“Did you put Devon on the list? I saw him there,” Fat Louise said.
“I don’t think a seventy-year-old man is capable of carrying Calder to his car.” T.A. gave her an annoyed look.
“I didn’t think he did, but maybe he saw someone go into the shelter with Calder. I saw him standing by the ice chest. He was refilling it.”
“I’ll write it down. Shade said to write down everything we saw and make a note of everyone we knew. I sent most of the list last night. Right now, I’m trying to figure out if we forgot anyone.” She slid down off the stool. “You guys go over it and see if we left anyone out.” Stretching, she tried to work the kinks out of her back. She wanted another of cup of coffee, but she was out and Hammer wasn’t back from the store yet.
“I didn’t put Devon on the list. I didn’t see his car. Put him on the list for me, Fat Louise.”
“He probably drove his mother’s car. It was parked next to mine,” Sex Piston said, writing his name down.
“No, he didn’t. He parked on the side of the shelter. That’s where the ice chest was. He volunteered to bring the water,” Fat Louise explained.
“I volunteered to bring the water. How did Devon end up bringing it?”
“Mrs. Carpenter called me at work and said Devon was at the store and wanted to help, so she gave him that job. She was on the committee, so I didn’t think anything of it.”
“Why does it matter who brought the water?” T.A. sat down on the couch, pulling a cushion by her side to protect herself from Manson scratching her.
“I don’t know, but I want to know why he decided to bring the water. I’ve cut his hair for years. He’s never given me a dime tip, yet suddenly he volunteered to buy bottled water for fifty people?” Crazy Bitch twisted her hair into a knot, going into the kitchen where she kept a hair clip for when she was cooking. She was continuously thinking about Calder’s disappearance.
“Call him. I have his mother’s phone number.” Sex Piston picked up her phone, scrolling through her numbers.
“Give me his name and address. I’ll call Shade and get him to check it out.” Train took out his phone to type down the number.
“Can someone else do it instead, so Shade can come here?”
“Why?”
“I want to talk to him. How far is he?”
“Not far. He’s talking to some members of the task force. I can ask him to come here when he can.”
“Do it.” Crazy Bitch went to the kitchen counter, taking her notebook away from Sex Piston.
“Did you think of another name?” Sex Piston slid her pencil toward her as she stared down at the names.
She listened to Train talking to Shade, waiting until he finished to reply.
“No. What did Shade say?”
“He’s on his way.”
Something about the list was bothering her, but she couldn’t understand what it was.
“Shade is sending Rider to talk to Devon.” Train moved to stand behind Killyama, rubbing her back as she sat at the counter.
“When he’s done there, have him go to talk to his mother. She’s blind as a bat, but she’s a busybody. Maybe she saw something.”
“Okay.”
A sharp knock sounded on the door. When Train opened the door, Hammer came in, carrying grocery bags.
As one of Killyama’s bounty hunter partners, Crazy Bitch had met Hammer several times. She had even thought of doing him a couple of times, but he had backed off after she had tested him with some of her wisecracks.
Calder hadn’t backed down. He had kept coming back for more. He had more courage than most men she knew. No man had ever found her sweet spot, and she wasn’t talking about the one in her pussy. He had found that inner sanctuary within her that had never been found by anyone before.
It had kept her safe as she had grown up and realized her mother wasn’t like other moms. It had kept her safe when she realized her father had a daughter the same age as her. It had kept her safe through numerous foster homes, Joker, so many men she had lost count, and her mother’s death. None had found that sweet spot where she could actually be her, not the bitch she portrayed to everyone else. Just her, a not-so-pretty, lame geek who didn’t have to lose her temper when she was hurt and strike out at whomever had dealt that hurt.
The smell of fresh coffee brewing was in the air when another knock sounded in the room.
Shade came in as Train opened the door.
Crazy Bitch came around the counter, seeing Shade didn’t even look tired as he pushed his sunglasses to his hair.
“I’m glad someone’s getting sleep,” she said angrily, needing someone to strike out at to alleviate the rage of not being able to find Calder.