Boosted Pt. 04

He had to admire how compartmentalized the operation was. Get the cars in, strip the valuable parts off them as quickly as possible, and then get rid of the evidence. The hulks were probably hauled someplace where they would be further stripped until there was nothing left except a shell. He yawned, shaking his head violently to try to wake himself up, before starting his cruiser. Later, after he grabbed a couple of hours of sleep, he'd see if there was an auto salvage yard nearby. That would be the perfect cover for the remains of the stripped automobiles, a place where a parted-out hulk wouldn't look out of place, and nobody would think twice seeing a wreck of a car being brought in on the back of a truck.

He pulled his car in gear as he yawned, his mouth opening so wide he was afraid he was going to dislocate his jaw. There was something going on at BIGS, he was sure of it. The trick was going to be proving it. As he drove home, he wondered if he had enough for a warrant. After his visit today, he suspected if he were to walk into BIGS anytime other than when they were actively stripping cars, he wouldn't see a scrap of evidence indicating what was happening after hours. Unfortunately, he'd seen nothing illegal that he could use to obtain a warrant. It wasn't illegal to work at night, he couldn't prove the cars that left on the back of the rollbacks were the same cars that had arrived earlier in the evening, and even if he could, unless he had proof they were stolen, stripping cars for parts wasn't illegal. In short, he had nothing except suspicions, which was all he had when he arrived for a look-see four hours ago.

He pulled into his apartment complex, his lips tightening in annoyance that his parking spot was occupied by the same car he'd already warned once. He thought about having the car towed but changed his mind. He was too tired and sleepy to mess with it tonight. He found another parking place and quickly scribbled a warning on the small notepad he kept in his car. This is your second and final warning. Sean McGhee, Brunswick Chief of Police. He tucked the note under the diver's wiper blade as he passed. He opened the door and entered his apartment. Marmalade didn't meet him at the door begging for food, something he normally did, no matter the hour. A cold hand gripped Sean's heart as he walked to his bedroom. Marmalade was lying in the center of his bed, stretching and yawning as Sean entered the room. Sean relaxed. At least the animal wasn't dead, which was the first thought that had popped into his head.

"How you feeling?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed and gently scratching the cat between his ears.

Marmalade began to purr before getting to his feet and rubbing against Sean for a moment before flopping to his side against Sean's leg. Marmalade had lost a lot of his vigor in the last few months, and he wondered if this was the new normal for his pet. He stroked the cat gently, listening to Marmalade purr, until a huge yawn took him. Shaking the hair off his hand, he stood and began to undress and prepare for bed. Since he couldn't sleep in, he'd shower in the morning to use the water to help wake himself up. He quickly brushed his teeth and then tumbled into bed, nudging Marmalade with his foot until the cat moved and gave him some room. He pulled Maggie's pillow into a snuggle, smiling at her lingering scent as he drifted into the darkness of sleep.