Come Find Me

by Casper Valentine

  Mick reached around his back and gripped the Glock 19. He wanted the man to know he was packing. "I think it's about time you get the fuck off my porch," Mick said.

  The slick-headed man leaned back. "You be sure to tell Ruby that Craig was here and that I'll be watching for her."

  "You're wasting your time. Ruby ain't got five hundred dollars and if she did, she sure as shit wouldn't give it to you."

  "She's going to pay one way or another."

  Mick stepped out of the doorframe and got close, his pudgy belly almost touching the man. He gave him a shove with his left hand, the other still behind his back, preparing to draw his weapon. "I don't like threats and it's time for you to leave, Craig," Mick said, emphasizing the man's name.

  Craig put a hand up in front of his face. "Ease back, Clint Eastwood. Just give Ruby the message," he said. Then, he turned and strolled away.

  Mick watched him get into an old brown Pontiac and drive off. He stepped back inside and slammed the door.

  He was already pissed that Ruby wasn't back with his beer, and now this. He sat down on the couch, his anger growing by the minute.

  •••

  Animal was watching from across the street as Ruby left the counseling center. He stayed by the side of a run-down laundry mat, out of the way of a streetlamp.

  When Ruby headed west, Animal pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and started walking in the same direction.

  Animal wanted to get a closer look at Ruby's backside; he licked his lips and jogged across the street. Ruby's swaying hips had Animal mesmerized. When Ruby glanced over her shoulder and picked up the pace, he knew it was a mistake to get so close. "Are you clean?" Animal yelled, dragging out the last word.

  Ruby sped up to a jog.

  "How clean are you?" Animal yelled, again dragging out the word clean.

  It took a lot to scare Ruby, but this creep was spooking her. She started running and didn't look back until she got to Dickies carry-out. She turned her head and could see the freak in the distance, still coming her way. Ruby ran into the store, breathing heavily.

  "Ruby Randolph!" Lacy said when she walked in. "What's wrong, girl?" she asked, watching Ruby trying to catch her breath.

  "Some damn weirdo has been following me all the way from Kemper Road," Ruby said, once her lungs had some oxygen back.

  "Aunt Patty keeps a gun behind the counter. If he tries to mess with us in here, I'll shoot his dick off," Lacy said, her eyes as wide as they could go.

  "I think he went by," Ruby said, peeking out the door.

  Lacy made her way to the door and looked over Ruby's shoulder. "You need a drink, girl? Help yourself to anything in the cooler," Lacy offered.

  "I don't know. I have to get home to Mick and the baby," Ruby said.

  "Isn't he a grown man?" Lacy asked.

  "Barely. There's no telling what he might feed my poor baby. He means well when it comes to Keith, but the man ain't got a lick of sense," Ruby said.

  Lacy folded her arms. "You need to stay here at least for a little while, in case that weirdo is lurking around."

  Ruby knew Lacy was right. "I guess I'll take you up on the drink offer," she said.

  "I can't let you drink alone," Lacy said and locked up the store.

  •••

  "Where the hell have you been?" Mick screamed, as soon as Ruby walked in the door.

  "Well first, I stayed late at the volunteer center—"

  "That's just great," Mick said, cutting her off. "I needed some beer. I've been in pain and had one hell of a night."

  Ruby sank down on the couch, next to Mick. "Baby, I'm sorry, but after I left the center—"

  Mick stood up and cut her off again. "You don't care and never did care!" he screamed.

  "How can you say that? I do as much as I can. I always put myself last," Ruby said, trying to keep her voice calm.

  "For everyone but me," Mick said, flailing his arms around like a buffoon.

  "Stop being such a baby," Ruby said, finally raising her voice.

  "Don't you tell me what to do," he said, putting a finger in Ruby's face. His lip was curled, and his face was crinkled up. It had been a long time since Ruby had last seen him this way.

  "All I ever do is care," Ruby said, her voice nearing a full yell.

  "Your friend Craig stopped by. Said you owe him five hundred, from when you used to snort that shit up your nose."

  "Craig?" she questioned.

