Chapter 15
Daphne pulled six darts from the board. She held three in each hand. "Take your pick.”
I grabbed a handful.
She weighed the remaining darts, getting a feel for them. “Do you want to go first?”
"After you," I said.
She considered it. "Let's flip for it.”
"Fair enough." I pulled a quarter from my pocket. "Call it in the air."
She nodded, and I flipped the coin.
It tumbled end over end.
“Heads,” she said.
When it came back down, I caught it in my palm, then slapped it against the back of my wrist. I peeled my hand away to reveal the coin.
“Heads it is.”
"It's my choice, and I choose to go after you.”
My eyes narrowed at her again, wondering what she was up to.
I stepped to the line, took aim, and practiced my stroke. I settled my mind, took a deep breath, then let the dart fly.
It careened through the air and stabbed the corkboard dead-solid perfect in the bull's-eye.
I grinned, looked at Daphne, and winked.
She smiled, enjoying this.
I took aim again and let another dart fly.
Thunk!
Bull's-eye!
"Feeling confident, are you?” she asked.
"If you’re trying to get in my head, it's not going to work."
She pulled her neckline down a bit as a distraction. It was a hell of a distraction. "Want to raise the stakes?"
"What do you have in mind?”
"I have plenty of things in mind," she said with smoldering eyes.
"I think we'll keep the stakes where they're at."
"Chicken. Bock, bock, bock!” She flapped her arms and pranced around.
I dismissed her nonsense, took aim, and let another dart fly.
It sliced through the air and stabbed the dartboard in the bull's-eye.
I stepped away, gestured to the line, and said, “It's all you.”
Daphne stepped up, weighed the darts in her palm again, then took aim.
Before she let the dart fly, she looked straight at me and threw it without looking.
The dart flew through the air and stabbed the triple 20.
It was at that moment that I had a sinking sensation in my gut.
She rapid-fired the next two darts, still looking at me. Like a robot, her form was perfect.
Thunk!
Thunk!
All three shots hit the triple 20, giving her a total of 180 points to my 150.
She stepped away from the line and marched back toward the bar. "I'll take a vodka martini."
A man of my word, I followed her to the bar and placed the order. The bartender poured the drinks. I paid the tab, and we moved to a secluded booth.
We slid into the bench seats across from one another.
Daphne's full lips wrapped around the martini glass, leaving a delightful stain.
“Want to explain that?”
She smirked. “Two-time regional champion. You should see me throw a knife.”
“I think I’ll keep sharp objects away from you.”
She sneered at me playfully.
"You seem like a smart woman," I said. "How the hell did you get mixed up with a guy like Dane?”
She groaned. "I was young and stupid and fresh out of high school. He was dangerous and exciting. At first, it was little stuff. Then the scores kept getting bigger and bigger. Not that I'm admitting to anything,” she said with a lifted brow.
"The dagger was a pretty big score.”
"Allegedly.”
"Enough to walk away and retire on a beach in a remote part of the world."
"I don't know if you’ve been keeping up with current events, but the world has gotten crazy in the last several years. Everything is so expensive. Most people are just barely keeping their heads above water. If you want money, and I mean real money, you gotta do something drastic."
"There are plenty of legitimate ways to make real money," I said.
"Grind it out for 40 years so you can retire and have maybe a few good years before you end up in a home like my mother? No thanks. I'm sure she thought she had plenty of time to enjoy her golden years.” She took another sip of her martini.
"That's not an excuse."
"What about you? What's this volunteer thing all about?”
I shrugged. "Just trying to leave the world a little better than I found it."
"Think you’re making a difference?"
I shrugged. "I hope so.”
"Does it really even matter? I mean, we’re living in a constant state of decay. There's chaos everywhere. You put one criminal in jail, and another one springs up.”
"Are you advocating for lawlessness?”
She smirked. "Just making small talk. Are you sure you don't want a drink?"
"Are you trying to get me drunk?"
"Don't worry, I won't take advantage of you."
"Sorry, but I need to stay clearheaded around you."
"You're treating me like a hardened criminal."
"You are.”
She stuck her tongue out at me.
There was an awkward moment of silence. The clatter of pool balls echoed throughout the lounge, mixed with the sound of chill music and conversation.
Daphne was easy to look at. Another time and another place, who knows?
"If you'll excuse me, I need to use the little girl's room."
She slid across the bench seat and stood up.
"Oh, no. I'm not letting you out of my sight.”
She gave me a look. "What do you want me to do? Go right here?”
"I'll go with you."
She laughed. "If you're into that kind of thing."
I escorted her to the restroom and knocked on the door. "Coconut County. Is anybody in there?"
"Just a minute," a woman replied.
We waited outside until the woman did her business. She stepped into the hallway, giving us a curious look. I opened the door and shouted into the restroom once again. "Sheriff's Department, is anyone in here?"
There was no response.
I escorted Daphne into the restroom and locked the door behind us.
"Do you want to watch?" she asked.
I gave her a flat look.
Daphne slipped into a stall and latched the door. "I can't believe you won't let me go to the bathroom by myself. You’re probably getting off on this."
"Keep dreaming.”
Daphne did her business, then slipped out of the stall, adjusting her skirt. She primped in the mirror, fixing her hair. Her face scrunched with disappointment. "I really need to go by my apartment, take a shower, change, and do my makeup.”
"How is that going to help me find Dane?"
"It will help me feel like a human being.” She approached, looking at me with sultry eyes, pouting. "Pretty please?"
"I've already done you enough favors.”
That's when she kicked me in the balls. I should have seen it coming. She was quick.
That sick sensation twisted my stomach. Those pointy-tipped shoes did not feel good.
Daphne darted for the door, unlocked it, and sprinted into the hallway.
I sucked up the discomfort and gave chase.