Chasing the Unreachable Cop

, where are you?" Vin

the pounding music in the background, I w

lmost up, I hurriedly hung up

. lively, to s

around the room while the musi

it were all part deaf, part blind, and entirely without a sense of

d, Danny emerged from nowhere and

it here!" he barked, pr

hs. A cluster of guys and girls lounge

ells, puffing on a vape like s

loaded? Why are you the one paying t

t's basic decency," Danny said, as if it

ech off me, but with Juliana, he

d away and clutch

k you should buy me a drink fi

sk him for a drink, nor did he ant

he bill anyway, Danny nodded and led me towa

yanked it away and stepped back. "No. I want to drin

.

on. But the moment I unzipped my bag just enough

drink. And don't cau

arms and strolled confiden

t out-of-place gesture in the whole club. The group of partygoers snickered quiet

my hand lazily, and asked,

s smitten. My fingers lingered in her soft, smo

girl's hand sh

quickly pulling it together. "Danny's

ht up to me and imm

e money's mine – I lent it to

stment? Danny, you've borrowed thousands fr

forward, trying to clam

shifted, smoothly steppin

illions in savings. Why would I need to borrow from her?" He jabbed a finger

er, unimpressed, then turn

d, embarrassed. "U

nto a soft smile, revea

ere to win him b

furiously. "I just wanted to have

g with this piece

Danny's glare as she tugged m

, "Careful, Juliana. He's a freeloader. H

th. Her fingers lingered just long enough to wipe the jui

k? Stop talking about h

ng as my brain tried to keep up. "Uh..

gnaled to the waiter.

nd Danny. "I'm sorry, but Mr. Douglas here said

He yanked open my bag, grabbed a handful of

ught you so much business! What, you think I can't pay

h, "Big talk for someone who borrows every time..." Then, with a f

tertained, Juliana leaned in,

by the way." Her tone was lig

a... how o

r! Da

sic seemed to undersco

and scrambled to my feet. "Well, the mone

r voice teasing. "But you h

really. Next

ve now, it woul

liana pouted. "Not unless yo

eat. How could anyon

uldn

act info with her, determined to make m

sn't fas

a commotion

them!" some

.

s was t

wollen from earlier, marched back with three or four others

glanced at Danny and pointed at the cas

and over t

his chest. "Yeah, it's mine! Put ev

and threw the money

knuckles, and gave the order. "A

word out before fists the size of bo