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purchased from the potheads in my GMC. I hadn’t tried the weapon out yet, and wouldn’t trust it to work proficiently until I’d stripped, cleaned and test-fired it.
    ‘You’re licensed to carry, aren’t you, sir?’
    ‘Only in Florida, Officer.’
    He offered a slight smile – the son of a bitch had been testing me. He neglected to continue his search and nodded me over to his cruiser. ‘You understand I’m going to have to run a check on you, sir? If you’d just walk over this way so we can get a bit of light, it’ll make things much easier for the two of us.’
    Maybe if he got the full details, then he’d try to be a hero and take me in. That would’ve been unfortunate, because I’d no desire to spend a few days behind bars until things could be cleared up. Luckily I had friends in high places and much of the activity I’d been involved in on US soil had been sealed. The cop used the radio in his cruiser, and when he got back out he was frowning, snapping my wallet against his thigh. ‘Your details check out.’
    ‘I’m a good guy,’ I said, offering him a smile.
    ‘That’s debatable.’ He started to hand back my wallet, but as I went to take it he held on. ‘I think it’s best you get on your way, sir. Don’t be coming back here, OK?’
    ‘I have no reason to. I’ve seen what I wanted to see.’
    ‘I’ve had to move on a few lookie-loos,’ he said, and finally let go of my wallet, which I placed in my jacket pocket. ‘I don’t expect to tell anyone twice.’
    I pulled out the photos of Jay and Nicole. ‘Have you moved these two on?’
    He gave the photos a cursory inspection, shook his head. ‘I think I’d have remembered if I’d seen them. Good-looking girls. You said they’re missing, but there’s been nothing logged about them back at the station.’
    ‘This girl here.’ I tapped the picture of Jay. ‘Her father reported her missing but was given the brush-off by someone on the other end of the phone.’
    The cop made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat, and thumbed back the brim of his hat. ‘Typical,’ he said. ‘Like everywhere else, we’re short-staffed. Most of our resources have been thrown into finding the perpetrators of this crime. Whoever he spoke to will have had orders to prioritise incoming calls. If those ladies hadn’t been gone more than forty-eight hours, then I doubt their details were even noted.’
    ‘It’s almost three days now,’ I said. ‘How’s about I have her father call again?’
    ‘I’d advise it, sir. In the meantime, I’ll keep my eyes open while I’m on patrol.’
    ‘Appreciate it, Officer.’ I gave him the number of my cellphone, as well as a description of the vehicle they were travelling in. ‘If you see anything, could you give me a call?’
    ‘Sure.’ He paused. ‘But it makes no difference, sir, you’d best get yourself outta here.’
    I took a look at his badge. ‘Consider it done, Officer Lewin. But first . . . you mind if I ask you another question or two?’
    ‘Who’s the cop here?’
    ‘Who’s the investigator?’ I countered.
    He grunted out a laugh, but started walking towards my car. ‘Ask away, I don’t guarantee to answer.’
    ‘I’m not after state secrets. Do you get many missing persons reports here?’
    ‘No more than anywhere else, I guess. Sometimes tourists get lost out in the desert, but we usually find them within a couple hours.’
    ‘I called at a truck stop a few miles back. There seemed to be quite a few missing person posters.’
    ‘If you’d read the details you’d have seen most of them were from outta state. People driving through slap the posters up on an off-chance, that’s all.’
    ‘So, you don’t have a problem with people going missing?’
    Lewin eyeballed me. There was a muscle jumping on the side of his jaw. ‘If you’re suggesting we have someone abducting people, then the answer’s no. We have no more problems here than anywhere else, just like I said.