Double Play (Bishop's Run Series Book 2)

by B. D. Gates

  "Geez, you'd think we've never done this before," Hatch remarked as we walked to the car.

  "Like we're a couple of teenagers with brand new drivers' licenses going out on the road for the first time," I added, nodding.

  "Is that how you see this? Just so ya know, I got in a lot of trouble as a teenager."

  "Ha! Me, too. That's why I became a cop. Beat 'em or join 'em."

  Hatch laughed.

  Tess and Penny watched the two women walking away.

  "Why do I feel like putting those two together is a bad idea?" Penny asked, looking at Tess.

  93

  By twenty minutes to nine, we were in our usual position, watching and waiting. It was hot and I wasn't in the mood to eat, so I was working on a mega-cup of sweet iced tea while Hatch munched some onion rings and sipped her own mega-cup of cola.

  "I wish we could see what's going on in there, or at least hear," I wished.

  "Huh. You know," Hatch replied, reached behind her and pulled up a small backpack, took out a tiny microphone and its ear piece receiver. "I'd love to get this bug in there."

  I held out my hand and Hatch handed off the mic. I turned it in my hand, checking it out. "Does it have the broadcast range?"

  "Oh, yeah, three hundred feet. Easy."

  "This is how you turn it on?" I twisted the small base. "So it's on now?

  "What?" Hatch took a close look as I held it up. "Yeah."

  I sat there for a minute, giving a great deal of consideration to what I was about to do.

  "Well, wish me luck." I got out of the car and closed the door.

  And then I walked between the bushes and down the small incline onto the store's asphalt parking lot.

  "Baxter! Baxter! Get your ass back in this car!" Hatch was only able to half-holler at me, trying to stop me but not draw attention. "Baxter!"

  I kept walking, right up to the front door, looked back at Hatch, then I went inside.

  94

  The interior of the store was cool and a little dark, the front windows tinted with do-it-yourself panels, the installation of it poorly done with bubbles scattered over the glass. It was an old store, smelled a bit moldy, and had been around since the sixties when it was first a tire sales-and-service center.

  The front of the store held the larger goods, including used riding lawnmowers, seed and fertilizer spreaders, wheelbarrows, and string trimmers. There was an above-ground pool, still boxed, and a number of plastic kiddie pools as well as an assortment of lawn furniture, tables and umbrellas.

  It was summer, after all. During the holidays, I'd seen decorated Christmas trees and electric lawn displays through the windows when I drove by in the dark winter evenings.

  The flea market, or rummage area, was in a second room behind the main show room and I was intent on getting back there, the closer to the garage bays the better.

  The electronic door chime had sounded when I walked in, drawing Charlie out of his office down the small hallway off to the side, and he glanced at his watch as he greeted me.

  "Hi, uh, is there anything I can help you with?"

  Ah, good, he didn't recognize me. But then, he seemed a little preoccupied.

  "Hey, yeah, I'm just looking...for a pot. A big pot. Really big. For cooking crabs. Lots of crabs. All at once. Or like for a shrimp boil."

  He could have just said he didn't have anything like that and sent me on, but I was hoping that he just might be a little greedy and unable to resist a sale, even if it was for only ten bucks.

  He pursed his lips at that, I could see him thinking it over.

  "If I've got one it's in back," he answered as he turned and walked back down the hall.

  I followed, catching up to him as he opened the door and turned on the lights, taking in the five rows of a variety of tables extending a good fifty feet to the back wall, all of them piled high and deep with kitchen wares, knick-knacks, household goods, cookware, home decor, you name it.

  And there was no rhyme or reason to any of it.

  The exception to the jumbled mess was the neatly stacked collection of cardboard boxes at the front of the room, the side of each labelled with the names of famous-maker purse and shoe companies in thick black marker.

  Now, what would a second-hand, two-bit flea market need with high-end shoes and purses, none of which were actually on display anywhere in the store?

  So what was really in those boxes?

