fire and rain // forheadedrose

32. The necklace

M A R T I N

"The female praying mantis begins to kill the male by devouring his jaw." A British woman spoke on the t.v as I lit a joint while laying in my trailer, on the couch.

"The male is simply the nearest food source around. When we come back, we will see the female lay casings to protect her hundreds of eggs." The voice-over stopped as commercials came on.

The first one of a happy couple, of course.

"You're the perfect couple. You've had a connection since the day you met, but you've been slowing down lately." The man spoke on the t.v before my phone started buzzing.

I sighed as I picked up my phone to see Roger calling me, I ignored it before my background screen came up.

Time seemed to slow down as I looked at Deja in the water, her smile infectious as she played with the necklace I gave her.

I sighed as I set my phone down, I looked up to see the same damn commercial still on.

I reached behind me and found the remote, instead I grabbed my gun and shot the t.v, causing my small screen to shatter.

--

I looked at the large Joint Asset Securities sign as we walked into a large, white office with big windows.

"So, Mrs. Carlton, how long have you been selling pot for a living?" Murtaugh asked the woman in a black dress with long blonde hair.

"My clients make their living selling marijuana, detective. I manage their money." She said sitting at her big desk.

"In Texas we still call that laundering." I said looking out the tall windows.

"And in Texas, it would be. But in California, pot is legal. Dispensaries earn 3$ billion a year, all of it cash, but, they're legally prohibited from using banks." Mrs. Carlton spoke quickly.

"And what do you get out of it?" Murtaugh asked.

"20%." She said and Murtaugh whistled.

"20%? Is that legal?" I joked.

"Reflects my risk. The Fed won't insure their money, so I do. Which is why I'm on the hook for the 17$ million that was on that truck." She sighed.

We were investigating a robbery from an armed truck.

"Are the deposits always that big?" Murtaugh asked.

"Not even close. It was tax day. Dispensaries have to pay state tax just like everyone else." She said and I looked over at Roger in surprise.

"But, without access to banks, they pay in cash." "Who else knew it was tax day pick up?" I asked.

"Just my clients." She shrugged.

"So, we're gonna need a list of those clients." Roger said and she sighed loudly before standing up and walking to a filing cabinet.

"Confidentiality is extremely important to my business, gentlemen. I'll need you to both be discreet." She said and I smirked.

"Oh, we're very discreet. I mean, me so, more than him. But, you know, him too." I said as I put my hand out to grab the file.

She handed it to Roger and he smiled, "Good choice." He said before we left.

We went to a party house that was owned by two twenty year olds by the name of Ronnie and Donnie.

I walked around the pool party as Roger and I split up.