Chapter 30

It was another day of searching for clients and making minor progress. I managed to get some new blood into the office for consultations. To be honest criminal law is a lot of negotiations and very little trial work. There are some trials however, and I wasn't nearly as good in a courtroom as I was sitting across from a DA playing let's make a deal.

It looked as though Jane and I might be going to court, if we couldn't come up with Ansel. I could get her off the conspiracy, but not the theft of the drugs with intent to sell what she didn't shoot up.

When lunch time came and I hadn't heard from Royce, I got Sam to pick up Chinese food for us all. He got thirty five bucks worth of cardboard cartons and a bag of paper plates from the Dollar Tree. By 2PM the office reeked. I was tempted to open the windows and put a fan up to blow that soy sauce smell out of the office and into the neighborhood.

"We got big trouble Lucy," Royce's voice said over the phone. I knew that he had spent the morning and early afternoon doing things not related to the search for Ansel, so I expected nothing like what he told me next.

"I got Ansel in the car with me and we have to do something with him," Royce said to me.

"What's this we shit, I don't have the most wanted man in six states in my car. You, my ex con friend, are the one with the big problem. You called to see, if I could bail your ass out. So tell me how bad is it raining shit in my car," I said angrily.

"I got to my date with Sarah. it was supposed to be a blow job at noon type meeting. Instead I asked her about Ansel. I explained who I was and why I was trying to find him. Sarah could not wait to give his ass up. so guess why?" Royce demanded.

"Ansel wanted to give himself up. He was tired of running and couldn't get a bag of H since the shooting," I said.

"I'm shocked you have it exactly right," he said. "He didn't know how to come in and stay alive. Since you have Jane, he figures you can bring him in as well."

"Wonderful, just fucking wonderful," I said. "Can he give us the cops in the protection business?"

"Not only can he, but he knows that's what it is going to take for you to get him in alive," Royce knew the score for sure. "So I'm on the way to the office, when I think I should call you to be sure."

"That was nice of you and a damn good idea, I might add. The cops know I have Jane, who some of them want to kill already, so it won't be a big leap to figure I am the one who has Ansel, if we try to get him a deal. We are going to need a fucking army," I said still angry as hell. Not with Royce, probably I was pissed at god.

"So do I bring him to the office, or the condo?" Royce asked.

"Are you out of your fucking mind. You need to take him to Smith Brothers convenience store on Riverbend Road ... Get enough food for a couple of days because are going to hide out till you hear from me.

When you leave the convenience store, drive past a paved road on your right then just past it you will see a mailbox beside a dirt drive. The box has a big 5th written on it. Turn down that drive and at the end you will see a small house boat The house boat has 'Take the 5th' written on it. Just break the lock and wait for me there. You guys are both supposed to be tough, so just watch yourself and tell the fuckup to sober up and do it today."

"You know it ain't that easy," I heard Ansel say.

"Hand cuff his ass to the boat rail and leave him outside to go cold turkey. If he has the stones of a killer, he should have the stones to go cold turkey." I was serious and they both knew it.

"Royce ask him if the DA's office is clean or do I need to go all the way to the FBI to get an honest man?" I demanded.

"He says they always said the DAs had to be finessed, because they couldn't be bought," Royce informed me.

"Then I will try to finesse them myself. He is going to have to name names ect," I said to make sure he knew what he was selling.

"He knows," Royce admitted.

"Then get him undercover. Take the battery out of his cell phone, just in case Sarah give it up. These bad guys have a lot of resources most thugs don't have," I explained. "But keep your ass under cover because a gun thug is a gun thug no matter what he is wearing," I suggested.

"Geeze, she has been watching too much TV," I heard Ansel say to Royce.

"Man, if you want to get this done, you better fucking listen to her. I work for her, not you," Royce informed him. "Now get the battery out of that phone. Do not call your chick on that phone or my phone." Royce sounded more than a little pissed.

"You Okay Royce?" I asked.

"Yeah, he is just high. I expect he shot up everything in their place before he gave himself up."

"Well if he starts to die, let his ass go, just call 911 while he is out so they can try to save him," I said.

"Yeah, but don't lose no sleep over his junkie ass," Royce said.

"Exactly," and I hope he heard that exchange as well as the others. "He is just a piece of meat to me, and we will keep him alive as long as he cooperates. If he give us shit turn his ass goes over to the cops." I wasn't sure that I would really do it, but it didn't hurt for Ansel to think I would.

"So what we gonna do?" Sam asked after I turned off the phone.