AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Chris Thasso?” asked Max. He nodded at the men, the smile gone. “It’s nothing serious, son. We just wanted to ask you about the tattoo you had fixed a few weeks ago.”
“Mrs. DiBenedetto? I’m going to take a short break, okay?”
“Go ahead, honey.”
“We were over at the shop down the street speaking to Mallard, and he said you came in with a bad tattoo design,” said Callan.
“It wasn’t at all what I asked for. Serves me right for trying to get it done cheaper than anyone else quoted me. The minute he was done, I knew it wasn’t right. It should have taken way longer.”
“What did he say when he showed it to you?” asked Callan.
“Nothing. He just said he thought I’d prefer something different. I refused to pay him. He threatened to call the cops, and I told him to go ahead. I’d wait right there. When I didn’t budge, he told me to fuck off and leave. So, I did.”
“What happened next?” asked Max.
“Nothing. I went home, showed my folks, and they agreed I should get it changed. My mom actually covered it up with a huge bandage, and a few days later, I went to Mallard. He was cool but wanted to wait until it was calmed down. I waited about a week and then begged him to do it again. It hurt like hell, but I was relieved to have it gone.”
“What did the guy look like?” frowned Callan.
“Tall, skinny, shaved head with tattoos. He had lots of piercings but never gave me a name.”
“That’s not Imron,” said Callan. “Hey, thanks for taking some time to talk to us. Make sure you go back to Mallard if you need anything else.”
“Oh, believe me,” he smiled. “I have him on speed dial.” Back in the sunlight, Max looked at Callan, frowning.
“Where to now?”
“I want to talk to that woman. We’re about to get friendly.” As they walked toward the salon where she worked, Max and Callan were singular in their thinking. This woman had caused tremendous pain for others and seemed to be enjoying it. That wasn’t something they could tolerate or walk away from.
“Brother, you sure know how to push the buttons, don’t you? If she starts screaming that we touched her, this could get ugly.”
“That’s why we’re going to record everything we say and everything she says. If I have my way, she’s the one that will be fired.”
As they walked toward the salon, they noticed the mass of tourists out in the area. Spring and summer always brought more people, and this was no exception. And for some unknown stupid reason, parents often let their kids run around, hanging out in the Square or around the levee.
“Up there,” said Max. They opened the door to the salon and were assaulted with smells of shampoo, hair color, hair spray, and some sort of fruity lotion smell.
“Well, hello there,” smiled a girl at the desk. “What can we do for you, boys?”
“Had someone recommend Jamie. Is she here?” asked Max.
“Right here, sugar,” said a woman behind them. “Wow. I’ll have to send flowers to whoever sent you this way. Come on back. What can I do for you? A massage, facial, maybe something else?”
Max and Callan stepped into her private room, watching as she attempted to close the door. Callan stuck his foot in the door, preventing her from closing it.
“No need to close that,” he said, shaking his head.
“Things can get loud,” she smirked.
“Nope,” said Max. “Tell us what you did to Imron.” Her face fell, and she immediately did a one-eighty, angry beyond reason.
“Get the fuck out!” she yelled.
“You can yell all you want. But you’re gonna tell me why you lied about Imron touching you. You and I both know that he didn’t. He wouldn’t. It was against his religious beliefs to touch any woman that he wasn’t married to. What did you do?”
“He touched me! He touched me!” she screamed.
“Keep screaming, and I’m calling the cops down here. Personal friends of mine who will make sure to ask questions in a very different way than I will. Now, shut the fuck up, and tell me why you did it.”
