Read Online Thursday's Child by Teri White - Free Book Online Page B

The details of the convoluted story escaped Gar completely.
    Finally Perry stopped in front of a three-story gingerbread monster that was badly in need of a paint job, as well as a dozen or so new windows. “She lives here, I’m pretty sure.”
    Gar handed him a five-spot. “Thanks.”
    â€œHey, thank you. ” He grinned once more and held up one hand as if swearing an oath. “No drugs.” Then he whipped around and took off like a bullet.
    Gar watched him go, then sighed and started toward the front door.
    Tammi was not especially happy to be found.
    She actually seemed to like living in a filthy room on the second floor of the run-down house in Venice. She shared the room with another hard-eyed young girl, who looked as if her grip on things was slipping even faster than Tammi’s. But since Gar hadn’t been hired to find that girl, he didn’t pay much attention to her.
    Tammi sat cross-legged on the bare mattress that was the only piece of furniture in the room. She had a can of beer between her knees and a joint in one hand. This particular evening, she wasn’t wearing a party dress, either in pink or yellow, but only an old T-shirt with a picture of Tom Petty on the front. Gar wasn’t altogether sure that she had anything on below the shirt, so he kept his gaze at eye level.
    Her eyes were coldly amused as she studied him, head to toe, and then back again to his face. “You’re the best they could do, huh?”
    â€œI guess so,” Gar said with a shrug. “But I found you, right?”
    She conceded that with a small grimace and then took a long swallow from the can of generic beer. “So what happens next?”
    â€œI’d like to take you home.”
    â€œReal fucking polite, aren’t you?” Both girls snickered. “What if I prefer not to do that?”
    â€œWell, I won’t drag you.”
    â€œGood.”
    He smiled. “But I will have to tell the cops where you are and that you’re only sixteen. No matter how much they don’t care about one more runaway brat, once they’ve been officially notified about you, the law will have to step in. After all, your father is a pretty important man.”
    â€œRight. Well, fuck you, mister.”
    Gar dismissed that with another smile. “Everybody has to earn a living.”
    She took a hit from the joint and then passed it over to her silent friend. “Yeah, man, that’s just what I’m trying to do.”
    â€œHey, you’re a former honor student, right? A smart girl like you should be able to make her way in life without spreading her legs for the tourists.”
    She did not respond to that.
    He glanced at his Timex. “Getting late, honey.”
    â€œSo what you’re saying here is that I can choose you or the cops.”
    â€œThat’s pretty much it, yeah.”
    She chose him. Reluctantly, and with a lot of dirty words tossed in his direction.
    Gar smoked a cigarette and waited as she gathered together a few things—a pair of jeans, some shorts that she pulled on much to his relief, and another T-shirt. A small leather beaded pouch that probably held her stash. And, with a glance his way, a foil packet of condoms.
    At least she practiced safe sex.
    Gar just looked bored as she displayed the rubbers, which seemed to disappoint her.
    Neither of them spoke again until they were in his car and headed for Brentwood. She leaned against the passenger door and stared at him. “So this is how you earn your daily bread, huh?”
    â€œThis is pretty much it.”
    â€œWhy?”
    He just shrugged.
    â€œDoesn’t it make you feel bad that everybody thinks you’re a real prick?”
    â€œI spent years working as a cop,” he replied. “I’m used to that.”
    â€œI’ll bet,” she muttered. “Don’t you even care about why a person might have done what she did?”
    â€œRun away, you