Page 18 of Simon Says… Fight (Kate Morgan Thrillers #11)
The men looked at her and then nodded. “We can try that,” the third guy admitted.
“Good,” she murmured. She looked back at Rodney and asked, “Shall we?”
Rodney stood up from where he’d been sitting, listening to everybody talk. “Can I get your names?” he asked.
“No,” the three of them replied, almost in unison.
He smiled at them and added, “I’m not here to harm you in any way. I’m just hopeful that I don’t end up in the same position.” And, with that, he turned and walked toward where their car was parked. “Come on, Kate. Let’s go.”
She smiled at the men. “Have a good day.” As she walked away, she heard them muttering behind her. She had taken several steps when the more articulate man called out. She turned to him, then took a few steps toward him.
He added, “If you can talk to the restaurant, about being nicer about us, we could tell you something.”
“Good,” she agreed. “Tell me something then.” He hesitated, and she just waited, not saying anything. “Sometimes we’ve seen a vehicle parked around here, a van. A dark gray van.”
She nodded. “Okay, and?”
He shrugged. “No reason for it to be here.”
Kate suggested, “Drugs, prostitution, a mobile shack to rent by the hour.”
He shook his head. “Lights off, quiet, one guy skulking around all the time.”
She stared at him. “And does skulking mean to you what it means to me?”
“It means exactly what it’s always meant in the dictionary,” he declared, staring at her.
“Good enough. A description?”
He shook his head. “No, none.”
“Okay, and how about anything else to help identify it?”
He shook his head. “Just a dark gray color… to the point that it looks black.”
“Smoked windows?”
He shook his head. “No, I can see inside.”
“But you don’t look inside,” she guessed.
“God no, that’s scary.”
“Right.” And, with that, the three of them stumbled backward.
“Ever hear his voice?”
He shook his head.
“What does he wear?”
“Black, always in black.”
“Good enough. License plate?”
He shook his head.
“Didn’t see one or doesn’t have one?”
He looked at her, shrugged, and replied, “I don’t know.”
“Okay. When did you last see it?”
He frowned, then shrugged. “Maybe a couple days ago. Maybe last night.” He looked at the others, and they just nodded.
“And when you say last night , is that a maybe or are you sure of it?” Kate asked.
He shrugged. “It was last night.”
“Good enough,” she said. “Where do you guys usually hang out, in case I want to talk to you again?”
They all shook their heads.
“If it helps to put your minds at ease, it comes with a meal,” she added, a smile on her face. They just stared at her, and she nodded. “Just if I have more questions.” All three of them, almost like the Three Scrooges, frowned at her. She smiled. “Hey, it wasn’t too scary today, was it?”
They looked at each other, and one of them seemed to shuffle his feet bashfully, and finally he nodded. “You can usually catch us a couple blocks from here,” he shared, “at Norman Square.” And, with that, they turned, moving as fast as they probably could, and took off.
The fact that they were slow enough that she could watch as they left just made her smile. And, with that, she walked back into the coffee shop and talked to the waitress, who stood there, watching. Kate explained, “I’ve talked to them about not leaving you a mess when they dig in the garbage.”
Her eyebrows rose. “And you really think they’ll do that?”
“I would like to think so,” she said, “because they really do want the food you’re throwing out. And, when I explained to them what your problem was with that, they thought maybe they could be a little neater.”
She snorted. “What a way is that to live?”
“Maybe it’s just nice that it’s not the way you and I have to live.” And, with that, Kate turned and walked out.
*
Simon walked to the Running Mate , stopping to admire the morning view. When he got to where his two guests were sleeping, and were both still alive, Simon was relieved.
The old man opened his eyes, looked at him, and smiled. Then he thought of Elsie. “Is she okay?” he asked.
Simon nodded at the dog, curled up beside Arnie. “You tell me,” he said. “She’s right beside you.”
Arnie reached out a hand, felt her breathing, and sighed happily. Then he frowned. “I shouldn’t be happy.”
“Of course you should be. Every day you have with her is a gift.”
The old man’s eyes filled with tears, and he nodded. “Honest to God, it’s been such a long time for me that I tend to forget decent people are out there.”
Simon nodded. “I’ve seen some of the scum of the earth myself,” he admitted, “so I do understand what you mean.”
“I’m sure you do. You don’t necessarily look like you’ve had the easiest life.”
Simon laughed. “No, but I don’t sit around and cry about it.”
“No, you don’t.” Arnie shifted in the bed, then got up and stumbled to the bathroom.
