Ava

AVA

I hate to do this. I mean, I really, really hate to do this. I guess I’ll have to call Bitch.

And before anybody asks, yes. That’s his name. I’m sure it’s not his real name, but I’ve never heard anybody call him anything but Bitch. He answers to it, and it doesn’t seem to offend him, so Bitch it is. I don’t even get a hello. He answers with, “What the fuck, Ava? I was taking a shit.”

“Hey, Bitch. What’s up?”

“Lee McCreary.”

“Yeah. I know. Already talked to him.”

“Then what’s your question?”

“He’s telling me about some guy named Rand.”

“Yeah?”

“Fuck the cloak and dagger, Bitch. Do you know this Rand guy?”

“Maybe I do. Maybe I don’t.”

And now I know he’s hiding something. “Let’s say you do. Tell me more.”

“Gotta go. Paperwork to do. Later.” And he hangs up on me. Believe it or not, this is a typical conversation with Bitch. And now I’m pretty sure he knows the Rand guy, or at least knows who he is.

There’s a little pub down the street, so I figure it’s time for me to find some locals to talk to, but I need to pick and choose. They’re serving dinner now, which is mostly sandwiches, so I order a beer and sit down. Some guy is watching me from across the room, and when he starts toward me, I feel something inside me start to die. Shit. That’s all I need, some asshole trying to drag me into the sack. He sits down beside me at the bar, orders a beer, then turns to me, and that’s when I recognize him—Lee in street clothes. “Anything new?” he asks.

“Nope.”

“Then meet me out back in ten minutes,” he says, takes the beer the bartender hands him, and walks away. What just happened here? Maybe Bitch got finished with his paperwork.

Ten minutes later, I’m standing by the dumpster when Lee appears. “Hey. Just didn’t want to draw attention to you.”

“Did Bitch call you?”

“Yeah. Why are you asking questions about Rand?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” The more I ask, the more I think there’s something about the man that nobody will tell me. “And I want to know what the other kids know.”

“As for the other kids, I talked to a couple.” Uh-huh. Skipped right over the Rand question. “One of the girls called me later at home. She said every one of the kids who disappeared was flashing a big roll of cash before they disappeared.”

My mind goes in a thousand different directions. “That’s interesting.”

“Yeah. As for Rand, I really don’t know much about him. I know his family owned that property up there. Just a hunting cabin. No electricity, running water, none of that stuff.”

“Shit. How long has he been up there?”

Lee seems to be thinking, then says, “I think maybe three years? Four? Five? It’s been a while.”

I give him my best scrutinizing look. “Why do I get the feeling there’s more to his story than anybody is willing to tell me?” He shrugs. “That’s not an answer.”

“It’s all I’ve got.”

“And how does the money fit into any of this?”

“I have absolutely no idea,” Lee says and just stands there, looking kind of hopeless.

And now, more than I want to find these kids, I really want to meet this Rand guy. He sounds like my kind of people. And there’s only one way to find out.