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“He is, but I haven’t seen him for a long time. He got tangled up in some messy stuff, and we tried to help him, but he pushed us away.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. My partner is Clara’s brother, and I only just found out about her so I guess I’m trying to work out what went down.”
“You didn’t ask him?”
I laugh, but it’s not filled with joy. “Let’s just say he doesn’t like talking about it. He wiped his hands of it. All I know is that he gave her a choice when she got tangled up in some big mess, and she didn’t choose him, so he left and didn’t look back.”
Celeste nods, as if understanding. “I only met her a few times, but Darth was obsessed with her. The two of them had a relationship that was borderline toxic. We knew he was involved with some bad people, but when he met her, the two of them just seemed to fuel each other and it only got worse.”
“What kind of bad stuff?” I ask, sipping my coffee when it is placed in front of me.
“Selling people, as far as I know. It started off small, he was selling drugs and guns, just to try and make some money, then it got out of hand. They got mixed up with a very bad crowd and started selling people, and that’s when it all went south.”
“At some point, Cade must have been helping them because he did mention he thought they were shipping drugs but when he found out it was people he stepped away.”
Celeste frowns. “I can’t say I blame him; I would have too. They went missing a while back, or they disappeared on their own. The heat was on and they were in some big trouble. I don’t know what happened, but I overheard Darth saying that they had stolen something. What, I don’t know. Then, they were gone. We put out missing persons reports, looked, but there was no trace.”
That’s terrifying.
“Do you think they’re still alive?” I ask.
She shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. Part of me wonders if they just started again somewhere else, but another part wonders if they got murdered. It’s the not knowing that keeps me awake at night. No matter what I do, I just can’t get peace. He was a good kid, growing up we were so close, it’s so hard to accept that he went down that path.”
I feel for her, I can see just how much she loves him written all over her face.
“I’m so sorry, it sounds like the two of you were close.”
“He’s my little brother, we were just ... I don’t know, there was a bond.”
I reach over the table, taking her hand. It’s hard not to, she looks so broken.
“I’m trying to find out what happened, I know it won’t be easy, but I have a few resources on my side that I’m hoping will help. If you can tell me anything at all you know, I’ll do my best.”
“All I know is they were working for a guy named Marshall. I don’t have a last name, but I know he was the big guy around here. They were all working for someone bigger, maybe from overseas, and they were being paid so much money ... until they weren’t.”
My stomach twists.
I hope Clara hasn’t gotten herself killed.
“I’ll do what I can, and I’ll keep you updated. I’m so sorry you have had to deal with this for so long.”
Celeste smiles. “I’m just glad to have someone to talk about it with. I’m certain everyone thought I was crazy when I wouldn’t let it go.”
I know how that feels.
The more I dig, the harder I’m finding it to let go, too.
LAUGHING, I TAKE A sip of my soda as I sit across from Charlie. Being around him again takes me back to a place I long forgot about. A past that I would have much rather keep buried. He brings out a part of me I thought I had lost, the strong determined part. The one who would fight for anything. I enjoy his company and, mostly, his sense of humor.
“Come on, Charlie, surely you’ve been on a date after that?”
Chuckling, he sips his beer. “Nope, that was the last one and I’m fairly certain she never looked back when she got the hell out of there.”
Poor Charlie told me a rather embarrassing story about getting sick on a date and being in the toilet too long. When he got out, she was gone, thinking he stood her up. He tried to tell her what happened, but she had him blocked on everything before he got the chance. I can only imagine how horrifying that would have been.
“Well, you should get back out there. There are plenty of good women left.”
“I don’t know,” he murmurs, smiling, his eyes light. “I think they’re all taken.”
