“A girlfriend of the girl I’m looking for is running with him. I interviewed her. His first name’s Calvin, but everyone calls him Playboy. The girlfriend knew the decedent. I had a feeling Playboy did, too, and also might be good for information as to my missing girl’s whereabouts.”
“You give that to Davidson?”
“Fuck no. Well, I gave him the info I had on the girlfriend, but that’s it. I don’t like the Feds he’s working with. They’re rookies, and I’m sure they’ll find a way to fuck it all up.”
“That’s a good unit Davidson’s with, Frankie. They do good work. It’s hard work.”
“I’m not gonna argue with that. I know it takes a special person to do the kinda work he does, but this has to be worked like a narcotics investigation. That’s my way in.”
Luna takes a bite of the pickle that came with the sandwich, chews, and looks toward a group of girls gathered together on a third-floor balcony.
“Look at them there. It’s like they think they’re on some kind of vacation,” he says.
“I’m sure what they’re smoking up makes them feel like they are.”
He turns away to take a bite out of his sandwich, chews a couple of times, and swallows. I’m surprised he doesn’t choke.
“All right, then, you got any other names I should keep on the radar?” he asks.
“Boy named Greg Thomas. He’s Edgar’s running partner. I think he’s worth looking into. And then some kid who I only got a first name on, Robbie. All I know is he’s another friend of Edgar’s, buys weed from him. Both of them probably involved in his little weed-dealing business, too. You’ll roll them easy enough.”
“Man, I hate dealing with juvies. Especially the suburban wannabe kind.”
“I hear ya there.”
“So what’s your angle? You expect me to do the work for you?”
“No. I’ll do all the work and you’ll get all the glory. Don’t worry yourself about that. You got anything on Playboy yet?” I ask evenly.
“No. He was a name just like all the other names we’re working.”
“This Playboy might work the area of Sixteenth and Park, maybe even live somewhere in 3D. He has short-cut hair and drives a newer-model two-door Lexus. That ring a bell?”
“Can’t say it does. I haven’t worked that area since you left.”
“Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. Remember that crackhead we used to use for over-the-phone okeydokes ’cause she had such a sweet young voice?”
“Yeah.” He chuckles. “Tamie Darling. You’d never guess such a sweet voice’d come out of something like that.”
“You’re right about that. You still working her as a special employee?”
“Occasionally.”
“I used her once a few months ago to sweet-talk this witness into a meet so I could drop some papers on him. Then I did some spring cleaning and sorta misplaced her number.”
“And now another favor. Man, they are piling up.”
“This isn’t a favor. I told you, you’re the one that’s gonna reap the rewards. Let me do it the way I do it, and if it’s what I think, you’ll be buying the rounds at Shelly’s.”
“Go on, then.”
“I have good information that this Playboy is distributing narcotics to minors and soliciting minors for prostitution. Also, I know he personally likes his girls very young. I believe he’s either the supplier or connected to whoever was supplying Angelo and company. So I’m thinking why not pull the same game we used to back in the day when we needed to lure in a drug boy for a buy?”
“If he was supplying Angelo and his boys, then he’s a lot more than a little drug boy. I don’t think he’d fall for something like that.”
“I agree he might be a bigger player, but he’s got this weakness.”
“And if he bites?”
“I have a good description and know what he drives. Our girl won’t be there, but I will. All I do is follow him back to wherever he might go.”
“You’re assuming a lot.”
“If it doesn’t pan out, then it’s my waste of time, not yours.”
“So you follow him back to wherever—then what?”
“I don’t know yet. Gonna have to play that part by ear.”
Fifty-four
I set up the meet with Tamie Darling at a safe spot I’ve used with her in the past. It’s a vacant lot on Sherman Avenue, near Howard University. A construction company working in the area uses it to store some of their larger trailers.
I get there early and drive in and park between two of the trailers.
Drug addicts are unpredictable, but they usually make the best confidential informants. Darling makes her living as a special employee for the police department, so she’s generally more dependable than most users and takes what she does seriously. Her habit depends on it, so she’s very good at what she does, especially role-playing. I was the one to originally sign her up and give her a number, so she still does the occasional job for me. Only difference is I pay more for her services than the department does.