Page 43 of Givin' Me Fitz!
“Good morning, Fitz. Donut?” Denise smirked at me as Sparky stomped out of the kitchen.
Once his door slammed, I turned to her. “What’s going on? Where’s Monty?”
Denise giggled. “He’s at the courthouse for a hearing. He’ll be back soon.”
“What’s the mood about?” I poured myself a cup of coffee and pulled a mug from the cabinet for Denise, filling it.
“Thank you, Fitz. Yesterday, you brought an old friend of Sparky’s here after you bailed him out. Albert Wilcox. Sparky took him into his office and Monty joined them when he got back. Sparky stormed out just as I was leaving. I have no idea what went down, but Monty called the guy a cab and went after Sparky. That’s all I know.”
“Well, I hope they work it out. What time does Hardy get in?” I needed more information about TJ Middleton and his grandfather before I went to meet Sawyer.
“Uh, he has class today, so he doesn’t get in until one or one thirty, depending on whether he stops for lunch. You need some help? I know a little about computers. I used to do research for Lanny Stork. God knows that cheap bastard wouldn’t pay for help.” Denise walked out of the kitchen but returned a minute later with her laptop.
I’d heard about Lanny Stork, the bondsman Denise worked for before she came to Sparks. He was out of business now, according to my coworkers, because he was a lazy bastard who tried to get something for nothing at every turn, and the people who knew him got sick of it. The guy was a slimeball by all accounts.
Denise, however, was a great assistant to us all, but what I needed would require some hacking that I didn’t think Denise could pull off. “Can you check arrest records for me?” That much I was sure she could handle.
“Sure. Name and DOB, if you have it. Are they local?” Denise opened the lid of her laptop, fingers poised over the keys.
“Not sure of DOB, but the name is Thomas James Middleton. From what I know, he’s a resident of Pahrump. He has a courtesan… uh, sex worker certificate from the state. I’d like to have anything you can find on him. He was arrested a few weeks ago—we should have that date and the case number in the files,” I said.
“I’ll see what I can find.” Denise stood, taking her laptop and coffee with her.
Once she was settled at her desk, I called Lawry Schatz. I knew Hardy had great research skills, but Casper had worked for the CIA. He knew his shit.
“GEA-A. Lawry Schatz. How can I help you?”
I remembered I’d gotten a new cell phone with a Nevada area code. “Casper? It’s me, Fitz. How are you?”
His deep laugh made me smile. “I’m good, man. How’s the desert? I’m trying to talk Max into coming out for a mini vacation after we go see my family in Missouri at Thanksgiving.”
“Hey, I’m going to guess the weather is better here than in Missouri.”
“No doubt. What can I do for you, man?” Lawry was a great guy who’d do anything for anyone in need. I missed those guys.
“I’m sorry to bother you with this stuff again, but I need a deep dive into that guy I had you look into a bit ago. Thomas James Middleton, alias TJ Middleton. You have a lot of info on him, but I need to know more about the kid—family, known acquaintances, stuff like that.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled. “Two more. Can you look into a fella named Ricky Marlow? He’s a member of the Pahrump Steel Cowboys. He may or may not have a criminal record. Also, Jimmy Germaine, a boxing coach at a gym in Vegas, Boxed In. He promotes fights, I think.”
Casper chuckled. “Anyone else? The President of the United States, maybe?”
I snickered. “Not right now, thanks. If you can talk your husband into coming to Vegas, I’ll take you out for a good steak dinner.”
“I’ll work on these things between tasks. You’re settling in out there?”
“So far. It’s a laid-back town—if you’re not on The Strip. Nice neighborhoods and decent neighbors. It’s spread out, which is what I’m used to in Texas.” There was no need to tell Lawry it could be a lonely place. I hoped that was about to change.
“I’m glad, Fitz. Things here have been mostly calm. Will you be able to come to New York for Christmas? Parker Colson, Smokey’s husband, hired Max’s company to help coordinate the family dinner that’s going to be held at Blue Plate this year. It’d be nice if you could come.”
I appreciated the invite, but I was heading to Midland to see my parents. I dare not hope I’d have a plus one to take along.
“Put me down as a maybe. I might be headed to Texas, but I haven’t made plans yet. I’ll get back to you about it.” That was the least I could do.
“Okay, man. I’ll get on this and let you know what I find. Have a great weekend.”
Casper and I ended our call just as I heard the bell over the front door jingle. I needed to store my gun in my desk, so I headed out to the swamp to see Monty and Sparky come into the building, both smiling. That was a relief.
Now, I just needed to take a breath and prepare for my meet-up with Sawyer later in the day.
