of
tattoos. In one corner sat a large flat-screen TV flashing a music
video. Beyond the waiting area a black curtain hung from
ceiling to floor, hiding the work area from prying eyes.
Jess picked up the TV remote and pushed the mute button.
She could hear the hum of the tattoo gun behind the curtain.
She knocked on the counter. "Mitch Young?"
"Be out in a minute," Mitch shouted.
She took a seat in one of the chairs and flipped through a
photo album while biting off the last remnants of the nail of
her index finger. This Mann case had her bewildered. Either
Amber ran off unannounced, which, according to her sister and
co-worker, wasn't like her at all, or there'd been some foul play.
And as far as she was concerned, Mitch Young was at the top
of the list. Something about him just didn't sit right in her gut.
She'd only been a deputy a few years, but she had natural police
instincts. She could smell a rat through ten feet of concrete.
And Tattoo Mitch emanated the aroma of rat.
A few minutes later the curtain swung open and Mitch
stepped out. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white
T-shirt. His dark hair was cropped close to his head, and his
angular face was framed by a set of jaw-length sideburns and
little tuft of hair below his bottom lip. A look of surprise lighted
his face when he saw Jess. "Deputy Foreman. What-is Amber
OK? Did you find her?"
Jess shook her head. "Not yet. Have a seat, Mitch. Do you
have time for a few more questions?"
Mitch looked back through the curtain. "Take a break, Jules.
I'll be right back." He then turned to Jess. "Mind if we go outside
and talk? I could use a smoke."
"Sure."
When they were outside, Mitch reached in his pocket and
pulled out a pack of smokes and a lighter. He smacked the pack
against his palm, slid out a cigarette, and flipped it into his
mouth. Lighting it up, he drew in a long breath and closed his
eyes. "I've been working on Julie in there for over an hour. I
needed a break."
He exhaled, letting the smoke filter out of his mouth in a
slow, curling ribbon. "So any leads on where Amber is?"
"Not yet," Jess said. "I was hoping you could help us with
that."
"I thought I answered all your questions last night. You really
think she was abducted?"
"You don't?"
Mitch shook his head and sucked on his cigarette. "Nope.
Man, I hope not. I only knew her a couple months, but she was
an independent one. The type to do what she wanted and no
one was going to change her mind. I learned real quick just to
accept it. 'Course, well ... never mind."
Jess cocked her head to the side. "Go on."
"
Mitch tapped his cigarette and a pillar of ash crumbled to
the sidewalk. "Well, it's just that, we weren't like, `boyfriend
and girlfriend,' if you know what I mean."
I don't. Please explain."
"We weren't all lovey and stuff; we just liked ... being with
each other." He looked at her and shrugged. "You know, being
with each other. It was a release for both of us. We were good
together."
Jess knew exactly what he meant. It was a relationship of convenience. They both had something the other wanted. At
least that was his take on it. She wondered if Amber felt the
same way. "And you think she got tired of you and left?"
"Yeah" He shrugged it off in an obvious attempt to protect
his manly ego. "No big deal."
"And left the area too?"
"I didn't say that. I don't know, maybe she just needed some
time alone, maybe she's visiting friends out of state. Who
knows? But abducted? Man, I hope not."
"Did she have out-of-state friends?"
Mitch shrugged and tapped his cigarette again, dispensing
another pillar of ash. "How should I know? It was just an idea.
I'm just saying that she seemed like the type to pick up and leave
without saying anything. Abduction seems like such a stretch."
"Her co-worker said that's not like her at all. Said she was a
reliable worker, always showed up on time and did her job."
Mitch snorted. "Who'd you talk
tattoos. In one corner sat a large flat-screen TV flashing a music
video. Beyond the waiting area a black curtain hung from
ceiling to floor, hiding the work area from prying eyes.
Jess picked up the TV remote and pushed the mute button.
She could hear the hum of the tattoo gun behind the curtain.
She knocked on the counter. "Mitch Young?"
"Be out in a minute," Mitch shouted.
She took a seat in one of the chairs and flipped through a
photo album while biting off the last remnants of the nail of
her index finger. This Mann case had her bewildered. Either
Amber ran off unannounced, which, according to her sister and
co-worker, wasn't like her at all, or there'd been some foul play.
And as far as she was concerned, Mitch Young was at the top
of the list. Something about him just didn't sit right in her gut.
She'd only been a deputy a few years, but she had natural police
instincts. She could smell a rat through ten feet of concrete.
And Tattoo Mitch emanated the aroma of rat.
A few minutes later the curtain swung open and Mitch
stepped out. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white
T-shirt. His dark hair was cropped close to his head, and his
angular face was framed by a set of jaw-length sideburns and
little tuft of hair below his bottom lip. A look of surprise lighted
his face when he saw Jess. "Deputy Foreman. What-is Amber
OK? Did you find her?"
Jess shook her head. "Not yet. Have a seat, Mitch. Do you
have time for a few more questions?"
Mitch looked back through the curtain. "Take a break, Jules.
I'll be right back." He then turned to Jess. "Mind if we go outside
and talk? I could use a smoke."
"Sure."
When they were outside, Mitch reached in his pocket and
pulled out a pack of smokes and a lighter. He smacked the pack
against his palm, slid out a cigarette, and flipped it into his
mouth. Lighting it up, he drew in a long breath and closed his
eyes. "I've been working on Julie in there for over an hour. I
needed a break."
He exhaled, letting the smoke filter out of his mouth in a
slow, curling ribbon. "So any leads on where Amber is?"
"Not yet," Jess said. "I was hoping you could help us with
that."
"I thought I answered all your questions last night. You really
think she was abducted?"
"You don't?"
Mitch shook his head and sucked on his cigarette. "Nope.
Man, I hope not. I only knew her a couple months, but she was
an independent one. The type to do what she wanted and no
one was going to change her mind. I learned real quick just to
accept it. 'Course, well ... never mind."
Jess cocked her head to the side. "Go on."
"
Mitch tapped his cigarette and a pillar of ash crumbled to
the sidewalk. "Well, it's just that, we weren't like, `boyfriend
and girlfriend,' if you know what I mean."
I don't. Please explain."
"We weren't all lovey and stuff; we just liked ... being with
each other." He looked at her and shrugged. "You know, being
with each other. It was a release for both of us. We were good
together."
Jess knew exactly what he meant. It was a relationship of convenience. They both had something the other wanted. At
least that was his take on it. She wondered if Amber felt the
same way. "And you think she got tired of you and left?"
"Yeah" He shrugged it off in an obvious attempt to protect
his manly ego. "No big deal."
"And left the area too?"
"I didn't say that. I don't know, maybe she just needed some
time alone, maybe she's visiting friends out of state. Who
knows? But abducted? Man, I hope not."
"Did she have out-of-state friends?"
Mitch shrugged and tapped his cigarette again, dispensing
another pillar of ash. "How should I know? It was just an idea.
I'm just saying that she seemed like the type to pick up and leave
without saying anything. Abduction seems like such a stretch."
"Her co-worker said that's not like her at all. Said she was a
reliable worker, always showed up on time and did her job."
Mitch snorted. "Who'd you talk
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