Page 63 of Being Lost

“Maybe he thinks Dan told her something before he ‘died.’” I use air quotes. “He did go to her house a couple of times.”

“True.” I nod. My pen still taps at my lips. “I still think there’s something we’re missing.”

“Okay.” Dart leans back in his chair and kicks out his legs, resting his feet on my desk, crossing them at the ankles.

I glare at him, but he smirks and leaves his boots where they are. Really, I don’t give a damn. The desk is old and already marked, and if it helps with his thought process, I’m not going to argue.

“Let’s think about this. The information is over twenty years old. But what if it was a pipe dream back then, and the tunnel was only constructed recently?”

“For a start, we don’t know if there is a tunnel.” I play devil’s advocate. “And in twenty years he might have changed his plans or location.”

“Maybe he had the perfect site in mind, one that’s remained hidden all these years. Or,” Dart swings his legs back down and sits forward again, “maybe it’s a backup location. What if the information Dan gave him fucked up his current routes, so he’s had to use something else? Maybe he’s resurrected an old way of getting drugs in and out.”

“What else could it be, Dart?” True to my name, I’m totally lost for any explanation. Does it all hinge on data that’s been gathering dust for two decades, or is it something Patsy knows now? Until we’ve got more information, I’m stumped as to how to progress. Am I right to keep Patsy close by, or should we create a new identity and move her? Is she safe here? Or am I putting her at greater risk?

Dart sweeps his long hair back as though preparing to fasten it in a ponytail but just holds it there. “All this started with an anonymous message. If we hadn’t gotten that, we’d have never known Patsy was in danger.”

I shudder at Dart’s reminder. If we hadn’t known, Alder would already have his hands on her. With that network of his, she wouldn’t have evaded him for long. I owe whoever it was that messaged us. I make a mental note to check with Token whether he’s been able to find out any more. Maybe there’s more information to come our way if we only knew who the fucker was who sent it.

“Then there’s Shark.”

My eyes widen. “You think he’s got a part to play in this?”

Dart’s shoulders rise and fall. “No fuckin’ idea. It seems unlikely. But why rear his head after three years? Coincidence? Probably. But it can’t be dismissed.”

It’s easier to list what we don’t know than what we do. We know Patsy is in danger, but we don’t know why. We know we got a message, but not who from, and we’ve seen Shark who shouldn’t be anywhere near San Diego, so what the hell was he doing being spotted close by?

“Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Dart says. “That about sums it up.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Patsy

“So, you and Lost?” Dan raises a quizzical eyebrow at me.

“There’s nothing much to tell,” I begin, trying to get my own thoughts together. “I like him, Dan.”When he’s not being an ass.Though after he’d explained about his ex, I could see why my comments had caused the reaction they had. But if Lost has deep trust issues about women, then there’ll be no future for us. I’ve lived too long to force a man into the person I want him to be, or for me to change to become the woman he wants. I’d tried enough with Phil to know that doesn’t work. There’s no point in having a picture of an ideal man in your mind and pretending the one you’re with can be moulded into that. I like Lost, as I’ve told Dan, but the jury’s still out on whether we can make anything between us work. And, of course, Alder could come between us, upsetting any plans we might make.

“Well, I didn’t expect you to be eating the face of a man you didn’t like.”

“Dan!” I flick my hand in his direction, seeing him grinning widely. I sigh. “It’s early days. At your age, you’d see a girl you like, and your focus is getting her into bed—”

“That’s an age thing?” Dan interrupts with a snort. “With you being my mom, the thought might turn my stomach, but I reckon Lost wants to do just that.”

“Dan!” Once again, he shocks me.

“And you don’t? Want him like that?”

Perhaps I wouldn’t be as embarrassed if I were speaking to my daughter rather than my son, or maybe I would. Are moms even supposed to have sex lives? “Dan, whether he does or not, or whether I do, the thing is, I don’t want something that’s only a fling. If I want a man, I’d like to know it could lead somewhere.”

“I didn’t see you push him away.”

I’m not explaining myself well. “What I’m saying, Dan, is that I need time to understand who Lost is before acting on any attraction. So, it’s far too early to say if there’s anything between us.”

He tilts his head to one side, regarding me carefully for a moment, then barks a laugh. “You’re right. I’m not looking for a relationship, but if a girl showed she was willing to put out, I’d take her up on it. But Lost? I get a different vibe from him, Mom. I don’t reckon he’d use you.”

I’m certain he wouldn’t, but I’ve been wrong before. “It’s hardly a good time to start a relationship, Dan.” Taking a breath, I dismiss the subject of what’s going on with me and the MC prez, and instead, resume the update which Dan had interrupted as soon as Lost was out of earshot. When I finish, his jaw is tight.

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