“So I ran him.”
“Okay,” I replied.
“Man’s thirty-three and established a career as a bouncer startin’ at twenty-one. Not much on him. He’s got one speeding ticket that he paid. He also got a DUI at nineteen that he beat. I talked with Eddie, Eddie talked with the arresting officer and that guy remembered our guy. The officer said our guy was a smooth talker, even back then. The kind who could talk his way outta anything. So much so, fourteen years have passed and he still remembers him.”
This was not good.
“What kind of clubs has he worked?” I asked.
“Normal shit, no strip clubs. Know a coupla the owners at places he worked, talked to them on the down low. Solid track record. Long tenures. Movin’ on only for more money.”
This gave us nothing.
“So I got eyes on him last night,” Darius told me.
“And?” I prompted.
“So he wouldn’t tag me, I stayed outside. Don’t know what he does backstage, but whatever business he’s doin’, he’s also doin’ it in the parking lot.”
I perked up. “What does that mean?”
“That means he has conversations with the girls he escorts to their cars. Not long ones. But not comfortable ones. Least not for the girls.”
My mind started working.
“We need to get one of the girls wired,” I murmured.
“Yeah. And you need a sit down with Lottie,” Darius stated.
“She’s after I drop a bundle in Lucy,” I told him.
He nodded then asked, “When you goin’ in?”
“I have my first stripper class this afternoon.”
He grinned.
I rolled my eyes.
“Tex and Nancy are getting married on Wednesday. My aim is to be in Thursday, but I have to confirm that with Smithie,” I shared.
“Want you covered,” he replied. “So you keep me in that loop. I’ll be there, but you won’t see me.”
I nodded again then told him, “You need to keep track of your hours and get in touch with Daisy to set up a contract. I’m billing them to Smithie and I’ll be paying you.”
“Unnecessary.”
Argh!
I loved my friends, but this was getting crazy.
“Totally necessary,” I returned.
“Ally, I’ll keep track of my hours. You bill him, but I do this shit for you, not money.”
God, Darius was great.
And everyone was being way cool, but enough was enough.