Poker Face Page 10

  “Let’s go.” Liv led the way to the car, the flashlight held loosely in her hand and her mind caught in a spiral of ten years ago.

  Liv had dropped Ryan off at her car in absolute silence and then headed straight to the bar. She wasn’t much of a drinker, and she knew her Gram needed her, but at that point she needed a beer. Or something stronger.

  She knocked back a Jell-O shot, completely aware that she had passed beer a while ago. “Can I get some water?”

  The bartender, a tall, handsome man, nodded and went and got her a large glass. She would have to stay a while to make sure the alcohol metabolized.

  Oh hell, what was another few hours. “Can I get something lighter?”

  He studied her for a moment as if gauging her level of inebriation, then nodded. “Rough day?”

  Liv sighed. “You have no idea.”

  “I’m Ross.” He extended a hand, which Liv shook.

  Liv devoutly hoped it wasn’t going to be one of those situations where a straight man hit on her and she had to turn him down. It wasn’t always awkward, but there was little that could turn awkward faster. “Liv.”

  “As in Olivia?” Ross looked surprised.

  Liv frowned slightly. She didn’t quite recognize him. “Yes. Do I know you?”

  “Cairo mentioned you sometimes,” Ross said, his voice casual as he turned to the tumblers and started cleaning.

  “You knew Cairo?” Even under the fuzz of the alcohol, Liv could get her brain to work. Sadness pulled at her. Cairo’s death was still raw.

  “She used to come here quite a bit,” Ross said agreeably. “She and her husband.”

  “Fiancé,” Liv corrected.

  Ross nodded, then hesitated. “I was sad to hear of her passing. Were you close?”

  Liv didn’t look at him. “Yeah.” She exhaled slowly, then took a long drink of the beer Ross handed her. It wasn’t exactly tasty, but she didn’t care at the moment.

  “I’m sorry,” Ross said.

  “What did she do?” Liv asked hesitantly. She wasn’t investigating, she justified it to herself. She was just asking questions. “When she was here,” she added hastily.

  “Drank and watch TV,” he said. “Sometimes came to the weekly poker nights.” He paused, thoughtfully. “She hadn’t been drinking lately, though.”

  “High stakes?” Something about that tugged at Liv’s memory.

  Ross laughed. “No, nothing of the sort.” He grinned. It was the type of grin that could bring straight women to their knees. “We play with fake poker chips. It’s an ego thing. Do you play?”

  “No.” Liv had never learned any of the betting card games. She could play a mean game of Cribbage, though.

  “Shame.” And Ross did truly look upset. “Well, if there’s anything you need, just call.” He winked at her and tipped his head, then turned to serve a couple other people who had come into the bar.

  Cairo hadn’t been drinking lately, according to him. How accurate was that? Was he the only bartender? Could she have been coming in on other nights? Then it clicked. The pregnancy. Duh.

  It really wasn’t the right time for her mostly-drunk brain to be contemplating all those things.

  The doors blasted open in the way that only a drunk person could do, that barely-coordinated-yet-still-standing method that made so much noise for so little work.

  “You!” The male voice boomed at her.

  15

  Monday 10th October; 9pm

  Liv turned to look, the alcohol dulling her reflexes slightly. She was such a lightweight.

  “You told everyone Cairo was pregnant.” Charles hissed at her. Liv stared, startled.

  “What? No!” Yes, Liv had known, but only because Ryan had told her earlier that day. She certainly hadn’t told anyone.

  “Then how does everyone know?” Charles’s eyes shot venom.

  “I don’t know.” Liv paled.

  “Charles, back off.” Another voice rang out, startling her. It was the icy-blonde Veronica, who sounded strong, yet looked one broken thread from running and crying.

  Charles scoffed at her. “Like you could tell me what to do.”

  “You’re drunk, you’re not thinking clearly.” Veronica’s voice was firm.

  “So what’s your excuse?” Charles raised his eyebrows, derision making his words choppy on top of the alcohol. “You haven’t thought clearly for the last five years?”

