A Hero's Song

Chapter 6

Max, Robin and I nested behind the counter each with phones as we contacted a number from Dustin's list of Eddie's possible friends. Anybody who answers can lead us to his whereabouts, but so far, to no avail.

The acid in my stomach rose higher whenever I hear Dustin's marker slide through the paper where he wrote all of the numbers down. The sound indicates that a number has been successfully dialed, but the person on the other line doesn't have any information about where Eddie might be.

"Hey guys," Max called, "I might have a lead."

My heart pounded at the news. "Seriously?"

Max nods, "Apparently, Eddie gets his drugs from a guy named Reefer Rick and sometimes he crashes at Rick's place."

"That sounds promising," Robin commented, "Where does this guy lives?"

"That's the thing," Max's smile fades, "No one knows."

"Does this Reefer Rick has a last name?" I ask.

"I don't know that either."

"Bet the cops know the last name," Steve mutters while he arranges the movies, making the four of us turn to him.

"What?" I asked, completely aghast.

"The cops." Steve flatly repeats. "Bet you this guy has been busted at some point of his drug-selling career and he's in the system."

"The cops? Really, Steve. That's your suggestion?" Dustin stood up from the stool to argue with his mother.

"Well, I don't know Eddie that well. Much less his friends." he sounded sarcastic. "Maybe Blue here does."

"I get your sentiments, Steve, okay?" I complained, "I mean seriously! I'm hurt as it is already, okay? I am absolutely hurt it feels like someone elbowed me in the ribs. Your disappointment and lectures can wait. If you can't tell, Eddie's missing! And if everything that Max just said earlier is what's happening here then your brotherly lectures can wait until we find him."

Steve replied by only rolling his eyes. That's when I understood.

"You think Eddie is guilty, don't you?" I ask, "Forget about the part where I slept with him and stayed the night at his trailer. You're actually convinced that he hurt that Hawkins High student."

"What? No! I believe in innocent until proven guilty and all of that constitutional shit. I just, you know," he defends himself, "We just can't rule it out."

"That's precisely what we're trying to do, Steve." Max points.

"Maybe if you spend less time trying to find a girlfriend and more time trying to find Eddie, we might get more luck here." Dustin suggests.

"Well somebody has to attend to the customers." I raised an eyebrow at his reply.

"Yeah, especially if they're babes, right?" Robin winked at Steve.

"Hey, that's unfair. I attend to all customers equally. Babes and none-babes alike." Steve defends himself, while Dustin and the rest of us just purse our lips in disagreement. "We've got a very big selection in here. It can be super-overwhelming for people."

I was so close, to confronting one of the three customers in the store who, bless them, looked like they were fine on their own, and ask them if they need tending to just to shove it in Steve's face. But then Robin's had a brilliant idea.

"Yeah, it can be," Robin said, looking like she just realized something thanks to what Steve said. She made a beeline to the computer and started searching the name Rick. All of us gathered behind her back and watched as 12 Ricks appeared. "12 Ricks already have an account here."