Yours to Savor (55 page)

“It’s back this way.”

There were only two bedrooms in the house, a kitchenette, and a small living area. All of it was filled with clutter that Sandra was sure would have taken years to accumulate. Josh always complained how his mother could never bring herself to throw out her belongings, no matter how useless, grubby, or old they were.

Brandon flicked on the lights in Josh’s bedroom. Piles of clothes made a mess of the place, and dust bunnies curled up in every corner. There was a bed, sheets tossed about, an old desk with peeling veneer, and a small, open closet. The room was even smaller than Sandra’s apartment.

“Start looking,” Brandon commanded.

“For what?”

“Anything that might help us.”

Sandra nodded, and started overturning the piles of clothes. She didn’t know
what
she was looking for, but hoped she would recognize it when she saw it. A few minutes later, she was picking her way across the room toward the desk when Brandon’s voice called out. “Check this out.”

He was standing at the closet, having unearthed something beneath another pile of clothes. Sandra came over, and gasped.

Brandon had been right.

Atop a shoebox, hidden in the far corner of the closet, was a quart Ziploc bag filled with dozens of smaller baggies of weed.

“That’s just a distraction.” Brandon picked the Ziploc up, tossed it aside, and kicked at the shoebox. “
That’s
the mother lode.”

Sandra squatted down and pulled the shoebox forward. She opened it—and drew another breath in surprise. The carton was stuffed full of fifty- and hundred-dollar bills. Sandra had never seen so much money in one place.

“The top right corner,” Brandon said.

“What?”

“Look there.”

Sandra picked away the bills, feeling a little sleazy. That feeling was overshadowed by the indignation that was building toward Josh. She’d considered him a younger brother, and discovering all
this
was like a slap in the face. He had lied to her about Brandon, and about himself. And she’d believed him, instead of believing Brandon.
Josh
was the one who had betrayed her trust.

Under the bills, in the corner, Sandra felt something the size of her thumb. It was wrapped up in tinfoil.

“That’s it,” Brandon said.

Sandra picked it up, frowning. A little trail of white powder spilled out.

“Give it to me.”

Sandra handed it to Brandon. He opened the foil package carefully, pinched the bit of powder inside, and brought it to his lips. “Just as I thought.”

“What? What is it?”

“What do you think?”

Sandra knew, but she didn’t want to say it. She shook her head.

“It’s cocaine,” Brandon said. “
This
is what got Josh in trouble, if nothing else. It’s low grade stuff, not totally pure, but I bet he couldn’t tell the difference.”

“Where did it come from?”

“
That’s
the question. Mark wouldn’t have given it to him. Josh might have gotten somebody else to do it. Josh was persistent. He may even have been set up.”

“Set up? Wait—who’s Mark?”

“Mark’s someone who works for me. He oversees the Seattle area. He makes sure the operation on the west coast stays smooth. He got wind of Josh dealing in the first place.” Brandon paused. “Mark’s also a bit of a nut,” he admitted.

Sandra’s chest tightened. “A nut?”

“He was never the best choice for us. He’s smart, but has a temper. He gets too emotional at times. But, he knew the area well, and we needed someone local. He’s worked for me and Clarisse for four years without a hitch—though I’ve always suspected he’s been after more than just running the Seattle operation. He gets jealous of anybody dealing on his turf, and Josh—” Brandon motioned to the box of money, “—has had more success than most. That’s how he got Mark’s attention. Mark went to Clarisse, who asked me to come out here and smooth things over. That’s what I do.”

“What would Mark want with Josh now?”

“That’s the problem,” Brandon said gravely. “I don’t know. That’s why we have to find Josh immediately. Is there anybody else who might know where he was last?”

Sandra thought for a bit, then exclaimed, “Cassie! I didn’t think of it before, but Josh was supposed to have the late shift at the coffee shop today.”

“Let’s go.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Brandon sprinted to the car. As soon as Sandra got in, he floored the gas.

He ran red lights and stop signs to get to
Cassie’s Blend
. Every minute lost gave Mark another minute to do something stupid.

The coffee shop was still open. Brandon screeched to a stop in the middle of the road. Sandra jumped out before he could turn the engine off, but he followed closely on her heels.

“Sandra! Brandon! I haven’t seen you two in forever!” Cassie jumped up, a wide smile on her face as she came to greet them. When Brandon didn’t return the smile, Cassie’s expression turned serious. “What’s going on?”

“Josh,” Sandra said. “He might be in trouble.”

