Free Money by Todd Luchik

Author:Todd Luchik [Todd Luchik]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Todd Luchik
Published: 2022-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Stephanie Byrne lived downtown in a high-rise apartment overlooking Michigan Avenue. Her place was at the end of what locals referred to as the Magnificent Mile—the city’s priciest shopping district.

The sun peeked out over the horizon as I arrived. I staked out a spot in front of her building in my usual daytime surveillance getup—dark clothes, sunglasses, and a Chicago Cubs cap with the brim tilted down to obscure my face. I sipped on a cup of coffee. Two hours later, I caught my first glimpse of her: a petite woman dressed in leggings and an indigo T-shirt, a rolled-up yoga mat under one arm, her long blond hair tied up in a ponytail. I checked the photograph Eddie gave me. It was her.

I waited for traffic to pass before pulling away from the curb. My car crept along, tailing her at a safe distance. She headed into a yoga studio two blocks later, and I pulled into a space across the street. About an hour later, Stephanie emerged, the collar of her shirt damp.

Her next stop was a discount clothing store. Needing to stretch my legs, I followed her inside. She mostly browsed and tried on a few dresses before leaving without buying anything. From there, she headed to the grocery store for some coffee and cheap wine. She stopped off at a nail salon to get a pedicure, then picked up her dry cleaning before strolling home.

I couldn’t find a parking space nearby, so I circled the block for a while until one opened. I pulled in, hoping I hadn’t missed Stephanie in the interim.

I spent the rest of the morning waiting without any sign of her. Eventually, I dozed off, later waking in a sweaty panic. I checked my watch. It was a little after one in the afternoon. Had I missed her while asleep? The sky was dark, threatening rain. I checked my cell: one missed call from Lionel Gholston. He left a voice message. “Hi, Glenn. Just checking in to see if you’ve made any progress since we last spoke. Give me a callback on my cell.”

I hung up and returned to my stakeout. The rain fell lightly before building to a brief, torrential downpour. My stomach rumbled, so I tapped into my surveillance supplies. I’d brought some granola bars and bottled water. Not exactly my first choice for lunch but better than leaving and missing Stephanie. I ate a bar and washed it down with water while watching the rain.

The storm soon ended, and the sky cleared, an afternoon sun glowing orange to the west.

I hunkered down and waited. Another hour passed with no sign of her, then another and another. Before long, the sun was bidding the day goodbye, and I hadn’t learned much. Some days the job was about nothing but waiting and watching, and if nothing else, it had taught me patience.

Late afternoon, Stephanie emerged from her building again. She wore a little black dress, a raincoat, and heels. A group of women met her outside, and they headed off to McGinty’s, a Rush Street bar.

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