Back Spin (1997) by Harlan - Myron 04 Coben

anybody home? At least."
    "This is, like, our spot, you know?"
    "No one else, like, sits here."
    "Except that one time when those gross lame-os tried to move in."
    "But, like, whoa, don't even go there, 'kay?"
    They stopped and looked at Myron. He figured the answer to his prior question was yes, so he plowed ahead.
    "Have you seen anybody use that pay phone?"
    "Are you, like, a cop or something?"
    "As if"
    "No way."
    "Way."
    "He's too cute to be a cop."
    "Oh, right, like Jimmy Smits isn't cute."
    "That's, like, TV, dumb wad. This is real life. Cops aren't cute in real life."
    "Oh, right, like Brad isn't totally cute? You, like, love him, remember?" .
    "As if And he's not a cop. He's, like, some rent-auniform at Florsheim."
    "But he's so hot."
    "Totally."
    "Ultra buff."
    "He likes Shari."
    "Eeeuw. Shari?"
    "l, like, hate her, you know?"
    "Me too. Like, does she only shop at Sluts 'R' Us, or what?"
    "Totally."
    "It's, like, 'Hello, Dial-a-Disease, this is Shari speaking.' "
    Giggles.
    Myron looked for an interpreter. "I'm not a cop," he said.
    "Told you."
    "As if"
    "But," Myron said, "I am dealing with something very important. Life-and-death. I need to know if you remember anyone using that phone the one on the far right forty-five minutes ago.' '
    "Whoa!" The one called Amber pushed her chair back. "Clear out, because I'm, like, gonna barf for days, you know?"
    "Like, Crusty the Clown."
    "He was, like, so gross!"
    "Totally gross."
    "Totally."
    "He, like, winked at Amber!"
    "As if"
    "Totally eeeuw!"
    "Gag city."
    "Bet that slut Shari would have Frenched him."
    ' 'At least.' '
    Giggles.
    Myron said, "You saw somebody'?"
    "Serious groatie." , "Totally crusty."
    "He was, like, hello, ever wash your hair?"
    "Like, hello, buy your cologne at the local Gas-NGo?"
    More giggles.
    Myron said, "Can you describe him to me?"
    "Blue jeans from, like, 'Attention, Kmart shoppers.' "
    "Work boots. Definitely not Tirnberland."
    "He was, like, so skinhead wanna-be, you know?"
    Myron said, "Skinhead wanna-be?"
    "Like, a shaved head. Skanky beard. Tattoo of that thing on his arm."
    "That thing?" Myron tried._
    "You know, that tattoo." She kind of drew something in the air with her finger. "It kinda looks like a funny cross from, like, the old days."
    Myron said, "You mean a swastika?"
    "Like, whatever. Do I look like a history major?"
    "Like, how old was he?" Like. He'd said like. If he stayed here much longer, he'd end up getting some part of him pierced. Way.
    "Old."
    ' ' Grampa ville. ' '
    "Like, at least twenty."
    "Height?" Myron asked. "Weight?"
    "Six feet." .
    "Yeah, like six feet."
    "Bony."
    "Very."
    "Like, no ass at all."
    "None."
    "Was anybody with him?" Myron asked.
    "As if"
    "Him?"
    "No way."
    "Who would be with a skank like that?"
    "Just him by that phone for like half an hour."
    "He wanted Mindy."
    "Did not!"
    "Wait a second," Myron said. "He was there for half an hour?"
    "Not that long."
    "Seemed a long time."
    "Maybe like fifteen minutes. Amber, like, always exaggerates." +
    "Like, fuck you, Trish, all right? Just fuck you."
    "Anything else?" Myron asked.
    "Beeper."
    "Right, beeper. Like anybody would ever call that skank."
    "Held it right up to the phone, too."
    Probably not a beeper. Probably a microcassette player. That would explain the scream. Or a voice changer. They also came in a small box.
    He thanked the girls and handed out business cards that listed his cellular phone number. One of the girls actually read it. She made a face.
    "Like, your name is really Myron?"
    "Yes."
    They all just stopped and looked at him.
    "I know," Myron said. "Like, ultra lame-o."
    He was heading back to his car when a nagging thought suddenly resurfaced. The kidnapper on the phone had mentioned a "chink bitch." Somehow he had known about Esme Fong arriving at the house. The question was, how?
    There were two possibilities. One, they had a bug in the house.
    Not likely. If the Coldren residence was bugged or under some kind of electronic