"Now wait a minute. We can't just go off on our own and–"
Cash grinned. "Why not? I have a vehicle, and I can bankroll us…What the–"
Shroom spun around and scowled. He leaned close to Cash and crossed his arms. "No way, man. No cops. I mean it. No cops. Me and cops do not get along!" He bounced out of his chair. "Did I say no cops?"
Bean said, "You said no cops."
Pone tried to calm Shroom, "Okay, you got it, no cops, just my dad."
"Your dad is a cop."
"I know. But he's cool, I swear. Come on, Shroom. Let's do it for Spaz."
"Why should we help her? She's a bitch, man."
Bean butted in. "She's got her issues, Shroom. Just like you, just like any of us. You scared to be a good guy for once in your life? Think of your mom. She'd–"
Shroom got in his face. "You don't say nothin' about my mom."
Bean held up his hands. "Back off, dude, I didn't. It just might make your mother proud, that's all."
Shroom thought a moment. "I thought it was one more of your peckerwood ideas, and I don't want to hear it."
Shroom backed away and picked up his sweatshirt. He held up a hand and pointed down at the group. "You guys want to do this, you go. I ain't going. This ain't my gig, it's yours. Go play Five-oh and make your daddy proud, Pone."
Pone stepped forward. "You moron. It's about helping a friend. About finding answers about dead chick, who has no one to help her. Why does everything always have to be about you, Shroom? Why can't it ever be for anyone else?"
Shroom grabbed his sweatshirt. "I don't have to listen to this crap, man."
Pone yelled after him, "You go run away, Shroom. You're just scared, girly man. Go run and hide. We don't need your ass here anyway."
Shroom slammed the door on his way out. Pone looked at Cash and Bean. He sighed. A smart assed rich boy and an intelligent idiot who knows four speeds; trip, stumble, fart, and fall down. I am in big trouble .
Chapter 7
Early the next morning, Pone, Bean, and Cash sifted through layers of slimy garbage and other muck trying to find a clue as to who offed Dead Chick.
"Who the hell thought this would be a good thing?" Cash yelled. "Three hours in this cesspool and all I got to show for it is a buckle off a shoe and ruined blue jeans!"
Pone looked over his shoulder at the rip in Cash's thigh. "If you didn't wear two hundred dollar jeans, it wouldn't matter so much, Yo."
Cash gave Pone the "You're Number One" sign with the wrong finger and Pone laughed.
Bean made it through seven layers of yuck and stopped dead. "Uh, Detective Williams? I think I've got something here."
Pone and Cash dropped what they were doing and scrambled over mountains of garbage to see what Bean found. Big Mike got there a moment later.
Cash asked, "What is that?"
Bean pointed near his toe. "Look there. I think it's a watch."
"A watch? So what?"
Bean rubbed his nose and squatted. "Look again, Mr. Moneybags, what kind of watch do you see?"
Pone squatted beside Bean. "It says 'Car-teer', like what is that supposed to mean?"
Cash squinted and yelled, "Holy crap! It's a Cartier , you dumbass. That's Car-tee-eh , not Car-teer. That watch could be worth over twenty grand! I don't even have one of those. It has to be a clue. Detective Williams! We got something! Look at that! A real clue!"
Big Mike stared at the French watch lying on a banana peel. "Calm down there boy. Looks like you might be right, Cash, It says Cartier on the face. Good job, Bean. Let's get a picture of this and we'll bag it up."
Big Mike turned away and Bean turned to Cash. "Oh, and Cash? Because one does not know how to pronounce Cartier , does not make him a cretin. That's pronounced, 'cree-tin', and means stupid, brainless, or as you put it, 'dumbass'."
Pone and Bean knocked knuckles and walked away. Cash stood there with his mouth hanging open and cranberry sauce dripping from his right glove. He spun to face Big Mike, who turned away, a small smile on his lips.
* * *
"The reports by
Cash grinned. "Why not? I have a vehicle, and I can bankroll us…What the–"
Shroom spun around and scowled. He leaned close to Cash and crossed his arms. "No way, man. No cops. I mean it. No cops. Me and cops do not get along!" He bounced out of his chair. "Did I say no cops?"
Bean said, "You said no cops."
Pone tried to calm Shroom, "Okay, you got it, no cops, just my dad."
"Your dad is a cop."
"I know. But he's cool, I swear. Come on, Shroom. Let's do it for Spaz."
"Why should we help her? She's a bitch, man."
Bean butted in. "She's got her issues, Shroom. Just like you, just like any of us. You scared to be a good guy for once in your life? Think of your mom. She'd–"
Shroom got in his face. "You don't say nothin' about my mom."
Bean held up his hands. "Back off, dude, I didn't. It just might make your mother proud, that's all."
Shroom thought a moment. "I thought it was one more of your peckerwood ideas, and I don't want to hear it."
Shroom backed away and picked up his sweatshirt. He held up a hand and pointed down at the group. "You guys want to do this, you go. I ain't going. This ain't my gig, it's yours. Go play Five-oh and make your daddy proud, Pone."
Pone stepped forward. "You moron. It's about helping a friend. About finding answers about dead chick, who has no one to help her. Why does everything always have to be about you, Shroom? Why can't it ever be for anyone else?"
Shroom grabbed his sweatshirt. "I don't have to listen to this crap, man."
Pone yelled after him, "You go run away, Shroom. You're just scared, girly man. Go run and hide. We don't need your ass here anyway."
Shroom slammed the door on his way out. Pone looked at Cash and Bean. He sighed. A smart assed rich boy and an intelligent idiot who knows four speeds; trip, stumble, fart, and fall down. I am in big trouble .
Chapter 7
Early the next morning, Pone, Bean, and Cash sifted through layers of slimy garbage and other muck trying to find a clue as to who offed Dead Chick.
"Who the hell thought this would be a good thing?" Cash yelled. "Three hours in this cesspool and all I got to show for it is a buckle off a shoe and ruined blue jeans!"
Pone looked over his shoulder at the rip in Cash's thigh. "If you didn't wear two hundred dollar jeans, it wouldn't matter so much, Yo."
Cash gave Pone the "You're Number One" sign with the wrong finger and Pone laughed.
Bean made it through seven layers of yuck and stopped dead. "Uh, Detective Williams? I think I've got something here."
Pone and Cash dropped what they were doing and scrambled over mountains of garbage to see what Bean found. Big Mike got there a moment later.
Cash asked, "What is that?"
Bean pointed near his toe. "Look there. I think it's a watch."
"A watch? So what?"
Bean rubbed his nose and squatted. "Look again, Mr. Moneybags, what kind of watch do you see?"
Pone squatted beside Bean. "It says 'Car-teer', like what is that supposed to mean?"
Cash squinted and yelled, "Holy crap! It's a Cartier , you dumbass. That's Car-tee-eh , not Car-teer. That watch could be worth over twenty grand! I don't even have one of those. It has to be a clue. Detective Williams! We got something! Look at that! A real clue!"
Big Mike stared at the French watch lying on a banana peel. "Calm down there boy. Looks like you might be right, Cash, It says Cartier on the face. Good job, Bean. Let's get a picture of this and we'll bag it up."
Big Mike turned away and Bean turned to Cash. "Oh, and Cash? Because one does not know how to pronounce Cartier , does not make him a cretin. That's pronounced, 'cree-tin', and means stupid, brainless, or as you put it, 'dumbass'."
Pone and Bean knocked knuckles and walked away. Cash stood there with his mouth hanging open and cranberry sauce dripping from his right glove. He spun to face Big Mike, who turned away, a small smile on his lips.
* * *
"The reports by
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