Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 388(@200wpm)___ 310(@250wpm)___ 259(@300wpm)
“I agree,” Dave says. “It’s not a Star Wars reference, unless it’s from someone who thinks he knows the universe but actually doesn’t.”
“The geek’s probably right,” Brock says.
“Right.”
“Does it have any reference in your world of tarot cards?” Brock asks.
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“But you said it came through right as you were ending a chat with that group, right?”
“Yeah. I know the tarot pretty well, and I’ve racked my brain. I don’t think it can possibly be a tarot reference.”
Brock takes another sip of his beer. “I’ll get our people to trace the number for you. But it most likely came from a burner phone and can’t be traced.”
“Why do you say that’s most likely?” I ask.
Brock wrinkles his forehead. “Honestly? I’m just assuming. With all the shit that’s gone down lately, we’ve come across several untraceable numbers. But this is completely different, so I suppose it could be an actual number.”
“Is it completely different though?” Dave asks.
“Well…yeah,” Brock says. “How could this have anything to do with everything else that’s going on with the family?”
“You mean with the stuff that you guys found at Brendan’s place?” I ask.
A month or so ago, Brendan found some documents relating to our family in his apartment above the bar. His place was trashed soon after, so if there was anything else hiding, it’s gone now.
“Partially.” Brock clears his throat. “But there’s some other stuff going down.”
“What?” Dave and I ask in unison.
Brock clams up.
It’s funny. Dave, Brock, and I grew up together. We were all born around the same time, and we were all in the same class at school, so we’re close. We always have been. Does Brock really think Dave and I are going to let this go?
Dave speaks first. “You know, I’ve kept my mouth shut. When you and Rory needed someone to watch the Pikes’ dogs—”
“Wait a minute,” Brock says. “That was because Frank had a heart attack. You know that. The Pikes were in Grand Junction at the hospital.”
“Yeah,” Dave says, “which didn’t explain why you couldn’t watch the Pikes’ dogs.”
Brock closes his mouth and inhales loudly through his nose. “There’s shit going down. It’s not something I want to talk about in public like this.”
“Look,” I say. “You, Dave, and I have been each other’s sounding boards since we were toddlers. This keeping stuff from us? It’s not going to fly.” I take a sip of my second pink squirrel.
If possible, this one’s even sweeter. And pinker. And more pink tasting.
“I need to talk to my dad first,” Brock says.
“No, you don’t,” I counter.
“Actually, Ava, I do. It’s some heavy shit.”
I take another sip of the sweet drink. Now I’m starting to feel it. “Whatever.”
“Yeah, whatever, dude.” This from Dave. “Ava, feel like a game of pool?”
I laugh. “Sure. It’s a guaranteed win for me.”
We Steels all like to play pool, and Dave’s not bad, but he’s the worst of all of us.
“You’re just going to leave me here at the bar?” Brock says.
“Absolutely,” I say. “Since you don’t want to talk to us about whatever’s going on.”
“I will. I just need to check with my dad.”
“Cool. In the meantime, Dave and I can have a pool game.”
I hop off my barstool and follow Dave to the back. It’s a weeknight, so the pool tables aren’t too crowded, and the third one is free.
“Rack ’em up, Dave,” I say
“You got it, Ave.” He laughs at our rhyming names.
He racks, and then I shoot first.
It’s an unwritten rule with all the Steels.
Ladies always shoot first.
CHAPTER FOUR
BRENDAN
I do my rounds again and then settle myself behind the bar. Sadie is trying to have a conversation with me, but I’m only listening with one ear. I keep my eyes fixed on Ava but make an effort to look at Sadie every now and then. I can’t have Ava see me watching her.
Ava’s a good pool player—all the Steels are—and every once in a while, I join them when I’m off duty.
But tonight I’m on duty until twelve, when we close on weeknights. On weekends, we stay open as long as people are here drinking and playing pool. Sometimes it’s the wee hours of the morning before I close.
“Don’t you think so, Brendan?”
I jerk back to Sadie.
“I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said Brock Steel and Rory Pike make a beautiful couple.”
“Oh, yeah. Sure they do.”
Are we really talking about Brock Steel and Rory Pike?
“I had quite a crush on Brock when I first moved here,” Sadie says.
“Oh?”
Am I supposed to care?
“But I don’t think you’re any less handsome,” she says. “You’re just as good-looking as he is, but in a totally different way.”
Great. I seriously don’t care.
Which means I probably should not be going out on a date with this woman.
“You know what, Sadie?”
“What?”
“I just remembered. I have plans tomorrow night.”