The Second Girl(61)

“Innocent?”

“Young, sweet, virgin…”

“Oh f*ck. Virgin?”

“Yeah, white teenage virgin.”

“Shit, Frankie, that might have to cost double.”

“You pull this off, I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry about that.”

“So like what do you want me to talk about?” she asks, using the kind of voice I’m looking for.

“That’s very good, darling. You’re calling for a high school friend of yours, Justine. She got herself grounded.”

“Justine. Okay.”

“I’ll write it down for you. But she got herself grounded and her mom took away her cell phone. You talked to her in school today, and she gave you Playboy’s number to call him for her and see if he can hook the two of you up with some rock.”

“Suburban white girls on crack. That shoulda hit the news. I mean, ‘That should be on the news.’”

“These kids hide their lifestyles well. So listen up. Your friend’s name is Justine. You go to Lake Braddock High in Burke. Her mom picks her up directly from school, so she doesn’t take the bus anymore.”

“So why wouldn’t she just use my cell phone to call him herself?”

“Good question. Because you wouldn’t let her. You want to meet him for yourself. You don’t have a crack connection, just weed. But don’t overthink it, because he’s not gonna. The only thing that’s gonna be doing the thinking for him is his dick, but that’s only if you can pull this off.”

She belts out a throaty smoker’s laugh.

“You just make sure to sound sweet and tempting, and all he’ll be thinking about is hooking up with that voice of yours.”

“What name do I use?”

“Your real name. Tamie. Just don’t give him a last name. I don’t wanna have to follow him all the way from Virginia, so tell him you have a driver’s license and can meet him in Georgetown because you’ve hung out there before with your friends. You can meet on Wisconsin Avenue where it ends just under the bridge, and you’ll be standing right on the sidewalk there.”

“But I won’t be standing there, right?”

“No, of course not. That’s the point. All I want is for him to show up, and then I’ll follow him after he gets tired of waiting. Make up a description, like you’re short and blond and wearing black jeans or something. But be sure to tell him that you have to get the car back before dinner so you have to meet him right after school at, say, four thirty or so. It can’t be later than that or you can’t go. And as innocently as possible make it clear that it’ll be worth his while to show up.”

“Innocent as possible? How the f*ck does that sound?”

“Don’t use words like ‘f*ck.’ In fact, no cusswords at all.”

“That just wouldn’t sound natural. What the f*ck would he want to do with a girl like that?”

“Tamie, you’re a sixteen-year-old white girl from Virginia. That’s all you need to be thinking. You watch TV shows, like reruns of Friends?”

“I seen it on occasion.”

“Well, it’s like the girls on that show, but not the sassy one with black hair, more like the blonde.”

“Okay, I think I got it.”

“Just don’t push the sixteen-year-old girl thing too much or he might get spooked. Lead him just enough to pique his interest and let him ask the questions.”

“Okay.”

I grab my notepad and write down what she needs to remember. I hand it to her.

“Justine, she’s grounded for skipping school. Lake Braddock. You’re in the eleventh grade. You’re calling from school and on break before class. You want to buy a fifty. She calls crack jellybeans.”

“Jellybeans.” Tamie chuckles. “That’s silly.”

“You want to meet him on the corner of Wisconsin and Water right under the bridge, four thirty. Get a description of the car he’ll be in.”

She sets the paper on her lap. “I got it, but what if he asks what kind of car I’m driving?”

“Tell him it’s a newer-model gold Volvo 40. Cops don’t use cars like that.”

“You got a thing for Volvos, sweetie.”

“They’re dependable. Now get into character, girl.”

“Have I ever let you down, Frankie?”

“Never, darling.”





Fifty-five



I have a few cell phones I use for undercover work. I have one that carries a Virginia area code. I set it to record a message greeting and then hand it to Tamie.

She reads from my notepad, “Hi, this is Tamie and I’m not here so please, please leave a message.”

She hands it back to me after it beeps.

“How was that?”

“Good for me. I’ll keep your message on here until I’m done with the investigation, so if it doesn’t work out today and if he calls back, I might have to get right back with you.”

“I’m around.”

“Are you ready for the call?”

“Yeah, hold on.” She takes a last drag from her cigarette and drops it out the window. “Okay.”