  "He's coming back. I hope he hurts you, little bitch!" Mick snarled.

  Ruby stood up. The two of them were inches apart. "That's it, Mick! I've had it with you. You don't do anything around here and expect me to wait on you. I'm not going to put up with being called a bitch! My dad called me that. I refuse to let another man cut me down like he did."

  Mick clenched his fist. Ruby leaned back and put her hands up to guard her face. Mick had never hit her before, but the look in his eyes was causing her chest to pound. "Just get out of here! Here are my car keys," she said, fishing the keys from her jean pocket. "Get out of here!" she yelled, stuffing the keys into Mick’s other hand.

  Mick squeezed the keys in his fist and stared at Ruby, cold and silent. Finally, he turned away. "Screw you, bitch, you're gonna pay!" he screamed before heading out the door and slamming it shut.

  ELEVEN

  September 28, 2015

  Nate spent most of the night tossing and turning, and now the sun was shining through his curtains. Normally he had enough booze in his system to sleep peacefully, but he was trying to keep himself extra sharp since joining the task force. On top of that, he was excited about a felony warrant the team was going to serve in a day or two.

  Sarge and Scarecrow already had enough intel to bring down a decent-sized operation. They wanted to start off with a bang and get some early recognition.

  "Getting out in front of things" was what Sarge called it.

  The plan was to go in guns blazing, and anytime Nate started thinking about it, he could feel his heart pounding against his chest.

  He didn't foresee getting any more sleep, so he got out of bed and dressed.

  Nate made some coffee and threw some eggs in a skillet until they were half cooked. While eating, he decided he would go over and cut Ruby's grass.

  He poured some coffee into a thermos and went out to load up the lawn mower he kept in his storage unit. He hadn't used the push mower in years, and with no gas to test it, he could only pray it would start.

  Besides the Charger, Nate owned a Harley-Davidson and a Ford pickup. He’d bought the motorcycle earlier in the summer, despite Ruby telling him he was crazy, and constantly referring to it as a “murder-cycle.” He called it Black Beauty and kept the chrome polished.

  The truck, which he called Old Reliable, was dirty and rust spotted, but served its purpose. Nate hoisted the mower into bed and was off.

  When he got to Ruby's his mind was still on the task force, until he noticed Ruby's car missing from the driveway. Neither Mick nor Ruby would have anywhere to be this early.

  Nate jogged to the door. It was unlocked, and he let himself in. "Ruby?" he yelled, cutting the silence.

  A lamp was knocked over, and some of the toys littering the floor had been stepped on and crushed. "Ruby!" he yelled again, louder, his concern growing by the second.

  Stepping over the broken toys, he spotted a small gold pendant on the carpet. He picked it up and took a closer look. It was a six-pointed star, like the Star of David, but with a swirly pattern in the center. He’d never seen Ruby wearing it.

  "Mick!" he yelled, searching through the rest of the house. When he got to Keith's room the boy was standing in his baby bed, his head peeking above the railing. "Hey, little guy," Nate said. Baby Keith smiled and started jumping up and down. Nate used his arm to wipe beads of sweat from his forehead, and lifted Keith out of the bed. Trying not to panic, Nate sat the small boy in his high chair. "What do you want for breakfast?" he asked, struggling to keep his v
oice calm.

  Keith replied with gibberish.

  "OK. Eggos it is," Nate said, taking the box of frozen waffles from the freezer. He popped them in the toaster and took his phone out to call Ruby, while baby Keith watched in bewilderment.

  When Ruby didn't answer, Nate threw the waffles on a plate, doused them with some maple syrup, and cut them up for the child.

  After Keith started eating, happy and oblivious to what was going on, Nate checked around the house, looking for clues to what happened. Whatever it was, he knew it wasn't good. Ruby would never leave Keith alone; even when she was using, she made sure someone was looking after him.

  Nate heard the car pulling into the driveway and rushed to the door. It was Mick who got out. Nate pushed the door open. "Where the hell is Ruby?" he yelled.

  "Should be here," Mick said, walking toward the house.

  "She's not here, Mick."

