Chapter 58

When I woke it was 5PM and I rushed out the door. I remembered that bike that I saw on the curb and I wanted a closer look. So I ran faster than I normally do. I also ran farther than I normally do. I got to the consignment shop before they closed at 6PM.

"The grossly over weight lady was very sweet. She said, "The bike belongs to a retired gentlemen, who brought it for me to try to sell. He has several more if you would like a bike, but don't care for that one.: "I don't really know much about bikes," I said. "I think I would like one that is easy to ride, but not too easy. I want to use it for exercise mostly." "Tell you what, let me call him. If he doesn't have what you want, he will build it for you I'm sure." She drifted off to her office to make the call. I poked around the shop till she came back.

"He said to tell you to take the one we have here. Try it for a week, then he will know what you need. If you don't like it, he will build whatever you want." she said.

"How much is the bike," I asked.

"The one outside is thirty dollars and I'll give you that much credit toward whatever you want in the store. Should you decide you don't want a bike," she said.

I gave her the thirty dollars. Then climbed on the bike and tried it. The bike wasn't quite as tall as the ones I saw around town, It was however a good fit for me. The bike didn't have a lot of speed, but it took the hills like a burro. I was sure he had done something to the gearing. It should have run faster on the flat and been harder to pedal going up hill. I did not complain for the mountain community it was ideal. I had to rest going downhill, because I couldn't catch up to the freewheel. Then it was pedal steady going up hill, but it wasn't hard to do.

I not only rode the bike home, I rode it around the neighborhood before I went inside. I got to know a little about the area where I had settled. I don't mean where the roads led, I mean what was on the road. For instance in the next block, going away from town, there was a house with a lighthouse replica on the lawn. I thought that was pretty cool. It might have taken me months to notice that from a car. There was also a convenience store and a sweepstakes cafe in the same building three blocks away. I didn't think they were operated by the same person, but it was nice to know about the convenience store.

When I got home from the ride, I carried the bike up the stairs. I put it on the balcony, since I didn't think anyone would try to steal it. I toyed with the idea of riding it to work, but decided against it. It didn't have any light on it. I needed them more to be seen, than to see.

I spent some time with the computer then it was time to get ready for work. I took a soak, and hated to leave that tub, when my time was up. I washed my hair, which no longer stood up straight. It laid down flat, but I still looked like a teenage boy. I didn't mind so much when I was in uniform, but it had been bad in the lounge at the motel. More than one man thought that I was a cross dresser or some even thought I was a transsexual. Oh well maybe I was at heart. I mean all the military clothes, and the life style I lived was more suited to a man, than a woman. I wasn't very feminine, except that I liked cock. I had tried the other side of the plate and it left me cold.

I slipped on the vest before I went down and started the Toyota. I drove down to the station with the box opener in my pocket and the .38 under my light weight parka.

"Porter you are on your own until 11PM," the Duty Sergeant of a different squad said to me.

"Yeah I know I'll be leaving at 2AM. It's my comp time." I said.

"That's right so while you are here, let's get some work done," he said.

"So what's on the agenda," I said.

"Flatiron wants you to pick up the mooch you been working. By now he knows about the bust, so we want to get him quick." the sergeant said.

"Why didn't they get him earlier today," I asked.

"He seems to be in the wind. He might turn up at the sweepstakes cafe. So we want you to stake it out and let us know. They close at ten so you just stay a couple of hour there," he said.

"Ya'll going to pick up my losings?' I asked.

"Watch from outside," the Sergeant said dead serious. He was the one sergeant with absolutely no sense of humor.

"Roger that," I said.

I left the parking lot in a hurry. I might as well get to the sweepstakes cafe and settle in. I no expectation of finding that man. I just sat there till the place closed. Then I had a thought What if he had money in a safe in the building. He might come for it, but he would want to be sure we weren't watching. I remembered the double back trick of his from the other night. That told me he was careful.

I planned to follow my orders to the letter. I planned to leave at 10:30PM exactly. Then I planned to wait fifteen minutes and double back to a different parking lot. My plan was to stake it out till Jake came on at 11PM. Then see what he was up to. The briefing for tonight stressed we were to look for the illusive drug dealers. I assumed they would have Jake looking for his mooch as well.