Lost in the Shadows

Chapter 5

'I'm sorry to hear that,' Tozier told Star when she had finished explaining the events of the night before. She had woken up late that afternoon to find that only a few candles had been lit around the bed she'd been laid in, which was nestled in a sheltered alcove just off from the main room. Dwayne was gone and Star didn't hear a sound when she called his name. Picking up one of the tapered candles she used the dim glow to light her way, following the sound of the ocean to guide her out to the rocky crop and along the rusted stairs that led to the top of Hudson's Bluff.

It wasn't until she had reached Tozier's tattoo place that Star realised it was past three in the afternoon, as deep in the cave there had been no clocks that she could see and no natural light of any kind. Curled up in the corner of the red Chesterfield, she smiled weakly at Tozier and drank more of the coffee he'd given her, laced with a huge helping of whiskey that he'd poured from a silver hip flask he'd produced from his back pocket.

'I know he was your dad, Star, but I don't go in for guys who beat women. I tell ya, he was this close to meeting Patience. I was just waiting on one more time, just one more, but looks like he got himself before I could.'

'Who's Patience?' Star asked in wonder, knowing that Tozier's partner was called Chris.

'Baseball bat,' Tozier answered with a wry smile, slipping a smooth, solid looking bat from beneath the counter. 'We been through some tough times together.' He kissed the rounded end of the bat before tucking it back out of sight and coming to sit down beside the girl. 'I truly am sorry. It's not easy losing someone you love, even if they have no love for you,' Tozier said, reaching a thick, tattooed arm out to wrap around Star's shoulders and draw her closer.

'He did love me,' Star began automatically, her tone rising as Tozier's blonde bushy eyebrows threatened to relocate to the top of his bald head. 'He did, in his own way. My daddy did a good job raising us both when our mother left. He still worked the mines as well as putting food in our bellies for a while. He made sure we both went to school, had clothes to wear. It must have been hard when alcohol had such a grip on him. It wasn't really til Dwayne left that he really hit rock bottom. I guess he was just waiting for me to go too, so he could drink himself into oblivion. I used to hide what I could from him, he always managed to find it though.'

Tozier nodded in understanding. 'That's the trouble when you got a vice, always finds ya somehow. S'how I ended up with all o' these,' he grinned, leaning to the side so he could run a meaty hand along his thick arm, tattooed with various whorls and swirls. Where's your brother now then?' Star shook her head and they both glanced up as the door chimed and two geeky looking teens entered.

'Got ID?' Tozier barked. The pair shook their heads, looking terrified. 'No ID, no tats. Don't waste my fuckin' time.' They quickly slunk out, pulling the door closed behind them.

'I don't know where Dwayne is now,' Star continued, draining her mug. 'He must have slipped out while I was still asleep. It was so strange him turning up just like that, I honestly haven't seen him for at least a year. I've bumped into him on the Boardwalk once or twice, but he hasn't been home since the night he left. He fell in with a strange crowd, starting drinking, smoking. When he got his motorcycle, he told daddy where to shove it and left. He said he was staying with a friend, but I don't see how anyone could live down in that dank, dark cave. They don't even had electricity or hot water!'

'Cave?' Tozier frowned, standing up and crossing the room to the door. Business had been quite slow and apart from the two underage kids, he hadn't had any customers for at least two hours or so. He flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed'. 'What cave? Not up on Hudson's Bluff?' Star nodded and straightened up the design books out of habit.