Pieces Of Heaven (Heaven & Hell #2)(4)

My mother was on the same road as Marissa here. When I lived with her, she was in and out of the house at different times of the day and night. Sometimes high, sometimes not, usually with a different guy. If she kept a roof over my head and food in the fridge, in her mind that was her being June fucking Cleaver. 

Jackson whips his head around to glare at me with a clear 'what the fuck' expression on his face.

Marissa's shoulders go back like she is gearing up for a fight. "Yes, I'm a stripper, but no, I don't do drugs. If you want, we can take a piss test right now to ease your mind, Detective." Her sassiness comes out full force.

"Won't be necessary," Jackson cuts in.

"A seventeen-year-old sees her mother as a stripper. You don't think she'll follow in your footsteps?" I won't give in that easy, so I just continue.

"I don't know, I think her knowing you have to work for things isn't such a bad lesson. Considering her father left me with his bookie debt of eighty grand and the only way the guy he owed the money to wouldn't take it out on us was if I agreed to work for him. I think showing her you don't run from your obligations, like her weasel father did, but instead you keep fighting and working to earn the things you want is good. So, if you came here just to pass judgment on me and my job while not taking my daughter's disappearance seriously, I think we've both wasted our time." Marissa goes to stand up, her hands shaking.

Jackson grabs her wrist, stopping her, making me stand up straight with the need to rip it away from him. I make a mental note to go and research the douchebag who left her and his daughter to clean up his mess. I'm not sure what it is about this chick that's getting me so riled. It's confusing as fuck, especially considering I just met her five minutes ago.

"I'm going to apologize for my partner and his mood today. Please know finding your daughter is very important to us."

She looks, or rather glares, at me, waiting for me to say something, but I just shrug my shoulders. I'm afraid my voice will deceive me if I open my mouth again.

"I asked around at work and there's a new guy who has been coming in. I don't have his name yet, but he's been in a couple of times. He is also in scumbag Bentley's crew. Owns a pawn shop, isn't fair, and sells whatever you bring to him to the first person who wants to buy it before you even get a chance to get it back yourself. He also doesn't care how you get his money just as long as you do."

"I need you to not try to do anything on your own and let us handle things."

"Oh, yeah, it looks like you guys are really handling things. She's been missing for a week," she whispers, and a tear escapes her eye, rolling down her cheek.

I want to reach out and catch it. Instead, I push my hands into my pockets to stop myself.

"We are working on it, Marissa, but if you're interfering, it's just going to create extra work for us. So please, if you hear anything or see anything, call us first. Don't just go charging in, call me first." He takes out his card and hands it to her. "My cell number is on there so you can call me whenever you think you need to."

I just barely manage to stop myself from snatching it out of her hand and throwing it back in his face. I shake my head from the scene in my head.

She wipes her cheeks with the back of her hand. "I'm doing all of this for her. So I didn't uproot her and take her away from everyone and everything she knew."

He stands up, for sure making notes in his head about this fresh new face out there. We must be thinking the same thing; that we need to pay Bentley another visit. It'll be the fourth time this week.

"Thank you for calling us with this update," Jackson says to her.

I barely get through the door into the hallway before it is shut right behind me, almost bouncing against my head.




       
         
       
        
"What the fuck was that bullshit in there? Since when did you become such a judgmental asshole? Spewing bullshit like that to a victim's mother, what the fuck, man?"

I don't even answer, I just walk away.

I storm to the car without saying anything. Jackson doesn't even have the door closed before I peel off from the curb and slap my hand down on the steering wheel twice.

"FUCCCKKKK!" I pull over one block down. Whipping the door open, I jump out and slam it shut before I kick it in.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say your head isn't in the game today," Jackson says while he's standing in the open car door one foot still inside, while he places a hand on the roof of the car.

"That was fucked up. I'm on edge about Sandie, and I totally let that poor woman have it. Jesus, I'm surprised she didn't try to have me killed before I got to the car."

