Part 24 (2/2)
”Thanks, Mo.”
Tires that were probably already bald became balder as the car screeched into reverse. The grinding of the car gears had Mo wincing. The car sped forward through the parking lot. It careened into a right turn, sped along the street, and then disappeared from sight.
Fudge. What had he been thanking her for? What had she said?
Chapter Fourteen.
Disconcerted, Mo took refuge in the motel room. Talley ran to her from the corner to greet her with an angry yowl. He rubbed against her leg in one direction then another. He was hungry for attention or just plain hungry.
”I'll get you more breakfast in a minute, baby.” Thank heavens she'd thought to get a couple cans of tuna from the gas station.
Mo strode into the bathroom and Talley slipped in with her before she closed the door. Her hand shook as she pulled the cell phone from the pocket of her jeans. She flipped it open and then punched in the numbers of the agency. She heard seven rings before an answer came.
”Incredible Love,” Harry greeted in a sour tone.
”It's Mo.”
”Where are you? When are you coming to work? You're late. Clarence is still MIA. I'm manning this place alone and I don't like it.”
”What about Gary?” Mo asked with surging irritation. The agency's other investigator could pick up a little slack when she needed some time away from the office. She'd done the same for him in the past.
”He's not here yet. But then I expect him to be late. You're the reliable one.”
Oh pistachios. ”I'm still working on that Ross Grant thing.” Mo cracked open the bathroom door to peek out. Ross would be here any minute, wondering why she hadn't appeared in the parking lot with Talley. Relief hit her when she saw the room was empty. Good. No Ross yet.
”Do you know anything about a sleazy reporter by the name of Stewart Milton?” Mo asked, closing the bathroom door and then leaning back against it.
”Oh no. I mean yes,” Harry said. ”I investigated him yesterday when you said he was hounding you. There's nothing remarkable in his personal life. He's married but has no children. I hear he's a s.a.d.i.s.tic shark. He loves to make people bleed and then feast on their carca.s.ses. Don't make him mad.”
Mo wanted to say, ”Thanks for the advice but you're too late.” She didn't. No use in lamenting about the past. Mo had to find a way to deal with Milton in the future.
”Who is he? What are his weaknesses? Does he have any bad habits I could exploit?”
”Why are you asking?” Harry replied. ”I don't like the sound of this. I know you.”
”I don't know what you mean,” Mo said, peeking out the door again into the still empty room.
”You'll try to cajole, intimidate, and downright attack anybody who's trying to hurt someone you love. But don't do it here.”
”Well, I may have to.”
”Don't attack Stewart Milton,” Harry interrupted. ”Don't even threaten him. He has the power of the press.”
Mo fell silent.
”Seriously. You could get hurt.”
Mo maintained her silence.
”It's not only you at stake here, Mo. He could really hurt this agency with bad publicity. You stay away from Stewart Milton,” Harry said.
The silence continued for a few seconds before Harry spoke again.
”And if you can't stay away from Milton then just give him what he wants. From what I know of him, it'll hurt a lot less.”
”What if I can't do that? What if I can't give him what he wants?” Mo asked.
The line went silent for a few moments before Harry responded. ”I'll have to fire you,” her boss said with a heavy sigh. ”I rely on this business for my sole support. I can't have it damaged.”
Mo choked back the sudden bust of pain Harry's words caused her. She'd known, but didn't want to believe, what choice Harry would make between business and friends.h.i.+p. The truth hurt when it slapped her in the face.
”I'll keep that in mind, boss.” She tried to say it lightly, even though her chest felt heavy.
”So, you're working the Ross Grant thing. Any luck finding Clarence?”
”Nope.” Mo started at hearing a knock on the door. ”But I do know Clarence was using the name Stephen Dagger for some blackmail scheme on a Russian named Kubikov.”
”OmiG.o.d. And now they think Ross is Dagger.”
”Yeah.”
”What a mess.”
”Double yeah.”
”Are you in there, Mo?” Ross's m.u.f.fled voice came through the particleboard.
Mo covered the phone's mouthpiece. ”I'll be right out,” she called and then uncovered the mouthpiece. ”I won't be in the office today. I need to follow up on some leads.”
”What did you say?” Ross's m.u.f.fled voice asked.
Covering the mouthpiece, Mo answered. ”Nothing. I'm just talking to Talley.”
Talley jumped up and placed his front paws on her knees.
”Yowwwwwwrrrrrr.”
”In a minute, baby,” she said as she stroked his head and missed half of what Harry was saying in her ear.
”- Jessica Nelson says. So I need you to report there tonight at eight p.m.”
”What?” Where was she supposed to be? And what a.s.signment did Harry want her to go to?
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