him back into the unzipped pouch. Now Crowe knew how a hamburger felt—at least the part covered in “special sauce”. Then she zipped it shut.
Crowe bounced around inside her compartment until he felt himself being lowered to a flat surface.
It might be the floor of the perp’s car.
Crowe knew her plan was working when the floor underneath rumbled, then vibrated, and they started to move.
He hoped they would be taken right back to the criminal’s lair, not stopping at some fleabag motel on the way.
He could hear a motorcycle’s engine far off in the distance, so Rick must be following discretely.
Don’t lose us, Detective Torres. I can’t help my witch if I’m still in my very expensive zip-locked baggie.
Now he knew why she wasn’t angry with him. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time. Maybe I can convince her I did it on purpose. I’ve tripped and slowed down perps before. Then I’ll be her hero.
He rode on the floor for an uncomfortable few minutes. Joell played her role to a T. In fact, Crowe hoped she wouldn’t act too dumb and give it away.
“Oh, what a pretty old hotel! They don’t make them like this anymore. Well, except in the movies,” Crowe heard her say. “Do you live here?”
The guy laughed. “Not really. I’m just passing through.”
The car turned a corner and descended. Crowe guessed they were about to enter an underground parking garage.
“Oh, that’s too bad. I’m sure you’d like it if you could stay. Where do you really live?”
“I’m from out of town,” was all he said.
“Oh, like New Rochelle or something?”
Careful, Witchy. Don’t arouse his suspicions.
“No, New Jersey.”
Seemed like she may have been arousing him in other ways. He was letting his guard down. Soon, the car stopped.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping me with my naughty cat. What a mess we’d be in if I had to take him all the way back to Long Island like that.”
Crowe heard a door open and close. Then another one opened, and he was airborne again.
“Is that where you live? On Long Island?”
“Sometimes. I’m just staying at a friend’s house for a couple of weeks. I like to come into the city on the train. Don’t you just love trains?”
Wait a minute, Crow thought. Where was the motorcycle? Did Rick have to park somewhere else so the guy wouldn’t know he was being followed?
“Oh! I’m Joell, by the way. How rude of me. I should have introduced myself right away.”
“Ah, yeah. I shoulda done that too. I’m Harvey.”
“Hi, Harvey. What a nice name.”
“Ha. I hate it.”
“Really? Oh, that’s too bad. I think it’s a really nice name. I had an Uncle Harvey once. He was really neat. He’d visit my mom and bring us presents. That was a few years ago, before she remarried. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since.”
“I’ll bet you played with your gifts outside.”
“How did you know?”
Crowe didn’t like his tone. He heard a tinge of sliminess.
“Hold the elevator,” Rick’s voice called.
Crowe never thought he’d say it, but thank the Goddess we didn’t lose him!
Now Crowe felt a slight pressure pulling down, so they must be heading up in an elevator. He didn’t know if they’d waited for Rick or not. He was guessing not. I’ll bet this young man wants to get my Witchy alone. Little does he know what he’s getting into.
The elevator bounced slightly as it stopped, and if Crowe hadn’t already barfed everything in his stomach, he would have again.
“I gotta stop at another room and hand off this prescription, but then we can go to my room and, uh… wash your pussy.”
“Oh, you picked up that medicine for somebody else? What a nice man you are.”
“Yeah. You know what? They can wait. Let’s go to my room first.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want anyone to wait for their medicine. It must be important if someone sent you to get it. Besides, they might wonder what’s taking you so long if we, um… get tied up.”
Oh, nice double entendre, Witchy. She’d have him anticipating vigorous thanks if he wasn’t already.
“It’ll only take a second, right?”
“Right.” He rapped on the door twice in quick succession, then waited briefly and rapped once more. Crowe heard the door open, and the LV bag’s zipper slid back slowly as two guys were talking. He’d be needed soon.
“Who’s she?”
“Just some dumb broad who needs a place to wash her cat.” He probably thought he was whispering, but Crowe’s acute hearing picked up every word.
“What cat?”
Crowe took that as his cue, jumped from the bag, and dashed into the room.
“Oh, no! My pussy’s loose!” Joell cried.
I’ll bet she didn’t even realize that pun was decidedly unsexy.
Crowe dashed around the suite while the big guy ran after him. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and growled.
“Damn. A familiar! And I’ll bet your lady friend isn’t just some dumb bimbo. She’s a witch!”
Uh oh. The cat’s out of the bag—in more ways than one.
Joell jumped in and yelled, “Freeze!” She pointed her pink Derringer with one hand and grabbed the guy who’d given her a ride with the other. She tossed him to the floor, then grabbed his buddy and threw him on top as if he were an old coat.
Holy crap! Where’d she get a gun? More importantly, why had she jumped in like that? Crowe saw no reason for her to give herself away. Nothing was going on there. She could have just denied what the guy had said instead of confirming it.
Oh yeah. It was that time of the quarter. She didn’t need a logical reason. Crowe would have to take it upon himself to search the other rooms while she kept her gun trained on the surprised men.
“Oh, look at the cute little gun,” the guy on top of his buddy said as he started to get up.
She switched her aim to settle right between his eyes. “Yeah, and it’ll kill you just as dead.”
He lowered himself back down in a hurry. Taking a better look at him, Crowe realized he looked like one of Lioness’s drawings.
He peeked around the corner and spied three doors off the hallway, but all were closed. Well, that’s just great. How am I supposed to open them? With my tail?
At that moment, Rick burst in behind Joell and said, “Get on your knees and put your hands behind your heads.”
“Where are they?” Joell demanded.
“Where are who?” the big guy yelled. He narrowed his eyes, then clasped his hands behind his head. The driver rose to his knees and did the same. They both seemed begrudgingly cooperative, despite looking agitated and angry.
Rick moved inside while Joell closed the door and kept her gun trained on the criminals.
Rick stood to the side of a door and pushed it open.
With his big-ass gun rounding the corner of the doorjamb before he did, he’d be in a good position to stop anyone from trying to get to a weapon, if there was anyone there to stop.
“Nope. Nuthin’ in there.” As he shoved open the last door, his shoulders slumped.
Uh oh. Wrong suite?
He returned to the living room and spoke to Joell. “They’re not here.”
“What? I sensed them! Their energy was here. Maybe they were moved to another room.”
Or maybe, as she suspected before, black magic is involved.
One of the guys lowered his hands. “Maybe you should get out.” He glared at Rick.
Rick shrugged and strolled over to Joell. “Might as well, hon.”
Hon? When did that start?
He had to take her arm and pull her out of the room.