Pinups and Possibilities Read Online Free PDF

the cabbies from Tangerinesdropped an envelope for you at the front desk,” she replied uncertainly.
    “Fine.”
    I slammed the receiver back in the cradle and eyed the car speculatively.
    “I guess I’m not the only one avoiding complications,” I muttered.
    I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I had a job to do, an appointment I couldn’t miss, and a man to bring back to Cohen.
    * * *
    “So you want that baby serviced?”
    I grinned at the eagerness in the mechanic’s voice as he eyed up the Mustang.
    “Not exactly,” I replied.
    “On the phone you said you were having a problem.”
    I shrugged. “I may have exaggerated a bit.”
    The mechanic narrowed his eyes. “What’re you after?”
    “Not what. Who. Are you Mike?”
    “S’what it says up there,” he told me with a nod toward the sign above our heads.
    Mike the Mechanic, At Your Car’s Service.
    “Nice slogan,” I observed.
    “Uh-huh. Wife thought it up.”
    “Well, Mike. My problem’s not a mechanical one. But I still think you can help me.”
    The other man frowned. “How’s that?”
    “Someone you know, owes someone I know, a lot of money.”
    “All right,” he said guardedly. “Who’re we talking about?”
    “A man named Duncan.”
    I waited. Outright denial of knowing the man would signal a lie. I had a paper trail to prove the relationship. But the man just looked puzzled.
    “You sold his car,” I prompted.
    “Did I?” Now there was an edge to his voice, and I didn’t like it.
    “Duncan,” I repeated firmly.
    Any trace of the friendliness Mike had shown when I pulled up in the Mustang was gone now.
    “Which name?” he asked.
    “What?”
    “Duncan. Is it a first name or a last name?”
    I rolled my eyes. “I think you know who I’m talking about, Mike. Jayme Duncan.”
    Some emotion flickered across his face so quickly I wasn’t even sure what it was. He didn’t speak, though, and I sighed.
    “You like it when you do a job and you don’t get paid, Mike?”
    He was unmoved by my question. “Nope. S’why I charge up front.”
    I gave him another quick assessment. I was sure intimidation wouldn’t motivate him to answer me, and being polite wasn’t getting me anywhere, either. My third option—my least favourite one—was probably my best bet.
    I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phoney badge. Even gripping it between my fingers made me feel dirty, and I slapped it down onto the counter so I wouldn’t have to hold it longer than necessary. It reminded me too much of how my life might have gone.
    “Law enforcement?” Mike’s voice was only slightly less hostile.
    Well, enforcement, anyway, I thought.
    “Does that make you a little more willing to help me?” I asked.
    He hesitated. “What do you want to know?”
    “Just where to find the guy.”
    Mike shook his head. “If I don’t tell you…you gonna take me in?”
    I put my hands up in a surrendering gesture. “Look. I don’t even know if this is the right Jayme Duncan. All I want is the chance to find out.”
    That seemed to make him consider answering. “And if it’s the wrong one…you’ll walk away?”
    “Right hand to God.”
    “All right,” Mike said. “Here’s what I’ll tell you. The only person I know with that last name works at Tangerines . If you’re there around seven, you shouldn’t have any trouble figuring out which one is Duncan. Stands out in a crowd something fierce. I can give you directions.”
    I snapped up my forged badge and suppressed a groan. “That’s okay. I think I can find it.”
    * * *
    Several hours later, I stood inside the club, frowning at how busy it was. People were crowded into the corners and around the stage, jostling each other and bristling with anticipation, and there wasn’t even a dancer onstage at that moment. There was an eagerness in the air, though, beyond the usual overly testosterone-fuelled one that accompanied the presence of nude girls.
    I looked around for the source of the