Shine - Lauren Myracle [93]
“Nothing at all, man,” Dupree said. “Robert came in, and he and Beef took off, leaving me to take care of the store all by myself.” He gestured at the sandwich shop, empty except for us. “But that’s what buddies do. They cover for each other, right?”
“I don’t know. Do they?” I snapped.
“Whoa,” he said. “Don’t jump on me, man. You’re getting worked up over nothing.” His Bob Marley shirt had ketchup on it, and he looked stoned as always. And yet he kept dragging that dishcloth through his hands.
“Did you know that your buddy left a cow tongue on Cat’s pillow yesterday night?” Jason asked.
Dupree noticed Jason and blinked. “Bro. Who are you?”
“He’s with me,” I said, stepping closer to him. It felt better being near him. “Did you know that, Dupree? Did Beef get it from the walk-in or something?”
“Hey, Cat, chill,” Dupree said. “I saw him wrap it up in newspaper, but he told me it was a joke. He didn’t mean nothing by it.”
“He left it on top a note,” I informed him. “It said, ‘Stop flapping your tongue, or I’ll cut yours out, too.’”
Bailee-Ann made a small sound. Tommy pulled her close.
“Uh . . . he didn’t mention a note,” Dupree said, looking less sure. “But it was supposed to be funny, for real.”
Beef had Robert. We didn’t have time for this.
“Dupree, did Robert say anything when he came in?” I asked. “Did either of them say where they were going?”
“Uh, jeez, lemme think,” Dupree said. “Well, Robert rode up on his bike, and goddamn does he have skinny legs. Little cricket legs inside those fluffy shorts he’s always wearing. We laughed at that, me and Beef.”
“Not that part,” Bailee-Ann said impatiently. “Tell them the rest.” Without giving him a chance, she told us herself. “Dupree said Robert was hyper—“
“Per usual,” Dupree interrupted.
“And that he was dancing around saying, ‘See? I called it, didn’t I? I so burned you, dude.’ And more, like how Beef couldn’t lie to him anymore because of how he was onto him.” Bailee-Ann’s eyes were huge. “I’m scared, Cat.”
So was I, and if Robert was here, I’d have shaken him for being so dumb. What was he thinking, that taunting Beef would make Beef pay attention to him again?
My throat tightened.
“How did Beef respond?” Jason asked him.
“He was fine with it, bro,” Dupree said, holding up both hands like he was swearing in front of a judge. The gray dishcloth, dangling limp and soiled, made me think of dead things. “He shot me a look like, Get a load of this nut job, huh? But he wasn’t mean to him or nothin’.”
His gaze went to each of us in turn, and it seemed to me he was trying a little too hard to convince us. “Beef’s never mean to him, although there’ve been times I’ve wanted to jerk a knot in his tail.” He focused on Bailee-Ann. “Uh, no offense. He was squirmier than a dog with two dicks, that’s all.”
Bailee-Ann looked like she couldn’t decide whether to cry or spit. I tried to get him back on track.
“Was Beef high?” I asked.
Dupree’s heavy-lidded eyes opened wider than they probably had in years. Then he went back to fooling with that dang dishcloth. “Well, uh, that’s maybe none of y’all’s business.”
“Maybe it is,” Tommy said, stepping closer. Tommy could be menacing when he chose to be, as I well knew. He chose to be now.
Dupree stepped back and bumped into the counter. “What the hell? We all party. Nothing wrong with that.”
“Was Beef high, today, when Robert came in?” Tommy demanded.
“Listen,” Dupree said. His eyes got slippery. “Just listen. He mighta been, but it was a good high. He was singing and attacking the dishes like there was no tomorrow. We were having fun.”
“Meth?” Tommy said.
Dupree gave Tommy a wounded look. “What, is it my turn now to be intervened with?”
Bailee-Ann gave up on Dupree. She clutched my arm and said, “Cat, we have to find him.” Her brown eyes shone. “He’s so little, and he’s always showing off, and . . .” Her desperation made it hard for her to talk. “Please?”
I searched my brain for where Beef would have taken him. Asheville? Unlikely, unless he planned on bashing in Robert’s skull with one of those