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twenty-three
“My mother took ’33?” Delaney’s voice was small and hard, like it competed with itself. “Are you sure?”
“I went to your dad’s Facebook page. I saw the picture of the bike. I saw Lauren Bacall was his only other friend. Then Castillo started singing.”
Delaney’s eyebrows knitted. They were the only ones in the shop, other than Wyatt, who was lying on the tile, gnawing on a rawhide. When Sean had asked where the uncles were, Delaney said they’d gone out to buy her a new camera to install out back of the shop—this time in a different location, one Sean had suggested because it was hidden but would still capture the grounds. “What do you mean, ‘Castillo was singing’?”
“We had it all,”Sean sang, his voice low, so as not to reveal just how bad a singer he was.“Just like Bogie and Bacall.”
The corners of Delaney’s lips twitched up.
“Anyway.” Sean stopped singing and waved his hand. “It’s a love song. It’s about old love. And loss. And I thought, maybe Bacall was an old lover. I mean, she’s obviously important to him. Your dad didn’t give two fucks about Facebook. His only friend was his daughter. Who was this other extra special person? She had to mean something. Then I was cleaning up my desk. Tidying it up—this thing I’ve been doing since my divorce. Making sure everything’s neat to end my day. And when I first started doing it, it just made me feel sorry for mothers because they’re always cleaning up our messes. And as I stood there, tidying up and thinking about mothers, I thought again what we’ve asked ourselves over and over. Who would do that? Who would steal a bike and fix it? The same person who’d take the time to lower the bay door to how she’d found it. So the rain couldn’t get in.” Sean gestured with his hand as the thoughts crystallized beyond what he’d realized back at the station. “It all made so much sense, seemed so simple, once I figured it out.”
Delaney was quiet for a long time. She kept parting her lips, then closing them again.
“Also,” Sean added, when he could see there was still some doubt in Delaney’s eyes, “I tracked down the person who bought the brake rod for ’33. A shop a couple hours south called Vintage Rides. The woman who bought the part paid cash but the shop owner described her to me. Slender. Small. Dark hair. Raspy voice. Sound familiar?”
Delaney’s expression changed, slowly going from doubt to anger. “Are you going to arrest her?” she finally said.
Sean gave a short laugh. “Do you want me to arrest her?”
Delaney jerked back a shoulder. “She stole my bike. And she knew how much that bike meant to me. To my dad.”
Sean stepped in and placed his hand on her back. The warmth of her spread from his palm up into the rest of his body. “Maybe that’s why she fixed it.”
“Nah.” Delaney flinched a little under Sean’s touch. “She doesn’t care about anyone but herself. She probably hit rock bottom. Lost her job. Stole it to sell. Fixed it up a little and then figured out it wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be to move.” Delaney stared into space, her eyes glittering with anger. “I was the stupid one who posted a picture. And the name of my store.”
Sean slid his hand to Delaney’s jaw and grazed his finger under her chin until she looked up at him. “This doesn’t feel like that. I said it before. This feels personal. She might’ve had her own reasons for taking that bike. Your father was still connected to her, Delaney. From what I know of him...everything you’ve told me...” Sean shrugged. “He doesn’t sound like the kind of guy who would keep her in his life if she hadn’t been picking herself up. If she didn’t still mean something to him.”
Delaney swallowed hard, her eyes now glittering. Then she shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I haven’t talked to her in years.”
Sean shrugged back. “Maybe now is the time.”
Delaney sniffed deeply and drew up her shoulders. “No offense, Detective, but that’s none of your business.”
“Not even a little?”
“I’m not a big fan of people who give up on the ones they’re supposed to take care of. You should understand that better than most. Even if my mother is clean, she can’t make up for what she did with a few new motorcycle parts.”
“Nobody said that. All I’m saying is, talk to her. Give her a call or drive down. She doesn’t live far. If you want to know why she did it, just ask her.”
“I don’t want to know. I don’t care. Arrest her if you want. But as far as I’m concerned, that’s the only say you have in the matter.”
Sean crossed his arms over his chest. “I see. Well, I may not have any say in the matter but I’m giving you my two cents anyway. Don’t be so stubborn you lose an opportunity to at least listen to her.”
“I appreciate all your help with the case, Detective.” She imitated him by crossing her arms over her chest, too. “But you can now officially consider it closed. I don’t want your two cents. I can take care of myself.”
“Nobody doubts you can take care of yourself. I’m just giving a little advice. I don’t have parents anymore. You no longer have a father. But your mom is alive. And from what you told me, she didn’t really have parents, either. Maybe show a little compassion. Maybe don’t waste that opportunity.”
Delaney’s whole face turned red. “She’s an opportunity now? She stole my bike! And now you’re taking her side.”
“I’m not taking her side.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing, I don’t like it. I also don’t want your advice. Just because we slept together one time doesn’t mean you get to tell me how to live my life or deal with my relatives.” Her words spilled out in an angry rush.
Sean was quiet awhile. “We slept together one time?” he finally said. “Is that what we did?”
“Isn’t it?” Delaney’s eyes narrowed, her cheeks on fire, her eyes bright with fury.