  Anger flashed across Veronica’s face, and her hands balled into fists. “Get out,” she hissed.

  “Make me,” Charles challenged.

  Liv was way too close to both of them for her liking. Especially when Charles swung at Veronica over her head. Liv yet out a yelp and dropped to the floor, trying to duck out of the way but blocked by the two fighting bodies.

  Veronica apparently had abandoned her high heels to throw herself into the fray, both of them yelling.

  “You’re adults, for fuck’s sake,” Liv muttered under her breath. The bitter humor distracted her, reminded her that there was a world outside this bar. Any wooziness the alcohol had brought her had disappeared in the midst of the shouting.

  “Police! Drop that woman.” The doors burst open again, a small handful of police officers coming into the room to break up the fight.

  One burly-looking man picked up Charles as if he was a doll, restraining him against the wall. Veronica was helped up, crumpled and wild-looking. Obviously Charles knew how to push her buttons.

  “Who started this?” The burly officer looked between Charles and Veronica.

  “He took the first swing,” Liv said before either of them could speak.

  “It was that rat bastard,” Veronica hissed, spitting in his direction.

  Liv wrinkled her nose in faint disgust.

  “Fuck you,” Charles snarled back. “At least I’m not a pathetic liar.”

  “All right.” The patrol officer cut it off with his no-nonsense voice. “Did you witness it?” He turned to Liv.

  She nodded. “Charles originally approached me. Veronica was defending me.” That was mostly the truth, as far as anyone needed to know, anyway.

  “I’ll need you to come to the station and give us a statement.” He sounded apologetic. “Have you been drinking, Miss?” The patrol officer looked back at Ross, who was behind the bar.

  “I had a shot earlier, and was starting to sip a drink when he came in,” Liv answered truthfully. “You can breathalyze me to make sure I’m safe to drive if you want.”

  The patrol officer studied her for a bit. Liv worked on remaining coordinated. The truth was, she didn’t feel that bad. Not that she was particularly thrilled about that, but maybe she could dip into the alcohol stash her Gram kept.

  The police station wasn’t that far away, so Liv parked and went inside to give her statement to the same patrol officer who had intervened.

  “And then she started pulling his hair —”

  “Liv?” There was alarm in Ryan’s voice as she appeared out of nowhere. “Are you okay?”

  “Detective Olsen.” The patrol officer nodded. “She witnessed a fight, we’re taking a statement.”

  “Charles took a swing at Cairo’s cousin,” Liv muttered, then stifled a yawn behind her hand. How late was it? She didn’t know. She had called River to check in, and to assure her that she was fine.

  Not that she was entirely certain River believed that.

  “Keith!” A third voice came out of nowhere, drawing all of their attention.

  The patrol officer turned. Apparently that was his name. “What?”

  “The gir — the woman’s gone, Sir.” The young-looking man in a police officer uniform looked chagrined. “She needed to use the bathroom, so we let her, and she must have escaped out the window.”

  “They’re locked.” Keith looked disbelieving.

  “The window was open when we got in there, Sir.” The officer looked devastated, and Liv couldn’t really blame him.

  “Had she been arrested?” Ry
an asked, looking between the two of them.

  The officer shook his head. “From what we could tell, Charles was the main antagonist. We just needed a statement from her.”

  “Did she know that?” Ryan asked dryly.

  The younger officer exchanged a glance with Keith. “We thought so.”

  “I can take over here.” Ryan nodded to Liv.

  Keith nodded, apparently deferring to the detective. But Liv could see the faintest tightening of his lips that showed he wasn’t entirely happy with the decision.

  “I’m fine,” Liv said, and it was mostly true.

  Ryan sank into a chair opposite her without saying anything.

  “What’s going to happen to him?” She looked at Charles.

  “He’ll probably spend the night in the drunk tank,” Ryan said, following Charles with her eyes as he was led out of the room. “No formal charges unless Veronica wants to file them. Otherwise he’s free to go.”

