Chapter 4
“Do we have an exact location on this guy Stolley yet? Has he been to Tennessee or is he elsewhere?” Tazer asked Parker over the phone. He and Lynch waited before going into the bar. They traveled from early this morning to get to Tennessee and to investigate a lead of some bar owner’s involvement in the prostitution ring.
“No location on the guy. They should call him the shadow. He appears and disappears too damn fast for anyone to catch him,” Parker said in frustration.
“We’ll catch him. How about this bar and this owner? Anything else we could use on him to get some info?” Lynch asked.
“He’s got some slaps on the wrist charges. Nothing big. A couple of sexual harassment charges by ex-employees, all women, but none stuck,” Burker added over the speaker phone.
“Okay, we’ll let you know how this goes. Did you hear from Eliza Grace?” Tazer asked, his gut clenching as he tried to process what he was feeling. He never thought of anything but the job when he was working, but since the other night at Spencer’s, he couldn’t get Eliza Grace out of his mind.
“Not since last night. She has another late night at work tonight,” Burker told them.
“Again, on a Saturday? What time will she be home?” Tazer asked and glanced at Lynch who remained straight faced. They knew that they intimidated her and she was holding back, but he had a gut feeling something else was going on. He didn’t want to think she was seeing someone behind their backs. Especially since she accepted their guardianship. He hadn’t realized how paranoid and untrusting he was when it came to Eliza Grace. Maybe because the only people he truly trusted were his brothers. This was different and it was going to take some time to get used to.
“She said late and that she’ll text when she leaves work and when she gets home,” Parker said.
“Keep on top of that. I don’t like this lack of information. Tomorrow we need to sit her down and go over the rules. Tell her we’ll come by the apartment.”
“Okay. We’ll take care of it. You guys watch your asses and don’t take any unnecessary chances. We still only have bits and pieces of shit we’
re pulling together with Flours,” Burker added.
“We know. Did you hear from them yet about the place in Austin they were raiding? Is it still on for tonight, and do they still think it’s a spot to pick up these women?” Lynch asked.
“No word yet. We’re hoping it pans out. But Flours didn’t sound too optimistic. I think he’s hoping that you guys come up with something concrete,” Parker said to them.
“Well, we’ll do our best. We’ll keep you posted,” Tazer told them and then disconnected the call. He pulled his gun and checked it, then the other one.
“Okay, so basically we’re doing a little exploration here. Let’s check it out and see what we observe. If it doesn’t look like what we’re looking for, then we identify the owner and ask him some questions. If there seems to be more going on here then we call in for backup.”
Lynch nodded and then they got out of the SUV and made their way to the front entrance of this bar in Tennessee.
* * * *
Lynch immediately picked up on the activity toward the back room of a decent size bar. It was called Clover’s and the owner was a man named Rodney Kane. They spotted him by the corner of the bar, dressed in black pants, a button down white shirt and black tie. He looked overweight, had gruff along his face and currently had a little thin redhead with big fake boobs caressing his arm as she sat close beside him. He was smiling, enjoying the benefits of his obvious success as he nodded each time a guy walked past him and toward the private room.
It didn’t take long to notice the transaction and exchange of money every fifteen to twenty minutes. A man would show up, maybe have a drink or two, then pass a fifty dollar bill to the bartender with his palm covering it. He would then cross a hand over his chest from left to right and nod two times. It was some sort of signal or code. From there the bartender placed a small piece of paper or ticket onto the bar. The guy took it, finished his drink and then got up and headed toward the back room.
“That’s about ten guys in the last hour,” Tazer whispered to Lynch.
Lynch threw back a shot of whiskey. His second one.
“Shall we check it out? May be worth the hundred bucks for both of us?”
“Let’s give it another few minutes. Rodney is looking like he’s about to move,” Tazer said to Lynch.
Just then Rodney took the redhead’s hand and led her down the hall. She was rubbing her hand along his waist and to his crotch.
“Let’s do this. Be ready,” Tazer whispered.
“Always,” Lynch said.
Lynch took out a fifty dollar bill and folded it up. Before he even had his hand palm down on the bar the bartender approached. He looked at both him and Tazer.
“You’re big guys. It’s a hundred,” he said to them.
“It wasn’t the last time,” Lynch said to him.