you?" he asked.
Munch watched the exchange in incredulous and
mounting panic. How was it that the conversation had zeroed in
immediately on just the mine field she hoped to avoid? She'd had her
dealings with the detective a little over seven years ago. Lord
knows, she hadn't been pregnant then.
" Six and a half," Asia said. "I'll be
seven in—"
" The limo isn't here," Munch blurted out.
" Where is it?" Mace asked, turning to her.
Asia took a step in front of Munch, placing herself
between Mace and her mother. She put a look of resignation on her
six-and-a-halfyear-old face, an expression that had taken Munch
twenty-eight years to earn, and sighed before she said, "Fucking
Ellen took it."
Mace made a small choking sound. When he looked over
at Munch, his eyes had a twinkle in them. "Who's Ellen?" he
asked.
" A friend of mine," Munch said, feeling her
eyes bulge as she stared at Asia with a mixture of shock and
annoyance.
" Derek told us," Asia said.
" And Derek is?" he asked, addressing Asia.
"My ex," Munch said, louder than necessary,
hoping to get everyone's attention back on her.
" Your daddy?" Mace asked Asia.
" No," she assured him. "My daddy is in
heaven." She accompanied this statement with a solemn glance
skyward. God, Munch thought, this kid is good. Scary how good.
" Derek lives across the street," Munch
explained. "He manages the four-unit apartment building. Before
that he lived with us and helped run the limo company."
" So you guys broke up and he moved across the
street?" Mace asked. "That must be a strain."
" Actual1y, I helped get him the job," Munch
said.
"That was nice of you."
"I don't hate the guy," she said. "I
just didn't want to live with him anymore?
" He never got out of bed," Asia added.
Munch blushed. Unbelievable what those little eyes
and ears picked up.
" So are you saying this Ellen took the limo
without your permission?" Mace asked.
" Apparently when Asia and I were out this
morning, Ellen took a call. Derek helped her wash the car and stock
it with ice and drinks."
"When will she be back?" Mace asked.
" She didn't say," Munch said.
"Where did she go? Who was her customer?"
" Look," Munch said, exhaling with defeat,
"here's the thing. I don't know for certain. Some guy called.
Ellen said something to him about not sending a blonde because of
what they thought of blondes down there. When she left, she asked
Derek if he wanted her to bring back any Fireworks. I've tried to
call her on the mobile phone in the limo, but she either doesn't have
it on or she's out of range."
" Is that why you called the apartment on Gower?"
he asked. "To try to track her down? You think she's with
Raleigh Ward?"
" Let's just say business hasn't exactly been
booming. Since prom season died down, I've had about three calls.
Raleigh Ward told me last night that he was going to be needing the
car off and on all week."
" To entertain this Victor guy?" Mace asked,
pointing at the photograph.
" Possibly." She showed Mace the note from
Ellen. "I think they might have gone to Mexico."
A beeping noise interrupted their conversation. Mace
looked down at the device attached to his belt.
" Mind if I use your phone?" he asked,
tilting his head toward the phone on the table.
" Help yourself,"
Munch said. Taking Asia by the hand, she led the girl back to her
room, and asked her, "Haven't we talked about not using certain
words no matter where you hear them?"
* * *
In response to the page, Mace called Parker Center.
While he waited to be put through to Cassiletti's extension, he
checked out his surroundings. There was a bulletin board mounted on
the wall next to him. On it was a map of the city and a list of phone
numbers for the major airlines. Checks addressed to Munch filled the
left edge of the board. Each was stamped with either INSUFFICIENT
FUNDS, ACCOUNT CLOSED, or PAYMENT STOPPED in red ink across the face.
Assholes, he thought. Cassiletti answered his phone. Mace identified
himself and
Munch watched the exchange in incredulous and
mounting panic. How was it that the conversation had zeroed in
immediately on just the mine field she hoped to avoid? She'd had her
dealings with the detective a little over seven years ago. Lord
knows, she hadn't been pregnant then.
" Six and a half," Asia said. "I'll be
seven in—"
" The limo isn't here," Munch blurted out.
" Where is it?" Mace asked, turning to her.
Asia took a step in front of Munch, placing herself
between Mace and her mother. She put a look of resignation on her
six-and-a-halfyear-old face, an expression that had taken Munch
twenty-eight years to earn, and sighed before she said, "Fucking
Ellen took it."
Mace made a small choking sound. When he looked over
at Munch, his eyes had a twinkle in them. "Who's Ellen?" he
asked.
" A friend of mine," Munch said, feeling her
eyes bulge as she stared at Asia with a mixture of shock and
annoyance.
" Derek told us," Asia said.
" And Derek is?" he asked, addressing Asia.
"My ex," Munch said, louder than necessary,
hoping to get everyone's attention back on her.
" Your daddy?" Mace asked Asia.
" No," she assured him. "My daddy is in
heaven." She accompanied this statement with a solemn glance
skyward. God, Munch thought, this kid is good. Scary how good.
" Derek lives across the street," Munch
explained. "He manages the four-unit apartment building. Before
that he lived with us and helped run the limo company."
" So you guys broke up and he moved across the
street?" Mace asked. "That must be a strain."
" Actual1y, I helped get him the job," Munch
said.
"That was nice of you."
"I don't hate the guy," she said. "I
just didn't want to live with him anymore?
" He never got out of bed," Asia added.
Munch blushed. Unbelievable what those little eyes
and ears picked up.
" So are you saying this Ellen took the limo
without your permission?" Mace asked.
" Apparently when Asia and I were out this
morning, Ellen took a call. Derek helped her wash the car and stock
it with ice and drinks."
"When will she be back?" Mace asked.
" She didn't say," Munch said.
"Where did she go? Who was her customer?"
" Look," Munch said, exhaling with defeat,
"here's the thing. I don't know for certain. Some guy called.
Ellen said something to him about not sending a blonde because of
what they thought of blondes down there. When she left, she asked
Derek if he wanted her to bring back any Fireworks. I've tried to
call her on the mobile phone in the limo, but she either doesn't have
it on or she's out of range."
" Is that why you called the apartment on Gower?"
he asked. "To try to track her down? You think she's with
Raleigh Ward?"
" Let's just say business hasn't exactly been
booming. Since prom season died down, I've had about three calls.
Raleigh Ward told me last night that he was going to be needing the
car off and on all week."
" To entertain this Victor guy?" Mace asked,
pointing at the photograph.
" Possibly." She showed Mace the note from
Ellen. "I think they might have gone to Mexico."
A beeping noise interrupted their conversation. Mace
looked down at the device attached to his belt.
" Mind if I use your phone?" he asked,
tilting his head toward the phone on the table.
" Help yourself,"
Munch said. Taking Asia by the hand, she led the girl back to her
room, and asked her, "Haven't we talked about not using certain
words no matter where you hear them?"
* * *
In response to the page, Mace called Parker Center.
While he waited to be put through to Cassiletti's extension, he
checked out his surroundings. There was a bulletin board mounted on
the wall next to him. On it was a map of the city and a list of phone
numbers for the major airlines. Checks addressed to Munch filled the
left edge of the board. Each was stamped with either INSUFFICIENT
FUNDS, ACCOUNT CLOSED, or PAYMENT STOPPED in red ink across the face.
Assholes, he thought. Cassiletti answered his phone. Mace identified
himself and
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