phone call.
The day wound through, and between him and Pepper they managed to get a lot of the work done. Luke supposed he’d have to come in tomorrow to catch up on the week’s work. The thought didn’t please him at all.
He stood from the bike he was working on when he heard the doorbell ring with the opening of the office door. Luke expected it would be a customer picking up his bike. He was wrong.
“Hey, Luke,” said Wanda.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I hate to bother him at work, but can I talk to Tony?”
“He’s not here.”
“He left? Already?”
“He never showed, Wanda. I figured he just wanted a day off.”
“Oh,” she said, biting her lip. “We were supposed to go out last night, but he never showed.”
A sense of alarm shot through Luke. Maybe Saks would blow him off, but he wouldn’t do that to a date, especially with a girl he liked as much as Wanda. “I’m sure there’s a good reason. Tell you what. When I see him I’ll tell him you asked about him.”
“Sure, Luke.”
“And if you want, stop by in a bit and have some barbecue with us.”
Wanda shook her head. “I don’t think so, but thanks for asking me.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure he gets a hold of you when I see him.” Luke waved goodbye with a sour feeling in his stomach. If it had been the old group, Wanda would have gladly joined them, but a nice gal like Wanda didn’t want anything to do with the current group of club members. Luke couldn’t blame her. He was actually glad she was staying away.
Except now he was worried about Saks. “Hey, Pepper?”
Pepper walked into the office wiping grease from his hands with a shop rag. “What’s up?”
“Saks didn’t show for his date with Wanda last night.”
“He didn’t show for work today.” A single eyebrow rose.
“I’m going to his apartment to check things out.”
“What’s his phone number?”
“Why?”
“I can have my guys get a location where the phone is.”
“I thought you needed a court order for something like that.”
“A lot of people think a lot of things. Most of it isn’t true.”
Luke gave him Saks’ phone number. “I’ll be back within the hour.”
“You better be. This cookout is a big deal now and my people are looking forward to seeing how things turn out.”
“I know. You’ve got my number?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just in case.”
Luke took his 2014 Iron 883 from the storage garage and grimly swung out onto the road, the Sportster’s engine rumbling between his legs. A sick feeling gripped his stomach as he rode toward Saks’ apartment. Inside, he knew he wouldn’t find Saks there and his worry levels soared. Things didn’t get any better when he reached the apartment building. In the marked parking slot for Saks’ apartment sat his bike, covered in a bike tarp.
“Fuck!” mumbled Luke. There was no way Saks went anywhere without his bike unless it was the dead of winter. For that time of year, Saks had a “beater” car, a sad collection of rust, bondo and an engine that rumbled more than his motorcycle. But that cage was parked in the back of Luke’s lot during the summer so Saks wasn’t in it either.
Luke took the stairs to his employee’s apartment and knocked on the door. He tried to peer into the window beside the door but the apartment was dark.
“Hey, what’s up?”
Luke swung in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. A man in his forties wearing overalls stood holding a paint can and some brushes.
“I’m looking for Saks, I mean, Tony. I’m his boss and he didn’t show for work today. It’s not like him.”
“Yeah, Tony usually pays his rent on this day of the month, every month like clockwork. He didn’t show either.”
“His bike’s in his parking slot. His girlfriend came by and said he didn’t show for their date last night.”
“He’s got that old car of his.”
“It’s parked behind my shop for the summer.”
The older man scratched his head. “I’m the
The day wound through, and between him and Pepper they managed to get a lot of the work done. Luke supposed he’d have to come in tomorrow to catch up on the week’s work. The thought didn’t please him at all.
He stood from the bike he was working on when he heard the doorbell ring with the opening of the office door. Luke expected it would be a customer picking up his bike. He was wrong.
“Hey, Luke,” said Wanda.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“I hate to bother him at work, but can I talk to Tony?”
“He’s not here.”
“He left? Already?”
“He never showed, Wanda. I figured he just wanted a day off.”
“Oh,” she said, biting her lip. “We were supposed to go out last night, but he never showed.”
A sense of alarm shot through Luke. Maybe Saks would blow him off, but he wouldn’t do that to a date, especially with a girl he liked as much as Wanda. “I’m sure there’s a good reason. Tell you what. When I see him I’ll tell him you asked about him.”
“Sure, Luke.”
“And if you want, stop by in a bit and have some barbecue with us.”
Wanda shook her head. “I don’t think so, but thanks for asking me.”
“Okay. I’ll make sure he gets a hold of you when I see him.” Luke waved goodbye with a sour feeling in his stomach. If it had been the old group, Wanda would have gladly joined them, but a nice gal like Wanda didn’t want anything to do with the current group of club members. Luke couldn’t blame her. He was actually glad she was staying away.
Except now he was worried about Saks. “Hey, Pepper?”
Pepper walked into the office wiping grease from his hands with a shop rag. “What’s up?”
“Saks didn’t show for his date with Wanda last night.”
“He didn’t show for work today.” A single eyebrow rose.
“I’m going to his apartment to check things out.”
“What’s his phone number?”
“Why?”
“I can have my guys get a location where the phone is.”
“I thought you needed a court order for something like that.”
“A lot of people think a lot of things. Most of it isn’t true.”
Luke gave him Saks’ phone number. “I’ll be back within the hour.”
“You better be. This cookout is a big deal now and my people are looking forward to seeing how things turn out.”
“I know. You’ve got my number?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Just in case.”
Luke took his 2014 Iron 883 from the storage garage and grimly swung out onto the road, the Sportster’s engine rumbling between his legs. A sick feeling gripped his stomach as he rode toward Saks’ apartment. Inside, he knew he wouldn’t find Saks there and his worry levels soared. Things didn’t get any better when he reached the apartment building. In the marked parking slot for Saks’ apartment sat his bike, covered in a bike tarp.
“Fuck!” mumbled Luke. There was no way Saks went anywhere without his bike unless it was the dead of winter. For that time of year, Saks had a “beater” car, a sad collection of rust, bondo and an engine that rumbled more than his motorcycle. But that cage was parked in the back of Luke’s lot during the summer so Saks wasn’t in it either.
Luke took the stairs to his employee’s apartment and knocked on the door. He tried to peer into the window beside the door but the apartment was dark.
“Hey, what’s up?”
Luke swung in the direction of the unfamiliar voice. A man in his forties wearing overalls stood holding a paint can and some brushes.
“I’m looking for Saks, I mean, Tony. I’m his boss and he didn’t show for work today. It’s not like him.”
“Yeah, Tony usually pays his rent on this day of the month, every month like clockwork. He didn’t show either.”
“His bike’s in his parking slot. His girlfriend came by and said he didn’t show for their date last night.”
“He’s got that old car of his.”
“It’s parked behind my shop for the summer.”
The older man scratched his head. “I’m the
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