Nowhere Fast (A Mercy Watts Short) Read Online Free PDF

asked.
    “I don’t know.”
    “Would you like for things to go back to the way they were before?”
    “She’s been gone a long time.” Rachel fiddled with a recently popped zit on her chin and picked off the scab.
    “I have a lead on who she might be with.”
    Rachel’s mouth fell open in surprise. “No way! Where is she? How come she didn’t call me?”
    “I haven’t actually talked to her, but I have a good lead and I need you to help me out with it. Charley was supposed to call you and she didn’t?”
    “Yeah. She was gonna call when she found a new place to stay.”
    “Did you tell the police that?”
    Rachel looked at me with a challenge in her eyes. “No.”
    “You knew she was going to leave Terry’s place?”
    She hesitated. “Are you going to tell my mom?”
    “I don’t think your mom needs to know, but I do. So…”
    “Terry was gross. He had all these icky sores and he wanted to kiss her and stuff.”
    “Where did she go?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Did Terry ever talk to you about pornography?” I asked.
    “A little.”
    “What did he say?”
    “You’re not going to tell my mom?” she asked.
    “Absolutely not.”
    “He said he had a friend named Jamie and he’s into that stuff. He said this guy would take Charley’s picture.”
    “What did Charley think?”
    “She thought it was gross. All those old pervs looking at her.”
    “Did Terry mention Jamie’s last name?”
    She shrugged. “Maybe. I can’t remember everything, can I?”
    Not after what you were on, no. “Is there anything else you didn’t tell the police?”
    “No, I didn’t want to tattle on Charley, but it’s been a long time.”
    “Don’t worry. If I find her, I’m not obligated to tell her how. Good enough?”
    “Yeah.”
    I left Rachel standing in the middle of her front yard. She was still standing there when I turned off her block. I got on my cell phone and called Morty. He hates it when I add to a job, but I had no choice. I didn’t want to see Terry again and Morty has good connections. He said he’d get a list of Terry’s known acquaintances and get back to me. He didn’t have anything on the porn yet.

    The next few days were a blur. I was filling in at a pediatrician’s office and we were knee deep in the flu season. It seemed like every kid in the state came in with a desperate need to puke. I swore I’d never work Peds again. I once worked a salmonella outbreak after a kid’s twelfth birthday party. That was three months ago and I guess that’s how long it takes me to forget how horrible sick children are. Give me oncology, ER, anything but Peds. I’d rather give myself ten shots than give a kid one.
    Friday was my last day at the pediatrician’s office. After another day of puke and rectal temps, I went home to find a dozen messages from Uncle Morty on my machine.
    Morty picked up on the first ring. “About time. Where have you been? I thought you were off today.”
    “The vomit monsters called.”
    “Errgh.”
    “Tell me about it. What’ve you got?”
    “I think we’re looking for a Jamie Crane. He’s a forty-eight-year-old white guy with a nice sheet including, wait for it now, distributing child pornography. I’ve got his last three known addresses.”
    “How’d you do with the website?”
    “Found her. She’s on lolitagirl.com.”
    “Is it what I think it is?”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    “How am I going to explain this to her mother?”
    “Not your problem.”
    “Easy for you to say. How’d do you know it’s Jamie Crane anyway?”
    “My friend made the connection. Once we knew the website, it was cake.”
    “Thanks, Mort. How about those addresses?”
    “Nope.”
    “Say what?”
    “I’m not sending you out there on your own. Jamie Crane’s no sorority girl. He’ll kill you if you interfere in his business. Rodney and I will go with you.”
    “Rodney? Are you kidding me?”
    “The more the merrier. We’ll take two vehicles. Rod will be with you in