  Liv nodded. It made sense. She exhaled slowly, feeling some of the adrenaline start to leave her muscles and the shock set in.

  “Are you okay?” Ryan asked softly.

  No, Liv wanted to say. But she didn’t. “I don’t know,” she said instead. It was progress of some type.

  There was a jangle as the outer door opened and someone rushed in. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but it took Liv’s tired mind a few moments to process it. River.

  Damnit. Liv had said she was fine.

  “There you are!” River popped into the room where they were, rushing over to Liv and hugging her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” Liv said.

  Ryan watched her intently, reassuring herself that Liv did seem to be okay. She didn’t have any wounds, but there was a decent chance she would have bruises tomorrow. It depended on how close to the actual fighting she had gotten.

  “I can take you home,” River started.

  “I can drive.” Liv stood, apparently uncomfortable with the attention. There was something almost frightened behind her eyes. To Ryan it made some sense. They had dated for two years in high school, yet Ryan had never been to her house. Not that Ryan had put pressure on her, but it was something she remembered.

  Liv didn’t talk about her family, either.

  “I’ll take you to your car,” Ryan said softly.

  “I can walk myself.” Liv didn’t snap, but there was a strength in her voice that Ryan respected.

  Ryan nodded. “Take care,” she said, helpless to do anything.

  Liv picked up her purse and walked out the door, without looking back.

  Ryan didn’t look at River, but she could feel her eyes on her.

  “Let her come to you,” River said softly.

  Ryan turned to look at her, and their eyes met. “I am.”

  River smiled faintly. “Good. I’ll make sure she gets home safe.” Then she, too, was gone, and Ryan was left with her thoughts.

  Tuesday 18th October; 10pm

  Ryan sat at her desk, pouring over all the papers she had in Cairo’s case and in her missing person’s. Technically Cairo wasn’t a case. It had been declared a suicide by the chief, toxicology had come back negative. A suicide made the most sense.

  But Ryan wouldn’t let it go. She couldn’t let it go.

  She knocked back her third cup of coffee in an hour. She didn’t even know what time it was, she just knew that it was dark outside and she had to sleep at some point before it got light.

  A phone rang. She picked up her work phone, surprised to hear a dial tone. Oh. The thought hit her over her head. It was her personal phone. She tapped accept call and put it to her ear, not entirely certain she recognized the number but not particularly caring.

  “Ryan?” Liv’s voice came through the phone.

  Ryan sat up straighter, her mind switching back into full alert. “Liv?”

  Liv let out a frustrated sigh on her end of the phone.

  “Are you okay?” Had something happened? Had she actually been injured by the bastard at the bar?

  “I need your help,” Liv said finally, reluctantly. There was frustration in her voice. “Gram has memory problems sometimes, and I woke up to the sound of breaking glass, and now –“ Ryan could hear the tears in her voice – “I can’t find her.” Liv’s breath caught in her throat. “I need your help.”

  “What?” Ryan was throwing her belongings into her purse and heading out the door before she could finish the thought. “Do you think she was kidnapped? I can be there in a few.”

  “No, don’t tell anyone.” There was a hitch of embarrassment in Liv’s voice. “Just… get here.”

  The phone went dead in Ryan’s hand and she tossed it into the seat next to her, getting her car started and backing out of the parking lot. She was just turning onto the dark, dead-silent main street when she realized she didn’t have Liv’s address. It was definitely almost bedtime.

  It was the little details like that that slipped your mind when you were tired.

  Her phone bleeped, drawing her attention. There was an address on the screen, a text from Liv. Ryan let out a long exhale. Hopefully someone hadn’t come and kidnapped both of them, or something more sinister. She shot Dane a text, letting him know where she was going, before she put the address in her GPS.

  It wasn’t too far out of town, much to Ryan’s surprise. But Liv’s house was located on a dirt road she hadn’t seen before. It made sense, since their small town was basically built in the middle of a forest. There were surely tons of roads and paths that Ryan hadn’t yet explored.