  Charlie went down one row, I was on the next, trying to kill time, intent on being in the store for as long as possible, to place the mic and to take a look inside those cartons.

  We were interrupted by the ringing of an electric bell. Charlie's friends had arrived and were waiting at the garage door, using the delivery doorbell outside the garage. Without a backwards glance at me, he left the room, and I heard the opening of the metal fire door at the end of the hall as the bell sounded again.

  These guys were impatient.

  I flipped my phone open and scrolled to the camera app as I opened the first box top.

  Purses. Lots of purses.

  I snapped a pic, then pulled up two and snapped another with the brand symbols in view.

  "Found something interesting," I whispered into the mic cupped in my hand. "I'll be out soon."

  *****

  Hatch was watching the business, listening to the conversation between Charlie and Baxter. A few minutes before nine, the white truck had pulled in, followed by the black SUV and a very shiny purplish street racer. Hatch was snapping photos fast as one guy exited the SUV to ring the garage door bell.

  She heard Baxter in her earpiece.

  "Damn, Bax, be careful," she whispered. "If anything happens to you, Tess'll kill me."

  95

  I took a quick look out the door and moved down the empty hall. There was a small square window in the door to the garage and I watched from the edge of it as the vehicles rolled into the bay. Two guys rolled up the loading door of the truck box and climbed inside.

  One of the fellows from the street racer tossed two compression air wrenches just inside the box and turned on the motors.

  Huh. They were using equipment left over from the tire store. I heard the high whine of the wrenches but I had no idea what they were doing with them, I couldn't see inside the truck.

  Two more guys had gotten out of the SUV and were talking with Charlie. One carried a black gym bag and there was a lot of smiling and laughing. I ran back down the hall and entered Charlie's office. I stashed the mic in the moss at the base of the fake ficus tree just inside the office door before practically diving into the sales room as the hallway door opened.

  I stood listening to their conversation going on in the office across the hall.

  "So, I'll get this to Lin and he'll take care of it, no problem. And tell Sanders I've got someone else that might be willing to shift some more merchandise for him, if he wants to send more."

  "Just move the product, okay?"

  "Sure, yeah, okay. Just putting that out there."

  "I'm gonna hit the head. Go see if the boys need anything."

  I heard footsteps, then the opening and closing of a door on the hall, followed by more footsteps and the metal door opening and closing.

  Time to go.

  I stepped out to head for the front of the store.

  And ran into a little problem.

  "Hey!"

  A very strong hand held my shoulder. I wasn't going anywhere.

  I tried to play it off. "Oh, uh, would you tell Charlie that I didn't find the pot? The cook pot, for the crabs and the shrimp, okay?"

  The bearded man's brow furrowed as he scrutinized me, then he leaned in close and whispered, "Tell Hatcher they know she's out there. They're not gonna put up with her much longer."

  Then he let me go.

  96

  "I've got a message for you from the bearded dude," I announced as I sat down in the passenger seat of the loaner. "They know you're here, and they're not happy. He said
, and I quote, 'they're not gonna put up with her much longer.'"

  "I thought as much. Who is that guy?"

  Hatch had heard the conversation in the office and we stayed until the garage doors had started rolling up, clearing the scene before anyone could see us and heading back to the ballpark where Penny and Tess would be waiting for us.

  "Inside man? Someone who's flipped? Does it even matter who he's working for, what his motive is, if he's warning you to back off?"

  "Maybe he's hedging his bets, he knows we're gonna bust them, and he's cooperating to get a lighter sentence."

  I nodded at that.

  Saving your own skin above all others is a given in any business, really, unless you're involved with a hive-mentality cult and, while organized crime is rich with loyalty and protecting the 'family' at all costs, self-preservation is a basic instinct. You can swear allegiance all day long, but when your back is against the wall and you're staring at hard time, looking out for your own best interests is the bottom line, especially if you're only a rank-and-file member.

