The doors thudded shut.
Toby smiled at her and started the engine. “This’ll be cool,” he said.
“I really appreciate your help.”
“No big deal.” He put on his headlights and backed out of the parking space. “I just hope we can find him for you.”
“Me, too.”
Toby turned his car around, drove across the parking lot, swung out onto Robertson and stopped for a red light. “This Duane, is he like your boyfriend or something?”
“We’ve been seeing each other for a while.”
“You think he’s…you know, a fag?”
Politely, she said, “That’s not a very nice word, Toby.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“Just say ‘gay.’”
“Gay. Sure.”
“Anyway, I don’t think he is. Gay.”
The light changed to green. Toby accelerated through the intersection. “That’d be like a real bummer,” he said, “having a boyfriend and it turns out he’s more interested in guys.”
“Right now, I’m just interested in finding him. Which side of the road did they go down?”
“That.” Toby nodded to the right. “You watch that side,” he said, “and I’ll watch this.”
“Good. Thanks.”
Peering out the windshield, Sherry gazed at the walkway along the right side of the boulevard. It led past a branch of the public library, then past the fronts of apartment buildings and stores. A few cars were parked along the curb, but they weren’t large enough to obstruct her view. Vans and trucks were large enough, but there weren’t many of them.
It’s too soon to find Duane, anyway, she told herself. He’s had time to walk a couple of miles by now.
Unless maybe he’s on the way back.
Where the hell did he go?
With a guy?
She felt squirmy and hot inside.
He’s not gay, she told herself. No way. Not a chance.
As they passed through an intersection, Sherry peered down the sidestreet, quickly checking for pedestrians. The sidewalks looked empty.
“Maybe it was some kind of emergency,” she said.
“Huh?” Toby asked.
“The reason Duane went off with that guy. Maybe it was an emergency.”
“I don’t know. Maybe. Only they didn’t act much like anything was wrong.”
“It has to be something. Duane knew I was waiting for him. He wouldn’t just…”
I told him to forget about going for the condoms, but he insisted on going anyway.
To meet someone?
To avoid having sex with me?
No, that’s crazy, she told herself. If the rubber hadn’t broken…and I’m the one who broke it…he never would’ve left at all. He didn’t plot any of this. That’s ridiculous.
She looked down another sidestreet as they rushed by it. The sidewalks appeared to be empty.
“What?” Toby asked.
“He wouldn’t just go off with someone. Not unless there was an awfully good reason. Like maybe the guy needed his help. Or forced him to go along.”
“I don’t know,” Toby said. “Maybe.”
“I know he’s not gay.”
“There!” Toby blurted. “That them?”
Chapter Six
Sherry noticed the direction of Toby’s gaze, looked ahead and to the right, and saw two figures striding past the front of a lighted display window on the next block.
Toby sped up.
Sherry took a quick look down a sidestreet, then fixed her attention on the couple.
They were walking away, holding hands. The guy, powerfully built, had curly, bleached hair. Instead of a net shirt and skimpy shorts, however, he wore a tank top and cut-off jeans.
His partner, long black hair blowing in the wind, wore a tank top and cut-off jeans and white cowboy boots. Though only able to see the brunette from behind, Sherry was pretty sure she must be a woman.
As they drove alongside the couple, she got a side view and saw the brunette’s large breasts swinging and bouncing unrestrained inside the tank top.
“Guess it’s not them,” Toby said.
“Doesn’t look that way,” said Sherry.
“The guy looks a lot like the one I saw. Not exactly the same, but…I mean, the one with Duane wasn’t dressed like that.”
“This isn’t the man you saw, is it?”
“No. Huh-uh.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
On the next block they drove past a hunched, filthy man steering a train of three heavily loaded shopping carts down the sidewalk.
Sherry wondered if this was the beggar who’d accosted her in front of the Speed-D-Mart.
They all looked so much alike, bundled up in their soiled clothes, hair and skin dark with grime.
This guy’s bigger than the other one, she thought.
As they came up on Hamilton High School, Sherry sighed.
“I’m not sure this is accomplishing much,” she said. “They could be anywhere.”
She saw the freeway underpass just ahead.
“I can’t imagine Duane would’ve gone much farther,” she said. “He’d have to deal with that weird mess of intersections and off-ramps and everything. It’s bad enough in a car. He wouldn’t try to walk through it.”
“Guess not. But you know what they might’ve done? They might’ve gone down National. I mean, they were heading in this direction…”
Toby flicked his turn signal and pulled into the left-hand turn pocket for National. Stopping at the red light, he said, “We can just take this over to Venice Boulevard.”
“Why would we wanta go there?”
“Maybe it’s where they went, you know? Duane and that guy were walking down Robertson. If they kept going, they might be heading for someplace on Venice.”
The signal changed to a green arrow. Toby stepped on the gas and turned left onto National.
“If they did go this way,” he said, “we oughta spot ’em pretty soon. We’re sure going a lot faster than they are.”
