The doorbell rang, and Justus looked at the other end of the sofa again, but he was engrossed in his phone. “Sure. Stay safe. We’ll talk again. Our dinner is here, so I better go.”
“Okay. Bye.”
She started for the door, but Rafferty pulled her back. “Go back to the living room. We don’t know that it’s just the pizza delivery. Only I should answer the door. Understand?”
Her breath caught in her throat, and she nodded slowly, finding it hard to get her legs to move to retreat to the other room. But after a moment, she did, and she grabbed For All off the sofa and squeezed him close to her chest, waiting for Rafferty to return.
The smell of pizza greeted her, and she exhaled in relief. Rafferty sat on the sofa, placed the box between them, and opened it.
“Help yourself.”
“Don’t you want a plate, a napkin, or something?”
“Why?”
He dug in and she realized there were different styles of doing things when living with a guy as opposed to her girl roommates in the past.
She eventually reached for a piece of pizza and began to eat. For All’s ears perked up, and he watched her intently, sticking outhistongue to lickhisjaws ever so often in anticipation that she might givehima pepperoni.
“Has he been fed yet?” she asked between bites.
“No. I didn’t know what time you did that,” Rafferty said.
“Okay.” She put her piece in the box and carried the little guy into the kitchen where his food was kept and gave him his nightly portion and made sure he had water before going back to finish her own dinner. “I’ll need to take him out after we eat.”
“No problem. There’s a dog park outside of the fenced area around the pool. We can go together,” he said. I don’t want you to feel like a prisoner up here.”
“Thanks.”
CHAPTER 5
Leland Warshafsky lookedat his minions with disgust. His new head man, Drake Minchin, was dressed in a suit while his underlings Alfie Jennings and Grant Evans dressed casually. “How can men like you screw up a simple objective like this so badly?”
“Sorry, boss,” Minchin said. “My men assured me they could finish the job but failed.”
“Damn right, they failed. Now, we don’t know where Justus or Chaney are. The two you sent to scare them after their deposition made a blunder of the job and got themselves arrested.”
“It wasn’t their fault, boss. How were Earl and Clay to know that the Brotherhood Protectors had men on the job?” Minchin defended his people. “The girls arrived there alone. It wasn’t until they were leaving that the guys made their presence known.”
“It’s their job to be aware and to think ahead of possible roadblocks to get around them. Instead, I’ve had to send one of Felty’s associates to bail out those two chumps until they can be prosecuted for tampering with a federal trial. It’s bad enough I already have three of my men standing trial from the raid on myhouse outside of Fool’s Gold. Do you think I like laying low in this RV storage lot? It’s hampering my business and keeping my corner of the operation from going forward.”
“No, boss. I know you don’t. But no one has a finer vintage 1973 Chieftain Winnebago than you,” Minchin praised. “Just look how well-kept this interior is.”
Leland grinned, appreciating the compliment, while not missing out on the chance to brag a little himself. “I had the plaid carpet and plush cushion seats redone to match the original manufacturer release when I purchased her. But enough about my RV. I want Justus and Chaney found before this case against Polaski, Biddle, and Nuchols goes to trial. And has anyone found that simpleton Dan yet? How could he vanish into thin air? If somebody didn't kill him in that raid, then where is he?”
“No one seems to know, boss,” Minchin said. “We’ve been searching. We’ve had our men on the dark web keeping a close watch for chatter about that night, but nothing has come through.”
“I still don’t understand how those damn Brotherhood Protectors found my place to bust up the auction,” Leland said. “I’m the only brother among the Four Corners who has had this happen, and time is running out for me to give an account for it. If my head rolls, you all go down with me, do you hear.”
“We do,” Jennings and Evans finally spoke up, avoiding making eye contact with him.
“Then get out of here and go find them.”
Jennings and Evans headed out the door. But before Minchin could, Leland ordered him to stay back. “Drake, I want to discuss something with you.”
“Sure, boss.”
He waited until they were alone before he spoke again. “When you broke into the Killion’s place, were you careful not to leave any traceable evidence?”
