You Do What You Have To - 13

 

 

Darren stopped after five more calls, rolling his shoulders to ease tense muscles. Giving the phone a dirty look as he set it on the desk, he went into the kitchen to make coffee and take a couple of painkillers. He definitely needed them, as he'd been so involved in the calls he'd forgotten to take them earlier. While he waited for the coffee, he went into the bathroom to take a piss. He glanced in the mirror, noting that the hair in the shaved area around his head wound was beginning to grow back. It looks like I have a five-o'clock-shadow there. He chuckled, rubbing his chin. Matches this one.

 

After getting his coffee, he sat down again to continue his calls.

 

Forty-five minutes later, he was about to tear his remaining hair out. He decided he make five more calls and quit for the day.

 

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Alan Forman." He went through the rest of his spiel, ending by asking, "Do you have anyone by the name of Michael working for you?"

 

"I did," the man replied sourly. "Damned good waiter, which nowadays is saying something. But he hasn't shown up for the last…hmm…four days, I think. When he does—if he does—he'll be getting his walking papers. He knows he's supposed to call at least an hour before his shift if he can't make it, so I can find a replacement."

 

Bingo! "What's Michael's last name?" Darren asked.

 

"Payne, and right now that fits. He caused me a big pain in the ass, pulling this."

 

"I wonder…" Darren paused, as if thinking. "If he was afraid, after filing the complaint…"

 

"Could be. He always struck me as kind of a wimp."

 

"Do you have an address for him?"

 

"Yes. Let me look it up. This will take a minute or two."

 

"I can hold." Darren did and was rewarded with what he hoped was Micky's address. Or more to the point, that this Michael was the right one.

 

As soon as the conversation was over, he called Olivia to give her the address. She promised to get people over there immediately to check the apartment and stake out the building if Micky wasn't there. That was fine with Darren, but he wasn't about to be left, waiting. He hurried to put on a shirt, grabbed his car keys and took off.