The Veiled (The Baudin & Dixon Trilogy Book 3) by Victor Methos

Author:Victor Methos [Methos, Victor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-04-03T07:00:00+00:00

24

The hotel room was filled with noise as a party took place next door. Baudin didn’t mind. He enjoyed the music and young voices saying idiotic things. He took out his phone and dialed his daughter.

“Hey, Dad.”

“Hey. How’s my munchkin?”

“Me or Eric?”

“Both.”

“He’s fine. He’s watching SpongeBob. I had a shitty day, though.”

“Why?”

“Just this client who isn’t happy with anything. No matter how hard I work or what we get done, he’s just pissed off.”

“So drop his case.”

“Well, he pays the firm a bunch of money. Hopefully the divorce gets finalized soon and I can be done with him.” She paused. “I heard you’re back in Wyoming.”

“Just for a little bit.”

“Doing what?”

“Closing out some business.”

“I hate that place. I don’t like you going back.”

He tilted his head to the side, staring out the window. He guessed it was probably past lunchtime, and he hadn’t eaten anything. His stomach was in knots, and food was the last thing he felt like. “It’s just this one time. Then I’m done with it.”

“What’s it about?”

“Better you don’t know.”

“Dad, that’s bullshit.”

“Nothing serious. I’m coming home soon anyway.”

“Oh. So everything’s done?”

Baudin rubbed his eyes. Fatigue washed over him, and he realized he hadn’t slept much the previous night. “No, nothing’s done. I’m just not sure I can add much. I feel old. Like I’m getting more useless with age.”

“Are you kidding me? I’ve never seen you so happy.”

“Yeah. Well, I better run. Tell Eric I’m comin’ by to take him to a movie as soon as I get back.”

“I will. Love you, Dad.”

He couldn’t help but grin. “Love you, babe.”

Baudin hung up and took in the unmistakable scent of marijuana. He debated for a moment and then went out into the hall. He knocked on the door of the room adjacent to his, and a young girl answered, barely twenty. She smiled. “Hi.”

“I can smell your pot.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“Can I buy a joint off you guys?”

“Buy a joint?”

“Yeah. You guys still smoke joints, right? There hasn’t been some advance in pot-smoking technology in the past decade, has there?”

“Um… I don’t know.”

She glanced down, and Baudin saw her eyes widen. He had forgotten that his badge was still clipped to his belt.

“Oh, wow, no,” she said. “Hold on. Okay? Just hold on one second.”

“Okay.”

The door closed, the music turned down, and the voices quieted. Baudin remembered his own youth when the police would show up to a party. The anxiety would hit, and the desire to either act older or to hide. He didn’t want to scare these kids, but if he was being honest with himself, he’d have to admit this was kind of fun.

A young boy came to the door. He only opened it about a third of the way and held out a clear baggie without saying anything. Baudin took it and smelled it. He had forgotten what marijuana smelled like, both repugnant and pleasant at once.

“Twenty bucks,” the kid said nervously.

Baudin stared at him a second, and the kid swallowed. Baudin took out his wallet and handed him a twenty.

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