When we knocked on Lissa's door, we had about 2 hours till they'd contact with the actual drop location and time. Dara called up the Wellingtons to check in. They said they'd still pay us. They didn't expect much from us anyways. That got my goat. Problem was, if Lissa didn't pan out, they were gonna be right to not expect much.
She answered her apartment door. Shoulder-length black hair, real skinny and short, looked like a 15 year old boy. Dara made the introductions, said we were looking for info on Jacques L'faire, another one of her cons. Dara pulled the name from the cop's internets. Lissa invited us in, even when the scowl on her face said to go away. Saturday morning, anyone woulda looked the same.
We sat on folding chairs in her living room. There was a half eaten cheese sandwich, white bread, on a paper plate. Her folding card table wobbled when she picked up the sandwich and ripped off another hunk with her teeth.
Dara said we were with Leggett Shipping. Jacques applied for a job, and her dad hired us to run a background check. Soon as Dara said that, Lissa's shoulders dropped a bit, what passed for her smile crossed her face. She still wasn't guilty, but only because the law said she was innocent until proven guilty.
Lissa brought back a case folder from the back, real tattered like it'd been through a war. Lot of name stickers posted over each other. I said she has to see a lot of people. She grunted and put on thick reading glasses.
I pulled out a pad, asked some general questions about his parole. She answered, I jotted. Her voice slowed down even more, and her eyes started glazing over.
Finally, Dara asked about Deke. Like coiling a spring, she tensed. I could hear the papers rustle in her hand. She said she had those records in the back, then ran.
Me and Dara chased her, but the apartment was tiny. We kept getting in each others' way. Lissa locked her door behind her. I drew Joan, fired off the blank, told Dara to step back. Not much room to rear back, but I finally kicked the door in.
Window open, curtains fluttering, papers everywhere. I yelled at Dara to secure the room, then hopped out onto the fire escape. Looked down, alley was empty. Looked up, saw her still climbing.
Lot of cracking sounds on my way up. Part my shoes clanging off metal, part my joints snapping, telling me to get back to solid ground.
On the roof, she kicked up a lot of gravel, headed towards the edge. Joan pointed towards heaven, I tore after her. Her short legs couldn't carry her that far, but she still hit the edge and leapt. I stopped short.
She landed in a crumple on the other roof, started screaming about her ankle, grabbing it with both hands. Didn't have much time. I tried not to look down over the edge. I failed. It was a long way down.
I turned around, ran from the edge, then towards it. Lungs felt like someone started campfires in them.
Musta been the ugliest bird you ever saw. Landed in a crouch right next to her. She was rolling in the gravel, a little gravel angel.
No comments:
Post a Comment