The Second Girl(68)

“Don’t go stupid on me,” I tell him.

“Ain’t nothin’.” He smiles wickedly.

He slowly pulls out a cell phone, holds it out for me to see.

“Just back the f*ck down,” I order. “There’s been enough commotion that the police’ll be showing up soon. Might be better if I wait.”

Little Monster lifts the cell to his ear.

I look behind me toward the Ritz, then start pulling her back toward my car. I don’t know who the f*ck he might be calling, but I sure as hell don’t wanna see any more of them. Little Monster is speaking to someone on the cell. When he’s finished, he slips it in his back pocket.

He shows me that wicked smile again.

“Let me go. Let me f*cking go,” she demands, but quieter this time.

“Listen to me,” I tell her, and squeeze her wrist hard so she grunts. “You’ll get hurt much worse if I let you go back to them.”

“They’re about to hurt you real bad, *. You’d better let me the f*ck go.”

“C’mon, now. Let me take you outta here. I’ll even take you to Justine’s if you want.”

A couple more players show up, and I’m starting to feel like this is going to be a real clusterf*ck. I’m hoping whatever good neighbors live on this block have already called the police. I’m sure as hell looking forward to hearing some sirens about now.

“This ain’t a joke, Miriam. They don’t want you now that I’ve been here. I know you’ve seen what they can do.”

She might agree, ’cause she doesn’t struggle anymore. I get to the driver’s side door and open it.

Some of the corner boys start stepping toward me, but not Little Monster or Playboy.

“You’re gonna step in first, and I’ll follow.”

I notice a black Ford Taurus stop at the corner on 17th, behind the crowd. These boys make cars to look like ours, so I’m thinking this looks like it might be a drive-by. I back up with her so we’re on the other side of the open door and she’s toward the front of my car.

A few of them, including Little Monster, turn to take notice.

“Get your crew off my f*cking corner, Little Monster,” a man orders from within the car.

Little Monster spits on the sidewalk toward the car. Stands his ground for a second or two, and calmly walks away. The rest follow and they disappear up 17th.

I notice a red bubble light on the dash. It starts flashing as the cruiser turns onto Euclid and stops about two car lengths behind my vehicle.

The driver’s side door opens and a large man steps out. A silver officer’s badge hangs around his neck.

Plainclothes. That’s all the cavalry I need to see.





Sixty



Let me see your hands,” the large officer commands.

He’s on the other side of his open door, weapon out and pointing at me. His view is obstructed by the open car door we’re standing behind, so it allows me to slowly holster my weapon without getting noticed (and possibly shot). I keep my hold on Miriam.

“This girl’s a teenager, reported missing by her parents,” I tell him.

“I said show me your hands. Now.”

He’s calm and in control.

He keeps his hair high and tight, like most guys who come on this job straight out of the military. He looks familiar, but too young for me to have known when I was on the job.

“I’m not going to let go of the girl, because she might run.”

“I’m not going to run,” she says calmly, maybe a bit too calmly given the circumstances.

“I’ll slowly step from behind the car so you can see I’m not armed.”

“Nice and slow.”

I obey and sidestep from behind the car, with Miriam at my side.

“Now let go of the girl until I can establish you’re a cop.”

Establish I’m a cop? What the f*ck’s he talking about? Unless he saw everything go down. Was he working an observation post too?

Then it hits me and it’s like a mental crash.

He’s one of the men I observed entering the row house late last night. It’s too early for day shift, so he has to be working midnights; I’ll bet that’s his little hoochie mama’s spot. I’m betting he’s the one Little Monster called. He got here quickly enough. He’s more than likely taking care of that spot for Cordell and he’s dirty as shit.

Fuck.

“Her parents hired me to find her. I’m a retired DC police detective.”

“Retired?” Miriam blurts.

“I got her real name and DOB. Go over the air with it. You’ll find she’s reported missing out of Fairfax County.”

“Let her come to me. I’ll run her name in my cruiser.”

“My name’s Frank Marr. I retired two years ago, out of Narcotics Branch. You can raise Detective Scott Davidson over the citywide channel. He’s on the case, and should be coming on for daywork about now. He’ll come down here and straighten this out.”

He steps out from behind his door, weapon still on me. He moves forward a couple of feet like a well-trained tactical officer.

“If you need to go over Detective Davidson, then raise your watch commander to respond. I’ll release the girl to your supervisor. I’m responsible for her; that’s all I’m saying.”