"We have a whole night ahead of us. Why don't we head over to see the pawn shop dealer, Bentley? Let's hear what he has to say about this new player in town. But you pull that shit again"-he points back in the direction we came from-"I'll fucking kill you for her."

I nod as I get back into the car. The rest of the night is a blur of us chasing a ghost. From one side of town to the other, all empty leads, all leading back to this new guy.

It's a long night and when I get home, Sandie isn't there, just a note saying she'll call me tomorrow.

I shake my head, knowing once again I got played. But this time it's the last fucking time.





Chapter Six


Mick


I'm just about to line up my winning shot when my phone rings. I lean the pool cue on the side of the pool table and pull my phone out. It's been two weeks since shit went down with Sandie.

The day after she told me she was leaving her husband, I went into work and searched for her divorce case. Not surprisingly, nothing was filed.

The next thing I did was to call a locksmith and have my locks changed. Then I sent her a text.

You played me for the last time.

The minute I pressed send, I had my number changed. It didn't stop her from showing up at my house the next day. But she wasn't expecting to be stopped before her foot could even touch my step.

"What are you doing here?" I asked from my front door.

She wasn't expecting me to do this scene in the front lawn, especially in the middle of the day.

"I think we need to talk, don't you?" She looked around, seeing some of my neighbors outside, some looking over at us. "Privately."

"Nope, I have nothing to say to you, in public or in private. Sandie, do me one last favor and get back in your car, and go home to your husband. Forget me, forget where I live, forget about my cock. Jesus, just please, leave me alone already and fucking move on." I crossed my arms over my chest. 

The tears welling in her eyes did nothing to me anymore. Kind of like the boy who cried wolf, I was at the point now where I didn't give a shit. She was never going to pick me, not back then and not now.

"Baby-"

I held my hand up, stopping her from continuing. "Aren't you fucking tired of this song and dance? I sure the fuck am. Just fucking hire someone to fuck you right if he doesn't do it for you, because I'm done."

Before she could even reply, I quickly turned and walked back inside, closing the door and locking it behind me.

It didn't take long before I heard her car start and drive off, peeling down the street. Seven years we'd been doing this dance, and I was just done with it.

"Jackson," I say into the phone, giving Thomas the one-second finger to step away to take the phone call.

"Got a call from Marissa. Said Lori called her again. I'm on my way to Manny's Jug House."

My hand clenches the phone hard. The thought of her stripping just pisses me off. I've been making up so many excuses in my head about why it pisses me off so much that I'm not even believing them.

"I'm on my way, leaving McHugh's Brews & Cues. For the record, I think it's a big waste of time." Walking back to the table, I tell Thomas that I have to go and give him a quick update about the case.

I'm barely in my car when Jackson calls me back asking for my ETA because he's already there. He must have gunned it.

I get to the club just in time to see Marissa run straight into Jackson's arms. I've never once had a violent thought about my partner, but right then and there, I want to kick his ass.

"She's hurt, my baby is hurt. I can tell. I heard it in her voice," Marissa says before she starts sobbing.

I get out of my car and approach them, taking in Marissa's 'work' attire. She's wearing a micro-miniskirt, and I'm using the word 'skirt' loosely, seeing as it barely covers her ass cheeks. Her tube top is white and practically see-through. I can see that she has little star stickers on her nipples. Her 'uniform' is completed by a pair of sparkly, six-inch, platform, clear acrylic heels.

I take off my jacket and toss it to her. "Jesus, cover yourself up. You're almost naked." I then look around to see if anyone is leering at her.

I'm so fucking agitated by this whole scene that I don't even wait for Jackson to ask the questions. I have no idea what is going on with me, why I'm so angry with this woman. "So what happened now, Marissa, that you couldn't wait till tomorrow before calling us?"

"Lori … she, she called again. She called my cell." She hands me her cell phone, which I take and start looking through it.

"Unknown number. We can't do anything." I hand it back to her.