Page 54 of The Last Grift
Reaching into his back pocket, Gabe pulled his wallet out and handed her a couple of twenties. Brooklyn tapped open the register and counted back his change, a simple and common transaction. Automatically, Gabe started to turn the bills around so they were facing the same direction when it hit him that the back of the US one-dollar bill had the same eye and triangle on it as the bumper sticker he’d seen outside. He should have recognized it immediately, but he used a debit card in normal times.
“Are you okay?” Brooklyn asked.
“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Gabe had been staring at the bill instead of grabbing his groceries and heading for the exit. “It’s… I just saw this same thing on a car outside.” He pointed at the back of the dollar.
Brooklyn rolled her eyes in a way that only a human of a certain age was physically able to manage without injury and leaned a little over the counter.
“That’s the symbol for the Twana County Watch,” she said, quiet enough that only he could hear her. The only other person in the store as far as Gabe knew was the kid stocking shelves, sothe car must be his or his family’s. “They have signs all over the place.” She scoffed. “Like a sticker is going to keep people from breaking into vacant houses and stealing stuff.”
“Oh, yeah?” Who werethey? Another question for Elton.
“Yeah, it’s so dumb. My mom calls them neighborhood watch on steroids.”
“Huh. I mean”—he shrugged—“maybe it does work?”
Brooklyn snorted. “No way. My mom says it just gives the guys a sense of self-importance.”
“Your mom sounds like a smart person. I take it that’s your coworker’s car?”
It was possible that she rolled her eyes even harder as she confirmed his guess. He wanted to ask her a few more questions, but the bell jangled, announcing the arrival of another customer, and Brooklyn didn’t seem to want her coworker to know she was talking about him.
“Are you okay, uh, safe?” Gabe nodded his head in Andy’s direction.
“Totally fine, thanks,” she assured him while also giving him a look.
Gabe didn’t speak teenager, but he was fairly sure her expression was meant to convey that he was a weird old man asking questions and he could leave anytime now.
“Thanks for the information.” He headed back out to his car.
He wondered what Elton thought of this county watch group, and there was only one way to find out.
But when Gabe returned, Elton was gone. In the past, Elton had the door open before Gabe could step onto the small porch. His truck was parked in its usual spot, right in front of the house, but Gabe had a funny feeling.
“Elton,” he called out, “I’m back. Open up.”
Gabe couldn’t hear any movement inside, but a drippingrain had started to fall. Maybe the drip-thump was masking a response. He knocked again, louder the second time. Again, there was no answer, no sign that Elton was home. But his truck was right there, and Gabe couldn’t see Elton walking somewhere in his condition or in this weather.
The older man had told Gabriel he’d had a heart attack. Maybe he’d had another? Was he lying on the floor waiting for help? Or worse? No, Gabe brushed away that thought. Elton was old, but he couldn’t be dead. Dropping the bags, he reached for the door handle and twisted. The handle turned with ease and swung open. The fuck.
“Elton,” Gabe called out, but there was no answer. “Elton, are you here?” louder that time.
Still nothing.
“What the fuck.”
Grabbing up the grocery sacks, Gabe pushed his way inside. At first glance, everything seemed to be fine. At least, he couldn’t see anything out of order. However, the recliner was empty.
Where the fuck was Elton?
There was probably a logical and noncriminal explanation for Elton’s absence, Gabe headed into the kitchen. He put the groceries away, including finding space in the freezer for the ice cream, and then stuffed the bags into the recycle container. Elton was an adult and mentally sharp, even if the rest of him was a bit creaky. He’d probably just gone out for a minute.
And what, Chance? Why would he have gone out when you were making dinner? It’s cold, and raining, and he’d be on foot. Do the math. Why is his truck still here?
Unless someone had picked him up. Abducted him.
Triple shit. He slammed the fridge door shut hard enough that it bounced back open. Gabe had been gone half an hour,maybe forty-five minutes, and Elton had said nothing about going anywhere.
But would Elton have told him that, considering they only recently met?
