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I kick my feet up on the dashboard and lean back in my seat with the binoculars in front of my eyes. After three hours of staking out Old City Records, we haven’t had a single lead pan out. One day, my source tells me the dealers are running a major shipment through the store, the next it’s something else.
“Hand me the Cheetos, would ya?” I point at the bag of cheesy goodness on the dash in front of Clarke. “I’m starving.”
She picks up the bag, glances at the nutrition label, and sighs. “How do you eat this crap? It’s loaded with saturated fat
and chemicals.”
I take it out of her hand and laugh. “It says made with real cheese on the front of the bag. That counts as a food group.”
She chuckles. “You’re impossible. No wonder your brother worries about you. Coffee and Cheetos is not what I’d consider a good dinner.”
“We’re on a stakeout. Eating junk food and pounding stale coffee is part of the gig.”
“We’re not cops,” Clarke points out. “Following around dealers in hopes of getting a good lead on the Old City Records drug ring will get you killed.”
“They have no idea we’re watching them. Stop worrying. For someone who wants to become an investigative journalist, you sure as hell don’t take enough risks.”
I scan the dark city block for a sign of something. Anything. But no one has walked past Old City Records in over an hour. Inside the store, the lights are dim, casting barely enough light to see the person seated at the front counter.
“Go waltz in there and make nice with the clerk. Wouldn’t that be easier?”
I shrug against the leather seat.
“Well, they’re hiring,” she hedges. “There’s a sign on the door. Go apply for a job.”
Clarke says this as if it’s the most obvious choice. I would’ve done that sooner if it were an option.
I snort. “I already have a job, one that pays shit. I doubt Fred will take too kindly to me working at a record store in hopes I’ll find something big enough for him to print.”
“Show him what you got, and maybe he’ll change his mind.”
“Doubtful.” I stuff a handful of Cheetos into my mouth, speaking between bites. “All I have are dried up leads that have done nothing but waste my time and now yours.”
“It’s not a waste of time. This is fun. Better than researching what private schools are the best in the area or some of the boring-ass shit Fred has assigned to me lately. I swear he’s trying to get rid of me. Ever since I turned in my assignment on the school embezzlement case, Fred hasn’t given me anything worthwhile.”
“Your reporting on that story was perfect. It wasn’t you. He’s a dick because he wants to fuck you, and you want nothing to do with him.”
She sticks her tongue out and makes a gagging sound. “Gross. The last thing I want to think about is Fred and dicks. He makes my skin crawl with the way he stares at me during staff meetings.”
“Unfortunately, he’s our boss. It sucks. Get used to it. He likes to stare, but he’s harmless. Flirt back. It could do wonders for your career.” I say the last part with a wink, completely joking with her.
She lets out a frustrated groan. “You can’t be serious.”
“Fred’s a creeper, but you can’t pick your boss.”
“But you can pick your job,” Clarke counters.
“I pay him no mind. He makes advances on occasion. I ignore all of them. It hasn’t affected my ability to work with him. Being nice to him goes a long way. He gave me the go-ahead to work part-time on this case. Fred is like a little kid. If you give him some attention, he’ll simmer down and go play in the corner with his toys.”
“Ugh,” she groans. “Fine. Whatever it takes to get back to real journalism. Covering this local bullshit is boring me to death.”
“That’s why you should take our stakeout seriously. Imagine what a story like this could do for our careers.”
She bites her lip. “The dealers have ties to the Mafia, right?”
I drop the binoculars into my lap and look over at Clarke. “Other newspapers have covered similar cases related to the ring, but no one can confirm the supplier with absolute certainty.”
“And you think they run it out of this rinky-dink record store?” She stares at the storefront again and shakes her head.
