Chapter 28

28

Around twenty after eight, I turned toward a bunch of yelling and fist pounding by the bar to see that the Hurricanes had just scored.

"A lot of hockey love in the air tonight, huh," I said to Daisy as she placed down a new beer.

"Oh, yeah. Every time the Hurricanes play, it's a real riot in here."

"For the Carolina Hurricanes? I don't get it. Why?" I said.

"They used to be the Hartford Whalers is why," Scotty said from the bar. "The only damn professional franchise this area ever got its hands on. And then in the late '90s, they let them go south."

I smiled at the long-haired man's constant gloomy take on the world. His pessimism was like a bass tone to Daisy's energy and feistiness.

"Whalers weren't the only thing that started going south around here in the '90s," Daisy said to me under her breath as she tossed a thumb at the bar.

"Scotty's one of those real glass-half-empty types, huh?" I said.

"You're telling me," she said. "True story. One time this high roller comes in after a game at the college, some NBA owner, I forget his name. Guy has one drink at the bar and tosses down a hundred. Says to Scotty, keep the change, and leaves. You know what Scotty says?"

I laughed.

"No, what?"

"He holds up the C-note, turns it this way and that, and says, ‘Look how dirty this bill is.'"

I was still laughing as Daisy headed back to the bar and then I looked at the front door and I saw Colleen.

Then I stopped laughing.

I did a double take as I saw the crazed look on her face. There seemed to be another person with her, a middle-aged blonde woman, who was looking pretty frazzled as well.

Colleen bolted straight toward me. She sat down in the booth seat opposite with the woman sliding in next to her.

"Mike, listen," Colleen said, flushed and out of breath.

I looked closely at her face. I didn't like her color. She was too pale. And there was a distant look in her eyes. Like they were losing focus, as if she was on the verge of fainting.

She really did seem discombobulated. Both of them did. As a combat vet, I knew trauma when I saw it. They both seemed to be in a kind of shock.

A car accident? I thought. Something had happened to them.

"YES!" someone yelled behind us as the Hurricanes scored again.

"Colleen," I said as calmly as possible. "Take a breath."

"Mike," Colleen said again.

"No, breathe, Colleen," I said, touching her hand. "Breathe first."

Colleen finally took in a deep breath and loudly let it out.

"Are you guys okay?" I said. "Are you hurt or something? Was there a car accident?"

We all looked up as Daisy arrived.

"What can I get you guys?" she said.

"A shot of Jameson with a beer back. Heineken if you got it," Colleen said, sitting up.

I noticed that the color on her face looked a little better now.

"Me, too," the mystery woman said in a too loud almost crazy voice. "I'm having what she's having."

"Alrightee, then," Daisy said, giving them a puzzled look as she left.

"Okay, Colleen," I said. "What's up?"

"Listen, Mike," Colleen said, staring at me steadily with her wide pale eyes. "I don't really have time to explain but do you have a car? We need a ride out of here. Like, now."

I stared at her. What that meant, I didn't know. Though what I vaguely remembered from what Colleen had told me about her investigation, the search terms "dead college girl" and "thirty-four billion dollars" suddenly leaped to mind.

"Your case? You're in some kind of trouble?" I said.

Colleen nodded vigorously.

"We need a ride out of here now. I can explain in the car."

I counted off three twenties from the roll in my pocket and laid them on the table as I stood.

"I have a black pickup truck, a Ford F-150, two blocks away," I said. "I'll run up and get it and honk when I get to the front door here. Sound good? You'll be okay until then?"

"Yes, Mike. That's perfect," she said. "Just hurry."

"On it," I said, moving.

"See? I told you I knew someone who could help us," I heard Colleen say to the woman as I left.

"You weren't kidding," the mystery woman said at my back.

"Leaving so soon?" Daisy called over to me from the bar as I passed her.

"Change of plans, Daisy," I said, forcing a smile as I hit the door.