Graham, Jan - Finding Angel [Wylde Shore] (Siren Publishing Ménage and More) (49 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

As he drove down the road, Steve saw the mall in the distance. It wasn’t large, just a single-level structure with a moderate, outdoor car park. It was a far cry from the multilevel monstrosities he was used to in the city. Its size would definitely work to Steve’s advantage. Apart from the supermarket, Steve assumed it would probably contain no more than fifty specialist stores. Angel had been in at least four of those stores yesterday, and if this was where she had been hiding for the past few weeks, then the chances are she had been in more. In an area of this size, the odds of someone knowing or recognising Angel were vastly increased.

Steve knew it would be more difficult to find out information here than it had in the tiny community where “good old Sam” had set up his second home. This community was larger, but it still catered to the rural and semirural suburbs of the shire it serviced. He hoped that, unlike a large city, there would be less resistance to helping someone out. Hopefully, people here would be less suspicious than they were in the city and more willing to talk about a new face in town.

Steve parked the car one row back from the mall’s front entrance. From this position, he had a clear view of the front entrance and the bus shelter located off to the front left-hand side of the mall. He could also see the overhead walkway and stairs leading into the car park from the small train station located across the road. Not that Steve planned to sit in the car all day and watch the entrance. He knew the best chance of finding Angel stemmed from talking to the shop owners who had seen her. He glanced around as he entered the mall. Most of the small boutique shops were closed, but given the amount of people with bags of groceries in trolleys walking past him toward the car park, he assumed the supermarket was open.

Locating the mall’s directory display, he looked for the stores that Angel had purchased items from. He made his way down to the supermarket located at the back of the facility. He spotted the café Angel had been to on his way past. It sat to the side of a large, open communal space. The sign out the front stated “serving breakfast now,” and Steve’s stomach immediately rumbled at the thought.

The supermarket hadn’t been much help. The woman on duty explained the rotation of staff meant they couldn’t determine who may have been working at the time of Angel’s visit. Steve realised the mechanics of staffing a larger store such as this and knew it would be a slim chance for gaining any useful information. The supervisor at the information counter had suggested he wait until the copy shop opened and make a flyer with “his sister’s” picture on it to put on the store’s notice board. Steve showed Angel’s picture to a couple of the checkout staff he had been told had worked the previous day before heading to the café. He glanced at the notice board on his way out of the store. It was covered in paper signs about items for sale, community events, and lost pet notices. He knew the supervisor was just trying to be helpful by suggesting the notice board poster, but Angel wasn’t a lost puppy for God’s sake. Hell, he didn’t even know if those signs accomplished getting a pet back anyway.

The café wasn’t very busy. Steve sat down at a table that could give him a clear view of the public access areas and stared at the menu. He was ravenous, the bigger the breakfast, the better. It didn’t take long for a woman to walk over to take his order. The woman was plump, dressed in black pants and a white button-up shirt. She had short, spiky, red hair with hints of blonde through it. She was probably in her forties, but Steve was never good at guessing women’s ages. Before he was married, Steve had relegated women into three age categories, too young, too old, and available for sex.

“What can I get you, honey?” She smiled as she approached, asking him the question long before she reached the table.

“I’ll have the big breakfast and a double-shot espresso to start.” He smiled back at the woman.

“To start.” She laughed. “Well, just so you know I love a man with a good appetite, so order whatever you like. The big breakfast is a fair serve though, so hopefully we can fill you up.”

“You might have your work cut out for you. I’m pretty hungry. I’ve been on the road since four, so I’ve worked up an appetite.” Steve laughed, amused by the pleasantries of the conversation.

The woman was surprising him with the ease of the conversation. Most people looked at him with a slight wariness. Even the helpful supermarket supervisor had been a bit cautious at first. Steve knew it was the long hair and tattoos that sent up warning bells for most people, but in his line of work it had its advantages. Not that he looked the way he did for work purposes. He had started getting tats when he was in his late teens and leather and denim was what he felt most comfortable in.

“A four o’clock start would explain those dark circles under your eyes then. So are you heading into or out of the city?” she asked as she picked up the menu from the table.

“Neither actually. I’ve driven up from down south. I’m here for a few days.” Steve pulled the picture of Angel out of his pocket. “I’m actually looking for my sister.”

The woman took the picture of Angel and stared down at it before glancing between the photo and Steve.

“You have the same eyes, apart from the dark circles of course.” A hint of suspicion crossed her face. “So is she really your sister, or has she run away from you because you treated her like shit?”

Steve was taken aback, and obviously the shock showed on his face because the woman’s expression softened as he replied.

“She’s my sister. She used to live with a guy who treated her worse than shit though. By the time I found out how much danger she was in, the bastard had her so terrified she was scared to leave him. Anyway I was working on getting her to a safe place, and she disappeared. I have a few friends down here, and one of them rang me yesterday to say they thought they saw her hopping onto a bus out the front of here. So I drove up this morning to see if I could find her.” Steve paused briefly and, pointing to his eyes, added, “The dark circles are from nearly a month’s lack of sleep worrying about her.”

“Well, I haven’t seen her around, but I’ll ask some of the staff on duty. I’ll give Barry your order and get your coffee and see if anyone has seen her.” The woman patted Steve’s hand before walking away.

