By the time Matt had found out what was going on, it was over. He and Jodi were having a hot romp in the kitchen when Patty tried to call him. He had left his cell in the living room.Two ambulances, the forensics van, two cruisers, and Williamson’s truck were outside. Matt and Jodi walked into Garvey’s bar. “Son of a bitch,” Matt sneered as he put his hands on his hips, taking it all in.Otto was taking pictures of the body on the floor. Goldman stood tall as he was taking notes while Mindy and Cindy Pandock sat at a table talking to him. Juan was sitting at the bar looking like he had never been more relieved in his life as Carter took his statement.“Oh my god,” Jodi said with a shocked look. “I’m going to check on Juan.”“All right, just don’t interfere with the questioning. I’m heading for the lobby to see what else is going on,” Matt said seriously.Jodi nodded and walked away.Matt strode to the lobby doors which were propped open. There was a body on a gurney covered by a shee
It was late Tuesday morning. Mindy was packing a gift basket. She was going to drop it off as she and Cindy rode out of town. Cindy wanted to go shopping in Phoenix. Of course, Mindy couldn’t afford to buy anything but she didn’t mind keeping Cindy company on her shopping trips. Cindy walked in. “Whoa,” she said as she took in the basket on the kitchen table. “That’s a big thank you.” “Well, it is from both us. Can’t have it skimpy,” Mindy said. Cindy shrugged and opened the refrigerator to retrieve a can soda. There was a knock on the back door. “Who in the world could that be?” Mindy asked. Cindy walked to the door and opened it. The man raised his head so they could see his face from under the wide brim baseball hat. “Hey, girls,” Juan greeted. “Juan, come in,” Mindy said with a smile. He darted inside and closed the door. “I parked my car two blocks away and walk
After Juan had left, Cindy had asked Mindy to grab items to put on her Nicolette persona before they left for Phoenix. Cindy wouldn’t tell her why. She had said they were going somewhere that she needed to see and it was a surprise. Five miles outside of Phoenix, Cindy stopped the SUV at a rest area, grabbed a bag out the back, and told Mindy she had to go to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, Cindy returned, but she didn’t look the same. Cindy had on a pile of make-up and a red-wig, and it wasn’t the red wig Mindy had given her. When Cindy got back in the car, Mindy asked what was going on and where were they going. Cindy begged her patience and assured her that everything would become clear. They were in the downtown area of Phoenix. They parked on the street. Cindy walked Mindy to a building that looked like it had glass for walls. They got on the elevator and went to the twelfth floor. There were two businesses on the floor; Grass
Deputy Nick Dalton carried the case file into the sheriff's office. “Here you go, sir,” Nick said. “Thanks, Dalton,” the sheriff said and took the folder. “Have a seat, Dalton.” He couldn’t imagine what the sheriff wanted to talk about. He had finished his reports yesterday and turned them in already. Nick sat down in the chair across from the sheriff’s desk. “Dalton, normally I wouldn’t complain about a hard working man, but you have worked twelve-hour days, six days a week for almost a year now. Surely, you don’t need the money. Your brother’s estate was settled three months ago,” the sheriff said. He knew that because Nick had taken a day off to go to the hearing. Nick remained quiet. He had to come up with another excuse. His brother’s estate was worth $1,500,000, so he couldn’t say he still needed the money. Nick figured out what to say and it wasn’t a lie. “I like my job.”The sheriff got up and walked to his office do
Goldman, Carter, and Nick walked into Garvey’s Bar. There was a couple in a booth having dinner. A guy was drinking a beer at a table. The deputies walked up to the bar and sat down on the brown bar stools. A blonde with her hair up approached them. “What can I get y’all to drink?” she asked. “Um, Becky, right?” Carter asked. “Yeah, that’s right,” she confirmed. “Where’s Trina?” Goldman asked. “It’s her night off,” Becky answered. “We’ll have three beers on tap,” Goldman said and reached for his wallet. “I’ll get the first round guys.” “Thanks,” Carter said. “Much oblige,” Nick said. Goldman gave her fifteen dollars. He reached up to scratch the side of his dark hair. “I’ll be back with your drinks,” Becky said. As soon as the bartender was out of earshot, Nick said, “You guys didn’t tell me we were coming to Garvey’s.”“Where else would we go
Gabriella drove on the Arizona back road. The wind from the open windows blew her long, dark hair. She was going to visit her cousins. She hadn’t seen them since her father died. The last time she had spoken to them on the phone was fifteen months ago. They didn’t know she was coming. She didn’t either until she had stormed out of her mother’s house in Mexico for the last time.She had no idea where her older brother was. If you looked up the word, drifter, his picture would be next to it. A loud pop echoed from the front of her Honda Civic. The car leaned to the right.“Shit!” Gabriella pulled over on the side of the road. She got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side. The side wall of her front tire had a hole in it.Gabriella dug in her purse for the directions. She looked at the computer printout. She was fifteen miles away from her destination. She had a donut in the trunk, but she didn’t know how to change a tire. “Ugh, great.”Thirty minutes later, Gabriella st
Nick was in the locker room getting dressed for his shift when Goldman strolled in like the cat that ate the canary. He plopped down on a bench with a goofy smile on his face.“Ah, Dalton, you should take lessons from me when attending to women on the side of the road,” Goldman said with a big grin.Nick turned around. “You’re referring to my story about Jackie Garvey,” he said as he buttoned his deputy shirt.Goldman shook his head. “Yep. If you were as charming as me, it would have gone a lot differently for you.”“Let me guess. You met a good looking woman on the side of the road.”“Yep. A pretty young thing traveling through.”“Where was she headin’?”“Don’t know, but I do know she made a pit stop,” Goldman said and pulled a sky blue piece of cloth out of his front pocket.Nick wasn’t sure what it was until Goldman spread it out between his hands. Nick’s jaw dropped at the sight of the thong. “Are you crazy? You fucked a chick while you were on duty? What if the sheriff finds out?
Nick planned to settle in at home with a book. Tomorrow morning he was going to call the P.I. he had hired to help him find Ghost. There was a knock at the door. Nick opened it. It was the sheriff and Goldman. “Look alive, Dalton,” Goldman said loudly and entered the living room without being invited in. The sheriff walked in behind him. “Why do you have on boxers and a T-shirt?” Goldman asked. “Because it’s nine-thirty. I was about to go to bed,” Nick answered with annoyance. “On a Friday night? You’re off. We’re off. Get that pussy repellent clothing off, put on something decent, and let’s go,” Goldman demanded and plopped down on the couch. “We’ll wait. Won’t we, General?”The sheriff smirked and put his hands in his pockets. “And where are we supposedly going?” Nick asked. “Garvey’s,” Goldman answered. “What? On a Friday night? You’ve lost