Page 85 of Never Never

Zuzu sips her shake again and rolls her eyes. “Of course,” she says. “Twenty bucks says he shows up at Baba’s doorstep looking for gigs again.”

“That’s kind of what I wanted to ask you about, actually,” I say.

Zuzu raises her eyebrows. “My Baba?”

“I know, it’s awkward,” I say quickly. “I don’t want to put you on the spot. But…”

“But you don’t know who else to ask,” Zuzu says, swapping her shake for a towel and raking it across her face. She smirks and plops into her chair. “For you, Tink, of course. What is?”

“Well…” That whole ride in to think, and I didn’t bother to consider how I was going to ramp up to this whole thing. So, for some reason, what I come up with is: “You know Blue?”

“The camboy?” Zuzu says. “Sure.”

I snort in spite of myself. “Uh, yeah. Related to that. He’s been getting these…messages for a while, apparently. Thinks they’re from”—my voice catches only a tiny bit—“Hook. Mostly wrote them off as bluffing. But then today, he gets one that’s a video. Of me, at the casino, last night. With Fox.”

Zuzu nods. “Okay. Of what, you gambling and such?”

I suck in a breath. “Not…exactly. They caught onto us dropping the Michelangelo Darling name, and we had to book it, but we escaped. Except then in the alley we sort of…”

“…hooked up,” I finish.

I try, I really try, to say that last part as casually, as normally, as I can. But Zuzu’s not an idiot.

She whirls her feet off her desk and sits up straight, eyes wide. “I’m sorry? Hook sent footage of…you know, qirje?” She pokes the index finger of one hand through the circled thumb and forefinger of the other.

“Basically,” I say. “Yeah. But that’s not really the point⁠—”

“It is some kind of point,” Zuzu says, gaping. Then she frowns. “Which one is Fox?”

“Tall,” I say. “Gingerish hair?”

“Oh, yes.” She considers, nods in approval, and then does a palms-up. “But, so, okay. So you know Hook knows that you showed up at the casino. So what?”

“That’s exactly what I’m trying to figure out,” I say. “The only reason they caught on to us is because I fucked up and tried to press on the Michelangelo Darling angle. Otherwise I doubt they would have ever noticed us. But then…why would Hook care if we were there to find out about Wendy’s brothers?” I look at Zuzu with searching eyes.

“You think there is some kind of crime connection there,” she says. “Between Hook and the brothers.”

I guess so. But when she says it out loud… “I don’t know.” I look down at my hands. “Maybe. I was hoping you could help me connect the dots here.”

Zuzu lets out a long sigh. “Look, Tink. The stuff Baba’s into…it’s not the same as them.” She bites her lip, pauses. “You’re not wearing a wire, yes? I can trust you?”

I let out a short laugh. “If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked that,” I mutter under my breath. Zuzu looks puzzled. I wave her off. “No,” I say clearly. “Not at all. Strip search me if you want, but I promise⁠—”

“All good.” She smirks. “Although I would be curious what underwear those Mermaid girls got for you.” She tips her head, but proceeds. “Anyway. Him and his, they are doing things like stolen goods. Shipping containers at the port, fell off back of truck. Sometimes guns,” she adds suddenly, as if she doesn’t want to forget it. “Sometimes. But…merchandise, ultimately. Is it crime, sure. Is it as bad as what Hook and the casino men do? Well…” She sucks her teeth.

“Okay.” I’m not quite sure I’m following. But the back of my neck prickles all the same. “What’s your point?”

“My point is”—she hesitates a half-second—“only that I don’t know too far into that side of criminal life.”

The prickle cascades into a full-on shiver all the way to my shoulder blades. “What side?” I ask, careful and even.

Zuzu blows out a breath. Her gaze drifts from my face to the window just beside me, to the view of the gym where a half-dozen tween girls are kicking the shit out of rubber mannequins.

“They traffic girls, Tink,” she says. “For sex. Run prostitution, not by choice. The casino cleans the money. That’s…” She sags a tiny bit. “That’s all I know.”

Now or never.

“I know.”