Chapter One

I sat at my table reading a newspaper I had picked up on the way in. Most people watched the news on TV or read it on their phones, but I preferred the touch of paper. Call me old fashioned. I’d already finished my meal and was on my third refill when I finally finished the paper and tossed it onto the bench next to me.

The diner I sat in was set on the corner of an intersection the world seemed to have forgotten about. The brick on the outside was weathered and red while the inside walls weren’t as brilliant white as they had once been several years ago. It was past noon and I’d already been here for over an hour. The food wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and the diner, from the outside, was nothing special.

I liked the fact that it was ordinary. I liked the fact that it didn’t stick out. It allowed people to take care of business without anyone else taking notice. Or, in this case, eat lunch. All the people here were regulars, ordering the same thing for the same meal day in and day out. I was sure some of them must have had a running tab which they hadn’t paid down in years.

My appointment was fifteen minutes late. Gary had called and said there was a girl who needed help. He’d arranged for the meeting. I hoped it wasn’t another low life scum bag trying to get some evidence to drop a case or some high-priced wife wanting someone to follow her dirt bag husband. They never pay well, not even the rich ones. They think because they have money everyone should work for them for free. Like a bailout or something. I don’t bail people out though. I’m not the government, and these were Gary’s referrals.

I liked Gary. He ran a little law firm downtown nestled between a shoe repair store and a second-hand electronics store. Classy place. Occasionally, Gary kicked work my way. Probably because I saved his life after a couple of goons tried to mug him while he was out celebrating a victory at a bar. Lucky for him, I was trying to get evidence of a cheating husband who happened to be at the same establishment. The husband wasn’t cheating though; he was just mugging people who got drunk at the bar, which happened to be Gary on that particular night. He doesn’t go out drinking anymore.

The bell rang as the door to the diner opened. I looked up from my table that was tucked in the back of the diner and watched her walk in. Wow.

She was classy. She wasn’t just walking; she was on display. Every guy in the joint, which totaled myself and three others, turned and gave her the proper attention. The other three tried not to stare too long. Nobody wants to seem like a pervert. Her hair hung low, just below her shoulders. It wasn’t completely straight or completely curly, it was just right. Full lips and clean skin. Her dress hung in all the right places and held just right in all the others. It went down to just above her knees where it stopped to show legs that would make a supermodel jealous. She was a knock out. A classy knockout.

She must have felt me watching her because it only took her a moment to look around the room, spot me and start walking over. I swallowed hard and stood before she reached the table.

“Mr. Deveroux?” she asked.

Honey, right now I’ll be whoever you want me to be. “Yeah,” I said, extending my hand and shaking hers. “Mary, right?”

“That’s right.” She had a voice as smooth as honey. “Mr. Donovan said you knew I’d be coming.”

“That’s right. He and I spoke. Have a seat.” I sat back down and reminded myself not to stare. Smooth, Steve. Be professional. She wore a necklace which had a silver pendant attached to it that rested at the bottom of her low-cut blouse. The pendant was also silver with a small dove holding a branch in its beak.

I stared at it for a moment and then quickly looked up. She was watching me stare at her. Her look was neither anger nor embarrassment; more amusement and flirtatious than anything. I had been looking at her necklace, but I’m sure she thought otherwise. “See anything you like?” she asked with a coy smile.

I quickly cleared my throat. “That’s an interesting necklace,” I said, hoping to move past the now awkward situation.

She traced the pendant lightly with her finger but never took her eyes off me. “Thanks. It reminds me of better times yet to come.”

“That’s a good attitude to have.”

“This is an interesting place for an office.” I was grateful she’d changed the subject.

“Yeah, well in this office there’s always food ready to eat, although they seem to get upset if I sleep on the benches.” She looked around, obviously having second thoughts about this meeting. The truth was I didn’t really see the need for an office. Why pay all the rent when you’re not spending that much time there anyway? I do all my work on the fly and most of the work I got was by referral, so there wasn’t much of a point in advertising. It was obvious I needed to keep the conversation going or she might head for the door. “So, tell me what’s going on.”

“Mr. Donovan didn’t tell you?”

“He did but I like to hear it straight from the source, if that’s alright.” Actually, Gary hadn’t told me anything other than there was a girl that needed help and her name is Mary. He’s a horrible secretary.

“Of course.” She looked down at the table for a moment, trying to figure out where to start. She started talking and I didn’t interrupt her until she had finished everything. With every story people seem to go back and forth, filling in gaps or trying to clarify and emphasize the things they think are most important. Most of the information in the beginning is usually useless, but it was best to let her get everything off their chest. After she’d finished, I had her tell me again. This allowed her to add some information she’d forgotten the first time.

It turned out Mary had a roommate named Stephanie McCallister. They’d been friends for less than a year and had decided to share an apartment about six months ago. Stephanie’s boyfriend, a guy named Shawn Taylor who went by the nickname of Metal, had recently become overbearing, which resulted in Stephanie breaking up with him.

The last time Mary saw Stephanie was when Stephanie had gone to a club a week after breaking up with Metal. Three days later, her body was found in her car at the bottom of a canal.

“So, you think this guy Shawn, or Metal, killed her?”

“Yes,” she answered almost in a whisper.

“Why?”

“Jealousy. Anger. I’m not really sure. He was controlling and becoming aggressive with her, which is why she broke up with him.”

“You call the cops? Tell them about it?”

“They came to me after Stephanie died. They asked me questions about her. I told them what I thought, but they haven’t done anything.”

“Why not?”

“They can’t find him. Besides, they said they don’t have any proof.”

“Do you?”

“No.”

“Ever hear him threaten her? Watched him hit her? Anything like that?”

“No. He did it, though. I know he did.”

“You know he did or are you hoping he did?” Yep, that’s the question that made her mad.

“He did do it! I know he did! Why does no one believe me?” She wasn’t yelling but she was definitely loud enough that everyone, including the cooks in the back, could probably hear what she was saying.

Crap. People are starting to stare. Why is it that so many beautiful women can go absolutely bat shit crazy at the drop of a hat? I put my hands up in defense. “Calm down. I just have to ask. I’m not accusing you of anything,” except maybe being emotionally unstable. Although you just found out your friend is dead so I’ll let it slide. Luckily, that worked and she calmed down.

I took a drink of my water and tried to figure out what else I could ask that wouldn’t have her blowing up like a hand grenade again.

“So, Shawn?”

“Yeah?”

“Why do they call him Metal?”

She shrugged. “He’s got a lot of piercings.”

“Like earrings?”

“Earrings, lip rings, nipple rings,” I quickly held up my hand for her to stop.

I usually try to mask my emotions but what is with these people? Piercing everything all the time? Now I have to deal with some half-crazed pin cushion who sounds like he should have been enrolled in anger management as a toddler and may very well have killed his girlfriend.

I composed myself and got the information for where Stephanie’s car was right now, Metal’s address and all the usual hang-outs he could be found at.

“So, this means you’ll get the evidence so the police can arrest him?”

“This means I’ll look into it and see what evidence I can find. You can give it to the police and they can go from that point.”

I gave her the price for my services, which varies depending on the type of work I’m doing but always includes expenses. She smiled at me. I like it when beautiful women smile at me, except when they’re trying to get something devious; like a cheaper rate. The waitress came by and dropped of the check for the meal.

Mary looked back at me. “Are you sure this is as cheap as you can go?”

I’m cheap, but I’m not easy. Or maybe it’s cheap but not free. Either way I wasn’t planning to budge. “Yep,” I said standing up and tapping the check on the table, “and this is the first expense. I’ll call you when I’ve got something.” I walked out of the diner in search of a pincushion.