“He also had a scar,” Liz said. “I never met him, but Zoe mentioned how he had this scar on his cheek from a fight he had gotten in and it was really hot or something.”
I nodded. As if this case wasn’t dramatic enough, now the main villain had a signature scar.
That was all I got from Liz when it came to the facts of the case, but at least it was something. She gave me plenty more context as well. She described Zoe as being really nice and kind-hearted, almost a pushover. Zoe had grown a little more glum and irritated when she started seeing the mysterious older guy, but she had always apologized to Liz after snapping at her.
Zoe was a people-pleaser, I realized as I skimmed my notes. She wanted to make everyone happy. It sounds nice, but it’s a surefire way to get manipulated. Especially if you end up in the wrong pair of arms.
Liz had been sad about Zoe. She missed her best friend. Something told me that Liz had been missing Zoe since before she even ran away. Zoe had become distant when she got involved with the biker, isolating herself. It was a classic tale. Get a young person away from all their friends, make them depend on you, and then they’ll do anything you say.
As for Hector, I still didn’t have much. I had chatted with a few of his friends who had confirmed what his parents told me. He got really into bikes. Started cutting class. Grew distant. Then one day he was gone.
His friends had seemed confused when I asked about drugs. I wanted to know if Hector had dabbled in anything before. They blinked before slowly nodding.
“Not marijuana,” I said. “I’m talking heroin or cocaine.”
Their little teenage eyes had bugged out of their heads, which was confirmation that Hector had not been shooting up, at least not in front of them.
I lifted my pen and jotted down the date of the barbecue. It was the day after next. I had an urge to invite Pin over. I wanted to see him. We could watch TV and chat, and it would take my mind off the case.
Except that was bad. Pin was part of the case. When I saw Pin, I should be thinking of the case, not the way his smile was ever-so-slightly crooked or the way he looked right into my eyes when I was talking.
Or how much I wanted to sleep with him again. I was happy we hadn’t gone further than kissing the last time we saw each other, but I couldn’t deny I had the urge to go further. I wanted to know what it would be like now that I knew Pin a bit better.
It was a distraction though. And it was dangerous to yearn for Pin like this.
I decided I would tell him I was busy with work tonight and tomorrow. I would wait until the barbecue to see him again. That way, I could use the time apart to cool down. I would let my little crush fade.
Only, as I put away my notebook and prepared for bed, I worried that it wasn’t just a crush. I could tell myself over and over that the barbecue was going to be a reconnaissance mission. It was going to be crucial for my investigation into Outlaw Souls.
But when I thought about the barbecue, I just got excited to spend more time with Pin. And when I pushed aside the excitement, I only felt guilt. I was using him. He thought we were just starting to date. That we had innocent motives and clear intentions.
Before I met Pin, I would have said I was willing to do anything to solve a case. I would lie, beg, borrow or steal in the name of an investigation. Now I wasn’t so sure if I was capable of that.
Now it felt like I was about to cross a line.
Seventeen
Pin
When Claire showed up at my place before the barbecue, I almost suggested we bail on the whole thing. I took one look at her in her relaxed-fit green dress paired with combat boots, and I wanted to pull her into my bedroom and keep her there for a solid twenty-four hours.
Instead, I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed her. I didn’t care that we still hadn’t defined our relationship or this was technically only our second date. I couldn’t resist.
To my joy, she kissed me back with enthusiasm. When she slid her fingers into my hair, I nearly threw away all my self-control. After extending the kiss for a few moments, I pulled back to gaze down into Claire’s glowing face.
Her eyes were big and full of mischief, as if it was the funniest joke that I had kissed her before speaking, and her lips were slightly swollen.
“Hi,” I said.
“Hey,” she said.
“You look good,” I said.
“I wasn’t sure how to dress for a biker barbecue.” She stepped back to look down at her polka-dot dress. “I almost went with Daisy Dukes and bright red lipstick. Isn’t that what biker chicks wear?”
“Nah,” I said. “You’re perfect the way you are.”
She froze at the compliment. I hadn’t meant to be so intense, but it just came out. It was true, anyway. Everything about her from the tiny freckles on her nose to her black combat boots was amazing.