  Mick brushed past Nate and went into the house. "She was here when I left," he said, looking around.

  "Stop playing games, Mick. Did you two get in a fight?" he asked.

  "Well, yes, but I left. She was right here on the damned couch," Mick pointed.

  "Well she's not here now, just Keith, all alone," Nate said, pulling the star pendant from his pocket. "What about this? Did she pull this off your necklace?" Nate asked, showing it to Mick.

  "I've never seen that in my life. What is that, the Jewish star? Do I look like a Jew to you?" Mick fidgeted.

  Nate could see the confusion on Mick's face and was starting to believe him. "Then somebody came in here and took her."

  "Oh shit," Mick said, putting a hand to his forehead.

  "I need to know exactly what time you left here?" Nate asked.

  "Shit, shit, shit," Mick said.

  "What time did you leave?" Nate asked, louder this time, feeling his pulse rise as frustration with Mick grew.

  "Somebody came looking for her. A former dealer. Chris, no, Craig. The fucker looked about seven feet tall," Mick said.

  "What time was that?" Nate asked.

  "I think it was around ten o'clock. Ruby wasn't back from volunteering at the center.”

  "What did he look like?" Nate asked.

  "Tall."

  "You already said that. What about his face, his hair, anything, you dumb shit?"

  "Long black hair. It looked greasy, almost wet."

  "What time did Ruby get home?"

  "I think it was after eleven," Mick said.

  "Does she always get home that late?"

  "No. She told me someone wanted to talk to her, and she stayed later than normal."

  "What did Craig say?" Nate asked.

  "She owed him money and he said he would get his payback one way or another."

  "Did you see what kind of car he was driving?" Nate asked.

  Mick raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, I did. It was an old Pontiac, maybe a late eighties model. It was brown and looked sort of beat up."

  "At least that's something. I need to get to precinct, put out an alert and try to figure out who this guy is. Can you handle Keith until I get someone else to look after him?"

  Mick nodded. "Of course."

  Nate left Ruby's, his brain racing, trying to think of the next move. His first task was to find somebody to watch Keith. He didn't trust Mick, and he was second-guessing if he should have left him in his care. If there was one thing that could take his mind off the upcoming sting, this was it.

  •••

  Nate watched a couple of preteen boys exit Dickies. A younger girl chased after them and the door nearly slammed into her face. The kids reminded Nate of Ruby, Jeff, and himself, when they were that age. He thought back to how they would try to ditch Ruby, but most of the time she'd find a way to tag along. Especially if they were going to Dickies for snacks.

  Nate got out of his car and headed toward the door, hoping Lacy was working today. He wanted to find out who Ruby's ex-dealer was, and he figured since Ruby and Lacy partied together, this was a good start. He pushed the door open and was happy to see the bleached blonde at the register.

  "Hey Nate," she said, and a playful smile widened as Nate approached.

  He greeted her with a forced half grin.

  "I don't get off until nine. I've been waiting for that ride you promised," she said, emphasizing the word ride. She frowned when Nate showed no emotion. "What's wrong?" she asked.

  Nate got close to the counter and leaned over. "It's Ruby. She's missing, someone took her," he said quietly.

  Lacy's mouth dropped open, and a heavy breath of air escaped.

  "Keith was alone in his crib, so I know she didn't leave on her own," Nate told her.

  "Oh god," Lacy cried out several times, before an awkward moment of silence.

  Nate could read her face. He knew she was panicking and wanted to tell him something. "What is it, Lacy?" he asked, trying hard to remain calm.

  "There was a man following her from the volunteer center. She ducked in here for cover," Lacy said, her voice quivering.

  "Christ, you didn't report that?" Nate asked.

  "He never came in here. Me and Ruby, we just got to talking, and had a few drinks. I never thought any more about it. There's so many drunks and weird people around here—"

  Nate cut her off. "I get it. This isn't your fault. Did she say what he looked like?" he asked.

  Lacy frowned and shook her head.

  "What about security cameras? Do you have any outside?" Nate asked.

  Tears were pooling in Lacy's eyes. "No, Nate, we don't. I should have never let her leave. I should have made her call you. He was probably just waiting for her outside."

