“I think you’re right. I want sesame chicken, vegetable fried rice, two egg rolls, and wonton soup. Oh, and some crab rangoons as well,” he says.
“Got it,” I murmur, my head down as I quickly write his order on the pad in front of me. “I’ll call it in then let Uncle Mack know how much it’ll be and when it’ll be ready.”
“Give them my card info for payment, Shelly,” he says, handing me a debit card.
“Um, okay. Thanks,” I reply.
He does that frequently which is why I end up taking my lunch home and eating it for dinner. I hate to waste food if at all possible and that’s only because there was a time when I was a little kid that things were tight. Uncle Mack had just opened his business, so it wasn’t really making any money, and Marcella worked part-time during the hours I was in school. I’m not a huge fan of leftovers because we ate them so often, but old habits die hard.
“No problem,” he tells me as he heads back into his office.
“That’s weird,” I murmur, looking at the clock. “She confirmed her appointment with me yesterday then doesn’t show up? I hope nothing’s going on.”
I’ve already tried to call Gretchen to see where she’s at, but it goes straight to voicemail. Every text reads delivered but hasn’t been opened or read. I debate on whether or not to call Gina, then decide it couldn’t hurt. It’s not about the money since the tattoo is free, it’s more concerning to me that someone who is in recovery has fallen out of contact.
When Gina picks up, I ask, “Hey, Gina, it’s Shelly from Anarchy Ink. Sorry to bother you, but have you heard from Gretchen? She missed our appointment.”
“Hey, Shelly. I talked to her last night, and she was excited about today. She even drew something that she’s hoping you can make better. Are you saying she didn’t show up?”
“Nope, and her phone’s going right to voicemail, too,” I reply. “I’m trying not to worry about her, Gina, but yeah, it’s not working so well.”
“This isn’t like her,” Gina murmurs. “Let me see what I can find out and once I know something, I’ll let you know, okay? She wouldn’t break her sobriety, she’s worked too hard in her recovery.”
“Appreciate it, Gina. I’ll let you go so you can get on that,” I tell her.
We say our goodbyes and I stand up, jolting in shock when I realize Abyss is standing there and has likely heard my conversation. Not that it’s a state secret or anything, but maybe I need something to warn me of his presence. Maybe I should get him a bell to wear around his neck, so I know he’s coming, I chuckle to myself.
“You had a client bail on you?” he asks.
“I don’t know for sure, I mean she confirmed her appointment yesterday for today, but now, I can’t get in touch with her and I’m trying not to worry.”
A funny look crosses his face and he says, “Get me her information, I’ll have Nerd check into it for you.”
Why on earth would he have one of his brothers check on my missing client? Instead of asking him, I pull up the client list then write down Gretchen’s contact information before handing it to him.
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
Abyss
When I overheardShelly speaking with one of her clients about another one who missed her appointment, my mind immediately went to what was discussed in church. I don’t know if it’s related, but my gut says that we need to find out. Thankfully, Shelly doesn’t ask any questions so without saying a word, I head into my office, closing the door behind me.
When Nerd picks up, I say, “I know we’re waiting on Doc’s list, but I might have stumbled onto something.”
“What’s that?” he asks. I can hear his rock music playing then suddenly, it’s muted. “Okay, tell me what you’ve got.”
“Woman’s name is Gretchen Billings. Unsure of an address, but she was coming in for a sobriety tattoo, so she could be staying in a transition house or living on her own. Anyhow, she confirmed her appointment yesterday then was a no-show today. Shelly’s been unable to make contact with her, phone goes straight to voicemail, and her texts haven’t been read.”
“Fuck,” Nerd murmurs. I can hear his fingers flying over his keyboard then he says, “I’ll do a dive on her and see what I can come up with, Abyss.”
“Appreciate it.”
After I hang up, I hear Mack hollering, “Lunch is here!” Standing, I head into the kitchen where Shelly is pulling containers out of the bags so we can eat.
Sitting there eating, I ask, “You got anyone on the books this afternoon?”
Shelly shakes her head, but Mack says, “I’ve got two, so I’ll probably be here late.”
