Hope Callaghan - Garden Girls 07 - Missing Milt by Hope Callaghan

again.  “Yeah.  Not that I want him back or anything.  Just wondering how he’s doing.”
    “Why don’t you give him a call?” Gloria suggested.  She couldn’t see the harm in that.  They were both adults, after all.
    Lucy tugged on the side of her seatbelt absentmindedly.  “I might do that.”
    The town of Lakeville was larger than Belhaven and Gloria had a bit of trouble finding the quickie loan shop.  They drove up and down the strip several times before Lucy finally spotted it.  “I think it’s right there,” she pointed.
    Gloria swung into an open spot and shifted the car into park. 
    The building was narrow and set back from the rest of the buildings that lined Main Street. Small, gold letters on the front of the glass window read:  Integrity Loans.   Below that in even smaller letters were the words: Money in minutes.
    The girls got out of the car and walked to the door. Gloria grabbed the knob and pushed the door open.  A small bell chimed. 
    The inside was even smaller than the outside.  Two cheap, plastic chairs sat against one wall.  Off to the other side was a dingy, artificial plant that obscured a small plywood desk. 
    An old, white ceiling fan hung above the entrance door.  It was almost gray in color, whether from age or dirt, Gloria couldn’t tell.
    “Can I help you lovely ladies?”
    A young man wearing several gold chains around his neck, sporting a large insignia ring and slicked back blonde hair leaned an elbow on the cheap counter and eyed them with interest. 
    Gloria shifted her purse on her arm and stepped to the counter.  “Yes, we have a friend that appears to have come up missing.  I.” She looked at Lucy.  “We think that you may have loaned him some money recently and wondered if maybe you could help us out.”
    His eyes narrowed.  “What’s his name?”
    “Milton Tilton.”
    The man, Johnny, according to the tag on his shirt, drummed his fingers on the counter.  “Lemme see…what does he look like?”
    Gloria pulled her phone from her purse. She opened her Worldbook account and typed in Milton Tilton in the search bar.  Milt’s profile and picture popped up.  Gloria turned the screen and tipped it so the man could see.
    He studied the screen.  “Yeah. Yeah.  He was in here a few weeks ago lookin’ for some real quick cash. I remember him cuz he seemed real desperate.  So desperate that he used his fancy Caddy for collateral.”
    Gloria switched the phone off and shoved it back in her purse.  “Did he mention who he might have owed the money to that he so desperately needed?”
    “Yeah.  He did mention a name.” He snapped his fingers.  “I know! It was Vinnie somebody.” He nodded.  “Yeah! I’m sure the guy’s name was Vinnie.  The only reason I remember is cuz I have a cousin named Vinnie.”
    Gloria leaned in.  “Do you remember anything else?”
    Johnny paused and stared up at the ceiling.  “I asked him what Vinnie looked like.  You never know.  It mighta been my cousin, Vinnie.” 
    “What did he say?” Lucy asked.
    “That he had never met this Vinnie person and only dealt with a middle man.”
    Gloria lowered her purse. “Can I leave my number and if you remember anything else let me know?”
    “Yeah.  Sure.”
    The man scribbled Gloria’s number on a piece of paper, shoved it in the drawer and pushed it shut.  “Yeah. He was real nervous, that one.”
    “He’s still on the hook for the $5k I loaned him.” Johnny glanced at the calendar on the wall.  “He has a couple of weeks left before the loan comes due.  Otherwise…” The man leaned back and grinned.  “I’m gonna have me a new ride.”
    The girls wandered out of the store and stopped out front.  Lucy looked back. “Good luck finding Milt’s car.”
    Gloria nodded.  “Yeah.  Hey.  What do you think about me getting some business cards made and putting a company name on them?  You know, something along the lines of Silver Sleuth