Page 26 of Dangerous Command
Ellie looked at me and I spoke, “Do you remember the name of the officer who took you to the Midnight Miles Headquarters?”
“Officer Shines,” she said. “Why?”
Ellie smacked her hand on the couch cushion. It seemed strange; it had been six months since the headquarters had been destroyed, and yet they were making this connectionnow? I guess with Muro supposedly dead, they had tried to forget about everything else that came along with the mafia war.
Until, of course, the Adler mob boss wound up dead.
“We’ve gotta find Shines,” I said. “He’ll know more about Muro.”
“Axe already killed him,” Demi said.
Ah. Sothatwas why there had been a lack of interest in Officer Shines. After how he had nearly beaten Demi to death, I knew Axe wouldn’t let him live for long.
I didn’t mention the fact that there was a chance that I knew Shines. For as big of a city as Brackston was, there could have been plenty of men with the same last name, some of which could have even become police officers in the Pebble Garden area. The world was too big to know, which meant thatthisparticular Shines might not have had anything to do with my past in Brackston.
I tried so hard to forget about that life now. It wasn’t me anymore.
“Do you know if he had a partner?” I asked.
“Nah,” Demi said. “But if I think of anything, I’ll let you know. I’ll ask Axe too.”
“Great,” Ellie said. Then we hung up. Ellie turned to me. “Can I ask you something?” she asked. “Do you remember telling me to make Wil fall in love with me, so that I could do whatever I wanted with him?” So much had happened in the last year that it was hard to keep track of the things I had said. I held my forehead, trying to think back. She continued: “You caught me trying to escape, and pointed out that he would kill me if I tried to leave. That it would be better to play his game. Make him fall in love with me.” She tilted her head. “Why did you say that?”
The better question was why was she remembering that interaction now. They were married already; why did it matter?
Unless she had reason to suspect me of wrongdoing.
“Did Derek say something to you?” I asked. He had been suspicious of me at the warehouse; maybe he had told Ellie to keep her guard up. Or maybe that’s why Wil had asked me to clean and sent her home early—to see if I would spill anything.
“I may have heardsomething,” she said. My heart stilled, but she smiled, giving a reassuring shrug. “But I make my own judgment calls.”
If she was giving me the benefit of the doubt, then she deserved a real answer.
“You know, my mother was like that,” I said, the sadness crawling over me like a heavy, wet towel. “We were in a bad situation. Living out of her car. Scrounging up money to get food. She thought love could rescue us. With the right husband, we could do anything.”
Ellie’s jaw dropped. Though her parents had died when she was a teenager, she had grown up in a decent home. Being homeless didn’t seem real to someone like her. But I didn’t fault my mother for the things she did. In fact, I understood why she thought a husband would be an escape. But my stepdad didn’t care about others. Wil, at least, cared about Ellie.
But I knew better than my mother. You could be saved from the streets, but that didn’t prevent you from finding a hard life somewhere else. You couldn’t trust anyone.
“I guess it worked out,” I said, forcing a smile. “You never had to make him fall for you. He fell in love all on his own.” She giggled and I checked the time. I needed to leave before the comic store closed in an hour. “I’ll tell Derek about Shines,” I said, “but I’ll catch up with you later.” I nodded at her. “I’ll finish the penthouse tomorrow morning.”
She waved a hand. “It’s fine. It’s already spotless. Enjoy your day.”
I quickly grabbed my bags, then headed out. If I could, I liked stopping at the bookstore before heading back to Pebble Garden, but it was open at weird hours, which meant that sometimes, I missed my chance.Today,I told myself.Gotta do it today.But I couldn’t remember what series Mack asked for. I wasn’t sure if I’d recognize it when I saw the spines. My mind had been a mess lately. As I pulled into the parking lot, I dialed Lucy.
“Hey Mama,” Lucy said. “What’s up? You staying another day?”
“Yeah. You don’t mind?” I asked.
“None at all. Your kiddo keeps me young,” she cackled. “You want to talk to Mack?”
“Yes, please.” She got him on the phone while I walked inside. The windowed wall at the front was the only other source of light.
“Hello?” I called into the dark store. I checked the entrance again; a handwritten sign was posted on the front:Power Out. Cash only.
“Mom! You’re at the bookstore?” Mack asked.
“Yes,” I turned back to the phone. “Which series are you on? Rollerblade Rocketeers? Or was it—”
