A giant thank you to everyone who has been leaving me such encouraging reviews
CHAPTER 15
We were quite a convoy. 6 police cruisers, 1 mini van, 2 black broncos, and my jeep.
Mary Lou dropped Lula, Connie and Val home while I went onto the station to get my body receipts. One of the Broncos had turned off somewhere along the way too.
When we arrived Tank had disappeared into a room with a detective who was very interested in the website.
All the FTA's had been put to bed in their new cells, and Eddie kindly reminded them not to drop the soap.
Funny how none of them were laughing now.
I had just said goodnight to the cops in the squad room, they had wanted to take me for a pizza, I promised them a rain check and was on my way out the door when my phone rang
'Babe, how'd it go?'
It was Ranger
'Easiest 10 grand I've ever made' I think I sounded smug.
'Really?' Ranger sounded suspicious.
'For a bond that high, it usually means a real bad guy'
'or 15 not so bad ones'
'15? Are you telling me that you brought in 15 skips in one night?
'Yep'
'Proud of you babe.
'Thanks Ranger'
'I think that's gotta be some kind of bounty hunting record.'
'Remember the other day when you said that getting my picture in the paper was going to be good for business. You were right.'
He laughed, that warm good-humoured laugh.
'Actually, it was because of that picture of me sitting in the fountain that these morons got themselves arrested and purposefully skipped.'
'Like I said what red blooded bail jumping bad guy wouldn't want to be brought in by the bombshell bounty hunter?'
He laughed some more. But I wasn't upset. I had a fan club now. I didn't need him.
'I've gotta hand it to you Babe, You really attract the crazy ones'
'Well, what does that make you then?' I clamped my hand over my mouth as soon as the words were out. What was I doing? It must be finding out that college boys thought I was "awesome" that was making me so bold.
'Certifiably insane'
Gulp
And he hung up.
I floated home, obviously because I didn't remember driving.
I woke up the next morning to my answering machine. It was Vinnie. He sounded strange. It may have been the fact that he was giving me the day off, or it may have been because he sounded like he was happy, and not in the usual – Joyce is in my office kind of way.
Vinnie was giving me the day off, because he said I deserved it. I actually think he couldn't stand to see a cheque that large written out to me in one go.
I didn't have to work. My rent was paid, for the next few months in fact. I've found that its best to pay it while I can because god only knows the next time I will have to sell my furniture to eat. My credit card was actually in credit for a change and all my other bills were paid. (And that was even before you added the 10,000)
I had already been to the mall once this week.
Well damn that meant I was going to have to clean the apartment.
I spent a good part of the day cleaning, washing and organising my apartment. It had been a long time since I had last done it. After that I had called the troops and thanked them all for their help last night. I arranged to have a late lunch with Mary Lou.
Pino's carpark was fairly empty, but that was normal for this time of day. Inside there were a few cops, a couple of business types, a mother's group with a bunch of screaming kids in the family area in the back.
Mary Lou was waiting for me in a booth a large pepperoni pizza in front of her. Good I was starving it's amazing the appetite you can work up cleaning.
Mary Lou and I caught up on the neighbourhood gossip and giggled like schoolgirls while we ate. Eddie and Carl came in to pick up some subs for lunch, they stopped by our table and convinced me to come by later tonight after their shift ended for a couple of beers.
After lunch Mary Lou had to run and pick her boys up so I headed over to Sunny's gun range for a little practice. I was getting quite good. I hit the target almost all the time now.