“
Is
in trouble,” Brandon corrected. “When did you see him last?”

Cassie frowned. “He left a while ago, even though just last week he asked for the extra shift. He left on that motorcycle. I don’t like him riding it, no matter what he says. It’s foolhardy. I know he worked hard to save up for it, and bought it himself, but I don’t like it anyway.”

“Where?” Brandon stressed. “Where did he say he was going?”

“Heavens, I wouldn’t know! He’s been strangely distant lately. I think he’s hiding something.”

Sandra took Cassie’s hands in her own. “You’re more right than you would ever believe.”

Cassie’s eyes narrowed. “He
is
hiding something, isn’t he? Well, what is it? Out with it, come on! I have a right to know. I’ve basically raised that boy myself these last two years.”

“There’s no time now,” Brandon said. “We have to find him first. How long ago did he leave?”

“An hour and a half, two hours? It’s serious, isn’t it?” Cassie asked anxiously.

“Very,” Brandon confirmed.

As they turned to go, Cassie called after them, “See him safe! He’s a good kid, and his mother would be so worried if she knew anything was wrong.”

Brandon stopped, wheeled around. “Not a word of this to her.”

Cassie regarded him for a moment, and he feared he would have to confront her before she accepted. But she surprised him by nodding in acquiescence. “I promise.”

Brandon found Sandra already in the car. He got in, but had to restrain himself from driving too fast. This time, it wouldn’t just be his life lost in a crash.

“Mark would have set up a meeting with Josh. Outside the city. Somewhere neutral for both of them, he would say, but the truth is he’d want to be as far away from people as possible. I know a few places like that from here to Seattle.”

“We can’t possibly go to all of them, can we?”

“That’s what I plan on doing. It’s our only lead.”

“What if we call the cops? If they help, we could find Josh faster.”

Brandon barked a laugh. “They would come, but they would fuck everything up in a hurry. The thing cops are best at is announcing their presence. Their sirens would spook Mark and put Josh in even more danger. No, we can’t risk it.”

“…Brandon?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you doing this? What does it matter to you what happens to Josh?”

“It matters, Sandra. Trust me. I told you, after your sister died, I changed. I started dealing just to make money, of course, because it was the only thing available to me. And I stayed in it for the money, but ever since the fire, I also thought… I don’t know, that maybe I could make a difference.” He clenched his hands against the wheel. “Who else is in a position to turn these kids away from a life of crime and addiction? Their parents?” Brandon scoffed. “Parents are the reason half these kids turn to drugs in the first place. The cops? They’re clumsy, inept, and more important,
authorities
. The kids won’t take advice from authorities they’re rebelling against. But me? I’m on the
inside
, one of the few who can make a difference. That’s why I do what I do. As much as possible, I want to prevent kids who have their whole lives ahead of them from making the wrong choices early on. If they get sucked into drugs and crime in their teens, there’s no escape.” He exhaled slowly. “It’s like this, Sandra. If a fifty-year-old movie producer wants his fix, I’m his man; if his fifteen-year-old son asks for the same, I do all I can to scare him off. Sometimes it takes aggression, sometimes persuasion. Sometimes, all a boy needs is someone he
trusts
to listen to his problems and show him they can go away. That’s what I try to do.”

“I believe you.”

Brandon blinked, and dared a glance over at her. “What?”

“I believe you,” Sandra repeated. “About everything.” She was looking straight ahead, jaw set, determination clear in those dark eyes. “I don’t know if I can forgive you, Brandon. But I believe you, now.”

He dared to reach over, take her hand in his, and squeeze. She didn’t jerk away, but she didn’t squeeze his hand back, either. “We’ll find Josh,” he promised her. “I swear on my life. We’ll find him tonight.”

Sandra looked over, just for a second. Brandon’s breath caught as he felt those eyes wash over him and draw him in. “I thought I could trust him, but he was the one who lied to me. He made up such an elaborate story about you. Despite that, I don’t wish him any harm. I trust you when you say you’ll do your best.”

Brandon put both hands back on the wheel. Feeling Sandra’s warmth in his palm sparked emotions in him that he couldn’t acknowledge tonight. Not until he dealt with Mark.

“There!” Sandra exclaimed. “There, right there!”

Brandon stopped the car. “I don’t see it.”

“In the distance, under the trees!” It was a shadow of a bike, far away, but Sandra had seen Josh’s bike before. This one was unmistakably his.

“I still don’t see it. Are you sure?”

“
Yes
!”