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Chapter Twenty-two
Tansy snuck past the old wreck in the back yard, careful not to step in the muck or trip on any of the crap lying around. She headed into the basement stairwell and waited, hoping her cousin had opened her text and would meet her there. An hour passed but she hung in, shivering with cold and need.
Eventually, she heard a noise and couldn’t hold back the sob of thankfulness. “Wendi. Is that you?”
“Yeah. What the fuck, Tansy. Why are you here?”
“You know why. I need more. I’m supplying two girls plus myself, and we’re out. You can’t leave us hanging. Those girls are dangerous.”
“Hey, I’m in the same boat, you stupid bitch. I don’t sell the shit either. I told you that. My supplier isn’t always available.”
“Then who else is selling? I have a-a pal who’s in bad shape. She’s threatening to go to the cops.”
“What? About the drugs?” The shock in Wendi’s voice showed her disbelief.
“Shit, no. We kind of paid back a troublemaker who ended up in the hospital last night. Guess we went a bit too far. Now this friend is blackmailing me.”
“Christ, girl. Nice friend. You just don’t know how to control your world, do you?” Wendi’s disgust rang clearly and made Tansy’s bad mood deteriorate further.
“Christ… don’t ride me. I get enough of that shit at home. My dad’s pissed and says if I get into any more trouble, he’s shipping me off to a school in Ohio. I couldn’t stand that. I need to shut the bitch up and the only way to do that is supply her with what she wants. Can you get me some cheap blow?”
“Yeah. I know a guy. Goes by the name of Zed. He’s a low life, so be careful. But he’ll supply you if got the cash.”
“Where can I find him?”
“You know the honky-tonk called Nudies on Broadway?”
“Yeah.”
“He used to play in a band there. On the weekends, he hangs out behind the joint and tries to sneak inside. They mostly kick him out but he’s usually in the alley behind. He’s gotten hooked up with a new distributer and can pretty much get what you need… but trust me, don’t take a chance using that crack yourself. It’s scary shit.”
“Whaddaya mean?”
“I know a few people that died after buying from him. Not sure where he gets his product, so beware. Now buzz. I have a meeting to show up for.”
“It’s one a.m. Who’s meeting you at this time of the night?”
“A man you’d give your inheritance for, baby. Lucifer’s prime meat and all mine.”
***
Luke kept watching the clock to see how much longer he had to perform before they would be finished with their final set. Christ, it had been a long night. Every time he thought about Honey in his bed, he broke out in a cold sweat.
He hated the fact that he’d promised to meet Wendi after his shift, but he couldn’t see any way past it. He needed her to give him the lowdown on what she knew about the drug scene she’d succumbed to.
According to Matt, she’d been able to afford the best at one time. Turns out, she’d been hooked up with a rich boyfriend who’d supported her back then… until he found out just how far she’d sunk. Then he’d kicked her sorry ass out of his world and dumped her.
Now alone and with her hungry habit to feed, she’d sunk pretty low. But she could be his ticket to solving this case, and he needed it over with as soon as possible. He’d touched base with his usual support guy earlier in the men’s room, and he’d learned that in two days fifty more fentanyl overdoses had been found in various places. And a ridiculous amount of other users were saved in time which means it’s getting widely distributed.
They’d begun putting warnings in the paper and online, urging users to be careful. They’d even posted that if folks had any inkling at all that the drugs they bought were bad, bring them to the nearest police station. So far, their response had been poor.
Luke spotted Wendi in the back of the crowd; her wild hair still messy but she’d managed to dress a little more upscale than the last time he’d seen her. Wearing cowboy boots, a jean skirt with rhinestones, and a bosom-showing shirt, she oozed with sexy welcoming vibes.
Finishing his last song, Country Girl Shake it for Me, that had the crowd bopping wildly to the beat, he gestured goodbye to Matt, Cissy, and Boney. Then he headed toward Wendi, took her hand, and led her from the place. No way did he want her crawling all over him in front of Linda and Jess.
If Honey heard about it, they’d be done before they got a chance to begin. And he couldn’t blame her.
“Where are you takin’ me, sweetheart?” The husky note in Wendi’s voice made him aware that she’d shot up recently.
