Moon Underfoot (34 page)

Jake’s life and family had been invaded, violated by Moon Pie, and he hadn’t really done anything about it, out of deference to the promise he had made to Morgan after the night of terror in Alabama. He had promised not to put himself or Katy in any type of risky situation.

He studied a framed vacation photo of Morgan and Katy in the big pool at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama. They were his life. He couldn’t continue to live in fear. He decided that it was past time to take charge and be proactive, aggressively protecting his family.

Jake watched the clock on his computer inch toward noon.
Morgan’s just gonna have to deal with it; this is who I am!

L
UCILLE CALLED WALTER
and asked him to bring the guys to her apartment as soon as possible. He detected a bit of trepidation in her voice, but she wouldn’t elaborate, even after being asked twice. He said he would be there as soon as he could find them.

It took Walter several minutes to round up the guys. Sebastian had been drinking coffee and eyeing a Wilson Combat CQB .45 ACP at Steve Barnett’s Fine Guns, a couple doors down. Bernard had been flirting with the owner of Rose Drugs while she attempted to take inventory.

Lucille opened the door the moment Walter knocked. The old men filed inside. Lucille swiftly looked up and down the hall to ensure no one was snooping. She then quickly shut and locked the door. Sebastian sensed her anxiety and quickly looked at Walter. Lucille was rubbing her hands as she started to pace when Walter said, “Lucille, talk to us—tell us what’s going on.”

“It’s gone,” she blurted.

“What’s gone?” Bernard asked as Walter rushed to where the bags had been.

“The money,” Walter said, looking at the empty floor where over a million dollars in cash had very recently been sitting.

“That’s right,” Lucille said with a deep exhale. “It’s all gone.”

“How? What? What happened to it?” Sebastian asked.

Walter watched Lucille’s eyes, and she prepared to answer Sebastian’s question. Bernard scratched his head in confusion. Sebastian wondered if someone in the room had betrayed everyone’s trust. He looked at Walter.

Lucille said, “I ran some errands, like I always do on Mondays, and when I got back it was gone.”

“When is the last time you saw it?”

“Before I went to the store.”

“Even the Kroger money?”

Lucille was about to cry. “Yes. It was all here to count and organize.”

Sebastian rubbed his head in frustration. He wanted to scream. Bernard was still confused. Walter studied Lucille, who was now sitting at the kitchen table.

“Where’s Bailey?” Walter firmly asked, biting hard on a cigar.

“I don’t know. She left early this morning.”

“Have you tried to call her cell?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“She doesn’t answer.”

“Did anyone else know about the money?”

“No.”

“Could she be at the Gold Mine?”

“She doesn’t work on Mondays.”

“Where does she usually go on Mondays?”

“She’s been goin’ over to the W.”

“What’s that?” Walter asked, still unfamiliar with much of the area.

“The Mississippi University for Women. It’s in Columbus.”

“It was the first university for women in the United States,” Sebastian added.

“She’s takin’ a course?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Only once a week seems odd for a schedule,” Walter stated.

“I don’t know,” Lucille replied weakly. She feared Bailey had the money but also wondered if one of the guys had broken into her room and taken it.

“Can’t we call the police?” Bernard asked.

Everybody glared at Bernard.

“No, Bernard. We can’t call the police. We stole the money first!” Walter said loudly.

“Shhhhh, my neighbors will hear us.”

“They can’t hear it thunder.”

“We need to stay calm and figure this out,” Walter said.

“I’ve figured it out,” Sebastian said. “Haven’t y’all ever heard that the second mouse gets the cheese?”

Bernard’s eyes lit up. “’Cause the first mouse gets whacked by the trap, so the second mouse is safe to take the cheese.”

“Exactly. With no worries of gettin’ caught,” Sebastian replied.

“You’re saying we’re the first mouse,” Walter said as he tossed his chewed-up cigar into the trash.

“Yep, I’m saying not only do we not have the cheese, but we don’t have any legal options.”

Walter sighed as he looked around at everyone. Lucille was crying. There was a mixture of confusion, anger, and distrust. He said, “We need to talk to Bailey. I hate to jump to any conclusions.”

L
EVI QUIETLY WALKED
through the back door into the Gold Mine and immediately heard Moon Pie talking to himself. All the lights were off except in Moon Pie’s office, where he was rummaging through desk drawers. Levi knew that he was troubled when he saw the pistol lying on the desk and Moon Pie looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

“You okay, Moon?” Levi asked.

“What the hell do ya think?”

“I’m just askin’. Here’s your clothes.”

“Wadda them damn Mexicans say?”

“That they’re gonna kill us if we don’t come up with the money, but he didn’t freak out or anything like I expected. He was actually calm, and it kinda spooked me.”

“That’s cuz they stole it and they got somethin’ up their sleeve.”

“How do you think they got the safe combination?”

“No clue. Hand me those bullets.”

Levi handed him a half-empty box of 9 mm rounds. “I just don’t see how they coulda figured it out.”

