Perception

Chapter Twenty-five

Chapter Twenty-five

Are those your eyeballs? I found them in my cleavage.

Unknown

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      I met Jon two days later out side of Paterson’s Bar and grill, located on the Devil’s runway. It was almost eleven forty and it was well known fact that Detectives Dawson and Mason liked to grab a bite to eat there before collecting the Stations ‘lunch’.

      Petra was back at camp consoling Sara after her son Pie man left on one of the suit’s trucks earlier today. No one had wanted him to leave but Michal, his youngest sister who had almost died last year of pneumonia was suffering already from a deep barking cough and they might soon need the money for medical bills. I ditched Mark by making him responsible for Petra’s safety. She was a little put out by my wording but understood why he could not come with me. She didn’t approve of me bribing police officers but at the same time knew why it needed to be done. Her biggest objection was the fact that it had to be done by me, but what was the alternative? The only other person how could use Roman’s name to there advantage was her and there was no way in hades I was going to let her get within throwing distance of Dawson.

     “You coming?” I asked Jon as we approached the door.

     “Nah, girlie. They’d never let me in.” Jon replied handing me the shopping bag full of money.

    “Gonna throw me to the wolves to save your own skin more like.” I muttered pushing open the heavy wooden door.

    Jon chuckled, “Be where we agreed when you get out, girlie. See if I ain’t.”

    His reassurance was cut off when the door closed behind me. I stood still just inside the door waiting for my eyes to adjust. All around me young topless woman walked around in tight skirts serving drinks and food to booths and tables.

    “If your looking for a job you’ll have to show a bit more skin then that duckie,” the hostess said walking up to me. Her name badge read Tammie but I couldn’t figure out how it stayed in place stuck as it was so strategically to her skin.

     “I’m not looking for a job, just two of your regulars. Has Dawson and Mason been in yet?” I asked forcing myself to look into her eyes.

      She seemed young, maybe twenty-one or two. There was no point asking why she was working in a place like this, with today’s global recession there were much more degrading jobs out there, at least she had a job. Besides beggars can’t always be choosers.

    “They like it when you show more skin too.” She nodded over at one of the corner booths.

      She straightened her skirt and brightened her smile when the door behind me opened so I left her to her work and made my way across the scarred floorboards. Mason had his mouth and hands full of sticky chicken wings, while Dawson had his arms full of a blonde waitress. Her name badge read Candi and she from the pained expression on her face she did not look like she was enjoying the attention.

     “Morning, officers.” Clicking my heels together and offering them a mock salute. 

     Dawson looked up from Candi’s hair and grunted, “You’re a bit over dressed to be taking our order. Take it off.”

    Folding my arms across my chest I replied, “In your dreams Dawson.”

    “Oh, Annie, if you only knew what I did to you in my dreams.”

    I shuddered. It was just my luck that these two had been put in charge of the case. I tended to avoid Dawson like the plague, but you would be surprised how many people he had infected.