Page 91 of Spring L.A.W.
She spotted Crowe behind the hemorrhoid cream display. “Come here, you naughty pussy,” she said. “What do you have all over yourself?”
The guy wrinkled his nose and said, “Your cat looks like she got into something gross. Would you like to bring your ‘naughty pussy’ back to my place and wash her?”
“Oh, could I?”
Yep. This has to be the guy. She picked Crowe up by his neck at arm’s length and settled him back into the unzippedpouch. Now Crowe knew how a hamburger felt—at least the part covered in “special sauce”. Then she zipped it shut.
Crowe bounced around inside her compartment until he felt himself being lowered to a flat surface. It might be the floor of the perp’s car. Crowe knew her plan was working when the floor underneath rumbled, then vibrated, and they started to move. He hoped they would be taken right back to the criminal’s lair, not stopping at some fleabag motel on the way. He could hear a motorcycle’s engine far off in the distance, so Rick must be following discretely.Don’t lose us, Detective Torres. I can’t help my witch if I’m still in my very expensive zip-locked baggie.
Now he knew why she wasn’t angry with him. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time.Maybe I can convince her I did it on purpose. I’ve tripped and slowed down perps before. Then I’ll be her hero.
He rode on the floor for an uncomfortable few minutes. Joell played her role to a T. In fact, Crowe hoped she wouldn’t act too dumb and give it away.
“Oh, what a pretty old hotel! They don’t make them like this anymore. Well, except in the movies,” Crowe heard her say. “Do you live here?”
The guy laughed. “Not really. I’m just passing through.”
The car turned a corner and descended. Crowe guessed they were about to enter an underground parking garage.
“Oh, that’s too bad. I’m sure you’d like it if you could stay. Where do you really live?”
“I’m from out of town,” was all he said.
“Oh, like New Rochelle or something?”
Careful, Witchy. Don’t arouse his suspicions.
“No, New Jersey.”
Seemed like she may have been arousing him in other ways. He was letting his guard down. Soon, the car stopped.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping me with my naughty cat. What a mess we’d be in if I had to take him all the way back to Long Island like that.”
Crowe heard a door open and close. Then another one opened, and he was airborne again.
“Is that where you live? On Long Island?”
“Sometimes. I’m just staying at a friend’s house for a couple of weeks. I like to come into the city on the train. Don’t you just love trains?”
Wait a minute, Crow thought. Where was the motorcycle?Did Rick have to park somewhere else so the guy wouldn’t know he was being followed?
“Oh! I’m Joell, by the way. How rude of me. I should have introduced myself right away.”
“Ah, yeah. I shoulda done that too. I’m Harvey.”
“Hi, Harvey. What a nice name.”
“Ha. I hate it.”
“Really? Oh, that’s too bad. I think it’s a really nice name. I had an Uncle Harvey once. He was really neat. He’d visit my mom and bring us presents. That was a few years ago, before she remarried. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him since.”
“I’ll bet you played with your gifts outside.”
“How did you know?”
Crowe didn’t like his tone. He heard a tinge of sliminess.
“Hold the elevator,” Rick’s voice called.
