Terri Austin - Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

It was still halfway dark when I left my apartment and crossed the parking lot. Jumpy and alert, I scanned the area, but didn’t see anything out of place. Of course I hadn’t seen anything out of place last night either and look how well that turned out. I hopped into my car and slammed the door, making sure it was locked before I started the engine.

There weren’t many cars on the road this early, but my eyes darted around the gloomy streets looking for anything suspicious. By the time I got to Ma’s I was a shaky mess.

I greeted Ray and Jorge as I walked through the kitchen before making a beeline to the restroom. Ma and Roxy exchanged a glance as I hustled past. When I stepped back into the dining room, I pulled a clean apron from the hook and put it in on.

“Rose, honey, are you all right?” Ma asked.

I gave them a recap of my crappy night. They both made “o’s” with their mouths.

“And the thing is, this guy who broke into my apartment didn’t say what he’s looking for. But I have to find Axton before he does.” I realized I was talking so fast my words jumbled together, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. And I flailed my hands like a loon. “Whoever he was, he was scary. Hot, but scary. No, forget hot. Hot has nothing to do with it. Just scary.” I finally paused to take a deep breath. “Sorry. I drank almost a whole pot of coffee.”

“No, really?” Roxy asked, around a wad of gum. “Why didn’t you call me?”

To be honest, it never occurred to me. I was so used to handling things on my own, I never thought of calling anyone for help. Besides, what if the two men were watching my apartment? I didn’t want Roxy in their crosshairs, too.

Ma pursed her lips, causing her wrinkles to deepen. “Did you call the police?”

“No, this guy made it seem like a bad idea. But I am going to report Axton missing. I’m just not going to mention anything about this guy. That’s the right thing to do, right? But what if it isn’t? Oh my God, what am I going to do?”

“Okay, honey,” Ma led me to the nearest chair, gently pushing on my shoulder until I sat. “No more coffee for you. Now, do you have any idea who this man was?” She pulled out a chair next to me and plonked her bony butt on the edge of it. She put her hand over my knee, which was bouncing like a jackhammer.

“I don’t know. I don’t know who he is or what he does, or how he knew everything about me. I have to find Ax.” I reached out and grabbed Ma’s hand. “And I haven’t heard from him since Monday night. I’ve racked my brain, but I don’t know where he could be.”

“It’s going to be all right, Rose. Axton’s probably just hiding out somewhere.”

I shook my head. “Where? I know where Axton goes and what he does. What if he’s…” I couldn’t even bring myself to say it, but it had been circling my brain since last night. What if Axton was lying out there, hurt and unable to get to a phone? What if he was dead?

“No, Rose,” Ma said forcefully, squeezing my fingers. “He’s just fine, do you hear me? He’s fine. You have to believe that.”

“Okay.” I wanted to believe it.

Ma glanced out the window at the line of people standing outside the door. “Why don’t you go home today, honey?”

“I’m too wired. I need to work. I need the money. And I can’t go back there until I get a new lock.”

Roxy, uncharacteristically quiet, bit her lip. She looked worried. And if Roxy looked worried, that was saying something.

I cleared my throat, got up from the table, and put a smile on my face. “You know what? It’s going to be fine.” Neither Ma nor Roxy appeared convinced. “Really. Just fine. I’m going to find Axton. End of story. See? I have a plan.” I had no idea what that plan would entail, but those were just details. I moved to the door and flipped the open sign.

I don’t think in the five years since I’d worked at Ma’s I had ever been quite so speedy. I felt like I was on fast forward. I forced myself to be cheerful to customers as I whirled around filling coffee, taking orders, helping Roxy and Ma get their food out. My tips had never been so good. But it didn’t last. Before noon, my caffeinated high crashed and left me cranky. When a customer sent back his omelet for the second time, I nearly burst into tears.

Ma stood next to me at the kitchen pass through with a carafe of coffee in her hand. “Roxy and I will finish here. She said you can go to her place and get some sleep. Ray will come by your apartment later and put on a new lock.”

“Bu—”

“I’m not asking you, Rose, I’m telling you. You look like shit warmed over, toots.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Just telling it like I see it. Now get out of here. I’ll take that jackass his omelet.”

“Okay.”

Roxy came up behind me, took my elbow, and ushered me into the kitchen where she took her apartment key off her key ring. “Take a shower and try to get some sleep. You can change, too, if you want. Sweats and stuff are in the third drawer of my dresser.”

I got a little teary. “You’re a good friend, Rox.”

She rolled her eyes. “Jeez Louise, you are one hot mess today.” She spun on her heel and left the kitchen.

I went to the pantry and pulled the syrup box off the shelf. I dug out Ax’s backpack and stuck his laptop and the shiny computer doodad in my own backpack. I still needed to take it to the IT office for Steve to look at. Then I put everything back and walked out to the kitchen.

Jorge stopped me before I left. “Are you all right, chica? Do you need to come stay with me and Marisol? You’ll have to sleep on the floor in the baby’s room. Marisol’s brother is sleeping on the sofa until his wife takes him back.”

“Thanks Jorge, but I’ll be okay.”

He hugged me with one arm decorated with colorful sleeve tattoos. “Let me know if you change your mind.”

Now I really was about to cry. I took off my apron, grabbed my jacket and said goodbye as quickly as I could before I broke down completely.

I let myself into Roxy’s apartment — well, you could call it an apartment if you were being generous. I had a studio with an economy kitchen. Roxy’s place was a room with a hotplate. A rack with wheels held most her clothes. A sewing machine was set up along one wall and a Sailor Moon poster hung on the door.

Her bathroom was the size of a small closet with light pink tile that had been popular sometime during the Eisenhower administration. But it was clean and organized and the shower felt good.

I put my bra and panties back on, and from Roxy’s dresser I chose a Hello Kitty t-shirt and a pair of worn sweatpants that were a little short on me.

I sat crossed-legged on the bed and pulled my hair into a ponytail and wondered what I should do next. Quitting at this point was not even an option. I had to find Axton before The Bossy Jackass did — or BJ as I was starting to think of him. Axton had something that belonged to him. It had to be related to that club Axton went to. And it had to be in the backpack Axton gave me. The computer stuff was the only option, unless BJ was jonesing for a used copy of The Hobbit .

Exhausted and out of ideas, I sighed and crawled under the blanket and decided to rest for an hour.

I must have slept harder than I thought because when I awoke, Roxy was sitting on the other side of the bed reading a paperback book with a Japanese anime drawing on the cover.

“Hey,” I said around a yawn. “What time is it?”

“After four. Ray got your new lock put on and left the keys with your landlord.” She flipped a page. “You make a funny noise when you sleep.”

“Like what? Do you mean snoring?”

“More like a soft humpf, humpf. You do it over and over and then you stop for a while.”