Overdose in Paradise (Paradise Series Book 16) by Deborah Brown

Overdose in Paradise (Paradise Series Book 16) by Deborah Brown

Author:Deborah Brown [Brown, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-11-14T16:00:00+00:00


Chapter Twenty-Two

“You have a contact to deal with Dilly?” Fab asked as she maneuvered through traffic.

I wasn’t sure if it was the look on her face, the tone of her voice, or both, but she clearly thought I’d lost my mind.

“Not on speed dial…” My phone rang, saving me from coming up with a Plan B. My own face beamed back at me. I answered and hit the speaker button.

“Want my stuff back,” a male voice demanded.

“I was only using it as leverage to get you to call,” I said. “Upfront: No cops or anything like that. This is a friendly chat. I’d like to help.”

“Do-gooder chick.” He snorted.

“I’m thinking you might want to be a little nicer, even if it pains you,” I snapped back.

“This better not be some trick.” He hesitated. “Meet round the back of the Stop-n-Go and hand my stuff over. Bring the cops, and you’ll be wasting your time. I won’t be there.”

“We can be there in a few.” I looked to Fab for confirmation, and she nodded. “I’ll be the one with the red bushy hair. It’s not nice to laugh. It’s not my fault. I blame the humidity.”

“That’s girl problems I don’t want to hear about.” He hung up.

“You got the purse thief to agree to a meeting. What next?” Fab pulled a u-turn.

“Considering his age, any help I could give him would be against the law. I’m fairly certain that legally, I should be involving the cops, who’d turn him over to Social Services. I can’t see him agreeing to those options, since he’s been on the street for who knows how long. I can throw money at him, but that won’t solve his problem long term.”

We drove in silence to the gas station. Fab circled the lot, and for once, there were no loiterers trying to look like they had something better to do than sit on the planter and drink out of a paper bag. Two men had staked out the bus bench, and neither looked remotely like the teenager we were meeting. Fab parked next to the air hose with an “out of order” sign on it. I got out and opened the lift gate so the kid’s personal belongings were visible.

We didn’t have to wait long. He strolled around the corner from the neighborhood and cut across the driveway. “Nice ride.” He whistled and started to reach for the bag that held his belongings.

“Not so fast.” I stepped in front of him. “I’m holding your stuff for ransom until we have a chat.”

“I don’t have any money.” He turned the pockets of his worn jeans inside out.

“You suck at purse snatching; you might want to get a new career,” I suggested. “One that’s legal. Unless the jail hotel appeals to you.”

“It was only my second time, and I didn’t enjoy it much.” He gave Fab a once-over. “What, she doesn’t speak?”

“You’re lucky she hasn’t shot you for stealing her purse.”

“Over-reaction much? I didn’t get the wallet, which is what I wanted.



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