Free Janet McNulty - Mellow Summers 01 - Sugar And Spice and Not So Nice by Janet McNulty Page B

Tiny said.
    “I don’t,” I replied. “I was following someone.”
    One of Tiny’s pals gave me a seat. “Explain,” said Tiny.
    I took a deep breath. “You all know that girl Rachel that was murdered last year.”
    They nodded in affirmation.
    “I know who killed her. It was Detective Reiss. I had evidence that connected him to her murder, but before I could get it to the cops, someone broke into my place and stole it. I found out that he likes to hang out here, so I followed him. I was hoping that I could somehow get him to screw up and pin him for her murder.”
    “So that’s why you went in there,” said Elise. “Girl, you’ve watched too many cop dramas.”
    “Well, I might not have thought it all the way through,” I admitted.
    “You certain he did it?” asked Tiny.
    “I know he did,” I replied.
    Just then, Rachel showed up. Leave it to her to just appear when it was inconvenient. “What happened to you?” she demanded.
    “Rachel,” I replied, “where were you? I could have used you in there! And you’ve got to quit popping in without warning. I mean really—” I stopped speaking when I realized everyone stared at me as though I had lost my mind. “Did I happen to mention that I can talk to ghosts?”
    “I think you had one too many,” said Elise, grabbing some water.
    Knowing where this was headed, Rachel picked up a bottle of beer and handed it to Tiny. Everyone watched in awe as the bottle appeared to be moving by itself.
    “Here you go,” said Rachel as she handed him the beer.
    Tiny jumped a bit. “You’re for real,” he said. “My Nana was like you. Said she could see things that no one else could.”
    “Is that Rachel?” asked one of Tiny’s friends.
    “Yes,” I replied. “She showed up and told me who killed her. She even helped me find the missing proof, but someone else must have known about it too.”
    “I hate cops,” said Tiny, “but I especially hate dirty cops. That Reiss character comes in here all the time for a lap dance and something more. No one goes in there. Being a cop he can make anyone’s life hell.”
    “How do you plan to prove his guilt?” asked Elise.
    “I was hoping to shock him into a confession.” After I spoke, I realized how stupid my words sounded. As a seasoned detective, he’d never fall for that. “I know it sounds dumb, but at this point, the only way to convict him is to get a confession.”
    “You’re probably right,” said Tiny. “Unfortunately, that might be difficult.”
    “That guy burns me up,” said Sombrero. “Always has something weird going on.”
    “He steals stuff from the evidence locker at the station,” I said. “I saw him do it. My guess is drugs. I caught him and a college professor exchanging packages. And I found drugs in the professor’s office.”
    Tiny raised his eyebrows. “What’d you do? Break in?”
    My face reddened in embarrassment. In my attempt to prove someone’s guilt for murder, I ended up breaking a few laws myself. “Yeah,” I said. “And I snuck into the police station and followed Reiss around.”
    Tiny roared with laughter. “You got guts!”
    “Who’s the professor?” asked Elise.
    “Vincent,” I replied, “The guy’s a creep. He tried to force himself on me a couple of times.”
    I heard knuckles crack. Tiny’s face contorted in anger. He meant it when he said no one messed with his friends. “Oh, he did? Boys, I think it’s time we go to school and get some education.”
    Tiny’s friends all smiled. They understood what he meant. I did too, though I didn’t want to know about it.
    “Here,” Tiny tossed me an onion. “I think it’s time you head home. This ain’t your kind of party. And the cop will be here for a while.”
    I thanked everyone and left the building. Despite the cold night air, I relished it. It felt wonderful to get out of that stifling black hole. I breathed deeply, absorbing the fresh air.
    I quickly found my car and pulled out onto the