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To this day, I have no idea how I got suckered by the guy in the garage a second time. I guess I made the mistake of thinking that they had all left together. As it was, I came in the middle of a nightmare, just to realize that it was Red staring down at me. Cursing my luck, I slowly gathered my feet underneath me. "Why don't you take the heavy end next time?"
"Here Rock, have a shot of whiskey." At least he had the good graces to look slightly embarrassed.
I did. Red always carries the good stuff, not the rotgut you can get in my neighborhood of the space/time continuum. "How long was I out?"
"Maybe five minutes. Do you want me to haul you to an E.R., my treat?"
"What kind of P.I. do you think I am? I'm just warming up."
"When you feel able, I've got the goon tied up in the living room."
"Your usual job?"
"My best knots, short of doin' him up as a bag job."
"His name is Solly."
We went into the room where Solly was inventing new swear words and straining against the bonds that had him in the most uncomfortable position possible. I paused to admire the handiwork of a master. "I see you improvised with the cords off the shades.
"Boneheads like this never have enough cording around to do the job right."
"That bit right in the middle looks new."
"An improvisation by GoodBadDeb. They usually start talking before they start singing soprano. Usually." Solly's eyes grew wide.
Red went on to interrogate the thug while I nursed a headache, adding pithy suggestions as the situation demanded. To tell the truth, I felt off my game. I wasn't sure what it was, but the doubt niggled away at my mind like a Jack Russel on a bone.
"You don't scare me." Solly was playing the tough quite well, but he just wasn't showing much heart by now. Maybe it had to do with the pressure slowly being applied to another vital organ.
"Too bad, I figgered you'd be smart enough to know when to be scared. You see, that mutual friend is a lady named BadGoodDeb."
That got his attention. Sweat appeared on his forehead.
"You see, she has a legit bounty from the City of Chicago to bring back your boss. And her favorite dog is the one your boss dognapped. When she finds out you know where they both are, she's not gonna be a nice guy like me. But suit yourself. All I'll do is make a phone call. I'll have nothing to do with anything else that happens." I hope that I never get that sort of smile out of red. At least when it applies to me.
"You have five minutes before I leave the message with BadGoodDeb."
"Okay! It's Number 32 Goodhope street on the south bay area! They have a camera monitoring security system and the garage is wired with Claymores if someone without the key tries to get in. My key is in my left pants pocket!"
Somehow, I always regret having to resort to tactics like that. It sort of takes the fun out of sweating someone. I have to admit, though that it is more efficient.
"I reckon we should mosey on down to the beach, eh, Rock?"
A little bell went off in my head. Not the type that had been ringing in my ears since the two by four incident.
"Nah. I've got a hunch I need to follow up on. You can have the fun at the beach house. How does this thing work, by the way?" I held the chicken clucker out.
Red took the compact and punched some buttons. "Here. When it starts vibrating, you touch this green button and talk here. Listen here. If you want to call me, push this button, then one. I'll be waiting for your call. Want to clue me in on what you're doing?"
"Going to see a man about a horse. Let's get in touch at around midnight, okay?" I pushed the dents out of my fedora and went out the way I'd come in and cranked up my cousin's flivver.
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