The Devil's Dwelling (23 page)

Bailey ran over to me. I hooked him up. We told Mr. Bill and Buster good-bye and headed for the apartment.  We jogged on through the quiet neighborhood. I thought I heard a car engine and kept thinking it would drive past. I glanced over my shoulder and there was the Jeep about two houses behind us.

Sheesh, what’s that Jeep doing following along behind me. It’s got to be my stalker.

I didn’t look back again hoping he would go on.  How did he find me? I  wondered. The rain started to drizzle before we made it to the apartment. We got to the apartment. I unhooked Bailey and he ran up stairs. I was hot on his tail.  I didn’t want to be left alone with that Jeep stalker. I rang the door bell instead of using my key. Mona opened the door.

“Tiffany, what happened you look white as Casper the Ghost.”

“That Jeep was at the dog park and followed us home. He’s probably parked on the street waiting to follow me.”

Mona pulled the curtain back and took a look. “Yep, you’re right the Jeep is parked across the street.”

“This stalker is getting to be too much. Maybe you should have Randy check out the Jeep.”

“Let’s lock up and have pizza delivered. I’m tired and just want to relax and not think about a stalker.”

“Good idea. I’ll order the pizza. Mona dialed the pizza parlor and placed our order. We kept an eye on the Jeep for hours. Around midnight on our last check before going to bed the Jeep was gone.

Linda was stuffing a donut in her pie hole when we stepped in the office. Mona poured us a cup of coffee and we each grabbed a donut. I started through Peewee’s office door when Linda stopped me.

“Just a moment. Peewee wants me to announce anyone entering his office.”

“What, the freakin’ why?

“Okay, I know you have to do your job. Announce us.”  I straighten my clothes and tilted my head back.

Linda pushed the squawk box button. “Yeah.” Came from the squawk box.”

“Tiffany and Mona are here to see you.”

“You don’t have to announce them. They work here. I can’t get good help.”

Linda ran to the bathroom crying. Mona started after her.

“Leave her alone. She’ll get over it.”

We made our way into the office. I was sipping on coffee and twirling a donut around my forefinger. Mona was swigging and blowing on her coffee. Her jelly donut was running down her arm faster than she could lick it.

“I  have a new file for you.  “Buffy Blossom was a ‘no show’.  I need her picked up.”

“We’re on it.” I took the file off Peewee’s desk. “Still hanging out at the same street lamp. Looks like we have night duty.”

“What do you mean night duty?”  Mona was on my heels questioning our next mission as we made our way out the door.

“Buffy’s a Ho. She’s worked over on Eighth Street under the same lamp  post for years.”

“How we gonna shut her down?”

“You wanna be a Ho for a night?”

“Me, a Ho? Do you think I could look the part?” Mona giggled and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

Mona came from the bedroom dressed in a micro mini shirt and a tight spandex hot pink top sliding off her shoulder. Her make-up looked like it had been put on with a putty knife. Her blonde hair was teased up in a beehive.  She had on false eyelashes, black eyeliner and iridescent blue eye shadow. With the stiletto heels and her beehive she looked well over six feet tall.

“My goodness girlfriend. Maybe you’re in the wrong profession.” I laughed.

“The Ho business is not a reputable business. Now Bounty Hunter is. I like running with the law, not against it.”

“I’ll be parked across the street. Take a look at Buffy’s picture. Tall blonde with big lips. They say she had them blown up and the doctor injected a little too much.”

“She’s a big sucker. You think I can take her?”

“You take the stun gun we don’t want to shoot her. She‘s gonna tell you to leave her post you‘ll have to antagonize her and she‘ll be on you like white on rice.  When she starts to jump you I‘ll be at your back. You got the plan down?”

“Me and this stun gun can handle a Ho.” 

I put the wire in Mona’s hair with the earpiece in her ear.

“Can you hear me?” Mona grabbed the earpiece away from her ear.

“You trying to cause me to go deaf. Yes, I can hear you, turn it down.”

“We gotta do something about your false eyelash, every time you blink it hangs on your brow.”  Mona wet her finger and pushed it down. “That should do it.”

I readjusted the volume and placed the earpiece back in her ear.  “I’ll let you know my position.”

Mona crawled out of the Explorer stumbling over her stilettos. With every step she was pulling down her micro mini shirt and pulling up her top over her double ‘D’s.  She made it to her lamp post and wiggled herself in position. She actually looks good in that Ho outfit. The Ho’s start standing at their post around ten o’clock. Mona stationed her self at Buffy’s pole around nine thirty. A couple Ho’s walked by and told her she best get off Buffy’s post.  Mona told them this was her post. They left laughing and kept walking calling back. “You’ll be sorry sister.”

Ten o’clock sharp Buffy walked up to Mona.

“Hey girl, you standing at my lamp post. This is were I work every night. You best get on down the street.”

Mona looked around and up and down the post. “I don’t see your name on this lamp post. You must be mistaken.” Mona adjusted her weight to the other foot and smacked her gum in my ear.

“Listen to me. My John’s know where to find me and I’m standing here. You get on down the street.”

“Honey, I’m not going any where.” Mona stomped her feet and leaned against the post.

Buffy put her face in Mona’s face. Mona stuck the stun gun in Buffy’s belly.

“You want some of this?”

Mona pressed the stun gun and nothing happened.

