I didn't know what Alice had in mind if she ever did find Roe but I was determined more than ever to find him myself. The street address I had was a shabby looking trailer park and the small cluster of motor bikes did not bode well. Verna would turn me into sushi if I got involved with bikers again.

Sure enough the manager's door was opened by a rough looking pirate with a polka dot bandana on his head. With little interest, thankfully, he pointed out Harland's trailer and slammed the door. I forgot my gun again. I never remember to carry my gun. Not that I planned on using it, it was like a pacifier. I knocked on the metal door of the trailer.

She swayed in the opening as if it was a boat on the high seas. The odour that wafted out behind her said something was on high for sure.

"Heya, handsome you selling Avon?" The shrill laugh that followed actually hurt my ears.

"I'm looking for Harland Roe."

"And I'm looking for Godot!" Again the shrill laugh that nearly split my skull.

"Is he here?" I asked, ducking.

"Godot? I don't see him!" Another shriek and she nearly fell out of the doorway.

"Roe. Is Roe here?"

"Let me check his calendar." She swayed backwards and turned her head to the side then swayed forward again dangerously, grinning. "Tuesdays he attends meetings at the Blue Garter."

"This is Friday."

"Right. Fridays he attends meetings at the Blue Garter."

"Thanks."

"Want a snort, sport before to go?"

I waved a negative hand and left her struggling to get back inside as she closed the door.

********

The Blue Garter dominated a scruffy strip mall near the rail yards a couple of miles from the trailer park. I pulled into a shady spot on the opposite side of the street and hummed and hawed about going inside to meet Harland.

Pride dragged me out of the car and I locked it securely before crossing to the mall, square jaw, deep breaths and all. A miner's lamp would have been a help since the only light was a weak spot on a tiny stage where a barely clad female writhed around a sliver pole.

I groped my way to the bar, a risk in that light, and saw that there were plenty of seats. Matter of fact from that position I could see most of the room was empty.

"You lost, an ogler or you wanna drink?"

I looked at the tattoo sleeves on the thick arms and opted for a beer to calm the natives.

"Four bucks." He saw my look and grinned an ugly, a very ugly grin. "Entertainment tax."

"Can I switch to information tax instead?" He just stared. "Harland Roe?"

"Booth against the wall." My fin disappeared never to return.

I checked where the door was and slipped uninvited into Harland's booth.

"You lost?"

"Seems to be a concern here."

"Take a hike, fella."

"Are you Harland Roe?"

The head came up and fixed me with a wary glare. "Who are you?"

"Richard Hart, I'm a P I."

He sat back up in the booth, hands braced on the seat on either side. "I don't talk to gumshoes."

"Fine, I'll tell Alice she was right . . . you are a prick."

He came across the table like a rubber band and I barely had time to fall out of the booth. As I scrambled to my feet I felt two clamps on my arms and the voice in my ear advising me that The Blue Garter didn't encourage my kind of customer. A moment later I was propelled off balance onto the dead grassy verge in front of the mall, tattoo sleeves waving goodbye.

I don't know what he thought but 'my kind of customer' didn't sound very complimentary. I brushed the dirt off my clothes and limped back to my car. Not exactly a successful encounter. As I climbed in I saw Harland climbing into an old grey pickup and roaring off the lot and down the road the way I came.

********

"No turkey wrap?"

"C'mon, Verna I'm wounded, lemme in."

"What's the matter with your place?"

"I was hoping for some of that empathy I saw you giving Audrey."

"She's a woman."

"She doesn't buy you those turkey wraps." Silence. One beat, two then click and I was in.

"So who did you insult this time?" I grimaced as she swabbed a nasty scrape on my shoulder I hadn't felt before.

"Harland Roe." I recounted my trailer park and Blue Garter adventure then lay back on the sofa bed when she finished nursing my injuries.

"What are you doing?"

"Huh, resting and thank you, you're a sweethe--"

"Wraps, Hart."

Plural! "Aw, Verna . . ."

********

The black skies revealed a zillion stars as we lay on the rooftop over Verna's loft, even my scrapes and bruises had ebbed substantially - plural turkey wraps had done their job.

"Are you going to tell her?"

"Alice? I don't know. I would like some way for her to find closure without getting in Harland's face."

"You think she'd do that?"

"I don't know but it has been a forty year hunt. I think it would take a lot to just drop it cold."

"What about him, you think you stirred a hornet's nest there?"

"I don't know, he might do something. I don't know how much he might know."

"With all you don't know, Hart I'm surprised you're on the case."

"Thanks. What would you do, smarty?"

"I might consider telling Alice you met her mother."

"What good would that do?"

"She might reconsider knowing her mom still knows about her."

"Only because we told her."

"Alice doesn't know that."

"And what do you think she'd do?"

"I don't know - I'm invoking the Hart Gambit."

"Funny."

I lay back and stared at the sky. Was she right? Should I tell Alice about her mom? Should I tell her I found Roe? No, that would not be a good move. What to do, what to do. I turned back to Verna and ran my fingers up her arm, her eyes were closed but she smiled and I decided what to do.

********

"Cole, guess who?"

"My retirement insurance."

"Haha, good one. Listen, I found that Roe character. He's in a trailer park not far from the old club house."

"Thanks, I'll get him right onto my contact list."

"Don't be like that now. I wondered, you said the club wasn't active but they are living or staying in the same park. I saw a number of bikes, is it possible they might still ride?"

"Why, you wanna join?"

"No, I wondered if they might be uh- you know- dangerous still?"

"Is this something you should be telling the boys upstairs?"

"Nope. Just covering bases."

"More like your ass . . . unless you can't outrun walkers and canes I doubt you have much to worry about."

"Thanks, buddy."

"Don't mention it, I've got travel folders galore to study."

********

Verna wasn't home and I didn't want lunch yet so I tossed caution and went to see Alice.

"Mr. Hart, do you have news for me?" She wore a more conventional outfit and it surprised me to see she was physically a very attractive woman. We sat in the same seats as before and his time I accepted a juice.

"Well?"

"Alice, I have done some investigating and I learned why I think you are on this determined search."

"That's not why I hired you." The soft voice wasn't as soft.

"When you dig into things all kinds of surprises turn up."

"And are there more? Something I asked you to find perhaps?"

"I uh, I met your mother, Alice."