Lee showed up and Indy immediately walked over to him. Eddie was standing next to me, he grabbed my hand and walked me over.
“Hey,” Lee said softly, then, I kid you not, he slid an arm around my waist and kissed my temple, right above the bandage that was stil there.
“Hey,” I said when he let me go. His eyes were warm and concerned and I thought maybe he wasn’t so scary.
He looked to Eddie and the warmth and concern melted out of his eyes and I thought maybe I was wrong.
“We got Slick.”
Both Eddie and I tensed.
“You bringin’ him in?” Eddie asked.
Lee shook his head once.
“He’s in the holding room. We have a few more questions to ask and then we’l take him to the station.” I didn’t know what the holding room was but it didn’t sound like a good place to be. I didn’t feel too sorry for Slick. It might make me a bad person, but I didn’t feel sorry at al .
Eddie didn’t seem overwhelmed with happiness about this statement, he seemed resigned to it, like it wasn’t the first time it happened.
Lee’s eyes turned to me, “He’s done with your Dad and there’l be no further involvement with your family.” I didn’t know if Slick was done with Dad because he beat the shit out of him and carved him up or because Lee made it so. I didn’t ask either, mainly because the expression on Lee’s face wasn’t inviting my participation in the discussion.
“He formed an al iance with Vince,” Lee went on, “Vince convinced him they had the same goal and Slick was looking for reinforcements, so he didn’t need a lot of convincing. That’s why Vince was there the other night.” He paused, “We haven’t found Vince.”
This was not good news.
Lee looked back to Eddie.
“Mace is taking vacation days, he’s after Vince, he’s on a f**kin’ mission. I’m two men down with Mace gone and providing protection for Jet. I have to pul Bobby. Mace had an assignment and Bobby needs to cover. Ike’l be available when you need him.”
Eddie wasn’t happy about this news either.
“What’s on Mace’s mind?” Eddie asked.
“Mace is working through some issues,” Lee told him.
This really made Eddie unhappy, I could tel by the way his jaw clenched.
“Vince is f**ked unless I find him,” Eddie said.
“Vince is f**ked unless you find him,” Lee agreed.
Eddie said a few bad words in two languages then he said, “I cannot believe I have to protect that f**kin’ asshole.” I couldn’t believe it either.
“I gotta get on the street,” Eddie said, his arm coming around me.
Both of mine went around him as well and I looked up at him.
“Go. I’l be okay.” Then I turned to Lee and said, “You don’t have to send more bodyguards, I have Tex and…” Lee interrupted me, “Primary objective for Nightingale Investigations right now is your protection. You’re okay in this waiting room but once you leave it, you have cover.”
“But…”
He turned to Indy. “She doesn’t leave unless she has cover.”
Indy nodded.
“I can’t ask you to—”
He interrupted me again. “You didn’t ask.”