On the plus side, they agreed to let Sammy out as well. Agent Evans graciously offered to have a few officers keep an eye on Vic in the hospital. Smug jerk.
We were waiting in the hall. They’d taken my jacket when they were processing me and were tracking it down. While we waited, Sammy was taking a look at my injuries. He had me hold my arm out so he could take a look at my shoulder where I’d slammed into the desk.
I burst out laughing. I really just couldn’t help myself. Agent Evans frowned, looking at me almost thoughtfully. I managed to pull myself together and just grinned at him.
“Please. Share the joke Ms. Cameron,” Agent Evans said. He folded his hands in front of him. His tone was cold and suspicious.
I shook my head, “It’s nothing. Just been looking all over for Marvin. And I had to get arrested to find him. Could’ve saved myself a lot of time and trouble if I just knocked over a liquor store.”
A half a dozen armed officers and an Inquisitor. My arm felt like I’d torn a muscle when I’d hit the desk and my head was still spinning from what I hoped was only a minor concussion. And even at my best, I still wouldn’t be able to fight my way out without getting at least a few major gunshot wounds for my trouble.
I put my hands up. Never let it be said that I’m too stupid to surrender. A couple of the officers seemed to relax a bit at the sight.
“Easy now,” the Inquisitor said, “Step towards us. No sudden movements.”
We argued for awhile about what to do next. Sammy figured we should just drop the whole thing. If the Inquisitors were chasing after Marvin, we did not want to get in their way. He had a point. The last thing we needed was attention from the feds. But I wanted to check out one more place.
We spent the rest of the night planning. At first, just me and Sammy. When Vic got back he took a seat at the bar with us. He listened for a few minutes and then he just nodded. He was in.
It was actually a lucky break that we were the ones that found the body. We had a leg up on the cops. If we hurried we could start investigating before he was even found and identified.
We decided that the first place we’d take a look at would be Marvin’s apartment. We had his address from a previous job with him and even though he didn’t keep any of his work at home, it was a decent start at least.
Lying to a cop is hard. A cop never believes what you have to say. They’re always suspicious. Searching for the real answers. And everyone lies to cops in this town. You don’t get by very easily telling cops the truth.
All of this makes telling them the truth even harder. Even if it’s the smart thing to do, they never believe you. Not completely.
I went up the stairs and closed the door to my office behind me. The office doubled as an apartment. I used to have my own place but I barely slept there once the bar opened. Eventually I just moved a cot into a corner and moved the few possessions I had.
It felt better this way. The noise from the bar filtered up at all hours. I hated a silent night. Something about a still and peaceful place felt like death.
I was glad to put Winter’s territory behind us. As we left the East Hook, the piles of heavy snow were starting to thin out along the streets. The sun was even shining overhead. Figured. It could be the most beautiful goddamned day in the world and you’d never know it if you were in the middle of Leann’s territory.
The city was cold and grey outside my window. I watched as we drove past the streets of the East Hook. We were in the middle of Winter’s territory and the heavy snowdrifts were piling up on the sidewalks. The sky was as grey as a corpse and just as inviting.
We’d just come from the ports picking up a shipment. I’d taken Vic and Sammy with me. Vic sat in the driver’s seat, keeping his eyes locked on the road. The big palooka always looked uncomfortable in the car. He had to sit hunched over at the wheel to avoid putting his head through the roof.
The greeting is the most important part. A good greeting will always put a customer at ease and make them feel welcome in our store. When a customer comes in, greet them within the first 45 seconds. If you’re already waiting on another customer, tell the new arrival that someone will be right with them. You never want a customer to feel ignored.
