“Next time you get in a bar brawl or wrestle with some guy holding a knife, you cal me.”
Al five customers turned around and stared at me.
I stared at Tex.
“What?” I asked.
“I’m Fortnum’s designated bodyguard,” Tex told me.
I looked at Duke, who was working behind the espresso counter with Tex.
“He kinda is,” Duke said.
I had to say, I was a bit alarmed that Fortnum’s needed a designated bodyguard. I didn’t have time to think about it because Indy came up behind me, grabbed my hand and pul ed me behind the book counter.
“I guess Lee told you,” I said to her when we stopped and I caught a look at her serious face.
“Yeah, he told me. Are you okay?” she asked.
“Sure,” I said, trying to make it sound like I had it al together.
She didn’t buy it and her eyes narrowed.
“Jet?”
“No, real y, I’m fine.”
She moved closer to me and squeezed my hand. Then she said in a quiet voice, “I know you think you’re pul ing the wool over everyone’s eyes but we al know that everything isn’t fine with you. Talk to me, Jet. Maybe I can help.” I didn’t know what it was, maybe the hand squeeze, maybe the quiet voice, maybe because she’d always been so nice to me. Whatever it was, I took a breath, trying to think of some way to evade her question and then, instead, it al came pouring out. Everything. Dad leaving us, Mom breaking down, Lottie going to LA, Mom’s stroke, us making do and the current situation with Dad.
I finished with, “And if al that isn’t bad enough, I’ve got a date tonight with Eddie and I have absolutely no clue what to wear.”
Throughout my story, she looked concerned, sometimes mad, sometimes like she was going to interrupt but, at my final comment, she smiled. “That last bit, I can help you with.
The rest of it, Lee can help you with.”
I knew Lee was a private detective. I also knew that he was real y good at what he did and I knew that he was real y expensive. He drove a fancy car, had a fancier motorcycle, had a huge workforce and had some kind of plush offices in Lower Downtown Denver. I couldn’t afford Lee and I couldn’t afford to owe anyone else a favor.
“I can’t ask Lee…” I started.
“You can ask Lee but you don’t have to, I wil ,” Indy assured me.
“Indy, I’d real y like to take care of this on my own.”
“Lee says it’s dangerous.”
I laughed.
“Did you not hear my story? I can take care of myself, and everyone else. I’ve had a lot of practice.” Indy looked at me. “I don’t know, I’ve had a run-in with the criminal underworld of Denver and it wasn’t much fun.” I was curious but didn’t ask.
“I’l be safe and I’l be smart, I promise,” I assured her, wishing I was just as sure and knowing I was anything but.
“What’re you gonna do?” She asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Find Dad first. Find out what this is al about. Then take it from there.” Immediately she said, “I’l go with you.” No.
No, no, no.
I couldn’t have Indy coming with me, if something happened to her both Lee and Eddie would be pissed at me not to mention Duke, Tex and the entirety of the Denver Police Department (Indy’s Dad was a cop as was Lee’s Dad and his brother, Hank).