Page 112 of Little Sunshine
Cole took a screengrab and cropped it. He grabbed his other computer, his fingers typing rapidly. “Come on. Come on.” It didn’t take long before he whooped. “Got ya, fucker.” He switched back to the laptop with the shared screen just as a text popped into the corner.
Freddy: I’m at Moonlight, where are you?
There was nothing unusual about it, which didn’t explain the frantic way Cole clicked it closed.
Other than a quick look between us, neither Maximo nor I said shit as we pretended we hadn’t seen it.
What everyone did was their own business.
Cole cleared his throat. “Allow me to introduce Edward Zale.” A mug shot popped up of a loser trying to be a tough guy.
“You want to bring this up to Mila to confirm?” Maximo asked.
I shook my head. “That’s him. Edward Zale. Ez. The rest matches her description, too, right down to the tiny-dick energy. Now we just need the partner.”
“I might have him, too.” Cole brought up another mug shot. “His roommate and known associate, Ronald Jacobs.”
“Just as she described him, including the pube mustache.”
“You know, your woman has a real way with words.”
I grinned. “Almost poetic.”
“It’s scary how quick you find this shit,” Maximo said to Cole as he looked between the computers and monitor.
“Where Big Brother has eyes, so do I. And since Big Brother has eyes everywhere…”
“Glad you’re on my side.”
“As you should be.” My phone dinged before Cole told me, “Address is sent.”
Maximo stood. “Then let’s go.”
“Your girl finally texted mine. Don’t think I’ve ever seen Juliet use so many exclamation points in a single message.”
I glanced at Maximo before returning my focus to the run-down door in the run-down motel that rented rooms by the hour or the week, and nothing between. “Good.”
“Juliet’s already at the pool, and Mila is headed there now.”
I checked my phone. I already knew I hadn’t missed a text, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt.
It was the least I could do since, if all went right, her cute ass would be paying the price for ignoring my order.
“You got Miles keeping an eye on her?” Maximo asked.
I shook my head as I shot off a text. “He was at Moonlight for the wallet incident, so she’d be uncomfortable. But Marco and Miles both suggested Elliot, so he’s on his way to meet her.”
“Marco is headed out, too.” He gestured around. “Between this and Juliet’s love of mischief, I figured an extra set of eyes would be good.”
Especially since we had no clue how long we’d be sitting there, waiting for Zale and Jacobs to show.
The fact that Maximo was staked out at the Bed Bug Motel with me said a lot about the kind of man he was. None of it was his problem. I was the employee there. Assisting him was my job, not the other way around. He didn’t have to be there. Hell, with all the money he had, he didn’t have to work at all. He could move to an island and sit on the beach all day.
Technically, so could I, but the point was the same.
Maybe I was becoming a sentimental asshole in my old age because I looked over at him and said, “You know… Out of all the bosses in the world, you’re probably not the worst one.”
“Wow,” he deadpanned. “I wish I had that in writing to frame in my office.”
