custody as quick as possible.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy,” Landers said with a sigh.
“Why not?” Llewellyn wanted to know, and Harris and Landers shared a look. It was one thing to discuss minimal evidence for a case. If he wanted to know about M.J. Bennett, they were going to be there all night. It was time to make a whole new pot of coffee.
6. HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS
M .J. made her way through the crowded bus terminal toward the restaurant. She navigated the familiar surroundings with ease, and smiled in recognition when she spotted her old pal Edna Johnson, who ruled the downtown bus station with an iron fist.
“You kids get on out of here, now,” she barked at a group of preteens. They were enjoying some time away from their parents by blowing straw wrappers at strangers sitting nearby.
“Kids these days,” M.J. said, smiling as she approached. “No respect for authority.”
The squat older woman immediately smiled and hugged her friend. “You know it. I haven’t seen you in an age. What brings you downtown?”
“When you need a little information, you head straight to the person who knows everything.”
Edna rolled her eyes. “Girl, please.”
“Seriously,” M.J. said, her smile fading.
Edna sat back down. That didn’t sound good, and she knew M.J. well enough to know she wouldn’t have come down to the station for anything trivial. “What do you need to know?”
M.J. held up the photo she had conveniently forgotten to return to Landers. It was of Baby and her unknown friend. “Do you remember seeing these girls?”
Edna offered a disapproving snort. “Hell yes. I had to drive them out of the station the other day, when the one on the right arrived. Tammy said she was a friend, but I saw through that line of BS a mile away.”
“Tammy?” M.J. asked.
Edna tapped the image of the sandy blonde in the photo, shaking her head in disgust. “That girl, I swear. Down here every weekend, turning tricks in the bathrooms. I run her off and she always comes back. Sometimes she has a bus ticket, going back and forth between here and Vegas, I think. Haven’t seen her since, though. Is she in trouble?”
M.J. shook her head, even though it was an outright lie. If the police had her phone, she was in dire trouble indeed. “What about this girl?” she asked, pointing at Baby.
“I had never seen her before. Kind of beat up. I figured she was right off the bus. Dunno why they all head to downtown Los Angeles, like that’s going to be any better. ‘City of Angels’ my ass.”
M.J. offered her own snort of derision. “Right?” Then, back on task: “Did you see who they left with?”
Edna shook her head. “I lost sight of them after I ran ’em off. Tammy has a pimp, if you can call it that. He traveled with her sometimes. Older boy. Red hair. Don’t know his name, though.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s it. That’s all I know.”
M.J. offered a smile. “You know all and see all. That’s why I came to you.” She gave her a side hug. “Keep up the good fight, Edna.”
“You know it,” she agreed with a smile, one that faded as she watched the stoic redhead stalk from the station.
If M.J. was involved, she knew something big was going down.
Baby added mustard to the creamy potato mixture she was stirring. Kid joined her in the kitchen, bringing in cooked corn on the cob, wrapped in aluminum foil and stacked high on a plate. “That looks good,” he said with a shy smile. “But you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”
She smiled. “It’s no trouble. I love to cook.”
“Cool,” he said. “I love to eat.”
She laughed as she added the finishing touches to her potato salad. “Don’t worry. No mushrooms were harmed in the making of this salad.”
He made a face, which made her giggle more. Snake entered, triumphantly carrying a plate laden with perfectly seared steaks. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said with a
“Unfortunately, it’s not going to be that easy,” Landers said with a sigh.
“Why not?” Llewellyn wanted to know, and Harris and Landers shared a look. It was one thing to discuss minimal evidence for a case. If he wanted to know about M.J. Bennett, they were going to be there all night. It was time to make a whole new pot of coffee.
6. HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS
M .J. made her way through the crowded bus terminal toward the restaurant. She navigated the familiar surroundings with ease, and smiled in recognition when she spotted her old pal Edna Johnson, who ruled the downtown bus station with an iron fist.
“You kids get on out of here, now,” she barked at a group of preteens. They were enjoying some time away from their parents by blowing straw wrappers at strangers sitting nearby.
“Kids these days,” M.J. said, smiling as she approached. “No respect for authority.”
The squat older woman immediately smiled and hugged her friend. “You know it. I haven’t seen you in an age. What brings you downtown?”
“When you need a little information, you head straight to the person who knows everything.”
Edna rolled her eyes. “Girl, please.”
“Seriously,” M.J. said, her smile fading.
Edna sat back down. That didn’t sound good, and she knew M.J. well enough to know she wouldn’t have come down to the station for anything trivial. “What do you need to know?”
M.J. held up the photo she had conveniently forgotten to return to Landers. It was of Baby and her unknown friend. “Do you remember seeing these girls?”
Edna offered a disapproving snort. “Hell yes. I had to drive them out of the station the other day, when the one on the right arrived. Tammy said she was a friend, but I saw through that line of BS a mile away.”
“Tammy?” M.J. asked.
Edna tapped the image of the sandy blonde in the photo, shaking her head in disgust. “That girl, I swear. Down here every weekend, turning tricks in the bathrooms. I run her off and she always comes back. Sometimes she has a bus ticket, going back and forth between here and Vegas, I think. Haven’t seen her since, though. Is she in trouble?”
M.J. shook her head, even though it was an outright lie. If the police had her phone, she was in dire trouble indeed. “What about this girl?” she asked, pointing at Baby.
“I had never seen her before. Kind of beat up. I figured she was right off the bus. Dunno why they all head to downtown Los Angeles, like that’s going to be any better. ‘City of Angels’ my ass.”
M.J. offered her own snort of derision. “Right?” Then, back on task: “Did you see who they left with?”
Edna shook her head. “I lost sight of them after I ran ’em off. Tammy has a pimp, if you can call it that. He traveled with her sometimes. Older boy. Red hair. Don’t know his name, though.” She shrugged her shoulders. “That’s it. That’s all I know.”
M.J. offered a smile. “You know all and see all. That’s why I came to you.” She gave her a side hug. “Keep up the good fight, Edna.”
“You know it,” she agreed with a smile, one that faded as she watched the stoic redhead stalk from the station.
If M.J. was involved, she knew something big was going down.
Baby added mustard to the creamy potato mixture she was stirring. Kid joined her in the kitchen, bringing in cooked corn on the cob, wrapped in aluminum foil and stacked high on a plate. “That looks good,” he said with a shy smile. “But you didn’t have to go to all that trouble.”
She smiled. “It’s no trouble. I love to cook.”
“Cool,” he said. “I love to eat.”
She laughed as she added the finishing touches to her potato salad. “Don’t worry. No mushrooms were harmed in the making of this salad.”
He made a face, which made her giggle more. Snake entered, triumphantly carrying a plate laden with perfectly seared steaks. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said with a
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