Dishwasher Safe by Rick Sheffield

Author:Rick Sheffield [Sheffield, Rick]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severe Clear Publishing
Published: 2024-02-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

The next morning Mike Russell had just finished his coffee and put the mug in the sink when the captain called.

“You’re not going to believe this, Russell,” he said with disgust. “The damn foot’s not a match.”

“Not a match? Are they sure?”

“Unless Dick Lance was a middle-aged black man. The lab got the foot out of the shoe, and it was obvious. Probably belonged to one of the migrant workers in the area.”

“So, we’re back to square one.”

“More like square zero. Keep on it, Russell. I want to see some results.”

Mike hung up and thought to himself, “Great, that swamp is getting more and more crowded by the day.” He told Rocket to be a good boy as he bribed him with a treat. He slipped out of the house and into his patrol car, heading straight out to the Alligator Outpost. This foot business was a major setback. A part of a body is better than no body at all. He accelerated north on I-95 toward Southern Boulevard as Kristen haunted his mind, and not just because of the mysterious phone call from AArtistic Auctions. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove and told himself he’d be a fool to get involved with her, or to even think that Kristen would be interested in him.

Mama Strongbow had just finished cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast and was humming a happy tune as Russell entered the Outpost Cafe. The scent of bacon and eggs hung in the air. Russell asked if Kristen had been in for breakfast, and Mama told him no, she was surprised that she hadn’t been in for her usual coffee and toast. “Maybe she had a big night last night,” said Russell half joking. “I’ll go see if she’s awake. “

Russell knocked on the door of Kristen’s room, but there was no reply. After a few more tries he got the master key from Mama and opened the door. The place was totally empty of any personal belongings. Nothing in the closet, nothing in the bureau, nothing in the bathroom.

“How peculiar,” said Mama. “It’s like she was never here.” The old woman craned her neck around the outside of the teepee. “But her car is still here. I have a sneaking suspicion that our Asian musclemen are gone.”

She walked over to the door of the teepee where Chin and Chan had stayed. “Room service!” she called out, knocking loudly. She and Mike opened the doors to both rooms occupied by the Asian visitors, but of course, they were gone. “They were very anxious to speak with her,” she said, looking out to the parking lot where the dark Mercury had been parked. “I don’t like to pass judgement on others, but those men were some nasty characters.”

Mike Russell hurried back to his car and headed for West Palm Beach headquarters. He had gotten a description of the three suspects from Mama Strongbow and was confident that unless they were making a

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