Chapters (95)
- Title Page
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Acknowledgements
- About the Author
- Also by David Swinson
- Thank you for buying this ebook, published by Hachette Digital.
Then when she called me last week, I answered. She talked like we’d been keeping in touch all this time, told me she hadn’t heard from Jeffrey in days and he was skipping classes at George Washington University last semester so now he has to attend summer school to catch up. Said he got in with a bad crowd in his senior year of high school in Ohio, and she’s worried he’s found another bad crowd to pull him down again. She thought I was still a cop and could help. I told her I was a PI now and maybe I could. No fee, though, I insisted. The least I could do in return for not keeping in touch and because she’d been there for me as a kid after my mom died.
I hate to admit it, but Aunt Linda was right. I have enough to give her, but for my own selfish reasons, I need to go further. That stash of mine ain’t gonna grow on its own.
Last Thursday I followed Jeffrey to the same spot I’m headed to now—Spotlight, a trendy nightclub on Connecticut Avenue. Mostly college kids, but they get a few locals from the area, including some who look like players. Real players, not wannabes like my cousin. It didn’t take me more than a few minutes to figure out the action going on.
Jeffrey would do some little deals there on the sly, quarter and half grams, a dime of weed, but only occasionally and nothing that would draw attention. Most of his dealings were with other students, outside the nightclub.
He’d meet up at the club with one of the local boys who’d re-up him for the weekend. I don’t think the local is a supplier, but he’ll lead me to whoever is. Eventually. Another benefit, but I’m not ready to go that far just yet. I’ll get a quick hit out of Jeffrey before I tell his mom, though. It’ll be like I’m doing her a service anyway. Maybe teach him a life lesson along the way.
I find a nice spot to park on Connecticut. I’ve got a good view of the front entrance, and there’s a large tree at the curb with a trunk that gives me good concealment.
I drive a newish-model Volvo with nice tint, so I’m not worried about the pedestrian traffic, even without the tree and its large trunk. These people aren’t gonna pay much attention to me.
I honed my skills conducting surveillance when I was on the department working 7D Vice, then later as a detective. You wouldn’t get away with what I’m doing here in most of those locations, and most of the time you’d have one or more partners to watch your back.