“Come on, Adams,” Branson prompted. “Give it to me straight.”
Lena shrugged off the challenge. “Did you hear DeShawn’s getting divorced again?”
“And you think ’cause he’s black and I’m black that we’re a match made in heaven?”
“Please, he should be so lucky.” As hypocritical as it sounded, Lena told her, “I’m just saying that you can’t do both—be married to the job and married to a wife. What are you working for if you don’t have someone to come home to?”
Denise’s words were pointed. “You mean husband.”
The phone line was deadly silent. Denise Branson went to church every Sunday. She made the appropriate noises when a good-looking man walked by. But so had Lena’s sister, and Sibyl had been as gay as a three-dollar bill.
Denise was all business again. “Call me as soon as the meet’s over. If you can’t get Waller on tape, Lonnie’s gonna give us a come-to-Jesus talk. And I’m not gonna argue with him, because he’ll be right.”
“Denise, give me a break.”
“Don’t talk about break, girl, talk about broke. Do you know how much this is costing the department? Twenty-four-hour surveillance going on ten days. Overtime for everybody and their mother. We passed the half-million mark last weekend. I can’t even do the math on where we are now. I’ve been waiting for this meet to pan out so when I take it to Lonnie, he doesn’t kick my ass out the door.”
“I know you’re taking heat for me.”
“Shit,” Denise muttered. “I wish it was heat. I’m standing in a damn ring of fire.”
Lena was almost to the van. She glanced around, making sure she wasn’t being watched. “I’ll get Waller. I promise.”
“You don’t, then get a newspaper. We’re gonna both need to start looking for new jobs.” She let the phone slam down in Lena’s ear.
Lena slipped her hand back into her pocket. She traced the edge of the ultrasound as she walked toward the white van with the AT&T logo on the side. As far as she knew, no one had bothered to get clearance from the phone company. Lena figured they should shut up and take the free advertising.
“Hey, boss.” DeShawn came around the side of the van. He was so big he cast her completely in shadow.
Lena’s hand went to her throat. “You sure move light for a Mack truck.”
“That’s what the ladies say.” He winked at her. “You doing all right?”
Lena felt her defenses go up. “Why?”
He shrugged and shook his head. “No reason.”
“You take yourself off the monitors and stand out here waiting for me for no reason?”
He had the grace to admit he’d been caught. “I know this whole Waller thing’s been weighing hard on you.”
“Why? Has Lonnie said something?” Lena knew that DeShawn was Gray’s eyes and ears, but she’d never thought of him as a tattletale. “What did he say?”
“Nothing, and I didn’t say anything to him.” DeShawn looked at her like she was paranoid for no reason. “Come on, gal. You know I’m on your team.”
“What’s going on?” Lena asked. Now that she was looking at him, he seemed on edge, like something else was going on. “Why are you acting weird?”
DeShawn gave a heavy sigh. “I just noticed you’ve been tired lately.”
“So? We’re all tired. We’ve been butts to nuts for weeks.”
He gave the sigh again. “I just wanted you to know that it’s okay by me if you decide to take a back seat on—”
“Fuck your back seat,” Lena snapped. “I’ve never taken a back seat on anything in my life.”
“All right.” He held up his hands. “Just worried about you, is all.”
“Worried about me why?”
His mouth twisted to the side, like he was debating whether or not to tell her something. Lena knew DeShawn’s sister had two girls. Maybe he’d figured out that Lena was pregnant. In which case, she had to shut this down fast.
She said, “Get your panties out of your cooch, Shawn. I appreciate your concern, but the best thing for both of us right now is for you to do your job and me to do mine. All right?”
He held up his hands in surrender again. “You’re the boss.”
She knocked on the side of the van. “It’s me.”
Eric Haigh cracked open the door. The whole gang was here. He told Lena, “We got a call from Waller’s tail. He’s about five minutes out.”
Paul couldn’t help but add, “I was right. He’s probably coming early to case the restaurant.”
Lena wasn’t interested in giving credit. She started to hold out her hand for help, then decided it would be better to show DeShawn she was capable of moving her own weight. Still, she groaned as she pulled herself up.
DeShawn vaulted in without assistance, probably to prove a point. He slammed the door shut behind him.
“Jesus Christ.” Lena clapped her hands over her face. The smell was disgusting. “What’ve you guys been doing in here?”
“Sorry,” Eric said. “I had Mexican for lunch.”
“Thanks a lot, dickslit.” Paul punched him in the arm. Eric rewarded him with the wettest-sounding fart Lena had ever heard.
“Oh, God.” She pinched her nose closed and breathed through her mouth. “Please tell me Snitch is still there.”
Paul provided, “Mr. Snitchy is on the bench looking at the kiddies.”
“Looking at them how?” Lena checked the monitor to see for herself. Snitch still had on his sunglasses. His arms were sprawled across the back of the bench. “Are you sure he’s not asleep?”
“Look at his foot.”
He was right. Snitch’s heel was hopping up and down so fast the camera barely registered the movement. Lena asked, “Where’s Mom?”
DeShawn was back in his chair. He pulled up the appropriate camera. The mother was still on the phone, stretched out in the booth as if she planned to stay there for a while.
“Good thing he’s not a pedophile,” Lena said. She motioned for Eric to get out of her chair.
Eric said, “The seat might be a little warm.”
Paul laughed again, and she slapped him on the back of the head. “Why is everyone in this van an asshole except for me?”
Paul asked, “You okay, boss?”
Lena scowled at him. “Since when am I the boss?”
“You’re in charge, right?” Paul indicated his empty chair. “What’s going on with you? Your face is all red.”
She put her hand to her cheek. The skin was hot. “It’s probably gas poisoning.”
“You sure about that?” He cocked an eyebrow at her, but he didn’t push it.
“All right, ladies and Lena.” DeShawn rubbed his hands together. “Mr. Waller has arrived.”
A red Corvette idled in the parking lot. The windows were down. Sid Waller circled the lot twice before parking in a space by the road. He’d brought weight with him. Diego Nuñez was in the passenger seat. He had his arm resting on the door. A cigarette dangled from his fingers.