Page 34 of Lake
“No, I don’t.” Was I fishing for a compliment? Maybe. I was also super curious as to what he thought of me, for some reason.
“You’re pretty. And funny. And stuff.” He shifted and looked away as he scratched the back of his neck like he was nervous.
“Stuff? Oh, Lake, just what every girl wants to hear.” I laughed and tossed a pillow at him which he batted away with cat-like reflexes.
“Okay, I should go back to work now that everything is all settled. Here is the key to the room.” He started to work it off his key ring. “I just ask that I can take a shower and stuff at some point.”
“Yeah, not a problem,” I rushed to say. “Just let me know and I’ll find an elsewhere to be.”
“Thanks. And let me know when you need to go somewhere, I’ll find something for you to drive.”
He handed me the key then headed for the door.
“Lake,” I said and swallowed the lump clogging my throat. I couldn’t believe how I’d gotten so lucky. I honestly had no clue what I would have done if I had ended up somewhere else. I had a feeling I would have been stranded here for a long time trying to find a side job to make enough money just to get me home. “Thank you. And thank Iron too. It really means a lot to me.”
“It’s not a big deal. And you should tell him yourself. He’s kinda scary looking but he has a soft spot for lost souls.”
With a chin jerk, he was out the door and gone from my sight.
I sat there for a long moment wondering how the fuck I’d stumbled upon such luck. Sure, yeah, maybe it wasn’t the best place to find myself at but then again, they had shown me nothing but kindness. After the whole gun thing anyway. And it wasn’t like all motorcycle clubs were full of asshole men that did outlaw things. I knew there were some out there that actually did a lot of good for the community.
My dad had taught me better than to judge someone right away and I was a little ashamed of the first thoughts that I’d had.
I shook it off knowing full well that I needed to get started on the case. Since my laptop was in my car and I wasn’t feeling the walk all the way back to the garage just yet, I settled for using my phone.
I pulled out my notebook, which I did have on me, and found a pen somewhere in the depths of the bottom of my bag. I started with a list.
The first thing I had to do was find the main police department headquarters. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes and Dad had always taught me that when I went to a different city, it was always best to not only let them know I was there but try to get on their good side. You never knew when making a friend might come in handy, that was for sure.
After I wrote down the address to the closes precinct, I moved on to the notes in the file. Art didn’t have a lot for me which I knew was sometimes how things went.
“So. Long lost sister. Well, half-sister.” I tended to talk things out loud when I was working on a case. For some reason, it helped me to remember everything better. “Looking for a Roberta Banks.”
From what I knew the woman was in her early thirties but Art couldn’t find a birth certificate for her so her true age was unknown. I had an address but he wasn’t sure if it was a place of employment or a home.
I searched for the address and used Google Maps to see the street view. It only confused me further. Maybe I had been so trigger-happy that I didn’t really stop and get enough information. Then again, I knew Art, and while he wasn’t all that tech savvy, he knew how to get enough to handle a case like this. So, really, I had no reason to question what he gave me. It just meant that I’d have to get down and dirty and do some groundwork. I knew that meant long nights of sitting on my ass watching and waiting. I was no stranger to that activity but that didn’t mean it was my favorite thing to do.
A quick search for her name did nothing.
I kind of felt like I was going in blind here.
I looked at the building again and while I wasn’t sure how long ago this picture was taken, I could tell that it was one of those buildings that not only looked vacant but would remain that way for a very long time.
I got a strange feeling in my gut but I couldn’t explain it. Something felt off but then again, I was probably just stressed to hell and frustrated that I had like jack shit to go on.
I tucked my notes away and put my phone on the charger. Then I decided to take a nap because I knew it was probably going to be a long night.
A knock at the door woke me a little while later. I sat up, the room completely dark now, and tried my best to shake off the disoriented feeling that swirled in my head.
“Hold on,” I called out and tossed the covers off. “Who is it?”
“It’s Lake,” he replied through the closed door and I could hear the smile in his voice.
“Right!” He probably was done with work now and wanted to use the shower. Which meant that I needed to get ready to hightail it out of here. “Hey,” I breathed out as I pulled open the door.
“Uhhhh….” His jaw hung open as the sounds seemed to push themselves out of his throat.
“Oops! Sorry,” I said rushing back to the side of the bed and pulling my pants up my legs with lightning speed, then getting my shirt on with the same quickness. What could I say, it was more comfy to sleep in a bra and panties. “Close your mouth before you catch flies.”
