Page 55 of One Bad Idea
"Sorry, what?"
"Calling the cops."
"Oh, so you're an expert in dick moves, are you?" As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back, not because they were rude, but because the words "dick" and "move" were just a little too suggestive, considering the rest of our conversation.
I cleared my throat. "I’m just saying, you're no angel yourself."
"Damn straight," he said.
I hesitated.Wasn't he supposed to argue the point?
Guess not.
I waved away the distraction. "But you never answered my question. Outside my apartment – why'd you show up?" Before he could answer, I added, "And, how'd you know Stuart was there?" My voice picked up steam as I tossed out yet another question. "And that security guy, what was that about?"
Part of me didn't expect an answer to any of these questions, but hey, it didn't hurt to ask, right?
"I'll tell you," Jaden said. "But first, I've got a question of my own."
"What?"
"Where do you think he got the truck?"
I stared across the table. "Who do you mean? Stuart?"
"Yeah." Jaden's mouth tightened."Him."
Obviously, he meant the classic red truck that Stuart had driven to my apartment. I hadn't asked Stuart where he bought it, mostly because I hadn't cared. "I don't know," I admitted. "From a dealer, I guess."
"Guess again."
I gave it some thought. "From a private collector, maybe someone in Tennessee?"
Jaden replied, "Now, you're only half wrong."
I gave him a challenging smile. "Or maybe I'm halfright."
"Fair enough," he said. "But which half?"
Now, this was easy. In my mind's eye, I could still see that red truck parked in front of my apartment. The Tennessee license plate was a dead giveaway. "The Tennessee part."
Jax gave a low scoff. "Now you'reallwrong."
"What?"
"He bought itherein Florida, from a private collector."
I shook my head. "But it had Tennessee plates."
"Not a couple weeks ago, it didn't."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, we switched them out."
"Switched what? The plates?" And then, I sat back as Jaden's full statement caught up with me. "Wait a minute. Who's 'we'?"
"You can't guess?"
