There’s your friend.”
Gordy heard Hammer’s voice behind him. Now what? He turned just as Hammer strolled up, monster shake in hand. Hammer stopped to inspect Gordy’s bike, and then walked right up to him. The cop stood close. Way beyond the comfort zone.
Gordy felt as stiff as the Frankenstein mascot himself.
“How was Taco Bell?” The detective’s face showed no emotion. The mirrored lenses didn’t give anything away either. Gordy imagined a cold stare behind those glasses. Dark eyes. Elvis eyes.
“Mucho bueno.” He held up the bag of twists. “I think that’s Spanish for very good.”
And it would be mucho bueno to get away from Hammer. He should have just stayed at Taco Bell.
“I tried the monster shake.” Hammer stirred it with the straw. “Cooper here was telling me how much he likes them.”
“Gets one every time we come in,” Gordy said.
“Comes here a lot, does he?” He took a sip and waited for his answer, probably enjoying the way he could make people sweat.
“Well, yeah, sometimes. We all do.” Gordy glanced at Coop. Did he just say too much? “It’s been awhile though.”
“Couple days, maybe?”
Gordy took a step back. He could use a little help here.
“Detective Hammer.” Hiro held onto her necklace as she spoke. “Would it help if I bike to Gordy’s house and bring back his signed permission form for you? I mean, then you could question him legally.”
A slight smile creased the officer’s face. He took a long draw from his shake. “I can’t wait until Monday. You boys are officially at the top of my list. Congratulations.”
“Look,” Coop said, pulling a pen from his pocket and writing his phone number on his napkin. “Here’s my phone number. Call my parents right now if you want. Then you can ask me anything you want. I have nothing to hide. None of us do.” He handed Hammer the napkin. “Frank Mustacci was good to us, and I want to see whoever did this to him caught and put away for good.”
Hammer took the napkin, looked at it for a moment, then folded it and slid it in his pocket. “I think I can wait until Monday.” He held up the monster shake and saluted with it. “Thanks for the tip on the shake.”
Gordy wanted to give him a couple tips of his own.
Hammer headed back to his car, climbed inside, and started the engine. Gordy didn’t want to stare. He turned his back on the parking lot and listened for him to back out, but he didn’t leave. Maybe he was on the radio or something. Or maybe Hammer was just trying to rattle him.
“We all should have gone to Taco Bell,” Gordy whispered. He’d tried to keep them all clear of Frank’s. He stuck to his guns, even though it killed him that Hiro and Coop didn’t change their mind and follow him. He’d been so sure they would. They had to stick together—even in little things like this. “Thanks for bailing me out. That guy could make a dummy sweat.”
Hiro looked at him and raised her eyebrows. A smile surfaced and it looked like she was about to dish out a zinger.
Gordy knew what she was thinking—and what she was probably about to say. He held up his hands to stop her. “A dummy—you know, a mannequin—like our friendly greeter at Frank’s.”
“Ohhh.” She gave a slow nod. “You’re not sweating, though, are you?”
He fished a handful of the twisty cinnamon things out of the bag. “You just love yanking my chain, don’t you?”
She nodded and smiled. “Every bit as much as you love yanking mine.”
Coop gave another slurp on his shake, obviously hitting bottom. “Let’s not talk here—just in case the detective can read lips. Let’s meet at The Getaway.” He started toward the garbage can.
“Coop, don’t,” Hiro said.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t toss your cup in the garbage. Bring it with you and throw it out at home.” She nodded toward the police car but kept her head down. “What if he’s waiting for you to drop that in the garbage can so he can get another DNA sample?”
Cooper stopped and his eyes got wide.
“Whoa,” Gordy said. “They’d match it to the one you left on the table.” Gordy didn’t know if he could take this much longer.
Cooper nodded.
Gordy’s legs felt shaky. Yeah. What if? Hammer would have all the evidence he’d need to make an arrest—or a surprise appearance as Elvis. How could they hold up this charade? Gordy wanted to stick with the Code, stick with Cooper, but Hiro was obviously wavering. And Gordy felt like he’d accidently spill everything if Hammer so much as turned his head toward him. How would he ever get through Monday? Even Cooper would have messed up royally if Hiro hadn’t stopped him.
Hiro was definitely super perceptive. She had sensed danger at Frank’s the other night before either one of them. In a flash, Gordy heard her voice in his mind. “Let’s go. Please! I have a bad feeling!” Gordy wondered if Hiro was getting a bad vibe right now.
Cooper stuffed the empty cup in his backpack. “How did you even think of that?”
Hiro smiled. “It’s what I’d do if I were him.”
Cooper mounted his bike. “You’re going to make a good cop someday, you know that?”
“Better believe it.”