Lizzy cut her eyes to Darek. “We’ll be in touch.”
Darek wasn’t done with the girl and was shocked when Lizzy turned and headed out of the place. He caught up after giving the girl one last look. “You mean that’s it? You’re not going to grill the girl for more information?”
“She’s shaking like a leaf, and the guy isn’t going to talk after you insulted his lifestyle. We’ll be better off going after a warrant to search the guy’s place.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t take all afternoon.”
“We have our guy. I can feel it.” Lizzy’s eyes were lit up like Christmas morning, but Darek couldn’t be happy.
He didn’t know a Victor Barnes. He wondered if the name would mean anything to Bay. If it did, then there’d be no denying the guy was trying to fuck with them. He wondered if the others had told anyone, a friend, a cousin, their wife.
Darek knew he could never confide in Megan about such a thing, not without her ratting him out as she kicked him to the curb, but it wasn’t farfetched to think that one of the other men might have. Love held many secrets. So maybe what he and Megan had wasn’t love after all.
They had just gotten back to the station when his phone rang. He glanced down and noticed it was Pine Grove calling.
“Detective Blake.” He held his breath hoping it wasn’t the dreaded phone call.
“Detective, this is Carla down at Pine Grove. Your mother took a little spill, but she’s all right. Per policy, I need you to come down and see her. She has a little scrape on her leg, and the doctor has already seen her.”
He released the breath, and Lizzy put her hand on his arm as her eyes narrowed with concern.
“I’ll be right down. Give me about half an hour.” He hung up the phone and scrubbed his face.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, it’s my mother. She had a little spill at the home, got a little scratch, and now, they need me to come down.”
“Do you need me to go?” She tilted her head and met his eyes. If only his wife could be so caring.
“No, it’s okay. It’s just precautionary to make sure she’s all right. Do you think you can get our warrant while I try to get back to you as soon as possible?”
“No problem. I’ve got this. You go take care of your mother.” She gave him a pat on the back and headed inside the police station. He turned around and headed to his car.
14
Darek
On the way to Pine Grove, he couldn’t stop thinking about the evidence. Everything was pointing to Victor Barnes, and it just seemed too easy. Not only did the guy leave his distinct signature, but he just so happened to leave ink behind at the scene, and whatever else the DNA would match up, now that they had his identity. He also made the collar and just happened to have skipped town. Either Lizzy was right and this was kinky sex gone bad, or someone was fucking with him.
He decided to call Bay before he let his mind get the best of him.
He hated dialing the guy’s number and the fact he had to keep the guy in his contacts at all, but that was what happened when you made friends with the devil.
The phone rang, and he prepared himself for the usual attitude. Bay did not disappoint.
“This had better be good.” Bay’s voice was more aggressive than usual and breathy, too. Darek wondered if the guy was at the gym or working out his cock instead.
“I won’t keep you. Do you know a tattoo artist named Victor Barnes?”
Bay made a sound of frustration. “No, I don’t. I don’t know any tattoo artists. Now stop calling me. This case has nothing to do with the past, Darek. It’s in your fucking head. Part of your fucking mental problems. I hear they run in the family.”
He wanted to punch the guy, especially considering where he was headed, but he didn’t have time. He turned into the parking lot of Pine Grove. “There are too many coincidences.” He was just about to explain when Bay cut him off.
“You’re playing six degrees of separation and being paranoid.” The phone went dead, and he punched the steering wheel. He had to wonder if the guy was right.
Was this just paranoia?
He went inside and met Carla at the front desk. The smiling face of the older woman was still full of concern and regret. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Blake. I didn’t see what happened, but a few others said she tried to kick off her shoe. I’m not sure why.”
“Her socks must be turned wrong. She’s highly sensitive to that kind of thing. Drives her nuts.” He remembered a time in the grocery store when his mother stopped pushing the cart and kicked off her shoe to straighten her sock. She had hopped around for ten minutes trying to get it right. Once she’d gotten her foot back in the shoe, he had to tie it for her three times to get it just right.
He walked into the room and found his mother sitting by her window. She turned to him, and her entire face lit up. His heart warmed, but then she called him by his father’s name. “Thomas!”
“Hey, no, mama. It’s me, Darek.” He patted her hand.
“Darek.” She giggled and looked out the window. “I have a son named Darek. He’s so handsome.”
“Yeah, mama. It’s me. I heard you had a fall.” He glanced down to look for a scrape, but her gown was too long.
“I’m looking forward to the Fall. Darek will be home, and I want to take him apple picking at Grundy’s.”
He remembered the trip to Grundy’s Orchard as a kid and wished he could go back to a simpler time in his life when his dad was still gone, and it was him and his mother against the world.
“Where is Darek?” He pulled up a chair to see what she’d say. Many of their conversations didn’t make any sense, but he knew the company he gave her was the most important part. And he did like the memories of his youth. Sometimes, they weren’t accurate, and she’d even spilled a few secrets here and there about his father’s cheating and how she lied to get out of a ticket. He’d also never known his mother was a waitress at one point. “Is Darek in school?”
“I have a son named Darek.” She smiled and looked out the window. “He comes to see me. Brings me chocolates.” He’d only brought his mother chocolates one time, but now, he’d have to bring them more often.
“Yeah, is he a good kid?” He hoped he liked her answer. Sometimes, he wished she had a filter.
“He’s my bright boy. He’s bound for greatness. The girls are going to love him, too; he’s so handsome. Teri across the street has a crush on him.”
He let out a chuckle, wishing he could stay there all day and listen to her ramble, but he had to get back to work. “So, she likes him, does she?”
“Yeah. He’s out at Camp Victory in Virginia.” The words echoed in his head like a gunshot. Camp Victory. Victory Tattoos. Ink and Kink. He remembered the painting on the wall and realized that Victor wasn’t the connection. Victory was. Someone was fucking with him.
Dammit.
His mother continued to chatter on. “He loves it there.” She looked Darek dead in the eyes. “His father wants him to go into the service, but I want my boy to follow his own path.”