Читать книгу Serpents Rising - David A. Poulsen - Страница 9

We started in the direction of the car but had only gone a couple of steps when a girl crossed the street coming our way. She was carrying something bulky and paid no attention to us, probably deliberately. She passed us and looked like she might be heading for the back of the building.

I decided there was nothing to lose. “Zoe?”

She slowed, almost stopped, then picked up speed. Turned the corner of the building.

“Zoe.” I called again and started after her, Cobb right behind me.

As we came around to the side of the building, I thought we’d lost her. Black night, no illumination here from the street’s lone streetlight. A shadow moving just ahead.

“Zoe?”

She kept going, now around the back of the building.

Cobb said, “We just want to ask you about Jay Blevins. He’s in trouble and we need to find him. To help him.”

We came around the corner and she had stopped right at the hole in the wall entrance. The tiny amount of light from the interior of the building was enough to let us see her face.

I’d have put her at seventeen or eighteen. Pretty, or could have been with a little attention to her appearance. Her clothes were thrift store head to toe. Her light brown hair, what I could see of it, was a maze of tangles; a scarf haphazardly covered the rest. The bulky item she was carrying was a garbage bag. There was no way of knowing what it contained.

She was looking at us. More angry than scared. Or maybe pretending to be tough. “Stay right there or I scream and fifteen guys will be down here to kick the livin’ shit out of both of you.”

Fifteen guys. She might have been able to rustle up three or four, counting the cat, but I didn’t think pointing that out would improve our chances of getting information from her.

“You don’t have to do that. We’re trying to find Jay. It’s important. If you could help us —”

“What kind of trouble?”

“I … what?”

“You said he was in trouble. What kind of trouble?”

Cobb answered. “We think some people might be looking for him. If they find him, it could be very bad for Jay. He doesn’t know, at least we don’t think he knows, that he’s in danger. We need to tell him and help him if he’ll let us.”

“How do I know you’re not those guys, or cops, or guys his parents have sent out to bring him home?”

“I guess you don’t. We can show you our ID if that’ll help. I’m a private detective. Jay’s father hired me to find him. But not to get him to go home, just to keep him from getting hurt by the people I mentioned. This gentleman is a journalist. He’s helping me.”

“Jay doesn’t want to go home.”

Cobb shook his head. “Like I said, this isn’t about him going home, Zoe. This is a lot more serious than that, believe me.”

“Zoe,” I spoke softly, hoping my voice conveyed sincerity. “We don’t want to hurt you or Jay. That’s not why we’re here.”

“Okay, let me see your ID.”

Cobb pulled out his wallet, stepped forward with it. I fished in my pocket, found mine, and extracted a driver’s licence and Press Club membership. It wasn’t great but I hoped it might convince her. I started forward.

“Hold it,” the sharpness of her voice echoed off the building. “Only one of you.” She pointed at me. “You, the little one, you bring the ID for both of you.”

Cobb handed me his PI card. I guessed he was trying not to smile. The little one.

I stepped forward and extended my arm in order to keep some distance between us, handed her the IDs. She held them so that she could examine them in the light, then passed them back to me.

“Come on,” she said and turned and went into the building.

We followed. No one spoke as we retraced our path back up the stairs to the last place we’d been in. When we got to her door I said, “You want me to go get the light bulb?”

“I’ve got light. Wait here.” She went inside, closing the door behind her. She was gone long enough that I looked questioningly at Cobb. He stared straight ahead, waiting. More patient than I was.

The door opened. Zoe stepped back, made a motion with her hand that seemed to indicate we should come inside. Cobb went in first and I followed him.

She was right. She had light. Candles, eight or ten at least, in various shapes and lengths, were lit, giving the room a very different feel from when we’d been in it before. She’d even pushed a few things around. Tidied a little.

She closed the door behind us, directed us to a lawn chair that hadn’t been set up before, and a board set across two piles of magazines. Cobb let me have the chair, he sat carefully on the board. She sat on the floor opposite us.

“So you are Zoe.”

She nodded.

“What’s your last name, Zoe?”

“Tario.”

“Thanks for talking to us.”

“I can get you some water.”

Cobb declined and I started to but thought better of it. In some strange way, I felt that this street girl was doing her best to be hospitable and that water was probably all she had to offer us.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’d appreciate a water.”

