Bang!Bang! Bang!
“Whatthe fuck!” TJ exclaimed.
Witha choking gasp, my eyelids snapped open at the sound of something hittingagainst the car, and I turned my head this way and that. Then, I saw Alec,standing outside the driver’s door, soaked from the pouring rain. I smacked myhand against the button to unlock the car, and he climbed in hurriedly,slamming the door behind him.
Hedidn’t immediately drive right away, as I had expected. Instead, he turned tome, eyes angry and nostrils flared, while the wet strands of his hair drippedfrom the downpour. Then, he said, “I was gone for all of three minutes. Itoldyeto be aware ofyersurroundin’s.Itold yeto watchyerself. And ye fuckin’fell asleep.”
“Iwasn’t sleeping,” I weakly disputed, even as I continued to see the image ofGracie, now standing outside, just beside Alec’s window. Her jaw open andfrozen in her silent scream.
“Well,ye weren’twatchin’, were ye?”
“I’msorry. I’m just—”
“Don’tapologize to me, Rosie,” he replied flippantly. “It’syerlife on the line, and if yewillnaelook out foryerself, then Idinnaeken what Ican do for ye.”
Sittingback, I stared blankly ahead at the crowded street and the raindrops collectingon the windshield. It was impossible to me that this man could be so sweet andsincere one second, and then, behave like a complete asshole in the next. Thatwas why my marriage with Tom had ultimately met its demise, and now, I festeredin the ragethatyet another man had made me feelsmall, weak, and stupid. But who was he to me, other than the detectiveattempting to solve my sister’s murder? I didn’t have to take his crap; he hadsaid so himself.
So,I said, through gritted teeth, “You wanted me to let you know when you were outof line.”
“Hm,”he grunted.
“Well,here we are. I’m telling you,” I replied, glaring at him through the corner ofmy eye.
Witha sigh and a groan, he turned the key in the ignition and nodded. “I know, andI’m sorry. I just need ye to be alert,” he said, keeping his voice low andsoft.
“Iget it,” I said, an indifferent chill to my tone. “It won’t happen again.”
Then,as he turned onto the busy street, he continued, “So, there were three keys tothe room. I have one, Grace had the other, and the third ismissin’.The lass insidedoesnaeremembergivin’it to anybody else, and as she wassayin’ this, I gottothinkin’ about the two of ye out here alone. Thatwas my mistake, one I nevershouldaemade, and I ranout to make sure ye were fine, but when I found ye …” His words trailed off andhe shook his head. “I thought ye were dead.”
Helooked ahead, jaw clenched and knuckles white against the wheel, and I exhaledas the radio played. TJ had stuffed his earbuds back in, unfazed by Alec'supset, while it dawned on me that this man, who I had thought saw my son,sister, and me as nothing more than a job, mightactuallycare. And there was an emotional investment that came with thatrealization, one I wasn't sure I wanted to take on and delve into right now.Especially not when I had spent my morning resisting the temptation of lookingat him inall ofhis disheveled glory.
“I'msorry,” I said, whispering below Mumford & Sons and their rendition of NineInchNails's“Hurt.”
“Yewillnaeleave my sight from now on. Not until this isover.”
“Okay,”I conceded, nodding, and in silence, we drove alongGlaswellStreet, in search of pubs with picture windows.
***
“Ihavenaeseen her,” the burly pub owner answered without aglance at Grace's picture.
“Comeon, mate,” Alec said, holding it closer to the man's steely gaze.
Hisgrey eyes landed on me, then my son, before looking back to Alec. “Do ye kenhow many lassies come in here? How do ye expect me to recognizeone?”
“Humorme,” Alec commanded, shoving the photo even closer, and then, the man took it fromhim with a huff and trained his eyes on my sister.
“No,”he finally said, and I deflated.
“Areye certain?”
“Aye,”the man replied, nodding, as his eyes took on a salacious expression. “I'dremember her. She's verra bonnie, she is, with a nice set of—”
“Iwasnaeaskin' foryeropinion,” Alec interrupted brashly, snatching thepicture from the man's sausage fingers. “Thank ye foryertime.”
Withthat, he tucked the photo back into his inside breast pocket and placed a handon my shoulder, to steer me toward the door, as if I couldn't command my feeton my own. And he might have been right, after questioning our fifth publican.From our search for pubs with large, picture windows, we'd narrowed it down tonine of the fifteen, and after visiting five, my shoulders were sagging alittle more and my hope was whittling down to something more closely resemblingdespair.
Climbinginto the car, Alec said, “Don’t feel discouraged just yet.”
