“We need more time,” Dev surmised.
“We’ve run everyone in her crew and they own no property. Phone records show calls to her crew but she must use a disposable to talk to clients. She’s not leadin’ us anywhere. Merry interrogated Jeremy before we let him go and he doesn’t know shit about her operation outside his part in it. She compartmentalizes. Everyone has their job and only their job. Even if we picked one of them up and they rolled, they couldn’t give us anything. The location of the photo shoot was a day rental. Jeremy has been unable to find what she’s got on Rutledge. Merry’s chompin’ at the bit to put pressure on Rutledge and he’s stepped out. Confronted Rutledge about the missing person call for Giselle he didn’t report he took on his own and then didn’t follow procedure. Colt and Sully backed him up on that. All their asses are swinging out there now. Rutledge had a bullshit excuse and he’s full of bravado. Merry and Colt thought he’d run scared but he’s keepin’ his shit together. We’re not getting anything. We need time and we need Jeremy to dig, get her talking in the apartment and to do that, he’s gonna need a coach. That coach is you.”
“I’ll pick him up.”
“You gotta play that smart, Dev. We want him scared but we don’t want him to fuck up.”
“Don’t have to tell me that, boy.”
Layne nodded. “I wanna know who her clients are, who she has lined up for the party. We pull one of them in, they’ll probably roll over.”
“You think she’ll give that up to Jeremy?” Devin asked, his eyebrows up.
“No, but we gotta try.”
“Desperate times,” Devin muttered. “But even if we get one, the event hasn’t taken place nor is it goin’ to.”
“Nope, but we could use them for a set up. They could act impatient enough to want something, even if it isn’t fresh, and she’s got a stable of girls, she could give it to them. They could at least lead us to that.”
Devin nodded. Then he put his hands together in front of him in prayer position and pressed them against his lips as his eyes grew intense.
Layne knew what that meant.
“You’ve got a bad feeling,” Layne noted.
Dev dropped his hands. “You don’t?”
“I do.”
“In my gut, boy. This is gonna go south and not them slippin’ through our fingers. I can’t shake the thought that we’re missin’ somethin’.”
“Vigilance.”
“Yeah.”
They held each other’s eyes then Devin stood as the beep came and both men looked at the monitors to see Vera walking up the stairs.
Devin’s eyes came to Layne. “Like her a lot more, she’s not bein’ a bitch to Rocky.”
“Someone made me the man I am.”
Devin nodded his head but whispered, “True enough, to a point. Men like you aren’t made, though, Tanner. Men like you just are.” His eyes turned to the monitor as Vera nearly made the landing and he remarked, “But, gotta say, boy, your mother can fuckin’ cook.”
With that, he walked out of Layne’s office as the outside door opened and Vera walked in.
“Devin!” Layne heard her cry. “I’m glad I ran into you. Flo and Helen are coming over tonight. I’m making my beef and noodles. You’ll love it.”
Oh shit. Vera was matchmaking.
His Aunt Flo and Vera’s friend Helen were both single. And, unlike his mother, who got burned bad enough she never went there again, they were both on the market. His Aunt Flo had been married but Layne’s Uncle Gene died seven years ago. His mother’s friend Helen had been married as many times as Devin. Flo turned Dev’s eye, he’d think he’d died and gone to heaven, good food, lots of attention, a listening ear and no questions asked about his activities. Helen turned Dev’s eye, he’d be in a world of hurt because she was seriously high maintenance. Flo looked, acted and dressed like his mother, she was far from hard on the eyes, made an effort, had style, knew herself and was comfortable with who she was. Helen looked, acted and dressed like a woman who wanted attention and a lot of it. That said, she was a beautiful woman, even at the age of sixty-three.
If Layne had to place a bet on which one Dev would pick, it would be Helen.
“Don’t know when I’ll be home, woman,” Devin said to Vera.
“Oh, even if you’re late, we’ll keep it warm for you,” Vera replied.
“Right,” Devin muttered and Layne knew he was leaving because he heard Vera call, “See you later!”
Devin made no reply.
Vera came into the office.
“Hi honey,” she greeted and Layne stood as she rounded his desk and he bent so she could kiss his cheek.
“Hey, Ma,” Layne murmured.
She squeezed his arm, turned and bustled away and Layne resumed his seat as she sat opposite him.
“I just got off the phone with Rocky. Tomorrow after she gets off work, we’re going furniture shopping,” she announced, plonking her purse on her lap.
“What?” Layne asked.
“You need a dining room table. You also need something for that front space. I’m thinking a reading area. Chaise lounge. An elegant table. A floor lamp.”
Fucking hell.
“Ma –”
She cut him off. “I’ll be in the office tomorrow during the day. I talked to Dave. He said you need listeners and I’m a good listener. I can do some office work while I’m at it.”
He wasn’t going to turn that down.
“Ma, the furniture –”
Vera looked him straight in the eye. “Is Rocky eventually going to move in?”
“Yeah,” Layne answered.
“Then you need to give her a home to move into.”
“It’s already a home, Ma, and she hasn’t complained.”
“She moves in, are you going to go furniture shopping?”
“Fuck no.”
She threw out a hand and announced, “No time like the present.”
She had him there so Layne grinned.
“You’re a nut,” he muttered.
“Yep,” she replied on a smile.