O.T.

Maybe one day I'll finish one of these or actually map it out or do something. But for now this is all I got. Andrew Vachss, Lawrence Block and certainly Richard Price have nothing to worry about...yet.

I almost got off the train when it pulled into Baltimore. I was always obsessed with Charm City. I grew up in D.C., a nice girl town. Baltimore was D.C.'s slutty sister and I could've used the action.

I resisted that urge to hit the block for some quick satisfaction. I patted my bag while looking at the rows of burned out brownstones and dark streets filled with yo boys doing business. My piece was there although he told me I wouldn't need it for this job. There wouldn't be anyone home, he kept saying. I don't get paid to believe my clients.

Taking off dealers was not my line of work. I'm a surveillance guy. Think someone is banging your wife or ripping you off, I'm who you call. Occasionally I can provide some muscle, but this was way out of my comfort zone. But a long time ago this guy did me a favor and now it was payback time.

The address was on North Capitol, a street that had not yet been touched by the renaissance that had hit some of the other blighted neighborhoods of our nation's capital. It was about a mile from Union Station. If all had gone well, I'd have been in and out of there and back on a train in an hour. Simple enough

But things this simple seldom are. I came to cuffed to a bed with a knot on my head and one of my eyes swollen shut. Looks like I'll be getting overtime.