“That’s true,” Sherry said. “But I have my doubts that they came this far. For all we know, maybe they only walked down Robertson for half a block and climbed into a car. Or went into a building or down a sidestreet. They could’ve gone just about anywhere.”
“I know,” Toby said. “But if they kept going south, maybe they’re on the way to someplace on Venice and we’ll run into them pretty soon.”
Approaching the intersection, he steered to the right.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to look,” Sherry admitted.
“I know it’s a long shot,” Toby said, and made the turn. Ahead of them, Venice Boulevard was brightly lit. “We’ll start back if we don’t find them in a few blocks.”
“Yeah. ’Cause I don’t think we’re going to find them along here.”
“A lot of places are open,” Toby said.
Sherry nodded.
“Maybe they went in somewhere to rent a video or get a bite to eat or something.”
“I doubt it,” Sherry said.
“Yeah, me too. But you never know. Hey, know what? I’m starving. You wanta stop and get a little snack or something?”
“I don’t think so.”
He turned his head and smiled at her. “My treat.”
“I’d rather get back to the Speed-D-Mart.”
“Do you mind if I get something?”
She did mind, but she hated to say so. After all, Toby had gone out of his way to help her look for Duane. And this was his car.
“I guess we could stop somewhere,” she said.
“Great. We’ll make it real quick. Where you wanta go?”
“It’s up to you.”
“You like tacos?”
“Sure.”
“Me, too. I like ’em a lot. How about the Nacho Casa? We can get ’em at the take-out window, you know? That way, we won’t be wasting time.”
“Sounds good,” she
said.
“Hope it’s still open.”
As Toby drove west on Venice Boulevard, Sherry kept her eyes open for Duane. Not that she expected to find him this far from the Speed-D-Mart.
By now, wherever he’d gone, he might’ve even returned to his van and driven back to his apartment. He might be standing in his bedroom at this very moment with a bag of condoms in his hand, thinking, Where’s Sherry?
Now I’m the missing one, she thought.
Serve him right.
She doubted, however, that he had returned to his apartment.
It’d be nice, but didn’t seem very likely.
The longer I stay away, she thought, the more likely he’ll be there when I get back.
“Are you going to be subbing again pretty soon?” Toby asked.
“I don’t have anything lined up.”
“How does that work, anyway?”
“Well, I’m on the district’s list of substitutes. If they want me to work somewhere, they phone me in the morning and tell me about it. Then I can either accept the assignment or turn it down.”
“You like it?”
“Oh, it’s not so bad.”
“Everybody craps all over the subs.”
“It can be a little hairy sometimes. Usually, though, I get along okay.”
“I guess a lot of ’em take it easy on you because you’re so beautiful.”
She let out a quiet laugh. “Think so?”
“Yeah. Guys, anyway. I bet they do. I mean, they’d all want to get on your good side, you know?”
“I suppose that might happen sometimes.”
“Anybody ever…you know, put moves on you?”
“Oh, sometimes.”
“I bet. Oh, here comes the Nacho Casa. Looks like it’s still open.”
“I think it’s open twenty-four hours.”
“Yeah, maybe so. Sure you don’t mind if we stop?”
“No, that’s fine.”
Signal blinking, Toby eased over to the right-hand lane then made a turn into the Nacho Casa’s driveway. “How about if we go in?” he asked. “I sort of need to make a pit stop.”
“That’ll be okay.”
“Sorry,” he said, and swung into a parking space.
“No problem. I don’t suppose five or ten minutes is going to make much difference one way or another. For all I know, Duane might be gone for hours.”
He might be gone forever.
Dead.
I might never see him again.
The thoughts gave her a hot, squirmy feeling.
Don’t be an alarmist, she told herself. He’s probably fine.
Then where is he?
“Maybe I’ll wait for you in the car,” she told Toby.
He grimaced. “If you want to. But…I don’t know how safe it’d be. I mean, it’s getting pretty late and this isn’t the greatest neighborhood. Somebody comes along and sees you by yourself…”
“You come back and I’m missing,” she said.
“I’d hate to have that happen.”
“Me, too. Hey, maybe I’d end up in the same place as Duane.”
Toby laughed. “That’s a good one.”
“I’ll come in with you,” she said.
As she climbed out, the wind flung her skirt up. She shoved it down. Holding it against her thighs, she met Toby behind the car. “I hate skirts,” she said.
“You look nice in ’em, though.”
“Thanks.”
They walked across the parking lot to the door. Toby hurried ahead and opened it for her.
She entered the Nacho Casa and was glad to be out of the wind. Toby pulled the door shut.
The small restaurant was well lighted. Air conditioning chilled the air. All but two of its tables were empty. A gray-haired man sat alone at a corner table, his eyes checking out Sherry as he bit into a burrito. At another table, a teenaged couple sat across from each other. The way the guy was staring at his girlfriend, Sherry figured he must be madly in love.
Do I ever look at Duane that way?
She was pretty sure she didn’t.
When was the last time I looked at anybody that way?
It had been a very long time.
