Read Online Royal Flush (The Jake Samson & Rosie Vicente Detective Series Book 6) by Shelley Singer - Free Book Online

with Zack. I got no choice. And Zack, he’s really excited about doing it. He’s really ready, man, big time. He wants to be a lieutenant, and he thinks this’ll set him up good.”
    “You have to try.”
    “Ah, shit, maybe I’ll just end up dead no matter what I do. Jesus. Shit.” He was crying again.
    “Royal, I need a way to get in touch with you.”
    “You can always get a message to me through Deeanne.”
    “That’s not good enough.”
    He sighed. “Yeah. Okay. What I’ll do, I’ll get a pager. But just use it when you have to, okay?” I told him that would work.
    Modern communications are amazing and truly wonderful. Any time you want, you can beep your doctor, your drug dealer, or your local skinhead assassin.
    I left a message for Rosie on the office machine. “See if you can get Pauline to work up a little enthusiasm about this, Rosie…” Or a lot. Enough to get the law back on it. Not just watching Switcher. Watching the Aryan Command. Enough to get someone on it besides me.
    Then I called the number Rosie had gotten from Pauline, the number for the FBI agent, Harry George. Good old Hairy George. I hoped I never had to write him a note. I was sure I’d slip and spell it wrong. Was he blue, like a Smurf? Purple, like Barney? I realized I was very tired.
    I told the machine that answered that I was Jake Samson, that Pauline had given me his name, and that I was calling about the Aryan Command. I left all my phone numbers.
    I realized, lying in bed, stewing, that I hated the Aryan Command. That I wanted them stopped. Dead, if necessary. And that I wanted someone else, preferably big, powerful someones with guns and power, to do it for me.
    Isn’t that what government is for?
    And where is it when you need it?

– 7 –
    By 10:30 the next morning, Rosie had met Sally, seen the house, and talked to Pauline again. She’s very efficient.
    “I love the property. The cottage is a little small, but Sally says we can add rooms if we need to. The lot’s big enough even if the planning commission’s feeling snarky that day.”
    “So you saying it’s a go?”
    “I’m saying I’d rent the cottage, the rest is your call.”
    “I’ll put this place up for sale. Right now.” Or at least as soon as we’d finished talking. And hope to God it sold before someone else grabbed my mildew mansion in the woods.
    Reluctantly, I switched to business. “Did Pauline say the cops would get on it? The Switcher thing?”
    “She wouldn’t say. Just said thanks for the info.”
    Pauline was Pauline. “I called Harry George, but I haven’t heard from him. So until I do, or until Pauline can come up with something encouraging…”
    “I know. We’re stuck with it.”
    “Or Royal’s going to end up killing someone because he’s scared not to.”
    “Artie’s really going to owe us for this.”
    “Yeah. Maybe he’ll throw the poker game tonight.”
    She laughed. “Fat chance. See you there.”
    I’d barely put the phone down when it buzzed again. This time it was Royal.
    “I was so upset last night I forgot to tell you what else.”
    “What else, Royal?” I braced myself.
    “Well, you wanted to know about the next meeting. It’s tomorrow night. The warriors are invited. Maybe I can get you in, I don’t know.”
    “Try.”
    “I will. The other thing?”
    “What other thing, Royal?” I braced myself again. This kid needed prompting every step of the way.
    “There’s maybe something gonna happen tonight. Everybody was like, wait and see, and some of the other warriors were like, laughing, acting like they had some big secret job. But nobody will say.”
    “Keep trying.”
    “I will if I can. Oh, and I want to give you your money.”
    I ran my day’s plans through my head. I wanted to get this house sale thing going with Sally, then I wanted to drop in at Thor’s in the late afternoon. “How about you meet me for a quick dinner around six?” That would get me home in time for poker. He said it