Chapter 108
“JACK,” MO-BOT SAID in a voice that was unusually tame for her, “so you can keep this straight, we don’t know the real names of any of these people.”
It was almost four thirty Monday afternoon. I was driving a fleet car, Cruz was riding shotgun beside me, and I was talking to Mo-bot, who was back at the office.
I put Mo on speakerphone so Emilio could hear this too.
She said, “ ‘Morbid’ is texting the unknown target, ‘Lady D,’ with a name he hijacked off her phone. It’s a friend of hers.”
“Gotcha.”
“So Morbid just texted: ‘I got something big to tell you. Can you meet me at Slommo’s.’ ”
“What’s Slommo’s?” I asked Mo.
Cruz said, “I know it. Newsstand on Vermont.”
Mo jumped back in. “Lady D texted again. ‘I can’t girlfren. I’m cookin tonite. Goin shoppin.’ Morbid writes back: ‘This is major. I need to meet you at the store.’ ”
“What store?” I asked.
“Jack, you know everything I know. Uh-oh. The target says ‘OK. C u in 15.’ She disconnected the call.”
“Got a location, Mo? On either party?”
“Morbid is on Montrose, closing in on Glendale. That’s as close as I can make it. Wait, Morbid’s signal is moving. Heading north.
“Jack, he stopped on Glendale. He’s either at a light or, no, his speed tells me he’s now on foot.”
Cruz was cracking his knuckles obsessively. He said, “There’s a Ralph’s Supermarket on Glendale. What are we looking for?”
“Justine said he’s white, skinny. Early twenties.”
“We’re on our way,” I told Mo-bot. I felt like I was back in combat, like I had a second chance for everything to turn out right.