  When she pulled up to the house, her breath got caught in her throat. The house was huge and Victorian, with turrets she thought only existed in the movies. Liv and her dog stood in front of it, almost lost against the background.

  Throwing the car into park, Ryan got out and immediately went to her. Liv was dressed in her pajamas, clearly fresh out of bed. She didn’t look at Ryan.

  Ryan stood there, respecting her space. All she wanted to do was hug her, but she wasn’t sure what to do. Liv had never invited her over before, yet after a week or two back, she had texted Ryan the address. Did that mean something?

  “I’m sorry.” Liv sighed.

  Ryan looked at her, curious and apprehensive.

  “I didn’t know who else to call.” Liv lifted her eyes and looked at Ryan. “You can’t tell anyone, okay?”

  Ryan nodded. She didn’t know why it was important, but it was.

  “What do you need?” Ryan asked, her voice soft.

  “Gram must have wandered off.” Liv sighed. “She’s early-stage Alzheimer's.”

  Ryan nodded, trying not to betray a tiny thrill that Liv was trusting her with so much. The situation was horrible, but Liv had let her in. Liv was trusting her with something that Ryan doubted she shared with many.

  “Have you searched the house?” Ryan asked, scanning the property. It was large, with a few outbuildings and plenty of forest.

  “I checked her room and a few others, but the front door was open and a window was broken.” Liv rubbed her arms as if to generate some friction to keep her warm.

  “Has she done this before?” Ryan asked.

  Liv hesitated. “Once.” She looked broken, almost. “I’ve only been back a month, but last time Gram was close by.”

  “We’ll find her,” Ryan assured. She looked down at the beagle next to Liv. “Mocha, right?”

  Liv nodded.

  “Do you think she can find your Gram?” Ryan looked between the two, curious.

  “I hope so,” Liv said. She crouched down next to Mocha. “Find Gram, Mocha! Find Gram.”

  Mocha waved her tail, the white tip like a flag in the dark. Then she trotted off, her nose to the ground.

  Ryan was going to be mightily surprised if this worked, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t tried crazier tactics to find someone who was missing.

  “Let’s go.” Liv led the way, Ryan right behind her.

  The property was bigger than Ryan ha
d expected. It looked like former farmland, something that had once been tended. Liv’s ancestors, maybe? The grass was ankle-high, and the dew caught on the blades soaked Ryan’s pant legs as she walked.

  Mocha led them to the first of the small out buildings. “It used to hold chickens,” Liv murmured as she pushed the door open. Ryan wished she had the flashlights, given how dark it was. “Gram?” Liv pitched her voice high, but spoke slowly. “Are you in there, Gram?”

  No answer.

  They were halfway to the next barn when Mocha let out a bark and trotted off in a different direction. “Is that alarm?” Ryan asked, not sure how to interpret it.

  “Could be,” Liv said grimly.

  Great. That was just what Ryan had hoped for. Creepers running around in the dark. A thought chilled her. If someone thought Liv knew something about Cairo, would they target her now?

  A figure detached itself from the side of the building and lunged toward them.

  16

  Tuesday 18th October; 11pm

  “Gram!” Liv’s shout nearly made Ryan collapse in relief. That could have been so much worse.

  The elderly woman was dressed in a nightgown, her white, poofy hair lying flat against her head due to the condensation.

  “Oh hi Liv, what are you doing out here?” Gram looked at her, then looked over at Ryan. “Oh, and you brought your girlfriend! Your Mom will be so excited.”

  Ryan opened her mouth, then closed it. There was a lot she didn’t know about Liv.

  “Gram,” Liv said, clearly embarrassed. “Mom’s gone, remember?”

  Gram frowned at her, as if considering her words, and then collapsed in on herself. “Oh, yes.”

  “Let’s get you home, Gram,” Liv said softly.

  “What are you doing wandering about here at night?” Gram asked, concern in her voice. “It’s dangerous, you know.”

  Ryan had to fight to keep a straight face, but she followed Liv’s lead and took the elderly lady’s other arm, helping her walk steadily back to the house with Mocha trotting at their side.