Page 52 of Gypsy Angel

When McBride scoffed, the three women looked at each other quickly before turning back to her. “She doesn’t have a boyfriend. She has a man she was obsessed with. That’s all. She chases that man around like a lost little puppy.”

Diesel noticed the venom in the woman’s voice when she talked about Katrina or how she was ‘obsessed’ over a ‘man’ but still wouldn’t name him. “Ms. McBride, what man are you claiming that Katrina is chasing after then?”

Diesel gave McBride a glare that dared the woman to get any snottier than she already was. When the woman huffed, Diesel took a step forward. “I don’t give a shit if you have a problem with Katrina. That girl is possibly missing, and she is in your charge. Now, if you don’t want to cooperate without malice because the chick is with the boy you’re obsessed with, considering your words and actions, the fact you were disheveled when law enforcement showed up and the fact you failed to report a minor who is in your care as missing, I have no problem calling the city council, the county board, the state and social services to have you and this entire home under investigation for failure to do your job and possible sexual interactions with minors in your care. Now, which will it be?”

“Detective, it’s time for you to leave. Since you are out of your jurisdiction, you have no control over me…”

“Wrong answer. Ma’am…yes you behind the desk window. We need your attention while my Sgt., my partner, who has been more than generous in her words, makes their phone calls to both the city, county and state to get actions done. No one is to leave this facility and anyone who enters is to be vetted. Please make sure with me that this place is locked down properly. We will get more officers, both with our team and LAPD, which is the first call being made, since you do not want to cooperate.”

“Fine! I’ll cooperate!” McBride shouted, glaring at Diesel and Pratt.

“Nope! You had your chance and you’re done. Sit your ass down. Diez, she is yours. I’ll deal with the receptionist and getting this place locked down!”

Laura Pratt walked with the receptionist around the building to make sure the windows and doors were secured as best as they could in the location they were in. Pratt noticed that the woman seemed nervous during their walk, giving her side eyes now and then.

“Out with it, lady. The side eyes make me twitchy, and I feel you either want to tell me something or you’re afraid we will find something.” Pratt stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned towards the woman.

“Katrina hasn’t returned back to the home for several days. I believe at least, maybe…three days. The boyfriend is Reginald Newman. He goes by Razgor or something like that. He’s been involved with some weird cult thing around the time he was brought in. I honestly don’t think he’s young enough to be here. But anytime something is said, she threatens to fire me and make sure I can’t draw my pension. I only do this job a couple of days a week.” The older woman wrung her hands as she looked around the hallway, as if she’s afraid someone was going to pop out and ‘pop’ her.

“Is this Reginald here now?” Pratt asked, drawing her weapon.

“Y-yes. He came in about five, maybe ten minutes before you ladies did. He went to McBride’s office. He doesn’t really stay here, if you know what I mean.”

“Does McBride have cameras in her office that show the lobby area?” Pratt asked, pulling her phone out to call her sgt. to give her the heads up.

“No ma’am. Let me rephrase that. As far as I know, no. But then again, she could have something on her laptop or hidden that I’m not aware of.”

“Everything ok?” Sgt. Brocard asked when she answered the phone.

“Guy’s name is Reginald. He’s here in the building, showed up several minutes before us. The receptionist said he came in and went to McBride’s office. Do you see cameras in the lobby or around the receptionist’s desk?” Pratt cut straight to the chase when Brocard answered.

“No, on the cameras. I have McBride. Sending Diesel your way. We have LAPD and several from the team heading this way now.”

“Got it. I’ll wait here for Diesel. I’m down the hall from McBride’s office. Ma’am, is there any windows in McBride’s office or a way out from there that we don’t know of?”

“No. We’ve already sealed off the back way out. McBride doesn’t have a window in her office. Says she doesn’t like people being able to ‘people watch’ her while she’s working.”

Hanging up the phone, Pratt waited for Diesel, eased around the corner that would give her a good view of McBride’s office. Once Diesel arrived, both women walked towards the door with the receptionist. They had instructed her to knock on the door and act like she was looking for McBride.

When the receptionist knocked, Diesel waiting on one side of the door and Pratt on the other, they waited for the door to open. As expected, the office door swung open with a man stepping out to get into the receptionist’s face.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with McBride?”

“Sorry, dumbass, McBride is busy at the moment. Thanks for answering the door,” Pratt smirked as she raised her weapon to the man’s head.

When the man whipped around, Diesel gripped his arm, jerking him around, face first into the wall as Pratt followed with her weapon raised towards him. Taking his left leg out, making him unbalanced, she pulled her cuffs and had him cuffed before he realized what was going on.

“What the fuck? You don’t know who you’re fucking with. You bitches are dead after my boss fucks your asses.” Reginald “Ragzor” Newman seethed through his teeth, struggling to get away from the two women.

“Yeah, and just who is your boss I should be shaking in my boots against? You know D, I haven’t shaken in my boots in fear since, well, ever. What about you, toots?” Pratt asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked at Diesel, biting the inside of her lips in thought.

“Hmm, let me think…yeah, nope. Never shook in my boots. Now, I’ve fucked with my boots on, unless that damn good fucking I got is considered shaking, or the fact he made me shake from the orgasm…”

“Well, if you’re going that route, yeah, the ole man has made me do that a time or two…or three…well, you get the point.”

“Bitches! That’s all you women are! Bitches! Good for nothing but to sink my dick into and fix my fucking food. Woody is going to tear you bitches apart.”

Pratt and Diesel looked over at each other before bursting into laughter, holding their stomachs as the male just looked at them in confusion. When both women wiped their eyes, sighing deep, they looked at Reginald and just shook their head.

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