fight had ended, then took a step back, now nearly shoulder to chin with Gordon.
âGo inside and clean yourselves up,â Mike ordered, and the two damaged bouncers both reached for the handle. It was locked.
Mike chuckled, reached into his pocket, then brought out a ring of keys. âLeave it unlocked for me,â he said, tossing the keys. Fernando made the grab, and a few seconds later, Mike, Charlie, and Gordon were alone, facing the alley.
âSomething tells me you two arenât here looking for a job, and Iâve never run into you before, Iâd have remembered. What do you want?â Mike asked, keeping his hand near the butt of his pistol.
âWeâre looking for a young woman youâd worked with in the past, a gal in the same profession as the ladies getting your upstairs clients in the mood.â
âA good-looking Indian girl, maybe?â Mike asked, looking at Charlie closely. âHey, the girls who work here come and go on their own. If your sister or girlfriendâ¦â
âNaw, Iâm not here to rescue anyone from their sinful ways, Iâm just trying to locate Lola Tso. Have you seen her lately?â
âAh, Lola, good-looking, young, and a hard worker. We parted company about two and a half years ago, maybe three. Said she had enough money saved up to enroll in community college. Hated to see her go, but I had a big enough stable at the time to keep the money coming in. Why are you looking for her?â
âSheâs got some people on her trail, violent people, and we need to find her first. Sheâs keeping a low profile right now, but sheâs made a couple of costly mistakes. We were thinking she might have come around here looking for protection.â
âHow do I know youâre not the ones out to hurt Lola?â
âIf we were, your goons would be dead or dying and weâd be conducting whatever painful act was necessary to make you talk,â Gordon said. âYouâre lucky weâre the good guys, trust me.â
âUnfortunately, youâre going to have to take me at my word. I havenât seen Lola for almost two years, and if sheâs still a hooker, it isnât for me or anyone I know. And Iâd know.â
Charlie brought out his pocket notebook and a pen and wrote a number down on a piece of paper. He tore it out and handed it to Mike.
âIf you hear from Lola, or get some intel, either call this number or have her do it. This is important. The police are looking for Lola too. The quicker they find her, the easier itâll be for any of her former employers to remain anonymous,â Charlie explained. âAssuming sheâs still alive.â
âI get that,â Mike replied. âI like Lola and Iâll do what I can to keep her safe. I take care of my people.â
âThen weâre done.â Charlie nodded to Gordon, and they walked away, into the parking lot. There was no more reason to stay and chat with the pimp.
âThink he was lying?â Gordon asked as they reached the front of the building and walked toward Charlieâs Dodge.
âNah, Mikeâs a tool, but he seems smart enough not to make any enemies who could come back and cause trouble. Meg didnât particularly like the guy, but she respects that he takes care of his own. Thatâs a good thing.â
âWhose phone number did you give to Slick?â Gordon asked.
âThe one for my old burner phone. Remind me to take it out of the drawer and recharge it. I doubt weâll hear from Mike again, but who knows? Instead of helping out he might decide to retaliate, and right now, we canât afford any more trouble for FOB Pawn.â
âSo whatâs next?â
Charlie thought about it as they climbed into his car. âIf we go by Lolaâs apartment, the officer watching the place might see us. And if she had shown up, weâd have already received a call, probably, from
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