She got up, reached behind her for a plastic jug of water, poured some into a glass that may or may not have been clean. She handed me the water with a flicker of a smile at the corners of her mouth.

“I hope you like cold water.” She shook the glass and I could hear bits of ice hitting the sides.

“Cold’s my favourite.” I said.

Another flicker, then she sat back down and looked at Cobb. “Why should I help you guys?”

“Because you’d be helping Jay,” Cobb said. “It’s like we said before, there are some other people who might be looking for him. If they are, it’s imperative that we find him before they do.”

“Who are these people?”

“We’re not sure.”

“Pretty vague.”

“I wish I could give you more definitive answers but I can’t. You’re going to have to trust us.”

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve heard that in my life? From my favourite uncle who was a pedophile to my first boyfriend who turned out to be violent to the two cops who arrested me for shoplifting and offered me some interesting ways to avoid being charged to … there’s more, but I’m sure you get the picture. So, bottom line, I don’t have to trust you.”

Cobb glanced over at me. I could see he was thinking about how much he’d tell her. He nodded. “Two drug trade guys were killed last night. A house over in Ramsay. Crack dealers … they were shot.”

Zoe looked thoughtful, nodded slowly. “I heard something about it on the news. There was a radio playing at a shelter I stopped at to get some blankets.”

Blankets. That explained the garbage bag.

“It’s going to be bloody cold tonight,” I said. I shook my water glass to remind her just how cold. “Why didn’t you just stay at the shelter?”

“I like it here.”

When neither Cobb nor I responded she added, “I sort of wanted to be here in case … someone comes here.”

“Jay?” I asked.

She didn’t answer. Turned instead to Cobb. “What’s the shooting have to do with Jay?”

“Maybe nothing,” Cobb looked down at the floor for maybe a millisecond then back up at Zoe, his decision made. “The guy who shot those two men was Jay’s father. He’s worried that the guys who are higher up the food chain might want revenge for a couple of their guys getting snuffed.”

“So why wouldn’t they want to get their revenge on Jay’s father?”

“They will want that. But if they’re not successful, or even if they are, Mr. Blevins is concerned that they might want to go farther. If he’s right, then Jay could become a target. Or maybe already is.”

Zoe didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes. She seemed to be digesting the information.

Cobb let her think about it for a while. “Do you happen to know that house? It’s on Raleigh Avenue.”

Zoe pulled a cigarette out of her jacket pocket, not a pack, one lone cigarette. She lit it from one of the candles, took a drag, blew smoke above our heads. “I know it.”

“You a user, Zoe?”

She shook her head. “Was. I’ve been clean for almost four months. Went through a program and got off it … for now. I guess we’ll see.”

I appreciated her honesty. None of the “I’ve never used” or “I’ve beaten the thing for life” that you hear from a lot of users.

“What do you know about the house?” Cobb asked her.

“Not a lot. Jay bought there quite often. He took me with him twice. I hated the place. Real creepy guys. I remember one was called Stick. Real tall. The first time I went there with Jay, that asshole, Stick, offered to show me why he had that particular nickname. Total jerkoff.”

Blevins had told Cobb one of the guys was very tall. Maybe Stick was one of the victims.

“Who else was there, do you remember?”

“The first time it was only Stick and two kids who looked junior high school age making a buy. The second time, it was like Walmart on Saturday night — people everywhere. Stick was there and another guy was doing the selling and distributing. I didn’t pay much attention to who was in there, mostly I wanted to get out and gone as fast as we could. After that time I told Jay I wouldn’t go there anymore. He said he’d buy for me — that was when I was still using.”

“Crack … that what they sold there?”

“Crack, ecstasy, blow, lots of other stuff. One stop shopping.”

Cobb nodded and leaned forward. “Jay ever say anything about the people who sold out of that house? Like who they worked for?”

“No. I even asked him once. He said he didn’t know and didn’t want to know. Just as long he could get what he needed he didn’t care if Stephen Harper owned the place.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s not him,” Cobb said, smiling.

Zoe didn’t return the smile.

“Listen, Zoe, we don’t know who runs that place either and we don’t know if it’s the same people Stick and his pal report to … or maybe reported to is more accurate. But we’ve talked to some guys who are in the know and they’ve told us that these aren’t people you want to mess with.”

