Chapter 6
At the Buy More, attempting to explain the theft and return of the inventory and Chuck’s role in it all consumed every moment of the days that followed.
The LAPD received an anonymous tip and located a ratty tractor trailer containing a handful of items that were not returned to the store. Among numerous empty boxes they recovered video game cartridges, a Wii console, two laptops, a toaster oven and an unboxed, pre-paid cell phone the Buy More did not carry in inventory. The LAPD did not share the contents of the trailer, citing their no-comment policy on open investigations but the useful details, true and not, were leaked anyway.
The LAPD found text messages between that burner and another unregistered phone regarding plans for the theft, panic over potential FBI involvement, and fiery admonitions, allegedly from Chuck, when the thieves chickened out and returned everything overnight. After that, the second burner phone believed to belong to Chuck went dark. The rumor mill settled on the theory that having been questioned by the police, Chuck knew he was hours away from an arrest and skipped town.
An anonymous tip. Murmured theories. Lies passing like a children’s game of telephone among the Buy More staff. Someone nearby ran the whisper campaign right out of The Farm’s textbook. With such a crowd of misfits involved it sadly took little to paint the perennially unappreciated Nerd Herd supervisor as the key figure in the bumbled attempt to boost the Buy More’s inventory. And Chuck wasn’t there to defend himself.
Big Mike wasn’t wrong about the mood in the store; every moment of the last few days felt like a funeral.
Casey needed a break from it, and as he tossed and turned the night before, realized that with news of Chuck’s alleged perfidy and actual disappearance traveling from one end of the Buy More plaza to the other, there was a loose end to tie up nearby.
He checked the cameras and found his exhausted partner in the break room dozing with her head against Morgan’s shoulder. It was both her job as the grieving girlfriend, and all things considered, the best place for Walker to be. Casey left her there and headed across the parking lot alone.
The bell chimed over the door at Lou’s Deli and the proprietress looked up from the meat slicer with a hard frown.
In the five weeks since they found Bryce at the port in an overgrown tic tac, Casey had seen Lou several times in the parking lot. She always kept her distance, but her scowl spoke volumes.
“We’re closed to anyone from the Buy More,” she muttered. “I’m gonna post a sign.”
Casey threw down a hundred next to the cash register. “Don’t be stupid. Money’s money.”
Lou eyed the bill, rang open the register with a scowl, dropped the bill in the last slot and slammed it shut. “What do you want?”
“A Franklin’s worth of whatever’s easy. Half the store is on a hunger strike, and if they don’t start eating, Big Mike’s going to have to hire. He hates hiring.”
Lou ground her teeth as she smacked a turkey breast down on the slicer.
“So, Chuck’s got more going on than informing for the salami cops?” Lou asked, eyeing Casey narrowly. “I’ve heard stuff.”
Salami cops. Casey shot her a dirty look for the insult to his fictional FDA. “Heck if I know,” he groused. “He hasn’t been informing for us since that debacle with you over a month ago. Said it wasn’t worth the money or the drama.”
“You seriously pay informants for the 411 on uncured meats.” she said in disbelief. “That’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard, and my boyfriend was a mobster.”
“Dumber than your government sticking me at the Buy More so I could infiltrate the L.A. teamsters?” Casey asked in exasperation. “The longer I work for those federal yahoos, the less I understand ‘em. I should have stayed a sheriff’s deputy.” He glanced back at the door like he needed to get back to work. “I’ve applied for a transfer to another post in Minnesota. At least I’ll be getting out of this dumpster fire in a few days.”
Casey watched Lou expertly assemble a string of foot-long sandwiches. She stepped over to the slicer and cut another large handful of turkey.
“What does Minnesota have on L.A.? If I can ask.”
“Dairy and kielbasa. And normal people, unlike Los Angeles. This place is a freaking nuthouse.” Casey took a window seat and let Lou work quietly for a few minutes.
She cut the sandwiches in halves and started pulling large pieces of butcher paper to wrap them. “Is there, uhm…any idea where he went?” The sandwich maker shot for nonchalant and missed it by a mile. Seemed that even Lou, who’d been burned by Chuck, couldn’t make heads or tails of the rumors, and kind of wanted to.
“Cops haven’t managed to figure it out. The bearded moron says the family’s losing their mind. He would know. I’ve never seen a grown man cry that much.”
“What about his off and on? The girlfriend?” Lou asked. She taped the first roll of butcher paper closed and shook out a brown paper sack.
“Sarah? She’s…I dunno,” Casey said with a frown. “I tend to let people sort out their own drama…but I’m kind of worried about her. She’s a wreck. She’s cooked at the Wienerlicious and Chuck’s maybe the only tie she has to anybody here. Now that he’s gone? I got no idea what she’s gonna do.”
Lou put the last of the sandwiches in the bag and threw in some chips before she could stop herself. She shoved the bag out to the edge of the counter and leaned against it with her arms crossed.
“You know…I was mad at him,” Lou admitted, “but…I never thought he was a bad guy.”
“Chuck’s an idiot,” Casey said with a small laugh, “but you’re right, I don’t think he’s a bad guy.” Casey walked up to the counter and took the bag. He tucked it under his arm and looked down at his shoes. “There’s stuff I shouldn’t say, being law enforcement…but…I wonder if it was him. If whatever happened was something he chose.” Casey glanced at the door and lowered his voice. “The inventory stuff happened, and then he disappeared. There’s something there. There’s a lot of talk about it, but the LAPD can’t really confirm anything.” Casey scratched behind his ear and sighed. “Part of me wonders if someone else was pulling strings and Chuck got dragged into something he couldn’t get out of.”
Casey took a couple of steps toward the door and turned back. “Whoever takes over this district for me will have my report,” he said with a stern look. “Just…don’t buy anymore verboten salami from your teamster boyfriend.”
“He just shipped it for it for me, and he’s not my boyfriend…anymore.”
“Whatever. Just behave, will you?”
Lou rolled her eyes and watched him go with a thoughtful expression on her face.