Chapter 144

word count 1271

“I can't believe that just happened. They threw me out of their house!” Buzz Miller slammed his fist on the dash. He paused, fuming, then thought better of it. “At least I know Adam has protection. The undercovers shouldn't get in the way but will do their job.”

Priscilla nodded. This guy can be a brute, she thought. It was her job to study people, to see if they offered any signs of danger, and/or if they could be of use to her. And she felt sure she would need to stay clear of this guy's anger issues, unless, of course, she could use it to her advantage. A good idea to be tucked away for later.

“So what's all this talk about a diamond, and why protection for your son? Is he a jewel thief or something?” She asked the last question with a quirky, little grin.

Buzz smiled, his first time since they left the house. “Well, in a manner of speaking...he found a ring, well, his brother, Erik, did. But now the boys won't admit it for some reason.”

“But they do have the ring, they're just hiding it or something...”

“Yeah. I would have gotten it from them, but Adam's foster parents stepped in. The ring belongs in police custody as evidence. My men saw Erik with it in a surveillance video at the town dump.” He sighed, remembering details he couldn't speak out loud. “But for now I guess I'll have to let it go.”

“This is all quite puzzling. Why put guards on the boys?” She needed to probe, find out all she could.

He shot her a troubled glance. “Well, this is police business and I can't really tell you too much. Let's just say some unsavory characters want that ring, and they're not afraid to come and get it, no matter what the cost.” His expression turned angry again. She could hear the exasperation in his voice and see the vein throbbing on is forehead.

“So someone wants the ring. What is it about the gem that's so special? Is it especially valuable?”

“Never having seen it, I don't know for sure. But if these thugs are looking for it, it must be. These are hardcore criminals, and they wouldn't waste their time on something insignificant.”

Oh, this gem is significant! Priscilla mused. So, besides her, some pretty dangerous characters were also after the ring. Well, that complicates things.

***

“Well, no luck in figuring out where Miller lives. I guess we're going to have to go to the precinct and follow him home to the boy, Lenny. Then the kid can tell us who the other brat is and we can go get that damned jewel.”

“We're not far from the police station,” Nick said, whirling the steering wheel around for one of his trademark shortcuts. In short order, he pulled into a far corner of the precinct's unauthorized parking lot, for cops only. He parked ready for a quick getaway,just in time to see Big Bob, mama, Stan, and Mike exit a squad car and go in the building. They were busy talking and didn't spot Lenny and Nick's renegade vehicle.

“What the hell? That Big Bob guy is gonna spill the beans about us.” Lenny ran a hand through his greased-down red hair in exasperation, then wiped the excess oil across his pant leg.

“Yeah, if I'd have known that, I'd have plugged him,” Nick said. “I still may! But he doesn't know who we are. We got time til Miller figures it out.”

“Yeah, but this all probably means Miller isn't heading home any time soon.”

“Lenny, look!” Nick pointed toward a Crown Vic pulling in. Buzz emerged with the most beautiful woman the two thugs had ever seen.

“Oh my Gawd! She's hot! Man, that Miller, can he get the dames or what?”

“You're telling me! I'm gonna have to do something to obliterate that handsome face of his, just out of principle, to take him down a peg.” Nick fingered his revolver in its holster and licked his lips with anticipation.

“Oh Nick, you slay me!” Lenny said. “Although I think that's a pretty good idea actually.”

“Well, I guess we're stuck here until he goes home, Then we can follow him, find the kid, and get the goods on that jewelry.”

“Yeah,” Lenny said. “It's gonna be a long day.” He shot the seat back and kicked his heels up on the dash and settled in for a snooze. It wasn't an easy job with his humongous belly to get his legs up high, but it was doable since he was short and his legs didn't amount to much. And he had a lot of practice having done surveillance for years with lots of snoozing on the job.

***

“I know I should have taken you home first, but this matter has such urgency, I hope you don't mind waiting. I'll get you some coffee and you can wait in my office.” Buzz walked with one hand on her waist protecting Priscilla from imaginary traffic.

And he's a lech, too, she mused making a note of it in the back of her mind. That little fact could come in handy later.

“Oh, not at all,” she replied. “Actually, I'm looking forward to seeing the inner workings of a police station.”

“Yep, this is ground zero, the pulse of the city, the good guys.”

“Yes, how very exciting!” NOT, she thought. These Neanderthals should try a little international espionage. Now there's some danger. Listen to him, getting off on himself! The place was a dump, but there was so much she could learn here. It was like letting a kid loose in a toy store.

***
Mrs. Dunn smiled when she saw Algie enter her room.

“Such a welcome sight, Algernon, dear!”

“Howdy, Winifred. I hope I've found you in good spirits!” He kissed her lightly on the cheek and took a seat next to her.

She studied him. They had worked together their entire adult lives, so she knew something was up. “Algie, you look like the cat who swallowed the canary!” Thoughtful, her bright eyes riveted on him, making the fellow squirm.

“Oh my Gawd! You've brought in another agent! How dare you, Algie! When I asked you not to. I'll be on my feet in no time.” She looked ready to take a swing at him.

“Winifred, calm down. You're not well and need proper time to recover. And this gem game is moving fast. We just couldn't wait for you to be back on your feet. You understand...”

“Well, I hope at least you chose someone good. I'm not easy to replace, you know. I've got forty years service in with Her Majesty, and twenty of them have included our little backwoods 'projects' together.”

“Yes, yes! The girlie I chose is good, very good.” A bead of sweat was quickly forming on Algernon's brow.

“A woman! What woman is MY equal. I would think you'd choose a man. What woman?” She paused to think. Mrs. Dunn's face turned white at first, then red with rage. “Algernon, not HER! YOU DIDN'T!”

The bedside monitors, which up to now had been making gentle beeps, whipped into a frenzy shouting out a raucous array of alarms and buzzers. A nurse rushed to the room.

“Mrs. Dunn! Is something wrong? You blood pressure and heart rhythms are elevated. I'm going to need you to settle down.”

“I'm sorry, dear. I don't think that's possible. This man has upset me far too much.”