Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
FREAK
Getting shot of the groom looking for his last fling was just the start of our problems last night. Paint, Rattler, Stalker, and I were kept busy from that point onward, tackling one issue after another. At one point, we had a full-on invasion of the stage from one of the bachelor parties.
Then there was another soon-to-be married man who tried to persuade a bride from a bachelorette party to have sex with him, telling her it made sense, as both were giving up their single rights the next day.
She hadn’t seen eye to eye with him, and her girls had joined her in taking him down.
An ambulance had to be called to take him away, and let’s just say I’m hoping his bride doesn’t expect her wedding night to be fulfilled in the normal way.
Royals closed at two in the morning, and I was full-on exhausted by the time I got on my bike and headed for the clubhouse. When I finally checked my phone, neither Ace nor Toni had replied to my messages.
I’d debated with myself, wondering whether I should drive up there tonight and find out why the fuck they weren’t answering me.
I’m worried, but there are possible reasons.
Maybe his phone wasn’t off but lost. That would make more sense.
Toni was taking him to touristy places, and my kid’s not the most savvy with strangers.
He’s more inclined to trust everybody. Or perhaps it’s even simpler than I previously thought, and his phone died, and he’d forgotten to take his charger.
Strange, because he’s usually anal about such things.
But in the excitement of the prospect of staying alone with his aunt, it’s possible it slipped his mind.
I might have to ream Ace a new one if that’s the case.
As for his aunt, Toni and I were a new thing, as was the relationship between her and Ace.
Maybe she didn’t like the thought I was checking up on her, as if I couldn’t trust her with him.
The thought makes me uneasy. Being his dad trumps her as his aunt.
If that’s the case we’re going to have to have discussions about communication going forward.
Then I have a worse worry. What if they’ve been in an accident? That car of hers is a heap of shit. I’m Ace’s dad. If anything had happened, the cops would have contacted me. Shit, now I’ve an image in my head of the car exploding and fire destroying his ID.
Fuck it. There’s nothing else for it, I’ve got to drive up there tonight.
I yawn widely. I’m so fuckin’ tired. If I get into my truck right now, I risk falling asleep at the fucking wheel. Perhaps if I can just get my head down for an hour…
I’m in the middle of a crazy dream when my phone rings, waking me up.
First, I swear, but then I heave a sigh of relief, thinking it’s either Ace or Toni.
Still half asleep, I throw out my arm in the direction of the nightstand to grab my phone, only to send the damn thing flying off to land hard on the floor.
Groaning, hoping I haven’t broken it, I lean over the bed, trying to reach it to pick it up.
I nearly do a somersault in my efforts to reach it, rather than doing the sensible thing and getting up.
It stops ringing before I can reach it, but finally it’s within my grasp.
I pick it up, doing acrobatics to get my whole body back on the bed and right-side up.
Still half asleep, my eyes bleary, I hit redial before checking which one of them had called me. When it’s picked up, I’m shocked as fuck to hear my ma’s voice.
“You spoken to Ace? I can’t get hold of him. I tried ringing and texting, but it seems like his phone’s off.”
“Why you checking up on him, Ma? You know he’s with his aunt.” I slept longer than I wanted to. It’s six-thirty a.m. I need to get to Flagstaff, but first I’ve got to stop my ma from worrying. If she guesses I’m concerned too, she’ll insist on coming with me, and bring with her a shotgun or two.
Her response is a grunt, then, “I like to speak to him, you know that. As for Toni, I don’t know the woman.”
“You’ve met her, Ma.”
“Takes more than five minutes to get to know someone. Isn’t that what I always taught you? I know you think the sun shines out of her ass, but to me, she’s still got a lot to prove. And why isn’t Ace answering my call? You tell me that.”
The clouds are clearing from my brain, and my features go tight. I couldn’t get hold of Ace yesterday. I honestly can’t tell Ma that her fears aren’t valid.
I can hear Ma tutting on the other end of the line, awaiting my answer. “I’m driving up there now, Ma. I’ll either get him to call you or ring you myself.”
“Make sure you do.” She ends the call. That’s my ma all over, never wastes time on niceties.
I immediately try Ace’s phone myself. No luck.
Then I try Toni, but the call doesn’t connect.
