I looked around a bit more and found a cabinet filled with a few other staples, like coffee and chips. After my tour of the kitchen, I walked back through the living room and into the bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed with clean white sheets and an old-fashioned quilt covering the top.
The sink in the bathroom was pink. It made me think of Julie and her razor. I hadn’t wanted to leave her tonight. When I looked around this place and realized what I gave up to come here, I thought about punching myself in the head.
I heard the front door open and close swiftly and my body went on alert. I creeped out of the bathroom and peered into the living room, my gaze colliding with Slater.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“Thought I’d stop by and welcome you to the neighborhood,” he said.
“You live around here?”
“A couple blocks over.”
“Your house as nice as mine?”
He snorted. “Your bathroom sink pink?”
I grinned. “I swear it’s like an old lady decorated this place in like the thirties.”
Slater grunted and made himself comfortable in my leather chair. That left me with the plaid green monster.
“What the hell happened tonight?” I said, making myself uncomfortable on the couch.
“Besides you beating the crap out of the crew’s leader?”
“He deserved it,” I said, hard.
Slater inclined his chin. “I won’t argue. That was a ballsy move, taking him on like that. Could’ve backfired.”
I knew too well how bad things could have gone earlier. If I had been thinking, I would never have done that. But I wasn’t thinking. The minute he started putting his paws all over Julie, my brain left the building.
Lucky for me my little lapse in judgment got me some respect.
“Who is she to you?” Slater asked.
I stared at him stoically. I wasn’t bringing Julie into this any more than I already had.
After a few very long silent minutes, Slater chuckled. “Okay, I get it.”
“You gonna tell me why you’re really working this case?” I said, turning the tables on him.
“What makes you think I’m not here for the same reasons you are?”
“Something tells me you already have more than enough evidence to bring down Dom and some of the crew,” I said slowly. “What gives?”
“We both know if we bust them on possession, or even selling, they’ll do a couple years, then get out and take up their place right back on the street like they never left.”
Unfortunately he was right. “So are you saying you’re going to get him on something else?”
“Something that will put him away for a long time. Once he’s gone, we can clean house with the drugs.”
Had I underestimated Dom earlier tonight? He seemed like such a pansy ass to me. He didn’t come off as someone I should be afraid of.
“You going to fill me in?” I asked impatiently.
He sat forward. “Why not? You managed to get some shit out of him tonight that no one else has.”
“I did?”
Slater nodded. “You know the member of his crew that’s gone? The one he mentioned you could take the place of?”
I nodded.
“I think he killed him.”
So we were talking murder. Julie was dancing with a murderer tonight. The thought made me sick inside. “Murder,” I said thoughtfully.
“His name was Milo VanMeeter.” Slater explained. “Worked with Dom for years, he was his right hand. Then one day he ups and leaves. No one hears from him again. Dom stops mentioning his name. It’s like he ceased to exist.”
“But he brought him up tonight.”
“First time I’ve ever heard him mention Milo.”
“And he said he’s never coming back,”
Slater glanced at me. “He killed him. I know it.”
“Why would he kill one of his own?”
“Judging from the gossip I hear through the crew, Dom was pissed because he got word that Milo was trying to nudge him out and take over with the supplier. And we both know whoever controls the supply…” He trailed off.
“Controls the job.” I finished for him.
Slater sat back and looked at me.
“So where is the supply being funneled from? Where are they hiding it?” I wondered.
“I can’t figure it out. I’ve been working this case for a year. At first I thought it was all happening in Myrtle Beach, but then LeBraun moved some of his crew up here, put Dom in charge, and I realized we’d been looking in the wrong place all this time.”
“We’ll figure this out,” I vowed. It had only been one night and already I was anxious to be done. I wanted to wrap this case so I could get back to real life. Before Julie had the chance to move on completely.