Page 73 of Spike

“You’re not goingto. I’ll talk to Minus about posting some brothers to stand guard over thisplace. But for now, I need to talk to your dad… alone.”

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Spike

I walked Trixieback inside and got her settled on the couch before making my way upstairs toher parents’ room. I knocked on the bedroom door and Sherri Mitchell answered.

“Yes, what is it?”she asked, her face framed in between the door and the jamb.

“I need to talkwith Gary,” I said.

“Pastor is restingin bed right now. Whatever it is you need to talk with him about is going tohave to wait until later.”

Sherri attemptedto close the door, but my boot stopped it.

“Later is no goodfor me,” I said, pushing my way into the room.

Gary sat up andshouted, “Get out of this room and out of this house, right now!”

I motioned to thecuts and bruises on his face. “You wanna talk about this in front of her or inprivate?”

“I don’t haveanything to say to you, at all. Sherri, call the police.”

Sherri picked upthe phone from the night stand next to Gary.

I threw my handsin the air. “Okay, have it your way. Tell me, then. Who does your dealer workfor? Los Psychos? The Spiders?”

“What is hetalking about?” Sherri asked.

“I have no idea,”Gary sputtered out. “This man’s crazy.”

“Your family is indanger,” I warned her, turning back to Gary. “But if you talk to me, I can helpyou.”

“I don’t need helpfrom you,” Gary seethed.

I motioned to thephone in Sherri’s hands. “Go ahead, call the police. Tell ’em your husband wasbeat up by thugs, likely over an unpaid debt for dope. Watch how long it takes’em to get here.”

“What is hetalking about, Gary?” Sherri said, hanging up the phone.

“I have no idea,”Gary said.

“He didn’t getthose bruises falling off a ladder, Mrs. Mitchell,” I said. “You’re a smartwoman, you can see that.”

Gary rose to hisfeet. “You leave my wife out of this.”

I crossed my armsand scowled. “The drug dealers you owe will do even worse to your family if youdon’t let me help you.”

“He’s telling thetruth, isn’t he?” Sherri asked her husband.

Gary scoffed. “Ican’t believe you’re listening to this… this… hoodlum.”

“Your mood swings,the secrecy.” She threw her arms in the air. “I thought maybe you were havingan affair, but this makes sense. I knew you’d sometimes take an extra pillwithout telling me, but I guess I figured you were in pain and didn’t want totell me.”

Gary sat back downon the bed.

“It’s way worsethan sneaking a few pills, isn’t it?” I asked.

He nodded.

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