Before we went off chasing skips and being hardcore, we stopped for Burger King and regrouped. Hey, don't shake your head at me, we have to plan. While we munched Jr. Whoppers and those little pie slices that are way to good to be real food, I flipped through Mallory's file. I really didn't see anything useful. She didn't have a record and she was arrested redhanded with a Lexus.
The kid stole a Lexus.
Hunh.
She was 5'2'' which is pretty good for a twelve year old. I think. I don't really have a growth chart handy. Anyway, nothing much in the file.
We pulled up outside and I studied the building. It was squat, ugly and three stories. Mallory lived with her mom on the first floor. There seemed to be an unfenced backyard out back that Lula thought was cute for a modern urban apartment building. We swung out and walked in. The Benedict's lived in the rear apartments. A worn looking woman answered my knock and I turned on my best grin.
"Hi, I'm here to see Mallory. Is she here?" The woman looked at me for a moment without answering then yelled over her shoulder to Mallory.
"Mallory! Some lady is here to see you!"
"Who is it?"
"I don't know. Get your butt out here!" She left us at the door. The redheaded trouble maker walked out and looked at us skeptically.
"Hi, Mallory. My name is Stephanie Plum. You missed your court date-" That was all I got to say before the kid launched herself away, toward the back door. Lula and I chased. When we ran through the kitchen, she flung a carton of eggs at me and hit her target. I was running, I was mad and now, I was covered in eggs. Beautiful.
We burst through the back door, Mallory leading. She scrambled for a car parked in the back yard and managed to start it before we made it out the door. She flew out of the alley, skidded left onto the street and disappeared. We both stopped slack jawed.
"Was that your-?"
"Yeah."
That was my car. The twerp evaded recapture with my car.
XxXxXxXxX
When I knocked on my second skip's door, my hand almost stuck to it. Did you know eggs get sticky as they dry? Yeah, imagine what they are doing to my hair.
A really good looking guy answered the door. I mean, really, really good looking. It wasn't the kind of good looks that came from genetics really. It was more like he was confident and fit and that made him sexy. Whatever it was, it made Lula and I stare. His eyes paused on Lula for a moment. I guess seeing a big, black woman incased in that bight of blue isn't something you see everyday. Then, his eyes moved to me. They moved over the egg whites in my hair and down the egg yoke running down my face.
He leaned against the door with his arms crossed and get this, he looked amused. Well, jeez. Anyway…
"Hello, my name is Steph-" He distracted me by staring at my lips. I licked them and he looked up to my eyes, waiting. Okay, then. "Er, my name is Stephanie Plum." Again, he stared at my lips, totally throwing me off what I was saying.
"Yes?" His accent was slightly flat but kind of pleasant, too. I shook my head and tried again.
"You missed your court date and I need to take you in and get you rebonded. Why are you staring at my lips?" His eyes slid back up to mine. Then, he made a show of checking out my body, like he had the hots for me. He moved closer, acting all suave. Behind me, I heard Lula squeak. He leaned close.
"Because, I'm reading your lips." He leaned back looking smug, then he turned and went back into his apartment. I did a face palm. Right, the guy is deaf. What was I thinking? He had left his door open and I could see him inside gathering things up. He snapped his fingers and a chocolate lab sat at his feet. He grab a leash and snapped it on. The dog and man moved together into the hallway and he locked the door.
"Ready?" He turned to our shocked faces and led the way out. Lula and I exchanged looks. That was different.
XxXxXxXxX
We didn't get out of the police station until four because Vinnie drug his feet getting there. Look, I know you think we stayed because the guy was freaking hot, but that's not it. Look, I'm not going to leave a deaf guy at a police station when he doesn't have anyone else in the city to come and get him. Of course, the fact that he was more competent then Lula and me made it kinda silly for us to worry about him. But nevertheless, he was pretty good company.
He fell into a game with me that he would point out the passing person's most prominent feature, then teach me the sign for it. On a few, he's blatant honesty cracked me up. The cops were glad to get rid of us when Vinnie finally showed.
I gave Marcus my cell number in case he needed anything, then I got embarrassed because I had forgotten that he was deaf.
"Oh, jeez. You probably don't use a phone." He laughed and pulled out a Blackberry.
"The wonders of modern technology." He winked at my embarrassment and took his Lab inside.
I still don't own the Plum-verse. I'm still not JE.