WE GOT GROCERIES, Cade’s family settled into the cabin, and Elin and Lena, along with Rufus and CB, happily joined them for a sleepover.
Okay, a couple of sleepovers.
I was eager to meet up with Carmen and get out to Junior’s gas station, but since I was passing Amy May’s bakery on the way anyway, I figured I deserved to stop and pick up a dozen sorted cupcakes.
After the week I’d been having, I needed them.
I walked into the bakery, happy to see Amy May herself behind the counter, then I realized what time it was and asked, “Why aren’t you home?”
“I’ve been my most productive in the evenings, so I’ve adjusted my schedule so I can sleep in and be home when I’m feeling queasy, and get work done in the evenings when I’m not. It’s been working out so far, except Jason says he misses having me home for dinner. Which actually translates to, he misses me being home to make dinner.”
I ordered my cupcakes, leaving the assortment up to her.
I was salivating over a custard filled when I looked up to see Amy May glaring at me as she filled my box.
“What?” I asked.
“You haven’t called me or texted me yet . . . about the research.”
The last she said with a whisper and shifty look around the mostly empty bakery.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been busy with Cade’s folks, but I do have a name for you to look up. But, remember what I said . . . if you uncover something that feels dangerous, let it go. Okay.”
“Yay!” Amy May exclaimed, boxing up the cupcakes and leaning over the counter conspiratorially. “What is it?”
I took a folded piece of paper out of my back pocket, which had Scam and Diablos Rebeldes written on it, and slid it to her across the glass.
I could see the glee threatening to bubble out of her, she was so excited, but Amy May was able to put a lid on it and give me a solemn nod. Okay, the nod was serious, but the grin on her face was goofy as hell.
Clown, I thought affectionately with a shake of my head.
“Thanks for these,” I said, taking the box reverently.
“I’ll text you if I find anything,” she replied, holding up the note, then slipping it in her pocket.
I looked up at the clock, saw I was in danger of keeping Carmen, who was perpetually early, waiting, and said my goodbyes.
When I got home, Carmen was waiting as expected, but when I pulled out the box of cupcakes, she quickly forgave me.
“Oh, cupcakes,” she said as she followed me into the house. “Can I have one?”
I gave an exaggerated sigh and said, “I guess so . . .”
We took our cupcakes to go and headed out toward the gas station.
Carmen chose the German chocolate cupcake, and I went with the chai latte cupcake, one of my old favorites. Of course, I’d eaten the custard filled on the way home, but Carmen didn’t need to know that.
“Shoot,” Carmen said as we got closer to the station.
“What is it?” I asked, glancing at her.
“It’s gone.”
“What?”
“The car isn’t there.”
I looked up, passed the gas station, and although we weren’t close enough to see a lot of detail, I could definitely tell that there was no longer a burnt car sitting in the field next to the station.
“What the hell?”
I sped up and pulled into the gas station, tires squealing, and jumped out of the van before it was even fully stopped.
Carmen was on my heels as I whipped open the door and stormed inside.
“Where is it?” I asked Junior, who was behind the counter drinking a cup of coffee and reading a magazine.
“Told you to be here at dusk,” he said with a half shrug.
“The hell you did,” I countered. “You said after dark.”
“Pretty sure I said dusk.”
“Who the hell says dusk, no one, that’s who . . . certainly not you. You said, and I quote, they’ll be here after dark so they can’t be seen and cops aren’t around, or something like that.”
“Mmmmm, I don’t think so.”
Carmen walked up and slammed her hand on the counter. Both Junior and I jumped at the loud clap.
“Quit lying. You know you said dark, not dusk, so stop avoiding the question and tell us what happened,” she seethed.
Wow, she’s really good at this.
Junior looked up at her with admiration, and what looked like lust.
Ewwww . . . I gagged but managed not to throw up in my mouth.
He let out a sigh.
“Look, they showed up early, okay? What was I supposed to do, run out there and say, hey, can you wait for this crazy red-haired chick to get here so she can follow you home? No, I don’t think so. There was nothing I could do about it. They came, they towed, and they left.”
I will not cry, I will not cry.
“So, that’s it? They took the car and the bike, so they won’t be back. How will we ever find them now?”
I spun around and walked out
Carmen came out a few seconds later to find me staring at the empty field, hands on my head.
“I gave him my number, in case Scam or his guys come back,” she said softly, putting her arm around my waist. “I’m sorry, Lila. Don’t worry. We’ll find him?”
“How?”
“I don’t know yet, but we’ll figure it out. Let’s go.”