Page 13 of Pitbull
“I don’t know.” Daniel rose and began peeling off his gloves. “There isn’t really a way to tell, especially in the dark. I want to think the car has been stolen and they merely followed the thief. That’s better than thinking someone wants to blow Claudia off the map.”
“I’m going to have to agree with you there.”
Daniel grunted as he glanced around. It was almost as if he was taking a mental picture of the area. He reached up and pressed the tab at his ear. After a few seconds, he chuckled.
“Smartass. We found the car,” Daniel was saying. “I think someone else was driving it. There’s also evidence of a second car. Yeah, I know. If I need help I’ll give a shout.”
Anke wrapped her arms around herself and headed back toward Daniel’s truck.
“You okay?” Daniel jogged to catch up.
“What is she into?” Anke asked. “Her car is in the seventh layer of hell burnt to shit. What is she into?”
Daniel opened her door. “I don’t know. But, from experience, whatever it is—it’s not going to end well.”
“I was afraid you’d say that.”
Anke climbed up with his help and after he closed the door, she slipped on her seatbelt.
Hennef sat east of Sankt Augustin. The population wasn’t much smaller, sitting at around forty six thousand a mere seven years ago. It’d been quite some time since Pitbull ventured into Hennef and he wasn’t sure how Claudia made it there. They were raised in Dusseldorf which was about an hour and a half away.
Then again, he had no clue how things got so damn screwed up.
Checking his mirrors, he switched lanes to get around a truck then hung a left, following the GPS’s instructions. Claudia had typed in the address and he hadn’t bother checking to see where he was actually going.
Henenf was only about a twenty minute drive from Sankt Augustin—his sister had been so close, yet so far away from him. It stirred something inside him and he refused to let it bubble to the surface. He had nothing to be guilty about—all of this was Claudia’s doing.
He’d tried for years to be there for her, to give her what she needed. In a perfect world, as the older child, Claudia would be the one to sacrifice for him, protected him. Yet, he’d almost died—twice—trying to be the brother to her he thought she deserved.
By the time they arrived, the sun was gone, and night had descended over Germany like an ominous cloud. From time to time he’d glanced over at Anke and when she hadn’t been studying him, she was staring out the window. A part of him wanted to say something for she seemed so worried. But he didn’t know what to say to not make things worse. She already thought he was an asshole but he just couldn’t help it. They didn’t have time for him to tell her the sordid history between himself and his sister and he doubt she’d be around long enough to get it.
He used the drive to put himself in a better frame of mind. When he finally pulled up before the house, Pitbull was over this entire situation. He killed the engine and allowed his eyes to wander the street for any anomalies.
“Why are we stopping here?” Anke asked. “The apartment is up there.”
Pitbull shifted in his seat so he could unbuckle his seatbelt and allow it to slip behind him. “Take a good look, Ms. Fischer…”
“Anke—please.”
Pitbull offered her a glance before returning his gaze ahead. “Okay, Anke. Look around—primarily at the vehicles on this street. The people who live here are poor. Given not as bad as Metro Valley but the residents are barely making ends meet. Do you see what’s wrong with this picture?”
For a moment, Anke said nothing. She removed her seat belt and leaned forward as if thinking seriously about his question.
“Um…all these cars are like mine—beaten up, has more mileage than is probably safe. Yet, there’s a shinny, new one sitting right there.”
“Very good.” Pitbull felt pride swell in his chest and he wasn’t quite sure why. He tapped out the license plate number into his phone and saved it. “That car is out of place. The people who live here, do so because they can’t do any better. If someone can afford such a nice car—they’d not be living here.”
“Makes sense. What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking…” Pitbull glanced over his shoulder before turning forward once more. “We find another way in. If they are watching Claudia’s place, we don’t need to start a fight before we have all the information.”
Pitbull started the engine and turned the truck around. He drove a little ways down and pulled onto a side street where he parked and they both climbed out. Under the cover of darkness, he led her through someone’s backyard then slipped around a few tresses and into the back end of the apartment building. Someone had used a cinderblock to prop the door open, probably to let out the stench of stale cigarette and cat pee wafting from the place.
How does one go from a millionaire to this?
He allowed Anke to enter ahead of him, so she could lead the way to Claudia’s suite then let themselves into the apartment. Thankfully, the lights had been left on so there won’t be a reason to arouse suspicion. “Stay away from the windows.” He advised.
Anke nodded.