“What are you doing?” Buffy’s stilettos  hit the pavement. Mona was in hot pursuit. Buffy lost one stiletto and then the other one. Mona kept at her back trying to take her down but with Buffy barefoot and Mona in her stilettos she couldn’t catch her. I jumped in the Explorer and made my way past them. Buffy ran across the lawn of the local church and headed for the alley. I raced into the alley and came up the alley with Buffy’s head hanging and her hands on her knees.

Mona grabbed her by the arm, turned her around and wrenched her wrist with the cuffs.

“What are you two doing?” 

“You didn’t show up for court and we are going to show you the way to jail.  Now get your sorry butt in the Explorer.”

“Can you go back and pick up my stilettos? I hate to go to jail without my stilettos.

I rammed Buffy in the Explorer and joined her in the back seat. Mona retraced our tracks and picked up Buffy’s stilettos. 

A couple of Ho’s were standing at Buffy’s lamp post. Buffy yelled out the window. “You get your sorry ass away from my post. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

We turned Buffy in to the court and got the papers signed.

One officer wanted to book Mona. I persuaded him she was working under cover. He said. “I bet she works well under cover.”

TWENTY-NINE

Daddy had the Edsel ready for me to use. Mona and I were on our way over to pick it up when my phone rang. I took my phone from the case on my waist. It was Hayden.

“Hi Hayden. What’s up?”

“You busy?”

“No.”

“Good, meet me at your folks house.”

“I’m on my way over there to pick up the Edsel. Thought I would use it until I get the insurance money on my Blazer.”

Hayden was setting in his Chevy Lightning pick-up in front of my folks place when we drove up. Mona pulled to the curb and parked.

Hayden stepped from his pick-up. “Tiffany, I want you to go for a walk with me. Do you mind Mona.” He asked Mona knowing Mona would be on our heels if he didn’t excuse us.

Mona shrugged her shoulders and walk toward my folks front door. Hayden took my hand and briskly walked down the street.

“I’ve been remodeling my parents old house on the corner and I wanted you to be the first to see the finished project.”

He pulled a single key from his jean pocket, unlocked the door. Stepped back and I stepped in.

“Hayden this is beautiful.” My eyes traveled from wall to wall, from the living room right through to the kitchen with black granite counter top and stainless steel appliances.  The house was fully furnished. 

“Hayden, you did a great job on remodeling this old place.” My eyes were busy looking and my feet were busy walking all over the house. I thought I heard Hayden say something about me liking the color scheme.

“What did you say?”

“Do you like the colors?  I had you in mind when I chose the colors.” 

Hayden handed me the key. “What’s this?”

“Looks like the key that fit’s the front door. I want you to live in the house.”

“I can’t afford a house like this and with it completely furnished. Hayden that’s a nice gesture but…”

“I don’t need any rent for the place.  I need some good tax write offs and I don’t want to get rid of my folks place.  There’s too many memories for me to turn loose of this place.  You and I have some good memories in the garage.”

“You mean when I was five and you were seven and we played doctor?” I put my arm around him.

He wrapped his arms around me. “Exactly, good memories. Say you’ll move in.  No, strings attached.  It’s yours to live in as long as you wish.”

“You sure about this?”

“Positive, you okay with it? You would be near your folks and they are getting older.”

“Okay, I’m speechless.”

Hayden took my hand and walked me back to his pick-up and hopped in.

“You can move in when ever you‘re ready.”

“I’ll need to shop for linens and such before I can move in.”

“Guess you forgot to check out the linen closet. Oh, and the chest of drawers has a few of my items in the bottom drawer.” Hayden smiled and drove off. I stood on the sidewalk with my mouth open. My hand was grasping the key. I unfolded my hand. There lay the key in the palm of my hand. The key to my new home. I screamed and ran toward my folks front door.

“Momma, Daddy, Mona you won’t believe this.”

“What honey?”

“I’m going to be living down the street in Hayden’s childhood home.” 

“That so?”  No one seemed to excited.

“It’s gonna be a while before I have the Edsel ready for you to drive.”  Daddy folded his arms across his chest.

“But…I thought you had me come over to pick it up?” 

Mona jumped up from the sofa. “Show us your place.”

We walked to the house. I put the key in the keyhole and turned. It unlocked the door to my new place.  Everyone looked around not seeming to excited.

“Did he remodel the garage?” Dad started for the detached garage.

We walked to the back of the yard and stood looking. I pulled on the handle and the door was locked. I tried to find a keyhole but there wasn’t one.

“He didn’t mention the garage.”  I stood looking at the freshly landscaped yard. The sidewalks were winding throughout the yard.

I started to walk back in the house when the garage door started to roll up. I turned around. The door was open and inside was a black Honda CR-V.

“What’s this all about?” I ran over to the Honda and peeked in the windows.

“It goes with the house.”  Dad said as he handed me the garage door opener. “Oh, here’s the keys.”

My heart jumped up in my throat. Why would anyone treat me so nice?  I sat down on the kitchen step and shook my head. Tears flooded my face leaving a puddle on the stoop. I wiped snot with the back of my hand.

“Girl, we gotta get back to the apartment and get your stuff together.” Mona headed toward her Explorer with me on her heels.  I turned and waved at Momma and Daddy.

An afternoon of shopping was in order. I purchased jeans, shirts, dress pants, a couple of nice blouses, undies and jammies.  And a few pair of shoes, sneakers and new boots.  Then to the  make-up counter where I picked up lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow and blush. Then to the hair accessory department.  A hair straightening iron for my curly locks. A few pony elastic holders, a large clip to hold my hair up for showers.  Then to Wal-Mart to pick up toiletries, and food to stock the cupboards.