Steve watched as she spoke to whoever was behind the counter window that led to the kitchen. She then proceeded to talk to the two girls who were making up the numerous coffee orders. Steve assumed the coffees were takeaway orders for people on their way to open up the different shops in the centre. A young, scruffy guy looked over at him as he collected his coffee and began to walk over to Steve’s table at a leisurely pace.

“You were lookin’ for that hot chick in the picture, man?” he mumbled when he got level with the table.

Steve nodded.

“She was in the shop yesterday. I think I sold her a phone charger and somethin’ else. But I don’t know anything about her. Meg says if I see her again, I should tell her that her brother’s lookin’ for her.”

“Thanks, man,” Steve stated. “Hey, was she with anyone yesterday?”

“Nah, by herself, I think. Good luck finding her though, man,” the young guy replied as he walked away.

That covers the electrical store
. Steve watched Meg approach. At least he assumed that was the woman’s name, courtesy of electrical boy. She had two coffees with her, and Steve wondered who had ordered the second one. He was the only customer in the store that had taken a seat. His curiosity was rewarded as she placed both coffees on his table and sat down in front of the cappuccino she had brought with her. The woman watched as Steve dumped five sugars into the small cup and stirred it slowly.

“I’m Steve,” he offered as she started eating the froth of the milky coffee in front of her.

“Meg,” she replied with a smile, placing the photo onto the table. “Well, the girls don’t remember her, but Barry does. He’ll bring your breakfast out and talk to you then. I sent young Jason over, but he’s in a dreamworld most of the time. I’m surprised he even remembered her.”

“He referred to her as the hot chick, so maybe it was more about hormones than a good memory,” Steve joked.

Meg laughed and started making polite conversation before proceeding to ask Steve how he was coping. Steve appreciated the woman’s concern. He began to realise how much he missed being able to talk to Kathy. She really kept him on an even keel, and the few weeks he had spent without her hadn’t been easy on him. He needed to get home and soon, even if it was only for a night or two.

As they continued to chat, Steve noticed a young girl walking over to them. She was thin and attractive, and Steve got the impression the young woman knew it. She was wearing a school uniform that was short enough to get her into all sorts of trouble with the wrong kind of man.

I’m officially old
. At one time in his life, no skirt on a woman would have ever been too short. He took consolation in the fact that this was not a woman, which meant the skirt
could
in fact be too short.

“If your father sees you wearing something that short, he will have a heart attack.” Meg looked less than pleased with the young girl as she lifted the hem of the girl’s T-shirt and peered underneath it. “Unroll that waistband now, young lady, or you’ll be locked in your bedroom until you’re thirty.”

“You’re such a drama queen.” The young girl rolled her eyes at Meg before turning her attention to Steve. “I’m Bethany. Are you a friend of Dad’s?”

Steve glanced at Bethany’s stomach as she fidgeted with the waistband of her skirt. He saw the sparkle of a heart shaped jewel dangling from a piecing in her belly button.

“Steve.” He looked up at her and smiled. He wanted to add “I bet your middle name is trouble” but thought better of it.

“Steve’s looking for his sister. Have you seen her?” Meg pointed at the picture.

“Yeah, heaps.” Bethany didn’t offer anymore information.

“Well…” Meg made a gesture toward her daughter indicating more information was required.

“Oh, right…I think she lives past Baxter Road somewhere. She was on the bus yesterday when Tiff and I were going down to the dam. We got off at Baxter.”

“Was she alone?” Steve asked.

“Yesterday she was, but the time before that she was with two of the most gorgeous guys alive. They came here for cake and coffee.”

“Do you know who the guys are?” Meg asked the question before Steve had the chance.

“No, but they must like her a lot. Either that or she’s rich and they are just hanging around her for her money.”

“Why do you say that?” Steve had no idea how teenage girls’ heads worked, but this one’s seemed a bit defective.

“She had bags, and I’m guessing like four maybe five, all from the sexy underwear shop over there. So someone had money, and they weren’t afraid to spend it.”

Steve hoped when he and Kathy had kids they’d be boys. His head was starting to ache listening to Meg and her daughter talk. He drained the last of his coffee as Meg and Bethany walked over to the servery where three more young girls appeared from behind the kitchen doors followed by a man that even Steve would think twice about taking on in a fight.

Meg came over to tell Steve she was going to take the girls to school and would be back shortly. She introduced him to Barry and rushed out of the café, leaving the cackle of teenage girls ringing in Steve’s ears. Barry placed the breakfast in front of Steve and called out to Tracey behind the counter to bring two more coffees as he sat down.

Barry was at least six and a half feet tall. He was as broad as a bus but not fat, with dark hair pulled back into a ponytail. When he first emerged from the kitchen, Steve thought he was wearing a long sleeve shirt, but once he was closer he realised the man’s arms were covered completely in tattoos and he was wearing a black T-shirt.

“Meg said you were hungry and way too skinny, so I doubled the bacon and gave you two extra sausages.” Barry’s voice had an undertone of concern.

“Thanks, man, it looks better than anything I’ve eaten in a month,” Steve said as he began to eat.