Open for Business by A.W. Powers

Author:A.W. Powers [Powers, A.W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Marlowe & Vane
Published: 2024-02-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Two unmarked cars sat close to the home and office of a private investigator. One was positioned across the street and down a lot, in front of a veterinary clinic, watching the front of the building. The other sat in a neighbor’s short driveway, not much more than a parking space, between the alley and the garage, facing the residence in question.

The four deputies had been called in early, shortly after four in the morning, to stake out a person of interest. It had been a long, boring shift.

“Why are we still here?” Rebecca Sommers was a second-year deputy with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department. She sat in the passenger seat of the Crown Victoria parked off the alley. She was tall and thin with short, frosted white hair and had trouble sitting still. “There’s been no explanation for why, and there’s no sign of the guy. What’s the point?”

“I don’t know, and I don’t care.” Alexander Bernard was in his eighteenth year. He had been in two work-related car accidents and one fight. He hoped to complete his twenty without dying and get the hell out.

The world had not gotten better. What was once a calling was now an unpleasant and often terrifying job, but he had invested too much to abandon it early. If he had been alone in his car and not on assignment for the assistant district attorney, he might have closed his eyes and taken a nap.

The radio squawked. “He’s coming down the street.”

Sommers scrambled for the mic. Finally, something to do. “Copy that.”

“He drove past. Maybe he’s coming down the alley. Be on your toes.”

“Copy.” Sommers sat taller, trying to see something, anything, to tell her what was coming.

The car in question entered the alley at the end of the block. The two deputies ducked in their seats, trying not to be seen while watching. The car didn’t even slow for its garage and drove on.

“He kept going,” Sommers reported. “Do we follow?”

“Negative. Sit tight.” The mic was held open.

The other person in the car announced, “Hey, here he comes again.”

“He’s stopping in front of the building.”

“Copy.” Sommers released the mic button and looked at her partner. “What now?”

“You heard him. Sit tight.”

Another notice came through the radio. “He’s made us. He looked right at us.”

Bernard sighed. “Goddamn it. This is going to be bad.”

“He’s circling the building. Must be going in the back door. Do you have eyes?”

“We have eyes on the back door,” Sommers replied. “No sign of the subject.”

“He’s out of our sight, too. He must be back there by now.”

“Nothing.”

“What the hell?” Not radio protocol, but understandable.

Sommers set the mic down and looked at her partner. “What the hell indeed.” She bounced around, slid forward and back, then leaned to the side as if changing the angle might bring the subject into view. “Did we lose him?”

“Better hope not. Somebody will be in deep shit,” Bernard grumbled.

A garbage truck entered the alley. Its hydraulic arm lifted the plastic garbage barrels, dumped them in from the top, and set them back down.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.