  Nate was silent for a moment, trying to decide how much to tell Lacy. "I don't know if that's what happened. It looks like there was a struggle at her house, some shit was knocked over, and a necklace pendant was on the ground. Mick swears it isn't his."

  Lacy's eyes widened. "Do you think Mick could have hurt her?" she asked, barely able to get the whole sentence out.

  Nate cupped his chin and ran his fingers through the stubble. "He didn't show any telltale signs of lying, but I'm still suspicious."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?" Lacy asked.

  Nate nodded his head. "Actually, there might be. Mick said he got a visit from a Craig last night. Do you know anyone by that name?"

  Lacy put a hand over her mouth. "We used to buy kickers from Craig, partied with him a few times, until he got rough with us."

  "Can you get in touch with him? Tell him you want to buy some kickers?" Nate asked.

  "I don't have his number anymore, but I could probably track down someone who does," Lacy said, her eyes showing a gleam of hope.

  "That's good, Lacy. See what you can find out and hold tight. Don't do anything, just call me," Nate said.

  Lacy forced a smile, and Nate walked away.

  As Nate left Dickies, he was trying to stay focused, but his mind was drifting to the past.

  TWELVE

  July 25, 1997

  The heat was sweltering, but Jeff and Nate, both thirteen at the time, barely noticed. "Let's go get some snacks," Nate suggested.

  "How can we get rid of your sister?" Jeff whispered in Nate's ear. They were sitting on the front porch while Ruby was riding a pink bicycle in circles around the driveway, looking adorable. She had a big smile on her face, and her hair was done up in cute little afro puffs.

  "I got an idea," Nate said. "Hey, Ruby. Want to play hide-n-go-seek with us?" Nate yelled.

  Ruby climbed off her bike and dropped it in the middle of the driveway. "I get to hide first," she said.

  Nate and Jeff covered their eyes, and Nate started counting out loud.

  "Come find me!" Ruby yelled after a few moments.

  Nate and Jeff crept around to the side of the house. Jeff checked behind the overgrown shrubs and Nate looked into the window wells. "I think she's in the garage. Let's make a run for it," Nate said.

  Jeff nodded, and they
jogged to the road. They gave a quick glance back to the house and saw Ruby was still hiding, so they sprinted to the next block.

  Jeff looked over his shoulder. "I don't see her," he said.

  Nate chuckled. "I feel sort of bad."

  "That was kind of ruthless," Jeff said as they slowed to a walk.

  "Be quiet, I think I hear her," Nate said.

  Jeff turned his head; his ear was toward the house. "She's screaming ‘where'd you go.’"

  Nate stopped and for a few moments, he was torn. "Maybe we should go back," he said.

  "She's been tagging along all day."

  "If we take her with us to get snacks, I'll make her stay inside when we get back."

  Jeff shrugged, and they started back. When they got to the house Ruby was sitting on the front porch. She smiled when she saw them coming, but when they got close, she frowned. "Assholes," she said.

  Nate laughed. "We were just messing with you."

  "We came back for you. Come on, we're going to the store," Jeff added.

  Ruby's frown faded as she got up and followed the boys.

  THIRTEEN

  September 29, 2015

  Nate was standing at the back of the center where Ruby volunteered, but he wasn't listening to the group chat. His mind was too distracted. He could hear Ruby yelling come find me, over and over, but now it was her adult voice.

  Nate never shied away from a challenge, and was determined to stay focused on both Ruby and the task force. Nate didn't want Sarge to pull him for being distracted and hoped he wouldn’t get wind of the case. He asked Sergeant Peterson in the missing persons department to keep it quiet.

  When group chat ended Nate called out, "Did anyone speak to Ruby Randolph last night? I'm her half-brother, Nate."

  "I did," a young woman said in a low voice.

  Nate could tell the young lady was uncomfortable. He showed her his badge. "It's OK. You're not in trouble, but I'm Hamilton County detective, Nate Randolph." He put a hand on her back and led her until they were away from anyone within earshot. "I just want to ask a few questions about last night," he said.