The part of town Ray drove to was unfamiliar. He circled several blocks, trying to make out the notes Freddy had jotted for him on the napkin. Stopping at a red light, he glanced over to where streetlight illuminated a smaller side street. A couple of trashy looking streetwalkers leaned against a mailbox at the corner. He could see more girls further down the block, past the dim, flickering light that marked the entrance shack to an all night parking lot. Glancing up at the street signs, he realized this was the place.
Cranking the wheel, Ray turned on to the side street and into the parking lot, taking a ticket from a teenage kid that barely looked up from the flickering television on his counter. "Wait here," he said to Sherry, and climbed from the car, snapping the locks shut.
He walked down the darkened street, through the pools of light, until he drew near to the girls. "Hey baby!" one cried, "Are you lost? Looking for someone to hold your hand?" She was skinny, lots of blond hair piled onto her head. Sort of pretty, but she looked tired, worn out, the dark circles not quite covered with too much makeup. At first glance Ray would have put her age in the late-twenties, but as he drew closer he realized she was much younger, probably just eighteen, but already looking older, harder.
"I, uh, need to talk to Tommy."
Behind him, in the darkness of an alley, someone cleared his throat. Ray turned. "Tommy," he said into the darkness, "I'm Ray. Freddy's friend."
Teeth reflected the streetlight as a wide grin appeared in the dark, and a big black man stepped from his perch in the darkness. He stuck out his hand. "Yeah, man, Freddy told me you wuz comin' by. Lookin' for a good piece a'ass, are yah? Bad night, tho'. Two of my girls is out at a bachelor party. I just got Candy and Andrea left tonight." The two girls, the young blond and an older redhead, nodded to him. "You might say I'm a bit short staffed tonight."
"Well, Tommy, that sort of works out, because I'm here to help you with that. Freddy maybe got it a little bit wrong. What I've got is a nice little thing over in the car, and she needs some work for this evening. I don't even want any money she brings in. Keep it. Let's just say she's adding to her resume."