“Hey, Sis,” he said.
“I was surprised to get your text.”
“You told me you wanted to be more involved.”
“I’m not complaining.” She put her palms forward, all chill, brother. “I did have to tell your boss that I had to reschedule our sparring session, depending on how this goes.”
V winced. “So you made Wrath’s night, huh.”
“He took it as well as could be expected.”
“Did he light something on fire? Or just steam from the ears.”
“It was over text, so I can’t comment on anything other than the words he used. The tone and whatever else he felt were mercifully absent.”
“He says you’re the best partner on the mats he’s ever had.”
“There he goes, making me blush.”
The King had lost his eyesight completely a couple of years ago, but he’d kept his hand in the fighting game, even though to his immense dissatisfaction no one would let him out into the field. His life was just too precious to roll any kind of dice with, and besides, considering the straight-up killer he’d been for most of his adult life, he’d already run out of luck in battle.
“So, what are we doing here?” Payne glanced around. “Other than reenactingBack to the Future.”
V snapped his fingers. “Oh, shit. That’s what it is. Rhage was watching Marty McFly the other night, and I came in during the skateboard scene. That’s where I’ve seen this town layout before.”
“It sure is picturesque.”
“Ah, but the big bad world has come to Leczo Falls. Someone’s been doing a little breaking and entering over there.”
McTierney’s Family Pharmacy was on the corner, the plate glass windows of the three-story, wedge-shaped brick building hand-paintedwith the name in old-fashioned gold leaf. In contrast to all the Norman Rockwell, however, the door was marked with police caution tape and there was an evidence seal at the jamb.
“Come on,” V said as he indicated the way forward. “That’s our crime scene.”
“Oooooh, I’ve always wanted to play Jessica Fletcher.”
“You’re going to need to be a lot shorter and get a wig.”
“Also learn how to type.”
The two of them set off, heading around the gazebo and onto the public square’s sidewalk, then stepping into the road. Everything was neat as a living room, no litter around, nothing collecting at the storm drains, not even a stray newspaper page wafting on the breeze. It was like the place had been vacuumed and dusted.
Going up to the pharmacy’s glass, he cupped his hands and leaned in. “Looks like the investigation is ongoing. No cleanup yet, and that has to be a city ordinance going by how tidy the frickin’ park is.”
Thanks to the peachy glow of the streetlamps, he could measure the mess, all kinds of products on the floor, bottles broken, boxes strewn about, display shelves pushed over. It looked like a bar fight had relocated to the pharmacy’s interior, a couple of three-hundred-pounders with Bud-melted brains throwing sloppy punches as they danced like polar bears.
“You want to tell me why we care about a human pharmacy that looks like it’s been in a blender?” his sister asked.
“Let’s go around back. And it’s because I think whoever broke in here might be tied to the prison camp.”
As he nodded off to the right, Payne led the way down the other side of the building, moving silently over the sidewalk in spite of her steel-toed boots.
“You and Manny doing good?” he asked as he checked across the block. But not a thing was stirring, not even a proverbial mouse.
“We’re great, thanks. He’s a fantastic male. I’m lucky.”
“He’slucky.”
She glanced over. “We’re both lucky, how’s that.”