Chapter 398

It was an hour before Jerrod showed up at the Cloak and Dagger. I figured he had enough money to bring his own booze by that time, so my only contribution was a box of cake squares from Helen's wedding reception upstairs in the dance studio. It was Saturday evening after all. There was always a plate of cake squares available for me on Saturday. I had just lately begun taking them. I would for sure take them from that point forward.

In the basement clubhouse, I sat alone contemplating my next move. The phone call from the Judge still hadn't come and I was beginning to think I should call him to see if he wanted me to look into Lydia after all. Lydia was upstairs in Vlad's apartment or maybe out shopping with Anya.

The smart phone rang just minutes before Jerrod was due. The screen told me that it was Anya. "Hello, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered with a much milder accent than Vlad's. "You said to call if I saw anything suspicious. We have someone following us. So far it seems like a single man. He is average looking."

"Could be anyone, but I will be there in just a few minutes. Where are you now?" I asked.

"Inside the Belk store," she said on the first floor. It is the busiest," she said.

"Stay there but do not let her out of your sight, not even to try on jeans. How does she look?" I asked.

"I don't think she knows we are being followed," Anya informed me.

"Tell her and see if she reacts. He might be a plant of hers," I suggested. In the mean time I have to call Jerrod and cancel our meeting."

"You might want to bring him along, just in case." Anya said.

"Damn you guys must be reading each other's mind. He just this second walked in the door. We are on the way."

"Jerrod we have to go," I said to him as I shut down the phone.

"Where we going?" he asked.

"To the mall, Anya and Lydia may be in trouble." I said as we started up the stairs.

"I don't have a weapon," he said.

"Then drive me there, I have one." I thought then I asked, "What the fuck is that cane made from?"

"It's just aluminum. It will bend without doing anyone any damage." He said.

"I don't have time to get you one of mine, so lets go and hope for the best." I still had the Glock, so unless there was a herd of them, we had a chance. We were in the car, when I handed him the envelop with his 7000 and change. It was the leftovers from the diamond transaction. "I'll pay you for this job, when we finish there is still more to do I think."

"I am really sorry that I do not have a weapon, but I'm not licensed like you," he said.

"Well decide what you want and I'll try to help you. Park over there," I said as he pulled into the mall parking lot. We walked purposefully into the lower level of the Belk store. "Let's split up. You go left, I'll go right. If you find them meet me with them in the middle of the store."

After I said it I quickly walked off to the right looking down the aisles. I saw them at the end of the aisle looking at clothes. Well Lydia was but Anya was pretending.but she was really glancing around ... She spotted me then looked over he shoulder toward the door. I changed my direction, so that I could slip up behind him.

"You here to finger the women's underwear. If you want to try those on you better behave." Within a second Anya was standing beside me but facing in the opposite direction scanning the store. Jerrod was standing in front of Lydia with their back against the rear wall.

"Do you know who this is Anya?" I asked.

"No, but I'm sure you do," she said with a smile.

"Oh yes, this is Harvey Middlehouse," I answered.

"What the fuck is a Harvey Middlehouse and who would name their kid Harvey?" Anya asked.

"Someone already fucked up by the name Middlehouse," I said.

"I have not broken any law this is a public place," he said.

"Do we look like cops to you Harvey," I said angrily, "No Harvey, I am not a cop and this is not an arrest. This is a warning. If you bring trouble to my client, I will bring the wrath of a righteous god down on you. Otherwise have a nice day."

"This is a tabloid puke," I said to Anya. Try not to be nice to him ever."

I turned my attention to Harvey. "How did you find my client?" I wanted to know because anyone could find her, if this puke had, I thought.

"I staked out your apartment. When you left in the truck I followed you." he said.

"My ass, you have a tracker on my truck?" I asked.

"No," he said.

"If I go out in the parking lot and pull one off I'm going to cut your balls off," I said. "Hold him here," I said to Anya. He didn't have to know that I came in Jerrod's car. Let him think that he was in the shit.

"Okay, there is a GPS thing there, but I haven't told anyone." he said.

"I should have known. You saw me bring her in to Jennifer. When I left alone, you just staked out the Drugstore till she left with Anya?" I asked.

"Yes I did," he admitted.

"I should kill you, but it was my fault. Now I have to neutralize you. To do that I'm going to bring you in, but you print only what you clear through me or I will not just cut your access off, I will cut your fucking toy off. Do we understand each other?" I asked.

"Yes I get it, but I might not always play along," he said.

"Then plan on life as a eunuch," I suggested to him. "Does anyone know that you are here? I mean right here in this mall. Don't bother to lie, I'm not planning to murder you. I need to know how much of a threat there is to Lydia Timmons."