Throwaway People

Confrontations

Lake Worth, 10th Avenue Bus Stop: 5:00 PM

Route 61 brought Patty back at 5:00 PM. The day at the Lost Tea Shop had proved profitable. Patty had gone out and performed with Keyote. Supervised would be a more accurate term. Patty sat back and let Keyote sing to the customer in her deep soulful voice. They had each selected songs that fit their own voice.

It was about 2:00 PM when the man Key called Grandpa showed up. It was the same old man that had harassed Patty in the park and at the shop.

"You whores shouldn't be around descent folk." Grandpa shouted as he passed by.

Key stood up and shouted back.

"I know who you are Grandpa! You cruise the Lake Worth Corridor trolling for the little girls who work there." Key said. She turned back to the audience. "He likes working girls who are around ten to twelve years old."

"Nobody believes you, you whore." Grandpa said back. He took off.

As Patty figured the cops arrived soon after. Grandpa didn't have to call them this time around. Stacey came out and handled them. Keyote was questioned as were certain witnesses who stuck around to make sure the Sheriff Deputy understood that the man Keyote called Grandpa had started the conflict with the two singers.

"We only knew him as Grandpa out on the streets." Keyote explained to the deputy. He lost interest in me two years ago when I turned sixteen." Keyote only lied about her age. "I dont know what his personal problem with Patty is, but I know he's been harassing her."

"You're eighteen." The Sheriff looked Keyote over. "You've got an ID."

"Not on me." Keyote said. "Patty will tell you. I was working in Orlando when Patty asked me to come down here to get straight. You know, I don't want to be a whore all of my life."

Key could see the Sheriff debating. "I'll get one, I promise. I just got to get my life right and I'll be able to get that stuff. Know what I mean."

"That was close." Patty told Keyote. "From now on, if we know that cops are coming we need to sneak you out of here."

Keyote hated feeling like a refugee who had to hide from authorities. Key also knew that Patty was right. It had been a close one. If the deputy hadn't wanted to take Key in due to the paper work that would have been involved he might have acted on his suspicions that Key was a minor.

Palm Springs, Fresco: 5:00 PM

As Patty walked over to the Fresco Andy's light blue sedan cut her off. Key put her arms around Patty's waist and moved slightly behind her. As if using Patty as a shield between Keyote and the two men she recognized.

"Who's this?" Andy said as he stepped out of the car. They were in an empty department behind a sport's store.

"None of your damned business." Patty told him.

Andy looked hard at the girl. She was too tall, her cheeks to wide. Her hair the wrong color. Her clothes were black, gothic. She might resemble Kitty, but she was too old.

"Might be if she knows where Kitty is." Andy said.

The girl shook her head.

"What's wrong, don't you have a voice." Andy stepped towards her.

"Stop scaring her." Patty demanded. "Leave us alone."

A Sheriff's car moved into the entrance of the Fresco. Andy got back into his sedan and took off. Patty practically dragged a terrified Keyote along with her as she went on her way to the Fresco.

As the Sheriff car made it's way through the Fresco parking lot. Patty got on her phone.

Lake Worth, Lake Worth Corridor: 5:07 PM

Bobbi got out of her date's car. She needed to find a place to freshen up. Bobbi walked behind the old location of what had been a gay club called 'The Man Cave'. It was now a unisex barber shop. She grabbed her bag. Her phone on vibrate sudden went off. Terri pulled it out of the holder at her side. It could be another client.

"Bobbi." Was all she said.

"Andy is searching for Kitty." Patty told her. "He's driving a blue sedan. You better lay low."

"Are you okay? Where are you?" Bobbi asked. "He didn't see Kitty, did he?"

"We are fine. We are at the Fresco. Andy did see Keyote, but didn't recognize her." Patty said. "Key was smart enough not to say anything."

"With that new Southern accent, he might not have recognized her voice." Bobbi mentioned. "You did a good job of camouflage. I think she grew an inch since I saw her last too."

"Like I said, lay low. Come to camp when you can. No amount of money is worth getting beat up again." Patty said.

"Go on to the camp, I'll meet you there." Bobbi said.

Lake Worth, JFK Hospital: 5:27 PM

Andy wasn't concerned about Bobbi at the moment. He was waiting outside of JFK Hospital on Congress. He stood outside his blue sedan. Little C. came out of the hospital jonsing for a hit. He had been trapped there for a couple of days due to some complication of the drugs and ant poison. Little C. spotted Andy standing beside a blue sedan. He almost bolted.

Andy called him over.

"What happened to you?" Andy demanded.

"I think I found where Jim and Patty are staying. It's an empty lot across from a high school. I was going to check, but I stepped into this ant hill." Little C. said.

"Fell into a canal. Got bad drugs which have been going around." Andy said. "I know all about it. Well, get your ass back there. They've got a new girl with them. I want to know if they still have Kitty too. Let me know when you know something."

Little C. was left to find his own way back to the empty lot in Green Acres.

"Senor Lobo. You trust him to do this." Jorge said.

"I trust he wants money for crack. If he thinks he can earn it by spying on Water Jim and his whore he'll at least distract them." Andy said. "Who knows, we might even get lucky and he might find Kitty for Jose."

"After that I'll kill him and throw him in the same canal as I did Terri." Andy didn't say it, but he thought it.

"Might be bad if Big C. found out." Jorge said.

"Big C. understands. It's business."

Greenacres, Cresthaven Road: 5:27 PM

Jim and Patty kept one eye over their shoulders as they headed down Cresthaven. Not seeing any sign of the two men or their blue sedan they went on to their camp. Keyote was scared badly by her encounter with Andy and Jorge. She stuck close to Patty and Jim.

Bobbi had her date drop her off on the corner of 10th Avenue and Haverhill. She met the other three as they came up to the canal. After scanning the area for blue sedans and suspicious characters, the three of them made their way back to the camp.