Page 69 of James

“Oh yeah? Well bring it over. I’ll write Mickey Mouse’s name on it and you can get the money out of him. At least he can afford to pay it.”

“Look, lady, I’ve been really nice about this so far, but my patience will only last so long. I’ve given you the terms. Be there with the money or else.”

Before Laura could formulate a counterargument, the line abruptly went dead. Frustrated and determined to put an end to this predicament, she wasted no time in reaching out to Detective Cagney. Sharing the details of the conversation, she received his congratulations for successfully capturing Smith's incriminating statements.

Det. Cagney's voice resonated with assurance overthe phone as Laura listened intently. “Here's what we can do, Laura,” he proposed. “We can equip you with a wire to record the entire conversation when you meet with Smith. It'll ensure that everything is captured and provide us with valuable evidence.”

Laura's grip tightened around the phone. “I want this over. I’ll do whatever it takes. No loan shark is going to intimidate me,” she declared with more determination than she felt.

Det. Cagney's voice held a note of admiration as he responded, “That's the spirit, Ms. Turner, thanks very much.”

Laura could almost picture the approving nod on his face. She nodded in agreement, though he couldn't see the gesture, and almost missed his next words.

“Let's meet tomorrow to go over the arrangements. How about the Starbucks again? Would 10 o’clock work for you?”

Laura glanced at her calendar, mentally confirming her availability. “Sure. I’ll see you then,” Laura replied. It was time to take control, face the challenge head-on, and reclaim her life from the clutches of fear and intimidation.

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

The next morning, Laura arrived at the coffee shop to see Det. Cagney waiting for her, alone. They exchanged greetings and Laura was pleasantly surprised the detective had already gotten her coffee for her. She gratefully accepted the cup, savoring the warmth it brought to her hands.

“Thanks,” she said offering a small smile and scanning the room. “Where’s Det. Stone?”

Det. Cagney explained since this was an organized crime case, Det. Stone had turned it over to him. She had only been there before to bridge the gap. Laura understood the reasoning behind the change in detectives, but she couldn't help the disappointment. She had grown accustomed to Det. Stone's presence and had found comfort in her familiar face during these challenging times.

“Is that a problem?” he asked.

Laura shook her head. “No,” she assured him. “I just liked having a familiar person to deal with. This is all rather scary.”

“You’re doing fine, Ms. Turner,” he said, his voice filled with confidence and reassurance. “I won’t mislead you. Tomorrow night is only the first step. After that, you’ll have to testify against Smith, unless we can cut a deal with him. Potential witnesses against him have been intimidated into withdrawing their complaints before. I hope you’re in this for the long haul.” He captured her gaze with his.

Laura again had that sinking feeling in her belly. She narrowed her eyes at him, and he raised his eyebrow at her. Something in the way Det. Cagney looked at her caused a stirring deep within Laura. The next moment, he looked away and it was gone.

“I intend to do the best I possibly can,” Laura said, squaring her shoulders.

He nodded in approval and didn’t address the look they’d shared. “You’re a strong woman,” he remarked. “Now, let’s get to the details. First, we have to get you to the Frog. Are you familiar with that area at all?”

Laura admitted that she wasn't familiar with the location, explaining that it was on the opposite side of town from where she lived, and she didn't own a car. She mentioned the possibility of her father driving her, but Det. Cagney expressed concerns about involving more people in the operation. They needed a cover story that would ensure her safety without raising suspicions.

“Did you tell Smith you don’t have a car?” Cagney asked.

“I did,” she confirmed. “Is that a problem?”

“Maybe not. Would your father loan you his car? I’d rather not take any chances by involving other civilians, but if you could say that you borrowed a car, that could work. What we’ll do is this – I’ll have someone come toyour home beforehand to set you up with the wire and the money. You go to meet Smith and get him to say as much as possible. If you can get him to name his boss, so much the better. Don’t push it too far, though. We don’t want him to get suspicious. Once you’ve paid him, you leave, and we’ll move in and arrest him. We’ll have several plainclothes officers in the bar to keep an eye on you and make sure Smith doesn’t manage to slip away.”

When Laura got home that night, she called her father and arranged to borrow his car. At first, he tried to insist that he should drive her, but eventually he gave in. On Saturday, Laura got up and tried to go about her day as normally as possible. She gave the children a rare treat that afternoon by taking them to the movies. She had found a budget theater re-runningThe Lion Kingin preparation for the new live action version. Abby chattered about it the whole way back to Suzie’s house. Tim was quiet, still enjoying his popcorn and Laura had been able to get the evening’s plans out of her mind for a while. She told Suzie and the kids she couldn’t stay for dinner that night. Abby and Tim immediately wanted to know what she was going to do instead. She didn’t feel she could explain, so she left that part to Suzie. She picked up her father’s car and arrived home in time to make a quick sandwich before the police technician arrived at 7:30 pm to set up her wire. Laura’s eyes lit up when Det. Stone followed the technician inside.

“I thought you might feel more comfortable with me around,” the detective said.

“Thank you for coming. I’m starting to have all sorts of butterflies, moths, and possibly bats flying around inside,” Laura replied. “Will you come with me to the bar?”

“Yes, the captain said that should be safe enough. When we get close, I’ll drop down out of sight, but I’ll still be there.”

“That will really help me a lot. I can’t thank you enough.”

“’Just doing my job, ma’am, just doing my job,’” Det. Stone replied and they both chuckled at the reference toDragnet.

Once the wire was set up and the police technician showed her what she needed to know about it, it was time for them to go. They drove to the bar, with Det. Stone dropping down out of sight when they were a few blocks away. She wished Laura luck as she got out of the car and headed for the door of the bar.

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