  So, maybe he's looking for a trade-off, an easier go of it in prison, or even witness protection with relocation?

  And who am I to fault him for wanting a 'do-over?'

  Before we got out of the vehicle, I showed Hatch the photos. They weren't pretty to look at, the pixel count being so low on my old phone.

  Hatch squinted as she leaned over and took a look.

  We looked at each other and shrugged, then walked into the park and down the rows to the seating behind home plate, looking for Penny and Tess, who were not where we left them.

  I looked into the dugouts, then scanned the field, spotted Penny playing short, then burst out laughing to see Tess playing right field. She heard me laughing and waved, smiling back at me before resuming her crouched stance, her hands on her knees as she looked in at the pitch.

  This was a first. I was watching my girl play softball. Hatch and I took our seats and settled in.

  Coach was pitching, but she wasn't bringing the heat, this was for fun, after all. The pitch was waist high and towards the outside of the zone but the batter reached for it and sent it popping up into right field. Tess took off after it, getting under the ball and letting it drop into her glove then firing it to the first base player, a little off-target but not a far stretch for Andi, her foot on the bag as she leaned out to snag it.

  "Way to go, player!" I was on my feet, Hatch right with me, both of us clapping.

  Tess took a bow.

  I shook my head at her antics, smiling like an idiot, and proud of her.

  One more out, Coach lobbing one over the plate, the ball sailing out to left center field, the player racing for it, catching it on the first bounce and firing it to Penny now covering second, pushing the runner back to first.

  This brought to bat a player that I'd never seen before. I watched her settle in, swinging the bat with confidence as she looked out towards Biggs. Biggs was smiling as she bore down, throwing a sizzler over the plate, leaving the batter standing there, not even twitching at the pitch.

  "Do that again," the woman called to Biggs, as she reset her stance.

  Biggs smiled and nodded and did just that.

  The woman swung and that ball took off, I swear it was still gaining altitude as it reached the outfield, clearing the fence and bouncing into the drainage ditch out by the highway.

  "Sonofabitch." I was on my feet without even thinking about it.

  Where did Coach find her?

  I looked out at Penny, curious to see her response to that hit.

  I couldn't read her. She was smiling, but there was something about it, something that I couldn't discern.

  The next batter sent a blooper to short. Penny scooped it up and fired it to first, beating the runner and ending the game. Hatch and I headed over to the dugout as the players came off the field and began gathering up their belongings, everyone mingling together on the deck and in the dugout.

  "Hey, you," I said as I put an arm around a glowing Tess. "You've been holding out on me."

  "Well, I've gotta keep you on your toes," she smiled back at me. "Keep you interested."

  "Oh, there's no threat of that, ma'am," I assured her. "I can't take my eyes off you as it is."

  She laughed at that.

  We joined Penny and Hatch, who were talking to Coach and the new girl. Coach nodded as I walked up.

  "Baxter, this is Justine."

  This girl was beautiful. Blond, green-eyed, tanned skin the color of caramel, all wrapped up in a package that the average cheerleader would have envied. She smiled at me with perfect white teeth as I nodded, smiling, unable to say any more because my mouth had suddenly gone dry, my palms sweating.

  Geez, I was suddenly reliving meeting Julie Prinze in my sophomore homeroom all over again.

  Penny's eyes were narrowed, the corner of her mouth pulled slightly upward in a smirk as she looked back and forth at me and Hatch, who also seemed a little overwhelmed.

  All of this was not lost on Coach, she saw us practically stunned mute and moved to fill in the silence.

  "Justine is Carole's niece, she's spending the summer with us while she attends the community college over in Whitmore for the summer session."

  Tess lit up at that. "Oh, hey, I went there, it's been a while, but it's a good school. 'Go Rams!'" She laughed.

  Justine had been gazing at Hatch and me, a bit of a smug smile on her face, but broke away from looking to give Tess a bit of a grimace. "I'm just taking a few college transfer classes before I go to UVA in the fall."