A kernel of unease starts to grow inside me. Could a cell phone tower be out? That could account for both their phones being uncontactable.
At least, after three hours of sleep and Ma’s wake-up call, I’m feeling more awake than I had been when I arrived home from Royals last night.
I waste a split-second wondering whether I can forgo my morning routine, then I picture Toni’s face if I arrive unkempt and stinking.
I head for the shower, am in and out in record time, then grab some clothes, the jeans and black t-shirt I wear, a few alternative shirts and underwear for the next five days, and a second pair of jeans.
I squeeze it all into my duffel. Toiletries I can pick up when I’m there.
I head out of my room, down the stairs, through the clubroom, wishing it were later and that either Pippa or Genie would be around to check whether there was a cellular disruption in the Flagstaff area.
Realising if there is, that could affect my cell too, I yell for a prospect. Calling out when I spy one, “Dee, get your ass over here.”
“I’m not Dee, I’m Dum.” He approaches with a broom in his hand. Obviously, he’s on the early cleaning duty.
“Got a message for you to give to Bullseye, okay? And if you forget or get it wrong, you can give up any hopes for your patch, you got it?”
“Yeah, yeah,” he says, sounding bored. “Just let me have it, and I’ll see Prez gets it.”
Raking my hand through my hair, I state, “I’ve got a feeling there could be something wrong with cell phone reception in the Flagstaff area where I’m heading to now. If he needs me and can’t get through, that’s the problem. Tell him I’ll find some way to get in touch. You got it?”
Dum raises and lowers his chin. “Got it. You’ll be in Flagstaff but might not be able to make or receive calls.”
I have to trust him, but he knows the risks. The consequences of failure at any task given to a prospect are made clear to them time after time. As they’ll do fucking anything to earn their patch – including cleaning the heads with their toothbrush if asked – I have confidence he won’t fuck up.
For a moment, I consider taking my bike, but then realise it’s impractical. Ace has ridden on it plenty of times, but not for five hours, and there simply isn’t space for my bag or the shit he’s taken with him. The truck will have to do.
Once I’m on the road, I feel easier. I hated it when I was relying on phone calls and feeling useless when there was no answer.
Now I’m taking action, I feel more in control.
When I get on the other side of Tucson, I stop, top up with fuel, grab a sandwich to eat on the way, then quickly get back on the road.
One by one, the miles add up, and although my numb ass and stiff shoulders remind me I’ve, yet again, been driving for hours, my physical discomfort fades into the background when at last I enter Flagstaff, navigate my way through, and finally end up at Toni’s house.
Immediately, I notice there’s no car in the drive.
At first, the accident idea slams back into my mind, but the clock in the truck tells me it’s eleven-thirty.
I made good fucking time. Them being involved in a car crash is still possible, but remembering Toni and all her fucking plans, now’s not a time when I should expect them to be home.
She could have taken him out somewhere. She wouldn’t have expected me to arrive for a couple more hours.
After trying their phones one more time and still getting no answer, I’m too anxious to wait and decide I’m going to go inside.
It will ease my mind if I can find evidence they slept here last night – maybe breakfast plates in the dishwasher or Ace’s bed left unmade.
Her front door is locked, but that doesn’t faze me.
I simply take my lock-picking tool out of the kit I keep in my truck, and only a few seconds later, the door is open.
An air of desertion greets me as I walk in. It seems strange to invade her home when she’s not here. But as I enter the living room, I notice the furniture’s all in place, but the throw cushions and personal items that made it hers are missing.
Blinking my eyes, not understanding what I’m seeing, my steps speed up as I ascend the stairs, heading directly to the room Ace stayed in. The bed’s still in the middle, but it’s devoid of sheets, a comforter, or pillows, and there’s no clothing, no bag, nothing to show anyone’s ever stayed there.
My hands start sweating, my breathing catches. I’ve got the wrong room. Quickly, I go to Toni’s and find it just as empty. All personal articles have been removed. It’s exactly the same in the bathroom.
What the fuck?
Panic rises through me, my heart racing fast. There must be a reasonable explanation. But damn if I can think of one. Quickly, I inspect the other rooms, only to discover the whole house is like a ghost town.
Pulling out my phone, I’m not even surprised when I get a signal, a full five bars. With shaking fingers, I stab at the first stored number.
“Freak, got your message…”