CHAPTER TWELVE
Townies
Rio—
Zig takes me in the pickup truck for a tour of the town. As we approach the city limits, we see a squad car with a vehicle pulled over on the shoulder.
A young girl is standing next to the driver’s door, and the officer is crowding her against it, his hand on the rooftop.
“Don’t turn your head to look,” Zig warns, and I tug my ball cap lower.
I don’t give the appearance of any interest, but I take it in out of the corner of my eye.
It’s Carson, and the girl looks like a teenager.
“That happen often?” I ask Zig.
“All the fucking time.” He drags a hand down his mouth. “I’m surprised fathers let their daughters out of their sight in this fucking town.”
We pass the motel I remember staying at. The name is different now, and it’s painted a new color. We pass the bank we robbed. It looks much the same.
Zig makes a turn onto the main drag, and Blitzy’s comes into view. It hasn’t changed at all. I spot the pickup window where I first saw Shelby, and the picnic table she and her friend sat at.
He makes another turn, and we pull into a restaurant parking lot. I read the sign.
The Stardust Café. The place looks cute in a fifty’s kind of way.
Zig parks, and we go inside. There are booths along the front windows, a few tables, and a counter with barstools.
We seat ourselves at a booth by the window. When Zig starts to sit, I motion him to the last one at the end so I can keep my back to the wall. Almost a decade in prison has me wary, and I know it’s not something that’s going to wear off anytime soon.
A waitress in her twenties comes over with a smile and a pot of coffee. “How are you boys today? Can I get you started with some coffee?”
I flip the cup on my saucer right side up. “Please.”
She fills us both up and slides two menus on the table. “The special today is meatloaf. I’ll give you boys some time.”
After she leaves, I scan the menu, Zig and I quiet in our perusal, and the low murmurings from the booth behind him carry to us.
“My sister got pulled over yesterday,” a teenage boy mutters.
“Oh, no. Is she okay?” the teen girl across from him replies.
“She won’t talk about it. But you know what happened to Rachel Ann from school.”
“Yeah, that awful Deputy Carson pinned her against her car and felt her up,” the girl whispers. “Do you think that happened to your sister?”
“I don’t know, but she hasn’t been herself since. And now she has a ticket, and since she’s only sixteen, she has to go to court to pay it off.”
“She can’t just mail it in?”
“Nope.”
“So, if he did something to her like that, she’s going to have to face him again? How awful. It makes me not want to get my driver’s license.”
Zig and I exchange a look.
“I overheard my mom begging my father last night for us to move out of this town,” the boy says, jamming his straw in the ice in his cup.
“Then I’ll never see you again,” the girl whines low.
I meet my VP’s eyes. “I need to find Shelby. Where could she have gone?”
Zig shrugs. “Maybe she’s changed her name.”
I stare out the window. “I doubt it.”
Zig leans back in his seat, the vinyl creaking. “She’s not at the bank. The old address she gave you seems abandoned. That friend’s address, we checked. Different people live there now.”
“There’s got to be a way.”
Our waitress returns with a smile. “Have you boys decided?”
I scan the menu again. “Umm…”
The bell above the door jingles, and I look up to see a sheriff’s deputy walk in. It’s not Carson. He approaches the cash register and motions to someone near the kitchen.
A woman with a tall red beehive hairdo greets him, but there’s no smile.
He leans over and murmurs something with a smartass grin.
She reaches below the counter and slips him an envelope.
He checks inside it, then walks out with a wink. “See you next week, Dolly.”
My eyes follow him to his squad car.
“What’ll you have?” the waitress asks again.
I lift my chin toward Dolly. “That the owner?”
“Yes, sir.”
“That happen often?” I ask her.
“Every week. They take so much I don’t know how Dolly can afford to keep the place open,” she whispers.
“And if she doesn’t pay?”
“Bad things happen.” She eyes us. “You two new in town?”
“Yes, ma’am. Doesn’t seem like the townsfolk think too highly of law enforcement.”
“You’ve got that right.”
“We saw one of them had a young girl pulled over on the side of the road.”
“Poor girl. I wouldn’t want to be her. I try to take the backroads whenever possible. Avoid the cops at all costs.” She leans closer and drops her voice. “They’re all corrupt as hell. You’d do good to avoid them, too.”
I take out my wallet and peel off a twenty, holding it out. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Wow. Thanks.” She retreats with a smile.
A girl walks in and moves to the counter.
Dolly approaches her. “Well, hello, Jenny. Haven’t seen you in months.”
My wallet still out, I twist to look.
Jenny gives her a big smile, and something about her clicks in my memory.
“I need two orders of cheeseburgers and fries, please,” she says.
“Two?” Dolly cocks her head.
“Yep. Shelby’s back in town, and I’m meeting her.”
“Well, isn’t that nice.”
I bump my cup and saucer, making a clatter, and Jenny turns my way. She stares for a moment, and then her eyes widen, and she pushes from the counter.
“I… I’ve got to go.”
I’m out of the booth to cut her off before she makes it to the door. “I’m looking for Shelby. You know where she is?”
“Nope. Haven’t seen her.” She dashes past me and out the door.
Zig dumps money on the table and stands, moving to me. “I get the feeling that girl just lied to you.”
“She’s protecting her friend,” I say, watching her through the window as she runs down the street.
Zig dips his head. “Bet she’s running to tell her about you right now.”
“I bet you’re right. Come on.”
Zig holds up my wallet. “You left this on the table, boss.”
“Thanks, man.” I snatch it, and we head out after Jenny.