“You want to go ahead and have something, don’t you?” Toby asked.
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you sure?”
She remembered the bowl of popcorn she’d eaten on the couch with Duane. Though she’d devoured a lot of it, she now had a vague, empty feeling in her stomach. It probably had to do with missing Duane, not with hunger.
But maybe a snack would help.
“I guess I could use something,” she said.
Standing beside Toby, she tilted back her head and studied the elaborate display of menu items above the counter area.
“Can I help you?” asked the teenaged girl behind the cash register.
They never give you a chance to look at the menu.
“Just a second,” she said.
As she frowned at the menu and tried to make up her mind, she realized Toby was staring at her.
Thinks I’m beautiful.
Sure is checking me out.
Feeling herself start to blush, she smiled at him and said, “I guess I’ve made up my mind.”
Side by side, they stepped up to the counter.
“Have you decided?” the girl asked.
“You first,” Toby said to Sherry.
“Okay. I’ll have one hard-shell shredded beef taco and a small Pepsi.”
“Give me a medium Pepsi,” Toby said, “and two of those tacos like she’s getting.”
“Will that be for here or to go?” the girl asked.
Toby looked at Sherry.
“Either way,” she said. “They might be messy, though. Maybe we’d better eat them here.”
“Are you sure?”
“Sure.”
“Great.” Looking very pleased by her decision, he said, “For here.”
The girl repeated their order. As she rang it up, Sherry opened her denim purse to look for her billfold. “My treat,” she told Toby.
“Oh, no, I’ll get it.” Toby reached for a rear pocket of his shorts.
Sherry caught hold of his wrist.
He gasped and looked at her, his mouth drooping, his face turning crimson.
“I’m paying,” she said.
“But—”
“You’ve been nice enough to help me look for Duane. I really appreciate it, too. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t run into you. So let me pay. Okay? Please?” She squeezed his wrist.
“Well…okay.”
Chapter Seven
“I guess I’ll use the john while we’re waiting,” Toby said.
“Okay. I’ll be right here.”
He hurried away, and Sherry remained standing near the front of the counter.
On the other side, the girl filled cardboard cups with ice and Pepsi while a young man was busy behind her preparing the tacos.
The girl snapped plastic lids onto the drink containers. “Your tacos’ll be ready in a just a minute,” she said, and pushed the drinks across the counter.
“Thanks. I’ll come right back for them.”
Sherry picked up the Pepsis, grabbed a couple of straws and went looking for a table. The gray-haired man stared at her.
Pick a table nice and far away from him.
She smiled at the young couple as she stepped past them, but they didn’t seem to notice. Their eyes were locked on each other.
Not wanting to intrude, Sherry picked a table a fair distance away from them. It looked clean except for the small wadded ball of a straw wrapper. She set down the drinks, placed a straw across the top of each, then returned to the counter for the tacos.
The man kept staring at her.
Finished with his burrito, he sucked on a straw as his eyes followed Sherry.
Not a bad-looking guy. Slim and rugged-looking.
But creepy, the way he wouldn’t quit
staring at her.
Don’t choke on your drink, jerk.
At the counter, she found two plastic plates. One held a single taco wrapped in white paper. On the other were two tacos. Each plate was piled with tortilla chips.
She picked them up carefully and headed back for the table.
The guy was still watching her.
She frowned at him and he smiled.
A creepy smile, as if he had secret, nasty plans for her.
She looked away from him.
The way she was dressed, she supposed she shouldn’t blame him for staring. Not every night you get to see a gal wandering around in a cheerleader skirt and Hawaiian shirt.
I must look like a refugee from a pep squad luau.
On second thought, her costume probably didn’t matter to this guy: he seemed to be looking straight through her clothes as if he had x-ray vision.
She set the plates on the table, then turned her back to the man and sat down.
Maybe it’d be better to keep an eye on him.
Why bother? she asked herself. It’s not as if he’s going to try anything. Not inside a place like this.
I hope.
She tore the paper wrapper off her straw. As she poked the straw through the crossed slits in the lid of her drink, Toby stepped past her. She felt as if the troops had arrived. She smiled up at him.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Everything’s fine,” she said.
Toby sat down across the table from her. Unwrapping his straw, he leaned forward and whispered, “You wouldn’t believe what just happened to me in the john.”
“Oh, I’d probably believe it.”
“Something happen to you?” he asked.
“No. Not really. Just some guy in the corner who can’t seem to take his eyes off me.”
Toby sat up straight and gazed past Sherry’s left shoulder. “Him? The gray hair and blue shirt?”
“Yeah, but don’t stare.”
“What’d he do?”
“Nothing. Just sits there and…you know, watches me. Like he’s never seen a woman before.”
Blushing, Toby said, “He’s probably never seen one who looks like you.”
“Right. I’m one of a kind. My clone moved to Alabama.”
Toby laughed softly and sipped his drink. Then he said, “Want me to get rid of him?”
“No. Are you kidding? Just ignore him. Unless he tries something. Then you can wrestle him down and I’ll kick him.”