Page 79 of Queen of Ruin

It looks like he was trying to goad her into a reply but didn’t get one. “So he went to Mindy’s place?”

“It’s as good a place to start as any,” Bradley agrees. “Retracing his steps will give us an idea of where he could have gone next while Raven keeps digging.”

“What’s his relationship to Mindy, anyway?” Ruslan asks as we all rush down to the cars in the elevator.

“I don’t know how much I should say,” I admit. “It’s his life.”

“And it could save it,” Bradley points out. “So tell us everything you know.”

“Alright. One thing I can say for sure is that she’s a manipulative cunt. She tried to kill herself in his kitchen all because she wanted money from him. She’s a drug addict and she blames him for that.”

“Why?” Ruslan asks.

I hold off on the rest until we’re in the car with Frank weaving us through the city toward Mindy’s apartment. “She blames him because the first time she got high, it was with him. Although from my understanding, it wasn’t because of him. His… brother died. That’s how he got into drugs. He was high as a kite one night and she tried it for herself and got hooked. She’s blamed him ever since. I think… I think he blames himself too.”

“Did he stick the needle in her arm?” Ruslan asks, running his fingers up and down his seatbelt to make a soft noise.

“No.”

“Then it’s not his fault.”

“I know. But I think he feels it is because he created the situation that got her hooked.”

“How?” Bradley’s frown deepens. “He didn’t kill his brother. He was a man in pain and in need of help that he was finding in a needle. Any decent friend would have gotten him help, not joined him.”

I stare at Bradley and nod slowly. “That’s… not a perspective I think he has considered.” And it might be exactly what he needs to hear. “Well, he nearly overdosed five years ago and got clean. Spent these past five years turning his life around and doing everything he can to help her get clean, but she refuses. So he tried to distance himself.”

“And she turned into a suicide-baiting cunt who realized he’s soft enough and feeling guilty enough that he’ll give her what she wants,” Ruslan murmurs. “What a piece of work.”

“She also…” I smile sadly. “She found us at the motel. Diego was desperate for money so he ended up selling drugs for an old friend to help us. She followed him back to the motel and was going to scream to alert you to our being there. Although looking back now, that would have been a good outcome, wouldn’t it?”

“This her only place?” Bradley flashes his phone at me, displaying her address on the screen.

“That I know of. She called in that bounty, too, probably for the money.” I grit my teeth. “He’ll stop at nothing to help her.”

Unfortunately, when we get to Mindy’s place, there’s no answer. Bradley knocks loudly and continuously on the door while Ruslan heads around the back, but there’s no answer there, either. Bradley’s halfway through kicking the door down so we can look inside when Raven calls.

“He called someone.” Her voice drifts from Ruslan’s speaker. “One call to someone called Tech? Then we got another ping on his phone near an address I’ve sent to Frank.”

“Thanks, Raven,” Ruslan says. “Anything else?”

“Nah, still dark.”

“We’ll keep looking.” Ruslan hangs up and glances up at the night sky as a few droplets of rain drop down from above. “Who is this Tech guy?”

“A friend. A dealer. Diego sold drugs for him,” I reply. “Do you think he and Mindy went there?”

“Well, he’s not here,” Bradley says while fixing the door. “So Tech is where we’ll go next. Don’t worry.” He grimaces then and nudges my elbow with his. “Which I know is terrible for me to say. But we’ll find him. I promise.”

That promise sours when we make it to Tech’s apartment and the stink of blood drifts through the half-open door. Bradley and Ruslan immediately pull guns from their hips and make me stay back with a glance, then Bradley pushes the door open slowly and eases his way inside.

They both move like cats approaching prey, slow steps and even slower movements. Underneath the coppery scent of blood lies the stink of cigarette smoke, stale booze, and rotten food. It’s enough to turn my stomach, and I cover my mouth while following them deeper into the single-story apartment.

Blood. It’s on the walls and across the couch, sprayed across the floor and then surrounding the dead body of Tech face up on the floor. His mouth hangs open and his eyes gaze, unseeing, up at the stained ceiling.

No one speaks, not until Ruslan and Bradley have checked the two adjacent rooms and the kitchen.

“Empty.” Ruslan sighs deeply. “Is this Tech?”