Page 2 of Once I Find You

My hair drips as I walk out of the bathroom with the towel on my waist, spotting Bacon waiting on the couch. “You know you’re not allowed on there,” I remind him softly, but sternly and he hesitates but gets down and onto his own dog bed.

“Good boy, go to bed,” I say as I pat his head, passing him to go to my room and sleep for as long as I have left.

I wake up as the sun shines into the bedroom, groaning as I force myself up and walk over to the living room. I flick the television on before brewing my coffee, listening to the news channel’s shitty jingle blaring.

“NWS News, this is Eliana Ramirez reporting live. I’m here at the scene of another brutal murder, and this is a reminder the police are still on the hunt for the man responsible for the string of killings through the tri-state area, dubbed ‘The Hangman.’ This time, the victim was forty-two-year-old Marcus Williams, of Rio Vista Heights. Police are⁠—”

I sip my fresh coffee as I let it play, lighting my cigarette and walking over to the door to let Bacon down into the shop. I walk down with him, letting the sound of the television slowly fade, and the smell of motor oil and metal hits me like a bouquet of roses.

This shop is what’s kept me sane since I discharged from the army. I needed to be useful somehow, and it isn’t like killing is going to pay the bills. I wanted a simple life. I guess…I always hoped to have one since I was a boy. Now, I’m almost forty and I’ve come to realize that life will fuck you any chance it has. It’s impossible to keep happiness, to keep everything you want.

At least for someone like me.

The shop is rough around the edges, but it’s home. I found it by chance when I was driving through looking for whatever I can get to live in temporarily, but I knew this was it. A small mechanic shop with a little apartment on top. It’s all a man like me needs, someone who doesn’t require any sentimental shit.

Business is slow sometimes; I only have one car to work on today. I’m not prolific at this, I just grew up around cars and fixing them in my pop’s old shop. Most people would choose somewhere with more fixings than I have to offer, but I put myself wholly into each job I do. It’s a great distraction.

The glass door of the shop opens and chimes the old bell dangling from it, and I set my mug atop a table and round the corner to see who came in. It’s a short man, much older than me, waiting patiently. “Sir,” I say as I offer my hand to him, “Kane Mercer, what can I do for you?”

“Name’s Frank. Oh, I’m not too sure what happened to the old thing, seems to take a dump on me every few thousand miles. I took it to the dealership, but I just can’t afford it. I was hoping to get an estimate from you,” he says, sounding defeated.

“I can take a look. Did they say what it was?”

“They said I needed a new transmission.”

I sigh. “I’ll take a look. You never know, sometimes it could be something a hell of a lot cheaper. You can leave your keys and number on the counter, and I’ll call you this afternoon.”

“Thank you, young man. I’ll just wait here for my wife to come get me.”

Young man? That’s been a while. I nod, and he sits in a chair in the small lobby as I go behind the counter to fill out some paperwork.

I hear rustling as he picks up the newspaper on the little table beside him, surely trying to pass some time reading. “Shame about the killings. You’ve been hearin’ about that Hangman fella?” he asks, shaking his head and turning the page.

Shame? I don’t answer, just giving a curt nod to be polite.

“I mean, what’s the point in the manhunt? Back in my day, anyone who laid hands on a woman or child got what they had coming to ‘em, no questions asked.”

I grin at his words, finally looking up. “That’s how it should be.”

CHAPTER TWO

This is the Plot!

LAYLA

“Oh my god! Crys, look!” I exclaim as I shove my phone almost in her face. I can’t help it—everyone online is talking about the newest killing last night in Rio Vista. I say it a bit too loud, and everyone in the diner turns. I awkwardly smile at them and turn back to Crystal.

“Another?”

“Well, he takes a few days off sometimes, but usually never more than a week. I mean, there’s a lot of people to get to, so he has to be diligent.” I’m sure my smile is a mile wide as I bring the phone back to my lap, looking down at the screen.

Crystal sighs. “Layla…don’t you think it’s time to try to move on? You worry me with how obsessed you are over this guy.”

“Why? There’s no harm in looking up to someone. I mean, he saved me, Crys, he’s like my hero. How can I move on from that?”

“I know babe, but…” She sighs again as she turns to me seriously. “I just don’t think this is healthy. I mean you’re constantly online, your whole life has just been totally taken over by this guy. I’m just worried you’re losing the plot.”

“Losing the plot? This is the plot!”