“Those high-tech bastards probably got some kinda computer they hooked up to it and it went through the possible
combinations. It don’t matter how they got the money,” he said as he tightly packed a bag with gear. “The point is, they got it.”

“Hey, did you notice the plainclothes cop across the street, watching the building?”

“You sure it’s a cop and not a freakin’ Mexican hit man?”

“The car has a municipal tag.”

“Dammit. I don’t need their shit right now! I gotta lose him. He probably followed me from the jail and saw me get dropped off.”

“How ya gonna shake him?”

Moon Pie stopped packing and then went to look out the front door. “We’ll switch clothes, and I’ll wear that cap you got on. Since we’re about the same size, and he woulda seen you come in too, he’ll think it’s you leaving and that I’m still here.”

“What about me? They’ll be on me, and I need to get gone too.”

“Let me think about it. I’ll figure out something.”

“You still goin’ up north?”

“Nope, change of plans. Since Tam’s got my good truck, I’m goin’ to ’Bama to stay awhile with my taxidermist buddy.”

“That’s better. You’ll be a lot closer if I need you.”

“True. Here, we’ll use these prepaid phones. I expect they’re listenin’ to mine.” Moon Pie handed Levi a throw-down.

“I’m sure glad you’re stayin’ kinda close. Maybe we can talk our way outta this mess with the Mexicans or Tam might help us.”

“Tam might…I’ve already thought about that. He owes me a favor now; I just don’t know if he’d consider it a million-dollar favor. I just need to buy a little time until I can get him involved. I think he might stick up for me.”

“Hard to put a price on freedom,” Levi said as he sat down in a chair. “I’m serious. Maybe Tam would take us on full-time instead of this once-a-month shit and help us outta this bind.”

“It’s possible. I just gotta talk to him. We may have to start over—you know, reinvent ourselves. It’s better than being dead. I’ll call Mike on my way outta town and see if he’ll talk to Tam.”

“So whatcha need me to do?”

“Let’s switch clothes. Can you get someone to come by and pick you up later?”

“Yeah, sure,” Levi replied.

“Good. I’ll leave your truck at the trailer. So when are you gonna skip town?”

“I don’t know. I got this new girlfriend I really like, and I’m thinkin’ she may be the one. I may just get on the houseboat and move up and down the river until things quiet down. That way I can still see my girl,” Levi said as he pulled off his ball cap and shirt.

Moon Pie looked at him with disgust to mask his jealousy. He had always wanted a serious relationship but never seemed to find the right girl. His lifestyle seemed to attract ones that couldn’t be trusted. “So who is it?”

“Bailey.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“Nope.”

“That little uppity bitch wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

“We’ve kinda hit it off.”

Moon Pie was now standing in Levi’s clothes, and from a distance, he could probably pass for him.

Moon Pie said, “Whatever. I’m goin’ to the trailer to pick up some things, and then I have a few business deals before I leave. Watch the cop and call if he’s followin’ me. And if he don’t follow me, I need you to stay here until I’m outta town. I’ll call you.”

“I got it.”

“Good deal. I’ll see ya, little brother.”

“Good luck, Memphis.”

Moon Pie stopped and turned. “This could get crazy. You up for it?”

“Oh yeah.”

“You better watch out for Woody too.”

“I got it.”

“Okay. You take care of yourself, now.” Moon Pie smiled and walked out the back door.

J
ULIO AND GUILLERMO
Googled W
est Point, Mississippi
, before leaving Tennessee and quickly determined that the nicest place to stay was the Old Waverly Golf Club. Julio called and made reservations for them in a lake-view cottage. They had long since realized that they attracted much less attention staying in finer accommodations than they did in budget hotels. They needed to get in and out of town without rousing any suspicions, so for the next few days, he and Guillermo became Mexican cheese importers looking for new outlets in the Golden Triangle. Everybody knew there had been a recent sharp rise in the Hispanic population in the area.

Several hours later, once they checked in, they paid the lodging attendant with a black American Express card. The attendant later asked her boss if he had ever seen one. His eyes lit up in anticipation, and he nodded. He knew that these men could charge anything they wanted, even a house, a lot, or a lifetime club membership. The word quickly spread through the staff that high rollers were staying in cottage number three.

Guillermo used the Wi-Fi to check the location of the money. The locator hidden inside the bag placed it at the local police station. Guillermo switched the tracking device’s identification
numbers to find the ankle unit on the redneck. It appeared to be in the parking lot of a government housing project in Aberdeen.

“What do you want to do, Julio?”

Julio was looking out the window at several mallard ducks swimming on Lake Waverly. He said, “The clubhouse is closed today, so let’s first go into town to eat. Then we ride by the address to confirm the money is at a police station, and then we go find Mr. Pie.
Me gustaría mucho que hablar con él.
”

Guillermo drilled down further into both addresses and wondered if Bing maps had any bird’s-eye views. While he was searching, he heard Julio work the tight action of his small pistol.