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The man looked at me for a second. "You won’t find him here. He got arrested last night."
That got my attention. "Arrested! What for?"
He snickered. "Why do you think?" He wiped a dirty hand across his mouth. "He was caught dealing, of course."
"Do you know where he was taken?"
"Where else? To the jail, to wait for them to find him guilty."
I wasn’t interested in talking to this guy much longer. "Thanks." I pulled on Thor’s leash and the two of us left.
Once back in the car, the feeling of uneasiness flooded me. It was becoming a familiar sensation each time I came down here.
Guilt washed over me when I thought of my promise to Daniel to stay away from here, and the implied promise to Jacob to do the same. My tires sank in and out of the potholes as slowly I drove away. I had given up on dodging them.
I wondered where Licorice Billy had moved to after the cops ran him off of Roasted Love’s front doorstep. They must have gotten through to him, though, because he hadn't been back at our place.
By now, I felt compelled to see what the grocery specials were for the day. A large hand-printed sign was plastered across the window, advertising several questionable meat specials.
And who should I see in front of the sign but Licorice Billy.
I pulled in and parked a few feet from where he stood. Black licorice juice trickled into his shaggy beard, and I wondered if he ate any real food – much less a decent meal.
When he spotted me, he didn’t run as I expected. I pulled Thor out of the car and headed toward him.
"You just after me to make sure I stay where I belong?" he asked.
I sighed. Steven was right. He was just naturally mean. "I figured you were back at the shelter at night. But, hey – do you know where Ricky Thomas is?"
"What makes you think I know where he is?" he asked. I noticed that his teeth appeared to be a mixture of reds and yellows and browns.
I shrugged. "I just thought you might know, since you seem to be friends with him." I kept my eyes on him while he shifted around like he couldn't wait to run out of there as fast as he could.
"Look, lady. I’m not a dealer. Or a user. Sure, I know Ricky. I heard he was arrested the other day."
"So, where'd they take him?"
He snorted. "Sorry, but the cops don’t give the rest of us information like that. Besides, what do I look like – the local 4-1-1?"
I reminded myself that I was the one asking the questions. I ignored his remark and changed my tone from inquisition to a little more friendly. "Look, I don't like to see anybody going hungry or sleeping in the cold. Are you doing all right? Do you need any help?"
There is no way to describe his reaction except to say that pure scorn shot across his face. He turned and walked away with heavy stomping strides.
"I guess I'll take that as a no." I headed back to the car and found several teenagers hanging around it – but once they saw Thor, they immediately drifted off.
Once driving out of that sordid little part of the world, I felt a huge relief. Maybe Daniel and Jacob did know best when they told me this was more than I could handle.
Chapter Nineteen
After I left the downtown area, I arrived home to get ready for an evening out with Daniel. He'd called me earlier and made a date to go out and eat.
"We should have a real date tonight, Laila," he'd said, and I agreed. I was ready for a night out for a change and I made up my mind to focus my attention entirely on Daniel tonight. He had been more than patient with me.
I still had a few hours before he would pick me up, so I took Thor out back for a little exercise. Playing ball with the dog always helped clear my mind, and the fresh air felt cool and rejuvenating.
Glancing at my watch, I walked to the door and called Thor to come back in. He looked at me as if debating whether or not he actually would – but, true to his training, he bounded over to me. I gave him his favorite snack and then went to my cork board.
I'm a detailed list maker, and I use my board to keep track of things. The present subject was John’s murder case. I'd written several names on index cards and pinned them up – all of them possible suspects in the murder of John.
