I was about to disconnect and return to the restaurant when the man reappeared, white paper bag in one hand, keys in the other. Crossing to a black Lexus, he opened the rear door, placed the food on the seat, and slammed the door.
Before sliding behind the wheel, the man turned in our direction.
No shades. Full frontal view.
I studied the features.
Remove the cornrows and curly little pigtails.
Synapse!
The temperature seemed to drop. The day compressed around me.
“Holy shit!”
“What?” Slidell.
“What?” Woolsey.
“Can you follow that guy?” I asked Woolsey, pointing the phone at the Lexus.
“The guy with the cornrows?”
I nodded.
She nodded back.
We bolted for her car.
28
“BRENNAN!”
I clicked my seat belt and braced against the dash as Woolsey made a U-ey and gunned it up Clarkson.
“What the hell’s happening?”
Slidell’s voice had the agitated sound of someone in jammies calling out to things going bump in the night.
I put the phone to my ear.
“I just spotted Darryl Tyree.”
“How do you know it’s Tyree?”
“I recognized him from Gideon Banks’s Polaroid.”
“Where?”
“Picking up takeout at the Coffee Cup.”
“That way,” I said to Woolsey, pointing up Morehead.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Slidell.
“Tailing him.”
The wheels screeched softly as Woolsey whipped left onto Morehead, ignoring the sign prohibiting such a turn. I could see the black Lexus a block and a half up. Tyree didn’t respect traffic controls, either.
“Don’t tip him that we’re following,” I said to Woolsey.
She gave me a “thanks for the advice” look and focused on her driving, hands clamped at ten and two o’clock on the wheel.
“Jesus H. Christ. Are you crazy?” Slidell bellowed.
“He may lead us to Tamela Banks.”
“Stay the fuck away from Tyree. That Looney Tune’ll cap you without breaking a sweat.”
“He won’t know we’re on him.”
“Where are you?”
I braced as Woolsey made another turn.
“Freedom Drive.”
I heard Slidell call out to Rinaldi. Then his voice went jumpy, as though he were jogging.
“Jee-zus, Brennan. Why can’t you and your friends just go to the mall.”
I didn’t favor that with a reply.
“I want you to pull over right now. Leave this to detectives.”
“I’m with a detective.”
“Who?”
“Terry Woolsey. She’s got a badge and everything. Visiting us from South Carolina.”
