Page 55 of Maddox
Huh? Momentarily derailed, I drop my hands.
Darcy? Why the fuck are they asking about Darcy?
My skin itches and I glance sideways at Pops. We got word that Darcy might have seen Margie before she disappeared, but we haven’t had a chance to track her down and ask.
Don’t matter what I know though, I’ll never let this fucker think he’s got one over on me and I scratch my chin before saying, “Who?”
“Darcy McCray,” he asks again, drilling me with his stare. “You know her?”
Oh ho, little piggy thinks he’s a tough guy. Bring it. I ain’t afraid of this cop.
“Nope,” I say with an exaggerated shrug, grinning when his partner stiffens.
“This is serious shit, fucknut,” Ben barks. “How about you answer the question?”
Meeting his dark stare, I cock my head. I know how much it drives this fucker crazy when we don’t react to his nonsense.
Little Piggy likes to think he’s in charge.
“I said, no.”
I feel Pops’ displeasure swirling around us like the snow now falling in fat flakes from the sky and when Peter reaches into his breast pocket, I stiffen but it’s just a photo of Darcy.
Her dark hair shines in the sunlight while her warm smile lights up the camera. She’s standing in front of a statue, with her arms stretched wide and my stomach sinks.
What’s going on?
“This her?” I ask, my mind swirling with the possibilities.
“Darcy worked at Salty’s,” Peter says.
“So.” Scratching my head, I think back to the last few times I was there but all I see is Delaney in her sexy little uniform.
This I don’t say, and I admit I’m relieved that this isn’t about her, which I refuse to analyze because Delaney isn’t welcome here anymore. Not that she ever was and now I have to drill that into my sister’s stubborn head.
“Darcy is missing,” Peter says, and Pops goes rigid beside me.
Missing? These fuckers trying to pin something on me? Fuck them.
“Missing?” Pops says.
“Yep,” Ben sneers. “You know anythingnow?”
I roll my eyes his way before glancing at Peter, who raises his hand toward Ben, his jaw ticking and says, “The last time she was seen was at the diner on November third. When we retraced the last few days of customers around that time, you came up.”
I’m assuming this is based on eyewitness shit because I always pay cash. Maybe Delaney’s setting me up after all?
“Look,” I say. “I get coffee there sometimes and we like the pie.”
Grinning with all my teeth, I wait for him to get the double-entendres.
Bingo.
His jaw tightens and he says stiffly, “So you don’t recall this waitress?”
“Nope, not that one,” I say and Pops eyes me strangely but doesn’t comment as Peter tucks his notepad away and pulls out a business card.
“If you think of anything…”
