Shadow Of Pretense (Margot Harris 2)

“No, she won’t. Maybe we sit on two spots for a couple of days and get lucky.”

“Or maybe we buy lottery tickets and become millionaires.”

“Yeah, but what else do we have?”

“We could press Tommy a little harder. Didn’t you scare up a best friend?”

“Yeah, but that seems like a long shot.”

“That’s all you’ve got at this point. Besides, detective work is about due diligence. Running down leads you know are bullshit is half the job.”

Margot sighed. “I guess we ought to at least check. We can always come back.”

“You can, anyway. I’m only signed up for the fun parts or this gig.”

Margot was pulling away when she saw a familiar dark blue sedan pull into the lot and park near the front.

“That’s him,” she said as she pointed it out.

“You sure? It could just be some shoppers?”

“Could be,” Margot replied as she drove down the aisle where the blue sedan parked.

“If some middle-aged lady gets out with her kids, you’re going to feel silly.”

“Unless a middle-aged mom is following me.”

Mal laughed as they cruised slowly by. Both of them made sure not to look directly at the vehicle.

“Mom likes tinted glass,” Margot said as they passed by and turned up the other aisle so they could get another look from the front side.

“Yeah, they aren’t exactly in a hurry to get out are they?”

“No.”

Coming around, the view of the blue sedan was blocked by a truck parked in the opposite spot.

Margot pulled into an open parking spot. “Should we ask them if they’ve been following us?”

“If they’re not, we’re going to feel dumb.”

“I’ve felt dumb before. I got over it.”

Mal nodded and took his Colt Python out of the glove compartment.

“If they are following us, chances are this gets really ugly,” Mal told her. “You ready to shoot it out with a couple of cartel hitmen in the Walmart parking lot?”

Margot took her pistol out of her purse and chambered a round. She swung her purse over her shoulder and left it unzipped. She put her hand in the purse with the pistol still in her grip.

“Yeah, I guess I am.”

Mal checked to make sure all six cylinders had a cartridge and then grabbed his jacket front he back seat and draped it over his arm. He’d look a little odd walking out with his jacket over his arm on a hot day, but he figured he’d rather look funny and live. No one looked cool after they’d been shot to death anyway.

“You want the driver of the passenger?” Mal asked as they got out of Margot’s Prius.

Margot shrugged then said, “Driver.”

They started toward the blue sedan but it backed out and drove away. The side windows had the same tint as the back so they couldn’t see who was inside. They stood and watched the car drive out the parking lot. They kept watching until the blue sedan drove out of sight.