mid air?” Micah asked.
“In mid October. She converted to
Christianity at my church but that didn’t save her from Denise Appleby’s
clutches.” Bob placed one of the coffee cups in front of Micah.
“Thanks, Bob. Do you think Denise
killed her?” Micah leaned his elbows on the table.
“Don’t know, do I? The girl is
gone. Like the other devil worshippers.” Bob placed the other coffee cup on the
table across from Micah.
“What about the leader?” Micah
asked.
“That’s the scary part. If she
isn’t dead, she’s laying low until she becomes strong enough to launch a
counterattack on Denise. A black cat fight may be brewing.” Bob sat down.
“Maybe she blew town.” Micah sipped
his coffee.
“Could be.”
“But this leader, what did you say
her name was?” Micah returned his cup to the table top.
“Liz Colera.”
“Yeah, her. If she’s still alive,
then she’s biding her time. Or hanging out on a beach in Miami because this is
all cock and bull.” Micah turned his cup.
“Let me show you something,” Bob
said.
“What?”
“We’re off to Wheaton to check out the
deed on Denise Appleby’s home.” Bob stood up.
As Micah began to rise from his
seat, Ahlman Brown entered the coffee shop. Micah sat back down. “Speaking of
perverts.”
Bob gathered the coffee cups from
the table. “Ahlman? He’s an angel. Gave a million bucks to the high school.”
“He gave somebody else’s money to
the school,” Micah said.
Bob shrugged. “Who cares? The
school received a million smackers, and Ahlman delivered the check. That’s what
counts.”
“He’s still a pervert,” said Micah.
Ahlman Brown came over to the table
and sat next to Micah. For the first time, Micah realized Ahlman was taller by
a head. “Talking about me?”
Bob tapped Ahlman’s hand. “Micah
called you a pervert.”
“That’s rich. Unlike some people, I
don’t believe in sex outside of marriage.” Ahlman sniffed the air.
“Are you religious?” Micah turned
in his seat as he raised his eyebrows and stared Ahlman in the eyes.
“You may say I am a spiritual
person, yes.” Ahlman turned his gaze to the ceiling.
“What were you doing in Denise
Appleby’s house during the night? You may not enjoy having sex yourself, but
you enjoyed watching Denise and me.”
Ahlman shook his head. “You do have
a vivid imagination. Next, you’ll say I grew wings and flapped out the window.”
Ahlman’s smile ran from up one side of his face to below the ear on the other.
“That’s what you did.” Micah stared
Ahlman in the eye for what seemed many minutes until someone pulled on his arm.
“Come on, we’re on an errand, remember?”
asked Bob.
“Be careful, Bob” said Ahlman.
Bob pointed at himself. “Careful?
About what?”
“Micah is an ex-con, a man with a
violent past. You never know when one of his ilk will explode.” Ahlman smiled.
“Don’t worry about him.” Bob yanked
Micah toward the door.
Ahlman retained his smile. “I would
hate to have anything unpleasant happen to you because you made a wrong
decision.”
Chapter 10
“This has to be a mistake.” The
clerk turned the computer screen around on the gray marble counter so Micah and
Bob could see it. “The address has had the same owner since nineteen-oh-nine.”
Bob pointed to the date the deed
was recorded. “Or she is still kicking after a century and a quarter.”
Micah looked at the high ceiling twelve
feet above the floor. He glanced down at the white marble floor. The recorder
of deeds office struck Micah as bright and cheerful, despite its gray and beige
painted walls. It was lean, modern, suburban and bureaucratic where he had
expected dark, dull, urban gray. The recorder’s office was located in the
DuPage County Administration building in Wheaton, the town north and east of
Warrenville, making it two towns and a forest preserve away from Naperville.
The clerk spun the computer screen
back around and typed on the
“In mid October. She converted to
Christianity at my church but that didn’t save her from Denise Appleby’s
clutches.” Bob placed one of the coffee cups in front of Micah.
“Thanks, Bob. Do you think Denise
killed her?” Micah leaned his elbows on the table.
“Don’t know, do I? The girl is
gone. Like the other devil worshippers.” Bob placed the other coffee cup on the
table across from Micah.
“What about the leader?” Micah
asked.
“That’s the scary part. If she
isn’t dead, she’s laying low until she becomes strong enough to launch a
counterattack on Denise. A black cat fight may be brewing.” Bob sat down.
“Maybe she blew town.” Micah sipped
his coffee.
“Could be.”
“But this leader, what did you say
her name was?” Micah returned his cup to the table top.
“Liz Colera.”
“Yeah, her. If she’s still alive,
then she’s biding her time. Or hanging out on a beach in Miami because this is
all cock and bull.” Micah turned his cup.
“Let me show you something,” Bob
said.
“What?”
“We’re off to Wheaton to check out the
deed on Denise Appleby’s home.” Bob stood up.
As Micah began to rise from his
seat, Ahlman Brown entered the coffee shop. Micah sat back down. “Speaking of
perverts.”
Bob gathered the coffee cups from
the table. “Ahlman? He’s an angel. Gave a million bucks to the high school.”
“He gave somebody else’s money to
the school,” Micah said.
Bob shrugged. “Who cares? The
school received a million smackers, and Ahlman delivered the check. That’s what
counts.”
“He’s still a pervert,” said Micah.
Ahlman Brown came over to the table
and sat next to Micah. For the first time, Micah realized Ahlman was taller by
a head. “Talking about me?”
Bob tapped Ahlman’s hand. “Micah
called you a pervert.”
“That’s rich. Unlike some people, I
don’t believe in sex outside of marriage.” Ahlman sniffed the air.
“Are you religious?” Micah turned
in his seat as he raised his eyebrows and stared Ahlman in the eyes.
“You may say I am a spiritual
person, yes.” Ahlman turned his gaze to the ceiling.
“What were you doing in Denise
Appleby’s house during the night? You may not enjoy having sex yourself, but
you enjoyed watching Denise and me.”
Ahlman shook his head. “You do have
a vivid imagination. Next, you’ll say I grew wings and flapped out the window.”
Ahlman’s smile ran from up one side of his face to below the ear on the other.
“That’s what you did.” Micah stared
Ahlman in the eye for what seemed many minutes until someone pulled on his arm.
“Come on, we’re on an errand, remember?”
asked Bob.
“Be careful, Bob” said Ahlman.
Bob pointed at himself. “Careful?
About what?”
“Micah is an ex-con, a man with a
violent past. You never know when one of his ilk will explode.” Ahlman smiled.
“Don’t worry about him.” Bob yanked
Micah toward the door.
Ahlman retained his smile. “I would
hate to have anything unpleasant happen to you because you made a wrong
decision.”
Chapter 10
“This has to be a mistake.” The
clerk turned the computer screen around on the gray marble counter so Micah and
Bob could see it. “The address has had the same owner since nineteen-oh-nine.”
Bob pointed to the date the deed
was recorded. “Or she is still kicking after a century and a quarter.”
Micah looked at the high ceiling twelve
feet above the floor. He glanced down at the white marble floor. The recorder
of deeds office struck Micah as bright and cheerful, despite its gray and beige
painted walls. It was lean, modern, suburban and bureaucratic where he had
expected dark, dull, urban gray. The recorder’s office was located in the
DuPage County Administration building in Wheaton, the town north and east of
Warrenville, making it two towns and a forest preserve away from Naperville.
The clerk spun the computer screen
back around and typed on the
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