Dawn fidgeted. “I already did. The cop I mentioned to you. The one I’m helping with the missing child case.”
“A police officer. Hmm.”
“His girlfriend just broke up with him. I doubt he’s even interested in dating anyone right now. Not seriously anyway.”
“His girlfriend broke up with him? What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing is wrong with him. He said they started dating in college, and she wants to meet other people before settling down.” Dawn remembered the vision she’d had of Lisa with another guy, driving around in a red Corvette.
“If you ask me, I think there are far too many young people wanting to let loose. It gets you nowhere. Look where it got me, and look where it got your mother—”
“And look where it got me.”
“What do you mean?” Annette wrapped her arms around Dawn. “You are doing so well. You finished college, and now you have a good job. You are going places, young lady, and don’t you forget it.”
“Thank you for being my biggest cheerleader, Gran.”
“Always.” Annette gave her a kiss on the forehead, then stood up. “I’m going to make us some herbal tea.”
Dawn stretched her legs and closed her eyes. She was looking forward to heading over to the Youth Community Center tomorrow, but she hoped she wouldn’t mess up. She wanted to make a difference, not screw up lives. They had enough screwed-up people in this area, let alone around the world.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
“Grandma, are you making popcorn?”
“No, why?” Annette called back from the kitchen.
Dawn heard the popping sounds again, followed by screams and cursing.
“Grandma, it’s gunshots!” Alarmed, Dawn jumped up, ran to the kitchen, and pulled Annette down on the kitchen floor. They had thought about setting up a panic room in a closet but never did it. You could get shot just by sitting in your living room.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, dear,” Annette said, out of breath. “I wish they would stop with these guns. Too many senseless deaths over the years.”
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Dawn called 911, and then she texted Luca. She knew he was working tonight, and she trusted him.
Shots fired on my street. Very close.
Within seconds, her phone pinged back with a text from Luca: On my way.
* * *
Luca and Joe were parked at a McDonald’s. It wasn’t Luca’s favorite restaurant, but the sandwiches hit the spot, and they could get their food in a hurry. Joe was a good guy, and Luca liked him. But unlike his father, Antonio, who could probably still keep up with any of his sons, Joe’s twenty-five extra pounds thanks to the night shift and twenty-four-hour fast-food places slowed him down some.
He was about to chomp into his burger when the dispatcher alerted them to a 10-71, shots fired in the area of Dorset Ave. and North Street.
“That’s where Dawn lives!”
“Who’s Dawn?” Joe asked, shoving the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth as he put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot.
“A friend of mine.”
Joe flicked on the siren at the same time as a text came in on Luca’s phone.
It was Dawn, asking for help. He texted her back, hoping they would get there before anyone was hurt.
