Fatal Connections

Chapter 62

Two-Bit Terry seemed pleased to be called in to help me. Terry and I went back to high school. Not that we were a couple. Just a couple of oddballs.

I explained the risks to Terry, and he took them in stride. But then, based on what I knew about Two-Bit, risk was never his biggest concern. The real problem was finding the brown Dodge sedan without knowing the tag number or the VIN. Or, more specifically, I wanted to identify the car's driver. I figured this all had some connection to Embrace the Wild. Perhaps it was time to poke the koala, so to speak.

When I suggested we meet, Terry proposed a small coffee shop in Kensington. I warned him about what happened to Gallagher and Benny, but he laughed it off. I put in my order as soon as I walked in, and then took a seat. Terry wasn't there, so I watched the door and breathed a small sigh of relief when he arrived.

It's hard to describe Terry. I don't mean physically. He's tall, but scrawny. Hair: light brown, never combed. Eyes: mud-colored. What's hard is describing him as a person, the one inside the skinny, nerdy package. He's like a mad genius, but also kind of an idiot. Terry knows a little about everything. But he can also be completely wrong about some of those things. On the surface, he comes across almost like a kid. Curious and open. But on the flip side, he was sometimes a little bit too sure of himself. With a practiced smile, Terry could make the unwary believe he had all the answers.

Today, he looked like a gawky teenager from the 1950s, pretending to be a badass in a leather jacket. Made me look like a slacker in my hoodie and jeans. Terry waved in my direction and went over to the counter to order a drink.

When he finally joined me, I said, "When did you become the Wild One?"

"Huh?"

"That jacket. You look like James Dean."

Terry shook his head and grinned. "You're thinking of Marlon Brando. He was in 'The Wild One.' James Dean was in 'Rebel Without a Cause.' "

According to Terry, my life wouldn't be complete until I had seen and appreciated every movie ever made since some French dudes invented motion pictures.

"Now that we've established that essential fact, perhaps we could talk about my problem," I said.

Terry nodded. Like he had a choice. I tried to explain the whole messy situation.

"I don't know for a fact, but I strongly suspect that this bizarre petting zoo has something to do with the Harcourt murders," I said. "Maybe the brown car is involved, maybe not. But it seems like a good idea to poke around Embrace the Wild. Maybe the car will show up, and we'll get a clue."

Terry said nothing. He looked over my shoulder in a contemplative way. Then his eyes focused. He frowned.

"What?" I said.

"That's one way to play it." Terry's voice was laconic.

"You have a better one?"

"Forget the whole thing. Let the police handle it."

I'll admit to being surprised when he said that, but I figured he was playing devil's advocate. I shook my head. "It's not just the Harcourts anymore. Two people have lost their lives trying to help me out. Aside from the bad business of having someone murder my clients and make me a potential suspect, I need to understand why this is happening. For myself, and for the dead people who tried to explain it to me."

"So, will you help me?" I asked, trying hard not to beg.

Terry squinted and thought for a few moments in silence. He finally nodded. "When and where do we start?"

This was more like it. "How about now? At Embrace the Wild."

"Okay. And what is your plan? What do we do, once we get there?" He came down hard on the word "we" both times.

"Just have a look around."

Terry squinted in disbelief, but his smile twisted up to one side, signaling intrigue. "Really?"

I leaned toward him. "I've got to know what's going on there."