Shadow Of Pretense

by Nora Kane

  Mick lived in a nicer neighborhood than Margot would have guessed. He might be too old for Chrissie, but judging by the newer two-story houses and manicured lawns, he might be a step up in class.

  Margot reassessed that opinion when she found his address. His was the only house on the block without a well-maintained yard. The aging Ford Mustang parked on the brown weed-covered yard didn’t help. In the drive was a cherry red Pontiac Fiero that was at least ten years older than the Ford in the grass but looked at least ten years newer. Someone took pride in maintaining the cheap sports car knockoff from the eighties.

  Margot parked in the driveway next to the Fiero and got out of her car. She only made it a few steps before an overweight young man with too many facial piercing and bad tattoos came bouncing out of the house.

  “You can’t park there,” he said.

  “Are you Mick?”

  “No, did you hear me?”

  “Yeah, is Mick around?”

  He stopped in front of her and gave her a look she supposed was meant to scare her but really just seemed to make the guy look constipated before he said, “Who are you?”

  “Margot, is that a yes or a no?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “For that I’m thankful, can you answer my question?”

  “How do you know Mick?”

  “I don’t. I do, however, need to talk to him.”

  “Okay, but it will cost you.”

  “Cost me what?”

  “I’m sure a hot little thing like yourself can think of something she could do that I would like.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “The ‘B’ man don’t kid about getting his freak on.”

  “‘B’ man?”

  “Short for the big man and I’m big everywhere.”

  “Is Mick home right now?”

  “Only way to find out is to step inside, but you gotta know we’re going by my room first.”

  “To get your freak on?”

  “Damn right.”

  “Give me a second,” Margot said as she reached into her purse and pulled out the bottle of mace.

  “Aw, come on now, you think the ‘B’ man is going to let a little pepper spray…”

  Margot gave him a face full.

  The ‘B’ man dropped to his knees and started clawing at his face, saying, “What the fuck did you do that for?”

  “Margot gets her freak on a little differently,” she told him as she put the mace away and left the ‘B’ man crying on the sidewalk.

  She stepped inside and could hear the sounds of video games and the smell of marijuana in the next room. A pit bull with gray fur and no collar walked in and looked her over. Margot was reached for the mace when she noticed it shaking his tail. He trotted over and sat by her feet, looking up like he expected something from her. She rubbed his chin and that seemed to satisfy his expectation.

  “Hey Mick,” she called out while she pet the dog.

  “Yeah,” someone shouted back, “What’s up?”

  Margot stepped in the next room and the dog followed. She found two twenty-somethings playing some kind of first person shooter video game. Both were wearing headsets. Neither one looked up at her.

  “Which one of you is Mick?”

  The one with the beard motioned with his controller to the one without.

  “Where’s B-man?” Mick asked, keeping his attention on the television.

  “He’s outside. Could you turn that off for a second?”

  “Sorry, we’re in like a tournament,” the bearded guy said. “Are you the person who parked in the driveway?”

  “Yeah, but that’s not important right now.”

  “If Tommy comes back and sees you parked in his spot it will be.”

  “Then the sooner you turn that off and talk to me, the sooner I can get out of here.”

  “We can play and talk,” Mick told her.

  “I’m looking for Chrissie.”

  “Who?” Mick said.

  “The high school kid you’ve been dating.”

  “Oh, that Chrissie. Look, once I found out she was only fifteen, I broke that shit off.”

  “Yeah? I was under the impression you two had been seeing each other a while.”

  “Shit,” the bearded guy said, “it was like a year.”

  “It took you a year to figure out she was in high school?”

  “She didn’t act her age.”

  “When did you break it off?”

  “I don’t know, a month ago, maybe longer.”

  “When's the last time you saw her?”

  “Why?”

  “Because I asked you.”

  “She came around last week.”

  “Even though you broke it off a month ago?”

  “What can I say? She couldn’t get enough.”

  Margot sighed. “Where did you two meet?”

  “Why? You looking for a place to meet some men?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “That bar by the harbor. Her mom used to work there.”

  “Lefty’s?”

  “Yeah, Lefty’s. It’s why I thought she was older.”

  “She was drinking there?”

  “No, I guess she wasn’t.”

  “Because she doesn’t drink?”

  “Nah, the girl does like to get her drink on.”

  “That didn’t strike you as a clue?”

  The bearded kid laughed. Mick didn’t think it was funny. On the screen, he died. He turned to Margot and said, “You got me killed.”

  “Good, stay dead awhile. Since she can’t get enough of you, I’m guessing you know her pretty well.”

  “You could say that.”

  “If she was in trouble, where would she go?”

  “Are you saying she’s in trouble?”

  “She might be.”

  “Is that trouble you?”

  “No, I’m a private detective. She’s been gone for over a week and her family hired me to find her.”

  “No shit?”

  “No shit.”

  Mick thought about it a second then said, “If some shit happened at home, which wasn’t unusual, she’d come here. I don’t know where else she’d go.”

  “And she’s not here?”

  “No, maybe she found a new guy.”

  “Did you know her friends?”

  “Not really, just Danielle who came by to party a time or two. She wasn’t really into it.”

  “She might have been if B-man wasn’t trying to get in her business,” the bearded guy added.

  “I don’t suppose you know anything else about her, like her last name? Where she lives?”

  “Nah, like I said, she wasn’t into it so we left her alone.”

  Margot nodded and decided they probably didn’t have anything more to tell. Given how concerned they all were about Tommy coming home and seeing her car in the drive, it might be better if she wasn’t around when he showed up.

  “If I leave my card, will you call me if you see her?”

