Chapter 14
We pulled into the parking lot of the Serenity Shores, and I found a spot not far from the entrance. I killed the engine, hopped out, and moved around to grab Daphne's door.
She extended her hands and gave me a sad, pathetic look. "I really don't want my mom to have to see me like this. You can put them back on right after. I promise I won't be a naughty girl. Not unless you want me to."
I helped her out of the vehicle, but didn't take off the cuffs. I took her by the arm and escorted her into the lobby. We checked in at the front desk.
"I'm here to see Grace O’Connor," Daphne said.
Daphne signed in, and the receptionist’s eyes went wide when she saw the handcuffs.
“Don’t worry, I’m harmless,” Daphne said.
“I don’t even want to know.”
Daphne led me down the hallway in the west wing.
The place had that smell. Disinfectant mixed with soiled adult diapers. These kinds of places always gave me the shivers. Nothing frightened me more than the inevitable march of time.
We stopped just outside a door that was slightly ajar. The TV was on, and the room was dim.
"If she asks, you're my new boyfriend,” Daphne said.
I stopped her before she went in. Against my better judgment, I released the handcuffs. She rubbed her wrists that had deep grooves in them.
"If you give me any trouble, I swear to God…"
"I promise, I'll be on my best behavior."
Daphne pushed into the room, and I followed.
We walked down a short foyer past the bathroom on the left, then a small kitchenette.
The room shared a similar layout to a standard hotel.
There was a small sitting area, a queen-size bed, and a wall unit for air-conditioning.
Pale blue walls and mass-market art. A window opened to a yard that offered some greenery.
Daphne’s mother sat in a recliner, zoned out, watching TV. She didn't react when we entered the room.
"Hey, Mom. It's me.”
The woman didn't respond.
Her mother was in her late 50s with short brown hair, blue eyes, and a thin frame. She was young to be living in an assisted facility like this.
"Mom, it's me, Daphne," she said again.
Her mother finally looked at her with a face wrinkled from confusion. She didn’t know who the hell Daphne was.
"I just thought I'd make sure you’re okay. I know it's been a while. I'm sorry. I will try to come more often."
Her mother kept looking at her, confused, then her gaze returned to the television.
"This is my friend, Tyson," Daphne said, introducing me.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am," I said.
Daphne leaned in and whispered in her mother's ear, "He's a real catch, isn’t he?"
Daphne winked at me.
Her mother's eyes flicked to me for a second, and an almost imperceptible smile tugged her thin lips. She looked back at the television again.
Daphne’s eyes brimmed. It was hard to watch. "Do you need anything? Are they taking care of you?"
Her mother didn't say anything.
We stayed for a little while, and Daphne kept trying to break through. She brought up old memories and talked about good times they'd shared.
Nothing seemed to work.
When we left, I asked Daphne what the issue was. "She seems too young for early-onset dementia."
Daphne shrugged. “I’ve taken her to every specialist around. They've all written it off as cognitive decline." Daphne frowned. "She wasn't always like this. Six months ago, she was fine. Sharp and active."
"Did she suffer any head trauma?”
"She got into a small fender bender. The airbag deployed.
She went to the hospital after that. Her hand was on the horn when the airbag blew and pushed her hand into her face.
She broke her wrist and got a concussion.
They did a CT scan, but there was no brain bleed.
This didn't start until three months later. So I don't think it's related."
"Has she had a CT since?”
"Yes. She had a second CT scan after the accident, and everything was clean." Daphne frowned.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. Luck of the draw, I guess. Freaks me out. You never know what’s waiting down the road for you.”
We exited the facility and made our way across the parking lot.
I grabbed Daphne's door, and she slid into the seat.
She held her hands out for me to place the cuffs on them again.
Against my better judgment, I said, "If you promise not to give me any trouble, I'll leave them off for a little while longer. “
"I'll be a saint," she said with devilish eyes.
"I've done a few favors for you. Now it's time to come through with the goods."
"You got it. I promise, I'll deliver."
I gave her a skeptical look, then closed the door, hustled around to the driver’s side, and slid behind the wheel. I cranked up the Porsche, and we drove back to Oyster Avenue.
Daphne said that Dane liked to frequent the Iguana Lounge. It was a chill, old-school bar that played good music, had pool tables, and cozy couches. The drinks were stiff and reasonably priced. The bartender would laugh at you if you went in and asked for fruity cocktails.
The avenue was a little more crowded than when we left, and I had more trouble finding a place to park.
I escorted the vixen to the strip, and we strolled the sidewalk to the lounge.
I grabbed the door for her, and we stepped inside and ambled up to the bar.
I gave a look around, but didn't see Dane or Brock.
It was still early in the evening. Things really didn't get happening around here till much later.
I texted JD and told him where I was. [Message me when you're finished, and I'll pick you up.]
I didn't hear back right away. It was too loud in the practice room.
The bartender approached. "Can I get you anything?"
“No, thank you," I said with a discreet display of my badge.
He looked at Daphne. "For you, ma'am?"
"She can have anything nonalcoholic,” I said.
"I've got nonalcoholic beer, wine, and the usual array of soft drinks."
"Come on," Daphne said to me. "One drink isn't gonna hurt anything. Live a little. You know you want to," she said in an inviting tone. A tone that had led many men to their doom or heartbreak.
I considered it.
"You’re gonna stick out like a sore thumb if you're not drinking in a place like this. Everyone's gonna make you for a cop."
"Do I care? Dane will spot you before he spots me." I looked around the bar. "We should find someplace less conspicuous," I said, nodding to a booth in the back.
“How about this?” She pointed to a dartboard. “One turn each, three throws. Highest points win. If I win, you buy me a drink. If you win, I shut up about it.”
My eyes narrowed at her. “You’re on.”