COLE
“Y-you saw her last night?” I shook my phone bearing Ava’s picture. It felt like a fist was squeezing my heart.
The manager of Marley’s Sports Bar shot me a look of annoyance. “Yeah, I saw her last night. Practically had to drag her out the door.”
“Why?”
Doom seemed to darken the bar, even with the glow of a dozen TV screens. I’d spent half an hour driving the streets of downtown looking for my sister. I’d stopped in Parc San Souci and Parc Internationale. The junkies there were of no help. This was the first trace of her, and it didn’t bode well. “Was she drunk already?”
He shrugged. “She might not have been wasted, but something was up with her.”
If she’d taken a hit before she came in, Ava might not have seemed drunk. I’d seen her jittery and hyper-alert. I’d also seen her sluggish and drowsy, slumped on furniture like a rag doll.
“Explain.”
“Buddy, are you going to order something?” He gestured to the handful of tables behind me. “I got lunch customers.”
“Fine.” I reached for my wallet. “Gimme a Coke and tell me what happened.”
The guy swiped the twenty I pushed his way. “Here or to go?” he asked.
“To go.” While I’d waited for the manager to come up front, I’d called Legend’s and NiteTown, two of the other bars within easy walking distance, but no one had answered. Tsunami and Agave were open for lunch, so I’d try them next.
The manager plucked a Styrofoam cup from the stack behind the bar and filled it with ice. “She came in about ten minutes before we closed and ordered a flight of tequila.”
I let go a sigh.
Ava, why?
I shut my eyes and absorbed the blow. I opened them and glared at the bartender. “And you served her?” The words came out like a growl. A snarl.
He set the soft drink on the bar and ogled me like I was crazy. “Dude,” he said, turning his palms up and glancing around, “it’s a bar. That’s what we do.”
Get a hold of yourself.
I palmed my face and rubbed my eyes until I saw stars.
“She your girlfriend?” the bartender asked, curiosity shifting his tone.
I met his gaze. He looked less annoyed now. More neutral. I shook my head. “She’s my sister. She’s a recovering addict. And she didn’t come home last night.”
The guy’s eyebrows ticked up. “Well, she wasn’t here long. Like I said, she came in right at last call. I served her and told her she needed to drink up and go. Fifteen minutes later, she was still staring at her shots.”
I blinked. “Wait. What?”
He dipped his forehead in a tight nod. “Yep. She ordered, paid, and then stared at the flight like it was a fuckin’ crystal ball.”
“D-did she drink it?”
The guy shrugged again. “I told her to wrap it up, and I went into the back to lock up the office. When I came back, she was gone and my girl Christine was washing the glasses.”
“Is Christine here now?” I asked, hopeful.
The manager coughed a laugh. “No. She won’t be back ‘til Wednesday.” He shook his head. “All I can tell you for sure is the girl was here until just after midnight, and she left alone.”
I could tell I wasn’t going to get more than that, but it was better than nothing. I grabbed my drink and turned for the door.
“You don’t want your change?” he called to my back.
