into my purse and took out my wallet, then selected a ten. Ripping it in half, I placed the unserial-numbered piece on the table. “That’s where we start—and end unless you start telling me something.” I sipped my coffee.
Homeless nibbled at his thumbnail, then fingered the half bill. “Okay. First thing, your picture ain’t right. She don’t wear her hair that way. Too fancy for her. Most of the time, it’s just pulled back with one of them butterfly things.”
“But you’re sure it’s her?”
He glared at me. “Said it was, didn’t I? You got a problem believing me, I go back to work. You ain’t got no right to insult me. I’m an honest man. I got pride, you know.”
“Easy,” I said, softening my voice. “No slight intended. I really need to identify her.”
“That’s better. Gits a bit old having people like you look down their noses at me. Treat me like a man, I’ll act like one. You need me. I don’t need you.” His eyes locked on me and stayed that way until I nodded.
He looked at the sketch again. “Yeah, that’s her. Even the do. She had it that way last Monday, and wasn’t dressed like usual.”
That got my attention. Had he been on the corner when I came to meet her? I didn’t know. Like I said, the homeless are often invisible. “You’re doing fine. The reward just went up an extra ten-spot.” I took out another and tore it in half as before. “Explain how she was different?”
“Lay down the other halves or I walk.”
I frowned, not wanting to give in, but I was too close to let him slip away. I complied with the two missing sections.
He grabbed them. “Most times, she’s in shorts and a low-cut top. Lots of good-looking cleavage. You’d be surprised what you can see when you’re looking in the car window at some of them women. Yes, ma’am. A real pleasure. Of course, not them big SUVs. Too danged high. The best is the low-slung sports cars—Corvettes, Hondas, like them.” His eyes shifted to my chest. “Nice rack, real nice. You ever show much?”
My hand jumped to cover myself before I remembered I wore a blouse that buttoned high. “Knock off the bullshit,” I said with a snarl, tapping the picture. “This woman. What else do you have on her?”
He grinned as if he knew he’d scored on me. “Hey, lady, I just stand there and sell papers. She ain’t never bought one, just stops at the light or drives by.”
“What kind of car does she have?”
“Been a long time since I had a good steak. There’s a place up the street that has a good one with all the trimmin’s for …” He eyed me. “’Bout thirty bucks.”
Yeah, sure, I thought. “Go cheap. Get one for ten.” I slid another bill toward him. “Talk.”
He grabbed the sawbuck, folded it, and with deliberation, stuffed it in his grubby T-shirt pocket where the halves had gone. His look made me feel like a lamb in front of a ravenous wolf. He couldn’t wait to take advantage of me. “White Toyota, I think.”
“License number?”
“What you think? I write down all them numbers come by me? No idea. But, if that reward’s big enough, I might could watch for her. I’m real good at memorizin’ numbers.” He went quiet.
“Anything else about the car you can remember?”
He leaned his head to the right, then to the left, the appearance of stretching his neck.
I got the message and laid a five on the table. It sat there, untouched. A game of patience that he won. With a shrug, I picked up the bill, went back into my wallet and found a ten to further enrich him. This time, he appeared happy as the bill joined the others.
“It might be an Avalon model. That’s the expensive one, ain’t it? How much if I keep an eye out for it?”
It was my time to examine him. If he was on the level, I could nail the bitch who set me up. Of course, he might see me as a pigeon he could con for cash. I hesitated, wondering where the truth lay. I didn’t have a cheaper source. In fact, I didn’t
Homeless nibbled at his thumbnail, then fingered the half bill. “Okay. First thing, your picture ain’t right. She don’t wear her hair that way. Too fancy for her. Most of the time, it’s just pulled back with one of them butterfly things.”
“But you’re sure it’s her?”
He glared at me. “Said it was, didn’t I? You got a problem believing me, I go back to work. You ain’t got no right to insult me. I’m an honest man. I got pride, you know.”
“Easy,” I said, softening my voice. “No slight intended. I really need to identify her.”
“That’s better. Gits a bit old having people like you look down their noses at me. Treat me like a man, I’ll act like one. You need me. I don’t need you.” His eyes locked on me and stayed that way until I nodded.
He looked at the sketch again. “Yeah, that’s her. Even the do. She had it that way last Monday, and wasn’t dressed like usual.”
That got my attention. Had he been on the corner when I came to meet her? I didn’t know. Like I said, the homeless are often invisible. “You’re doing fine. The reward just went up an extra ten-spot.” I took out another and tore it in half as before. “Explain how she was different?”
“Lay down the other halves or I walk.”
I frowned, not wanting to give in, but I was too close to let him slip away. I complied with the two missing sections.
He grabbed them. “Most times, she’s in shorts and a low-cut top. Lots of good-looking cleavage. You’d be surprised what you can see when you’re looking in the car window at some of them women. Yes, ma’am. A real pleasure. Of course, not them big SUVs. Too danged high. The best is the low-slung sports cars—Corvettes, Hondas, like them.” His eyes shifted to my chest. “Nice rack, real nice. You ever show much?”
My hand jumped to cover myself before I remembered I wore a blouse that buttoned high. “Knock off the bullshit,” I said with a snarl, tapping the picture. “This woman. What else do you have on her?”
He grinned as if he knew he’d scored on me. “Hey, lady, I just stand there and sell papers. She ain’t never bought one, just stops at the light or drives by.”
“What kind of car does she have?”
“Been a long time since I had a good steak. There’s a place up the street that has a good one with all the trimmin’s for …” He eyed me. “’Bout thirty bucks.”
Yeah, sure, I thought. “Go cheap. Get one for ten.” I slid another bill toward him. “Talk.”
He grabbed the sawbuck, folded it, and with deliberation, stuffed it in his grubby T-shirt pocket where the halves had gone. His look made me feel like a lamb in front of a ravenous wolf. He couldn’t wait to take advantage of me. “White Toyota, I think.”
“License number?”
“What you think? I write down all them numbers come by me? No idea. But, if that reward’s big enough, I might could watch for her. I’m real good at memorizin’ numbers.” He went quiet.
“Anything else about the car you can remember?”
He leaned his head to the right, then to the left, the appearance of stretching his neck.
I got the message and laid a five on the table. It sat there, untouched. A game of patience that he won. With a shrug, I picked up the bill, went back into my wallet and found a ten to further enrich him. This time, he appeared happy as the bill joined the others.
“It might be an Avalon model. That’s the expensive one, ain’t it? How much if I keep an eye out for it?”
It was my time to examine him. If he was on the level, I could nail the bitch who set me up. Of course, he might see me as a pigeon he could con for cash. I hesitated, wondering where the truth lay. I didn’t have a cheaper source. In fact, I didn’t
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