Page 28 of Givin' Me Fitz!
“Keep watching this and recording what’s going on. The cops will need it. Start trying to track the license plates of those vehicles, please.” I pointed to the cars blocking both entrances.
I turned to Ders and Spider who were standing in the doorway. “Let’s go. No guns, no cuts, and no bullshit. The cops will get there any minute now. I want no trouble from our side.”
Ders and Spider nodded, and we went out to Derson’s SUV, all piling in and heading out for the fifty-mile drive. We wouldn’t have ever beat the cops to the scene, so it was better to let them arrive first.
We were ordered to stay in the parking lot of the dispensary while the officers questioned the customers who’d been in the store during the robbery. I turned to Hammer—because I had nothing to say to Boyd. “What happened?”
Hammer swallowed. “There were about five customers inside, so we were keeping an eye on them. Boyd was manning the booth to check IDs before we let them in, and I was sitting near the registers like always.
“The lock on the back door must be broke because they came in through the back and caught me by surprise. They were screaming for everybody to get down, so we all did, and then they went to that pretty girl, Becca, and ordered her to open the safe. I tried to tell them that the safe was new and nobody knew the combination except you, Ders, T-Roy, and Hobie.
“They argued with me. Boyd came out of the booth with that damn pellet gun we keep back there, and he shot one of ’em in the shoulder. They left out the way they came, and Boyd followed them, but he ain’t come back. They got outta here with a lot of product and all the money in the registers. They were all wearing masks, but I gave the cops a description of them as best I could. They want the security footage.” I nodded and took Hammer over to a chair. He looked pretty shaken-up and I was worried about him, with his bad heart and all.
I walked over to the head dick in charge. “I’m Sawyer Abbott. My club owns this store. What can you tell me?”
“Officer Crane.” The Las Vegas cop was wearing military-style fatigues that they wore all the time for reasons I didn’t know. There were armored vehicles in the parking lot, so at least they were taking it seriously.
Officer Crane led me around to the back of the building. “From what we’ve gathered so far, the back door was unlocked and the suspects came in by just turning the knob.”
I was sure my eyes were as big as silver dollars. “Unlocked? That’s impossible. There’s a button under the counter by the register to let someone in through the back door after checking the camera. Do you think one ofmypeople had something to do with this?”
The cop blew out a breath. “I really don’t know, so let’s not jump to conclusions just yet. We need to find Mr. Townsend, who has disappeared according to Mr. White. He said Mr. Townsend went chasing after them, but he hasn’t returned.”
Fucking great. Now we have a missing asshole.“My IT guy will get you the footage in a few hours. Do you have any idea who it was? Is there a gang targeting dispensaries in the area?”
“You have insurance, Mr. Abbott? How are your sales? Is this the only dispensary you own in Nevada? Where do you get your marijuana from?” The way he was staring at me had the hair standing up on the back of my neck.
I faked a smile. “I have all the proper paperwork inside on display as required. Our weed comes from our licensed cultivation facility not far from Pahrump. I have those licenses inside as well.”
“Okay, Mr. Abbott. Let’s go in. We’ll take your statement in a bit. Can you get the licensing papers together for us? We’ll need those.”
Yeah, just for you to lose that shit? “I’ll get you copies immediately. Those papers don’t leave this store.”Fuck you!
After giving my statement, which was ridiculous with me having to account for every minute of my damn day. Like I’d rob my own damn store and then show up here to meet with the cops?
I left Ders and Spider to deal with the police and drove out to the East Adkisson house to find TJ Middleton. I needed to follow up on shit with him. I’d spent far too much time daydreaming. I had responsibilities.
I got out of my truck and walked around to the back door of the house to see Bess Carroll outside having a cigarette. When she saw me, she grinned. “Hey, Bones.”
I nodded. “TJ here? He owes me a conversation.”
“Finishing up something. I’ll get him for you in a second. How’s everything going at the other house?” Bess stubbed out her cigarette and put the butt in the ash can.
Nobody smoked inside. We didn’t want the fucking buildings burning down like the other house had the previous year, though that had been an “electrical fire,” according to the fire marshal of Nye County. That was probably after a hefty donation to his bank account by the new blood in the Scorpions. I’d have to deal with those fucks eventually.
“Business is steady, just like here. Emily busy? That john ever come back?”
Bess grinned. “Nope, and she hasn’t been in much demand. Maybe you wanna talk to her first?”
I knew this shit was trouble. “Yeah, go get her.”
Bess went inside through the back door, and I went to the fridge on the enclosed back porch and grabbed myself a beer that we kept out there for club members only. We didn’t have a liquor license, so we didn’t serve customers, but if they brought their own, we didn’t object.
I went back outside and sat at the picnic table. When the back door opened, I turned to see Emily step out. She was wearing a sheer dress with not much under it. I wasn’t interested, but I could see where some guys might be.
“Hi, Bones. What’s up?” She dropped the seductive smile and stiffened when she saw me, which told me maybe Bess didn’t tell her who wanted to see her.
“Just checking on you. Bess says you’re not very busy. Everything okay?”
