Before the Dawn(67)

Torez studied him but didn't speak. But then, his partner didn't have to speak. He could easily read the other guy's doubt. Torez didn't like playing backup.

Neither did Anthony. 

Anthony rolled back his shoulders. "I got to crash, man. You're staying here for a while and keeping an eye on our perp?"

Torez nodded. "Yeah, yeah, man. I got him. You get some rest."

"Thanks, buddy." Anthony turned away. "This case is exploding, and half the time, I'm afraid to see what is going to happen next." He stopped. "Because more is coming, I know it."

* * *

MALONE WAS INSIDE the tattoo shop, a broom in his hand and a scowl on his face.

"Don't know who made the worse mess...the jerk who broke in or the police team who came to look for fucking clues." He gestured around the place. "You think insurance is going to cover this crap? Hell, no. My business is wrecked, my best tattoo artist is dead and I-" He broke off, swallowing. "Jinx is dead." His voice was softer and the lines on his face appeared deeper. "Fucking hell, she's dead."

Dawn headed toward him and wrapped him in a hug. Tucker watched her. This was the second time Dawn had reached out to comfort one of her friends. Her touch was hesitant, as if she wasn't quite sure of herself. Her small body was nearly swallowed by Malone's as his hands came up and held her tight.

"I saw the story on the news. He froze her, Dawn." Malone's head lifted. His eyes looked damp. "He tortured her. Stabbed her. Just like-"

But he stopped.

She didn't. "Just like me," Dawn finished for him.

Malone's face tightened.

Slowly, Dawn pulled away from him. "Was Jinx seeing anyone?" she asked, voice careful. "Did she ever talk about someone to you?"

He started sweeping again.

"Malone?"

"She seemed...happier." He bit out the one word as he worked. "In the last few weeks. I even asked her about it and teased her...asked her if she got laid." His eyes squeezed shut. "She laughed. Wouldn't tell me anything about the guy, but I knew she was seeing someone. If I'd had any fucking clue this would happen..."

"You didn't know," Tucker said grimly. "This isn't on you."

Malone's eyes opened. "She never mentioned any name to me and I never saw her with anyone. Jinx was private, you know? Kept her secrets."

Everyone seemed to be keeping them.

He huffed out a breath. "She did have a cousin in town, though. Guy who came around the shop a few times. I told her, though, that she needed to keep him the hell away." His stare swung toward Dawn. "I don't deal with users here, and that kid stayed sky-high. Every time he came around here, Jinx would get nervous. She wanted him clean, but the boy... Shit, I could tell that getting clean was the last thing on his mind."

Tucker took a step toward Malone. "Did you happen to get that cousin's name?"

"Rowan? Something like that." Malone's shoulders sagged. "I saw what drug use does-I saw it rip my daughter apart. I warned Jinx. She had to be careful with that kid. Because he would drag her down with him if she wasn't careful. I gave her...gave her some support group names. Told her about some clinics in the area."

"She didn't mention him to me," Dawn said. "We were friends. Why didn't she tell me?"


      ///
       
         
       
        

"Sometimes, you try to cover up the things that hurt you in this world. You don't want the ones close to you seeing how much you hurt."

Or judging you.

"I think she wouldn't have told me, either, if the kid hadn't come around here."

"This Rowan..." Dawn wet her lips. "Did he have blond hair, brown eyes?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's him." Malone squinted as he looked back at her. "Sounds like you do know him."

Yes, they knew him. Everything kept circling back to Rowan.

"Caught him breaking into the shop about a month ago," Malone admitted. "Called the PD to haul his ass away. Since I called them, hell, you know how pissed I had to be."

"I know," she murmured.

He huffed and tightened his hold on the broom. "Jinx begged me not to press charges but I got the detective to try to scare the shit out of the fellow. Figured maybe that would help some."

Tucker's head cocked. "The detective? Just which detective was that?"

"Torez. He comes in here sometimes. Jinx gave him a nice tat a while back." His hand tightened on the broom. "Work of fucking art. Jinx was so good at her work. So fucking good..." His eyes teared up again. "Such a damn waste."