  “Of course.”

  “Can I have one too?” the bearded guy asked.

  “Why do you want one?”

  “I don’t know, it just sounds cool. When’s the next time some hot private eye is going to give me their card?”

  Margot got out a couple of cards and gave one to each of them.

  “Just so you know, kid, I’m out of your league,” she told the guy with the beard.

  “I kind of figured. I hear that a lot.”

  “Just out of curiosity, whose house is this?”

  “Tommy’s.”

  They didn’t offer any more information and Margot decided it didn’t really matter. What mattered was that Mick seemed sincere when he said he didn’t know where Chrissie was. She pet the dog again and headed for the door.

  B-man was waiting for her. His normally white face was beat red.

  “I think you still owe me something.”

  Margot maced him again. “You shou
ld have cut your losses.”

  She stepped out and looked down the street. It was hard to tell since it was far away, but she was pretty sure there was a dark blue sedan parked on the street about two blocks down. It hadn’t been there before. She kept an eye on the sedan; at this distance it was hard to tell, but it looked like two people were sitting inside.

  While she was watching, a newer looking cherry-red Dodge pulled up beside her car on the lawn. The guy who got out was probably weighed the same as B-man, but he didn’t look like he had an ounce of fat on him. He was probably as pasty white a B-man as well but an obvious spray tan covered that up.

  He didn’t look very happy. Margot put her hand in her purse but gripped her gun instead of the mace.

  “Why are you in my driveway?”

  “I take it you're Tommy.”

  “Answer my question.”

  “I just needed to talk to Mick. I’m leaving so you can have your driveway all to yourself.”

  “Talk to Mick about what?”

  Margot decided if he was going to do more than bark at her, he would have gotten to it already, so she let go of the gun and dug out one of the pictures of Chrissie. She held it up where Tommy could see it.

  “When’s the last time you saw her?”

  Tommy didn’t hesitate. “Never.”

  “You sure?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Thanks for your help, Tommy,” Margot said as she walked past him to her car. Tommy was either being obstinate or he had something to hide.

  She got in her car and drove away, keeping an eye in her rearview mirror as she left the neighborhood. She figured she’d be back later, maybe with Mal, since Tommy seemed like the type who might appreciate a little violence.

  Chapter 5

  Margot went home and spent the time before Detective Radcliff was going to take her to dinner checking Chrissie’s social media accounts for Danielle. Since she had only one person named Danielle on any of her accounts, she was easy to find. She called Mal while she was scrolling and told him about Tommy.

  “Sounds like an asshole. It doesn’t make sense that he’d lie but the others wouldn’t.”

  “I thought the same thing. After I maced his pal and parked in his spot, I’m assuming he’d be hostile to a round of follow-up questions.”

  “You saying you’d like some back-up?”

  “Yeah, though just your presence should be enough.”

  “It always is, until it isn’t. We could go now, maybe grab some dinner first.”

  “How about tomorrow morning? I’m betting these guys aren’t early risers.”

  “You thinking they’ll be more compliant if they’re sleepy?”

  “I am.”

  “We could still grab some dinner.”

  “Actually, I’ve already got plans.”

  “Like a date?”

  “Yeah, you sound surprised.”

  “With who? Anybody I know?”

  “Not really.”

  “Well, have fun. You thinking nine o’clock?”

  “Yeah.”

  Margot ended the call and started thinking about Danielle. Once she figured out her last name, the rest of her information was easy to find. Whether or not she knew anything was another question. If it was still just a matter of finding a runaway teenager, her friends would be the best place to look, but this wasn’t that anymore. Assuming Chrissie wasn’t the one bleeding, she and her mom were on the run from someone looking to do them serious harm.

  If Jennifer ran to family, Randy and his mom would probably not hire Margot to track down Chrissie. That left either just running without involving anyone else, which would be the smart play, or seeking help from a friend. Margot picked up the phone and called Randy.

  “Do you know any of Jennifer’s friends?”

  “Maybe. We’re related, but we didn’t really hang out. Did you check her Facebook?”

  “No, I’ll do that, but it needs to be someone she really trusts.”

  “Somebody that would hide her out? Somebody willing to take the risk that goes with hiding someone on the run?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Or maybe somebody who can handle their business if shit went down?”

  “That too. You say that like you know somebody.”

  “She dated a guy who was an ex-military survivalist type. I met him once. My impression is this dude would be thrilled to get to play soldier and rescue the damsel in distress.”

  “Sounds promising. Does this guy have a name?”

  “Something with a ‘T’.”

  “Tommy?” Margot asked, thinking about the muscle-bound guy obsessed with his own driveway.

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Would he still be on her social media?”

  “I doubt it, the relationship ended badly.”

  “But not so badly she wouldn’t ask for his help?”

  “My impression was he still loved her, probably a little too much, since Jennifer isn’t the type to like to be pinned down. I could be wrong about this, but I’m thinking if she came knocking on his door, he’d answer.”

  “I’m going to need more to go on than an ex-military type with a ‘T’ in his name.”

  “I know, let me call a few people who might remember more. I’ll do that now and get back to you.”

  “Alright, thanks.”

  She ended the call and checked the time. There was just enough time to get showered and cleaned up before she met Detective Radcliff.

  Chapter 6

  Margot was walking towards Detective Radcliff's table when her phone buzzed. She considered ignoring it, but if it was Randy, she wanted to take the call. The number on the screen didn’t look familiar, but she hadn’t memorized Randy’s, so it could be him. She looked at Radcliff and held up her phone. He smiled and nodded. Margot went outside and answered her phone.