Free Wicked Break by Jeff Shelby

on.”
    â€œWhere was he getting the guns?” Carter asked.
    â€œNo clue.”
    â€œDid Rachel know about the guns?” I asked.
    Her face sagged a little at the mention of her friend. “Well, yeah. I mean, everyone kind of knew. It was hard not to know. But it’s not like any of us talked about it. But because she and Linc were…whatever…yeah, she knew what was going on.”
    â€œDid she have any part in it?”
    Dana tugged harder on the dreads. “No. No way. I love Rachel, but she’s totally naïve, you know?
    â€œDid you have any part in it?” Carter asked, turning the gun over in his hands.
    She leveled her eyes at him. “No. I knew what was going on. That was it. Got it?”
    Carter smiled. “Got it.”
    I tried to imagine my neighbors in college trading guns as some sort of part-time job, but I couldn’t make it work.
    â€œDana,” I said, thinking about what Mike Berkley had told me. “You ever see any skinheads come in here?”
    She thought about it, then shook her head slowly. “Not that I can remember. Mostly gang guys, some white drug-dealer kids. That’s about it.”
    Carter looked at me. “So if the guns were here and the bangers were here…”
    â€œThen the bangers were buying and the skinheads were supplying,” I said, finishing his thought.
    â€œAnd none of this tells us where old Linc might be,” Carter said.
    â€œYou have any ideas?” I asked Dana.
    â€œNo,” she said. “It’s like he vanished.”
    â€œHe ever have money trouble?” I asked, looking around the room.
    â€œNo,” Dana said, pushing off the floor and standing up. “He always seemed fine. I guessed it was from the guns.”
    â€œDid you ever meet his brother?” I asked.
    Her eyes widened slightly. “Didn’t even know he had one.”
    I looked at Carter. “The more I look, the less I find.”
    â€œYou are wicked good at this detective stuff.” Carter shrugged as he handed me the gun. “Guy doesn’t wanna be found.” He paused for a moment. “And if your client is no longer looking for him, then maybe it’s time to give it a rest.”
    I knew he was referring to Peter’s death. Everything was simple arithmetic for Carter. Two plus two equaled four. If Peter was dead, he couldn’t pay me. Why waste my time? Carter wasn’t completely wrong, but I wasn’t ready to let go just yet. Like it or not, I was now involved. Lonnie and Mo had seen to that. Dumping the case wasn’t going to remove me from whatever I’d stepped into.
    And it wouldn’t keep me from looking over my shoulder for my skinhead friends.
    I placed the gun back in the top drawer and closed the dresser.
    â€œDid you tell the police about any of this, Dana?” I asked.
    She hesitated, the tip of her tongue tickling the ring in her lip for a moment. “I didn’t. They didn’t ask about Linc. And if they had, I still probably wouldn’t have said anything. I don’t wanna rat him out.”
    Her logic was misplaced, but right on for a young college kid.
    â€œYou know anyone that bought a gun from Linc?” I asked Dana.
    She was staring at Carter and he was staring back. Two people a little off-kilter, caught in each other’s tractor beam. I snapped my fingers between them and got her attention.
    She looked at me. “There’s this one kid. He’s in a class with me. I saw him walk out of here with a package two weeks ago, I think.”
    â€œKnow where he lives?”
    â€œNo, but the class I have with him starts in five minutes. I’m bailing today but you could talk to him there.”
    It wasn’t the kind of forward progress I was looking for, but it would have to do for now. There were still more loose ends than I cared to think about, but at least it felt like I was doing something.
    Dana moved her gaze