When he came back out, Simon suggested, “While you’re here, if you want a shower, go ahead.” The old man looked at him gratefully. Simon also reached into his pocket for the disposable razors he had brought and added, “I don’t have a shaver to give you, but I have these if you want them.”
Arnie smiled at them in delight. “That would be lovely,” he said, rubbing his chin. “It’s been a long time, and I know I won’t maintain it, but hey…”
Simon laughed. “Let’s just go one day at a time.” Then he held up the bag of food.
Arnie frowned at him. “I still have leftovers from yesterday.”
“Yeah, maybe you do,” Simon noted, his gaze intense. “And maybe you’re just saving them, in case Elsie needs food.”
The other man winced. “You saw that, huh ?”
“Sure, I did,” he murmured, “but I won’t fault you for making sure the dog is fed, even if you go without.”
“She’s had such a tough life,” he explained, “but she’s made every day of mine easier.”
“Which is why you do what you do,” Simon said, with a gentle smile. He sat down and made sure that the old guy ate. Meanwhile, perking up at the smell of the food, Elsie came over and had a few bites, but only a couple. Simon looked over at Arnie closely.
He sadly studied her. “Her time’s coming, I know.”
“Her time’s coming, and she’ll be happy when it is time,” Simon noted. “However, in the meantime…”
“In the meantime,” Arnie stated, “we are warm and dry, and, for that, we have you to thank. It’s a hell of a boat.”
“I bought it because I needed a way to get out and to release my soul to the wild,” Simon shared, with a one-arm shrug.
“Oh, I get it,” the old man replied. “And truly you are blessed.”
“I am blessed,” Simon agreed, with a smile, “and life has been good to me overall.” He sat and visited for a little longer, then he said, “Okay, I have to get up and go to work.”
“Good enough,” Arnie replied.
“In the meantime, you enjoy your time here with Elsie.” And, with that, Simon got up and headed downtown to his rehab projects. When he walked into the first jobsite, he looked around, frowning.
“Now what’s that frown for?” his foreman called out.
He smiled and shook his head. “Oh,… just thinking.”
“Yeah, but when you just think ,” his foreman noted shrewdly, “plans have a way of changing.”
Simon nodded. “Yeah, they sure do.… I’ve just been thinking about the fact that there’s really no place for the homeless.”
“Oh, good God,” his foreman muttered, staring at him. “There are places for the homeless, but just never enough places for them.”
“And nothing for the seniors either.”
“I don’t know about that,” he countered, facing Simon. “Where’s all this coming from?”
Knowing that his foreman wouldn’t be as accepting as Kate, Simon sighed. “Just seeing how pathetic it is out there sometimes.”
“Sure, it is, but remember, if you don’t make a profit, you can’t turn around and do the next project. You will have tied up your money in an endless pit that you won’t have any idea how to make up for.”
“Oh, I know,” Simon replied. “Speaking of which, I have to check in with the Realtor.”
“You’ll get the Queensborough?” he asked curiously, but an underlying excitement filled his foreman’s tone.
“What do you think about it?” Simon asked him.
“Hell, I’ve been wanting to get my hands on that property for a long time,” he shared, with a smile. “I really do think it would be a good one for you.”
“Even if I decide to build a homeless shelter in its place?”
His foreman shrugged. “It’s not a bad location for that, but a lot of people would be pissed off if you did.”
“Maybe,” Simon conceded. “It’s probably not the right location, given the district, but it would be ideal if we wanted to get into the hotel business.”
“Or you could demolish it and then decide what will go there later,” his foreman offered. “I’m not used to seeing you buy something that really needs to be dropped though.”
Simon nodded. “I know, and that’s why I’m still hesitant.”
“Put in a really cheap offer because you know all too well that one will cost you.”
Simon laughed, but he agreed with his foreman. This one would cost a bundle. But that didn’t mean it would cost so much that it wasn’t doable. As soon as he stepped outside, looking to contact Ariel, she was already calling him.
“I need an answer today,” she stated impatiently.
“And I was just about to give you one.”
“Good,” she said. “I can’t hold this much longer. They’re getting very impatient and just want to get it done with.”
“Yeah, well, they might not like what I’m about to offer though.”
“Give me a price, and I can at least go back to them with it. If they don’t like it, then you’re off the hook. Unless you decide you want it anyway, and then you’ll have to negotiate, the same as everybody else.”
He laughed. “That’s not happening.”
“I know,” she muttered, with a groan. “Anyway, what are you thinking?” When he gave her the price, dead silence came from the other end. “Wow,” she finally said, “that is really low.”
“It’s a complete drop-down.”
“You can’t save her?”