Taylor started patting his pockets, mimingsomeone who had misplaced their phone. Head down, so that his facecould not be seen, he said, “Don’t turn around. I think Mr. Blackis in the Laundromat.”
Will did not look around, but he soundedconfused as he said, “Who?”
“The guy in the Porsche who was following usup the I-5.” Taylor glanced back at the tavern door. He pointed atit and said, “Can you act like you’re going to get your SUV and cutaround to the back of that place?”
“Okay.” Will still sounded confused, but wasnow businesslike. “Are you carrying?”
“No.”
“He might be. So watch yourself.”
“Roger.” Taylor turned and strode back intoTucker’s Tavern.
“Hi,” Madonna said, looking up from clearingtheir table. “Did you forget something?”
“Just wanted to say that was a greatburger.” Taylor stared out the window at the street outside. Nosign of his quarry.
“Oh. Thanks. Glad you liked it.”
…thirteen…fourteen…fifteen…sixteen…
Taylor pulled out his phone. He threw aquick, absent, “See you next time,” and walked out of the tavernagain, looking down at the small screen. Then he glanced across thestreet, waved to an imaginary Will and sprinted across.
Will met him in the doorway of theLaundromat. “He’s not in here.”
“He didn’t come out the front. I’ve beenwatching.”
“I guess he could have slipped out the backbefore I got around the building.”
Taylor looked past him to a couple of womenfolding laundry and a pregnant teen in a chair by the window,reading Seventeen magazine.
“I sure as hell didn’t mistake him foranybody in here.”
“Okay. Well.” Will was watching him. “Whatdo you want to do?”
Taylor ran a frustrated hand through hishair. He looked up and down the street. There were a couple ofpickup trucks, a red Corolla, a green Volkswagen, and a Jeep. NoPorsche. There were a few people, women in jeans and jackets, guysin ball caps and corduroy or plaid shirt coats. No burly, beardeddude in a black leather jacket.
“You want to look for him?” Will asked.
“How the hell could he disappear in under aminute?”
“He had to have seen that you made him. Hemust have gone straight through the Laundromat and out theback.”
Taylor appreciated that Will did notquestion whether Mr. Black existed at all. Nice to know one of themwas certain. Maybe he was starting to see things. “And wentwhere?”
“Ducked into one of the businesses on eitherside?” Will said briskly, “Let’s have a look for him.”
But there was no sign of Mr. Black in theRealty office or the pet grooming service on either side of theLaundromat. There was no sign of him in the coffee house orhardware store on either side of those businesses either. There wasno sign of Mr. Black anywhere.
“There’s always the chance he lives uphere,” Will said as they walked back to the Land Cruiser. “Maybethis is his regular Laundromat. Maybe his boxers are tumblingaround on Perma Press cycle right now.”
Taylor made a scornful sound.
“I don’t think so either,” Will agreed. “ButI also don’t see why anyone would be tailing us.”
Will was right. It didn’t make sense. Itwasn’t like they were working any sensitive or potentiallydangerous cases. They weren’t working any cases at all.
“I agree.”
“So?”
“What about Gretchen Hart?” Taylor threw itout there, though he didn’t really buy into the theory.
“She’s had two years to set an investigatoron our trail. Why would she wait until now?”
“Maybe she forgot about us until she saw youagain?”
“Forgetting about us for two years doesn’tjibe with instantly putting someone on our tail.”
“True. I was going to get Euphonia to runhis plates through the DMV, but I got sidetracked with everythingelse going on.”
“You were going to call in a favor to runhis plates?” Will looked surprised.
“Yes.”
“You’re that spooked?”
A little irritably, Taylor said, “I don’tknow if I’m spooked, but yeah, it bothers me to think this guy isfollowing us for reasons unknown.”
“You don’t think there’s any chance herecognized you from an old case? Or maybe from somewhere else?”
He couldn’t quite read Will’s expression.Taylor said cautiously, “Somewhere else where?”
“I don’t know. Maybe socially or something?”Will’s expression was even more indecipherable, given that he was,apparently, trying to be tactful.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing. You’re the first to admit you’vehad an active social life.”
“Active social life? What is that, code forfucked around?”
“Hey.” Will looked meaningfully — warningly— at the not entirely empty street. “I didn’t realize this wassuddenly a sensitive subject. I only mean —”
“I know exactly what you mean, Brandt. Andno, I didn’t fu-ool around so much that I wouldn’t remember thatguy.”
“This isn’t about you, MacAllister. I’mtrying to think of other possibilities for someone recognizing us.I thought that was the object of this discussion.”
Well, hell. Will was absolutely right. Maybehe was a little oversensitive right now. It was hard to erase theimage of Will’s old girlfriend with her legs wrapped aroundhim, for chrissake, as she renewed their acquaintanceship.
Into his distracted silence, Will asked,“What now? What next?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I am seeingthings. I guess there could be more than one guy in a black leatherjacket walking around.”
“True.”
Will was nothing if not honest. Taylorsighed. “What do you want to do?”
“Up to you. You want to head back to thehouse?”
Taylor thought of Grant, who wincedpractically every time he looked at him, and of Bill who, thoughwelcoming, was still Will’s dad and kinda, sorta, an inhibitingpresence.
No. He did not want to go back to the house.He wanted to spend a little quiet time with Will where no one wasgoing to talk about high school or football or the births,marriages, and deaths of people Taylor did not — and did notparticularly want — to know.
He shook his head.
“Okay. You’ve now pretty much seen thesights,” Will said, studying him. “We could check what’s playing atthe theater. You want to catch a matinee?”
“No. I don’t want to catch a matinee.”
“Okay. Well.” Will was looking at him in ahumoring kind of way. “Whatever you want. You choose,MacAllister.”
“Is there a motel around here?”
“Well, there’s the Black Be —” Will brokeoff. “A motel?”
“Yes. A motel. We haven’t…” Taylor loweredhis voice as they passed an elderly couple, “been togetherin two weeks.”
His heart sank at the Does Not Compute lookhe was getting from his partner. Honestly? Was this only