  "Oh. Well. UVA..." Tess got a little quiet at that.

  Wow.

  Damn.

  Okay. Time to go.

  "So, I guess we'll be seeing you around, Justine, nice meeting you," I said, as I put my arm around Tess's waist. "We'll catch up with y'all later," I directed at Hatch and Penny. "Is there a game Sunday evening, Coach?"

  Biggs nodded and smiled at that. "Yeah, five o'clock. In Whitmore."

  "Okay, thanks." I didn't confirm our attendance, to be honest. I wanted to take Tess out to the campground on the lake for the weekend and I wasn't sure we'd be up for playing after that.

  Goodnights were said all around and I steered Tess toward the gate.

  "Hey, you played great," I said as we walked to the gate. "I loved it. Coach talked you into it, didn't she?"

  Tess laughed. "Yeah, she did. How did you know?"

  "Oh, she converts everyone she can, given half a chance. She says that once it gets in your bones, you can't resist it. Makes it easy for her to field a team every year. And it's good for you. Gets you outside in the fresh air, playing ball with a bunch of women. As far as she's concerned, heaven is a ballpark and she wants to share the love."

  Tess nodded at that.

  We had driven to the park in the Jeep, the top down, and we climbed in and sat for a minute while we discussed picking up some food on the way home. It was only about ten o'clock but it was Friday, neither of us had to get up in the morning.

  "I know, how about breakfast? Bacon and eggs? Toast and jam?" I suggested.

  Tess thought for a second or two, then came "Yes, perfect," as she smiled over at me.

  I cranked the Jeep and we headed out of the parking lot, waving at Hatch and Penny as they got into their respective vehicles next to each other, and I saw Justine smiling and waving at us as she walked out of the main gate. I gave a quick wave as we passed by.

  Something about her didn't sit right with me, not just because she had back-hand dissed Tess.

  But I can't tell you why.

  97

  Checking in with Kane's progress on Saturday morning, Tess and I were informed by Hatch that he was still wobbly but was being tended to by Jared's niece, Christy, and that he was "really milking it."

  I laughed at that. I've met Christy and, if I was Kane, I think I'd fake being sick if she was taking care of me, too. I know that Hatch really appreciated her, though, because it
left her free to spend the weekend with Penny, and I heard the Harley pull away from Miz Maggie's house later that morning.

  Tess and I had planned on camping out at Lake Treadwell, but Penny called and invited us to stay at her house.

  "Some of the girls are coming out later this afternoon, Jacks is bringing hot dogs and burgers from the market for dinner. If y'all are so hell-bent on camping out, you can pitch your tent on the beach down by the dock. And anything you'd planned on doing at the campground you can do here--canoeing, fishing, whatever."

  "Hear that?" Hatch added from the background.

  "Besides, Tess has never been out here for a girls' night, Hatch either," Penny went on. "She needs to come and party with us, see what kind of fun a bunch of girls have when they get together."

  Well. That almost sounded like a challenge.

  I looked at Tess.

  Her eyebrows had arched at that, I could see her considering the invitation. She smiled as she nodded her agreement.

  So at about noon, we packed the Jeep, waved goodbye to Kane and Christy sitting together in the glider under the tree, my girls with them, and headed out to Penny's, our camping equipment in the back seat of the Jeep, top down, Tess smiling.

  This weekend was gonna make history.

  Wait, let me rephrase that--no one was going to forget it.

  98

  We'd pitched the tent, made camp, and set out our chairs. Now we were in Penny's kitchen, watching over the peanuts boiling on the stove.

  Penny had downloaded the pictures from my phone, done her best to clean them up before printing them out, and we were discussing the merchandise while we kept an eye on the boiling water.

  "If Charlie was selling this stuff in his store, I guarantee he'd be doing big business. These pocketbooks are worth hundreds of dollars each, and if he has designer shoes, too? Same thing, he should be killing it."

  "So, what's he doing with it?"