“So why are you messing with them?”

“Because a scared dad hired me to protect his kid. And that’s what I’m going to do, but I could use your help.”

“Trouble is, I don’t know where he is. Jay isn’t what you’d call reliable. He’ll tell you he’s going to be somewhere at a certain time and show up a few hours later, or the next day, or not at all.”

There was a knock at the door. Sitting there grouped around the candles, talking in low voices, we hadn’t heard anyone approach. I have to admit I jumped. I think Zoe did too. Cobb stood up, turned to face the door.

“Yeah?” Zoe called

A gravel voice answered. “I got an extra heater and a cord. I’ll leave ’em right here.”

“Thanks, Jackie,” Zoe called again, then looked at us. “Jackie Morris. My neighbor. Good guy. One person I can trust.”

“We met him.” Cobb sat back down.

We waited and no one spoke until we heard shuffling footsteps moving away from Zoe’s door.

Cobb said, “You were saying that Jay isn’t reliable.”

Zoe looked at each of us in turn. It looked like she was deciding whether she ought to be critical of Jay in front of strangers.

“Sometimes he’s great. When he’s sort of in control of his life, everybody loves him — he’s funny, smart, creative, considerate … just a good guy. I know that sounds, I don’t know —”

“We’ve heard that same description of him from other people,” I said.

She nodded. “Anyway, Jay is pretty heavily addicted. He’s tried, really tried, but he can’t seem to stay clean, at least not for any length of time.”

I sipped my water. “Back to my earlier question: is Jay the reason you’re here tonight instead of somewhere warm? You’re expecting him?”

She hesitated then smiled a little. Shy. “Not expecting, exactly. More hoping.”

“If he doesn’t show up here, is there anywhere you could suggest we look?”

“If I knew, I’d look there myself.”

Cobb said. “So you haven’t seen him in a while.”

“A week, maybe more. Like I said, he tends to disappear from the radar sometimes. Real hard to find then. I’ve given up looking. I just live my life and if he comes around, great, if not …” She shrugged.

Cobb stood up. “Thanks Zoe. We do appreciate the help. If you hear from him or of him, I’d appreciate a call.” He handed her one of his cards.

“Likewise.”

“Fair enough. You have a cell phone?”

“Uh-uh. The thing with having a cell phone is they expect you to pay the bill now and again.”

Cobb nodded. “If we find out anything, I’ll get word to you.” He turned toward the door.

I finished my water, set the glass down, and stood up. “Zoe, just wondering, I know it’s none of my business, but have you answered that note from your parents?”

She looked over at the note, then back at me.

“Sorry, we weren’t really snooping, just trying to find out if Jay —”

She waved an arm. “It’s okay, and no I haven’t. My bad, huh?”

“I don’t know anything about your relationship with your parents. It just sounded like they’re worried, that’s all.”

“That’s another story for another time. I’ll think about letting them know I’m okay.”

I nodded, turned, and followed Cobb to the door. As we stepped into the hall, the space heater and neatly coiled extension cord were sitting next to the doorway. The heater didn’t look like it would generate a lot of warmth but maybe it would help if it was right next to you. Maybe.

Cobb didn’t say anything until we were back on the street. The temperature had dropped a few more degrees but the wind had let up. A few flakes of snow drifted down. It wasn’t a bad night, especially if you were going home to a house with a furnace and a warm bed.

“The offer still stand? We have another go at this tomorrow?”

I nodded. “The offer still stands.”

It was a quiet ride back to my place. I thought we might stop for a drink, do a little recap of the day and what we’d learned. But I was relieved when Cobb seemed intent on taking a straight line back to Drury Avenue. I was too tired to make much sense and mostly wanted a hot shower to get the smell and feel of the places we’d been off me. And sleep, I wanted that most of all.

As we turned the corner that led to my apartment building, Cobb took a breath, exhaled, and said, “Interesting day.”

“It was,” I agreed.

“Listen … thanks.”

“I hope we get a little closer to the kid tomorrow.”

Cobb pulled to a stop in front of my building. Reached across, shook my hand. “See you in the morning. How about eight?”

“I’ll try to be a little more ready for action then I was this morning.”

Cobb smiled and I stepped out into the street. The Jeep had turned the corner and disappeared before I had the front door of my building open.