“No, no. It’s fine,” I said, but in fact, I was sick to my stomach with fear.
I had Jess to think of and I needed the money so I went on with my work, a ghost of myself. When I went to bed later that night I was haunted by nightmares. I shot up from bed and pounded my own chest for air, barely able to breathe. The sound of blood dripping into a pail from the slit throat of a body hanging in a dank basement still resounded in my ears.
Della Ray
The next morning, I found myself at Reno’s bar. I was quaking in my shoes, especially since Bone had warned me from ever returning here, but I needed them to know that someone was aware of his absence. Someone cared and would go to the authorities if he didn’t turn up.
That they weren’t going to get away with it if they were planning anything nefarious.
The bar was empty, which was to be expected since it wasn’t yet midday. I called out the old man I had met the last time as he came out of the door behind the counter.
He scowled disapprovingly at me, but I ignored it and spoke up, “I’m looking for Bone.”
He cocked his head at me. “Why would you be looking for him here?”
I was a bit taken aback by the question. “Their club …” I went on. “The Order of Blood. They hang out here do they not?”
“Miss, do you see anyone here right now? And this is Reno’s bar and grill, not the Order of Blood. If you want them, I can give you their address.”
I gazed at his faded green eyes and the deep lines on his face. I didn’t know what to do. There was absolutely no way I was going to head over to their clubhouse. Even meeting them in a public place would be a scary event. I squared my shoulders. “Well, I have a message for the club’s members.”
His gray eyebrows shot upwards with surprise.
“Let them know,” I said firmly. “That all of Bone’s friends know he is missing, and if he doesn’t turn up soon, then we are going to send the cops to them. We knew exactly when he left, and that he got a call to come to the clubhouse, and since then he hasn’t been seen.”
I didn’t know what else to add after that, so I shut my mouth and looked at him sternly.
He folded his arms across his chest. I was sure I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes. Either amusement or respect, but I couldn’t be sure. Not that I cared. I just wanted Bone back.
“You came to threaten an outlaw MC?” he asked.
I swallowed hard and he shook his head. “Missy, don’t you have a job or something? It’s too early to be doing things this stupid.”
“I mean it,” I said through gritted teeth. “I won’t let this go until I hear from him.”
He lifted his hands exhaustedly in the air. “Sure, I’ll pass on your message. Who should I say left it?”
“Bone’s friend … and family,” I said immediately.
He studied me quietly. I felt like he pitied me. “Got it. Now please leave.”
“How will I know you’ve delivered it?” I asked.
“Well if I deliver it and it spooks them enough to release Bone like you hope, that’ll be proof won’t it?”
“And if I don’t hear from him?”
“Then you can go to the cops like you’ve promised. Just leave me out of it. Good-day.”
“I’m giving them one more week, no, four more days. If Bone does not resurface in four days, then I am going to the cops.”
He shook his head and went back through the door he came in from, slamming it shut behind him so loudly, I jumped at the unmistakable note of conclusion.
With my heart heavier than it had been before I arrived, I made my way out of the bar, and felt indeed as stupid as he had perceived me to be, but still I’d done the only thing I could. I’d let the club members know that Bone couldn’t be disposed of without the cops becoming involved.
I would wait, just like I’d said, but two days later and I found myself filing a Missing Person’s Report at the County police station.
I realized I wouldn’t get far when the uniformed officer started asking me the most basic questions about someone I had called a friend, and I didn’t know the answers.
“Um …” the officer sat up. “Who exactly is the victim to you again, Miss?”
My voice was small. “A friend.”
“Whose name you know as just Bone. You don’t know his real or last name.”
“Miller,” I said. “His last name is Miller.”
“Um, Okay,” he responded as he scrolled through his computer. “We have quite a number of Millers here but … no Bone. You don’t know his age or …”