A Dirty Job (Grim Reaper 1)

"Last week? Her niece said that she died two weeks ago. "

"No niece. "

"What?"

"Esther Johnson doesn't have a niece. She was an only child. Didn't have brothers or sisters, and no nieces on her late husband's side of the family. "

"So she's alive?"

"Apparently. " Ray handed Charlie a photograph. "That's her latest driver's-license photo. This changes things. Now we're looking for a missing person, someone who will leave a trail. But the other one - Irena - is even better. " He handed Charlie another picture.

"She's not dead either?"

"Oh, there was a death notice in the paper three weeks ago, but here's the giveaway - all of her bills are still being paid, by personal check. Checks she signed. " Ray sat back on his stool, smiling, feeling the sweetness of righteous indignation over the monkey theory, and a little guilt alleviation for not telling Charlie about the special transactions.

"Well?" Charlie finally asked.

"She's at her sister's house in the Sunset. Here's the address. " Ray tore a page out of his notebook and handed it to Charlie.

Chapter 21

21

COMMON COURTESY

Charlie was torn - he really wanted to take his sword-cane, but he couldn't carry it while using the crutches. He considered duct-taping it to one of the crutches, but he thought that might attract attention.

"You want me to go with you?" Ray asked. "I mean, you okay to drive, with your leg and all?"

"I'll be fine," Charlie said. "Someone needs to watch the store. "

"Charlie, before you go, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. " Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask, Charlie thought.

"Why did you need me to find these two women?"

You robot-necked bastard, you had to ask. "I told you, estate stuff. " Charlie shrugged. No big deal, let it go, nothing to see here.

"Yeah, I know you told me that, and normally that would make sense, but I found out a lot about these two while looking for them - no one in either of their families has died recently. "

"Funny thing," Charlie said, juggling his keys, the cane, his date book, and his crutches by the back door. "Both bequests were from nonrelatives. Old friends. " No wonder women don't like you, you just won't leave things alone.

"Uh-huh," Ray said, unconvinced. "You know, when people run, when they go as far as faking their own death to get away, they are usually running from something. Are you that something, Charlie?"

"Ray, listen to yourself. Are you back on your serial-killer thing? I thought Rivera explained that. "

"So this is for Rivera?"

"Let's say he's interested," Charlie said.

"Why didn't you just say so?"

Charlie sighed. "Ray, I'm not supposed to talk about this stuff, you know that. Fourth Amendment and all. I came to you because you're good, and you have contacts. I depend on you and I trust you. I think you know that you can depend on me and trust me, right? I mean, in all these years, I've never put your disability pension in jeopardy by being careless about our arrangement, have I?"

It was a threat, however subtle, and Charlie felt bad for doing it, but he just couldn't let Ray continue to push on this, particularly since he was in unexplored territory himself - he didn't even know what kind of bluff he was covering.

"So Mrs. Johnson isn't going to end up dead if I find her for you?"