Terri Austin - Diners, Dives & Dead Ends

“They why did he take you? And why didn’t you tell me?” I heard the pain in her voice.

“He told me to quit asking questions. Quit looking for Axton. Then showed me pictures of all my friends and family. Like surveillance pictures.” I bit my lip and stared at my empty futon frame. “There was one of you. You were standing outside of The Carp. There was one of Scotty, Jacqueline, my parents, Ma, and one of Axton, bound and gagged.” I glanced at her. The look of betrayal on her face was almost more than I could stand.

“What the hell? Why did you keep this from me? Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do. I didn’t want to tell you because I didn’t want to worry you.”

“Bullshit, Rose.” She poked a finger in my sternum. It hurt. “You didn’t want to stop looking for Axton. You were afraid I’d tell you to quit.”

Was that the truth? My head hurt and my eyes felt grainy. I covered my face with my hands. I stood that way for some time, just breathing, blocking out Roxy, blocking out my empty apartment. Finally, I dropped my hands and looked at her. “I’m sorry.”

She glared at me for what seemed like an hour, then finally said, “It’s okay.” She pointed at me, and I backed up a step in case she wanted to poke me again. “But you’re on my shit list once this is over.”

“Fair enough.”

Then she scuffed the floor with the toe of her shoe. “I thought we were best friends.”

“We are. I was wrong to keep it from you. From now on, full disclosure. I promise.”

“Okay.” She knocked her shoulder against mine. “You are such a dumbass. I wouldn’t have told you to stop looking for Axton.”

“I’m sorry.” Tears pricked my eyes. I thought I was all cried out, but I was wrong. I slid to the floor and covered my head with my arms, sobbing.

Roxy sat next to me and patted my arm. “Please don’t cry.” She handed me paper towel.

When the tears slowed down, I mopped up my face. The paper towel was rough on my cheeks and even rougher when I blew my nose.

“Gross,” Roxy said with a chuckle.

I laughed a little, too and then looked down at borrowed catering uniform. “I guess I’m going to have to wear this to work, huh?”

“You need to skip work and replace all your shit.”

“Unless I go to work, I can’t afford to replace any of my shit.”

My first stop at the diner was to pour an enormous cup of boiling hot coffee from the fresh pot. Roxy had gone home to change, and walked in a few minutes later. Two blue braids dangled on either side of her face and she wore a dress with blue birds embroidered on the hem. She looked like a strung out Heidi on crank.

Ma stared at us. “What in the world happened to the pair of you? You look like you’ve been to hell and back. And Rose, why are you wearing that outfit from last night?”

Ma’s face lost its color as I described the apocalypse that was my apartment. “What is going on? First Axton, then your car, and now this? What did the police say?”

“Not a whole lot. They took prints, questioned my neighbors. They don’t know why I was targeted.”

“It must have been that Sullivan,” she said.

“I don’t know. Maybe. Probably.” I rubbed my bleary eyes with both hands.

“Take the morning off, honey, and go get a new bed. She pointed a finger, wagging it between Roxy and me. “I want both of you to come to dinner tonight. You girls need a good meal.”

“Thank you, Ma, but I can’t. And I don’t want the day off.”

She pursed her lips. “I don’t like this. Not one little bit. I don’t want anyone to hurt my girls.” She pulled Roxy and me into a hug.

I hugged her back and Roxy patted Ma’s shoulder.

“Now,” she said, briskly, releasing us, “Ray will put new locks on your door. They’re on me.” When I opened my mouth to protest, she cut me off. “Ah, ah, ah, no arguing.”

“Thanks, Ma, but I left a message with the super this morning. He’ll take care of it. The doorjamb was busted, too, so he needs to fix it.”

“You won’t let me do anything for you. You’re too independent for your own good, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.”

I canceled my study date with Janelle. Too much drama, I tapped out on my phone’s tiny keyboard. Then I busied myself with customers and coffee, trying not to dwell on the mountain of problems crashing down on me. Apparently I didn’t do so hot. Said customers weren’t impressed with my disposition and my tips sucked.

Janelle walked in a half hour before closing. She’d never been here before and she surveyed the room as she walked up to the counter and took a seat. “So this is where the magic happens, huh?”

I smiled, happy to see her, and poured her a cup of coffee. “This is it.”

“It could use a little freshening up.” She glanced at the photo of a younger Ma, Frank, and little boy Ray hanging next to the cash register.

“Nah. I think it’s perfect like this.”

She took a sip of coffee and appraised me. “You look like shit on a shingle, girl, and you’re paler than usual. What have you been up to?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Try me. Any news on Axton?”

In between taking care of my last customer and introducing her to Ma, I filled Janelle in on the shit storm my life had become.

She nodded at my now lukewarm cup of Joe. “You may need something stronger than that after the week you’ve had.”

“I hear you.”

Ma came up and patted my butt. “Take it easy, toots. Roxy and I will clean up.”

Roxy stuck her tongue out at me. I was going to have to make it up to them at some point. They’d been shouldering the load for a week now.

Janelle brushed a braid over her shoulder. “So, let me get this straight. You’ve got a missing friend, a crazy ex, a cute lawyer, a hot guy busting down your door, you beat the shit out of Ben Franklin, and everything you own, except that trashy car, has been destroyed? That’s what you’re telling me?”

“Yep,” I said, “that about covers it.”

“Sounds to me like you need some personal protection and I am not talking about a love glove. What if this asshole breaks in again? Or that guy who was with him?”

“Henry?”

“Yeah, Henry. What if Henry comes back? You need to be able to protect your shit, girl.”

“Are you talking about a gun?” I think my voice went up an octave. “Because I don’t know about that.”

“Hell yes, I’m talking about a gun.” She poked me in the arm with a blue-tipped nail. “You pull a gun on his ass, he’ll think twice about fucking with you.”

I imagined toting a big honking six-shooter in my backpack. “I’d probably wind up shooting myself in the elbow. Lose my good texting arm.”

Roxy glanced up from the table she was wiping. “I think it’s a good idea.”

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. “No way.”

“Fine,” Janelle said. “How about a stun gun? Zap him right in the balls, see how he likes that.”

Now we’re talking. The thought of zapping Henry in the balls filled me with delight. “Where do I get one of those?”

“My cousin sells them. He’ll give you a deal.”

Ma put her hands on her hips. “I think we all need some kind of protection. Get me some of that pepper spray.” She walked behind the counter and scrounged around in her purse, pulling out two twenties. “And see if they have a rape whistle. A girl can’t be too careful.”

I shoved the bills in my pocket. “Roxy, you in?”

“Hell yes.”

So I’d eat ramen noodles for the next two weeks. Feeling protected would be worth it. “Where’s his store?”