CHAPTER 2

Matt and Vince drove north to the Silver Lake area followed by Michael and Larry who were going to be on the next street over at Bob's house. Stopped at a red light the PI broke the silence. "I'm worried about Larry."

"Yeah." Vince looked over at his friend.

"He's been through a lot in the last year. I thought sure that he was going to retire when Chris Simpson was killed." The PI shook his head. "I don't know how many times he's talked about it the last three years."

"This may be the straw that breaks the camel's back."

Looking at the clock on the truck, Matt pulled out his phone and punched CJ's number. "Hey Lil Mama – did I wake you up?"

"No, I've been up a few minutes. I dozed off in your recliner."

"You mean ours don't you?" He smiled.

"Uh huh. Whatcha doin'?"

"Vince and I are going to nose around the area of the store and see if the guy tossed the weapon."

"Baby, would you do me a favor? Please wear your vest."

"We both will. I've got both of 'em in the truck."

"Okay. Call me again."

"I will. Love you, Babe."

"Love you, Cowboy. 'Bye."

The PI disconnected the call and Vince looked out of the passenger window. "We both will what?" The speaker button hadn't been turned on.

"Wear a vest. Reach back there and grab 'em, will ya?"

Vince half turned in the seat, found the two vests, and pulled them up front. "You don't know how many times I've wished I had one on that day."

"I know. But maybe it was for the best. Look how things have turned out."

"I could have done without all the pain."

"I would be worried about you otherwise." Matt cut his eyes over at the man that he considered a brother as he pulled up and parked behind the grocery. Both slipped the vests on and patted down the Velcro closures. "You got a pistol on you?"

"Nope."

Matt motioned him around the truck and opened the rear passenger door, flipped up the back seat and pulled out a holster and pistol identical to the one that he was wearing. "I've heard of a change of clothes but a change of pistol?" Vince shot his friend a look.

"Just in case."

"What DON'T you have in this truck?"

"The answer to the question who shot Bob and why." Matt closed the seat back and pulled out some nitrile gloves, putting two pairs in his pockets and one on his hands as did Vince. The PI headed over toward the dumpster and met one of the store employees who was on the way out to dump a load of trash. "How ya doin'?"

"Okay. You guys here about Mr. Peterson?" The man looked to be about thirty and was wearing a shirt with the grocery's logo on it and a name tag that said Wayne.

"Yeah. The dumpster hasn't been picked up since then has it?"

"Nope – but there's a lot of stuff in there. Are you going to go through all of it?" The man looked at the garbage dubiously.

"I've done worse things in my life." Motioning to the bags that the employee had in his cart he spoke again. "Is that just from today?"

"Yeah, so far. We empty out all of the garbage at the end of the day, too."

"Can you leave that there for now? I'll toss in in when we get done."

"Sure. Mr. Peterson was a good guy. I still can't believe what happened."

"Were you here?" Vince had climbed up the side of the dumpster.

"Yeah, but I was working on the sink in the deli – big clog in the drain. I'll never forget that popping sound."

Pulling out the picture that he had printed out, Matt handed it to the man. "Do you recognize the guy?"

"No. The other cops showed me one about like that."

"Well," he reached into his shirt pocket for one of his business cards, "…if you think of anything give me a call at that cell number, would ya?"

"Sure thing." He turned and walked back inside leaving the two friends to go through the trash.

Vince sighed as he looked at the stinking mass of rotten fruits and vegetables and other assorted waste. Looking up at the sky he shook his head. "Bob, I hope you're getting a good laugh outta this."

"Ditto." The PI climbed up and sat down on the edge of the dumpster before sliding in, his feet crunching on something. "Mmph…rotten eggs."

Meanwhile Michael and Larry were sitting at the Peterson's kitchen table with the widow. Pam's normally sparkling blue eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from crying. "Hon, I know this is hard to talk about, but do you have any idea why he wouldn't have felt threatened?" Larry reached over and laid his hand on top of hers.

"I've been wondering that myself. Could it have been he thought it was a joke?"

"We've been trying to come up with who it could have been. He didn't touch anything in the store except for the emergency exit at the back. There hasn't been a hit on the fingerprints." Michael took off his tie and put it in his jacket pocket.

"Did Bob have any arguments with anyone lately?" The sergeant took another sip of coffee.

"No, not that I know of…he got along with everybody." Pam shook her head. "I appreciate what you two are doing but I don't want you to get in hot water with IA."

"It isn't just us – Houston and Novelli are checking out the area around the store right now and Trenton and Jennings are canvassing the neighborhood. Plus Roy Houston is working on the video."

"You guys just be careful; I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

At the same time, Lee and Carl were riding through the neighborhood, stopping occasionally to talk with residents with no success. Stopping at a drive-thru for some drinks the pair discussed the case. "I don't understand why he didn't react to the gun." Trenton had never worked with Peterson and only knew him as the older guy that worked the desk in the lobby.

Jennings handed a cup to his friend. "I don't know. And that's the only reason I can think of for IA to be involved."

"What're they gonna do to him? He's beyond a reprimand."

"I don't know – but we need a break in this soon." Lee's phone rang. "Hey Bridge." He swatted at Trenton as the other detective started making kissing sounds. "No, that's just Carl being stupid…ha!" Turning to his partner he grinned. "She said right back at ya!"

"Tell her I said hello." He relented then and started drinking his coffee.

"No, not yet...Yeah, he made it back and brought Vince Novelli with him…Uh huh, they are…Guess I'm going to look around some more…I'll let you know…You, too. 'Bye."

"You, too? You, too what?"

"Mind your own damn business." Jennings blushed and put the phone back in his pocket.

"So how is Bridgette doing?"

"Fine." The detective smiled. He couldn't believe how fast the relationship with the pretty blonde receptionist from the morgue was progressing. They had been dating since August and were already talking about marriage; Houston had been right. "Let's go see how Houston and Novelli are doing."

Back at the grocery Vince and Matt had spent an hour and a half going through the dumpster with absolutely nothing to show for it except for some nasty smells. As they were crawling out of the heap of garbage Larry and Michael pulled up. "There ya go, Larry – that's how you become a billionaire – dumpster diving." Hoyt feigned shock as Matt flipped him off.

Stripping out of the gloves the PI went to his truck and retrieved a bottle of hand sanitizer, liberally squirting some on his hands and arms and rubbing it in. "So what did Pam say?" He reached for the cooler and retrieved a Fizzy Pop for himself. "Y'all want something?"

"Yeah." Vince finished applying the sanitizer. "Got any beer?"

"Water for you." The PI tossed the bottle over and closed the lid on the cooler when the two cops declined. Popping the top he began drinking.

Trenton and Jennings pulled into the lot, walking over to join the others and reported their lack of leads. Matt polished off his drink and started to toss the can in the back of the truck but dropped it. As he bent over to pick it up he stopped. "That kinda looks like a trigger…" Pulling out his keys the PI unlocked the tool box in the back of his truck and pulled out a crowbar. After hooking the end of it under the grate on the storm drain he wedged it up. "Can y'all hold that?" Lee and Larry held on to the two corners that were now in the air as Matt went down on his belly. "Michael – call Cheryl. I think I just found part of the gun."