Part 17 (1/2)
”Interesting you should ask. We were talking earlier this evening about her. The first week she was with us, she seemed fine. But there's something missing this week. I think we'll actually have a legitimate reason to let her go.” He scratched the back of his neck. ”Not sure what's going on with her. It's like she's preoccupied. Kind of jumpy, actually, don't you think, Savannah?”
”Yes. Yesterday, she had just come in after taking a cigarette break. I asked her to prepare a pen for a new boarder and she just looked at me kind of blank, like she didn't understand a word I was saying.”
”Hmmm, you might have a druggie on your hands there,” Craig said.
Savannah scrunched up her face. ”Oh, I hadn't thought of that. And you heard about Rags's reaction to her, didn't you? He freaked out when she came into the room where he was.”
”Yeah, that was odd.” Craig leaned forward in his chair. ”Well, as it turns out, Damon knows her. He was surprised to learn that she was working for you. Said she usually works in sleazy bars as a c.o.c.ktail waitress and she sometimes dances at strip clubs. He said he has never known her to have a regular job.”
”Well, that's interesting. Maybe she's turning over a new leaf...or trying to,” Michael said.
Savannah laughed. ”Ever positive, as Auntie Marg says.”
Craig looked askance at Michael. ”I don't think so. But I guess anything's possible.”
The headlines in Tuesday evening's paper blared: ”Raid Results In Arrests.”
”Did you see this?” Michael asked when Savannah walked through the door of their home.
”Yes, I stopped by to see Auntie; and Max showed it to me. I guess Craig's operation was successful.”
”Says they arrested a dozen people on all variety of charges,” Michael said. And then he motioned to her. ”Come here, I want to show you something.”
”What?” Savannah asked as she zipped up her purse, set it down and walked over to the sofa where Michael sat.
”Here, look at this guy.”
”Well, I can't see much of him. What about him?” she asked. ”Is it someone you know?”
”Oh, I think he may have paid us a visit at some point-but no, we don't know him. At least, I hope not.”
”You're talking in riddles, Michael.”
”Look at what he's wearing, Savannah.”
”Ohhhhhh. Could it be? Oh my gosh, Michael. It looks like the same fabric as the swatch Rags had at the clinic that night. We'd better call Craig.”
”Wait-let's look at the online newspaper. Maybe we can bring it closer and see the fabric better. Do you remember what it looked like?”
”I sure do. Exactly.”
Once Michael brought the photograph up on the computer, Savannah stared into the monitor. ”Yes, that's it, Michael-I can see it clearly. That's the fabric from Rags's swatch. I'm calling Craig right now.”
”What did he say?” Michael asked when Savannah had hung up the phone.
”He seemed glad for the reminder. In fact, he was a little excited about it. I guess he'd forgotten about the fabric.”
”I want to talk to one of the men we picked up last night,” Craig Sledge told the sergeant in charge of the jail.
”Which one, Detective?”
”Gus Ramirez.”
The sergeant looked down at a list. ”Oh, we just let him go. He had a public defender and made bail.”
”c.r.a.p!”
”Why do you want him?”
Craig looked over at him and said, ”Well, someone let a cat out of a bag and I want to talk to him about it.”
”Huh?” the sergeant c.o.c.ked his head slightly and rubbed the back of his neck.
”Just don't rent out his cell to anyone else. He may be needin' it.” With that, Craig turned on his heels and walked back to his office. ”Gonzalez, let's go. We have a possible perp to nab.”
After driving around for an hour in the area where they'd originally picked up the man named Gus Ramirez, Ramon Gonzalez said, ”Sledge, we've been past this block eight times. He's not here.”
”Well, he could be in the club or the tat parlor. Let's go see if we can find him there.” They parked and walked into Clive's Tattoos. ”Have you seen Gus tonight?”
”Nope,” the tattoo artist said without looking up.
”Are you sure?” Craig said pulling the plug on the tattoo gun he was using.
”Yeah, man, I'm sure. Now quit interferin' with my business, man.”
”Do you know where he might be this time of night?”
”Don't know-he'll probably be at the club later.”
Once outside, Gonzalez said, ”Sledge, why don't we go get dinner and then do a stake-out. No one goes to the clubs before nine.”
”Yeah, I guess. I'm just eager to take a good look at this guy.”
”Where do you want to eat? Your favorite place?”
Craig looked confused for a moment and then said, ”Oh, the diner? Naw, she ain't workin' tonight.”
”You sure are sweet on that gal, aren't you?”
”She's a great gal.” Craig didn't want to tell his partner that he had Damon at his cabin and Iris and the boys were out there waiting for him. Looks like I won't return until late tonight, he thought. I'd better call. ”Iris, how is everything?”
”Good. We're having a nice time getting reacquainted. When will you be here?”
”I'm on a hot trail, so it may be late.”