Page 4 of Working for the Mob

However, that didn’t clear things up for Art. He stared at me like I was speaking gibberish.

“It’s like a purse you can fit in your pocket,” I said.

He shook his head at me. “How much was in it?”

Too much.I bit my lip to buy myself time, but both Lucy and Art stared at me expectantly. “About eight hundred dollars.”

My entire life’s savings.

Art let out a mixture of a cough and a choke. “What are you doing carrying around that much cash?”

“Hey! You don’t get to judge my life decisions. I don’t even know you.”

Lucy elbowed me in the ribs and whispered loud enough for Art to hear. “Genevieve, he’s aNecci.” Whatever the hell that meant.

The man worked his jaw side-to-side again, in thought. He cursed. “And you’re sure you had your purse on the train with you when you got off?”

“It’s a clutch. And yes, I’m sure. I appreciate your help but––”

Lucy cut me off.

“What brand clutch is it?” she asked.

“What?” The question caught me off guard. How would that be helpful?

“Well, not only did you lose your money; you might’ve lost a nice clutch too. Maybe the fellow was just a clutch collector.”

“I bought it from Sears,” I said. The information had no relevance, but Lucy looked affronted.

“No clutch collector’s going to want that,” she said.

“Shut up, both of you,” Art shouted. Lucy closed her mouth but I glared at him. “You said you remembered what he looked like. The purse snatcher?”

“Yes,” I said. I still didn’t see how any of this was his business, but he stared at me until I went on. “He was blonde. Well at least what I could see under his hat. And his facial hair too. He had a patched coat and a newsboy hat.”

Art cursed as a look of comprehension sprang onto his face. “He’s a drifter. He’s been hanging around town for the last week or so, asking for money. Come on.”

He turned to the station and cursed as a train whistle blew.

“And why should we go anywhere with you?” I asked. “Why shouldn’t we call the police?”

“Because we don’t have time to wait for Officer Brighton to ride his bike from the station.”

Chapter 2 – Art

Ishouldn’t even be here.

I needed to be negotiating the food prices for the shipments into our city because the organized crime syndicate on the other side of town decided to charge us to oblivion. Our citizens couldn’t afford skyrocketing food prices. If I couldn’t haggle that asshole down, not only would our city go bankrupt, we’d have starving families unable to afford to eat.

I picked to meet at the train station because it was neutral territory, right in between East and West Lannington.

Instead, I found myself with a ditzy blonde and an attention craving, absent-minded pain-in-the-ass.

I should’ve ignored her. I should’ve paid for my coffee, went to meet Jim Valuncia, and called it a day. But that’s not who I am. If she was robbed at Lannington’s train station, then it was still my responsibility. Technically, our police had jurisdiction here.

I shouldn’t have been surprised to find her with Lucy Baker, who, like always, was dressed for a cocktail party. She showed up in town a few months ago on the arm of some low-profile bootlegger, and has earned the reputation as an empty-headed handful.

Genevieve must be a chip off the same block. Only someone related to Lucy would have let their loaded purse get stolen to a drifter. And I thought they were from the city.

---