Evil in Hockley Read Online Free Page A

The backroom door was shut so a
poker game was already in progress. Unlicensed gambling was illegal
unless one played for chips. It was what those chips represented
that made or broke men over the period of the night. Harry had
heard of a drunken hubby that had lost the family home. When he
protested his losses both knees were broken in an auto accident.
Failure to sign over the house would have cost him his life so
rumour had it, he did.
    Harry found a corner nook and eyed the
action as a waiter brought trays of drinks to three tables of
customers. He approached and Harry quickly ordered a whiskey on
ice. He didn’t recognize the waiter either, or any of the
customers. A new crowd: he wondered what happened to the old one.
Probably arrested, dead, or grown up the way he had. One could only
take drunken Saturday nights for so long.
    Karma walked out of the back room
scouting the room for marks. She raised her head in recognition
then nodded, a gesture which Harry returned. She was an older
hooker, at least not a teenager which men preferred. She had
retained her looks, although a reputed cocaine user. That couldn’t
be true; the drug addicts he knew lost their shape in a few
years.
    She approached his table and sat across
from him. She wore black and a symbolic dark feather hung from the
right side of her hair. Her black hair hung loose over her
shoulders, her eyes were a piercing deep brown.
    “Hello Harry. How have you been?
Haven’t seen you for a while.”
    “I’ve been out of the country. Just got
back.”
    “I know, so do yourself a favour and
get the hell out of here. Joe’s expecting you. Know what I
mean?”
    “He have something to hide?”
    “I don’t know. What I do know is that
he thinks you suspect he’s behind your brother’s ‘accident.’ You go
after him and he’ll feel he has to return the favour.”
    “What do you think, Karma?”
    “I don’t. That’s why I’m still alive,
with my looks intact.”
    “Shelley still work here?”
    There was silence as she stared into
his eyes.
    “Yes she does. Now buy me a drink
Harry.”
    Harry signalled the waiter and Karma
ordered a whiskey on ice. After her drink arrived Tony Moore, his
old friend came out of a back room, dressed like a Mississippi
gambler. He smiled then joined them.
    “Well Tony, I hear you’ve moved up in
the world.”
    “Man’s got to eat. Sorry about Jarrod.
You going to be here long?”
    Harry had the feeling Tony could care
less about Jarrod only digging for info so he could inform his
boss, Joe.
    “I have some business to take care of
then I’ll be on my way.”
    A Harlow gold blonde came out of the
backroom and glanced at their table then approached. Karma locked
eyes with Harry then said,
    “That’s Shelley.”
    She certainly was beautiful and he
could see why many a man would fall for her on looks
alone.
    She sat then said,
    “Hello Karma, Tony, and…”
    Karma filled in the name.
    “Shelley, meet Harry
Tanner.”
    Shelley lost her smile.
    “I’ll see you later, Karma. I have some
work to do.”
    Harry wasn’t going to let her off that
easy.
    “No please, stay seated. I heard you
knew Jarrod. Can you tell me anything about him? I haven’t seen him
in three years.”
    She was definitely
uncomfortable.
    “I knew him personally. I still feel
his loss and can’t talk about him. I have to go.”
    If that were true she would have been
at the service but she wasn’t. Harry got the distinct impression
she knew something she wasn’t willing to share. As Shelley walked
past a table a customer grabbed her arm. She smiled, gave him a
kiss on the cheek, then pulled free. Harry thought she bounced back
fast for someone stricken with grief.
    Someone had once called Karma a foxy
whore. He couldn’t remember who’d said it but those words played in
his memory when he saw her smile and looked into her
eyes.
    “She doesn’t know you Harry. She
thought you were requesting information. I know you were demanding
it. Want